Cauliflower Tacos + My New Favorite Cookbook

Meet my new taco obsession, Cauliflower Tacos.  My sister and brother in law had been raving about these tacos for awhile now.  My sister said they eat them at least once a week, so last week on our beach trip they made them for us and I was blown away.  For a meat free taco these are amazing.   They are a bit spicy which I love.  The cauliflower gets a little caramelized and crispy and trust me you won't be able to stop eating it. The spicy cauliflower paired with sweet fresh corn, and creamy avocado is just the best flavor combo.  The cauliflower is delicious on its on too.  I gobbled up our leftovers over quinoa the next night.   I think this may just become a weekly meal for us too!  

Enjoy!

|| C A U L I F L O W E R   T A C O S ||

recipe via BuzzFeed

1 head cauliflower

1/4 cup hot sauce

2 tablespoons melted butter

2 teaspoons garlic powder

1 teaspoon salt

3 ears corn

flour shells

refried black beans

avocado

queso fresco crumbled

sour cream + hot sauce

jalapenos (optional)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Cut the cauliflower into bite size pieces.  Mix together the hot sauce, melted butter, garlic powder, and salt and then pour over the cauliflower and mix well- I usually do this in a large bowl and then transfer to a baking sheet.  Place the cauliflower on a baking sheet and bake for 40 minutes, after 20 minutes stir the cauliflower once.  

While the cauliflower is cooking, boil the corn.  I usually boil it for about 10-5 minutes just to slightly cook it and soften the kernels.  Once it is done cut off the kernels and place in a bowl.  

Mix sour cream with hot sauce (we love cholula and valentina) 

Dice the avocado and sprinkle with salt and drizzle with lime or lemon juice

Assemble tacos!  Layer a flour shell with black beans, cauliflower, corn, avocado, sour cream, cheese and jalapenos

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As many of you know I am cookbook obsessed.  I get so excited when I find a new cookbook.  Well I had a few readers recommend the Love and Lemons Cookbook and I have to say it may just be one of my favorite cookbooks ever.  Now keep in mind I have only made one recipe (the Quinoa Salad Radicchio cups, see picture below) and it was beyond delicious.  I can just tell the rest of the recipes will be just as good.  I judge a cookbook by its layout and the recipe content.  This cookbook is beautiful and it has a picture of every recipe.  I love pictures, it helps me visualize the recipe.  The cookbook is divided into categories by vegetable which I love.  I seriously took it to bed with two nights just to read and devour the recipes.  It is a vegetarian cookbook so if you are looking for meat free recipes, I highly recommend this cookbook!

Love and Lemons Cookbook

Tuscan Chicken Cakes + Cauliflower Soup

As promised I am back with the best menu ever for the next time you have guests over. This week you lucky gals are getting two recipes instead of just one I have my friend Melissa to thank for this delish Tuscan Chicken Cake Recipe. As soon as we made plans to have friends over I immediately texted her and told her to send me her favorite entertaining recipe. She is a great cook so I knew I would not be disappointed. These Chicken Cakes are very similar to Crab Cakes. I absolutely love the Mediterranean twist on them. Adding in a little pesto and roasted red peppers gave the cakes great flavor. The best part is that you can make them ahead. I made the cakes and both sauces the morning before our friends came over and just refrigerated them til I was ready to cook them that night. They also look pretty beautiful plated. You and your guests will love these tasty cakes.

TUSCAN CHICKEN CAKES WITH TOMATO BASIL RELISH3 Cups Cooked Chicken shredded and chopped
½ Cup finely chopped red onion (**I use a Rotisserie Chicken**)2 TBS Olive Oil
1 Cup Italian Breadcrumbs, divided
1 pkg of mixed greens
¼ Cup Mayonnaise
1/3 Cup Balsamic and Oil Dressing (I just made my own with olive oil and balsamic vinegar)1 Egg, lightly beaten
Golden Aioli (see directions below)
¼ Cup prepared basil pesto
Tomato Basil Relish (see below)
2 tsp honey mustard
1/3 Cup finely chopped roasted red peppers, drained
1 Package mixed salad greens.

DIRECTIONS:
In a large bowl, mix together chicken, ½ cup bread crumbs, mayo, egg, pesto, honey mustard, roasted red peppers and onion. Shape chicken mixture into 8 cakes. Lightly coat each with remaining ½ cup bread crumbs.
In a large nonstick skillet, place oil over medium high heat. Cook chicken cakes 3 mins per side. Drain on a paper towel.
Toss salad greens with balsamic dressing and divide among 4 serving plates. Top each with 2 chicken cakes; drizzle with Golden Aioli and a dollop of Tomato-Basil Relish.

