Buffalo Cauliflower

This recipe came from Tasty. I first tried it because I was craving wings, but wanted to try something healthier. So for my first, and only warning label - these do not taste or have the texture of wings. It's definitely cauliflower. BUT the smaller you make the florets, the less overt cauliflower flavor and texture you get, and the sauce is delicious! 

The sauce is a little different from what you get on a traditional buffalo wing, because it has that hint of honey in it - and it's so good! My favorite thing to do is to let the pieces get just a little bit extra done, because that darkness in some places creates even more flavor. That being said, it won't hurt to leave them in for a little extra time if you want - and stirring or flipping them every 10-15 minutes won't hurt either.

This one is super easy, but the cook time takes the option of it being "quick." Still, I think the flavor and the easy of prep makes it worth a try. I like these enough that I've made them many times already - and my friend's wing-loving husband even liked them!

Ingredients

• ¾ c all-purpose flour
• 1 t paprika
• 2 t garlic powder
• 1 t salt
• ½ t pepper
• ¾ c milk or milk alternative (I use oat milk)
  
• 1 head cauliflower
• ¼ c buffalo sauce or hot sauce
• 2 T coconut oil or vegetable oil
• 1 T honey

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 450˚F (230˚C). Line a baking sheet (parchment paper, foil, or another type of liner)
   
2. In a large bowl, add the flour, paprika, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and milk, and stir until well-combined.
3. Break the head of cauliflower into florets, about 1½-inches wide (smaller is better). Add the cauliflower florets to the batter, making sure each piece is evenly coated. Arrange the coated cauliflower on the baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes, flipping halfway. (I occasionally brush a little bit of the mixture in #4 on in this step, so you can do that if you want.
   
4. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the buffalo sauce, coconut oil, and honey and stir until evenly combined. Brush the buffalo sauce mixture on the cauliflower and bake for another 20 minutes. (If you wait to put this on until after the first 20 minutes, you'll get more flavor if you do it twice - once at the beginning, and once halfway through this second 20 min).
   

 Servings: 4        Calories: 250 (approx.)

Roasted Brussel Sprouts

This is one of my favorites. Roasted brussel sprouts are definitely the way to go - steaming them will create a completely different experience.

1. Cut brussel sprouts in half
2. Preheat 400 degrees
3. Mix with olive oil and spices (garlic salt or powder, pepper, thyme/rosemary, basil & oregano)
4. Roast at 400 degrees for 25-35 minutes
5. Add cheese at the end (end of baking or after baking) - shredded parmesan or whatever type you like. Note that these are very tasty without cheese as well, the cheese can just add to the *yum.* 

Roasted Asparagus

I roast asparagus on a foil-covered pan in the oven most of the time. It's a tasty, quick, and simple addition to pretty much any meal. Let's get to it!

Asparagus should be washed and can be cut depending on what you prefer. I always cut or snap off the bottom (about an inch) - it should snap easily if you do it with your hands.

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Sprinkle asparagus with olive oil and sea salt (you can also add pepper or garlic powder).
3. Roast in preheated oven until fork easily punctures thickest part of stem, about 12-15 minutes.

Black Bean and Corn Salsa

It's summertime, and I'm finally getting back on here. AND, I have the perfect summertime recipe to share with you. I used recipes from here and here combined with some thoughts and advice from a friend to get this one together. It's a fantastic summer treat!

Ingredients:
1 (11oz) can white shoepeg corn, drained & rinsed
1 (15oz) can black beans, drained & rinsed
1 (10 oz) can Rotel tomatoes (juice drained)
2 ripe avocados, diced
1/3-2/3 c. red onion, chopped
1/4 c. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 tsp. salt
3T - 2/3 c. cilantro, chopped
1 tsp. cumin (optional)
a few dashes of tabasco (optional)
1 diced jalapeno (optional)
Diced tomato (optional)

Instructions:
Rinse and combine the beans, corn, and Rotel. Chop red onion and cilantro and add to mixture. Add all other ingredients except for the avocado, until almost ready to serve. Just before serving, cut and mix in avocado (to keep it from browning prematurely).

Refrigerate and serve cold.

