Spicy Cauliflower-Olive-Pancetta Pasta

I don't know if you have noticed, but Cauliflower is all the rage right now, But I have been on this band wagon for a while. I love beefing up recipes with hearty vegetables. And this is yet another example of how pasta CAN be healthy if you do it right. To save time you could use those bags of  "Cauliflower Rice" or pearls that they have started selling in the produce section.   This Inspiration for this one comes from eating well. 

 Spicy Cauliflower-Olive-Pancetta Pasta

• 12 oz whole wheat spaghetti
•  1 tablespoon olive oil
• 5 cups riced cauliflower (or finely chopped cauliflower)
• 4 garlic cloves minced
• 1/4 cup diced pancetta
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1/4 cup chopped hot cherry peppers 
• 10 pitted kalmata olives chopped
•  1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
•  1/4 cup flat leaf parsley chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 cup shaved Parmesan

1.  Cook pasta until almost done, and make sure to save a cup of starchy pasta water. Drain the pasta. 
2.  While the pasta is cooking, heat oil in a large skillet to medium heat. Cook the cauliflower, pancetta and red pepper flakes until the cauliflower starts to brown. 
3. Add garlic and stir. Add wine and increase heat to high until the liquid evaporates. 
4. Stir in peppers, olives and season with salt and pepper
5. Add the pasta and  the reserved pasta water. 
6. Simmer until the water is almost cooked off.
7. Top with parsley and cheese before serving.

 ***Makes 4 servings 
***3 on Bryce's dish scale,  2 pots a cutting board and knife.

 

Easy Naan Pesto Veggie Pizza

This recipe is a perfect example of craving pizza, but wanting to be healthy, so finding a way around it. We were at the store and wanted to do something simple for lunch. So we grabbed a couple of whole wheat naan breads, some pre-sliced and cut veggies and some fresh mozzarella and made this up as we went. It was delicious. And proof that you can find ways around your unhealthy cravings and make them healthy!

Easy Naan Pesto Veggie Pizza

 

• 2 whole wheat naan breads
• one package of fresh veggies cut up (we used a combo of stir fry like veggies, broccoli, zucchini, bell pepper, onion, mushrooms and even some carrot)
• 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
• 3 oz fresh mozzarella torn into tiny bits
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 fresh tomato, diced 
• 1/4 cup prepared pesto
• salt and pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 350. Put the naan breads on a baking sheet sprayed with olive oil cooking spray.
2. In a skillet, heat the olive oil. Throw in vegetables, season with salt and pepper and saute for about 10 minutes until they start to get tender. Add in red pepper flakes and saute for about 5 more minutes. You want the veggies fully cooked before putting them on the pizza.
3. While the veggies cook, put the naan in the oven to start it heating for about 5 minutes so ti starts to crisp up.
4. Pull out the naan, brush each with a bit of pesto, enough for flavor that won't make it soggy. Top with veggies. Then top with fresh tomato and fresh mozzarella.
5.  Put in the oven and bake for about 7-10 minutes until cheese melts.  

**Makes 2 pizzas
 **It's a 2 on Bryce's dish scale, baking sheet, skillet!

Things I wish I had always known about eating and cooking healthy

When my husband and I started our journey to try and be more healthy, I honestly didn't realize how easy it could be.

Once you change your mindset, and start eating healthy, you realize how your body should feel.

And if I had discovered some of the tricks and tips I learned from this journey a long time ago, I think I would have started it earlier. So here I am trying to condense some of these things into one list to help you out. I will add to it as I go and cook. It's not all about calories and fat. It's about being healthy top to bottom. I don't ever count carbs or dairy. I just try and balance it all and listen to my body. Cutting out processed foods and sodium has been the biggest thing for me. I'm less puffy. So here are some little things to help you along the way.

