Cheesy Mashed Cauliflower

 

This is a delicious alternative to mashed potatoes.  You can get the same effect as mashed potatoes but with less carbs and a guarantee that you are getting a veggie serving.  This is great for kids who hate vegetables because they will probably never know that they are eating cauliflower!

adapted from Food Network

Here's What You Need:

2 cups "riced" cauliflower

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

2 tbs sour cream

1 tsp salt

1 tsp ground black pepper

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp dried parsley

3 tbs unsalted butter

Here's What You Do:

Ricing the cauliflower

Take one large, fresh head of cauliflower, remove stems and leaves, and cut into florets.  Put the florets into a food processor and puree until it looks like rice.  (Mine actually looks more like cous-cous).

Heat the cauliflower in the microwave for two minutes.  Immediately put into food processor and add all other ingredients.  Puree until smooth and creamy.

Zucchini Fritters

I found this recipe a few months ago and have made it at least every other week since then.  These fritters are soooo delicious and full of flavor.

from smitten kitchen

Here's What You Need:

2 medium zucchini

2 tsp salt

2 scallions, split lengthwise and sliced thin

1/2 cup flour

1 egg, beaten

fresh ground black pepper

extra virgin olive oil

Here's What You Do:

Chop off the ends of each zucchini and use a grater to grate both zucchini.  Add the salt to the bowl and allow zucchini to sit for approximately 10 minutes.  Then, take zucchini and press between paper towels to remove extra water. 

Mix the zucchini, scallions, egg, flour, and black pepper (enough for your taste) in a bowl.

Heat a frying pan to medium-high heat and put in 2 tsp of olive oil.  When hot, drop the zucchini batter into the oil. Fry for 3 minutes, then flip and fry for 2-3 minutes on the opposite side.

Allow them to drain on paper towels, then enjoy!  Serve with sour cream.

This makes 6-8 2-inch fritters.

Strawberry Cheesecake Bites

Instead of cheesecake with a little bit of strawberry, how about strawberry with a little bit of cheesecake?  Light and refreshing, perfect for a snack, appetizer, or dessert.

from Do It and How

Here's What You Need:

1 pint fresh strawberries

1 8oz package of fat free cream cheese

3 tsp powdered sugar

Here's What You Do:

Wash the strawberries, remove the leaves, and cut out the centers.

In a bowl, mix the cream cheese and powdered sugar.

Spoon or pipe with a zip-lock bag into each of the strawberries.

Frozen Yogurt-dipped Blueberries

Maybe it is just me, but when it is a 95 degree summer day (as it is here every day!), I want foods that are light and refreshing.  I tend to steer away from heavy desserts.  I thought a couple of light, fruity dessert options were in order!

These are extremely simple and something that you can keep in your freezer as an easy go-to snack.  

from The Caffeinated Chronicles of a Supermom

Here's What You Need:

1 pint fresh blueberries

1 cup Greek yogurt (I used blueberry flavored, but you can use any kind)

Here's What You Do:

Using a toothpick, dip your blueberries into the Greek yogurt and then place on a small cookie sheet.  Put the cookie sheet in the freezer for an hour, then quickly remove the blueberries and place into a zip-lock freezer bags.

When ready to eat, the yogurt will begin to soften within a few minutes, so eat them quickly! 

Cauliflower Pizza Crust

Don't worry, you read the title correctly.  This is a recipe for CAULIFLOWER pizza crust.  I had your same gut reaction too - Who would possibly come up with such a thing, and how could it taste any good?  I love pizza, and I was unsure that anything other than wheat-flour-doughy yumminess could compare.

Well, I was wrong.

Now, don't get me wrong, this won't replace my undying love for Papa John's pizza.  However, I feel like this is a great alternative for a night when I want pizza but I don't want anything too heavy or too unhealthy.  

Before you shake your head and click over to the next recipe, think about this: a serving of this pizza will give you two full servings of veggies (or more depending on how much you put on top).  It is lower in carbs than a regular pizza, and it is gluten-free for those of you who can't digest the gluten well.  You can't argue with those positives, can you?