Balsamic and Parmesan Roasted Cauliflower

This recipe was... interesting. I should start by saying that we (I made it with a friend) did this a bit wrong... We mixed all of the ingredients together and put them on the cauliflower prior to baking... which is not exactly as the recipe said to do it... We also weren't completely sure how we felt about the Parmesan and balsamic flavors together... Just something to think about. The pieces with just a little bit of the mixture were better than the pieces with lots on them. Here's the recipe:

Ingredients:
1 head(s) cauliflower, large, (8 cups 1-inch-thick slices), florets
2 tablespoon oil, olive, extra-virgin
1 teaspoon marjoram, dried
1/4 teaspoon salt
pepper, black ground, freshly ground, to taste
2 tablespoon vinegar balsamic
1/2 cup(s) cheese, Parmesan, finely shredded

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 450°F.

Toss cauliflower, oil, marjoram, salt and pepper. Roast on a large rimmed baking sheet until starting to soften and brown on the bottom, 15 to 20 minutes.

Toss the cauliflower with vinegar and sprinkle with cheese. Return to the oven and roast until the cheese is melted and any moisture has evaporated, 5 to 10 minutes more.

Roasted Parmesan Asparagus

{from Pinterest and this blog}

Ingredients

1 lb. asparagus, trimmed

1 tbsp. olive oil

1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan

salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Toss the asparagus with 1 tbsp. olive oil, Parmesan, and salt and pepper to taste.  Place the stalks in a baking dish and roast until they're al dente, 10-12 minutes.  serve warm.

{recipe courtesy men's health magazine, june 2010 issue.}

***

This recipe is very simple and very tasty. I did not measure the ingredients, I eyeballed and sprinkled... and it was really tasty!

Corn on the Cob {Microwave Version}

I love corn on the cob. love it. I'm also a girl who likes things to be quick and easy. So, I have searched around through cookbooks and all over the internet, and here's my quick corn on the cob plan:

*clean the corn cob
*wrap the corn cob in wax paper
*microwave for 3 minutes (a little more as you add ears)
*be careful when you take it out - it's hot and steamy!

Try it. It works. :)

Restaurant Style Salsa {The Pioneer Woman}

This recipe was introduced to me by a friend, and can be found in more beautiful pictures and more information on The Pioneer Woman website. She has lots of yummy recipes, so you should definitely head over there and check it out! Here are the basics and some pictures that I took of the process.

The ingredients and instructions are copied directly from her website...

Ingredients
*1 can (28 Ounce) Whole Tomatoes With Juice
*2 cans (10 Ounce) Rotel (diced Tomatoes And Green Chilies)
*1/4 cup Chopped Onion 
*1 clove Garlic, Minced
*1 whole Jalapeno, Quartered And Sliced Thin
*1/4 teaspoon Sugar
*1/4 teaspoon Salt
*1/4 teaspoon Ground Cumin
*1/2 cup Cilantro (more To Taste!)
*1/2 whole Lime Juice

Instructions

Note: this is a very large batch. Recommend using a 12-cup food processor, or you can process the ingredients in batches and then mix everything together in a large mixing bowl.
Combine whole tomatoes, Rotel, onion, jalapeno, garlic, sugar, salt, cumin, lime juice, and cilantro in a blender or food processor. Pulse until you get the salsa to the consistency you'd like---I do about 10 to 15 pulses. Test seasonings with a tortilla chip and adjust as needed.
Refrigerate salsa for at least an hour. Serve with tortilla chips or cheese nachos.

Posted by Ree on January 27 2010

Potato Wedges

I found this yummy recipe on cooks.com. It is simple and easy and pretty tasty too. So, without further ado, here you go:

Ingredients:
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 teaspoon each salt, basil, thyme, oregano
1/4 teaspoon each pepper, paprika
4 to 6 potatoes, cut in wedges (quarters)
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

Instructions:
Mix oil and seasonings together. Roll potato wedges in mixture. Lay flat on ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 450 degrees for 15 minutes. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese on potatoes. Bake 15 more minutes. Serve hot.

Alterations:
*As suggested by a comment on the website, we waited until there was only about 5 minutes left to add the Parmesan.
*In the future, I will probably cut each wedge in half one more time for thinner wedges. These were very thick and very baked-potato-y... I will probably need to adjust the cooking time as well with that, but I'll let you know if I try again.

These are tasty little guys. You should try them. Go ahead, do it! :)