Cauliflower "Fried Rice"

I LOVE fried rice, and often make my own fried rice at home with brown rice which is delicious. But sometimes when I want to cut down on my carbs, I opt for cauliflower rice.

I posted this Cilantro Lime Cauliflower "Rice" a while back, and it was a huge hit. So I decided to play around with that recipe and make this Asian version to go with the Orange Chicken I posted yesterday, and my husband (who detests cauliflower) was pretty amazed how the meal turned out. The portions are generous and you get a serving or two of vegetables into your diet.

If you like this, you may also like:

Brown Fried Rice
Asian Edamame Fried Rice
Pineapple Shrimp Fried Rice
Spicy Shrimp Fried Rice


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Cauliflower Fritters

This is a delicious way to prepare cauliflower. It's similar to the taste of a potato pancake and makes a fabulous side dish – your kids will love them!

My Sicilian friend Julia is a wonderful cook. I remember the first meal I ate in her NYC apartment; lamb chops and fried cauliflower which she calls broccoli a pasteta. She joked that day you can fry a sponge and it would taste good – she's probably right. These are a lightened version of her recipe, made with Pecorino Romano, parsley, egg, garlic, white whole wheat flour and just enough oil to saute them in a pan.

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Easy Garlic Broccolini

Broccolini, also known as baby broccoli, makes a fantastic, quick side dish and compliments just about anything from beef roasts, lamb, fish, turkey, chicken, lasagna and more. 

It's actually not a younger version of broccoli, but rather a natural hybrid between regular broccoli and a plant called Chinese broccoli. My family prefers it to broccoli and since it takes less time to cook, I make this at least once a week. It has longer, thin stalks with small florets and only needs a few minutes to cook. I make this side dish at least once a week – even my toddler eats it with no complaints!

The best part, it's healthy and ready in under 10 minutes so if you're cooking for the holidays or just a meal for your family and need an easy side dish, this is it! You can double it or halve it as you need.

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Light and Easy Cauliflower Gratin

Thanksgiving is at my Mom's house this year. She makes the turkey, stuffing, gravy and mashed potatoes and we all bring the rest. I always bring a vegetable or two and some appetizers, my cousin brings dessert and my sister in law usually brings a salad.

Last year I made a cauliflower gratin that was a lot more complicated than this, but I wanted to test out an easier version knowing many of you will be looking for easy sides. This is super simple, all done in the oven so you don't need to dirty extra pots and pans. You can double this in a 9 x 12 baking dish if you want to feed more people. I used light Havarti cheese because I love the taste, but you can use Swiss, cheddar or whatever you wish. Each serving is under 100 calories or 2 points plus if you're doing WW.

And BTW, the serving spoon in the photo above and fork below is from Such A Time Designs. Beautiful, affordable silver plated one-of-a-kind hand stamped flatware that makes great gifts. This week I am running a giveaway on Skinny Bits – $100 worth of store credit to use on her Etsy shop. If you're interested click here for details.

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Slow Cooker Garlic Sweet Potato Mash

These savory sweet potatoes are the perfect addition to your turkey dinner – let your slow cooker help you out in the kitchen this Thanksgiving!

I've adapted my sweet potato mashed potato recipe for the slow cooker, as another option for you this Thanksgiving Day. The slow cooker is a great appliance to use on those days you have a lot to cook, and not enough room on your stove and this sweet potato recipe couldn't be easier to adapt for the slow cooker.

I've also done this with maple, I just skipped the garlic and added 1 1/2 tsp pure maple syrup instead for a sweeter version. Enjoy!

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Cauliflower Tots

If you need a way to get your family to eat more vegetables, give these a try. These kid-friendly cauliflower tots are so good, they won't realize they are eating cauliflower. They are great as a side dish and are easy to make. 