1. Rinse your canned beans and peas. This gets rid of a lot of the sodium, and the stuff that can make you gassy.
2. Rinse your capers. Again, this gets rid of the super sodium flavor.
3. Stock your pantry well so you always have the makings to whip something up and don't have to rely on fast food or delivery. Find my staple list here. But the gist is always have quick cooking brown rice, canned beans, a chicken or vegetable broth, canned lentils, frozen quick cooking quinoa, frozen fruit and veggies. Fresh salsa, and your favorite healthyish cheese (I like mozzarella and reduced fat cheddar and reduced fat feta)
4. Always use corn tortillas for tacos and don't heat them in the microwave. Your body processes corn better than flour, they are often smaller and compliment the flavor of your tacos. Don't microwave them or they will fall apart. Heat them on the grill for a char, do them directly on your indoor gas grill, or do them in a dry pan.
5. When trying to cook quick weeknight meals, don't assume your protein has to be meat and fish and chicken, look to beans!
6. Don't try and deprive yourself. Don't cut out all carbs or all dairy. Just look to have a balanced meal.
7. Eat what you want, just make it at home. If you want a burger, make it at home. You can control the fat content of the beef, the quality of the cheese, the toppings and therefore control the fat and calories and sodium more too. (just don't do this all the time) 
8. Use plain Greek Yogurt instead of sour cream. It's healthy, and honestly, it tastes the same to me.
9. Roast your veggies. They taste much better than steamed and you will figure out you don't really hate things like Brussels sprouts, cauliflower etc.
10. Not all fat is bad. Eat avocados. Eat olive oil. It's good for you.
11. Snacks. Oh Snacks. Snacks is where I was always the worst. Not everything labeled healthy is healthy. So find your favorite and mix it up. I love a little hummus with cucumber slices for dipping for an afternoon snack. Fresh fruit is always good. Kale chips are delicious. Nuts stick with you. Im always finding something new I love in the healthy snacks section. When I need a little crunch I go to quinoa or lentil chips (simply 7 is a great brand) or air popped popcorn in a bag (NOT THE MICROWAVE KIND). I love bags of dry roasted edamame.

Roasted Sweet Potato and Brussels Sprouts Buddha Bowl

 I saw the term "Buddha Bowl" popping up on pinterest a few months ago. And went past it. Then I saw it on a menu at a restaurant and it looked delicious and healthy, so I started doing my research. It's basically a giant bowl of food, packed with healthy ingredients. Usually starting with some sort of rice base. It's awesome, because it fills you up and it's healthy and there's a million different ways to do it. I experimented a bit before I got to the one pictured here. The orginal one I made, was actually with leftover roasted vegetables from Christmas dinner. So it's a great way to use up leftover vegetables if you have them too. This is one of those reasons I say to always keep a pouch of quick cooking brown rice or rice and lentils or quinoa. You can easily throw together this healthy dinner or lunch with pantry staples. This one has a tahini dressing. I am also a huge fan of the fact that my grocery store has been selling all kinds of vegetables pre chopped and prepped making for an even easier dinner. SO here's my first version of a Buddha Bowl, but I know it won't be my last. I have also added mushrooms to this mix before.

Roasted Sweet Potato Brussels Sprouts Buddha Bowl

• 2 cups diced sweet potatoes (either one large, or one package of pre-chopped sweet potatoes)
• 2 cup Brussels sprouts, trimmed and sliced
• 2 cups cauliflower cut into florets
• 1/2 of a red onion, cut into quarters
• 1 cup canned chickpeas (drained and rinsed)
• 2 pouches of either 90 brown rice, or rice and quinoa or lentil mix
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Salt and pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 2 tablespoons tahini paste
• juice of one fresh lemon
• 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon warm water
• 1/2 teaspoon honey  

1. Preheat oven to 375.
2. In a bowl, toss the sweet potatoes, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, onions with a tablespoon of olive oil, garlic powder and some salt and pepper.
3. Throw on a baking sheet lined with foil. Roast for 30-35 minutes until starting to brown and crisp.
4. While that roasts, make your dressing. Whisk together tahini, fresh lemon juice, vinegar, honey, warm water and a bit of salt and pepper.
5. Heat up your rice/quinoa/lentil pouches.
6. In 4 bowls divide up the rice in the bottom of the bowl. Between each bowl divide the roasted veggies and chickpeas. Top each with tahini dressing drizzled over top. 

