Beautiful Brussels Sprouts

I wanted to up my Brussels sprouts game last year for Thanksgiving last year and be a little more healthy. So I found this recipe on Pinterest-I think the original recipe came from the Pioneer Woman. And it was soooo good! I believe I'll definitely make this again next year. The recipe calls for pomegranate molasses, which I didn't have so I used an aged balsamic. I've since found pomegranate. But the aged balsamic was just as good.

Beautiful Brussels Sprouts (Pinterest) (8 servings:

1 1/2 lb Brussels sprouts, trimmed & halved
1 whole small butter squash, peeled & cubed
1 whole large red onion, peeled & cut into wedges
Olive oil, for drizzling
Salt & pepper, to taste
1 tsp chili powder
1/3 c pomegranate sauce/molasses
Pomegranate seeds

Preheat oven to 425. Place veggies on a rimmed sheet pan & drizzle with oil. Sprinkle with salt, pepper & chili powder & toss together. Marinate overnight or roast right away for 20-25 min, until slightly browned. Remove veggies from oven & arrange them onto a serving platter.

Drizzle on the pomegranate sauce, then sprinkle on pomegranate seeds. Serve. Enjoy!




Marinating...

Enjoy!...

Balsamic-Roasted Brussels Sprouts

I have a new love of Brussels sprouts that only started within the last couple of years. And they have to be cooked a certain way. Usually roasted so that they are crispy with lots of really good flavor. Most steak places know how to cook them really well. There's a place here in Vegas called Lucky Foo's that cook their Brussels sprouts so well that we almost always get them and devour them every time! I attempted to make my own a couple years ago and burnt the crap the out of them and gave up right away. I was watching Barefoot Contessa about a week ago and she roasted some Brussels sprouts and made it look so easy and I thought to myself that I could give that a try again. So I did today and it worked! And I think I knew what I did wrong the last time! I think I added too much stuff the last time instead of going with just the basics. And I even had the syrupy balsamic vinegar that Ina Garten used in her recipe because I've been to Italy and I rarely use the stuff that we brought back with us. If you don't have good aged syrupy balsamic vinegar, you can boil regular balsamic vinegar until it's reduced to a syrupy consistency. Make sure you're generous with your salt-I had to add more salt after my Brussel sprouts were done roasting. I will definitely be making these again and again! Yum!!!!!!

Find the recipe here




Ready to be roasted...






Fresh from oven...







Syrupy Balsamic Vinegar...






Enjoy!...

Lemon Roasted Garlic Cauliflower

Another recipe I found on Pinterest. There's a place called Carson Kitchen here in Vegas that I absolutely love. We went there about a month ago for my second time to introduce it to my mom and aunt who where in town. It's kind of like a tapas place-smaller dishes to share. One of the dishes I ordered was the rainbow cauliflower and oh my god I was in heaven!!! It was a lemon roasted garlic cauliflower and I would have licked the bowl if I wasn't in public! We found out that the chef cooked the cauliflower over high heat on the stove, which I'm not entirely comfortable doing in my small apartment with not the best ventilation. So I tried to roast it in the oven. It was good but not as flavorful as Carson Kitchen's...guess I'll just have to go back there soon to eat it there!

Lemon Garlic Roasted Cauliflower (4 servings):

1 med head cauliflower, cut into bite-sized florets
1/2 large lemon, cut into 8 pieces
3-4 large garlic clove, cut into quarters
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
Couple grinds of pepper

Heat oven to 400. Pile cauliflower, lemon and garlic into middle of heavy baking shee (I used tinfoil for easier cleanup). Drizzle olive oil over and stir to get everything coated. Spread veggies and lemon in an even layer on pan and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Place pan in oven for 10 minutes, stir veggies and spread back out on pan. Return pan to the oven and roast another 10 minutes. Scrape everything into a serving bowl and stir to blend the flavors and get the lemon flavor on every piece of cauliflower. Enjoy!




Ready to bake...






Enjoy!

