Curry Roasted Cauliflower

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Cauliflower is coming back, folks. From mashed cauliflower to cauliflower crust, it is back in a big way as a substitute for the typical carby culprits (I'm looking at you, potatoes and flour).

I tried curry roasting a whole cauliflower a year or two ago, and it was just an epic failure. I am sure it can be done (in fact, I've seen it), but I clearly did not do it the right way. (Who knows the right way? Enlighten me!)

But, I was determined to make it happen, because curry is my favorite spice and cauliflower seemed like a good thing to cover in it. So, I recently took a second crack at it, making no changes other than to cut the darn thing up before roasting it.

Worked. Like. A. Charm.

Curry Roasted Cauliflower

Prep Time: 5-10 minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes
Servings: 3-4 side dishes
Ingredients:

• 1 head of cauliflower (or a bag of cauliflower florets)
• 2 tablespoons curry powder
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 tbsp melted coconut oil

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400.
2. Mix spices (curry powder, black pepper, salt) in a large bowl.
3. Cut the cauliflower into evenly sized florets.
4. Add florets to the bowl and pour coconut oil in as well. Toss until all florets are evenly coated.
5. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil (this just makes clean up faster) and spray with cooking oil. Place florets in an even spread on foil. Add another layer of foil on top to keep them from drying out too much.
6. Bake for 20 minutes, then remove the top layer of foil and turn the florets.
7. Bake for another 30 minutes, turning every 10-15.

Before roasting

After roasting

What about you?
What's your favorite cauliflower recipe? I have made mashed cauliflower with parmesan, cauliflower crust, and regular roasted cauliflower... but I am sure there are new recipes or twists on those that I have yet to discover! Enlighten me!
What other ingredients are making a resurgence? Like, besides avocado, kale, and quinoa... which I have been crushing on in a big way, too!

Kahlua & Walnut Sweet Potatoes

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[Click here for more Healthy Holiday recipes for a guilt-free holiday season!]

[Click here for more Healthy Holiday recipes for a guilt-free holiday season!]

Something inside me has decided that no family holiday gathering would be complete without at least one sweet potato dish. Unfortunately, as a vegetable so rich in vitamins, we too often sacrifice the nutrition for the sake of flavor. Dumping loads of brown sugar and marshmallows, while obviously satisfying to your tastebuds, is less than satisfying to your diet and nutrition.

But come on, let's be honest. You're still going to be making sweet potatoes. So let's try pairing it with alcohol (duh) and nuts. Boom.

After yesterday's whipped sweet potato recipe, today brings a new twist on the same dish. This recipe combines milk (preferably skim) with mashed sweet potatoes, then covers it with none other than a Kahlua and Brown sugar mixture with crunchy walnuts. There's something awesome about using alcohol in your cooking... and, for this dish, the Kahlua does wonders. You can taste it -- in a good way. Make sense?

Speaking of alcohol at family gatherings (I mean, hello, it's Thanksgiving), try out this Whiskey Apple Cider recipe. So delicious! :)

Prep time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Total time: 50 minutes
Yield: 1 casserole dish
Ingredients:

• 3 Sweet Potatoes
• 1/2 cup Kahlua
• 1/2 cup Brown Sugar
• 1/4 cup Walnuts
• 1/4 cup Milk
• 1 tsp Vanilla Extract

Cooking Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Peel sweet potatoes and cut into cubes.
3. Place in a large pot with enough water to cover them and boil for 10-15 minutes or until sweet potatoes are soft.
4. Mash sweet potatoes in a large bowl.
5. Combine mashed sweet potatoes with vanilla extract and milk. Stir well and transfer to a casserole dish.
6. Combine Kahlua and Brown Sugar and bring to a boil, stirring frequently.
7. After Kahlua and Brown Sugar have boiled for 2-3 minutes, add Walnuts and continue to stir for another 2-3 minutes.
8. Spoon walnuts and some of Kahlua/Brown Sugar sauce over Sweet Potato mixture.
9. Bake for 20 minutes.

[Click here for more Healthy Holiday recipes for a guilt-free holiday season!]

[Click here for more Healthy Holiday recipes for a guilt-free holiday season!]

