Savory Cauliflower Pancakes

These would be good dipped in sauces or topped with other food items but they are also petty good on their own. I think they would pair well with a sweet salsa or chutney.

Ingredients:

1. Oatmeal
2. Cauliflower
3. Eggs
4. Salt
5. Pepper
6. Onion
67. Greek Spices

Directions:

Use a food processor to blend the oatmeal into oat flour, or if you have oat flour you can just use that. You don’t have to use a lot of oat flour, just enough so that the pancake can stick together a bit better. Blend the onion and cauliflower as well. In a mixing bowl, combine the oat flour, around four eggs, and the cauliflower, onion, and spices. Heat a pan and fry in a small amount of butter or oil until browned on both sides. 

Roasted Pepper & Tomato Soup

This is a great recipe for when you buy way too many tiny bell peppers at the store and you are worried that if you don’t cook them soon they will go bad and you also happen to already have a can of crushed tomatoes and some goat cheese.

Ingredients:

1. Tiny Sweet Peppers
2. Can of crushed tomatoes
3. Onion
4. Salt
5. Olive Oil
6. Greek seasoning
67. Goat Cheese

Directions:

Chop the peppers and the onion and roast them in a pan on 400 for about 30 minutes with some olive oil and salt. Once they are baked blend in a food processor with the crushed tomatoes. Put in a pan and simmer. Add some greek seasoning. Once its in the bowl sprinkle with goat cheese.

No Pasta Chicken Pasta

This is a great for if you’re craving pizza or pasta but don’t want to consume the carbs. Its basically just a super hearty bunch of chicken and veggies in pasta sauce. It’s quick and easy to make and packed with veggies and lean protein.

Ingredients:

1. Chicken Breast
2. Zucchini
3. Eggplant
4. Mushrooms
5. Red Pasta Sauce
6. Hot Sauce
7. Salt
8. Onion Powder
9. Olive Oil

Directions:

Add a little olive oil to a pan. Sauté the eggplant with the salt and onion powder first, then when those are soft add the mushrooms and chicken then the zucchini right at the end. Mix in the red sauce and a little hot sauce. Optional: top with parmesan cheese.

Garden Frittata

This is a way to pack lots of veggies and protein together into a delicious breakfast. Its really good for brunch or a situation where you have around four people to feed.

Ingredients:

1. Eggs
2. Spinach
3. Mushrooms
4. Tomatoes
5. Feta Cheese
6. Salt
9. Pepper

Directions:

For this specific frittata, I used a whole bag of spinach, half a package of mushrooms, two tomatoes, and 8 eggs but you can vary this depending on how you like your frittata and how big your baking pan is. Sauté the spinach and mushrooms in a pan until tender. Place on a chopping board and chop into smaller pieces. Dice the tomatoes. Beat the eggs in a mixing bowl. Mix ingredients (including feta, salt, and pepper) with the eggs in a mixing bowl. Pour into a cast iron skillet. Bake at 375 for about 30 minutes but check at the 20 minute mark. You can top with whatever you want or nothing. The picture shows green chili sauce and Sriracha, which was delicious.

Poached Eggs on Spinach & Polenta

This is a good, fast, simple, and healthy breakfast/brunch item. I made this in about ten minutes and it was very filling and a well balanced meal. It’s also not too shabby looking if you don’t mine my saying so.

Ingredients:

1. Eggs
2. Spinach
3. Polenta
4. Olive Oil
5. White wine vinegar
6. Cayenne pepper

Directions:

To poach the eggs bring water and a liberal amount of vinegar to a boil. Add the eggs, cover, turn off the heat and leave in the pot covered for five minutes. While the water starts to boil for the eggs, sauté the polenta in a small pan with a little bit of oil until slightly browned on both sides. Place on a plate. Use the same pan and sauté the spinach (this should only take about a minute). Add the spinach to the plate above the polenta. Add the poached eggs on top of the spinach and sprinkle with cayenne pepper. You can also top with something else, salsa, hot sauce, hollandaise, whatever.

Butternut Squash Soup with Corn & Kale

This soup has a slightly southwest flavor and is nice and hearty.

Ingredients:

1. Butternut Squash (Cubed)
2. Baby Carrots
3. Leeks
4. Fresh Corn (Cut off the cob)
5. Kale
6. Lemon
7. Salt
8. Coriander
9. Cayenne Pepper
10. Black Pepper

Directions:

Boil the leeks, Butternut Squash, and carrots in some water with some salt and black pepper. Once all the veggies are cooked and tender, pour it all into a blender and blend until smooth. Pour the blended mixture back into the pot and heat on med/low. add about half a lemon worth of lemon juice and more salt and pepper and cayenne pepper to taste. Stir in the kale and corn. Simmer until a little longer to wilt the kale and serve. Also amazing if topped with sprinkled goat cheese.