Roasted Asparagus with Garlic & Parmesan

I bought a couple pounds of asparagus so I looked around on Pinterest to find some different ways to cook it and I came across this recipe...garlic and cheese? Okay! And of course I added double the amount of garlic and yum! I also sprinkled some of my aged balsamic vinegar from Italy on it after they were done baking. So good!

Asparagus with Garlic & Parmesan (4 servings) (Pinterest)

1 lb asparagus
4 cloves garlic, chopped (I used 8 cloves I think??)
2 tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper
1/2 c grated Parmesan cheese, or to taste

Preheat oven to 400. Break off or cut off the woody ends of the asparagus spears. In large bowl, add the olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper and asparagus. Toss to coat. Spread asparagus spears on a large baking sheet and sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese. Bake 15-20 minutes or until the spears begin to brown, turning once.




Ready to be cooked...






Enjoy!...

Broccolini with Balsamic Vinaigrette

My original plan was to make Paula Deen's meatloaf (recipe to follow) with the roasted cauliflower on the side but both dishes required about an hour in the oven each and I didn't want to wait that long for dinner lol so I found a recipe on Pinterest for broccolini that was easy to cook while the meatloaf cooked. And it was really good! I used more garlic than it called for, because let's face it, you can never have enough garlic! I also added some lemon zest to the vinaigrette. The only thing I didn't like was that I think there was too much olive oil-when I make this again, I'll use less oil. Otherwise I'd definitely make this again!

Broccolini with Balsamic Vinaigrette (4 servings):

Salt
4 bunches broccolini, trimmed
1/4 c olive oil
1 1/2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
2 cloves garlic, minced (I used 4-6 cloves)
1/2 tsp pepper
1 lemon (I used about 1-2 tsp of the zest from this lemon)

In small bowl, combine olive oil, balsamic vinegar, mustard, garlic, 1 tsp salt and pepper; set aside.

In large pot of boiling salted water, cook broccolini until stalks are just tender, about 2 minutes. Remove broccolini from water with a slotted spoon or sieve and place in a large bowl.

Add the reserved dressing and gently toss to combine. Splash with a generous squeeze of fresh lemon juice. Serve warm or hot. Enjoy!




Vinaigrette...






Enjoy!...

Prosciutto Wrapped Asparagus

I had the girls over for dinner one night a couple weeks ago and my best friend Mandi made bacon wrapped asparagus. It was sooo good! And ever since that dinner, I've been craving it. I decided to use prosciutto with mine and I drizzled the finishing product with the aged balsamic vinegar that I bought in Italy. Soooo good! I only made half of the bunch of asparagus but it was a perfect serving size.

Prosciutto or bacon
Asparagus
Balsamic Vinegar, if desired

Slice off the top ends of the asparagus. Preheat oven to 350. Coat a baking dish with cooking spray. Slice the prosciutto, or bacon if using, in half. Wrap each half around a stalk of asparagus and place on the baking sheet. Bake in the oven for about 30 minutes or until the prosciutto is crisp. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar, if using. Enjoy!




Ready to be baked...






Enjoy!...

Cilantro Lime Cauliflower Rice

Several of my friends and family have been raving about using cauliflower as a substitute for regular rice so I thought I'd give it a try. I was originally going to try it in a fried rice but Trader Joe's had been out of soy sauce for a couple weeks and I can't use any other soy sauce but theirs. I found this recipe on Pinterest via http://healthyaperture.com. I love Chipotle's rice so I thought I'd give this recipe a try. The cauliflower was easy to grind down and the recipe was easy to make but it tasted a little blah. I only made a single serving batch because I was told that the "rice" isn't as good reheated. I'd be willing to try this recipe again and I'll definitely try the fried rice recipe, especially since I was finally able to pick up some soy sauce!

Cilantro Lime Cauliflower Rice:

1 head cauliflower
1 lime
2 cloves garlic, chopped or minced
1 handful chopped cilantro

Remove leaves from cauliflower and cut the head in half. Remove cauliflower from core so you only have the florets. Place half of cauliflower into food processor and process until only small pieces remain (you can also use a box grater with the larger holes and grate the cauliflower into small pieces). Remove from processor and place into a pan. Process remaining cauliflower repeating the steps.

