Healthy Pineapple Whip

                                 

This recipe has just 3 simple ingredients, is super easy to prepare and makes a refreshing treat for dessert, snacks and even breakfast!

Ingredients:

2 cups frozen pineapple chunks

1 cup frozen banana chunks

1 cup non fat vanilla Greek yogurt

Directions:

Add all ingredients to a food processor or blender and blend on high until a smooth mixture forms. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the freezer.

Makes 2 cups, 4 servings

Serving size: 1/2 cup Calories 120 Protein 6 g Carb 26 g Fiber 1 g Sugars 18 g Fat 0 g Saturated fat 0 g Sodium 24 mg

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Easy BBQ Tofu

This recipe contains just 3 simple ingredients, is super easy to prepare and is big on flavor. Try it over salad, or with your favorite bbq sides!

Ingredients:

16 ounces extra firm tofu, cut into 1/2 inch cubes

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons bbq sauce

1 tablespoon bbq seasoning/rub, divided

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a medium bowl add the bbq sauce, put in the tofu and toss to coat. Spread the tofu out on a pan coated with cooking spray or lined with parchment and sprinkle with 1/2 of the seasoning. bake for 10-12 minutes. Flip the tofu and sprinkle with the other 1/2 of the seasoning and bake for another 10-12 minutes. Remove from oven and serve. Store leftovers in an airtight container for 3-4 days in the fridge.

Make 4 servings

Serving size- 1/4th of recipe Calories 144 Protein 15 g Carb 9 g Fiber 0 g Sugars 2 g Fat 6 g Saturated fat 1 g Sodium 471 mg

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Cranberry Pecan Quinoa "Stuffing"

 

Last year I tried cauliflower and this year I gave quinoa a whirl for a “stuffing” recipe. These simple ingredients combine to create a dish that has all sorts of flavors, textures and nutrients! Wonderful as a side holiday side dish or stir in some protein like lentils or chopped chicken to make it a meal. 

Ingredients: 

2 cups chopped celery

1 cup chopped onion 

2 cups chopped carrots 

1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon margarine or butter 

3 cups cooked quinoa 

1/4 cup chopped pecans 

1/4 cup dried cranberries 

1 tablespoon Morton Nature’s Season Seasoning blend (or your favorite seasoning) 

¼ teaspoon sage (optional) 

salt and pepper to taste 

Directions: 

Cook quinoa according to package directions. In the meantime, chop the celery, carrots and onion and add to a large pot or skillet coated with one tablespoons of margarine/butter. Cover and cook on medium heat stirring occasionally until tender, 7-10 minutes. Add the cooked quinoa, the last teaspoon of margarine/butter until melted. Sprinkle with the seasoning, sage, pecans and cranberries and cook for another 2-3 minutes until warmed through. 

Makes about 7 cups, 14 servings 

Serving size: 1/2 cup Calories 93 Protein 2 g Carb 14 g Fiber 3 g Sugars 4 g Fat 5 g saturated fat 1 g Sodium 396 mg

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Sweet and Spicy Cucumber Salad

Just a few simple ingredients combine to create this delicious side salad that is low in fat and calories but big on flavor! 

Ingredients: 

2 cups sliced cucumbers

2 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar 

1 tablespoon lemon juice 

1/2 teaspoon Tajin seasoning (a chili lime seasoning blend) 

Directions: 

Add the cucumbers to a small to medium sized bowl. Pour the rice vinegar and lemon juice over them and the sprinkle with the seasoning. Toss to coat and serve. Chill if not serving immediately. 

Makes 2 cups,  4 servings 

Serving size 1/2 cup Calories 21 Protein 5 g Carb 5 g Fiber 1 g Sugars 4 g Fat 0 g Saturated fat 0 g Sodium 314 mg

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Vegetarian Jambalaya

This vegetarian jambalaya is very easy to make and is so filling that you won't miss the meat!

