Miscellaneous Archives - Decadently Fit

Category: Miscellaneous

22
Aug
2016

Low Carb Whipped Cream

categories: Desserts, Low Carb, Miscellaneous, Quick Meal, Recipes, Snacks, Uncategorized

I’m a sweet junkie. I’ll never be able to give up sweets no matter what. I’ve tried and it’s never worked. So, in order for me to maintain a carb/sugar level that doesn’t make my Fitness Pal scream I have to come up with alternatives.

When I was pregnant with my second son I had gestational diabetes. It was awful considering I was also on bed rest due to pre-term labor and blood clots. Every night before bed I had to eat a snack to maintain my blood sugar levels through the night. Every night my husband/nurse would bring me strawberries and sugar-free Cool Whip. We figured out it was the perfect carb/sweet amount I needed to maintain my blood sugar and give me the sugar fix my pregnant body was craving.

If you have ever read the ingredient list on a tub of Cool Whip you know that most of the words are extremely hard to pronounce, a.k.a a chemical storm of ‘ingredients’. Although I was able to keep my sugar levels down with the sugar substitutes I was trading one evil for another.

Fast forward to now. I have zero time to put together low-fat/low sugar desserts that will quench my insatiable sweet tooth. Then it dawned on me, if I cut up a ton of strawberries on Sunday and come up with a low sugar, whole ingredient alternative for the whip cream I used to enjoy I would be set. Then another light bulb precariously teetered above my chemistry and anatomy swollen brain, I have an Isi whip cream dispenser. That would aid in the instant gratification need. So, long story short this super simple quick recipe was born. Yes, you do need a whip cream dispenser, but trust me it’s worth every penny.

Click the whip cream canister image to be directly taken to amazon to purchase!

5.0 from 1 reviews

Low Carb Whipped Cream

Author: <span class="mceItemHidden" data-mce-bogus="1"><span></span>Rebekah Gusman</span>

Nutrition Information

Serves: 10 servings

Serving size: ¼ cup
Calories: 76

Fat: 7.2
Saturated fat: 4.8
Carbohydrates: 2.5
Sugar: 2.5
Sodium: 8
Protein: 0
Cholesterol: 32

Recipe type: Dessert

Prep time: 5 mins

Total time: 5 mins

Low Carb Whipped Cream

Ingredients

1 tablespoon honey
14 oz. whipping cream
2 teaspoons vanilla

Instructions

Melt the honey in a microwave safe dish on your melt function or on 10% power for 1 minute or until melted.
Stir in the cream until combined with the honey, add in the vanilla.
Transfer mixture to an Isi whip cream dispense, only filling till max fill line. Screw the lid on tightly then add nitrous canister, screw in tightly.
Refrigerate for 4 hours or until cold.
Shake before dispensing whip cream.

Click the whip cream canister image to be directly taken to amazon to purchase!

15
Aug
2016

Crockpot Roast Chicken

categories: Crock Pot Recipe, Crock Pot Recipes, Gluten-Free, Main Dishes, Miscellaneous, Quick Meal, Recipes

Hellooooooo! Yes, it’s been a long time since my last post and I hope you can forgive me. Priorities changed and I had to shift focus for a little while. Actually, my focus has shifted profusely! I went back to school in March. I will be a bachelor degree toting nurse by 2020, God willing. Why the shift in my passion? It hasn’t really. I’ve always had a desire to help people, that is why this blog was started in the first place. Being a nurse I will be able to help people on an entirely different level. God gives us all desires and passions, and I believe the desire to become a nurse came directly from him. So with the strength instilled in me by him I have maintained straight A’s so far and my family hasn’t taken too big of a hit.

I actually LOVE school. I am a much better student at this point in my life than I ever was. I am getting much more out of it this time, even the classes I am not so into, like Philosophy. Ugh, that class was interesting to say the least.

As of today I start my chemistry and Anatomy classes. I am not a math person so chemistry is going to challenge me, but I’ve taken Anatomy before and am so looking forward to dissecting everything! I promise not to post pics on the blog of dissections, although I can’t say the same about my instagram. You have been warned!

So, needless to say life is busy in our household. But, eating and being healthy is still a priority to all of us. I do NOT want to put on the freshmen 15, and want to continue to feed my brood in a healthy manner, no excuses. So instead of the recipes you are used to on Decadently Fit, the recipes will now be super easy and quick, lots of crock pot ideas.

