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Oven-roasted cauliflower

Cauliflower is one of my favorite vegetables. I have many though. It has a very distinctive taste. Eating it plain is tasty (with a little ranch), but adding a few ingredients takes it to a whole new level. For an added bonus — it's rich in vitamin C and very low in calories; a great snack when you're feeling hungry.

Oven-roasted Cauliflower
INGREDIENTS
1 medium cauliflower, broke into florets

⅛ to ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

2 cloves garlic, sliced

2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice

1 tsp. salt

½ tsp. fresh-ground black pepper

2 tbsp. grated parmesan

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Place the cauliflower florets in a large roasting pan or baking sheet with raised sides. Drizzle olive oil over the cauliflower and season with garlic, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Place in oven and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally to ensure even roasting. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with the parmesan. Serve immediately.

Source: Adapted from: Emeril Lagasse, Food Network

Read More 0 comments | Posted by Anonymous |

Chicken tortilla casserole

I follow a blog called Pink Parsley. She blogged about her most popular recipe posts of 2009. I was intrigued. I looked around and printed a few recipes off. I made this on Saturday, when I was in a race against time to finish several things before my niece Breyya's birthday party on Sunday. It seemed like it would be a quick fix, and it was. Also, it was a hit with the hubs and with Breyya. Double bonus. My Aunt Carol makes something similar to this, so I will have to try her version next time. I need to organize my recipes so I can find things when I want them. That's a work in progress. I made a few changes to the recipe, one being — I prefer to cook my chicken in the oven opposed to on the stovetop; less mess and it's easier. You throw it in, and take it out when it's done. Voila cooked chicken.

Chicken Tortilla Casserole

INGREDIENTS

1 package boneless, skinless chicken breasts — I use Smart Chicken (3 in a pack)

1 tbsp. olive oil

salt and fresh ground black pepper

1 shallot, minced — approx. 3 tbsp.

2 garlic cloves, minced

1–2 tbsp. minced chipotle peppers in adobo sauce

1 ¾ cup low-sodium chicken broth

5 cups tortilla chips, broken into pieces

2 tomatoes, cored, seeded and chopped

1 cup sharp cheddar, shredded

2 tbsp. fresh cilantro, chopped

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray lightly with cooking spray. Butterfly chicken breasts to reduce oven cooking time. Season with salt and black pepper on both sides and a dash of olive oil. Cook in oven until no longer pink/juices run clear, approx 15-20 min. (Sorry, I didn't pay close attention to cooking time). I tend to check often since chicken varies depending on thickness of breasts. When chicken is finished, remove from oven and change oven setting to broil. Place rack about 6 inches from top.

Heat oil in an oven-safe skillet over medium heat. Add shallot, garlic, chipotle and ¼ tsp. of salt. Cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add broth, stir well and bring to a simmer.

Stir in half the tortilla chips. SImmer for about 5 minutes. Transfer chicken to a cutting board and shred into pieces. Add chicken into skillet with the tomatoes, ½ cup cheese and 1 tbsp. cilantro. Stir in the other half of tortilla chips until incorporated and moistened.

Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top and broil until the cheese is melted and browning; 2-3 minutes. Top with remaining cilantro and serve.

Source: Adapted from: Pink Parsley

Read More 0 comments | Posted by Anonymous |

Spaghetti with meatballs

I've been holding onto this recipe for quite awhile. I found it while flipping through a Williams-Sonoma catalog. They often throw in delicious-sounding recipes alongside the products they are selling. It made over 20 decent sized meatballs so I knew I needed to share them. We had a family dinner with Jake's mom and sister's family. Why yes, that is cheesy goodness running out of the center.

Spaghetti with Meatballs

INGREDIENTS

3 tbsp. olive oil

1 yellow onion, finely diced

kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 cups torn pieces crustless white bread (½" pieces)

½ cup of buttermilk (or substitute ½ cup milk with 1 ½ tsp. lemon juice; let sit for 5 min).

1 lb. lean ground turkey

1 lb. lean ground beef

¼ cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped

1 tsp. fresh thyme, finely chopped

8 oz. mozzarella cheese, cut into ½ inch cubes

large jar of plain spaghetti sauce

1 small can of low-sodium V8 juice

1 ½ lb. whole wheat spaghetti, cooked and drained

1 bag or container of cherry tomatoes

Parmesan cheese, freshly grated for serving

DIRECTIONS

In a large saute pan over medium heat, warm 1 tbsp. oil. Add in onion and salt; cook 10 minutes. Add garlic; cook one minute. Let cool. In bowl, combine bread and buttermilk. Add beef, turkey, onion mixture, parsley, thyme, 2 ½ tsp. salt and ½ tsp. pepper; mix with hands until well blended. Form into approx. 20 meatballs. Stuff cheese cube into center of each one; re-roll meatball.

In same pan over medium high heat, warm 2 tbsp. oil, brown meatballs in several batches, 8 minutes per batch rotating the meatball several times. Transfer to a plate. Turn oven broiler on, cut cherry tomatoes in half and place on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and fresh black pepper. Cook cherry tomatoes for approx. 10 minutes under broiler, checking often. Remove from oven. Pour spaghetti sauce, V8 juice and cherry tomatoes into pan; add meatballs. Simmer over medium heat turning meatballs once, until cooked through, 25–30 minutes. Serve spaghetti topped with sauce and meatballs. Sprinkle with cheese.

Adapted from Williams-Sonoma Kitchen

Read More 1 Comment | Posted by Anonymous |

Happy New Year 2010

New Years Eve — Jake and I traveled to OKC to see the Flaming Lips. 2,010 balloons waiting to be released in the stands. This was our second New Years Eve with the Flaming Lips. We went two years ago and had a good time, so we decided to go again.

Lead singer Wayne Coyne doing his signature 'I'm in a bubble' crowd surf.

Lots of confetti and lights.

Using the camera mic.

and the countdown begins...

Happy New Year, and all 2,010 balloons are free!

Covering Dark Side of the Moon. I'm sure you could guess the song to the background.

Wayne standing in the middle with ginormus gloves on. Shooting out are green lasers which are reflecting on the half-mirror ball above him. (If you couldn't tell what was going on).

Out past our bedtime, but it was worth it.

Read More 1 Comment | Posted by Anonymous |

Graphic designer, baker and a photo taker. Inspired by Jesus, photography, stellar design, all things creative, cooking, the arts and funny stuff. I prefer to visually tell stories through photographs; whether a trip I was on, a dessert I made or a recent vintage find. Art is all around me, and I capture it whenever I can.

Oven-roasted cauliflower

Chicken tortilla casserole

Spaghetti with meatballs

Happy New Year 2010

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