I don't promise that this tastes exactly like regular pizza crust.  It definitely doesn't taste like cauliflower though.  I described it to my neighbor as tasting kind of like cheesy bread.  I promise, if you tried it without knowing what it was, the thought of veggies in your crust would never cross your mind.  What a perfect way to trick veggie-hating children (or husbands!).

adapted from eat.drink.smile

Here's What You Need:

for crust

1 cup cooked, riced cauliflower (see below for the how-to)

1 cup part skim-low moisture mozzarella cheese

1 egg, beaten

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp garlic salt

1 tsp red pepper flakes

extra virgin olive oil

for toppings

1 cup part skim-low moisture mozzarella cheese

favorite pizza sauce

any veggies of your choosing (I used onions, peppers, and sun-dried tomatoes)

Here's What You Do: 

Ricing the cauliflower

Obviously, giant chunks of cauliflower are not going to make a good crust.  You have to prepare the cauliflower to make the dough.

Take one large, fresh head of cauliflower, remove stems and leaves, and cut into florets.  Put the florets into a food processor and puree until it looks like rice.  (Mine actually looks more like cous-cous).

Take one cup of the "riced" cauliflower and put into a microwavable bowl.  Microwave on  high for two minutes.  Your cauliflower is now ready.  My head of cauliflower produced about 3 1/2 cups, so you can make multiple pizzas!

Making the pizza

Heat oven to 450F.  Lightly spray pizza pan or baking sheet.

Take your cup of hot riced cauliflower and mix in a bowl with one cup of the cheese and the egg.  Add oregano, garlic salt, and red pepper flakes.  Transfer to your pizza pan, and with your hands, spread out the mixture.  Mine made about a 10" pizza.

Lightly baste the top with extra virgin olive oil to help it brown.  Place in the oven for 15 minutes.

Once you take it out, top with your sauce, cheese, and toppings.  Stick back in the oven for 3 minutes, or until cheese is melted.  Make sure to cook your veggies ahead of time, if  needed, since you are only getting it hot enough to melt the cheese.

Voila!  You have a yummy pizza!  Let it cool for five minutes before eating.  Keep in mind that this makes a thin crust, so you may do better eating with a fork than picking it up with your hands.

Makes 2 servings.

Roasted Green Beans

My neighbor came over with a huge bag of fresh-from-the-garden green beans.  I guess that is one of the perks of having a master gardener living next door.  Any time I have tried to grow veggies, they either turn out puny or get devoured by some sort of creature.  Last summer, my tomatoes were ravaged by horned caterpillars.  I didn't even bother with growing veggies this year.

ANYWAY.  I was trying to figure out what I wanted to do with the green beans.  Should I make the traditional green bean casserole? Stir fry with some other veggies?  No, I'll ROAST them!  Roasted veggies are awesome, and a friend has recently been sharing her vegetable roasting adventures, so I'd been in the mood to roast. 

Here's What You Need:

a pound of fresh green beans

1 tbs of extra virgin olive oil

1 tbs of lemon juice

salt

fresh ground pepper

Here's What You Do:

Wash your green beans well in cold water and snap the ends off.  Pat dry.

In a bowl, mix the EVOO and lemon juice.  Add salt and pepper to taste (I did just a pinch of salt, but I was a little more liberal with the pepper for flavor).

Toss in the green beans and coat them evenly.

Spread out on a pan and put in the oven at 425F for about 12-14 minutes.  Turn over the green beans halfway through.  You will know they are ready when they begin to turn a little brown but still have a nice crunch to them.

Baked Eggplant

This baked eggplant is extremely easy to make and is more healthy than traditional fried Eggplant Parmesan.

Here's What You Need:

1 eggplant, sliced into 1/2 each pieces

2 eggs, beaten

1 cup breadcrumbs

1 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded (I used a Parmesan - Fontina mix).

