Cauliflower Mash I

Mmmmm...this is easily one of my favorite veggie side dishes, mostly because it is soo easy to make and soo hard to mess up. It is also uber easy to play around with. You can make wasabi mash, parmesan mash, za'atar mash...the possibilities are endless. For now though we will start with the 101 version, cauliflower mash for dummies.

Ingredients:

1 whole cauliflower, stem and leaves removed

2 tbsp. light Smart Balance

Sea Salt & Fresh Pepper, to taste

Dash of garlic powder

Procedure:

After the cauliflower has been fully cleaned, rough chop the head into smaller pieces. It really does not matter how you cut it, so have fun, go nuts! Then, put the cauliflower into a pot of water- enough water so that the cauliflower is fully covered. Bring the cauliflower and water to a boil. Once boiling, add salt and pepper to the water, cover the pot and set the flame to low. Simmer for 20 minutes.

After the cauliflower has simmered, the florets should easily break apart. Strain out the water and mash the cauliflower using the back of a fork. I do this step still in the strainer to make sure all excess water is removed. Once fully mashed, transfer it into a bowl, add the light smart balance, salt and pepper, a sprinkle of garlic powder and enjoy! See, I told you it was easy. Serves 3.

On another note, I know I have just begun, but it is vacation time for me! My Vitamin D stores are in major need of replenishment. Ciao for now....

Simply Roasted Carrots

* Picture taken after we started to devour the yummy carrots

Chef Spotlight: Raquel took the reins of this healthy side dish to accompany our girls night fiesta. Patti, the non-onion lover, was eventually bound to be overruled by the love Raquel and I have for roasted onions. Alas, she just picked them out and survived.

Ingredients:

2 lb. bag carrots, peeled

6 pieces of garlic

1 onion, chopped

2 tbsp. olive oil

2 tbsp. sea salt

2 tbsp. fresh pepper

1 tbsp. Trader Joe's 21 seasoning salute (not necessary- a fun extra if it is available to you)

1 tbsp. natural sugar (or sugar substitute for a calorie-free alternative)

Procedure:

Cut the ends off the carrots, discard. Cut the width of the carrots in half, then begin to cut the carrots lengthwise into spears. Place the carrots onto a greased cooking tray. Cut the onion in half, then cut into chunks. Peel the garlic (easiest way to peel garlic is to smash it first with the back of a knife and then take off the skin) and cut the pieces in half, lengthwise.

Layer the onions and garlic on top of the carrots, then add the oil, sea salt, fresh pepper, and optional 21 seasoning salute. Shuffle the tray to even out the toppings a bit.

Then before putting into the oven, sprinkle some natural sugar (or a sugar-substitute for a calorie-free option) and roast on 425 for about 45 minutes, flipping the carrots midway. Enjoy! Serves 4.

Quinoa with Maple Roasted Butternut Squash, Kale, Dried Cranberries, and Pine Nuts

Last night I made this scrumptious dish for girls night, where I had Raquel, the most special sous chef on board to help out. In the crew of girls there was a case of gastritis and a non-onion lover, so I had a few things to consider while planning the meal. Cue the recipe...

Ingredients:

1 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed

2 cups water

Dash of Salt and pepper

1 butternut squash, cut into small cubes

2-3 tbsp. maple syrup*

2 tbsp. olive oil

1 tbsp. sea salt

2 tbsp. fresh pepper

1 tbsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. nutmeg

5-6 pieces of Kale, cut into small thin strips

Two handfuls of toasted pine nuts**

Two handfuls of dried cranberries

*More watery versions are better for the syrup will easily disperse among all the squash, being "calorie effective." Also, sugar free syrup can be substituted.
** These days, at $24.99/lb pine nuts seems to be almost as expensive as gold. How do I afford the caviar of nuts on an unemployed budget? Whole foods has a section of bulk commodity items- you know, the "no nibbling" section- where you can purchase the two handfuls (but please use the spoon!) required for this recipe for about $1.50.

Procedure:

Marinate cut butternut squash with oil, maple syrup, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt & pepper, put it on a tray and roast in the oven on 425 for about 20-30 minutes until tender. If using pre-cut butternut squash bought in the store (totally fine, great time saver and it's still a fresh veggie!), I would suggest marinating the squash earlier in the day and letting it sit in the fridge for about 2 hours so the squash will better absorb the flavors.

While the squash is roasting, bring the quinoa in water to a boil on the stove, add salt and pepper, cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes until all the water has been absorbed.

While the quinoa is simmering, take the large stems off the kale and begin to cut the leaves into thin strips. Right after the quinoa is done turn off the stovetop flame, mix the kale into the quinoa pot and cover, so that the kale can be steamed and softened. Let that sit for about 5 minutes, then uncover and let it cool down a tad.

Mix in the roasted butternut squash, dried cranberries, toasted pine nuts, add salt and pepper to taste, and enjoy! Serves 4. (Can be served cold or hot).

NOTE: Caramelized red onions can be added to this recipe for more hearty flavor and color. Also, you can substitute citrus roasted butternut squash for the maple roasted butternut squash, by roasting with some zest and acid of a lemon or orange.

...That's all as far as the recipe goes. Phewww, writing a recipe proved more difficult than I had anticipated. When I cook, I don't use measuring spoons or anything of the sort, so please please feel free to edit amounts of ingredients. Play around with it and hopefully you will enjoy cooking just as much as I do!

Popping My Blogging Cherry

How does one formally introduce oneself to the entire world wide web? What is oh-so-interesting about myself that warrants writing about to random people around the world? Absolutely nothing. However, I am going to indulge you in some information anyway...

My name is Virginia. I am a year out of college where I studied nutrition, ever-since unemployed and continuing on with graduate studies in Nutrition, so I can further prove to the job market that I have mastered the principles of my studies. I have always loved to cook and play around with foods, so I decided to make use of my unemployed time and share my fun & (mostly) healthy recipes with everyone.

Starting a blog has been on my to-do list for weeks now, but with the help of my friends and AWESOME new roommate and the renovation of my tiny beaten up Manhattan kitchen from the 1970's into a modern, clean and neat, granite blessed kitchen worthy of not one, but many orgasms I have finally decided to go from blogging virgin to blogging Virgine (Yes, I will make cheesey jokes. Please love me anyways). Let the games begin....