In the life of a vegetarian, there are some dishes that you just have to sacrifice. I don’t like the taste of meat, so that part’s easy for me, but there are some meat dishes where all the other parts of the recipe sound, look, and smell so good. Case in point: Indonesian satay. Meat aside, those skewers always seemed so savory and seductive to me–but I never considered making a vegetarian version because the dish is so meat-centric in nature.

Which is why I love this recipe from Eating Well. Not only have they created a vegetarian recipe out of an inherently meaty dish, but it’s a recipe that provides a bright and zippy use for broccoli and cauliflower–both of which I plan to eat a lot of during these cool months.

Hot Madras curry has a bit of a kick; use regular curry powder if you just want the flavor of curry but not the heat.

INGREDIENTS
24 broccoli florets, (about 10 ounces)
24 cauliflower florets (about 10 ounces)
1 tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger, or ginger juice (see Note)
1 tablespoon smooth natural peanut butter
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon hot Madras curry powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

1. Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil over high heat. Add broccoli and cauliflower; cook until tender-crisp, about 3 minutes. Drain; rinse under cool water.

2. Whisk soy sauce, vinegar, oil, ginger (or ginger juice), peanut butter, garlic, curry and salt in a large bowl until smooth. Add the florets; gently toss to coat. Let marinate at room temperature for at least 2 hours or cover and refrigerate for up to 1 day.

3. To serve, thread 2 broccoli and 2 cauliflower florets onto each skewer. (Reserve marinade.) Arrange the skewers on a platter in a single layer and drizzle with the marinade.

Note: Eating Well uses bottled ginger juice (pressed ginger root) to add the taste of fresh ginger without the work of mincing or grating. Use it to flavor drinks, stir-fries, marinades or anywhere you’d use fresh ginger. Find it in specialty stores or online at gingerpeople.com.

Servings: 12 skewers.

Nutrition per skewer: 33 calories; 2 g fat (0 g saturated fat, 1g mono unsaturated fat); 0 mg cholesterol; 3 g carbohydrates; 2 g protein; 1 g fiber; 112 mg sodium; 156 mg potassium.

Nutrition bonus: Vitamin C (60% daily value), Vitamin A (15% dv).

Visit EatingWell.com for free quick and easy healthy recipe collections!