Add garlic to the cauliflower in the pan. Cook over med for about 5 minutes, stirring constantly. When cauliflower is slightly toasted and garlic is cooked, remove from heat.

Toss with cilantro and juice from the whole lime. Enjoy!




Cauliflower processed into small pieces...






Cilantro mixed in...






Cilantro and lime juice added...

Red Quinoa

One of the shelves in my cabinet is filled with all kinds of grains, most I've never tried before but have been wanting to. I've had quinoa before several times and love it. I had picked up this bag of red quinoa and decided to make it one night to serve as a side to some steak. It tastes just like regular white quinoa I thought. I added some chopped peppers with garlic and topped if off with some Italian dressing. Definitely good and I'll keep making it.

Red Quinoa:

1 c quinoa, rinsed and drained
1/2 c chopped mini or regular bell peppers
1 minced garlic clove
1 tbsp olive oil
Italian dressing, to taste

Cook quinoa as directed on the package. While quinoa is cooking, lightly cook the peppers and garlic in the oil until tender and fragrant. Add tot he cooked quinoa. Top with Italian dressing and serve. Enjoy!




Enjoy!...

Guacamole

While the girls were up at the cabin over the summer, one of my friends, Julie, made up some guacamole and it was so good! I've never really tried to make guacamole before but she showed us how easy it was. She said she and her husband always have the ingredients on hand and make it on a regular basis. So once I got home, I thought I'd try it myself. And of course it was super easy. Not sure if I'll be making it as often as she does, but I'll definitely make my own now instead of buying it pre-made in the store. I'm guessing on the measurements, since you can add whatever ingredients you want and to your taste.

Guacamole:

2 avocados, pitted and mashed with a fork
1/4 c minced white onion
2 tbsp minced garlic
1-2 tbsp minced cilantro
1/4 c halved cherry tomatoes
Lime juice, to taste

Mix all ingredients together and serve with chips or veggies. Store in the fridge. Enjoy!




Enjoy!...

Sweet & Sour Meatloaf

This is another recipe I found in the Taste of Home Healthy magazine. It also serves 2 but I doubled it tonight because I made individual loaves to freeze. I had some leftover meat left to make a small meatloaf to eat tonight and it was the perfect size. I've made this meatloaf before and loved it and I love it again after making it tonight. Super easy to make and it has a lot of flavor.

Sweet & Sour Meatloaf (2 servings) (WW 6 pts):

1/4 c tomato sauce
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp cider vinegar
1/4 tsp prepared mustard
1 tbsp beaten egg or egg substitute
2 tbs finely chopped onion
1 tbsp crushed Ritz crackers
1 tbsp minced fresh parsley
1/4 tsp salt
Dash pepper
1/2 lb lean ground turkey

In small bowl, combine tomato sauce, brown sugar, vinegar and mustard; set aside.

In another bowl, combine egg, onion, crackers, parsley, salt, pepper and 2 tbsp tomato mixture. Crumble turkey over mixture and mix well. Shape into a 4x3-inch loaf. (At this point, with my double batch, I made 12 individual loaves and one small loaf.)

Place in an 8-inch square baking dish coated with cooking spray; top with remaining tomato mixture. Bake, uncovered, at 350 for 50 minutes or until the meat is no longer pink and a thermometer reads 165. Let stand for 10 minutes before slicing.




Tomato mixture...






Meatloaf ingredients...






Individual loaves...






Small meatloaf...






Individual loaves drizzled with sauce...






Drizzled with sauce...






Fresh from the oven...






Served with quinoa pilaf...