The recipe below is tonight’s dinner, crock pot roast chicken. It took me a matter of 10 minutes to prepare this dish. For those with limited culinary knowledge you don’t have to be afraid of this dish, it’s beginner friendly. I will be serving it will frozen organic broccoli and frozen organic brown rice. Quick, easy, healthy, minimal clean up.

Cheers to new adventures, creating new goals and maintaining a healthy family!

5.0 from 3 reviews

Crockpot Roast Chicken

Author: Rebekah Gusman

Recipe type: Crockpot Recipe

Cuisine: American

Prep time: 10 mins

Cook time: 8 hours

Total time: 8 hours 10 mins

Easy weeknight crockpot meal.

Ingredients

1 5 lb. roasting whole chicken
2 tsp. coarse sea salt
2 teaspoons adobo seasoning
½ teaspoon smoked paprika
1 large onion, chopped

Instructions

Combine the spices in a small bowl
Remove the giblets from the chicken, rinse and pat dry with paper towels.
Place chopped onion in the bottom of a 6 qt. crockpot
Rub the chicken with the spices and set on top of the onion.
Place the lid on the crockpot and cook on low for 4 - 8 hours or until a thermometer shows 165 degrees in the thigh.
If you would like the skin crispier remove the chicken from the crockpot place on foil covered cookie sheet and broil the chicken for 2 to 5 minutes.
Let rest for 10 minutes, then carve and serve.

25
Aug
2015

Hatch Chili Quinoa Stuffed Zucchini – Plus a Giveaway!

categories: Giveaways, Gluten-Free, Healthy Adventures, Healthy Lifestyle, Low Carb, Main Dishes, Miscellaneous, Quick Meal

If you have been a reader of my blog for at least a year you know about the Hatch Chili. If not, here is a quick history/biography of the only chili that can be purchased in three different heat scales, mild, medium and hot. a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Hatch Chili has a very short season, which starts in August and ends in September. They are only grown in Hatch, New Mexico, where the climate is perfect for this species of chili. The chilies resemble a poblano, but have a deeper flavor. Whether used roasted, fresh or in powder form the chili goes well with so many flavor profiles. The smell of the roasted chills is pretty incredible though. I should know that scent incredibly well after recently going to a Hatch Chili Roasting event at the Bristol Farms located in Palm Desert. I was lucky enough to attend with my fellow IEFB friends, Sara from My Imperfect Kitchen and Natalie from The Devil Wears Parsley. Sue from It’s Okay to Eat the Cupcake was there in spirit with us! I tried Hatch Chili everything that day! From savory dishes like, pizza, sushi, grilled cheese, salsa, macaroni and cheese, guacamole, and chorizo. My sweet tooth was invited to the party with the juices, smoothies and cupcakes spiked withe versatile chili. I had never been to a Hatch Chili Roasting or a Bristol Farms before. Both were worth the drive to the desert! The smell of the hatch chilis wafted through the parking lot when we pulled up and filled the car on our drive home. We bought a case and split it amongst the four of us. I would highly recommend doing this. Since the season is so short it’s one of the only ways to have access to them in the off season. If you would like to find a roasting near you click here. After you have purchased your chills make sure you peel and freeze them within 24 hours of the roasting. I separated my 1/4 case into smaller freezer bags, flattened them, and stacked them in the freezer. I left a portion fresh and have been eating them in eggs, soups, meat loaf and then came up with the recipe below with items I already had on hand. Hatch Chili Quinoa Stuffed Zucchini is a quick protein filled meal that satisfies. The mild bite from the mixture of hatch chills and curry powder gives the zucchini a flavorful punch. Low carb, vegetarian, gluten free, diabetic friendly and tastes amazing. (recipe below) Want your own Hatch Chili Cook Book from the produce experts at Melissa’s Produce? Enter to win your own copy here! You may even win one of the signed copies from the author!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Here are even more great hatch chili recipes from my friends:

Hatch Chili Breakfast Sausage from Natalie at The Devil Wears Parsley

Hatch Chili Pesto from Sue at It’s Okay to Eat the Cupcake

Hatch Chili & Chicken Pockets from Sara at My Imperfect Kitchen

4.8 from 4 reviews

Hatch Chili Quinoa Stuffed Zucchini - Plus a Giveaway!

