Sunday, September 28, 2014
Monday, September 15, 2014
Buffalo Cauliflower Bites
Blazing Buffalo Cauliflower Bites with a healthy probiotic Blue Cheese dip
Cauliflower it's what's for dinner :) We love love love cauliflower it is so versatile, so neutral and what I believe as Gods gift to low carb eaters. You can replace it for mashed potatoes, use it to thicken/replace cream in soups, etc etc.. and now.. chicken! What?? Come on there is no replacement for crispy fried chicken wings.
Well let me ask you this.. is it REALLY the chicken wing that you love? That almost nothing of a chicken part that you have to fight to find real meat between the bones and skin. Or is it just a vehicle for the condiments of hot sauce and blue cheese dressing? For us growing up in the upstate NY region 1 - 2 hrs from Buffalo there is nothing that can replace a true Buffalo chicken wing especially when sitting in a pub or bar with good friends! I don't expect that any bar/pub in the upstate region ever replacing the fried, crispy, easy, cheap buffalo chicken wing with a side of celery/carrots and blue cheese dressing.
But in our quest to move to cleaner eating I had to find a replacement for Chet's wing addiction. YES we have done the home version with baked chicken wings, or chicken tenders. While they are great substitutes for the fried version, I really wanted to go much cleaner and gluten free. I had seen people post about these buffalo cauliflower 'wings' on Facebook, twitter and Pinterest. I thought ohh interesting I'll try those one of these days.
Well, one of these days was in May - at my college sorority reunion. Two of my friends that I have not seen in 15 years, asked me to pick them up from the airport and then we were to meet a few others at an organic restaurant (that I never herd of in my home town) The Owl House. Low and behold they had buffalo cauliflower bites on the menu. They were out of this world.. off the hook.. SOOO yummy with none of the guilt (I'll still fit into my dress :)). I thought one of these days I'll need to make these for Chet.
Fast forward to Aug, my cheese eating vegan friend Margot - (who shared the cauliflower bites with me in May) was coming to my house to visit. Ohh so excited.. and wanted to cook some clean eats for her. She requested Buffalo cauliflower bites.. Ok so I hit the internet and blogs, then made small batches of every recipe I found and improvised. I tried regular flour, rice flour, coconut flour.. You name it.. Added buttermilk, kefir whey etc.. Rice flour was gummy and YUK.. adding almond or coconut milk didn't do it either. Ahh just right with gluten free AP flour (chick pea mix) and water. How easy!!
Next question was how to get the hot sauce on the cauliflower, some brushed it on, some poured it on. But I found that if you dunk the whole cooked flowerette into the sauce was the best way to impart the Buffalo red hot goodness :)
Blazing Buffalo Cauliflower Bites (serves 4)
1 head of cauliflower broken up into small bite sized pieces
1/2 C GF all purpose flour
1/2 C water
1/2 tsp garlic powder or granules
Live salt and pepper
dash of turmeric (optional)
Hot sauce
1 tsp butter melted (or for a vegan option use Earth Balance butter substitute - I always use butter except when Margot comes)
1/2 C hot sauce
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
Whisk together in a small bowl the flour, water, salt, pepper and garlic and turmeric. Let sit for a few minutes for the flour to absorb the water. The batter will be thin.
Dip each cauliflower piece in the batter and coat well. Shake off excess and place on a lightly greased baking pan.
Bake for 10 minutes or until the batter hardens. Carefully flip each one and bake for 5 minutes longer.
While cauliflower is baking melt the butter in a small glass bowl or measuring cup and stir in the hot sauce to combine.
Place each piece of cooked cauliflower in the sauce to coat and shake off excess. Place back on the baking pan and bake for about 5 - 10 minutes or until the sauce is absorbed.
Remove from oven and let cool.