Quinoa Vegetable Pilaf

Once upon a time Taste of Home had a healthy cooking version of their magazine. They just recently got rid of it for some stupid reason but I found this recipe in that magazine a while ago. When I first tried this, I wasn't eating quinoa very much so it was a nice introduction of the grain because it's mixed with rice and veggies. And even better, this recipe only serves 2! Perfect for me. Tonight, I doubled the recipe only because I wanted leftovers for tomorrow. Instead of white quinoa, I used a rainbow quinoa, which cooked a little bit quicker than regular white quinoa so it burned a little. It was still tasty though and I'll continue to keep making this as a side dish. I'm going to put down the 2 serving ingredients-I'll leave it up to you if you want to double it or not.

I also just joined Weight Watchers again so don't mind if I add points here and there to the recipe.

Quinoa Veggie Pilaf (2 servings) (WW 5 pts):

2 tbsp finely chopped onion
2 tbsp chopped carrot
1/2 tsp canola oil
1/4 c uncooked jasmine rice
1/4 c quinoa, rinsed
1 c chicken broth
1/8 tsp pepper
1/3 c chopped fresh broccoli

In small saucepan, saute onion and carrots in oil until tender. Add rice and quinoa; stir to coat. Stir in broth and pepper.

Bring to boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until liquid is absorbed, adding the broccoli during the last 3 minutes of cooking. Remove from heat, let stand 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork.




All the ingredients...






All the ingredients minus the broccoli added...






Broccoli added...






Served with the meatloaf...

Cucumber, Lemon & Ginger Water

I tried a new water mixture last night. I tasted it today and it's really good. It kind of reminds me of the water you drink at the spa. My mom had sent me an email a couple days ago with a new concoction she had made-she had made some water with with orange, lemon and lime slices & ginger in it. I think I'll try that next.

Cucumber, Lemon & Ginger Water:

1/2 cucumbers, sliced
1 lemon, sliced, seeds removed
2-3 pieces fresh ginger, skin sliced off

Combine all ingredients in a pitcher, fill with water and let sit overnight.




Everything put together...






Ready to drink...

Meat Pies

Growing up, my mom did daycare in the home so she was always cooking for the daycare kids. This is a recipe she used to make a lot because it was an easy way for the daycare kids to eat their veggies without them realizing it and it tasted good. I loved these growing up and if I knew she was making them that day, I always requested she make extra for me or save the leftovers. These can be made with any type of filling you want and they can be frozen. It's kind of a pain to make but the results are worth it. I only made one batch but my mom made another batch a couple days later to use up my leftovers.

Meat Pies:

2 1/4 c bisquick mix or other baking mix
2/3 c milk
1 lb ground turkey
1/4 of a white onion, diced
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp taco seasoning
1/2 bag of frozen mixed veggies
2 tbsp butter, melted
1 tsp garlic salt

Bring veggies and enough water to cover in pot and bring to boil. Cook veggies about 4-5 min, until heated through. Drain and place in medium bowl. Heat oil in skillet over med-high. Add ground turkey, onion and taco seasoning and cook until turkey is cooked through, 5-7 minutes. Drain and add to veggie mixture.

Preheat oven to 450. Stir bisquick mix and milk together until a soft dough forms. Place on surface sprinkled with bisquik mix. Knead 10 times.

Roll dough 1/2 in thick. Cut with 2 1/2 cutter (I used the bottom of my immersion blender bowl, as seen in the picture). Place 1-2 tbsp of filling (depending on the size of your circle) on one side of your circle. Fold the other side over and pinch edges to seal. Place finished meat pies on an ungreased cookie sheet.

Once meat pies are ready to be baked, pierce each meat pie a couple times with a fork at the top. Combine butter and salt and brush onto the meat pies. You may also leave them dry or brush with water.

Bake 8-10 minutes or until golden brown. Enjoy!




The filling I used...






Dough rolled out...






Cutting circles...






The amount of filling I used...






The shape of it...






Brushed with garlic butter...






Enjoy!...

Homemade Pizza

I found a roll of pizza dough in my fridge and decided to make up some pizzas. Apparently the dough was past the expiration date but I still made it work and it tasted just fine. The bread was a little dry so I wasn't able to make one big pizza, which worked out well-I actually made 4 different kinds of pizza. You can add any type of toppings you desire, which I like. I should have made my pizza dough thinner but it still tasted great! The next time I make this, I'm going to use hot sauce and make some buffalo-style pizza. Not sure of the measurements I used but I'll guess.