Ingredients: 

3 cups chopped red bell pepper 

3 cups chopped celery 

1 cup chopped onion 

1 teaspoon olive oil 

2 15 oz cans kidney beans (rinsed well) 

2 15 oz cans black eyed peas (rinsed well) 

2 cups cooked cauliflower rice 

1 tablespoon Cajun or Creole seasoning  

Directions: 

Add 1 teaspoon olive oil to a large pan or pot and add the bell pepper, celery, onions, and sauté on medium heat until just before tender (about 10 minutes). Meanwhile cook the cauliflower rice according to package directions (I use Trader Joes Frozen which cooks for only 3-4 minutes in the microwave) and rinse the canned beans, Add the kidney beans, black eyed peas, cooked cauliflower rice and seasoning to the pan and cook on low heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Makes 12 cups, 6 servings 

Serving size: 2 cups Calories 226 Protein 13 g Carb 37 g Fiber 10 g Sugars 6 g Fat 2 g Saturated fat 1.5 g Sodium 940 mg

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Honey Buffalo Cauliflower Bites

 

This buffalo cauliflower works great as an appetizer, snack or side dish!

Ingredients:

1 medium sized head of cauliflower, cut into florets
¼ cup buffalo sauce (I used Sweet Baby Rays brand)
2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon canola oil
1/8 teaspoon garlic salt
1 T gluten free oat flour or all purpose flour
salt to taste
cooking spray or parchment paper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Whisk together the buffalo sauce, honey, canola oil, garlic salt and flour in a medium sized bowl. Dip the cauliflower florets to coat with the sauce mixture and spread them out on a baking pan lined with parchment paper or coated with cooking spray. Bake 15 minutes, flip the florets over and then another 15-20 minutes, until lightly browned

Makes 4 servings

Serving size: ¼ recipe Calories 92 Protein 3 g Carb 15 g Fiber 3 g Sugars 8 g Fat 4 g Saturated fat 0 g Sodium 434

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Cauliflower Stuffing

Lower in carbs and higher in fiber, you won’t miss the bread in this flavorful veggie-based stuffing!

Ingredients:

2 cups chopped celery

2 cups chopped onion

2 cups chopped carrots

2 tablespoons margarine or butter

1 large head of cauliflower, chopped

2 cups chopped crimini or button mushrooms

1/2 cup low sodium chicken or vegetable broth

2 teaspoons Morton Nature’s Season Seasoning blend (or your favorite seasoning)

½ teaspoon sage

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Coat the pot with one of the tablespoons of margarine/butter, add celery, onions, and carrots and sauté until just before tender about 5-7 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cauliflower and stir in the last  tablespoon of margarine/butter until melted. Pour in the broth, sprinkle with the seasoning and sage and simmer until the veggies are tender, about 10 to 15 minutes, stirring frequently.

Makes about 7 cups, seven servings

Serving size: 1 cup Calories 86  Protein  3 g Carb  10 g Fiber 2 g Sugars 5 g Fat 3 g saturated fat 0 g Sodium 490 mg  

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Cranberry Recipes Part 2: Flourless Pumpkin Cranberry Bars

After another bit of a hiatus I am back in the kitchen creating some delicious winter and holiday treats.  These flourless pumpkin bars are super easy to make and are perfect for dessert, a snack or even breakfast.  Enjoy and I hope your holiday season is safe, healthy and happy so far!  Stay tuned for cranberry news and facts from the Cranberry Institute coming soon too!  

Ingredients:

½ cup creamy or crunchy almond butter
¾ cup canned or fresh cooked pumpkin
½ cup honey
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 ½ cup oats
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ cup cranberries
cooking spray

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Add the almond butter, pumpkin, honey, brown sugar, egg and vanilla to a medium bowl and mix well (using an electric mixer is recommended.) In a small bowl, combine the oats, baking soda and spices and then add to the pumpkin mixture and mix well. Fold in the cranberries add to a 8x8 inch pan coated with cooking spray. Bake for 30-35 minutes until set and lightly browned on the edges. Cut into squares and serve.


Note: These bars are very moist, almost cake like, and can be a bit crumbly. So you can store them in an airtight container in the fridge to keep longer and pop them in the microwave for 10 seconds or so to warm them up for a nice treat!