Last year I fell in love with zucchini tots, and since adapted the recipe using cauliflower instead during the colder months when zucchini isn't in season. I also had issues with them sticking to my mini muffin pan, and found making them on a non-stick baking sheet the perfect solution. My older daughter loves these, but my toddler still prefers to eat her vegetables raw (go figure!). I plan in trying these with broccoli next, will let you know how they turn out!
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Cilantro Lime Cauliflower "Rice"

Grated cauliflower makes a fantastic low-carb, grain-free stand in for rice when you need a little carb detox. You can season this any way you wish – here I brightened it up with lime and cilantro and served it with a broiled pork loin. It has a couscous-like texture, and is perfect with chicken, pork chops, steak or anything you would normally serve with rice.

Does it taste like cauliflower? Yes, it does so if you're not a cauliflower fan (I love it!) this may not be for you. But if you're a fan like me, you'll love this side dish! And it's also vegetarian, vegan and Paleo-friendly.

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Baked Spaghetti Squash and Cheese

Cheesy baked spaghetti squash and baby spinach – a comforting, cheesy dish, without the guilt. Perfect for Meatless Mondays or any day of the week!

I am down to the last few days of finishing up the cookbook, so forgive me for not posting more recipes. But since it's Monday, I thought this delicious meatless dish from the archives would be perfect for this beautiful Fall day.

I'm really excited to share this recipe with you, I think you are all going to love this dish. I was craving something cheesy, without all the carbs from macaroni and came up with this.

I basically swapped the pasta from my Skinny Macaroni and Cheese recipe with spaghetti squash and was really impressed with the results.

No, spaghetti squash does not taste like pasta, it's slightly sweeter and of course a vegetable rather than a grain, but we all loved this dish. Even my husband gave it a thumbs up – I think we all found our favorite way to east this squash.

It can be prepared ahead, then baked just before ready to serve. I reheated leftovers in the microwave for lunch the next day and it was just as good as when I first made it.

If you are looking for a dish that is gluten-free, low-carb, vegetarian and comforting, give this a try. Serve this as a main dish, or as a side dish. I think this would even freeze and reheat well, if anyone tries this let me know!

By the way, serving spoon is from Such A Time Designs.

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Skillet Mexican Zucchini

This zucchini is incredibly delicious with a little bit of a Mexican kick from the jalapeno then topped with melted queso blanco. It's also easy and quick, a must try!

I'm a bit of a cookbook addict. It's a problem as I'm running out of room in my home for all my books, but that never stops me from buying new ones. But the biggest problem is that I kinda neglect them. But this weekend I was thumbing through the Aaron Sanchez's (who is one of the judges on Chopped - one of my favorite shows) cookbook Simple Food, Big Flavor who is also one of the judges on Chopped (one of my favorite shows) and I came across his Mexican recipe for zucchini. I can't get enough of zucchini in the summer, in fact I have an entire Pinterest Board devoted to skinny zucchini called Yummy Zucchini, so I decided to test this out...

You MUST try this! I only made a few tweaks using less oil, and and rather than making a cilantro pesto, I added Garden Gourmet cilantro paste and minced pickled jalapeno for kick. It totally exceeded my expectations.

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Sauteed Julienned Summer Vegetables

Zucchini, yellow squash and carrots cut into spaghetti like strands and sauteed with garlic and oil. I make this side dish ALL summer long – not just because it's low-carb, gluten-free, clean and paleo friendly, but because it's delicious, good for you and also happens to be my husband's favorite way to enjoy zucchini!

This goes great with anything you grill, but I especially love serving this as a side to fish. It almost feels like you're eating noodles, maybe you can call them "zoodles".

The trick to quickly cutting the vegetables into thin long strips is to use a mandolin with a julienne blade. You could also do this with a sharp knife if you have serious knife skills, but I say splurge on a mandolin. My mandolin is from OXO, I've had it a few years and I get so much use out of it. I basically run the vegetables through the mandolin until I get the center where the seeds are, then I turn it. The carrots are a bit tougher to cut, so sometimes I just buy a bag of pre-shredded carrots. Once the cutting is done, it takes less than 4 minutes to cook, or vegetables that are tender crisp like al dente pasta.

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Baked Eggplant Sticks

Strips of eggplant, breaded and baked until golden and served with a quick marinara sauce. Serve these as a snack, appetizer or side dish. I'm making these tonight with an eggplant I bought at the farmer's market and figured I would revive the recipe from the archives. Enjoy!