What I keep my kitchen stocked with

The quickest way to fall off the wagon when you have been on the healthy track is to get caught without any options. Then all of the sudden ordering pizza sounds easy and just fine. That's why keeping your pantry stocked with stuff you can make a meal out of is important. In an ideal world you keep your fridge stocked with fresh vegetables and fruits too, but that can be wasteful. So I listed below the things I keep on hand in my pantry and spice cabinet for quick meals. And also the fresh staples I keep around that can used in everything from sandwiches to salads, to smoothies to burrito bowls, to wraps. It may not always work for you, but it works for me. I'd love to hear from you if you have anything that has saved you in your pantry.

Canned, jarred, bagged

• black beans (no salt added)
• corn
• chickpeas
• sliced olives
• diced tomatoes
• Giardiniera
• pickled jalapenos
• 90 second brown rice pouches
• mixed 90 rice pouches that have lentils or quinoa in them too (seeds of change and target brand are good)
• whole wheat pasta
• whole wheat tortilla wraps
• capers
• sliced almonds
• raw almonds
• unsalted cashews
• pepitas
• quinoa
• farro

Sauces, vinegars and oils

• low sodium soy sauce
• extra virgin olive oil
• sunflower oil
• toasted sesame oil
• rice wine vinegar
• red wine vinegar
• balsamic vinegar
• honey
• tahini
• Dijon mustard

Spices

• ginger
• curry powder
• red pepper flakes
• turmeric
• cayenne
• sea salt
• pepper
• garlic salt
• garlic powder
• cinnamon
• Cavendar's greek seasoning
• dried oregano

Freezer

• frozen quinoa (simple truth has a good plain one)
• frozen edamame
• frozen pineapple
• frozen spicy black bean burgers

Fresh

• cheese (mozzarella, reduced fat cheddar, reduced fat feta)
• kale spinach mix
• berries (strawberries, raspberries, whatever looks good)
• bags of baby sweet bell peppers
• avocado
• bananas
• fresh pico/salsa
• garlic
• red or yellow onion
• hummus
• fresh lemons
• fresh limes
• lime and lemon juice

Mediterranean Gnocchi with Artichokes and Chickpeas

If you haven't tried gnocchi you are missing out. It's a quick and easy alternative to pasta and can be super healthy. I buy the shelf stable kind and have tried it with tons of different flavors (you can find one with roasted veggies here, and fresh mozzarella here). You'll notice that my idea of healthy doesn't deprive you of anything except a lot of processed foods and sugar. I try and stay natural and balance the carbs and dairy. This recipe is another example of toasting the gnocchi rather than boiling it to cook it and it may be my favorite yet. If you can't tell from my previous posts, I love using chickpeas for protein, and I love Mediterranean flavors. So this super fast weeknight meal combines a lot of those favorite flavors. I got the inspiration from this Eating Well recipe.

Mediterranean Gnocchi with Artichokes and Chickpeas

  



• 16 oz package shelf stable gnocchi
• 1 small red onion thinly sliced
• 1 yellow bell pepper diced
• 4 large garlic cloves thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano
• 1 15 oz can of chickpeas rinsed
• 1 bag or box (10-12 oz) frozen artichokes (not flavored) thawed and chopped
• 10 pitted kalmata olives sliced
• 1 tablespoon capers, rinsed
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup julienne cut sun dried tomatoes (not packed in oil) 
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (if you like heat)
• 1/4 cup shaved Parmesan

1. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Toss in gnocchi and stir to coat. Cook, stirring often, until gnocchi begins to brown. This takes 5-10 minutes. Remove gnocchi, put it in a bowl, and cover it.
2. Add other tablespoon of oil to the pan. Toss in your onion. Cook until it starts to brown and caramelize. Add bell pepper and cook until it's tender but still crisp.
3. Add garlic, oregano and red pepper flakes (if you like a little heat) and cook until just warm. About a minute.
4. Add chickpeas, tomatoes, artichokes and capers. Cook until hot.
5. Stir in olives, vinegar, pepper. Add back in the gnocchi.
6. Top each bowl with a bit of Parmesan.

**Makes 4 servings
**1 on Bryce's dish scale! One pan, cutting board, knife.