Recipes

Cauliflower Couscous

/ ktbuchs87 / 2 Comments

Cauliflower is a very versatile vegetable.  You can turn it into a ton of different things such as sauces, mashed potato substitute, and “rice”.  That’s a lot for one little vegetable!  I decided to use cauliflower to make a sort of couscous and it makes a really great, light summer meal that is fairly easy to put together.

Cauliflower Couscous

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  • 1 large head of cauliflower
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • juice and zest of one lemon
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 2 tsp thyme
  • 2 tsp oregano
  • 2 tsp marjoram
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt
  • 1 tsp lemon pepper
  • 1/4 cup chopped, toasted almonds

1. Heat a large skillet over medium high heat, add in your chopped almonds.  Stir frequently until the are lightly browned and just starting to smell fragrant. Remove from heat and set aside in a bowl.

2. Chop your cauliflower into florets, trying to leave as much of the stem behind as you can.  Put the florets into a food processor or blender and pulse a few times until the cauliflower is finely chopped and looks like couscous.  Make sure not to pulverize it , you want it to have some texture

3. Using the same skillet from your almonds, heat the olive oil over medium heat and then add in your cauliflower couscous.  Cook the couscous for about 5 to 7 minutes.  Remove the skillet from the heat.  Add in all your spices, the lemon juice and zest, and the toasted almonds.  Stir to combine and let the couscous sit for about 5 minutes to let the flavors meld.

This is a really versatile recipe.  You can use whatever spices you feel like adding to the couscous.  You can use walnuts or cashews instead of almonds and you could even add meat to the dish.  Get creative and enjoy using cauliflower in a new and fun way!

Any Fruit Crisp

/ ktbuchs87

I have a really delicious treat for you guys today, a dessert recipe!  I realized that I had not posted any kind of dessert recipe and knew that needed to change.  It is entirely possible to eat well and healthy and also enjoy a few treats!  This crisp is probably not what you would immediately think of when you think a typical crisp.  I’ve adapted it to fit into a healthy lifestyle, but also taste just as delicious! It also doesn’t take that long to put together and you can use whatever fruit you have lying around depending on the season.  I’ve done strawberry and rhubarb, strawberry and pear, and more recently peach and raspberry.  An all berry crisp would be delicious and in the fall an apple one would taste phenomenal!

Any Fruit Crisp

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  • 1/2 cup steel cut oats, soaked in just enough water to cover for about 15 minutes
  • 1/2 cup almond flour
  • 2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tbsp safflower oil (olive oil would work, but I like the lighter flavor of safflower)
  • 3 tbsp maple syrup
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 3-4 cups fruit of your choice

1.  Preheat your oven to 400.  Slice your fruit up into bite size chunks and place into a pie dish, or another shallow dish. Add your lemon juice and 1 tbsp maple syrup to the fruit.  Mix well

2.  In a medium bowl add your soaked steel cut oats, almond flour, and cinnamon.  Stir together, it will look a little crumbly at this point, that’s totally fine.  Add in 1 tbsp safflower oil and 2 tbsp maple syrup.  Mix again.  It should start to stick together now but not be too wet looking.

3.  Spoon the oat/almond flour mixture over the fruit making sure to cover as much of the fruit as possible.  It won’t look perfect and that is fine, it isn’t suppose to!

4.  Place in oven and bake for about 20 to 25 minutes.  You want the fruit to be bubbling and the top part should just be starting to brown.  Cool completely and then serve up the yum!

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Because this is such a quick dessert, you can make it often and experiment with what fruit combo you like the best.  It’s also yummy enough to share at a BBQ or party… if you feel like sharing!  Enjoy!

Sunbutter Sauce

/ ktbuchs87

I am a firm believer in sauces, dressings, dips, and spreads.  They are super simple to put together, totally customizable to your tastes, and they can make a meal taste ten times better.  Many of my meals are planned around some type of sauce.  For me it’s kind of the best part of the meal!  This sauce came about because I had bought a jar of sunbutter (sunflower butter) and still had yet to really use it.  So I looked in my pantry/fridge and put this together.  I poured it over leftover brown rice noodles and vegetables I stir fried.  You can put it on whatever you want.  You can even eat it by itself, I won’t judge!