Green Enchiladas

Do you live in the north and miss Mexican food? Enchiladas.

Ingredients:

1. Chicken Breast
2. Bell peppers
3. Red Onions
4. Queso Fresco
5. Two Cans of Green Chile Sauce
6. Fresh Pico De Gallo
7. Iceberg Lettuce
8. Tortillas
9. Jalapeños
10. Olive Oil
11. Shredded cheese
12. Lime Juice.
13. Avocado

Directions:

Roast the chicken breast so that its cooked all the way through but still moist (400 degrees, 15 minutes then flip then 10 minutes). Chop the onions, jalapeños and bell peppers. Sauté in the olive oil and lime juice until cooked. Shred the chicken and mix in a bowl with the veggies and add the queso fresco and one can of green chile sauce. Pour a little green chile sauce into the bottom of a baking pan and then scoop and roll the mixture into each tortilla and set in the pan. Once the pan is full cover with the rest of the green sauce and add some shredded cheese to the top. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes. Serve topped with fresh pico de gallo, shredded ice berg lettuce and fresh avocado.

Schnitzel with Mashed Sweet Potatoes & Greens

My grandma and mom both made schnitzel while I was growing up so its sort of a family recipe, albeit the simplest and totally not secret or special in any way family recipe ever. I guess more of a family food item? Anyway, to the real point, I have perfected it with complimentary side dishes.

Schnitzel

Ingredients:

1. Chicken Breast Tenders
2. Italian seasoned bread crumbs
3. Eggs
4. Olive Oil

Directions:

Heat a thin layer of olive oil in a pan. Dip the chicken in the egg and then in the breadcrumbs until coated. Fry the chicken in the hot oil until brown and cooked through.

Mashed Sweet Potatoes

Ingredients:

1. Sweet Potatoes
2. Milk
3. Butter
4. Salt
5. Nutmeg

Directions:

Cut up and boil the potatoes. You can leave the skin on or peel it, that is your call. I left the skin on. Once they are soft from boiling strain and mash. Add a litle butter and a little milk. Salt to taste and add nutmeg. The nutmeg is really what makes this dish amazing.

Greens

Ingredients:

1. Kale
2. Asparagus
3. Salt
4. Olive Oil
5. Truffle Oil
6. Garlic

Directions:

Sauté the kale with some water and garlic and a little salt until tender then drizzle lightly with truffle oil. Mix the asparagus into a little olive oil and salt and spread out on a baking sheet. Bake at 350 for about 20 minutes. Then lightly drizzle with truffle oil. If you don’t have any truffle oil, get some, you will live a much happier and richer (in flavor) life.

Spicy Zoodle Soup

A healthy hot soup for a cold night. I realize this is very similar to the ramen recipe but certain red bearded one man x-mas wrecking crews wanted this recipe so I lovingly obliged. 🙂

Ingredients:

1. Zucchini
2. Kale
3. Mushrooms
4. Carrots
5. Broth (any kind you like)
6. Spinach
7. Sriracha
8. Sesame Oil
9. Soy Sauce

Directions:

Run the zucchinis through the zoodle maker. Chop the carrots and Kale. You can leave the spinach leaves and mushrooms whole. Bring the broth to a boil and add sriracha, sesame oil, and soy sauce to taste. Add the carrots. Once the carrots are almost soft add the rest and boil until done. You can top with a poached or soft boiled egg if you want.

Yellow Squash “Zoodle” Chow Mein

A healthy vegan alternative to Chow Mein.

Ingredients:

1. Yellow Squash
2. Garlic
3. Onion
4. Tofu
5. Soy Sauce
6. Honey
7. Cayenne Pepper
8. Chard
9. Sesame Oil
10. Olive Oil

Directions:

Run the yellow squash through the zoodle maker. Chop the chard, tofy, onion, and garlic. Sauté the yellow squash with some water in a pan and when tender put in a strainer and drain. In another pan (Or the same one wiped down) heat some olive oil and sesame oil and sauté the onions. Once they are slightly browned add the tofu and some soy sauce and cayenne pepper and a little honey. Set the heat to Medium/High and add the squash noodles. Add more soy sauce, cayenne, honey, and sesame oil if necessary. Cook until the noodles and tofu have absorbed the sauce and are starting to get a bit browned. Add the chopped chard and sauté for a few more minutes. (The chard could be substituted with green onions and/or bean sprouts).