Cauliflower & Broccoli Au Gratin

Around thanksgiving I posted a recipe for mashed cauliflower and a friend asked if I had one for cauliflower au gratin. I didn't (then) but much to my delight the below recipe appeared in a cooking magazine a few days later.  One serving (1 1/2 cups) of cauliflower au gratin is 232 cal and 26 grams of carbs versus traditional potatoes au gratin at 450 calories and 54 grams of carbs. In addition you have all the nutrients (and fiber) supplied by the broccoli and cauliflower. So this is definitely a way to feel less guilty about holiday eating.

Enjoy!

Ingredients:
2 cups cauliflower florets
2 cups broccoli florets
3 tsp olive oil, divided
1 small yellow onion, sliced into rings
1 carrot, peeled and finely chopped
1 1/2 cups low-fat milk
2 tbsp arrowroot powder
1/2 cup shredded Gouda cheese
1/2 cup Havarti cheese
1 tbsp mustard powder
1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
2 tbsp whole-what bread crumbs
sea salt to taste, optional

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Fill a medium saucepan with water, about 1 inch high. Bring to a boil. Place cauliflower and broccoli in a steamer basket and set in a saucepan. Reduce to medium heat and cover with lid for 5 minutes, until cauliflower and broccoli are tender. Remove from heat and set aside.

In a large saucepan on medium high, heat 2 tsp oil. Add onion and saute, stirring frequently, for 1 to 2 minutes until translucent. Add carrot and milk and cook for 3 minutes, stirring constantly. In a small bowl, whisk together 2 tsp cold water and arrowroot. Add mixture to saucepan with milk mixture and stir for 1 minute. Stir in cheeses and mix until melted. Season with mustard, pepper and salt, if desired.

In a small skillet on medium high, heat remaining 1 tps oil. Add bread crumbs and toast until lightly browned, 3 minutes.

in an 8x8 inch oven safe dish, add cauliflower and broccoli. Pour cheese-carrot mixture over top, then sprinkle with bread crumbs and bake for 25 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving.

Zucchini Linguine with Spicy Sausage

The last time I featured zucchini linguine I recommended using a Julienne peeler to make the "noodles." However, I discovered that my brand new food processor (a wedding shower gift from my mom's cousins:) has a thin slicing disc that is quicker...and more fun! If you have a food processor simply slice off the ends of the zucchini so it will fit on its side in the feed tube. Then gently apply pressure to the pusher. The slicing disc will create thin noodle-sized slices of zucchini which you can then toss onto the stove and steam for several minutes.
Ingredients:

1 tbsp olive oil

½ pound hot Italian turkey sausage, casings removed, roughly crumbled

4 garlic cloves, minced

1/8 tsp crushed red pepper

1 lb broccoli rabe, cut into 2 inch pieces

½ cup reduced-sodium chicken broth

¼ cup plus 4 tsp freshly grated pecorino Romano

¼ tsp black pepper

6 zucchini, sliced into long, thin strands

Directions:

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add sausage and sauté, breaking up large chunks with a wooden spoon, until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and crushed red pepper. Add broccoli rabe and cook, tossing with tongs, 1 minute. Add broth, reduce heat to medium, cover and cook until broccoli rabe is tender, about 3 minutes.

Add steamed zucchini “noodles” to sausage mixture, toss well with tongs. Add ¼ cup cheese and black pepper and toss well. Divide among four bowls and sprinkle w/ cheese. 

Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

The bad news - I've been sick the past few days. The good news - it was the perfect excuse to attempt homemade chicken noodle soup (yes, even when sick I can't stay out of the kitchen. Lol.) I will start by saying this requires a whole helluva lot more effort than opening a can of Campbells. But it's totally worth it! I used half water and half white wine for the broth. I think it tastes better and if you're sick it will help put you to sleep:)

Ingredients:
1 (3 1/2 pound) whole chicken
6 carrots
4 stalks celery
3 medium onions, peeled
5 black peppercorns
1 clove garlic, crushed
10 sprigs parsley
2 sprigs thyme
1 bay leaf
2 tbsp unsalted butter
4 leeks, tops and roots removed
1 tsp salt
1 tsp fresh ground pepper
3 cups medium egg noodles
water (or water and white wine) to cover

Directions:

Stock: Chop 2 carrots, 2 celery ribs, and one onion and place in a large stockpot. Add chicken, peppercorns, garlic, 2 springs of parsley, thyme, bay leaf and enough water (or water and wine) to cover the chicken. Bring the broth to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer, and cook until the chicken is very tender, about an hour. Remove the chicken and place in a large bowl. Strain the broth through a sieve or colander into a large, clean bowl. Discard the vegetables.

