Where do I find most of my great ideas? Pinterest. Ill admit, Im not always that creative and I frequently find myself in a food rut.  When that happens, up powers the computer, and I see all the great ideas the rest of you have out there.

I am on a mission to feed my family healthier food, and that includes food with substitutions for bread and meat.  We are huge ‘meatatarians’ around here, and a dinner without meat is still in our future. But, I did finally manage a meal with a vegetable substitution…Cauliflower crust pizza.  OMG, was it yummy!  A little warning however:

1. Use the broiler: I let my toppings melt in the residual heat of the oven because I had other things going on and didn’t want to risk burning the pizza.  But the crust was a little more soggy/spongy.
2. When using fresh veggies that might exude excess moisture – cook them first, and use a rimmed baking sheet. I topped my with fresh mozzarella and tomatoes. The juice from the tomatoes ran everywhere!
3. Get creative! Next Im using this recipe as a ‘bread’ side, next time I have a meatloaf or other meat dish.

Here is the original recipe from Eat.Drink.Smile (see link above)

cauliflower crust pizza

Serves 2; Adapted from Your Lighter Side.

ingredients:
1 cup cooked, riced cauliflower
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 egg, beaten
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp crushed garlic
1/2 tsp garlic salt
olive oil (optional)
pizza sauce, shredded cheese and your choice of toppings*

directions:

To “Rice” the Cauliflower:
Take 1 large head of fresh cauliflower, remove stems and leaves, and chop the florets into chunks. Add to food processor and pulse until it looks like grain. Do not over-do pulse or you will puree it. (If you don’t have a food processor, you can grate the whole head with a cheese grater). Place the riced cauliflower into a microwave safe bowl and microwave for 8 minutes (some microwaves are more powerful than others, so you may need to reduce this cooking time). There is no need to add water, as the natural moisture in the cauliflower is enough to cook itself.

One large head should produce approximately 3 cups of riced cauliflower. The remainder can be used to make additional pizza crusts immediately, or can be stored in the refrigerator for up to one week.

To Make the Pizza Crust:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Spray a cookie sheet with non-stick cooking spray. (I used a silpat, but I would wager a non-stick aluminum foil would work just as well, cutting any extra grease/clean-up)  In a medium bowl, stir together 1 cup cauliflower, egg and mozzarella. Add oregano, crushed garlic and garlic salt, stir. Transfer to the cookie sheet, and using your hands, pat out into a 9″ round. Optional: Brush olive oil over top of mixture to help with browning.

Bake at 450 degrees 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 (approximately 3-4 minutes).

Enjoy!

*Note that toppings need to be precooked since you are only broiling for a few minutes.

Reblogged from Sweet Little Thang:

These adorable Oreo sunflowers can go on top of cupcakes, round cakes or even just by themselves!

You will need:

• Cooled Cupcakes
• Oreo Cookies (mini Oreos for smaller sunflowers)
• Red M&Ms
• Classic White Frosting
• Green and Yellow food coloring
• Chocolate Fudge Frosting

Step 1-Separate the white frosting equally into two bowls. Color one bowl with yellow food coloring, the other, with green.

Read more… 72 more words

Reblogged from Truthology.net:

Here is a great guide to help you find real food on your next trip to the supermarket! It's also rather humorous.

Read more… 26 more words

I said I would update the last garden post, so here is how it’s growing:

The lettuce is going gangbusters, we’ve had enough rain to keep us in an abundance of both butter and romaine lettuce. We don’t replant, but snip the leaves off the plant using garden shears. This lets the lettuce grow back.

One thing we have noted is that garden lettuce is more tender and harder to poke with a fork than store bought lettuce. No wonder rabbits love this stuff!

Spinach has also come in well. We keep picking the leaves off and they keep growing back. Fresh spinach is a lovely addition to morning smoothies!

1C Spinach
6 large Strawberries
1med Orange
1/2 Banana
1/2 med Apple
1/2C Blueberries
1/2 tsp flax seed
Coconut water for mixing
1C Ice if fruit is not frozen
Blend
*Note: if the smoothie is too chunky, add more fluid. This enables the blender to move the ingredients and blend better.

The smoothie recipe is a great way to start the day off healthy and with lots of energy!

Summertime is a time for salads and I keep getting requests for this one, so I thought I’d share. This is an adaption if a recipe I found in an old, old family cookbook. Enjoy!

3 Fresh Broccoli Florets, shredded
3C Shredded Cheese (we like the Cheddar/ Monterey Jack blend)
8-12 strips of Bacon, cooked crisp and chopped (but not burned)
1large Yellow or Sweet Onion chopped fine
1/2C Mayonnaise
1/3C White Vinegar
2TBS Sugar
1tsp corse Ground Pepper

Combine all Broccoli, Onion, Bacon, Cheese in a large bowl and mix thoroughly. I’m second bowl, mix the mayo, vinegar, sugar and pepper. Spoon over the broccoli mixture until evenly incorporated. Cover and set in the fridge for at least an hour before eating.

-HINTS:
1) When shredding the broccoli, cut the heads off the florets into same size. Put into food processor and pulse until you have desired size. (see example of finished salad below) Do the same with the stems, no waste here!