I can vividly remember the day when my picky daughter, who was in middle school at the time, told me she liked eggplant.  

Eggplant? Really? She was eating dinner at a friend's and they were having breaded eggplant for dinner and she loved it. Kids are always more willing to try new food when they are eating over their friends'. I was delighted she liked a new vegetable and I made breaded eggplant for her at least once a month, only I baked them instead of making them fried.

Eggplant is probably not for everyone, but if you like eggplant, or want to try introducing them to your family and don't know how, this is a good place to start. There are many varieties of eggplant, Japanese eggplant is a bit sweeter and milder. If you have a farmer's market near you, you will find a lot of varieties is season right now.



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Chilled Watermelon Cucumber Feta Salad

Chilled watermelon and chunks of cucumber are tossed with feta cheese, Kalamata olives, fresh mint and a drizzle of balsamic glaze. It's that salty-sweet thing going on here that's so good – and will keep you cool as a cucumber during these dog days of summer.

This is the ONLY salad I want this week; temperatures are going to be in the high 90's all week long here in New York. During these sultry months, I usually make my watermelon salad with arugula, feta and red onion, but I loved this new combination with cucumber, mint and olives for an alternative, and a great way to use up any cucumbers you may have lying around.

You can double this to make a big bowl for a crowd, or cut it in half if you want to serve two. This makes a great side dish to grilled chicken, or seafood.

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Orange and Arugula Salad with Red Onion and Gorgonzola

Something about Spring and the warmer weather that puts me in such a GREAT mood. It also makes me crave more salads, and this simple salad is a favorite of mine, I make this all the time for myself.

I love the combination of the sweet, juicy oranges mixed with the peppery arugula and the pungent taste of the creamy Gorgonzola cheese, they work together harmoniously. My husband doesn't agree; he is not a fan of Gorgonzola at all so I usually make this for myself for lunch. If you want to make this for two or four, just multiply the ingredients. If you're like my husband and don't care for Gorgonzola, you could use goat cheese or feta instead.

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Summer Pasta Salad with Baby Greens

I love making this mayo-less pasta salad with arugula, spinach, sun dried tomatoes, capers, fresh shaved Parmesan cheese and a splash of balsamic and oil. It's great for lunch or dinner, and has a healthy serving of baby greens. In the summer, when tomatoes are at their sweetest, I replace the sun dried tomatoes with fresh tomatoes from my garden.

I usually have this for dinner on those warmer nights when I want a meatless meal or just something light, and because it has pasta in it, I feel full and satisfied after I eat it. The portions are pretty large for under 200 calories (only 5 WW points plus). This also makes a great side dish if you reduce the portions when you're grilling up some burgers or chicken.

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Lemon Asparagus Couscous Salad with Tomatoes

Pearl couscous (otherwise known as Isreali couscous) tossed with asparagus, tomatoes and lemon juice make a vibrant Spring pasta salad that is perfect for lunch, as a side dish, or even to make as a side dish if you are grilling for Mother's Day this weekend!

I'm not usually a fan of the taste of whole wheat pasta, but I don't mind it when the pasta is a smaller cut like orzo, angel hair and pearl couscous. Yes, for those of you who've never tried pearl couscous, it's basically pasta and I treat as such. I don't follow the directions on the box, instead I boil it in a pot of water like I would with orzo. I just adore the pearl shaped texture and also found it as the perfect shape for my daughter when started eating solid foods.

This salad can be eaten room temperature or chilled, and leftovers are great the next day for lunch.

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Southwestern Black Bean Salad

I love making this colorful, salad when the weather warms, it makes enough to feed a crowd and makes a great side dish or appetizer if served with chips. It's also great as a topping for taco salads or served with grilled meat and fresh tortillas.

And BONUS, this salad is low in saturated fat and loaded with antioxidants. A perfect summer side dish for grilled meat, fish or chicken. It's best when you use sweet fresh roasted corn, but if corn is not in season, frozen, thawed corn will work just fine in it's place.

 

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Skinny Baked Broccoli Macaroni and Cheese

Cheesy macaroni and broccoli are topped with bread crumbs and baked to perfection. Kid friendly, vegetarian and comfort food at it's finest.