Soup: Skim any fat off the top of the strained broth and discard. Slice the remaining carrots, celery, onions and leeks into 1/4 inch pieces and set aside. Remove and discard the skin and bones from the chicken and use your hands to tear the chicken into 1/2 inch pieces and set aside. Chop the remaining parsley leaves and set aside. Melt the butter in the stockpot. Add the vegetables and cook until the onions are translucent - about 7 minutes. Add the chicken, the reserved broth, salt and pepper. Simmer the coup until the vegetables are tender - about 1 hour. Stir in the eg noodles and parley and cook until the noodles are tender - about 10 more minutes. Serve hot.

Butternut Squash Tots

Though potatoes aren't technically grain they have the same starchy, "carby" qualities as grain so if you're following a no or low grain diet you should try to avoid them. Now if you have been drinking all night, say for example at your wedding, and your husband orders hashbrowns from room service you can make an exception. Otherwise there are many much healthier substitutions you can make. 

Obviously the mashed cauliflower featured a couple days ago is a great substitution. Another is beet or zucchini chips instead of potato chips (I plan to feature a recipe for these in the near future.) However the one I'm most excited about is this tater tot substitution as I am an absolute sucker for those fried chunks of goodness.

The recipe I used called for kabocha squash, which is hard to find, and required quite a bit of prep work. So i substituted the prepackaged, precubed pieces of butternut squash available at Trader Joes and saved myself a ton of time and trouble. This might be one of the easiest recipes you'll find on this blog. 

Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 package cut butternut squash 

Coconut oil

Sea salt

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Toss the squash with oil, sprinkle with sea and spread on a roasting pan. Roast the squash for 15 minutes, remove from oven to toss, then roast for another 10-15 minutes. 

Cauliflower Crust Pizza

If you have any cauliflower left over from yesterday's mashed cauliflower you are in for a treat! I have been wanting to make this recipe for a long time but it took having an entire head of leftover cauliflower to motivate me to do it!

The below recipe is for the crust only but feel free to pile on the toppings of your choice. I didn't want to make a trip to the grocery store so I used what I had in the pantry and refrigerator - tomato paste, meatballs (crumbled), kale and mozzerella cheese. Next time I will definitely use mushrooms and red and green bell peppers.

By the way, Dave is a pizza fanatic and loved this recipe. Yay! A way to eat GOOD pizza for 50 calories per slice and 2 carbs! (If cut into 8 slices. 100/4 if cut into four slices.)

Enjoy!

Ingredients:
1 cup cooked, riced cauliflower
1 cup parmesan cheese
1 egg, beaten
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp crushed garlic
1/2 tsp garlic salt
Olive oil
*the toppings of your choice*

Directions:

To "Rice" the Cauliflower:

Take 1 large head of fresh cauliflower, remove stems and leaves and chop the florets into small pieces. Add to food processor and pulse until it looks like grain. Place the riced cauliflower into a microwave safe bowl and microwave for 8 minutes. (If you don't have a microwave you can steam before transferring to the food processor.) Then, this is an important step, transfer the cauliflower into a dishtowel or cheesecloth and squeeze out as much moisture as possible. One large head should produce approx 3 cups of riced cauliflower. The remainder can be used to make additional crust immediately or can be stored in he refrigerator for up to one week.

To make the Pizza Crust:

Preheat over to 450 degrees. Spray a non-stick cookie sheet with a non-stick cooking spray. In a medium bowl, stir together 1 cup cauliflower, egg and parmesan cheese. Add oregano, crushed garlic and garlic salt, stir. Transfer to the cookie sheet and using your hands, press out into a 9" round. (Spray top with olive oil to help with browning.) Bake at 450 for 15 minutes. Remove from oven. To the crust, add sauce, toppings and cheese. Place under a broiler at high heat just until cheese is melted. (Approx 3-4 minutes.) *

*The toppings I used didn't have to be precooked but if you are using vegetables you will want to cook them first.

