Pasta with Cauliflower-Tomato Sauce (Slow Cooker Friendly) & Crunchy Bread Crumbs

Michele Scicolone, one of my favorite cookbook authors,  
posted a  Spicy Cauliflower Pasta Sauce made in 
the slower cooker on her Facebook page a few days ago ~ 
it sounded interesting and I had the small head 
of cauliflower on hand . . .  I'm sure you can guess the rest!

As usual, I was compelled to change it a little to suit my 
own taste, although you may like it just as Michele posted it.
It's healthful, low in fat and vegetarian friendly.
Plus it's easy on the budget.

I'll post Michele's way, plus my changes over on my

recipe blog so you can make it the way you like.  

Michele's original recipe calls for

a small head of cauliflower, a large can of crushed tomatoes,

water, olive oil, garlic, a little dried oregano, salt and red pepper flakes.

During the last few minutes I added some chopped, marinated

artichoke hearts, and some brined capers.  (I also had a bit

of Trader Joe's Artichoke Tapenade left over so I stirred

that in as well . . . you know, waste not - want not.)

Since we're not so keen on really spicy food any longer,

I cut the amount of red pepper flakes and only added

the tiniest pinch. Perfect!

For the crumb topping : 

Bread crumbs, a little olive oil, anchovy fillets, and

freshly ground black pepper. (Please don't let the

anchovies put you off ~  as they truly enhance this dish!)

If you don't have anchovies on hand (or cannot 

tolerate them), you can substitute fresh garlic and a little

sea or kosher salt instead. But I prefer the anchovies,

and I promise you, you'll barely notice their presence 

because they are cooked in a little olive oil until they nearly

dissolve and the flavor mellows, enhancing the oil, 

then added to the crumbs and sauteed gently until the

crumbs turn crisp and golden brown. Yum! 

This is an excellent condiment on other pasta dishes and

steamed/sauteed vegetables or grilled chicken/fish, too.

 I always make extra and store in an airtight container in

the fridge, ready to use and it keeps almost indefinitely

in the fridge, even longer in the freezer.

 

I think it would be safe to say that you and those you

 cook for would probably have to favor

rather assertive flavors to really enjoy this dish... 
Kraft Mac and Cheese® it's not.  ;)

I thought it was very good; quite low in fat

(but not lacking flavor.)

If you would like a printable copy of the recipe,
please jump on over to my recipe blog
right here.


Thank you for stopping today ~
I love your comments!

~Mari  :)

Brazilian-Style Collard Greens

Perhaps you've eaten Collard Greens all your life?
Or maybe, like me, you can count the number of times - that you've eaten them on one hand.
In my family we always had Swiss Chard, because my grandfather and my father grew it in their vegetable gardens ~ other times my mother would  prepare spinach for us, but not collard greens.



Prior to finding this recipe, the only way I had seen collards prepared they were way overcooked, a washed-out gray-green, limp mass. And not the most healthy. So I was really pleased to have found this recipe which retains more of the vitamins, and it is lower in fat.
Because the leaves are sliced into thin strips, then are sauteed with lots of garlic in olive oil,  a little butter and salt for just a couple of minutes, they retain their deep green color and cooked quickly,  there is a pleasant 'chew' to the texture.
You can also add bacon if you like ~ I cook the bacon separately and offer it on the side, along with a little rice vinegar if anyone wants to add some. Balsamic, Red Wine vinegar or a squeeze of lemon would also be good. I offer a small shaker of red pepper flakes for those who like to add a little spicy kick.



In Brazil collard greens prepared this way (probably minus the vinegar) are traditionally served with Brazil's national dish Feijoada, but they go well with almost any meal.
If you would like a printable copy of this recipe, please hop on over to my recipe blog!

I love to read your comments, so thank you for taking the time!
Have a wonderful weekend, friends.

Homemade Mexican Red Chili Sauce

If you make enchiladas, tamales, or any  Mexican or Tex-Mex style dish that requires red chili sauce, I urge you to bypass the canned stuff and make your own sauce from scratch.
It goes together very quickly, with just a couple of ingredients  and is far tastier than canned, plus you can adjust the level of heat according the the chilies you use.
(Most well stocked grocery stores carry dried peppers in the Mexican food/ingredient  section.)
The method is much easier than you might imagine:
- Simply rinse the peppers, remove the seeds and stems (discard.)    - Lightly toast the peppers in a dry skillet to bring out their flavor.
- Remove from skillet and place in a small sauce pot with water, bring to a boil and remove from heat.  Allow to soak for 10 minutes.
- Puree the softened pepper in a blender with some of the soaking water (or plain water if the soaking water seems bitter)
- Add 1 large clove of garlic, 2 whole cloves, 2 pepper corns, 1 or 2 teaspoons dried Mexican oregano, and salt.  Continue to blend until sauce is smooth.
- Pour the sauce through a sieve into a skillet, add a tablespoon of vegetable oil. Stir and simmer over medium heat for about 10 minutes.  Taste for seasonings.
Use immediately in your favorite recipe or cool and store in a glass container then refrigerate or freeze.