I first made this back in 2011, and it has since been very popular. Last week I made it again and updated the photos, I forgot just how good this is! This time I used rotini pasta, you can really use whatever shape you like. My step by step photos are still the original, so keep that in mind when you make this.

It's perfect if you're craving macaroni and cheese but don't want to waste a days worth of calories in one meal. You still get that same comforting taste, with a little less guilt.

When I first made this, I used a Mexican blend of cheese, because it was all I had on hand, but since I've been making it with a sharp reduced-fat Cheddar such as 50% less-fat Cabot, in my opinion this is better with a sharp cheddar to really let the cheesy flavors stand out.

To speed things up, I used pre-cut fresh broccoli. This recipe was loved by all in my home, even my not-so-crazy-about-broccoli husband loved it and leftovers are perfect for lunch. You can bake this in one large baking dish, or individual oven safe dishes for perfect portion control, or you can make half and use a 9 x 9-inch baking dish.

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Mixed Baby Greens with Strawberries, Gorgonzola and Poppy Seed Dressing

 

Today it really feels like Spring here on the East Coast. Temperatures are supposed to get into the eighties, which is quite a change from the snow we had two weeks ago! I've been on a salad kick big time, and even started a Pinterest board dedicated to salads called "Bikini Ready Salads" because summer will be here before you know it.

This delicious salad is perfect for this time of year or throughout the summer. Mixed organic baby greens such as baby kale and baby spinach (side bar, I am looooving Organic Girl's I heart baby kale mix), are tossed with sliced strawberries, slivered almonds and crumbled Gorgonzola cheese. The dressing is a simple vinaigrette with honey, poppy seeds and shallots.  This makes a wonderful light lunch or a perfect side salad to serve it with grilled chicken.

I love fruit in my salads, especially when combined with the texture of nuts such as almonds and a soft cheese such as Gorgonzola. The sweetness of the strawberries compliments the cheese, and the poppy seed dressing ties it all together. This recipe was first posted back in 2008, before I owned a decent camera and the photo was so embarrassing, I decided to let it shine and give it a photo makeover.

You can swap the almonds for any nut you like, such as walnuts or pecans and the cheese can be swapped with goat cheese. For Paleo diets, leave out the cheese and use raw honey in the dressing.

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Fiesta Bean Salad

Black beans, chick peas, tomatoes, cilantro and avocado are tossed with a cumin-lime vinaigrette – I love the bright, fresh flavors of this quick and easy salad! Perfect for lunch, Meatless Mondays, or even as a side dish with grilled steak, shrimp or chicken.

Something magical happens when you combine cumin, cilantro and lime juice. I can seriously add this to just about anything and be a happy camper.

I confess that I didn't always like beans in my salads, I think it's a texture thing because I love beans simmered in soups or with rice, but...

...add some avocados, cilantro, red onion, lime juice, and cumin.... this is yumm-y!! What's more it's antioxidant rich, full of heart healthy fats, clean, and high in fiber which keeps you full and satisfied.

This serves four as a main dish, if you prefer to have this as a side dish, then it would easily serve 8.

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Southwestern Black Bean, Quinoa and Mango Medley

Happy Monday, hope everyone had a nice weekend. Today is the first day of April and Spring is in the air! I started my morning with a two mile run which felt great, and I thought it would be the perfect day to enjoy this delicious quinoa salad which I am reviving from the archives.

Black beans, sweet mango, and lots of colorful vegetables make a delicious zesty salad that has wonderful texture, color and flavor. Serve this as a side dish at a potluck or enjoy this as a meatless main course with some corn tortillas (perfect for Meatless Mondays!!) Leftovers are perfect for lunch on the go as the flavors only get better the next day.

Packed with vitamin C, vitamin A, fiber, folate, iron and lutein so it's not just tasty, it's good for you.

This recipe is from The Plant-Powered Diet by Sharon Palmer, RD who I met in California on my trip to the Dole Blogger Summit. If you are interested in adding more vegetables and plant-based foods to your diet, this is the book for you.

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