Arrange on plate with Blue cheese dip. For added blue cheese flavor sprinkle blue cheese crumbles on top of the bites with a touch of sriracha
Probiotic Blue cheese dip - Not Vegan :)
1/2 C greek yogurt (or kefir cheese)
1 tbs mayo (optional) - I only add when company is coming
1 green onions chopped - use both green and white
1 small garlic clove - finely minced (or for a more subtle garlic flavor smash 1 roasted garlic clove)
2 oz blue cheese crumbled - I use Roquefort
Live salt and pepper
In a small bowl combine blue cheese, yogurt and mayo adding chopped green onions and garlic. Mix and add salt and pepper to taste. Chill while the cauliflower is baking and try not to eat it all before the cauliflower is done :)
Enjoy your clean eats!!
Well let me ask you this.. is it REALLY the chicken wing that you love? That almost nothing of a chicken part that you have to fight to find real meat between the bones and skin. Or is it just a vehicle for the condiments of hot sauce and blue cheese dressing? For us growing up in the upstate NY region 1 - 2 hrs from Buffalo there is nothing that can replace a true Buffalo chicken wing especially when sitting in a pub or bar with good friends! I don't expect that any bar/pub in the upstate region ever replacing the fried, crispy, easy, cheap buffalo chicken wing with a side of celery/carrots and blue cheese dressing.
But in our quest to move to cleaner eating I had to find a replacement for Chet's wing addiction. YES we have done the home version with baked chicken wings, or chicken tenders. While they are great substitutes for the fried version, I really wanted to go much cleaner and gluten free. I had seen people post about these buffalo cauliflower 'wings' on Facebook, twitter and Pinterest. I thought ohh interesting I'll try those one of these days.
 |
| Who needs Wings? |
Fast forward to Aug, my cheese eating vegan friend Margot - (who shared the cauliflower bites with me in May) was coming to my house to visit. Ohh so excited.. and wanted to cook some clean eats for her. She requested Buffalo cauliflower bites.. Ok so I hit the internet and blogs, then made small batches of every recipe I found and improvised. I tried regular flour, rice flour, coconut flour.. You name it.. Added buttermilk, kefir whey etc.. Rice flour was gummy and YUK.. adding almond or coconut milk didn't do it either. Ahh just right with gluten free AP flour (chick pea mix) and water. How easy!!
Next question was how to get the hot sauce on the cauliflower, some brushed it on, some poured it on. But I found that if you dunk the whole cooked flowerette into the sauce was the best way to impart the Buffalo red hot goodness :)
 |
| So easy!! |
 |
| Battered and ready for the oven |
Blazing Buffalo Cauliflower Bites (serves 4)
1 head of cauliflower broken up into small bite sized pieces
1/2 C GF all purpose flour
1/2 C water
1/2 tsp garlic powder or granules
Live salt and pepper
dash of turmeric (optional)
Hot sauce
1 tsp butter melted (or for a vegan option use Earth Balance butter substitute - I always use butter except when Margot comes)
1/2 C hot sauce
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
Whisk together in a small bowl the flour, water, salt, pepper and garlic and turmeric. Let sit for a few minutes for the flour to absorb the water. The batter will be thin.
Dip each cauliflower piece in the batter and coat well. Shake off excess and place on a lightly greased baking pan.
Bake for 10 minutes or until the batter hardens. Carefully flip each one and bake for 5 minutes longer.
While cauliflower is baking melt the butter in a small glass bowl or measuring cup and stir in the hot sauce to combine.
Place each piece of cooked cauliflower in the sauce to coat and shake off excess. Place back on the baking pan and bake for about 5 - 10 minutes or until the sauce is absorbed.
Remove from oven and let cool.
Arrange on plate with Blue cheese dip. For added blue cheese flavor sprinkle blue cheese crumbles on top of the bites with a touch of sriracha
1/2 C greek yogurt (or kefir cheese)
1 tbs mayo (optional) - I only add when company is coming
1 green onions chopped - use both green and white
1 small garlic clove - finely minced (or for a more subtle garlic flavor smash 1 roasted garlic clove)
2 oz blue cheese crumbled - I use Roquefort
Live salt and pepper
In a small bowl combine blue cheese, yogurt and mayo adding chopped green onions and garlic. Mix and add salt and pepper to taste. Chill while the cauliflower is baking and try not to eat it all before the cauliflower is done :)
Enjoy your clean eats!!