Elise, over at Simply Recipes has a wonderful step-by-step pictorial, with the type of chilies to select as well as the recipe.
Next up,  I'll show you one of my favorite ways of using this Red Chili Sauce.

Thank you for stopping by, and for any comments you would care to share!  Have a wonderful week.

xo ~mari  :o)

Italian Style Chicken Breasts ~One Baking Pan. (It's a KEEPER!)

I've been on a Donna Hay recipe kick lately and, happily, I can't seem to stop. :)
There is a lot to like about Donna's style; her recipes are so  flavorful, plus they are generally fast and easy to put together.  And here's another one. Thank you Donna Hay!
"Italian Baked Chicken" is my new favorite. Although I think she  introduced the recipe about a year ago it's new to me. 
It's very, very tasty ~ 
(It's a two part recipe ~ you partially roast some of the ingredients, then you add the chicken and olives and continue baking until done.)
Boneless chicken breasts, fresh tomatoes,  whole garlic cloves (no peeling necessary), flat pancetta, cubed*,  olives, oregano, fresh basil, a little olive oil and freshly cracked black pepper.
The first time I made it I followed the recipe exactly:
I tossed the tomatoes, pancetta, garlic cloves and oregano in a pan with olive oil, and baked in a 400ºF/200ºC oven for 25 minutes, at which point the chicken breasts, olives, and  black pepper are added and baked for an additional 20 minutes or until chicken is tender.
While the flavors were delicious, parts of the  tomatoes and pancetta ~(or I should say, my substitute for pancetta)  were overcooked by the time the chicken was cooked through.  Although it still tasted good, some of the cherry tomatoes had disintegrated and and stuck to the bottom of the baking dish.   Being that I was a little short in the amount of cherry tomatoes required  I had included some Roma tomato halves (they saved the dish and  roasted up nicely.)
Later on the internet I found a video of Donna demonstrating the recipe and realized what she refers to as "cherry tomatoes" are closer to the size of (what we in the U.S.) refer to as between walnut and l little smaller than a golf ball (or huge cherry tomatoes!)  I find them here as (small) "tomatoes on the vine".
The second time I made it, I used tomatoes that were like those described above (halved them) and proceeded with the recipe, except that I reduced the initial roasting time to about 12 to 15 minutes (your oven may be different, so keep an eye on things) I believe my oven runs a little hot ~ In any case, the pancetta cubes should be getting crispy and  the tomatoes should be roasting and shriveled.)  
Then I added the chicken and olives and continued baking for an additional  20-25 minutes until the chicken was tender.


This image is just for illustration.  If it were in real time, the (raw) chicken breasts and olives would be nestled among the  semi-roasted tomatoes, pancetta/bacon/salt pork, garlic and herbs, ready to be put in the oven to finish baking.   The tomatoes would have given up some of their juices and shrunk, pancetta/salt pork  would be slightly crispy, and the garlic would have begun to soften.

The surface area of the baking pan you use, and the size of chicken breasts will all affect the baking time as well.  The chicken breasts I used the second time were rather large,  so I let the initial baking go a few minutes longer, then added the chicken.   Ideally, the pan in this picture would have been a bit larger so the ingredients  wouldn't be so crowded, but I'm sure you get the idea.

*I did not have flat pancetta or slab bacon. Instead I had some salt-pork in the freezer, so I thawed and used that:


(Left stacked together in clumps so they wouldn't over-brown.)
 It was pre-sliced (thick slices) so I cut it into crosswise strips and kept three  slices or so of the crosswise pieces together so they wouldn't burn. 

To finish, the recipe suggested serving with some fresh Parmesan cheese, I skipped that part and found it perfectly seasoned and flavorful  just the way it was.
Hmm, I want you to know that I've taken longer to explain the recipe  than it will take you to put it together!  
If you would like a printable copy of the recipe, it's HERE on my recipe blog.

Thanks for stopping by today ~ I love it when you leave me a comment so I know you've come by.  :)
Blessings!  ~m.

