Thanksgiving last week was awesome, because I was able to spend time with my family, including my adorable nephew Tayo.  My family lives in Texas, while I live in Oklahoma, so I don’t see my nephew as often as I would like.  He is full of energy and spunk, and his laughter and smiles make everything better (but when he is hungry, you better watch out, cause he’ll let you know how he feels 😉 ).

Every Thanksgiving, my parents invite relatives and friends from their local church to celebrate Thanksgiving.  We have a large potluck at my parent’s house, and this year I  whipped up some of my favorite Thanksgiving dishes, including a green bean casserole and sweet potato casserole.  My sweet potato casserole is a family favorite, and is usually polished off before the end of dinner.

I’m Nigerian-American, and we also have several Nigerian dishes as well, like Jollof Rice (rice cooked with tomato stew and spices), Moi Moi (a dished made from black beans), meat pies and fried plantains.

I love having family and friends come together to celebrate and give thanks for health, well being, and being able to gather together and celebrate the holidays.  However, one of the absolutely best parts about Thanksgiving in Texas, is that I don’t have to worry about finishing off leftovers!  By the time I make it back home, turkey (and any other leftovers) are the last things I want to eat.

If you’re also tired of turkey, ham, and casseroles, than I have a ground beef and vegetable dish that is sure to make your tastebuds happy!

This dish was inspired by my desire for latin american flavored meal without being too carb-heavy.  With low-carb veggies like cauliflower and green and red bell peppers, and ground beef flavored with spices like cumin, chili powder and oregano, you are going to enjoy this flavor combination.

Depending on your tolerance for spicy foods, you can also kick it up a notch by adding more red pepper flakes.

I’d love to know how your Thanksgiving went!  Feel free to leave a comment below sharing your favorite traditional (and non-traditional) Thanksgiving dishes.  If you make the Mexi-Cauli Rice Bowl, please let me know what you think!

Mexi-Cauli Rice Bowl

Servings: serves 3-4

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Ingredients:

• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 large head of cauliflower, chopped into florets
• 1 14 oz can diced tomato
• 1 large red onion, diced
• 1 large red bell pepper, diced
• 1 large green bell pepper, diced
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder
• 2 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
• 1 tablespoon cooking fat (lard, tallow, coconut oil, butter, avocado oil)

Instructions:

1. Process the cauliflower florets into cauliflower rice by using the shredding attachment on a food processor.  If you don’t have access to a food processor, you can “rice” the cauliflower by using a handle held food grater.  Pour the cauliflower rice into a large bowl and set aside.
2. Preheat a large skillet over medium high heat.  Add the ground beef and all of the spices (but reserving 1 teaspoon of sea salt).  Cook the ground beef over medium high heat until browned, approximately 10-12 minutes.
3. Once the meat has browned, add the diced tomatoes and lower the heat to medium-low, simmering the browned beef and diced tomatoes for 15-20 minutes.  Once the browned beef has finished simmering, remove from heat and set aside.
4. While the beef and diced tomatoes are simmering, preheat a large pot over medium high heat.  Then add 1 tablespoon of the cooking fat to the pot.
5. Once the cooking fat has heated, add the minced garlic and sautee for 20-30 seconds.  Add the diced onions and sautee an additional 4 to 5 minutes.
6. Add the diced red and green bell peppers to the large pot, and continue sauteeing for 6-7 minutes.
7. Add the cauliflower rice to the large pan, and mix with the diced onions and bell peppers until combined.
8. Continue cooking the cauliflower mixture, stirring the mixture periodically until the rice has softened, 8-10 minutes.
9. Once the cauliflower rice mixture has cooked through, remove from heat.
10. Mix the cauliflower rice mixture with the beef and diced tomatoes, and stir to thoroughly combine.
11. serve immediately.

 

Notes:

• This meal makes great leftovers.