Roasted Okra

Well it has been a while...but I am back!

So I love fried okra.  It is one of those things I will hunt out when I head home to the South.  But, we all know, fried food isn't the greatest for you and since I try not to eat wheat or corn, it isn't exactly a food I should be eating often.   I ran across this recipe for oven Roasted Okra on Pinterest and decided to try it.  It has already become a staple in our house.  We both LOVE it! 

As usual, I change things up and try things a little different to fit what works best in my house.  The recipe calls for fresh okra, which in Colorado is quite hard to find.  So, I chose to use frozen, sliced okra.  The first time I thawed the okra & tossed it in some olive oil, salt & pepper and then baked it in a 425 degree oven.  However, now I have tried it with just the frozen okra, and it seems to work just as well!  Because my okra was frozen, there is a bit more water and it usually takes more like 25-30 min for the okra to get nicely roasted with a few bits of crispiness. 

Here is the recipe as I follow it:

Oven Roasted Okra

1 bag frozen, sliced okra (plain, not breaded)
Olive oil (approx 1 Tbsp)
Salt & Pepper to taste

Pre-heat your oven to 425 degrees.  Then, simply toss the sliced okra (still frozen if you like) in olive oil, salt & pepper.  Place the okra on a baking sheet and spread them out.  Cook until roasted with a few browned edges (approximately 25-30 minutes)

If you love okra, try this recipe out.  It is delicious! 

The Many Sides of Cauliflower

I love(d) potatoes.  But now I don't eat very many grains or starchy vegetables and don't cook them at home ever so I have to find other sides for my meals.  I eat a lot of zucchini and cauliflower.  Here are a couple of recipes for cauliflower.  The first one, Twice Baked Cauliflower, we have only tried a couple of times but both times it was delicious and we will be making it again.  The second recipe, "Mash", is my go-to vegetable recipe when I want something fairly easy and delicious.  We probably have it at least once a week. 

Twice Baked Cauliflower

from Kayln's Kitchen

1 large head cauliflower
4 oz. cream cheese (I use Neufchatel)

1/2 cup sour cream
green onions, sliced
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

4slices bacon, crispy & crumbled

1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

This really isn't twice baked, as the first time you actually boil the cauliflower.  But it is very similar to twice baked potatoes.  Take your cauliflower and break/cut it into smaller pieces and boil it in water until tender.  Drain the cauliflower.  I use my potato masher with all my cauliflower recipes.  So take your masher and break the cauliflower into smaller pieces.  You can judge how much you like the cauliflower smaller or larger pieces but I get mine pretty small.  Mix the cream cheese, sour cream, parmesan cheese, about half the bacon & about 1/2 of the cheddar cheese.  Pour your mixture into a greased casserole dish and sprinkle on the remainder of the cheese & bacon pieces.  Bake at 350 F for about half an hour or until the edges are browned and the casserole is bubbly.  D and I really liked the flavor of the crispy browned edges so we let ours cook as long as we could without burning.  Sprinkle some green onions on top for a fresh crisp and enjoy your side dish.  This is so yummy! 

First time - without green onions, bacon & zucchini.

Second time - with everything!

A couple of notes about variations:

The first time we made this we didn't have bacon or green onions.  Still very tasty!  They definitely add a layer of flavor but without the dish is still super super yummy!

The second time we had all the ingredients (bacon & green onions) but I also added a little zucchini (imagine, me adding zucchini to something! hah!).  I boiled it with the cauliflower and we thought it was very tasty.  I will be making this dish with or without the zucchini, with or without the bacon & green onions.  It is a hit around my house! 

"Mash" 

aka faux 'tatoes

cauliflower

zucchini (if you choose)

butter

cream cheese

salt & pepper

This is another of my almost-recipes as I don't have measurements.  :)  I typically will cook a full head of cauliflower & 1 or 2 zucchinis, depending on what I have in the house & how big they are.  Slice the veggies into manageable chunks and boil the cauliflower & zucchini until fork tender.  The more tender you can get your cauliflower, the smoother your mash can be.  This is something I may vary from time to time, just like you have mashed potatoes that are more home-style with chunks or buttery smooth.  Once the cauliflower is done to your liking, drain the vegetables & add butter & cream cheese.  As usual, I use neufchatel (or 1/3 less fat) cheese as I just like the flavor of it better.  I would say you will use about 2-3 T butter & 2-4 oz of cream cheese.  This will depend on how big your cauliflower & zucchini was and how creamy you want it.  You can use your hand masher or an electric hand mixer to mash your vegetables, butter & cream cheese together. Add salt & pepper to taste and enjoy! 