Author: Rebekah Gusman

Recipe type: Main Dish

Ingredients

4 zucchini, split in half
2 cups cooked quinoa
1 teaspoon curry powder
½ cup greek yogurt
½ teaspoon sea salt
½ cup red onion, diced
3 roasted hatch chilis, peeled, and diced
8 tablespoons cheddar cheese (optional)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Remove the insides of the zucchini, leaving an edge all the way around the zucchini to hold in the filling. Roughly chop the insides and set aside in a medium size mixing bowl
Saute the red onion in 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat for 5 minutes or until translucent.
Add the red onion to the mixing bowl, along with the quinoa, curry, yogurt, salt, and chills. Mix to combine.
Place the zucchini on a cookie sheet, then scoop the quinoa filling into each zucchini boat.
Bake for 30 minutes, then top with cheese if desired. Bake another 5 minutes to melt cheese.
Serve immediately.

Disclosures: All opinions in this post are my own. Bristol Farms did not sponsor this post. Melissa’s Produce has generously supplied the cookbooks in the giveaway, and hatch chili ingredients.

16
Mar
2015

Shepherd’s Pie – Kerrygold Cheese & Butter Giveaway

categories: Giveaways, Gluten-Free, Low Carb, Main Dishes, Miscellaneous, Recipes, Uncategorized

Top of the morning’ to ya! Or afternoon, not sure what time of day you are reading this, but this is one recipe you will want to make. I started making this a few years ago as a solution to a dinner time problem. One of us wanted healthy, the other wanted hearty.

My gluten-free Shepherd’s Pie became the solution to that problem. Although it’s undergone many makeovers since first conception of the dish, I have settled on this version as my favorite. The best part is the loaded cauliflower mash that adorns the gluten-free chicken and veggie filling. The mash is filled with Kerrygold unsalted butter and their Dubliner with Irish Stout. This Shepherd’s Pie is the perfect healthy St. Patty’s day dinner.

If you read my last post you know that today is the LAST day to enter the Kerrygold Cheese & Butter gift basket worth an estimated value of $175! Enter below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: I was not paid to develop this recipe or to express my opinion. All opinions are my own.

Shepherd's Pie (gluten free)

Author: Rebekah Gusman

Nutrition Information

Serves: 6

Serving size: ⅙th
Calories: 219

Fat: 11
Saturated fat: 6.3
Carbohydrates: 12.5
Sugar: 3.4
Sodium: 523
Fiber: 2.4
Protein: 15.8
Cholesterol: 50

Recipe type: Healthy Comfort Food

Cuisine: Irish

Prep time: 15 mins

Cook time: 20 mins

Total time: 35 mins

Slimmed down version of Shepherd's Pie, full of chicken & vegetables, topped with a Dubliner Stout Cauliflower Mash.

Ingredients

Cauliflower Mash
1 head of cauliflower, core removed and steamed
⅓ c. crumbled Kerrygold Dubliner with Irish Stout Cheese
2 tablespoons unsalted Kerrygold Butter
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon white pepper
Filling
2 chicken breasts cut into one inch cubes
1 tablespoon Kerrygold unsalted butter
1 shallot, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
10 ounces baby portobello mushrooms, sliced
1 carrot, diced
½ cup frozen peas
1½ cups chicken broth
1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons arrowroot powder
2 tablespoons chicken stock
½ teaspoon dried thyme
sea salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Cauliflower Mash
In a food processor pulse the cheese until it crumbles into very small pieces
add in the rest of the ingredients and puree till smooth. Set aside
Filling
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
Melt the butter in a large pot.
Add the mushrooms and a few pinches of salt to the pot and cook on medium high heat for 3-5 minutes, or until the liquid from the mushrooms disappears.
Add the shallots and garlic an sauté for another 2 - 3 minutes, or until shallots are softened.
Add the peas and carrots, stir to combine.
Stir in the chicken broth and worcestershire sauce
In a small bowl stir together the 2 tablespoons of chicken broth and arrowroot till smooth.
Reduce the heat to medium low and combine the arrowroot mixture with the veggie and chicken mixture stirring constantly, cooking for about 5 minutes on low heat until the mixture thickens. Season with salt and pepper.
Pour the veggie chicken mixture into a medium sized baking dish (9X9).
Top the veggie chicken mixture with the cauliflower mash, cover the filling completely.
Bake for 20 -30 minutes or until the mixture begins to bubble.
Let cool for 5 minutes before serving.