Here's What You Do:

Dip each eggplant slice into the egg, then dip into breadcrumb mixture.  

Lay on baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.  Flip eggplants and bake another 8 minutes.

Remove and top with shredded cheese.  Put back in the oven and bake for another 5 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.

Serve with your favorite noodles and marinara sauce.

Breakfast Cups

I love breakfast food, but I get tired of the same thing over and over again.  These little breakfast cups are a fun way to incorporate traditional breakfast foods in a new way.  What I love about them is that they are easy to customize, so each person can add the ingredients they like.  Whereas I filled mine with veggies, my hubby would probably love a "meat-lovers" version.

Adapted from: Culinary.net

Here's What You Need:

3 cups refrigerated shredded hash browns 

6 eggs, scrambled

1/4 cup mushrooms, chopped

1/8 cup onions, diced

1/8 cup green bell peppers, diced

1/8 cup sundried tomatoes, chopped

1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

Here's What You Do:

Spray 6 cups in a muffin tin with cooking spray.

Divide the hash browns evenly between the six cups, pressing into the bottom and up the sides of each cup.

Bake the hash brown cups at 400 degrees for 15 minutes.

Mix the vegetables in a bowl and divide evenly into each of the six hash brown cups.  Divide the scrambled egg mixture between the six cups.  Sprinkle the top of each with cheddar cheese.

Put back in the oven and cook for another 15 minutes, or until the cheese is golden brown on top.

Remove the cups by sliding a knife around the edge of each cup to loosen.

Summer Vegetable Bake

Adapated from Budget Bytes

I love, love, LOVE zucchini, so I am eager to try any dish that includes it.  This dish is really simple and inexpensive.  Just throw a bunch of sliced veggies in a pan, top it with cheese and seasoning, and voila!

Here's What You Need:

1 baking potato

1 zucchini

1 squash

1 tomato

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

salt

pepper

garlic powder

parsley

Here's What You Do:

Spray an 8x8 dish with cooking spray, and preheat your oven to 400F.

Slice your veggies very thinly (I stress this because you want to make sure your potatoes cook all the way through).

Alternate your veggies in the dish.  Sprinkle with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and parsley.

Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes.

Remove, top with shredded cheese, and bake another 15 minutes.

Hummus

In my opinion, hummus is one of the tastiest "healthy" snacks out there.  I could seriously go through an entire container of it in one sitting.  The great thing I love about it, other than tasting awesome, is that you can add all kinds of things to give it different flavors.  Not only is it delicious and healthy, but it is also extremely easy to make - less than five minutes!  

From Serious Eats

Here's What You Need:

2 15oz cans of chickpeas, drained

1/3 cup tahini 

2 tsp minced garlic

1/4 cup lemon juice

1/4 cup olive oil

1 tsp salt

1/3 cup water

Here's What You Do:

Put chickpeas and garlic into a food processor and pulse until the chickpeas are chopped.

Add tahini, lemon juice, olive oil, and salt.  

Puree until smooth.  Add a little bit of water at a time to help make it creamier.

At this point, you can choose to just have the plain hummus, or you can follow my lead and remove half to enjoy as is, and add 1/3 cup chopped sundried tomatoes to the remainder.  Puree until tomatoes are completely blended.  The mixture will turn orange.  

Enjoy with pita chips or chopped veggies!

Refried Beans

Hola!  Happy Cinco de Mayo!  I'm actually out of town today and NOT cooking my favorite Mexican food, but I figured I would share my recipe for refried beans.  Top with a bit of cheese and salsa!

Here's What You Need:

16oz bag of dried pinto beans
2tbsp minced garlic
2tbsp chili powder
2tbsp cumin
3tbsp extra virgin olive oil
salt to taste

Here's What You Do:

Soak pinto beans overnight.  Drain water and place in pot with fresh water, covering two inches above the beans.

Bring beans to a boil, then lower heat and simmer for 3 hours.

Mash beans and add seasonings and EVOO. 

Add additional water, if needed, and return to low heat for 30 minutes, stirring several times.