Homemade pizza

Refrigerated pizza dough (I used Pillsbury)
2 chicken breasts, cut into cubes
1 tbsp poultry Montreal seasoning
4 garlic cloves, minced, divided
2-in fresh ginger, minced
1/4 c olive oil
1/2 green bell pepper, diced
1/2 c grape tomatoes, halved
1/2 c fresh spinach
1/4 c pepperoni slices
2-4 tbsp cornmeal
1/4 c shredded cheese

Heat oven to 400. Grease any size nonstick cookie sheet. Sprinkle desired amount of cornmeal on pan. Unroll dough onto cookie sheet. Press to desired thickness. Prebake dough 8 minutes.

While pizza is prebaking, combine chicken, Montreal seasoning, garlic, ginger and green pepper in skillet and cook until chicken is cooked through, 5-7 min.

Mix oil and 1 minced garlic clove in small dish. Once pizza has prebaked, using a pastry brush or other basting brush, brush pizza dough with olive oil and garlic mixture. This is the step you would put pizza sauce on, but I chose not to use sauce, just the olive oil mixture.

On one of the pizzas, I added just spinach and tomatoes. Two of the pizzas I added the chicken mixture with some tomatoes. For the fourth piece, I added spinach, pepperoni slices and spinach. I sprinkled cheese on top of all of it at the end.

Bake 6-10 minutes longer or until crust is deep golden brown. Slice and enjoy!




Garlic oil...






Veggies & Chicken added...






Cheese sprinkled on top...






Fresh from the oven...






Enjoy!

Sticky Rice with Spicy Tomato Relish

Like I said in my previous post, I've been on a major sticky rice kick lately. And I was getting bored with eating it with just soy sauce. I'll be making another stir-fry soon now that I have all the regular ingredients but then I remembered this tomato relish that my best friend made several years ago. Super easy to make and very little ingredients yet very tasty. I thought I had the recipe written down but apparently I didn't so I asked her for it again. I think I used too much cilantro since the relish turned a little green but it tasted okay. It was missing something though-maybe salt. I added a little garlic powder to mine and some soy sauce and it tasted much better.

I've included pictures of the way I make my sticky rice but if you don't have the proper pieces I'm sure you can google how to make sticky rice in a ricer cooker or in a regular pan. I got all my stuff from an Asian store and my best friend went with me to help. The base is a metal pot-you fill it with water and heat it to boiling. The basket is shaped kind of like a funnel so that goes into the pot (without touching the water) so the rice gets steamed. The pan lid on top helps trap most of the steam. I cook my rice for 20 min and it comes out perfect every time. But an important thing to remember..no matter how you cook your rice, make sure you soak the rice in water at least 1 hour before you cook it or it will come out harder than a rock and not good to eat. I always soak my rice overnight just to be safe.

Again, I don't have an actual recipe..I just kinda went by general instructions from my friend and how I like it. According to her, for the cilantro, you should have half the amount of tomatoes and green onions should be half the amount of cilantro. So I'll try to put down what I used.

Sticky Rice with Spicy Tomato Relish:

25 grape tomatoes, halved
4-6 green onions, sliced (I used 6 only because my green onions were tiny)
1/2 c cilantro
1 Thai chili pepper, sliced

Using a mortar and pestle, grind the cilantro and chili pepper until dark green and mushy looking; transfer to a bowl. Boil the tomatoes and green onions until potatoes can be mashed down, about 5 min. In small batches, add the tomatoes and green onions to mortar and mash down. Once mashed, add it to the bowl. Once everything is added, mix it up well. This is when I added some garlic powder and soy sauce to taste.




Rice in the basket...






Steamer basket for the rice...






What I use to make my stick rice...






Sticky rice done...






Ready to be boiled...






Thai chile pepper and some of the cilantro being grinded...






Tomatoes & green onions after they've been boiled...






Everything all mashed together...






Sticky Rice dipped in relish...