Roasted Cauliflower Hummus

Well, cauliflower has another incredible use… it can double as a hummus. For all those that think they don’t like hummus, dislike chickpeas, or eat low carb, this is the hummus for you!

Roasted Cauliflower Hummus

Ingredients:
5 cups cauliflower florets (about 1 large cauliflower)
1 tablespoon olive oil or avocado oil
1/4 cup tahini (sesame seed paste)
1 fresh lemon, juiced (about 2 tablespoons)
1/4 cup olive oil or avocado oil
1 teaspoon garlic powder
2 tablespoons water
sea salt and cracked black pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

2. Place the cauliflower florets on a baking sheet and drizzle with oil. Roast for 20 - 25 minutes until the cauliflower is browned and tender. After the cauliflower is roasted, let it cool.

3. In a food processor (working in batches if needed) add the roasted cauliflower, tahini, lemon juice, oil, and garlic powder. Adding water throughout blending and blend until smooth. If needed, add additional water (one teaspoon at a time) to help smooth the texture.

4. Season with sea salt and cracked black pepper.

   Serving suggestions: Serve with sliced vegetables, roasted vegetables, or your favorite whole grain tortilla chips.

   Nutrition facts (per 2 tablespoons): 55 calories, 5 grams fat, 1 gram saturated fat, 0 grams trans fat, 0 milligrams cholesterol, 60 milligrams sodium, 2 grams carbs, 1 gram fiber, 1 gram protein
   

Happy National Mojito Day - Strawberry Mojito

Cheers!

What I love about this refreshing strawberry mojito, is that it relies on the sweetness of the strawberries and skips simple syrup all together. This recipe is from my recipe book, Skinny-Size It (Publisher: Harlequin Non-Fiction)!

STRAWBERRY MOJITO

Serves 2

Ingredients:

1 lime wedge, sliced into 6 wedges

8 fresh mint leaves, plus 2 mint sprigs for garnishing

4 strawberries, stems removed and cut in half, plus 2 whole strawberries for garnishing

2 ounces white rum

Club soda

Ice

Directions:

1. Place 3 limed wedges and 4 mint leaves in each of 2 glasses and lightly mash in the bottom of the glass with a spoon or wooden muddler. Then add 2 strawberries to each glass and lightly muddle.

2. Top each glass with rum, club soda, and ice. Garnish each with a strawberry and sprig of mint, and serve at once. 

Nutrition Facts (per serving): 80 calories, 0 grams fat, 0 grams saturated fat, 0 grams trans fat, 0 milligrams cholesterol, 0 milligrams sodium, 6 grams carbohydrates. 2 grams fiber, 2 grams sugar, <1 gram protein

Coconut Chip Banana Bread

When it comes to making gluten-free and lower carb breads, coconut flour is a great go-to; it has a delicious flavor and still gives the bread a somewhat 'bread-like' texture. This bread adds in coconut oil for moisture - the result: a soft and delicious gluten-free banana bread. 

Coconut Chip Banana Bread

Serves 16

Ingredients:

1 cup coconut flour
1 cup gluten-free oats
3 large bananas, mashed
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup coconut sugar (or brown sugar)
1/2 cup chocolate chips
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk or almond milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract or pure vanilla
1/2 cup coconut oil

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare a bread pan with butter or parchment paper.

In a mixing bowl combine the flour, oats, mashed bananas, baking powder, salt, and coconut sugar. Stir to combine. 

Then stir in the eggs, milk, vanilla, and coconut oil. Stir to combine again, the mixture will be thick. Then stir the chocolate chips into the mixture.

Bake for 60 minutes or until the bread is golden on top and a toothpick comes out clean.

Nutrition Facts (per serving): 190 calories, 9 grams fat, 7 grams saturated fat, 0 grams trans fat, 0 milligrams cholesterol, 180 milligrams sodium, 23 grams carbs, 5 grams fiber, 10 grams sugar, 4 grams protein

Cheesy Veggie Sticks

I'm on a continual quest to work in more vegetables into our eating routine and these cheesy veggie sticks are my newest favorite! You could almost call them bread sticks although there is now flour or wheat in them - just veggies, egg, cheese, and spices.  The other bonus is that they are quick and easy to make. Here is how this comes together and the recipe is listed below!

First start with cauliflower that is pulsed to about the size of rice. You can find this in the produce section of some grocery stores, with the frozen vegetables, or you can pulse cauliflower in the food processor until it is about the size of rice. If needed press the cauliflower with paper towels to remove excess water. 

Then mix in the eggs, cheese, and garlic powder. The mixture will thicken and be 'dough' like.

Next line a baking dish with parchment paper and transfer the dough to the pan. 

Then press the 'dough' into the pan and spread it evenly throughout the pan. 

Bake it for 25 - 30 minutes, until the mixture is golden brown and starts to get crispy. Note: Depending on how much water is in the cauliflower, you may need to bake it longer to get it nice and crispy, if needed, bake longer until the top is golden brown. 

Then top with remaining Parmesean cheese and return to the oven until the cheese is melted, about 5 minutes. 

Then cool and slice into sticks and they are ready to enjoy! 

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Cheesy Veggie Sticks 

Serves 6 - 8

Ingredients:

4 cups cauliflower, pulsed into the size of rice

1 1/2 cups shredded Parmesan cheese, divided

2 eggs

1 teaspoon garlic powder

optional: sea salt 

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. 

Mix the cauliflower, 1 cup of the Parmesan cheese, eggs, and garlic powder together. 

Prepare a 9" x 13" baking dish or small sheet pan with parchment paper and transfer the cauliflower mixture to the prepared pan.  

Press the mixture evenly through the pan and bake for 25 -30 minutes or until the top is golden brown. Top with the remaining cheese and return to the oven until the cheese is melted, about 5 minutes. 

Cool and then cut into strips to serve.