Mashed Cauliflower

I try not to force my healthy eating habits on my family. Of course I share my recipes and make "suggestions" but they are free to eat as they please in their own homes (except my husband;) But I felt very strongly about offering a healthy alternative to mashed potatoes at this year's Thanksgiving dinner.
Mashed cauliflower is a great alternative since it tastes very similar to mashed potatoes. (Both were available at our table so I was able to do a comparison.) The difference is about 53 calories and 13 grams of carbs. (1/2 cup white potatoes - 67 calories, 15.6 grams carbs, 1/2 cup cauliflower - 14 calories, 2.5 grams carbs.) Also, cauliflower leaves you feeling much less heavy and "stuffed." (Though this feeling is hard to avoid on Thanksgiving regardless of how healthy you eat!)
The preparation couldn't be easier as there is nothing to peel and cauliflower microwaves easily. (You can also steam.) I made enough for 20 people but the recipe below serves 2-4.

Ingredients:
1 head cauliflower
2 tbsp sour cream or greek yogurt
2 tbsp grated parmesan cheese, plus a few pinches to garnish

Directions:
Break cauliflower into pieces and place in a casserole dish with 2 tbsp water. Cover and microwave for 8 minutes, stirring halfway. Let cauliflower cool for several minutes, then mash adding sour cream and parmesan cheese. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top and serve.

Avocado Pie

I have never baked in my life and there's a reason. Actually, there are two reasons. For one I don't have a sweet tooth and what's the point of putting all that time and energy into making something you're not excited about eating? And two, even if I DID have a sweet tooth, I don't have the patience or precision that baking requires. You will notice that I often take liberties with my recipes e.g. "the recipe called for 2 tbsp but I used three" or "the recipe said to cook it for 15 mins but I cooked it for 20." There is no place for these types of executive decisions in baking and for that reason baking has never interested me (much to my mother's dismay.)

Tastier than it looks

Enter the avocado pie. I saw it on pinterest months ago and immediately wanted to take a bite. But as that would require baking it was never going to happen. Then my mom asked what I wanted to bring to Thanksgiving dinner this year. Of course she was signed up for every pie known to man....every pie but avocado:)

Last night was my trial run. Ten or fifteen minutes into crushing the gingersnaps I thought "this is why I don't bake! Ugh!" But the finished product was exactly what I was hoping for. 

Between the gingersnaps and whipped topping I consumed more sugar than I have in months. But I was able to feel good about myself for also having consumed one of the best sources of monounsaturated fat (good for the heart), antioxidants (prevent aging symptoms) and dietary fiber (as much as a piece of bread!) So if you want to end your evening with something that both tastes good and does a body good (and you don't mind crushing gingersnaps) I highly recommend this pie:)

Ingredients:

Crust:

1 1/2 cup ginger snaps, crushed

6 tablespoons butter, melted

Avocado Filling:

1 1/2 cup canned coconut milk (not light)

2 tsp (1 envelope) unflavored gelatin

3 large, ripe avocados

1/2 cup mint leaves

2 tbsp fresh lime juice

1 1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 tsp salt

Topping:

2 cups heavy whipping cream

2 tbsp granulated sugar

Lime zest and mint leaves for garnish

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine ginger snap crumbs and butter in a large bowl. Then press mixture into the bottom and up the sides of a 9" pie pan. Bake for 15 minutes and then remove and allow to cool completely.

Open the can of coconut milk - do not shake it! The cream will have settled on the top. Spoon it out and set aside for the next step. Put 1/2 cup of the coconut milk liquid in a medium saucepan. Sprinkle the gelatin over the top and allow it to sit for 2 minutes. Then place over medium high heat and warm the liquid and gelatin until the gelatin has dissolved (do not stir). Remove from heat.

In a large blender, combine: gelatin mixture, remaining coconut milk and cream from the top of the milk, avocados (pitted and skinned), mint leaves, lime juice, zest, sugar and salt. Blend on high until very smooth. Pour into cooled pie shell. Cover and refrigerate at least two hours.

Right before serving the pie, combine whipping cream and sugar. Whip with a hand mixer into whipped cream. Spread whipped cream over the top of the pie and garnish with lime zest and mint leaves.