Sunday, September 14, 2014
Shaved Fennel Salad
Shaved Fennel Salad over greens
Following my love for beets comes fennel. It is so sweet and crunchy with a hint of anise flavor. I love it roasted with a lil EVOO, salt and pepper for a quick side dish. But better yet marinated in a citrus dressing with apple over baby greens. Like the beet salad this dish pairs well with clementines, seeds or nuts, pomegranate seeds, goat, feta or blue cheese.
Fennel is a member of carrot, parsley, dill and coriander family. It is high in potassium and other heart healthy vitamins and minerals. More on the benefits of fennel. So stay heart healthy and eat more fennel :)
Fennel Salad (Serves 4)
1 fennel bulb trimed (save fronds)
1 crisp apple (I like Granny Smiths)
2 - 4 clementines
pomegranate seeds
Pepitas or toasted walnuts
2 - 4 oz goat, feta or blue cheese
1 bag of mixed greens
Citrus Dressing
1 Lemon juiced and zested (~1/4 c juice)
1/4 small vidalia onion or 2 shallots finely minced
1/4 c good quality extra virgin olive oil (1 generally mix it up and use 1/2 EVOO and 1/2 other nut or seed oil that I have in the house ie walnut or almond oil)
1 orange juiced and zested (~1/4 c juice) - you can substitute 2 Tbs of flavored vinegar and 1 - 2 tsp honey but the OJ really makes the salad pop
2 Tbs Apple cider vinegar (or white wine vinegar)
1 Tbs dijon mustard
Live salt and pepper
For the dressing -
Zest the lemon and orange into a small bowl, then juice the lemon and orange and pour into bowl. Add the vinegar and whisk. Add the minced onion and dijon mustard and whisk. While whisking slowly add the oil to the bowl. The mustard will help bind the acid and oil so the dressing will be creamy vs a traditional vinaigrette that separates. Once combined add salt and pepper to taste. Be generous with the salt. This can be made a few days in advance and keep in the fridge. Shake up to combine before serving.
Marinated fennel and apple
Slice the fennel on a mandolin of coarsely chop with a knife. Core the apple (peal if you prefer I generally don't) and cut into match stick size pieces. Combine the fennel and apple with ~ 3 Tbs of dressing or more, making sure you coat all the pieces. TIP this is important as both the fennel and the apple will oxidize if it is not covered with an acid like the lemon juice from the dressing. You can make this a few days in advance as the citrus keeps the fennel and apple crisp.
To make the salad -
Place the greens in a large salad bowl and combine ~2 Tbs per serving of salad dressing. Don't over dress the greens as you want the salad to be light and not loaded down with dressing. A little will go a long way. Portion out the greens amongst 4 plates.
Peal the clementines and break up into sections cutting each section in half. Place on the greens.
Scoop ~ 1/4 c of the fennel/apple mixture on the dressed greens
Top with pomegranate seeds and pepitas and dot each plate with ~ 1 oz of cheese and serve.
Enjoy your heart healthy clean eats!!
Following my love for beets comes fennel. It is so sweet and crunchy with a hint of anise flavor. I love it roasted with a lil EVOO, salt and pepper for a quick side dish. But better yet marinated in a citrus dressing with apple over baby greens. Like the beet salad this dish pairs well with clementines, seeds or nuts, pomegranate seeds, goat, feta or blue cheese.