Makes 16 bar squares, 16 servings


Serving size: 1 bar Calories 110 Protein 5 g Carb 16 g Fiber 3 g Sugars 12 g Fat 5 g Saturated fat 1.5 g Sodium 10 mg

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Recipe ReDux Post # 82: Power Salad

The Recipe ReDux for May is "Shower Season," meaning we were challenged to develop healthy recipes that could be served at brunches and showers for this time of year....think graduations, bridal baby showers galore!

Vegetables and salads are often overlooked or ignored at these types of gatherings so I wanted to create a salad that would be enticing enough for guests to choose to put it on their plate for its flavor, not just for obligatory health benefits. I tried a combination of trendy kale salad mix, balanced out with some simple butter lettuce, added some fresh fruit and dried cranberries for sweetness and then topped it with chopped nuts for a salty crunch. This salad is packed full of nutritious power foods like berries, kale and nuts, thus earning its name. The tastes and textures work really well together and you can top it with your favorite vinaigrette dressing.

Ingredients:

6 cups kale slaw type salad mix (with kale, cabbage, brussels sprouts, broccoli- I used Trader Joes Cruciferous Crunch)
6 cups butter lettuce
1 cup fresh blueberries
1 cup chopped apple
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup chopped nuts (I used pistachios...almonds or walnuts would work well too)
vinaigrette dressing of choice

Directions:

Put all the ingredients in a large bowl, add dressing, toss and serve.  Chill in the fridge with dressing on the side if not serving immediately.

Makes 14 cups, about 7 servings

Serving size 2 cups (without dressing) Calories 85  Protein 2 g  Carb 16  g  Fiber 3 g Sugars 11 g Fat 2 g Saturated fat 0 g Sodium  27 mg
   

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Recipe Redux Post # 80 Purple Potassium Power Smoothie

March's Recipe ReDux centers around the theme of "Spring Cleaning."  Being that the first day of Spring falls this week, we were asked to create a recipe with at least 3 ingredients that we have currently on hand to "clean" out our pantry/fridge and reduce food waste.

I ended up making a smoothie with exactly 3 ingredients for a couple of reasons:

1.  Over ripe bananas are always hanging my kitchen around that need to be used up or frozen

2.  A bottle of purple carrot juice from Trader Joes was sitting on my counter and I have been wanting to try it out in a smoothie instead of just consuming it via straight shots here and there to get in some extra vitamins/minerals

3. My daughter was under the weather and asked for a smoothie, which I wanted to use an opportunity to give her some extra nutrition

To keep things simple I tried the combo of just banana, strawberries and purple carrot juice and it came out quite tasty. Gabby was a huge fan and drank it down immediately so that deemed it a winner in my book.

This smoothie has a whopping 500 mg pf potassium (15% of daily value),  100% RDA for Vitamin C and is a good source of fiber.  It is great for a post exercise/sport event snack and you can even add your favorite protein power or some almond/peanut butter to make it heartier as well.

Makes 1 serving 

Servings size 1 smoothie Calories 149 Protein 2 g Carb 37 g Fiber 4 g Sugars 23 g Fat 0 g Saturated fat 0 g Sodium 17 mg

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Recipe Redux Post # 79 Mediterranean Bruschetta Mix

The Recipe ReDux for February is Oscar themed dishes. The challenge is focused on create a dish associated with a famous movie or a viewing party appetizer worthy to celebrate the big night. Parties  tend to have more than their share of indulgent goodies so I thought I'd make a very light and refreshing dish to offset all the heavier foods that tend to be served.  This recipe combines very simple ingredients to create a delicious low calorie appetizer that works great with crackers, pita bread or bruschetta style with toasted bread.  It tastes great on toast spread with hummus or mashed avocado as well. I hope you will give it a try along with all the other Recipe ReDux Oscar recipes!

Ingredients:

1 cup diced Persian Cucumber

1 cup diced tomatoes

1 cup diced black olives

1 tablespoon rice vinegar

1 tablespoon lemon juice

salt and pepper to taste

dash of dried oregano (optional)

Directions:

Combine all of the above in a medium sized bowl.  Chill is not serving immediately. Serve with pita wedges, pita chips, toasted bread. 