10
Mar
2015

Buffalo Blue Cheese Stuffed Eggs – PLUS a Kerrygold Giveaway!

categories: Appetizers, Giveaways, Gluten-Free, Low Carb, Miscellaneous, Recipes, Uncategorized

Deviled eggs are a pretty popular contribution to Easter celebrations. Mostly because of the crazy tradition of hiding and finding hard boiled eggs in grass and dirt. Who started this crazy tradition? The germaphobe in me cringes. If your household is like mine there is an abundance of hard boiled eggs looking for new uses after the binge eating is over. There is the obvious egg salad, or as an ingredient in a cobb salad. My favorite use is the deviled egg. Usually I am a very simplistic lover of the deviled egg. The less fuss and simpler the ingredients the better, but I love a challenge. I was recently asked to take part of an amazing giveaway with Kerrygold cheese and butter. If you have never have a KG product you need to remedy that situation ASAP. Their products are made from cows that graze on grass in the hills of Ireland. Happy cows. Grateful cows, that make their product with love that you can taste.

products_butter_salted-butter — photo courtesy of kerrygoldusa.com

I’m sure you are wondering if cows eating grass makes a difference. I can say empathically that it does. The old saying “You are what you eat”, not only applies to the cows, but to us as we eat the byproduct of what they eat. The taste is cleaner than butter and cheese made from a grain fed cow. Not only is the taste better, but there are health benefits to eating the products of grassfed cows. The butter is yellow in color due to the high levels of beta carotene and is hormone-free. Did you know that there is a significant amount of Vitamin K2 in the butter made from grassed cows? K2 is responsible for decalcifying our arteries. Consuming grassfed butter can lower heart disease, (authority nutrition.com).

products_landing-intro — photo courtesy of kerrygoldusa.com

A better question begs to be asked. Why in the world would you consume anything else? Especially when you can buy Kerrygold products almost anywhere these days, even Costco. They have some amazing flavors in their cheese line. From their infamous Dubliner to different types of cheddars, swiss, or the more complex Dubliner with Irish Stout, or Aged-Cheddar with Irish Whiskey and the Irish Cashel Blue Cheese. Click here to learn more about each cheese.

products_cheese_cashel-blue — photo courtesy of kerrygoldusa.com

After receiving a rather large assortment of happy cow cheeses and butters I was challenged to make an appetizer for our monthly Inland Empire Food Bloggers Meeting. As a group we are giving away a gift basket of KG cheese and butter valued at $175! Each of us was asked to come up with a recipe show casing the cheeses. Since Easter is on it’s way, and like I discussed earlier I am always looking for a way to use hard boiled eggs, I came up with this version of deviled eggs. I guess they should be called buffalowed eggs though. The eggs are stuffed full of Kerrygold Irish Cashel Blue Cheese. There is zero mayo in this recipe, using protein packed, tangy greek yogurt instead. The addition of buffalo sauce in the eggs leaves a spicy finish on the back end. Diced celery gives the eggs a lovely crunchy texture. My favorite part of these spicy, cheese filled eggs? There are only 84 calories for two of these babies. This is what the other members of our IEFB group made with their cheese and butter:

From Sue at It’s Okay to Eat the Cupcake A Dubliner Cream Scone

Cottage Pies from Sara at My Imperfect Kitchen

Kerrygold Beer & Cheese Pairing from Natalie at The Devil Wears Parsley

Dubliner Judge made by Christy at Confessions of a Culinary Diva

The recipe for the eggs is below, but before I get to that I want to share what is in the Kerrygold gift basket!

2 wedges Kerrygold Dubliner Cheese

2 wedges Kerrygold Swiss Cheese

2 wedges Kerrygold Blarney Castle Cheese

2 wedges Kerrygold Aged Cheddar

2 wedges Kerrygold Reserve Cheddar

2 wedges Kerrygold Red Leicester

2 wedges of Kerrygold Skellig

2 packs Kerrygold Pure Irish Butter

2 packs Kerrygold Unsalted Butter

2 packs of Kerrygold Garlic and Herb Butter

2 packs of Kerrygold Softer Butter

A $175 estimated retail value!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

5.0 from 2 reviews

Buffalo Blue Cheese Stuffed Eggs

Author: Rebekah Gusman

Nutrition Information

Serves: 8

Serving size: 8
Calories: 84

Fat: 4.2
Saturated fat: 1.4
Carbohydrates: .8
Sugar: .6
Sodium: 241
Fiber: .1
Protein: 6.5
Cholesterol: 164

Recipe type: Appetizer

Cuisine: American

Prep time: 10 mins

Cook time: 20 mins

Total time: 30 mins

A playful, twist on deviled eggs. Cashel Irish Blue Cheese is paired with spicy buffalo sauce and topped with crunchy celery.

