Roasted Cauliflower

I know you probably saw cauliflower and decided to skip this post, but don't! This was actually a pretty tasty, spicy little side and  recipe I would try again!

Here's a link to the pin:http://pinterest.com/pin/103793966383108961/

and the actual recipe: http://remcooks.com/2012/02/02/roasted-cauliflower-with-red-chile-cilantro-lime/

Actual Recipe:

Ingredients

• 1 large head Cauliflower
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 Tbsp Red New Mexico Chile Powder (substitute Ancho Chile Powder if you don’t have Red New Mexico)
• 1/2 tsp crushed dried Red Chile
• 1 tsp Cumin seeds toasted and ground
• 4 Tbsp Olive Oil
• 1/4 cup Cilantro leaves, chopped
• 1/2 Lime, juiced
• Salt to taste

** I substituted regular chile powder for Red NM Chile Powder and ground cumin for the seeds. I never like to buy an expensive spice I will only use once!

Instructions

Preheat oven to 325 F. Separate the florets from the Cauliflower.  Put them in a bowl with the garlic, chile powder, crushed chile, cumin, salt & olive oil and toss gently to mix together and coat well. Spread the seasoned Cauliflower in a shallow roasting pan. Roast 1 to 1-1/2 hours or until tender, stirring occasionally. Dress with lime juice and stir in chopped cilantro and serve.

Ingredient Availability-3
The original recipe is full of unique ingredients I don't keep on hand, but there are pretty reasonable, simple substitutions you can make (as noted above)
Ease on the Waist Line-10

This is super healthy and quite spicy!
Prep Mess-7

Very little to clean up
Overall Difficulty-EASY
Overall Taste- 6.5
Pretty good for a veggie but a little too spicy for my taste. I'll have to reduce the amounts of red pepper and chile powder next time.
Hubby Rates It-6

When I asked him this, he asked if he should rate it based on how it was for cauliflower or compared to anything else he wanted to eat...he came up with 6. So, hubs doesn't like cauliflower...good to know.
Ease of Clean Up-7

Before

All Seasoned up

Out of the oven

Add cilantro and lime

Serve it up!

On the plate with sweet and spicy chicken!

I served this with Spicy Honey Chicken so it was an overall spicy night at our table! I'll review that recipe soon!

Kale Salad with Maple Poppyseed Dressing

Let's be honest, this is a dressing recipe. No one wants to eat kale, but the "super food" boasts so many health benefits that if you can find a way to choke it down, it's definitely worth it. This dressing was definitely pretty good and made the kale almost tasty...until you get to the texture and feel like you're eating straight from a tree with the leafy, grassy....anyway, this was supposed to be about the dressing!

Link to Pin:http://pinterest.com/pin/103793966383239760/
Link to Recipe:http://www.simplebites.net/two-simple-salads-for-winter/ (there's another salad at this link too, but it had zero appeal to my taste buds so you will not see me reviewing it!)

Recipe

• 1 bunch kale, washed and dried
• 1 teaspoon Dijon
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 Tablespoon maple syrup (or honey)
• 2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 Tablespoon poppy seeds
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

Method:

In a small glass jar, combine Dijon, salt, maple syrup, vinegar, and lemon juice. Finely chop garlic or grate with a microplane and add to the jar. Top with lid and shake well.

Add poppy seeds and olive oil, cover and shake well. Refrigerate until ready to use. May keep up to three weeks if kept chilled.

May I take a moment to introduce my sous chef?? 

Tear kale, toss with dressing and add dried fruit or nuts or other desired add-ins.

Isn't he the most talented sous chef you've ever seen??

I added in a little of this.

The finished table- see tiny dressing bottle!

Ingredient Availability-7
I had to buy pure maple syrup and a few other things that weren't normally on hand in my kitchen
Ease on the Waist Line-8

This number varies based on the amount of dressing you use!
Prep Mess-9

Hardly any mess at all
Overall Difficulty-EASY
Overall Taste- 5
This would be a good dressing on another type of green- I just really didn't like the kale!
Hubby Rates It-2
Is anyone surprised?
Ease of Clean Up-8

Cheesy Zucchini Rice

YAY! Two hit recipes in one week...way to go pinners!! Keep the good ones coming!