P.S. For those of you looking for the Tulip cupcake/muffin liners I used with the Raspberry-White Chocolate Muffin recipe ~ You can purchase them at the King Arthur Flour website. www.kingarthurflour.com  

Nearly Guiltless (and Stupid Simple) Tartlets

A little over half-way to my target weight, so I'm still watching the fats, calories and carbs.  
I'm not a huge fan of sweets, but sometimes I do dream about having a little goodie or two. 




And I recently got the "craving".
So, taking stock of what was in the fridge, freezer and pantry I devised these two-bite treats, and pulled them together in almost no time.

Really simple to make ~ here are the ingredients:



Just toast up the little filo shells on a shallow baking tray in a 325˚F oven for about 5 to 7 minutes until they are lightly brown and crisp. Allow them to cool and melt the chocolate you like best and "paint" or smooth a thin layer of chocolate on the inside of the cooled tartlet shells with a small spoon. Place the chocolate lined shells in the fridge for a few minutes so the chocolate will set up, then spoon in the yogurt filling. 
I chose different flavors of yogurt; French Vanilla, Key Lime, and Black Forest Chocolate-Cherry.  Of course you can swap out any flavors of yogurt you like best.





To dress them up a little I garnished the Black Cherry-Chocolate ones with toasted sliced almonds. (I dipped them part-way in the melted chocolate and placed them on waxed paper to allow the chocolate to firm up before arranging them on the tarts.





For the Key Lime version, I plucked the tender tips off the mint sprigs in the garden ~Pssst . . . Lime and mint are a great flavor combination!



St. Patrick's Day idea maybe?




I really liked the white chocolate with the lime and mint, too.




Just what I was dreaming of ~Crispy/crunchy shell, cool and creamy filling , with a little layer of chocolate for a hint of decadence as a reward. Yum!!
You can make them a day ahead and store in airtight container in fridge; the chocolate on the interior provides a barrier from the yogurt and prevents the shells from becoming mushy. I'd probably garnish them at the last minute though to keep the fresh taste and appearance.

I'm not certain of the exact calorie count but the breakdown as near as I can figure is as follows:
1 plain filo shell = 23 calories2 teaspoons 'light' yogurt per shell (100 calories per 6 ounce carton & 36 teaspoons in 6 ounces) = is just over 5 calories
This is not counting the 1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon of chocolate, or the garnishes for each.
Even so, I figure they are fairly lean ~ a perfect little treat to satisfy that occasional sweet tooth.
 


I used dark chocolate for the French Vanilla filling, and garnished with a ripe raspberry ~ quite delicious!  I think that was my favorite combo.  :)

If you try them I hope you like them!

Thank you so much for stopping by ~ and I hope you have a wonderful week.  My thoughts and prayers are going out to those in need.
Blessings! xoxo ~m.

Sweet and Spicy Asian-Style Shrimp & Lettuce Roll-Ups

Actually, the food I've been preparing for the past several weeks, hasn't been all that interesting so I haven't posted much. I've been continuing to stick with the healthier eating habits, and I'm happy to report that my bathroom scale is my friend once again. I yet have a little ways to go before I hit my target weight, so please bear with me. :D
I must admit that I'm looking forward to getting to the point of maintaining rather than reducing. ;) Hopefully, soon!


But this simple dish is one I felt I had to share ~ it has a lot of things going for it; tasty, easy to assemble, healthful and pretty to look at. Plus you can serve it as an appetizer or as a salad or main course.
It's another one that needs no actual recipe, it's just a matter of cooking the shrimp then assembling the ingredients.  
Here's what you'll need:
Shrimp (I used 30/40 count per pound), peeled and tails removedAttractive, whole lettuce leaves, washed, drained and chilled to crisp themSlivered cabbage (green or red) tossed with a little seasoned rice vinegarThinly sliced scallionsCilantro or Mint leavesChopped salted peanuts (I used dry roasted)Lime wedges (optional)And the drizzle
For the drizzle:



The base is a couple of tablespoons of Sweet Thai Chili Sauce, the amount will depend upon the number of lettuce cups/shrimp you are using. It only takes a couple of teaspoons or less for each lettuce roll-up.
I used Lee Kum Kee brand  Sweet Thai Chili Sauce this time ~ my other favorite brand is Mae Ploy, both are very good.  To the sweet Thai sauce just stir in a little of either one of these Asian hot sauces; either Sriracha Hot Chili Sauce (in the center bottle), or Sambal Oelek (jar on the right.) Both are pretty spicy, so add just a little, mix into the Sweet Chili Sauce and taste to see if you want it spicier.  I like it medium spicy so the other ingredients' delicate flavors aren't lost in the heat; it's just a matter of taste.




