April 26, 2024

Herb-licious Roasted Cauliflower Skillet

So, to spare you another butternut recipe 😉 here’s one that is delicious—HERB-licious, that is!  Whether you are blessed to have fresh herbs on hand or are relying (like me) on your stash of dried herbs, this is a very tasty way to serve roasted cauliflower.

Large, beautiful heads of cauliflower are super-abundant in our area now and for the rest of the Fall season.  Cauliflower makes for an excellent low carb stand-in for more traditional carb-laden foods like potatoes and rice.  Here are some nutrition facts which will show the value of eating (often!) this wonderful veggie.

And this whole recipe from cutting up the cauliflower (here’s a link to an efficient way to do that job) to grating on the Parm right before serving will take you just about one half hour…really!

Herb-licious Roasted Cauliflower Skillet

2015-10-04 19.56.25

ingredients:
1 head cauliflower, about 2#
3-4 tablespoons olive oil (or coconut oil), divided
2-3 teaspoons (combined) of dried herbs (thyme, tarragon, crushed rosemary), your choice
sea salt, freshly ground pepper
2 (or more!) tablespoons of minced garlic
3 links of uncooked chicken (or turkey) sausage, removed from casings
1/2 # ground chicken or turkey
1 medium onion, diced
handful of grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
2 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan cheese

directions:

  • heat the oven to 425; line a baking sheet with parchment paper
  • cut the cauliflower up into bite-sized florets; and place into a large bowl
  • add 2 (or 3 if necessary) tablespoons of oil, all the herbs and a teaspoon each of s&p; combine
  • pour onto the lined baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes; pull out of the oven
  • scatter the minced garlic and tomatoes over the cauliflower and gently combine
  • continue to roast for another 5 minutes or so ‘til cauliflower is lightly browned and easily pierced with a sharp knife; remove from oven
  • meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat
  • add the onion and sausage and cook for 5 minutes, using a spoon to break up the meat as it cooks
  • crumble in the ground meat; and continue to cook for another 6 minutes or so ‘til all the meat is thoroughly cooked through and broken up into small-ish chunks; reduce heat to very low
  • taste the <thoroughly cooked> meat, add s&p to taste
  • when cauliflower is ready, add to skillet and stir to combine
  • top with cheese, if desired

   ♥      ♥      ♥      ♥      ♥ 

God loves you!   ♥  (Don’t ever forget that!)

♥  coleen

At Home with GCH: Appetizers Week 3

Here on our At Home with GCH blog, Monday’s are always focused on healthy but oh-so-yummy! recipes.  This month we are doing a series on appetizers.  As I confessed last week: I love appetizers! Whether you call them tapas, small bites, hors d’ouerves, antipasto, or simply appetizers; no matter what you call ‘em…I like ‘em!  One of my favorite things to do on a weekend evening is to have some folks over, set up a board game, put appetizers and beverages on the buffet…relax and have fun!  But that’s me! I would love for you to leave a comment below sharing with us YOUR favorite appetizer(s)!

This week we are making Guacamole and Six Layer Mexican DipVamanos! (Let’s go!)

Guacamole is so simple to prepare from fresh ingredients.  And when you make it at home you are able to leave out any preservatives or other unhealthy additions.  The main ingredient in any guacamole recipe is AVOCADO.  Avocados, which are fruit, are considered a very healthy plant-based fat which is comprised of monounsaturated (the good stuff) fat that is easily metabolized (burned).  Here are some nutrition facts (based on one whole avocado):

Guacamole DipIMG_0154

1 ripe avocado
juice of ½ small lemon (try Mayer lemons!)
Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
1/2 ripe tomato, seeded and chopped
OR 12-15 grape tomatoes, halved
1/8 small Vidalia onion, very thinly sliced

Halve the avocado; remove pit very carefully.

Scoop out the fruit into a glass or ceramic bowl, and mash roughly with the lemon juice and approximately 1 teaspoon kosher salt and pepper to taste.

Stir in the cut-up tomatoes and onions.  Taste for seasoning, adding if necessary.

Should be served immediately.

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Six Layer Mexican DipIMG_0159

1 (16 ounce) can refried beans
8 ounces of jarred salsa (I used black bean & corn variety)
12 ounces sour cream
2-3 tablespoons homemade taco seasoning*
Guacamole (see above recipe)
8-12 ounces shredded sharp cheddar or colby jack
1 (6 ounce) can black olives, sliced

Heat refried beans in the microwave for approximately 1 minute in a 1/2—2 quart clear glass  container just ‘til warm.  Remove from microwave.  Spread into an even layer.

Pour salsa over beans and smooth into an even layer.

Mix homemade taco seasoning with sour cream; spoon onto the salsa layer, spreading gently.

Spoon guacamole evenly over the sour cream mixture; spreading if necessary.

Scatter shredded cheese on top of the guacamole; and then distribute olive slices on the very top.

Serve with your favorite tortilla chips!

Homemade Taco Seasoning Mix

1/4 cup chili powder
3 tablespoons dried minced onion
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1+1/2 teaspoons salt (optional, I do not include it)
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground chipotle pepper
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/3 cup cornstarch

Place all ingredients in a small glass jar; shake really well ‘til all ingredients appear to be evenly distributed.  (To substitute for the mix that comes in a yellow package: use 3 tablespoons of mix and 1/3 cup water for each pound of meat.)

God loves you!   ♥  (Don’t ever forget that!)

 ♥   coleen

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If you would like to send a personal message to Coleen concerning this series, you may email her at: Coleen@girlfriendscoffeehour.com