Ingredients

8 eggs, hard boiled, peeled
5 tablespoons plain 0% greek yogurt
3 tablespoons Franks Red Hot Sauce
¼ cup Kerrygold Irish Cashel Blue Cheese
5 tablespoons finely diced celery, reserve one for garnish
⅛ teaspoon celery salt
cayenne or chili powder for garnish

Instructions

Slice each egg in half lengthwise. Remove the yolks to a medium size bowl, mashing yolks with a fork.
Add in the yogurt, hot sauce, blue cheese, salt, and 4 tablespoons of celery into the mashed yolks. Combine ingredients till smooth, adding more greek yogurt 1 tablespoon at a time until the mixture reaches desired consistency. It should not be too dry, but easy to pipe out of plastic bag.
Scoop the blue cheese mixture into a piping bag or ziploc bag. Pipe about a half tablespoon of the mixture into each egg white half.
Garnish the eggs with remaining celery, and sprinkle cayenne or chili powder on top of each.
Refrigerate till ready to serve. Can be made up to a day before.

06
Jan
2015

The 10 Best Recipes of 2014

categories: Healthy Lifestyle, Miscellaneous, Uncategorized

Another year in the books. Another year that went by at warp speed. Is it just me, or does every year seem to go by faster and faster? It feels like I live in a constant whirlwind.

2014 was a great year for Decadently Fit! I learned a lot about how to be a healthier me, in turn sharing it with all of you. I reviewed two handfuls of wonderful healthy cookbooks and was able to give them away to my wonderful readers.

I spent a ton of time with the amazing people at Melissa’s Produce sampling their stunning produce and eating the best food prepared by their chefs.

I started working with some wonderful brands that support healthy goals, such as Kitchen Aid, Latortilla Factory, Luna Olivo, Kerrygold Cheese and Butter, Klondike, Oroweat Organic, & Bob’s Red Mill.

I am so excited to start a new year blogging in 2015! I have many changes coming to streamline my approach. New philosophies that I want to try out, and new goals.

Speaking of goals here are a few of mine related to health and fitness:

1. Conquer my sweet tooth once and for all

2. Lose fat and gain muscle

3. Do a Spartan Race or Tough Mudder

4. Run a half marathon

5. Start teaching healthy cooking classes

6. Inspire as many people as I can to become the best versions of themselves, whatever that is to them.

What are your goals? Use the comment section below to make it official by telling us what you want to achieve in 2015. You are 45% more likely to complete a goal if you write it down. Come on, tell me, I would love to encourage you!

Without further ado, here is the 10 best recipes of 2014:

Number One: Cauliflower Crust Pizza

Number Two: Peach Pie Protein Smoothie

Number Three: Paleo Carrot Cake

Number Four: Red Chili Chicken

Number Five: Broccoli Slaw Salad

Number Six: Zucchini Lasagna

Number Seven: Strawberry Hot Wings

Number Eight: Chia Banana Pudding

Number Nine: Fudgy Flourless Chocolate Torte

Number Ten: Mediterranean Dip

12
Dec
2014

My Ultimate Sandwich Creation- Organic Oroweat Bread Giveaway

categories: Giveaways, Main Dishes, Miscellaneous, Quick Meal, Recipes, Reviews, Uncategorized

If you follow my blog posts on a regular basis you know that I am super picky about what I put in my body. I like to eat organic whenever possible, especially when it comes to products/ingredients that are notoriously GMO (genetically modified) or filled with preservatives.

Oroweat recently asked me to review their line of organic breads and come up with an ultimate sandwich. Even though they sent me coupons to try the bread and a gift card to buy ingredients for an ultimate sandwich, it was a no brainer to review the bread. Not only is this bread already a staple in our household, it has been approved by my pickiest eaters, and more importantly by me.

The bread comes in two varieties, Grains & Seeds and Whole Wheat. Both are fantastic, and made with all USDA certified organic ingredients. *There are only 17g of carbs in each slice (, making it friendly to my carb counters. *No high fructose corn syrup, and 3g of fiber. The slices have a wonderful texture and hearty in size. Best of all I buy it at my nearby Target. No need to go to a specialty store to buy a healthy, delicious bread option. Click here to find a store near you!

I was challenged to create an ultimate sandwich using the organic line of breads. I love my sandwiches. Since lunch is when I eat the highest amount of carbs, sandwiches are usually what I gravitate to. They fill me up and keep me happy till snack time around 3 p.m.

