cauliflower

Dinner, Lunch, Recipes, Vegan, Vegetarian

Harvest Grains with Tofu and Veggies

Thank you so much for the birthday wishes everyone!

I has a fabulous day filled with family, friends, and delicious food haha. Great mind think alike, and the theme of my birthday gifts ended up being Rabbit Food For My Bunny Teeth, and I was adorned with some fancy shmancy new goodies for the blog! My sister got me a photography & lighting kit so I can perfect my foodie photos! I take all of my photos in natural light, which means I have to cook and photograph all of my dishes in daylight to get the right lighting. Now that I have a handy dandy lighting kit, I will be able to take photos even after the sun goes down! I was also given some new blog props from my best friend Lauren. She found the cutest fruit decorated knives and veggie shaped cutting boards for me! With the blog themed gifts still going strong, my parents gave me a set of gorgeous Italian hand painted bunny dishes. I can’t wait to show them off in some future recipe posts! Although Sam is out of town, he managed to surprise me (with the help of Lauren) with an insanely amazing dehydrator and I cannot wait to bust that box open and make some kale chips and healthy treats! Thank you so much to everyone who made my birthday so special!

Since I am having my mini surgery today, I thought I would post a recipe while I am up on my feet moving around. My latest grain addiction (don’t fret, quinoa is still in the mix) is a fabulous Harvest Grain Blend from Trader Joe’s: A savory blend of Israeli style couscous, orzo, baby garbanzo beans and red quinoa.

It’s slightly chewy and rather hearty. Most mixed grain blends look fabulous in the bag, but end up turning into an uncooked and overcooked mess due to a need of completely different cooking times to get the correct texture. This blend is perfectly selected so that each grain cooks within the same amount of time. It’s like magic!

Unfortunately Trader Joe’s in not accessible everywhere, so if you don’t have a chance to try this blend, one half cup of whole wheat couscous, brown rice, or quinoa would still make for a delicious dish! Or you could blend all three of those grains evenly and use a one half cup serving for your own whole grain blend! On second thought, I want to try that! I love the textures of all three of those grains!

Harvest Grains with Tofu and Veggies
Serves 1

1/2 cup cooked Harvest Grains (from Trader Joe’s)
1/2 cup broccoli
1/2 cup cauliflower
1/2 cup green beans
1/2 cup peas
1/5 package of tofu
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1/2 clove garlic – minced

Cook harvest blend to package instructions (omit butter and extras, only using water). Combine olive oil, lemon juice, and garlic in a pan over medium heat. Add the vegetables and tofu. Cook tofu for about 3 minutes on each side and until vegetables have reached desired tenderness. Serve veggies and tofu side by side with the grains.

The Rabbit Food Pyramid Breakdown
Produce: cauliflower, broccoli, green beans, peas
Whole Grain: harvest grains blend
Protein: tofu
Plant Based Fat: olive oil

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Dinner, Lunch, Recipes, Vegetarian

Cauliflower Pizza

This is one of my favorite recipes. It’s really fun to make, and if you didn’t make it yourself, you would have absolutely no idea that it was made from cauliflower. This pizza is a great low-carb option that doesn’t omit any flavor. Your guests or kids will never know they are eating a pizza made of vegetables!

Cauliflower Pizza
Makes one 9-12in pizza – 6 slices

Crust:
2 cups shredded cauliflower
1 egg
1 cup finely shredded reduced-fat mozzarella cheese
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp salt

Topping:
1/2 cup piza sauce or marinara sauce
1/2 cup finely shredded mozzarella cheese
topping of choice


Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. “Rice” or “shred” the cauliflower in a blender until it resembles small crumbled rice/pieces, but not pureed. Using a few pieces of paper towel, ring the excess water out of the cauliflower. Place the cauliflower crumbles in a mixing bowl and combine with egg, mozzarella, oregano, garlic powder, and salt. Mix with a spatula until well combined. Generously coat a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray spray (this crust is known to stick). Place the dough on the baking sheet and press into a 9 to 12-inch round crust. Lightly spray the crust with nonstick spray and bake for 20 minutes or until golden. Remove the crust from the oven and turn the heat to broil. Spread the sauce on top of the baked crust, leaving a half inch border around the edge. Sprinkle mozzarella on top of the sauce. Add any extra toppings at this time. Place the pizza back in the oven and broil for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Remove pizza from the oven and cut into 6 slices and serve hot.
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Recipes, Snacks, Treats, Vegan, Vegetarian

Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes

These faux mashed potatoes consist of only 2 ingredients: cauliflower and milk!
A great alternative to starchy potatoes when you want a light side dish. The first time I made these, I couldn’t believe how similar they tasted to mashed potatoes!

They can be eaten plain or with your favorite additions such as garlic and parsley, as you would with regular mashed potatoes.


Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes
Amount of servings varies on the size of your cauliflower

1 head cauliflower
½ cup milk of your choice – unsweetened

Separate cauliflower florets from the stem and place them in a microwave safe container. Cover and heat for 4-5 minutes until soft. Remove excess water and transfer the cauliflower to a blender or food processor. Add milk in small amounts until desired texture is created.

Note: add the milk slowly a little bit at a time so that it doesn’t get too runny. The amount of milk may vary due to different sizes of cauliflower heads.

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Recipes, Snacks, Vegan, Vegetarian

Cauliflower Poppers

This is a great snack when you want something salty to nosh on. I have found that cauliflower is incredibly versatile and easy to prepare. These are a great alternative to chips and you can snack away, guilt free!

Cauliflower Poppers

1 head of cauliflower
1/3 cup miso paste
2 Tbsp water
1 tsp curry powder

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Chop cauliflower into bite sized florets. In a separate bowl, whisk together the miso paste, water, and curry powder. Combine with the cauliflower and coat thinly and evenly. Place the florets on a baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes. Flipping half way to ensure even crispiness. Cook until golden and crisp.

I used Cold Mountain “Kyoto White Miso Paste – less sodium” which is available at Whole Foods.
If you are looking for a lighter cauliflower popper recipe to try, spray the florets with olive oil cooking spray and sprinkle with your favorite salt free seasoning such as garlic, red pepper flakes, turmeric, or curry just to name a few. Now, go snack away!

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