 |
| Fennel Salad |
 |
| Fennel Salad w Goat cheese |
Fennel is a member of carrot, parsley, dill and coriander family. It is high in potassium and other heart healthy vitamins and minerals. More on the benefits of fennel. So stay heart healthy and eat more fennel :)
Fennel Salad (Serves 4)
1 fennel bulb trimed (save fronds)
1 crisp apple (I like Granny Smiths)
2 - 4 clementines
pomegranate seeds
Pepitas or toasted walnuts
2 - 4 oz goat, feta or blue cheese
1 bag of mixed greens
Citrus Dressing
1 Lemon juiced and zested (~1/4 c juice)
1/4 small vidalia onion or 2 shallots finely minced
1/4 c good quality extra virgin olive oil (1 generally mix it up and use 1/2 EVOO and 1/2 other nut or seed oil that I have in the house ie walnut or almond oil)
1 orange juiced and zested (~1/4 c juice) - you can substitute 2 Tbs of flavored vinegar and 1 - 2 tsp honey but the OJ really makes the salad pop
2 Tbs Apple cider vinegar (or white wine vinegar)
1 Tbs dijon mustard
Live salt and pepper
For the dressing -
Zest the lemon and orange into a small bowl, then juice the lemon and orange and pour into bowl. Add the vinegar and whisk. Add the minced onion and dijon mustard and whisk. While whisking slowly add the oil to the bowl. The mustard will help bind the acid and oil so the dressing will be creamy vs a traditional vinaigrette that separates. Once combined add salt and pepper to taste. Be generous with the salt. This can be made a few days in advance and keep in the fridge. Shake up to combine before serving.
 |
| Citrus dressing |
Marinated fennel and apple
Slice the fennel on a mandolin of coarsely chop with a knife. Core the apple (peal if you prefer I generally don't) and cut into match stick size pieces. Combine the fennel and apple with ~ 3 Tbs of dressing or more, making sure you coat all the pieces. TIP this is important as both the fennel and the apple will oxidize if it is not covered with an acid like the lemon juice from the dressing. You can make this a few days in advance as the citrus keeps the fennel and apple crisp.
 |
| Marinated Fennel and Apple |
 |
| Mandolin with Fennel Bulb |
To make the salad -
Place the greens in a large salad bowl and combine ~2 Tbs per serving of salad dressing. Don't over dress the greens as you want the salad to be light and not loaded down with dressing. A little will go a long way. Portion out the greens amongst 4 plates.
Peal the clementines and break up into sections cutting each section in half. Place on the greens.
Scoop ~ 1/4 c of the fennel/apple mixture on the dressed greens
Top with pomegranate seeds and pepitas and dot each plate with ~ 1 oz of cheese and serve.
Enjoy your heart healthy clean eats!!
Sauteed Beet Greens
Beet Greens the other super food
When I buy beets I always try to get them with their greens as I love the greens sauteed. It is super easy and a great way to use all of the beet. I started eating a lot of beet greens when I was trying to limit the amount of cruciferous vegetables we were eating, due to the issues with my thyroid. What is a cruciferous veggie? Well the cabbage family - Broccoli, Cauliflower, Spinach, Brussels Sprouts, Cabbage, Kale, Bok choy, Mustard (see the link above for the entire list).. YES all of my favorite veggies, which I try to limit to just once or twice a week vs every day like I was before. They have been known to inhibit thyroid functions. So enter beet greens (you can also use Swiss chard).
These are so easy I'm not sure it even needs a recipe, but I wanted to add it to my blog so I can link back to it when someone asks about them.
Sauteed Beet Greens
1 - 2 bunches of beets with greens
1 small onion chopped or diced
2 - 3 garlic cloves minced (or more if you are like me.. I love lots of garlic)
1 tsp sauteing olive oil or coconut oil
Live salt and pepper
dash of turmeric (optional but it will aid in reducing inflammation so I add it to everything I can)
Cut the root of the beet from the greens, place greens and stems in a large mixing bowl filled with water. You must wash the greens very very well to get out all the sand and grit. It sticks to all the nooks and crannies of the leaves and stems. I was and rinse them numerous times. Nothing worse than taking a big bite of the greens and tasting grit. YUK!! Remove the greens from the stem by holding the stem in one hand and the leaf in another and pulling the leaf off and away from the stem. You may have some of the softer stem stick to the leaf but that is ok as it will cook at the same rate as the leaf.