I personally am super sick of turkey sandwiches at this point. I know the barrage of turkey is happening again in a couple of weeks, so I decided to take another route. After much thought, I decided to go with a Greek Chicken Salad Sandwich.

I’m so glad I went with a Mediterranean inspired sandwich. It was easy to make and woke up my taste buds. This sandwich is a protein powerhouse with chicken, hummus and greek yogurt based tzatziki sauce. The addition of cucumbers, roasted red bell peppers and spinach make the sandwich crunchy and nutrient dense.

In case you are wondering, this sandwich is an awesome addition to any lunch box. I made one, stuck it in my sandwich container and left it in the fridge. Four hours later when I went to eat it, it was exactly the same as the one I made fresh. That is huge to me, I strongly dislike soggy sandwiches.

Want to recreate my mediterranean masterpiece? Follow the recipe below. Want to win your own coupons and gift card from Oroweat? Of course you do! To follow Oroweat on Facebook click here.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

______________________________

Recipe

6 slices of Oroweat Organic Whole Wheat Bread

Greek Chicken Salad on Organic Oroweat Bread

2 roasted chicken breasts, cubed (great use for leftovers!)

1/3 cup roasted red bell pepper, diced

1/2 cup cucumber, diced

1/2 cup tzatziki sauce, (see recipe below or used organic store-bought)

6 tablespoon hummus

baby spinach

Tzatziki Sauce

1 cup 0% organic greek yogurt

1 tablespoon dried dill weed

1 tablespoon organic lemon juice

1 tablespoon organic olive oil

3 garlic organic garlic cloves, minced

sea salt and pepper to taste

Method

1. Make the tzatziki sauce by mixing all the ingredients together and chilling for at least 4 hours.

2. Mix together 1/2 cup of the tzatziki sauce with the chicken, bell peppers, and cucumber.

3. To assemble sandwich place 1 tablespoon of hummus on one side of bread. Place about 1/4 cup of the chicken salad on one slice of bread, top with a handful of spinach, and top with the another slice of bread. Serve immediately or save for lunch time.

Disclosure: I was given 3 coupons for 1 loaf of Oroweat Organic bread and a $25 gift card to purchase ingredients related to my sandwich creation. All opinions are my own. All facts regarding the bread are directly from Oroweat.

*Nutrition information given was taken directly from the Whole Wheat bread package.

26
Nov
2014

The Big Book Of Sides – Cookbook Review – Whole Roasted Cauliflower

categories: Low Carb, Miscellaneous, Quick Meal, Reviews, Side Dish, Uncategorized

This is the time of year I spend hours scouring the internet looking for the most impressive side to impress our relatives with at holiday gatherings. Half the time I get distracted on Pinterest looking at other things besides a mouth-watering side. Hours later I have nothing to show for it.

A couple of weeks ago I attended a cookbook release event at the Melissa’s Produce test kitchen in Vernon, CA. The Big Book of Sides by Rick Rodgers was presented to an entire room of hungry bloggers. We were treated to several recipes from the book, prepared by Melissa’s amazing chefs. Life as a food blogger does not suck.

Rick is an Award winning cookbook author of more than 40 cookbooks. This isn’t his first rodeo. His past experience has helped create an impressive collection. This compilation of inventive and traditional sides is the only place I will need to look when trying to impress the relatives.

There is something for everyone from stuffing and gravy to homemade green bean casserole and macaroni and cheese. There are healthy sides and decadent comfort foods. Even homemade dressings and step by step instructions to the perfect risotto. If you have any occasion you need to bring a side dish for this book covers it all.

Among the dishes we were served was:

Roasted Beet and Orange Salad

Homemade Green Bean and Mushroom Casserole with Crispy Shallots

Mexican Christmas Eve Salad

Also on the menu was Roasted Brussel Sprouts with Bacon and Maple Syrup, Butternut Squash and Potato Gratin, and Ricks perfect Gravy. When I say perfect, I mean perfect.

One of the recipes that jumped off the page and into my kitchen this week was the Whole Roasted Cauliflower with Za’tar Crust (page 67). Not only would this make a great holiday side, but it is a fast, easy, tasty middle of the week side. Middle eastern spices mixed with greek yogurt create an almost parmesan like crust over the entire cauliflower head. If you haven’t decided what to bring to Thanksgiving dinner bring this. As the description in the book says, “It’s a show stopper!”. Below you will find the recipe card for this show stopping side dish.

To add this wonderful book to your collection you can click here or on the image below. The book would make a great Christmas present for anyone who loves to cook or is learning to cook.