This time, to cook the shrimp, I brushed each of them with a little olive oil, placed them on a parchment lined baking sheet, sprinkled lightly with salt and pepper and roasted in a hot (450-500˚F) oven for about two minutes, turning once halfway through baking time. (Timing will depend upon the size of the shrimp you choose. Don't forget they will continue cooking after you remove them from the oven, so it's best to slightly undercook them, otherwise they will be tough and chewy.)
Alternately they can be poached in a pan of barely simmering salted water until they just turn pink, then drained, or brush the shrimp with a little oil and grill them on a stove-top or outdoor grill if you prefer.




So easy to assemble:  For each roll-up; One lettuce leaf, the seasoned-rice vinegar cabbage slivers, cooked shrimp, sprinkle of sliced scallions and cilantro or mint leaves, the sauce drizzled over all, then finished with the chopped peanuts (and a squeeze of fresh lime, if using.)
If you give them a try I hope you love them as much as I do!
Blessings for a good week ahead everyone. xo ~m

Smothered Portobello Mushrooms ~ Clean and Healthy Eating

This one is a "no brainer", as easy as can be and you don't need a written recipe to make it. But I have included it over on my recipe blog in case you want to print it out to save the idea (see link at bottom of this post.) Recipe is adapted from "Clean Eating" magazine.

You'll need one Portobello mushroom for each serving. I gently wipe them to clean any debris, remove the stem but not the gills, although some people prefer to remove the gills too.

Preheat oven to 400˚F  Lightly mist or brush a shallow baking dish with olive oil, place mushrooms (resting on their caps ~ gill side facing up) in the prepared dish.

 Spoon 1/4 cup chunky salsa (your choice) into each mushroom (low-sodium salsa if you wish.)

Sprinkle 1 tablespoon chopped or sliced green onion/scallion, both white and green parts, and 1/4 cup shredded, low-fat mozzarella cheese over the salsa in each mushroom. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes. 

Optional: Garnish each with 1 tablespoon sesame seeds, or a few slivers of green onion.

These make a wonderful first course or main course ~ I served them as a light lunch entree with . . .

Whole-grain tri-color orzo (pasta), slivered onion, flat leaf parsley (cilantro or mint leaves work as well), and  dressed with a lemon vinaigrette, made with just freshly squeezed lemon juice, a dab of Dijon mustard, minced garlic (optional), a tiny drizzle of olive oil & a little salt and freshly ground pepper, all whisked together. 


You could add some toasted pine nuts or walnuts as a garnish to the pasta salad if you like.  It's really straightforward, clean tasting and refreshing.

Surprisingly flavorful, satisfying and delicious with little fat and few calories.  I would definitely make these again. 

If you would like a printable copy of this ultra-simple recipe, please click here.

Hope you enjoy!

Have a blessed day, friends!

Grapefruit-Avocado Salad ~ Healthy & Clean Eating

Yes, in my hemisphere it's winter, but I still enjoy a healthy salad ~ no matter what the weather, and this one utilizes the fruits and vegetables available to us at this time of year.



The base is organic baby arugula, and the toppings are grapefruit supremes (segments without the membrane), sliced avocado ~ I like the rich buttery variety with the thick pebbly skins such as Haas.  


Then a sprinkling of thinly sliced radishes, sliced scallions and toasted slivered almonds, then a generous shower of freshly ground pepper. I used tri-color pepper blend this time ~ I like the confetti look it adds to the salad. And a good sprinkle of coarse sea salt and a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil to finish.




I usually always trim my own citrus supremes ~ but this time I used the already prepared kind, like these fresh, non-canned ones ~ found in the refrigerator case, usually in the produce department.  They are packed in very lightly sweetened grapefruit juice not too sweet at all, and so convenient.(This isn't a plug for this particular brand, just look for the kind that must be refrigerated to assure the best quality and taste.)




To bump up the protein you could certainly add some diced or shredded chicken, cooked shrimp, salmon, or other fish.  You could swap out the arugula with baby spinach leaves, and add or substitute orange segments for the grapefruit.
I love everything about this salad, clean tasting, healthy and flavorful.Low in fat, and the fat it does contain is the good-for-you kind.
If you try it I hope you like it too.
No formal recipe needed, just use what you like, in the amounts that are pleasing to you.  Enjoy!

