Side Dish- Loaded Cauliflower

 1/5/17

Dear Reader,

    

Doesn't this look amazing? You might be thinking it looks like loaded mash tators (potatoes), but it's not....Truth is, its actually cauliflower. :) Yeah, cauliflower. Who would've thought, right? This is NOT Paleo friendly due to the Greek yogurt and the cheese added on top; however, I love that it is low-carb friendly dish. If you are on the keto change, this will work perfect for you. :) 

You will be able to find the original post from Low Carb Maven's blog at the bottom of my post. 

I did switch out some ingredients. Example; sour cream to Greek plain yogurt. Reason- Greek yogurt is great alternative to sour cream, it's half the calories and fat. I always have it on hand in the fridge. Plus, you can use it in your parfaits. Added fruit, granola, or even drizzle honey to sweeten it. It's a win-win situation. Any-who, recipe below sweet friend...

'Loaded Cauliflower'

Ingredients:

• 1 pound cauliflower florets
• 4 ounces sour cream >I used organic Greek yogurt
• 1 cup grated cheddar cheese
• 2 slices cooked bacon crumbled
• 2 tablespoons snipped chives
• 3 tablespoons butter >Kerrygold
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Cut the cauliflower into florets and add them to a microwave safe bowl. Add 2 tablespoons of water and cover with cling film. Microwave for 5-8 minutes, depending on your microwave, until completely cooked and tender. Drain the excess water and let sit uncovered for a minute or two. (Alternately, steam your cauliflower the conventional way. You may need to squeeze a little water out of the cauliflower after cooking.)>>> I steamed mine while I prepared other ingredients together. 
2. Add the cauliflower to a food processor and process until fluffy. >>> I used a fork to mash and used a spoon to well combine. 
3. Add the butter and sour cream and process until it resembles the consistency of mashes potatoes. Remove the mashed cauliflower to a bowl and add most of the chives, saving some to add to the top later. Add half of the cheddar cheese and mix by hand.>>>I only added the cheese on the top. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Top the loaded cauliflower with the remaining cheese, remaining chives and bacon. Put back into the microwave to melt the cheese or place the cauliflower under the broiler for a few minutes.>>> I placed under the broiler and carefully watched it.       

We loved this side dish so much, and hope you do as well! :)

Blessings,

Kaleen

http://www.lowcarbmaven.com/loaded-cauliflower-low-carb-keto/

For the love of....casserole?

12/29/16

Dear Reader,

         From the title, I guess you can tell that I might be writing about a casserole? You nailed it. 

Where would I'd be without my crock-pot or casserole dishes? Totally lost at times. Scratch that. I would be throwing a toss salad together or it would be a cereal kind-of-night. 

Recently I've found a recipe on Pinterest (yet again), and found a recipe that I was intrigued with. 

'Cheesy Zucchini & Turkey Casserole'

AMAZING! My hubby had seconds on this dish, and gave it two thumbs up. :)

Betsy made this recipe herself, and she has lots of other great recipes you might want to check out as well. You can find the original post here. 
http://betsylife.com/cheesy-zucchini-turkey-casserole/#_a5y_p=5571248

'Cheesy Zucchini and Turkey Casserole'

Author: Betsy Life

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 lb ground turkey
• ½ cup diced onion
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1½lbs of zucchini, diced
• 2 cups prepared groats (or brown rice, quinoa, etc.)
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• ½ teaspoon dried oregano
• ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
• ½ cup finely chopped fresh basil
• 7 oz Kerrygold aged cheddar, shredded

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Heat a large skillet to medium high heat. Add olive oil and ground turkey. Cook until meat begins to brown.
3. Add onion and garlic. Cook 2 minutes until onions begin to soften and garlic is fragrant.
4. Add zucchini and cook 3-4 more minutes until zucchini begins to soften.
5. Add groats, diced tomatoes, oregano, paprika, basil and ½ of the shredded cheese. Stir until fully combined.
6. Pour mixture into a 9X13 baking dish coated in cooking spray. Top with remaining cheese. Cover tightly and freeze for later (defrost before cooking) or bake, uncovered for 20-25 minutes until cheese is bubbly.

I personally used quinoa (organic brand), and you can find the Kerrygold from Sprouts. 

Enjoy!  

Kaleen

Crock-pot to the Rescue!

         12/28/16

Dear Reader,

         Today was filled with taking Christmas decor down, and good ol' laundry. I seem to ask myself the same question every year. Why does taking the items down seem to take longer then putting them up? Come on, you must've thought the same at one point, right? :) Plus, I feel like my piles of laundry is more like a mountain. Sigh. I see one more pile to fold tonight and then I'm done. Score! 

     Through all the ornaments, lights, stockings, Saint Nick, and manger scene there was a BIG helping hand. My crockpot. I found a recipe through Pinterest. Gosh, I LOVE Pinterest! This is not my recipe but one found through another website, and the recipe is by Gourmet Mom. 

 'Slow-Cooker White Chicken Chili'

 My thoughts on the recipe; its perfect for any night of any season. Not to spicy and not a thick cream broth. I enjoy the part of being able to garnish the chili to how you want it. Plus, you throw everything in the crock-pot and leave it. :) Perfect for my busy day. I added in parentheses what I did differently on the recipe.

Drum roll.....

Slow-Cooker White Chicken Chili

Ingredients:

1 can (15 oz) white or great northern beans

1 1/2 pounds uncooked chicken breast

8 ounces cream cheese(I used 12 ounces)

1/2 teaspoon cumin

2 cans (11 oz) canned corn with peppers (I used frozen bag of corn)

2 teaspoons salt

32 ounces chicken broth(I used organic and low-sodium chicken broth)

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 can (10 oz) diced tomatoes with green chilies(I used only diced tomatoes, no salt added)

1 can (4.5 oz) Old El Paso™ Green Chile's

For garnish:

Shredded Mexican cheese, optional, for garnish

Tortilla chips, optional, for garnish

Sour cream, optional, for garnish

Chopped green onion, optional, for garnish

Chopped tomatoes, optional, for garnish

Lime slices, optional, for garnish 

 

Directions:

1. Cut chicken in to bite-sized pieces and place in a slow cooker.
2. Rinse and drain beans, add to slow cooker.
3. Add all other ingredients except cream cheese and optional garnish ingredients. DO NOT drain corn or chilies.
4. Simmer in slow cooker for 5 hours on low or 3 hours on high.
5. Microwave cream cheese for 60 seconds to melt. Add to slow cooker and stir well.
6. Serve with your favorite garnishes such as: shredded cheese, sour cream, chopped tomatoes, green onions, or tortilla chips.

Just a few photos while cooking.:)

Here is the link to my Pinterest page if you would like to follow. 

https://www.pinterest.com/kturquoise89/

Here is the link to original post on the recipe:

http://www.tablespoon.com/recipes/slow-cooker-white-chicken-chili/fb66fdd3-9c7f-4cda-a498-752b73a0cf91?esrc=18534&utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=pinterest&utm_campaign=tdkeywordtest&pp=1

Thanks for reading and happy eating! 

Kaleen