Disclosure: I was not compensated for any portion of this post. The book was given to my courtesy of Rick Rodgers cookbook launch event. All opinions are my own. My opinion is that you should click the link above and get this book into your hot little hands now.

Whole Roasted Cauliflower with Za'tar Crust

Author: Rick Rodgers

Nutrition Information

Serving size: ⅛ of the head

Recipe type: Vegetable, Side dish

Cuisine: Middle Eastern

This is a show stopper- an entire head of cauliflower roasted with a yogurt topping to a golden brown turn. For such a simple dish, it gets points for its dramatic appearance and complex flavors.

Ingredients

¾ cup low-fat plain yogurt (I used greek)
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon sesame seeds
1 teaspoon ground sumac
2 garlic cloves, crushed through a press
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 head (about 2 lbs) cauliflower, green leaves trimmed

Instructions

Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or foil.
In a medium bowl, whisk the yogurt, oregano, thyme, sesame seeds, sumac, garlic, salt and the pepper until smooth. Stand the cauliflower on the baking sheet and spread the yogurt mixture all over the top and sides.
Roast until the topping is deep and golden brown and the cauliflower is tender when pierced with a long, thin knife, 50 minutes to 1 hour. Cut the cauliflower into wedges and serve.

21
Nov
2014

Simple Cranberry Sauce

categories: Condiments, Dairy Free, Gluten-Free, Miscellaneous, Side Dish, Uncategorized

Signs are everywhere. It’s all over our radios, every mall, every store and even our children’s art work. It’s coming like an earthquake in southern California. The holidays are sneaking up on us and shaking our worlds with reckless abandon.

For some reason 2014 has gone by faster than any other in history. Wasn’t Thanksgiving a month ago?! If another person tells me how many days there are till Christmas I think I’ll scream. I want to live in ignorant bliss. Although, thanks to my obsessive compulsive tendencies I am fully aware that there are only 35 days till ‘C’ day. Crap.

But first we have Thanksgiving to deal with. The first of the over load our belly holidays. The beginning of the winter weight season.

I know a lot of people go with the theory that everything is ok in moderation. I personally do not believe in that theory. Holiday food is a gateway ‘drug’ to, “Oh one of these buckeyes won’t hurt. I never eat like this so it’s o.k”. At least in my experience it is. Once I open that can of worms it’s so hard for me to close it.

So I prefer to make versions of holiday food that are healthier and cleaner than their original versions. Over the next week I am going to try to post as many of them as possible. We shall see how that goes. No promises people.

First, I would like to introduce you to the simplest recipe on the face of the earth. Simple ingredients, simple instructions, simple beauty. One container of ruby-red cranberries is simmered together with fresh orange juice, ginger and honey. No high fructose corn syrup here. The mixture is reduced, and that is it. Simple cranberry sauce, no fluff.

This sauce should be shown in all its simplistic glory on your Thanksgiving table. But, should also be slathered on your post Black Friday shopping turkey and stuffing sandwich. The tart, slightly sweet and tangy condiment will become a new holiday tradition.

I’ll be honest though, there is one thing I will miss about not using canned cranberry sauce. You guessed it, the darn can lines. Why are those so appealing? I guess I should start working on a healthy version of jellied cranberry next. Then nothing will be missing!

I hope you and your family have a wonderful Thanksgiving. There are so many things to be thankful for, especially the little things. Even can lines on the cranberry. Those lines mean I can afford to eat.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Simple Cranberry Sauce

Author: Rebekah Gusman

Nutrition Information

Serves: 1 cup

Serving size: 1 tablespoon
Calories: 27

Carbohydrates: 5.7
Sugar: 3.4
Sodium: .7
Fiber: 1
Protein: .3

Recipe type: Condiment

Prep time: 2 mins

Cook time: 15 mins

Total time: 17 mins

A simple, clean cranberry sauce sweetened with agave and orange juice.

Ingredients

7.5 ounces fresh or frozen cranberries
1 cup orange juice
2 inch piece of fresh ginger, skin removed
2 tablespoons honey
½ teaspoon of cayenne (optional for the adventurous foodie)

Instructions

Combine all the ingredients in a small heavy sauce pan
Bring to a gentle boil over medium low heat. Cranberries will begin to pop.
Reduce heat and simmer till reduced for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Sauce is done when all cranberries are cooked and resembles a jam like consistency.