I spin the leaves dry in my salad spinner and pat dry with paper towel or tea towel. If the leaves are really large, I rip them with my hand into smaller chunks.
Heat a saute pan over medium high heat, place the oil in the pan. When it begins to shimmer you know it is ready. Try not to let the oil hit it's smoke point.
While the leaves are drying, I dry the stems, and chop them into 1/4 inch pieces. Chop the onion and mince the garlic.
When the pan is ready, place the chopped onion in the pan. Let them sit untouched for a few minutes. It may appear that they are burning and sticking, but you really want them to get color and caramelize, to add flavor to the dish. After they start to get color, you will want to add some salt. The salt will pull the liquid from the onions and help coat the bottom of the pan.
Once the onions are soft add the chopped stems and salt and pepper and stir. Cover and let steam for ~20 minutes or until the stalks are soft. Add minced garlic and turmeric and stir. Let cook for ~ 1 minute until the garlic becomes fragrant. Add beet greens and cover. Cook for about 5 - 10 minutes or until soft.
Mix the greens and stalks and serve.
Enjoy your fresh clean eats!!
When I buy beets I always try to get them with their greens as I love the greens sauteed. It is super easy and a great way to use all of the beet. I started eating a lot of beet greens when I was trying to limit the amount of cruciferous vegetables we were eating, due to the issues with my thyroid. What is a cruciferous veggie? Well the cabbage family - Broccoli, Cauliflower, Spinach, Brussels Sprouts, Cabbage, Kale, Bok choy, Mustard (see the link above for the entire list).. YES all of my favorite veggies, which I try to limit to just once or twice a week vs every day like I was before. They have been known to inhibit thyroid functions. So enter beet greens (you can also use Swiss chard).
 |
| I ate most of the greens before I took the pic :) |
These are so easy I'm not sure it even needs a recipe, but I wanted to add it to my blog so I can link back to it when someone asks about them.
Sauteed Beet Greens
1 - 2 bunches of beets with greens
1 small onion chopped or diced
2 - 3 garlic cloves minced (or more if you are like me.. I love lots of garlic)
1 tsp sauteing olive oil or coconut oil
Live salt and pepper
dash of turmeric (optional but it will aid in reducing inflammation so I add it to everything I can)
Cut the root of the beet from the greens, place greens and stems in a large mixing bowl filled with water. You must wash the greens very very well to get out all the sand and grit. It sticks to all the nooks and crannies of the leaves and stems. I was and rinse them numerous times. Nothing worse than taking a big bite of the greens and tasting grit. YUK!! Remove the greens from the stem by holding the stem in one hand and the leaf in another and pulling the leaf off and away from the stem. You may have some of the softer stem stick to the leaf but that is ok as it will cook at the same rate as the leaf.
I spin the leaves dry in my salad spinner and pat dry with paper towel or tea towel. If the leaves are really large, I rip them with my hand into smaller chunks.
Heat a saute pan over medium high heat, place the oil in the pan. When it begins to shimmer you know it is ready. Try not to let the oil hit it's smoke point.
While the leaves are drying, I dry the stems, and chop them into 1/4 inch pieces. Chop the onion and mince the garlic.
When the pan is ready, place the chopped onion in the pan. Let them sit untouched for a few minutes. It may appear that they are burning and sticking, but you really want them to get color and caramelize, to add flavor to the dish. After they start to get color, you will want to add some salt. The salt will pull the liquid from the onions and help coat the bottom of the pan.
Once the onions are soft add the chopped stems and salt and pepper and stir. Cover and let steam for ~20 minutes or until the stalks are soft. Add minced garlic and turmeric and stir. Let cook for ~ 1 minute until the garlic becomes fragrant. Add beet greens and cover. Cook for about 5 - 10 minutes or until soft.
Mix the greens and stalks and serve.
Enjoy your fresh clean eats!!
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