A little side note...when D and I vacationed in San Francisco we had mashed potatoes with zucchini at a restaurant.  I loved it!  Of course I love potatoes & zucchini are my favorite vegetable so it was a dream come true but I just as equally love my cauliflower mash with zucchini added.  It is also nice to be able to vary the recipe to give you a bit of a different side dish:  just cauliflower, zucchini & cauliflower, or even lots of zucchini with a little cauliflower.  

Hope you enjoy these two recipes.  Cauliflower has become a staple in our household and we are loving it! 

Monday's Menu

Tonight's dinner menu is Chili Dogs (minus the buns), coleslaw & creamed summer squash.  I love easy summer meals!

My coleslaw recipe is nowhere near ready to actually be shared - but tonight's was pretty good.  I will keep working on it.  :)   Tonight it was cabbage slaw mix from a bag, mayo (regular & cracked black pepper), red wine vinegar, salt, a tiny pinch of splenda,  a tiny bit of mustard powder, some celery seed powder and a bit of salt.  This recipe still needs to be refined before I share it though! 

The chili I got out of the freezer...I like to make big batches of soup - especially Chili and White Chicken Chili - and then freeze the leftovers in small containers for lunches and easy dinners.  :)  I will be sure to share those recipes next time I make a batch, as they are both staples in my household.  I just warmed the chili up in the microwave and served over boiled hot dogs with cheese on top.  We have been getting the natural hot dog varieties lately with no added nitrates & preservatives. 

So tonight's recipe I will share is Creamed Summer Squash.  It is something my Mama used to make and today was a day for thinking about my Mama a lot.  Anyway...it is more of a throw together dish rather than a full-on recipe but I will try and duplicate what I did and hopefully it will work for you too! Measurements are definitely just estimations as the size of your squash and own personal tastes may vary. 

Creamed Summer Squash
3-4 small to medium summer squash (yellow crookneck, zucchini, etc), sliced
1 - 2 Tbsp butter*
1/4 c to 1/2 c cheddar cheese, shredded*
1-3 Tbsp milk (can use regular milk, a bit of cream or powdered milk)*
salt & pepper
*The amount of butter, cheese & milk you use will depend on the size of your squash and how creamy or cheesy you like it.  

First get a medium-sized pot and sliced your squash into the pot, cover with water and bring to a boil.

Simmer the squash until they are fall-apart tender.

Drain any water remaining from your squash.  If you are using powdered milk you can leave just a bit of the liquid (maybe a tablespoon).  Add your butter & mash the squash and butter until creamy. I use an old-fashioned potato masher for this.

Add the milk & stir until mixed together.  Tonight I used a bit of whole milk (about 2 Tbsp) and a teaspoon of powdered milk.  If I don't have regular milk in the house, I will use all powdered milk instead.
Then stir in the shredded cheese.  Season with salt & pepper to taste and serve up!

Enjoy!  This takes me back to childhood; a nice little side for the summer...especially if you have lots of summer squash in your garden.  :) 

Adventures in Cooking

I have decided to attempt a blog to record my experiments in the kitchen.  I have recently (in the past 6 months or so) made some changes to my diet and am cooking a bit differently.  Therefore...I have many experiments.  I want to record my attempts, recipes & ideas and have a place to come back to when I want to be reminded of things I loved!  So here we go!

Tonight we tried something new.  I am going to call it Broccoli "Rice" Casserole.  We have been making what I call "Mash" for quite some time.  Many people have versions of faux potatoes made with cauliflower.  I just call my version "Mash" and I make with steamed cauliflower, neufchatel or cream cheese, butter, salt & pepper.  Tonight we decided to try using a frozen bag of broccoli and cauliflower to make "Mash".  When the vegetables felt tender with a fork I did my normal thing and mashed up the vegetables using a hand potato-masher and put in the butter, cream cheese, salt & pepper.  The broccoli (stems mostly) didn't turn out very creamy but it seemed to look like Broccoli Rice Casserole.  So I tasted it and thought it had a similar texture too.  I added a little shredded cheddar to finish off that idea and Bibbiddi Bobbiddi Boop - Broccoli "Rice" Casserole.  

As I blog I will work on adding actual recipes & getting better at taking photos!

This picture is just taken with my phone...sorry about the quality.  Indian-spiced grilled chicken, Broccoli "Rice" Casserole & Fried Cabbage.

Broccoli "Rice" Casserole Recipe (or as close as I can estimate it to be)
1 bag frozen broccoli & cauliflower
2 oz cream cheese or neufchatel cheese
3 T butter
1/3-1/2 c shredded cheddar cheese
salt & pepper to taste

Steam vegetables till tender.  Drain any water left in the vegetables.  Add butter & cream cheese to vegetables & mash together with potato masher.  Add salt & pepper to taste & sprinkle in cheese.  Stir it all together and enjoy!