Recipe: It's Harvest Time in the Kitchen - Curried Harvest Pilaf

It's Harvest Time in the Kitchen
From the American Institute for Cancer Research

Whatever the weather, autumn has arrived, prompting cooks to think about heartier fare. Thoughts turn from summer salad bowls to simmering pots.

Farmers markets and supermarkets are full of the autumn harvest - sweet potatoes, squash, cabbage, carrots, parsnips, turnips, turnip greens, beets, apples and pears. This bounty is not only full of flavor, but also the antioxidants, phytochemicals and fiber that help lower your risk for chronic health problems. Scientists believe that diets rich in plant-based foods are the most protective of diseases like cancer.

With the huge variety of beautiful produce this time of year, shoppers face two dangers: buying too much and not storing it safely. Time damages both taste and nutritional content. To maximize nutrition and minimize perishability, keep salad items in the crisper drawer of your refrigerator. Refrigerate apples and pears if not used within a few days. They'll keep well up to two weeks in the refrigerator. Store root vegetables like potatoes and turnips in a cool, dry place away from sunlight, and buy only what you can use in a week or two, as they toughen with age.

Some nutrients can be lost if produce is chopped and left to sit for a day or two, even more so if left to soak in water. Cut up fruits and vegetables close to the time you'll be using them.

Cook vegetables until just tender. Overcooking destroys nutrients, as does cooking in a lot of water. Healthful cooking methods that preserve nutrients include microwave or stove-top steaming in a little water, and stir-frying or saut ing in a small amount of oil until vegetables just reach tenderness. Vegetables lose nutrients by boiling or cooking a long time in a lot of water.

The following dish uses the produce of the season in a flavorful, nutrition-rich dish.

Curried Harvest Pilaf

Canola oil cooking spray
1 small onion, coarsely chopped
1 cup uncooked quick-cooking brown rice
1 Tbsp. curry powder
1 medium sweet potato, scrubbed and coarsely chopped
1 cup coarsely chopped kale, fresh or frozen, thawed and well-drained
1 cup water
2 cups fat-free, reduced-sodium chicken broth
3 small Granny Smith apples, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup currants or raisins
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Spray a large skillet with cooking oil spray. Heat skillet over medium heat. Saut onion until golden, about 5 minutes. Add rice and curry; saut for 3 minutes. Stir in sweet potato and kale. Saute for 2 minutes. Add water and broth.

Bring mixture to a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until rice and sweet potatoes are just tender and liquid is almost absorbed, about 15 minutes.

Stir in apples and currants. Simmer, stirring frequently, until apples are tender and liquid completely absorbed, about 5 minutes.

Season with salt and pepper, and serve.

Makes 4 servings.

Per serving: 251 calories, 2 g. total fat (less than 1 g. saturated fat), 57 g. carbohydrate, 5 g. protein, 6 g. dietary fiber, 304 mg. sodium.