[Click here for more Healthy Holiday recipes for a guilt-free holiday season!]

[Click here for more Healthy Holiday recipes for a guilt-free holiday season!]

[Click here for more Healthy Holiday recipes for a guilt-free holiday season!]

[Click here for more Healthy Holiday recipes for a guilt-free holiday season!]

[Click here for more Healthy Holiday recipes for a guilt-free holiday season!]

[Click here for more Healthy Holiday recipes for a guilt-free holiday season!]

[Click here for more Healthy Holiday recipes for a guilt-free holiday season!]

KC's Dilled Carrots

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[Click here for more Healthy Holiday recipes for a guilt-free holiday season!]

Ah, and the holiday recipe madness continues! Now that we have gorged (err -- I mean consumed healthily and in total moderation) Baked Brie with Cranberries and Walnuts and stuffed our faces (I mean half a cup) with healthy, low-calorie stuffing , it's time to get down to the veggies, amiright?! It kills me that the holidays have a special knack for taking ingredients that should be contributing to your HEALTH and add enough fat, sugar, and (for lack of a better word, and pardon my French here) crap to it that it is not only no longer healthy but is also a caloric overload. Boo, holidays!

Have you noticed a pattern? I tend to trash on unhealthy food and then swoop in to save the day (ha!) with a healthy version. Well, this time I had to call for reinforcements! Sarah from The Pajama Chef has whipped up a fabulously healthy recipe for a holiday side dish. This dilled carrot recipe is a lighter take on your traditional glazed carrot dish; this recipe, however, is neither mushy nor heavy. Instead, it is fresh and light.

Straight from the table of a family friend, here's  The Pajama Chef's favorite vegetable dish of all time...


[Click here for more Healthy Holiday recipes for a guilt-free holiday season!]

[Click here for more Healthy Holiday recipes for a guilt-free holiday season!]

Asian Lettuce Wraps

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Just about everyone I know is obsessed with the lettuce wraps at P.F. Changs.  After seeing an attempt to crack the secret here, I was inspired to create my own.

    

The recipe below will yield what I made last night.  I fed five people, everyone got as much as they wanted, and there was a tiny bit left over.  If you're cooking for two people, and are only eating this as a side, I made a note next to each ingredient suggesting how to alter the recipe.

WARNING:  This recipe breaks my low ingredients rule by a long shot.  It has almost 10 ingredients and requires a lot of slicing and dicing.  That said, it's full of vegetables and low carb, so I suppose that combined with its sweet amazing tasty goodness will make up for the work it takes.

What You Need:

• Large pieces of iceberg lettuce (to use as a wrap)
• 2 tablespoons canola oil [1/2 tablespoon for side]
• 16 ounces of ultra lean ground beef [4 for side]  (Can substitute chicken here)
• 1 large green pepper, diced [1 small green pepper for side]
• 2 cups shelled & steamed edamame beans [1/2 for side] (I couldn't find shelled edamame beans at the grocery store, so I actually did the labor of steaming them and then squeezing the beans out of the pod.  It wasn't horrible - but I'd still recommend pre-shelled beans if you can find them).
• 3/4 cup soy sauce [3 tablespoons for side]  (If you don't have this much, it's alright to under-do it a bit on the soy sauce).
• 2 tablespoons sesame seeds [1/2 tablespoon for side]
• 1 large cucumber, diced [1/2 cucumber for side]
• 1 cup chopped green onion [1/4 cup for side]
• 2 handfulls of cilantro, chopped [one small handful for side]
• Lime juice from 2 limes [1 lime for side]

How to Make it:

1. Using a saute pan, cook ground beef with the green pepper and the canola oil.
2. While beef is cooking, chop the cucumber, green onion, and cilantro, and juice the lime.  Set this to the side (to be used in a few minutes).
   
3. Once beef is cooked, add the steamed edamame beans, sesame seeds, and soy sauce.  Stir and heat for a few more minutes.
   
4. Remove from heat and put into your serving bowl.  Add the chopped cucumbers, green onion, cilantro, and lime juice.  Toss together.
   
5. Serve with lettuce pieces!

Enjoy!