Makes 3 cups  6 servings

Servings size 1/2 Calories 45 Protein 1 g Carb 4 g Fiber 1 g Sugars 2 g Fat 3 g Saturated fat 0 g Sodium 44 mg

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Recipe ReDux Post # 76 Roasted Red Pepper and Pumpkin Soup

The Recipe ReDux for December is “Souper Soups” and we were encouraged to create healthy soup recipes.  I wanted to develop something festive for the holidays so I decided to go with red peppers plus a hint of pumpkin as a base to combine with vegetable broth.  Adding some paprika and cayenne gave the recipe a nice kick.  These simple clean  ingredients come together to create a flavorful nutritious soup that is very low in calories and fat, yet surprisingly filling.  I hope you will give it a try along with all the other Recipe ReDux soup recipes.

Ingredients

5 medium red bell peppers, cored, seeded and quartered
1/3 cup pumpkin puree (fresh or canned)
3 cups vegetable or chicken broth
½ teaspoon smoked paprika
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)

¼ teaspoon salt (optional)

cooking spray or parchment paper

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Add the peppers to a baking sheet coated with cooking spray or lined with parchment paper. Roast them 10 minutes, flip them over and then roast for another 10 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside to cool. Add the half of the cooled peppers and 2 cups of the broth to a blender or food processor and blend on high speed for one minute. Add the rest of the peppers, the last cup of broth and the spices in the blender and blend for another 1-2 minutes until smooth. Put the blended mixture back in a medium pot and warm on medium heat for 4-5 minutes until heated through.

Makes 4 -5 cups, four servings
Serving size: about 1 cup Calories   60  Protein 2  g Carb  15 g Fiber  1 g Sugars  2 g Fat  0 g Saturated fat  0 g Sodium  106 mg

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Recipe ReDux Post # 69 Greek Pasta Salad

The Recipe ReDux for April is centered around perfect picnic foods.  Being that April 23rd is Picnic Day, we were challenged to developed picnic worthy healthy recipes. I chose to do a pasta salad since it is a delicious take along food and works well as a side or a main meal.  I had been wanting to try some red lentil gluten free pasta I bought at Trader Joes recently so this was the perfect opportunity, and it was quite tasty!  Regular pasta works well in the recipe too and the combo of olives, sundried tomatoes and feta cheese in a light fresh dressing is a winner. I hope you will try it out along with the other great picnic foods created by the Recipe Redux group!

Ingredients

2 cups cooked and cooled pasta (preferably penne, spirals or bowties, I used Trader joes red lentil pasta, which is gluten free)

¼ cup chopped kalamata olives

¼ cup chopped sundried tomatoes

¼ cup low fat crumbled feta cheese

2 Tablespoons lemon juice

2 Tablespoons olive juice

1 Tablespoon seasoned rice vinegar or red wine vinegar

1 Tablespoons olive oil

spinach/chopped cucumbers (optional, for garnish)

 Directions:

Add the pasta, olives and sundried tomatoes to a medium sized bowl.  In a small bowl whisk together the lemon juice, olive juice, vinegar and olive oil.  Pour the dressing over the pasta mixture and toss well to coat. Fold in the feta cheese.  Chill if not serving immediately.  Can be served with spinach and chopped cucumbers for garnish.

Makes 3 cups, 6 servings

Serving size: 1/2 cup Calories 200 Protein 6 g Carb 17 g Fiber 2  g Sugars  3 g Fat 5 g Saturated fat 1 g Sodium 205  mg

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Recipe ReDux Post # 66 Detox Salad

The Recipe ReDux for January  is “Favorite Kitchen Tool!”  To start off 2018 we were encouraged to develop a recipe featuring one of our favorite kitchen gadgets.  I absolutely LOVE my julienne peeler. In fact I got a new one recently. Currently, the main culinary purpose it  serves in my household is to make zucchini noodles, so for this ReDux challenge I wanted to try something new.  