One night this week, we had some left over meat to eat so I decided to make this cheesy side dish to go along with it!

This recipe was a hit!!! I mean, what's not to love about cheese and rice with hidden veggie's inside?

Link to Pin:http://pinterest.com/pin/103793966383043630/
Link to Recipe:http://bunsinmyoven.com/2012/06/28/cheesy-zucchini-rice/

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 cup long-grain white rice
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 medium or 2 small zucchini, grated (I used my food processor but a cheese grater would work well, too)
• 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• salt and pepper, to taste
• splash of milk, as needed

Instructions

1. Heat the olive oil in a medium sauce pan over medium heat.
2. Add the rice and stir to coat. Toast the rice, stirring often, just until it starts to turn golden.
3. Pour in the chicken broth, bring to a boil, turn heat to low, and cover.
4. Cook, covered, for 15 - 20 minutes or until most of the liquid is absorbed.
5. Remove from the heat and add the butter, grated zucchini, cheddar, and garlic powder. Stir until well incorporated. Cover and let sit for 5 minutes.
6. Stir again and add salt and pepper to taste and a splash of milk if you'd like to thin out the texture a little bit.

Ingredient Availability-10
Ease on the Waist Line-6

Veggies give it a few points, but really it's cheese and rice with a little green :)
Prep Mess-7
Pretty easy to prep- one dish and a grater!
Overall Difficulty-Easy
You can do this one! Follow the directions exactly and it will turn out well!
Overall Taste- 9
I'm a sucker for cheesy broccoli casserole and this was as good or better!
Hubby Rates It-9
We hardly had any left, and it was just the two of us!
Ease of Clean Up-7

My only possible suggestion on this would be to use mild cheddar instead of sharp. The sharp cheddar was a very strong flavor and kind of overpowered the freshness of the zucchini! 

Shredded Zucchini

The finished deliciousness...I think I'll go eat some leftovers now...all these pics are making me hungry!

Enjoy!!

Roasted Okra

As we speak, I'm currently cooking up another pinteret recipe to review and share but I had a few minutes to burn so thought I would write and quick and simple review of a quick and simple recipe: Roasted Okra.

My Pinterest account is not allowing me to view my boards right now (there's a conspiracy theory in the back of my mind that someone at Pinterest is trying "Zuckerberg" my blog idea), so I did a search and found it floating around on someone else's Pinterest space...

Link to Pin: http://pinterest.com/pin/280278776779996461/

Link to Actual Recipe:http://allrecipes.com/recipe/roasted-okra/#

Recipe:

Ingredients

• 18 fresh okra pods, sliced 1/3 inch thick
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt, or to taste
• 2 teaspoons black pepper, or to taste

Direction

Preheat an oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).

Arrange the okra slices in one layer on a foil lined cookie sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake in the preheated oven for 10 to 15 minutes.

Always wash you veggies first!!










Accuracy of Recipe- 10
It's hard to mess up olive and salt and pepper to taste....

Chop off the stems

Toss with olive oil and salt and pepper (or do it as the recipe states...do as I say, not as I do!)

Ingredient Availability-10
I like that it used very few ingredients and I found fresh, locally grown okra at the store. It's in season, get it while it lasts!
Ease on the Waist Line-10
Veggie- Good, Olive Oil- Good. Paleo and human diet friendly.
Prep Mess-9
Pretty much toss it in a bowl then put it in a pan
Overall Difficulty-EASY
Again, Okra, olive oil, salt and pepper to taste...if you can't do this one, you might want to retire from kitchen experiments and try watching Top Chef Masters for your foodie fix.
Overall Taste- 7
I really like okra, and this tasted like good okra. I do have to say it is not "better than fried" or "just like fried" as claimed...come on people, you're not going to get okra better than fried!! Who are they kidding? Deep South folks, can I get an Amen?
Hubby Rates It-8
He liked it but would have preferred it a little crunchier (my fault, I didn't want it too crisp so took it out of the oven a little early.)
Ease of Clean Up-8

Overall, this is a great, healthy side dish to make while in season- if you really like crispier, make sure you use a roasting pan and leave in until it reaches desired crunchiness (but before it becomes "blackened"). 

More later....back to my current experiments!