2. The dressing for the salad will soak into the broccoli and the favors will meld the longer it sits. If you have leftovers, you might want to have some extra mix setting aside. Reserve about 3TBS of mix, if you plan in leftovers, to add back the next day. The mix usually soaks in after 24hrs.

Reblogged from omeletta:

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Say what? Gazpacho with no tomatoes in it?  And it isn’t even weird white gazpacho with its grapes and almonds?  What mockery is this?

This, my friends, this is what happens when I buy way too many zucchini at the farmer’s market because they were “such a good deal!”  And then the good deal zucchini sat in a huge pile in my fridge looking at me for days on end, and I didn’t know what else to do with them. 

Read more… 526 more words

I love the idea of adding vegetables in all parts of the diet. And, I figure if I keep throwing vegetables at the kids, something will eventually stick, lol. These look delish and I am definitely going to try. Kale Chips!

• 1 whole Chicken
• Johnnys Seasoning Salt
• Lemon Slices
• Rosemary
• 1 med. Onion chopped
• 2 cloves Garlic
• 2Tbs flour
• 1tsp Apple cider vinegar
• 2 pats of butter, chilled

When the oven is preheated, and the pan is hot, place the prepared chicken in the pan, breast side up. According to the Cooks Illustrated magazine, placing the chicken in the hot pan accelerates cooking on the dark meat, since they typically need to cook longer than the breast. Cook in the oven for approximately 30 minutes or until the breast meat reaches 140 and the thighs 160. Then, turn off the oven. (Shocking, I know) The residual heat will continue to cook the chicken for the next 30 to 40 minutes until the chicken is perfectly cooked. Crisp skin, moist meat and SUPER yummy.

When the chicken is done cooking, take out of oven and set on heat safe surface. Using hot pads, lift the chicken out of the pan and tilt to drain the juice out of the cavity into the sauce pan. This is also a great way to check doneness. If the juices run clear (not red), you can be sure your chicken is done. Place the chicken on a cutting board and let it rest. Transfer the sauce pan to the stovetop, just remember it is HOT!

Scrape some of the fat from the pan until you have about 2Tbs left in the pan with accumulated juices. Add the onion and cook until translucent, then the garlic until fragrant, then the flour and cook until it turns brown as if you are making a roux. Add the chicken stock to the pan and stir to break up any clumps of the flour. Add salt and pepper to taste and the splash of apple cider vinegar. Stir until the gravy has thickened and at the very end for a richer sauce, stir in 1 or 2 of the pats of chilled butter, one at a time.

The chicken does not necessarily need the gravy, but the browned bits from the pan are too yummy to waste. I make brown rice and green beans as a side and top the rice with the gravy. I hope you ENJOY, we always do!

While you may think you know this recipe, it is has been re-incarnated from what I grew up with (milk and cream of mushroom soup) for the lactose intolerant in our house.

• 1pks of pork chop – regular cut
• 2 Carrots
• 3 Stalk Celery
• 2 sprigs of Rosemary
• 2 pkgs of sliced crimini mushrooms (or button if you prefer)
• 1 yellow onion
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 Tbs Olive Oil
• 2 Tbs flour
• 4 C stock or broth of your choice

Pre-heat oven to 350 deg. In large dutch oven on stove heat on med heat. Use 1Tbs Olive Oil and batch brown the outside of your Pork Chops. Stack any pieces that do not fit (smaller ones only) on top of pile. Top with sprigs of rosemary, carrots and celery. Seal with foil and place lid on top of foil. Place in oven until Chops register 135 or 140 degrees on instant read thermometer. Take out of the oven and place on cutting board, re-use foil to tent the meat. The residual heat will finish cooking it.

Re-use the dutch oven and drippings from the meat. (big fan of not having to use multiple pans, but if you want your recipe to go faster, then start the gravy while the meat is cooking and add the drippings at the end). Place drippings in a fat separator or other dish. Heat the dutch oven with 1Tbs of olive oil and 2Tbs of meat drippings. Saute Onion and mushrooms until soft, then add garlic (it cooks faster) until fragrant. Add 2Tbs of flour, and cook until light brown. Use a blender or food processor to blend the roasted rosemary, carrots and celery. Add remaining drippings and stock and the vegetable mixture. Simmer until thicken and glossy.

Add the pork chops back to the dutch oven to keep warm until serving. ENJOY!

I like to serve with green beans and roasted potatoes…

• 1pkg hot sausage (Chorizo, or hot pork sausage)- casing off
• 1 Red Bell pepper sliced thin
• 4 Tomatoes, de-seeded (reserved) and sliced thin
• 2 cloves Garlic
• 1 Pkg of sliced Crimini Mushrooms
• 1 C Cilantro
• 12 eggs, beaten
• 4 C lightly crushed tortilla chips
• Cheddar Cheese

Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees. In skillet on med heat, brown the sausage and reserved tomato seed/gel (the Test Kitchen says the most Tomato flavor can be found in the gel and seeds, but they contribute a ton of moisture, so I saute them up with the sausage.)