The New Year is a time to begin fresh and for many, to clean up eating habits after indulging over the holidays. I decided to try making a yummy “detox” salad including flavorful beet and carrot shreds  (brought to you by the julienne peeler of course) along with some other nutrient packed ingredients like apples and walnuts.  I tossed all of this in a simple dressing of lemon, olive oil, rice vinegar and honey which brought it tighter perfectly. It’s a great side to brighten up your meal, or you can serve it as a main meal atop your favorite greens with added protein like chicken or fish.  I hope you will try it out along with all the other yummy recipes made with cool kitchen gadgets by the Recipe ReDux team!

Ingredients:

½ cup carrots shreds (use 1 medium carrot)

½ cup raw beet shreds ( use ½-1 medium beet)

½ cup chopped apple

¼ cup chopped walnuts

1 teaspoon olive oil

1 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon honey

salad greens like kale, spinach, field greens (optional for serving)

Directions:

Peel the carrot and beets, then shred them using the julienne peeler (or a regular peeler or food processor can also be used) . Add them to the chopped apple and walnuts in a small-medium sized bowl. In  a  separate small bowl whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, honey and lemon juice. Pour the dressing into the bowl with the salad ingredients, toss and serve.   .

Makes 2 cups, about 2 servings  Serving Sixe: 1 cup  Calories 184 Protein  4 g Carb  19 g Fiber  3.5 g Sugars 13 g Fat 12 g saturated fat  2 g Sodium  165 mg

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Recipe ReDux Post # 62 “Everything” Baked Broccoli and Tofu

September’s Recipe ReDux is “Sheet Pan Meals” where our challenge was to create an entrée that is cooked all together on one sheet for a simple meal with less clean up!  This was a fun one for me because aside from pizza, or maybe lasagna, I had never really cooked an all in one meal in the oven!  My daughter loves tofu and broccoli and I happened to have those on hand, not to mention the new Trader Joes “Everything But the Bagel” seasoning in my cupboard which I had been waiting to try!! After pressing the tofu, I combined cubes of it and broccoli with a simple sauce and the seasoning , baked it in the oven and it came out delicious! If you do not have the Trader Joes seasoning you can also substitute plain sesame seeds as well. I hope you will try it along with the other Sheet Pan creations from the RecipeReDux group!

Ingredients:

¼ cup low sodium soy sauce (use gluten free brand if on gluten-free diet)

2 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar

2 tablespoons canola oil

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 tablespoon Traders Joes “Everything But the Bagel” seasoning or sesame seeds

16 ounces extra firm tofu, cut into ½ inch cubes

8 cups raw broccoli florets

parchment paper or cooking spray

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, vinegar, oil, garlic power and seasoning/sesame seeds.  Add the tofu to a large bowl, pour in half of the soy sauce mixture and toss to coat.  Spread the tofu on one side of a large baking sheet topped with parchment paper or coated with cooking spray.  Add the broccoli to the bowl, pour in the second half of the sauce and mix to coat.  Spread the broccoli on the other half of baking sheet.  Bake for 15 minutes, turn over and then bake for another 5-10 minutes until lightly browned.  Sprinkle with additional sesame seeds for serving if desired

Makes 6 heaping cups 6 servings

Serving size: 1 heaping cup  Calories 190 Protein  14 g Carb 9 g Fiber 2 g Sugars 3 g Fat 9 g Saturated fat g Sodium  655 mg

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Recipe ReDux Post # 55 Cauliflower Mushroom Taco Filling

February Recipe Redux theme is Taco Tuesday!! So as you can guess, we were encouraged to develop a creative taco recipe :)   It is my belief that that the world can always use more vegetarian taco options so I decided to develop one to add to the mix!  I used two of my favorite veggies as a base -cauliflower and mushrooms, and simply sauteed them with some onions and basic spices and the result was really delicious.  Caulifower often has a potato-like texture, and mushrooms can be somewhat “meaty” in mouth feel so these two veggies worked very well as the filling to replace potatoes and meat, which are two popular types of taco fillings. This filling is very versatile and works well in tortillas, lettuce wraps, atop a salad or even as a yummy veggie side dish.  You can add beans, cheese or your favorite meat to pump up the protein.  I hope you will try it and also check out some of the other great taco ideas from the Recipe ReDux group!