Sunbutter Sauce

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  • 1/3 cup sunbutter (or peanut butter, but I like the sunbutter better with this sauce)
  • 1/4 cup liquid aminos (or soy sauce)
  • 1 tbsp honey or maple syrup
  • 1 tbsp rice vinegar or white wine vinegar
  • 1 tbsp sesame oil (don’t sub in olive oil, the flavor will be off)
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 tsp ginger, minced

This is going to be really simple.  Put all ingredients in a large measuring cup or bowl and whisk until fully combined.  Yup, that’s it.  If you like a thinner sauce you can use it right away, but it you want it a little thicker put it in the fridge for about an hour or so.  This tastes fantastic with noodles and shredded carrots.  I’ve also used it on stir fried green peppers, onions, zucchini, summer squash, and cabbage.  Like I said before, put it on anything your little heart desires and enjoy!

Lentil Meatballs

/ ktbuchs87 / 1 Comment

There are probably a ton of different variations of burgers/meatballs/meatloaf/any meat-type meal out there that use lentils.  I have tried my hand at a few of these, but my burgers never quite came out just right.  The taste/texture was always just slightly off.  That is NOT the case with these meatballs.  I was leery at first because of my previous meat/lentil failures, but I gave it a shot.  I was not let down this time and my husband said that they tasted both delicious and like actual meatballs.  Success!! This meal can be prepped in the morning and then all you have to do when you get home from work is just pop them in the oven.  Wonderful!

Lentil Meatballs

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  • 1 cup cooked lentils
  • 1 package of white mushrooms, sliced (shredded carrots could also work)
  • 1/2 cup cooked quinoa (you can also use old-fashioned oats, dry)
  • 1 tbsp parsley
  • 1 tsp oregano
  • 1/2-1 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 1/2 tsp thyme
  • 1/2 tsp marjoram
  • 1 onion diced
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/3 cup vegetable broth
  • 1 tbsp liquid aminos or soy sauce, or tamari
  • 2 eggs

1.  Place mushrooms, quinoa, lentils and all spices into a food processor or blender and pulse until everything is combined but not too mushy.

2. In a big skillet heat some olive oil and saute the onion until it is soft, about 5 to 7 minutes.  Then add in the garlic and cook for about 2 minutes.  Add in your lentil mix and cook until it starts to brown.  You want to have a little bit of a crust on your mixture so make sure you cook it long enough

3.  Add in the vegetable broth and soy sauce and cook until the liquid has been absorbed.  Take your skillet off the heat and place into a large bowl and let it cool.  Once it’s cool enough to handle (aka not boiling lava hot) add the 2 eggs, whisked, to the bowl.  Mix everything together and form into balls.  Place on a baking tray and bake the meatballs at 425 for about 30 minutes.

You can serve these just like any other meatballs, over pasta, or rice, or even on their own.  Top with some tomato sauce and eat up!  Again, like pretty much every meal I make, these are good leftovers, so cook up extras!

Turmeric Scented Mushrooms and Brown Rice Noodles

/ ktbuchs87

This was a meal that was really easy to put together and I made it with stuff that I already had in my kitchen.  Those are pretty much the best meals ever, minimal work and minimal shopping. Not that I am lazy or anything… This dish also is packed with good for you spices and vegetables.  Turmeric is a powerhouse of good things as is spinach and mushrooms!

Turmeric Scented Mushrooms and Brown Rice Noodles

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  • 1 package of mushrooms, sliced (you can use whatever mushrooms you would like, I used baby bella)
  • 2 cups fresh spinach leaves
  • zest and juice from 1 large lime
  • 1 tsp turmeric
  • 1/2 tsp dill
  • 1/2 onion, diced
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 1/2 tbsp rice vinegar
  • 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tbsp sesame oil (or more olive oil)
  • Salt

1. Prepare your brown rice noodles according to the package and set aside while you put everything else together

2.  In a large skillet or wok, heat your olive oil and sesame oil on medium high heat.  Add the turmeric and toast for about 1 minute.  Next add your mushrooms and sprinkle with a little salt.  Turn the heat down to medium-low and cook until they are soft and brown.  Add the garlic, onion, rice vinegar, lime juice and zest and dill.  Saute for about 3 minutes, then fold in the spinach and cook until the leaves have wilted down.  Put your noodles in a bowl and cover with mushroom stir fry!

This meal was good the first time around, but it was even better as leftovers.  That extra time really let the flavors come together deliciously.  It also tastes just as good cold as it does hot, so try it both ways!  Enjoy!