Approximately 168 calories per serving, about 2 1/2 cups, loosely packed, each

Ranch Dip & Dressing ~ the HEALTHY way

I was pleased to see that a version of very low fat "Lighter Ranch Dip" appears in the current edition of "Everyday Food" magazine because I practically gag on the synthetic taste of the commercial low-fat Ranch Dressing.  I made the EF recipe, and although it is simple to make and healthy it seemed to be lacking flavor, and understandably so ~ that version is seasoned with only thyme leaves, garlic and salt and pepper. That's not ranch as we all know it!

It looked like Ranch Dip/Dressing, but I found the taste quite disappointing. So I played around with the recipe a bit and arrived at my own version which I think is infinitely more flavorful. It requires just a couple of additional ingredients, but those don't add any calories, just more flavor.

While the original recipe called for low-fat Greek-style yogurt, and whole fat mayonnaise ~ I used 0% fat Greek-style yogurt (Fage brand), and Best Foods/Hellman's low fat mayonnaise, further trimming the fat to less than 30 calories, and negligible fat per each serving size (2 slightly heaping tablespoons each.) Of course you could still use the low fat yogurt and whole fat mayo, and it would still be much lower in fat than traditional Ranch Dip.

The additional seasonings I added were minced chives (green stems of scallions/green onions, finely minced, could be substituted), onion powder, minced parsley, and dried dill weed. I also added a small squeeze of fresh lemon juice (optional.) Just those few ingredients made a huge difference in the appeal of this dip. To change the dip into a dressing, simply thin with low or non-fat milk to achieve the consistency you like.

As suggested in the magazine other uses for the lighter dip are:

Sandwich spread, particularly chicken or turkey sandwiches

Substitute for mayonnaise in tuna or chicken salad

Condiment alongside chicken or fish

Dressing for pasta salad

And there is another delicious way I use this, which I'll share shortly in an upcoming post.

If you would like a printable copy of my version of lighter Ranch Dip/Dressing you'll find it on the Once Upon a Plate recipe site.

Thanks for coming by for a visit ~ I hope you have a delicious day!

Healthy Turkey Mini-Meatballs with Honey-Chipotle Glaze

I'm not much into New Year's resolutions ~ 
And although January is speeding by, the start of a new year seems to be a good a time as any to begin a change of lifestyle, yes?   Yes!
Usually I avoid stepping the the bathroom scale (can you say denial?!) Yes. But with trepidation I did step up, and you know what? The numbers staring back at me weren't nearly as dreadful as I thought they might be. Yay! My goal is to lose 20 pounds and I'll be very happy to be feeling better, more energetic and fit back into those 6/8's at the far corner of my closet, which haven't seen the light of day in far too long. :)
So I'm two weeks into a change of eating habits and feeling better already. 
Here's my plan:
To prepare and eat more "clean" type recipes ~  (Fresh, healthful, and lighter in calories and fat), while trying to reduce processed foods.  So far it's been easy, and no deprivation or feeling hungry at all.
This is a recipe which fits the criteria  ~ I tried and really liked it, you may like it too, I don't think anyone would reject it as being "diet" food because it's delicious ~ slightly spicy, slightly sweet and very satisfying.
The recipe as I originally found it in "Everyday Food" magazine ~ was for typical golf-ball size meatballs. But I'm more of a " snacky" kind of person, so I made them mini-size (about 1-inch in diameter) ~ perfect no-guilt party size munchies. Plus you get more of the yummy glaze per bite when you make them smaller!




The recipe is so simple . . . for the meatballs the ingredients are just lean ground turkey, minced onion, minced garlic, and salt and pepper, gently mixed together.  No breadcrumbs or eggs necessary ~ but you could certainly add any herbs you like ~ thyme, sage, etc. I didn't bother this time and they were perfectly flavorful.
Once the meat is mixed form into any size meatballs you like, brown them in a tiny bit of olive oil in an ovenproof skillet. Place in a 375˚F oven for a few minutes. 



While the meatballs are in the oven chop a tablespoon or two of chipotle peppers  in adobo sauce (from the can), and mix with 2 Tablespoons of honey, heat and stir together to blend and warm. Remove the meatballs from the oven, pour the glaze over and swirl the pan to coat evenly. Allow to simmer for just a moment or two on the stovetop to reduce the glaze slightly, then serve and enjoy.
Only 149 calories per portion, 7 grams fat, 17 g protein and wonderful flavor, too.
If you would like a printable copy of the recipe please click HERE.

Hope you're having a wonderful weekend everyone!
xo~m.