Ingredients:

5 cups chopped raw cauliflower florets

4 cups chopped Portobello mushrooms

1 cup chopped white onion

1 tablespoon olive oil

½ tablespoon chili powder

½ tablespoon ground cumin

salt to taste (optional)

Directions:

After chopping up all the veggies add the mushrooms and the onions to a large pan coated with the tablespoon olive oil and sauté on medium high heat, stirring occasionally,  until starting to brown (about 5 minutes).  While the mushrooms and onions are cooking, steam the cauliflower al dente in a pot of shallow boiling water or in a microwave-safe dish in 1 inch of water (covered) for about 4 minutes.  Drain the cauliflower and add it to the pan with the mushroom-onion mixture. Add the cumin and chili powder, mix well to coat the veggies and continue to heat for about 4-5 minutes until lightly browned and tender. Add salt to taste if desired and serve.  This works great with tortillas, lettuce cups, or mixed in with black beans atop a salad or as a burrito bowl with beans, rice and cheese.

Make 5 cups 5 servings

Serving size: 1 cup  Calories  90 Protein 4 g Carb 13 g  Fiber 3 g Sugars 5 g Fat 3 g Saturated fat 0 g Sodium  40 mg

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Recipe Redux Post # 54: Kicked Up Tomato Soup

My challenge for Recipe ReDux this January was to create a “budget friendly” entrée that costs less than $3.00/serving.  I thought this was a great idea and brought Gabby in on the task so she could learn about the cost of ingredients in addition to helping me in the kitchen.  When I think of cost friendly, I think of canned ingredients so we looked in our pantry to see what we had.  Being that’s its been cold and rainy lately we thought a soup recipe would be in order and got to work combining what staples we had on hand.  We decided to do a kicked up tomato soup that actually included adding refried beans, corn, chili powder and cumin for some flair.  It was super easy to make and…..costs only roughly $ 1.00 per serving!!  You can add left over chicken or more beans  (like whole pinto or black) if you want to increase the protein and can garnish it with low fat cheese or sour cream as well. We hope you will try it along with the other budget friendly recipes from the Recipe ReDux group.

Ingredients:

32 ounces of vegetable broth

One 16 ounce can of corn  

One 16 ounce can of refried beans

One 28 ounce can of diced tomatoes

2 teaspoons chili powder

2 teaspoons ground cumin

Directions:

Add all ingredients to a large pot and bring to a boil, stirring often. Reduce to medium-low heat and simmer (stirring occasionally) until warmed though and beans are uniformly mixed in, about 10 minutes. 

Makes about 12 cups, six servings

Serving size: 2 cups Calories 140 Protein 6 g Carb 24 g Fiber 7 g Sugars 19 g Fat 4.5 g Saturated fat 0.5 g Sodium 800 mg

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Gabby's Eats: Sea Salt Roasted Turnips

Gabby and I were overdue for time in the kitchen together so this past weekend we got cooking!  She wanted to make something seasonal and after doing a little research online about Fall fruits and vegetables, she chose turnips. Gabby was intrigued because they are one of the only vegetables she has not tried and I was all about her choice since I have never cooked turnips at home and have only enjoyed them at restaurants. I asked her how she wanted to prepare them and she came up with something simple- olive oil and sea salt. I suggested the best way to cook them was to roast them with her two chosen ingredients.

I peeled and chopped up the turnips (since this was a bit of a challenging task requiring a sharp knife) and then Gabby added the olive oil and the salt and mixed them up. We spread cubed turnips on a greased pan and in just 15 minutes we had crispy delicious turnips fresh out of the oven. They were so delicious and the olive oil and salt were just the perfect way to season them.  Gabby ate them all up and was happy to have a new veggie choice in the rotation.  We hope you will give them a try too!