Notes

Can be stored in refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

13
Nov
2014

Creamy Tomato Basil Soup

categories: Appetizers, Main Dishes, Miscellaneous, Uncategorized

There are so many reasons I love fall. The cooler weather. The sporadic but present Southern California rain. The Halloween candy bags filled with Reese’s Peanut Butter cups left for me to steal from my own children. Yes, I steal candy from my children, don’t judge, you know you do it too.

My absolute favorite part of fall is the ability to make soup and grilled cheese for dinner without breaking out in an unattractive sweat. Yes, that is important. No one wants to start eating a hot bowl of creamy tomato soup and start sweating into it. Yuck!

I am sure you are wondering how in the world do I eat tomato soup and grilled cheese while still making it healthy. I do and don’t at the same time. Yes, very contradictory.

As I mentioned in my last post, all of October, and now into November, I am eating all unprocessed foods. I was eating mostly ‘clean’ foods before, but I still consume a lot of processed healthy and unhealthy foods. I didn’t realize the amount of processed foods I was putting into my body until I completely took them out.

In the October Unprocessed challenge I didn’t eat anything I couldn’t make in my kitchen. I made tortillas for the first time and loved them! They were thicker than store-bought, but incredible. I made wheat bread (from veganbaking.net) for my kid’s school lunches. They went crazy for it because it was pretty much the tastiest, healthy wheat bread we have ever had.

It was hard at times to keep on the unprocessed route. I ate more peanut butter than I ever have in my entire life to fuel myself. I love me some PB so it was fine by me. I have never felt better in my life. I have never had more definition and fewer headaches. I never post ‘progress’ pictures, but I felt this time it was appropriate. This is what eating unprocessed for 30 days can do:

I’m pretty proud of myself! I’m actually starting to see ab muscles!

Because I was making everything unprocessed, some nights I was tired of cooking by the end of the day. Plus I had a lot of events that I was attending that needed new recipes or required me to cook. One night I was over it. I wanted something simple. So I grabbed one of the home-made loaves of whole wheat bread, some Kerrygold Dubliner cheese, roasted jalapeños and Kerrygold butter. The marriage of these ingredients created a melty, crunchy grilled cheese baby that I dipped into a pool of creamy tomato soup.

I loved the combo so much that I brought it to share at my monthly IEFB (Inland Empire Food Bloggers) meeting at fellow member Natalie Orozco’s (The Devil Wears Parlsey) house. Of course I had to dress it up for the event, since our meeting was a Halloween theme. Vampire blood test tube shots with Frankenstein and Bat grilled cheese fit in nicely among my fellow member’s awesome contributions.

Top: Silly Cupcakes from My Imperfect Kitchen, middle left: Autumn Harvest Croissants from It’s Okay to Eat the Cupcake, middle middle: Meatloaf Skulls from The Devil Wears Parsley, middle right: Vegan Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies, bottom: Halloween Cookies with assorted frosting from The Devil Wears Parsley.

I hope you all had a healthy and fun Halloween. Do those two words even go in the same sentence with Halloween? Sure, why not? Even if they don’t I hope I have inspired you to take an unprocessed challenge of your own. It doesn’t have to mean only fruits and vegetables. Just make your own clean foods and see what changes take place. I dare you.

Disclosure: I was not compensated for any portion of this post. The Kerrygold cheese and butter was supplied to me by Kerrygold. All opinions and ideas are my own unless otherwise stated.

Dairy Free Creamy Tomato Basil Soup

Author: Rebekah Gusman

Nutrition Information

Serves: 4-6 servings

Serving size: 1 cup
Calories: 129

Fat: 6.8
Saturated fat: .9
Carbohydrates: 13.2
Sugar: 7.9
Sodium: 977
Fiber: 3.8
Protein: 4.8

Recipe type: Soup

Prep time: 10 mins

Cook time: 70 mins

Total time: 1 hour 20 mins

Adapted from Nordstrom Cafe's Tomato Basil Soup A hearty tomato soup that will stand up to your pickiest grilled cheese accompaniment.

Ingredients

3 tablespoons olive oil
4 large carrots, peeled and diced
1 large onion, diced
1 tablespoon dried basil
3, 28 ounce cans organic diced tomatoes
1 quart chicken stock (preferably homemade)
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

In a large, heavy saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add carrot and onion and cook until beginning to soften, 10 minutes, then add basil and cook until vegetables are completely soft, about 5 minutes more.
Add tomatoes and broth, bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer 30 to 45 minutes.
Allow the soup to cool somewhat, then purée until smooth in a blender or food processor or using an immersion blender.
Season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve warm.