Add the Tomatoes Onion, Peppers, Mushrooms and Garlic and stir. Let cook until only a little tender. (Make sure the mushrooms are cooked completely, or else they will continue to add moisture to the dish and it will not set. Top with Tortilla Chips, lightly crushed, and stir to incorporate. Fill in with beaten Eggs, wait until partially set and put whole skillet into the oven at 450 deg.

Bake for 15 min until cooked through. Top with the cheddar cheese and broil for 3 min.

Brown the sausage in a heavy dutch oven and break into small pieces. Scoop out of Pan and leave 2Tbl if grease. Add the onion to the hot pan, sauté until partially softened, then add celery.

(I like to add in the leafy bits and use the leafy bits to garnish as well) when the onion is mostly cooked and starting to caramelize, add the garlic. Cook for about 1 min and add the
rice and the Cajun Seasoning. Sauté the rice and Cajun Seasoning until rice is toasted, 3-5min. Add the sausage back into the Pam and add the chicken stock, scraping up anything stuck to the bottom. Those little charred bits are FULL of flavor. Simmer for about 30min

until the rice is cooked and fluffy. Stir in the beans to fluff the rice and enjoy!

It’s hard for me to time the beans and the rice in the same pot, so I cook those separate. Or, if I’m running low on time, I open up a can of beans.

This is really a great post, humorous and what looks to be delish recipes for the following sandwhiches:

• Philly Cheesesteak
• Reuben
• Muffaletta

The pictures look amazing and I agree with the blogger, most sandwiches do not pack near the punch to be considered a substantial food group.  While my husband and boys swear by the traditional PBJ or PBH (honey), unless they are piled high with ingredients making them a peanut-buttery heaven and unconscionably sticky mess for little boys, they are sustenance rather than hearty food.  Give the blog a look over and MAKE one of these sandwiches!  I have a feeling I might head to the store next week for some mean and provolone cheese!

• 1 head butter lettuce, washed & torn
• 1 head romaine lettuce, washed & torn
• 3 med bartlett pears, not too soft
• 3tbs sugar
• 1/4C candied walnuts
• 1/4C crumbled blue or Gorgonzola cheese
• 1/4C craisens
• 1/4C croutons
• 1/2C olives

Slice pears into wedges and toss with sugar in a bowl. Pre-heat skillet and let pears sit while preparing other ingredients, e.g. washing/tearing lettuce etc. Toss the salad and place into bowls. Place the sliced pears in the hot skillet. Caramelize each side for approximately 3-5min per side, but DO NOT overcook the pears because they will become mushy. Be careful of over-filling the pan because you will steam, not caramelize the pears. As the pears are finished, take them out and set them on top of the salad in the bowls, creating a star shape on top. Super pretty and yummy to boot. I don’t use dressing, but if you like, you can top with a simple Italian or even blue cheese dressing.

I saw a picture of Roasted Brussel Sprouts on Pinterest (You can follow me here) but I was intrigued. I like to try new things, but my only experience with brussel sprouts was as soggy boiled or steamed nuggets of limp green grossness. Yes, I was not a fan of the my family’s traditional method of preparation. Then this picture. I was done for. I like roasted potatoes, so I thought I would give it a whirl…

*2lbs Brussel Sprouts (ends trimmed and QUARTERED)
*2tbs Olive Oil
*Kosher Salt & Black Pepper (coarse ground) to taste

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Toss the ingredients together in a big bowl. Put on a rimmed cookie sheet and put in the oven on a lower rack setting. Time for 10-15 minutes and stir once so the sprouts don’t burn, cook for another 15min until well caramelized. Serve hot, these are really yummy and are easy to eat!

I saw this and immediately had to try it.  Soooo good.  I didn’t want to wait for the coffee to freeze, so I just drank it hot.  Yum yum!

• 1 package of pork chops
• Olive oil
• 4 sprigs Rosemary
• 1 large Onion + 1 Tbl Garlic
• 6 stalks of celery
• 4 Med. Granny Smith Apples
• 2 boxes of stuffing mix

Using heavy bottomed pan, brown the sides of the pork chops. Be careful of heat. I usually buy my pork chops from Costco, so they are pretty thick. If you have thinner pork chops, the baking time might change a bit. Do the browning in batches until all porkchops are browned.

While browning the pork chops, chop apples in 1 inch pieces and rough cut the onion and celery. In a hot pan carmelize the onion, celery then add garlic, cook until fragrant. Add Apples and cook for approximately 5 min to start the cooking process. Place bread crumbs from stuffing mix in bowl. Add onion mix to the bread crumbs from the stuffing mix. Prepare the stuffing mix according to directions, except leave out approximately 1Cup of liquid. The steam and moisture from the cooking apples will replace this.

When pork chops are finished browing, cover with the apple stuffing. Seal the pan with foil to keep in the steam for the stuffing during baking. Bake in a 350deg oven for approximately 30min until the temperature of the pork chop reaches 135 or 140 deg on a thermometer. Take out of oven and let set for 10 min to finish the cooking process. This ensures a moist juicy pork chop.

Enjoy!