5 NKF Approved Recipes to Savor Until Spring

Are you impatient for spring? Here are five delightful recipes to keep you cozy and satisfied while you wait.

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1. Brown Rice with Pigeon Peas
2. Creamy Pumpkin Coconut Soup
3. White Bean Chili
4. Mushroom Bolognese
5. Tembleque

1. Brown Rice with Pigeon Peas

This twist on the traditional Puerto Rican dish offers the same great flavor with less sodium. 

Serving size: 2/3 cup

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 tbsp sofrito (If you don't have sofrito, you can add 1/2 chopped onion, 1/2 chopped bell pepper, and 1-2 minced garlic cloves. Sauté with the oil at the beginning of the preparation.)
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• ¾ tsp ground cumin
• ¼ tsp ground annatto (achiote)
• ¼ tsp salt
• 1½ cups brown rice
• 15 ounces of canned green pigeon peas
• 2½ cups water
• 2 dried bay leaves
• 2 fresh culantro leaves
• 1 large red bell pepper

Directions

1. Add the oil, sofrito, tomato paste, cumin, annatto, and salt in a medium-sized pot over medium heat. Stir to combine the ingredients.
2. Add the rice and stir to coat all the rice grains with the spices.
3. Add the canned pigeon peas with their liquid and water.
4. Once the water is boiling, cover the pot and reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook for 60 minutes without uncovering.
5. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
6. Cut the red bell pepper in half, remove the stem and seeds, and place the two halves on a baking sheet with the skin facing up. Roast for 30 minutes until the skin becomes black.
7. Remove the pepper from the oven and let it cool. Once cool, peel off the skin and slice it thinly.
8. After 60 minutes, uncover the pot and fluff the rice with a fork. Remove and discard the bay leaves and culantro leaves.
9. Place the pepper slices on top of the rice.
10. Serve as a side dish with your favorite protein and vegetables.
11. Store any leftover cooked rice in the fridge for 4-6 days or in the freezer for up to 6 months.

Get the full recipe and nutrition information.

2. Creamy Pumpkin Coconut Soup

Pumpkins aren't always for fall! This slightly sweet and spicy soup will keep you warm until spring. As a bonus, this filling meal comes together in less than 30 minutes.

Serving size: 1 cup

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tbsp brown sugar, packed
• 1½ tsp ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp ground nutmeg
• ⅛ tsp white pepper
• 15 oz can of pumpkin
• 1 cups no-salt-added vegetable or chicken broth
• ¼ tsp salt
• 1 cup full-fat coconut milk (May substitute cream or whole milk. This will increase the potassium and phosphorus content a little. Lite coconut milk can also be used.)

Directions

1. Sauté onion in olive oil over medium heat until beginning to soften, 3-5 minutes.
2. Add garlic and cook until fragrant. Add sugar and spices.
3. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes.
4. Add coconut milk and stir until fat is melted. Blend using an immersion or standard blender.

Get the full recipe and nutrition information.

3. White Bean Chili

This plant-based White Bean Chili is so tasty you won't miss the meat. It's also the perfect soup to experiment with. Add your favorite vegetables to create the perfect dish.

Serving size: 1 cup

Ingredients

• 3 15.5oz cans cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
• 3 cups unsalted chicken or vegetable broth
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 large white onion, chopped
• 1 jalapeno, minced
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• ½ tsp black pepper
• 1 cups frozen corn
• 1 4 oz can mild green chilies
• Optional Toppings: fresh cilantro, chopped jalapeno, shredded cheddar cheese, crushed tortilla chips, sour cream

Directions

1. Puree 1 can of rinsed beans with 1 cup of broth. Set aside.
2. Heat olive oil in a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Add garlic, onion, and jalapeno. Cook for 5 minutes until vegetables are beginning to soften. Add red bell pepper and cook 2 minutes more.
3. Add spices and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
4. Add remaining broth, whole beans, corn, and green chiles. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes.
5. Serve with your favorite toppings.

Get the full recipe and nutrition information.

4. Mushroom Bolognese

This vegetarian twist on the classic bolognese sauce won't disappoint. Instead of using red meat, this sauce gets its hearty, savory flavor from mushrooms.

Serving size: ½ cup

Ingredients

• 3 carrots, peeled & roughly chopped
• 2 onions, roughly chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, roughly chopped
• 3 garlic cloves
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp ground black pepper
• ¼ tsp salt
• 1 pound white mushrooms
• 6 oz can tomato paste
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup dry red wine
• 4 oz (¼ cup) cream cheese

Directions

1. Pulse carrots, onion, bell pepper, and garlic in a food processor until chopped into larger chunks.
2. In a large saute pan, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add chopped vegetables and cook until tender, about 5 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, pulse mushrooms in the empty food processor until chopped into larger chunks.
4. Add mushrooms, spices, pepper, and salt to other vegetables and cook until tender, about five more minutes.
5. Add water and wine. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until reduced by about half, about 10 minutes.
6. Add the cream cheese in chunks and cook just until melted, stirring to help the cream cheese melt.
7. Serve over pasta!

Get the full recipe and nutrition information.

5. Tembleque

Tembleque is a decadent dessert made with coconut milk, sugar, and cornstarch. The result? A tasty, smooth, creamy coconut pudding that will have you back for seconds. Tembleque might be served cold but the cinnamon is sure to remind you of cozy, warm nights.

Serving size: ⅓ cup

Instructions

• 13½ ounces of unsweetened canned coconut milk
• 10½ ounces water
• ½ cup cornstarch
• ⅓ cup white sugar
• 1/16 tsp salt
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• Cinnamon to taste

Instructions

1. Combine coconut milk and water in a container. Mix well.
2. Add 2 cups of the mixture to a pot. Place the pot over medium-high heat.
3. Add sugar, salt, and vanilla to the pot. Mix well.
4. In the container with the remaining milk, add cornstarch. Mix well. Add the remaining milk with cornstarch to the pot.
5. Reduce to medium heat and continue stirring with a wooden spoon or whisk until it thickens, approximately 6-8 minutes.
6. Remove from the stove.
7. Wet and drain 8 individual molds or a large round mold. They should have a little water to prevent the mixture from sticking.
8. Pour the mixture into the 8 individual molds or the large round mold.
9. Refrigerate for 4 hours.
10. Sprinkle it with cinnamon before serving. Serve the tembleque cold.

Get the full recipe and nutrition information.

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