Ingredients:

2 average sized turnips, peeled and cut into ½ inch cubes (about 4 cups raw cubes)

2 tablespoons olive oil

¼- ½ teaspoon sea salt

cooking spray

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Add the cubed turnips into a medium bowl, put in the olive oil and salt and toss to coat.  Spread the turnips out on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray and roast for 10 minutes. Flip them over and cook another 5-10 minutes until tender with a fork and browned.

Makes 2 Cups, 4 servings

Serving Size: ½ cup Calories 95 Protein 1 g Carb 8 g Fiber 2.5 g Sugars 5 g Fat 7 g Saturated fat 1 g Sodium 400 mg

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Recipe ReDux Post # 48: Cajun Cauliflower "Rice" and Beans

July's Recipe ReDux theme is "Get Your Fruits and Veggies in Shape" and we were encouraged to develop a recipe using fruits or veggies in unusual shapes/creative cuts.  Cauliflower had been on sale at my local Sprouts Market last week so I eagerly bought 2 large heads. As the week wore on I started to realize the cauliflower had been just sitting in my fridge and it needed to be eaten!! I decided it would be the perfect veggie to work with for this challenge and I thought it would be a good idea to try my luck at another cauliflower rice recipe.  As you may recall, I have made a faux risotto with cauliflower rice with turned out great.  This time I went for simple pairing of cauliflower rice with black beans and spiced it up with some Cajun flair.  Just four ingredients combine to make a super yummy dish that can be served as a side with your favorite protein, or even be a meal itself served over salad or topped with avocado, cheese and salsa! It is high in fiber and protein and low in fat too, which is a bonus!! I hope you will give it a try and take a look at all the other creative veggie/fruit recipes developed by the talented Recipe ReDux group!

Ingredients:

1 large head of cauliflower
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 to 1 teaspoon of Cajun seasoning
Two 15 ounce cans of black beans, drained and rinsed well

Directions:

Make the cauliflower into raw "rice " by using THIS recipe.  Add the tablespoon olive oil to a large skillet and put in the cauliflower rice and sprinkle the seasoning over it .  Saute on medium-high heat for a few minutes, stirring frequently.  Add the black beans and heat for another 3-5 minutes until warmed through.

Makes 5 heaping cups, five servings

Serving size: 1 heaping cup Calories 189 Protein 12 g Carb 31 g Fiber 8 g Sugars 2 g Fat 3 g Saturated fat 0 g Sodium  136 mg

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Recipe ReDux Post # 42 Power Salad!

January’s  Recipe Redux is appropriately titled “A New Ingredient for the New Year," and it was all about choosing a novel ingredient and creating a recipe with it.  I didn’t have anything particular in mind so I decided to just take a trip to the store and see what jumped out at me.  I put three new ingredients in my basket- dried mulberries, avocado oil and celery salt, thinking I could probably figure out a recipe using at least one of them.  I started with a salad, throwing the mulberries atop a bed of spinach, walnuts and white beans.  Then I decided to take things a step further and actually use the celery salt and avocado oil in the dressing...which really worked!  All three ingredients really made the recipe stand out- the mulberries add a sweet and chewy texture which combos nicely with the fresh spinach, hearty beans and the crunchy walnuts.  The avocado oil has flavor set apart from olive oil and adding the celery salt, along with honey mustard gave it some zip.  This salad is a powerhouse of nutrition too- containing lean protein, healthy fat, antioxidants and fiber….plus it is very filling and delicious! I hope you will give it a try along with all these other new ingredient inspired recipes from the talented Recipe ReDux group.

Ingredients:

2-3 packed cups of spinach leaves (washed and dried well)

¼ cup dried mulberries

¼ cup canned white beans (rinsed well)

2 tablespoons chopped walnuts

1 tablespoon avocado oil

1 tablespoon honey mustard

¼ teaspoon celery salt

Directions:

Add the first 4 ingredients to a medium bowl.  In a small bowl whisk together the avocado oil, mustard and celery salt.  Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to coat. Refrigerate if not serving immediately.

Makes 2 servings

Serving size: ½ salad Calories 220 Protein 5 g  Carb 22 g  Fiber 6 g Sugars 8 g Fat 12 g Saturated fat 1.5 g Sodium 280 mg

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