GOLDEN AIOLI:
Whisk together ½ cup mayo and 2 TBS honey mustard

TOMATO-BASIL RELISH:
Mix together 1 cup seeded and chopped plum tomatoes with 1/3 cup chopped red onion, 2TBS silvered basil leaves, 1 tsp basil pesto, and 2 TBS balsamic/oil dressing.


CAULIFLOWER SOUP
For a starter I made Cauliflower Soup. I have actually never made Cauliflower soup before but I recently had some at the Glass Onion and knew I needed to recreate it asap. It was such a silky smooth soup with amazing flavor. I googled a few recipes then ended up creating my own version. This soup was so easy to make and I just let it simmer for a few hours before we ate. It reheated fantastically the next day as well. This just might become your new favorite soup. I added in truffle oil and crumbled bacon which let me tell you made this soup freaking fantastic- but you can totally leave them out if you prefer.


CAULIFLOWER SOUP
1 head cauliflower
1-2 garlic cloves
1 carrot diced
1 celery stalk diced
1 small onion diced
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 cups chicken broth
1 teaspoon finely chopped parsley
2 bay leaf
1.5 cups heavy cream
1-2 tablespoons truffle oil


Preheat oven to 425°F.

Cut cauliflower into 1-inch flowerets. In a large baking pan toss cauliflower with oil to coat and roast in middle of oven about 30 minutes, or until golden.

Sautee celery, carrot, onions and garlic in olive oil for about 5 minutes.

Add in broth, roasted cauliflower, and herbs. Simmer 30 min-1 hour, or until cauliflower is very tender. Discard bay leaves and in a blender puree soup in batches until smooth (or use an immersion blender if you have one), transferring to a bowl. Return soup to bowl and stir in cream and salt and pepper to taste. Heat soup over moderate heat until just heated through. Stir in truffle oil just before serving. Optional- we served ours with crumbled bacon over top.

Sririacha Roasted Cauliflower + Peanut Butter Sauce | Kate Spade Surprise Sale

With football season starting back I have had fun appetizers and snacks on my mind.  This beauty comes from a new cookbook I am kind of obsessed with, Thug Kitchen.  If don't have their cookbook, you can check out their tumblir here where they share some recipes.  All their recipes are vegetarian and always look amazing.

 It has become my go to now that we are eating primarily meat free because their recipes are so creative and full of flavor.  This is kind of a spin on buffalo chicken but with cauliflower with an Asian Twist.  I absolutely loved the cauliflower, I could not stop eating it.  The flavors of the spicy cauliflower paired with the peanut butter sauce is amazing.

Frances Moon could not wait to dig in.    Surprisingly the kids loved this dish too- although please note they are spicy so beware if your kids don't like spicy foods. Both my kids seem to love spicy foods probably because Matt and I cook spicy things often.  If you want this dish more kid friendly I would only use the 1/3 hot sauce as opposed to 2/3.  The kids also loved dipping the cucumber in the peanut butter sauce.

|| S R I R I A C H A   R O A S T E D   C A U L I F L O W E R  +

P E A N U T  BU T T E R  S A U C E ||

Via Thug Life Cookbook

- 2 medium heads cauliflower ( I only used one)

- 1/2 cup flour

- 1/2 cup water

HOT SAUCE

- 2 teaspoons oil ( I used olive oil)

- 1/3 to 2/3 cups sriracha depending on how hot you want it ( I used 2/3)

- 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar

- 1/2 teaspoon soy sauce

PEANUT DIPPING SAUCE

- 1/4 cup warm water

- 1/4 peanut butter + 2 tablespoons

- 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar

- 2 tablespoons lime juice

- 2 teaspoons fresh minced ginger

- 1 teaspoon soy sauce

1 teaspoon maple syrup

1 cucumber cut into sticks.

1) Heat oven to 450 degrees.  Grease a baking sheet or use parchment paper or foil to line.

Chop cauliflower into bite sized chunks

2) Whisk together the flour and water until there are no lumps.  Toss cauliflower with the flour water mixture and mix until all the pieces are coated.  Spread the cauliflower on baking sheet and roast 15 minutes.  Stir once about halfway through.

3) Make the hot sauce.  In a small pan mix oil, sririacha, vinegar and soy sauce.  Heat over low heat til warm.

4) Make peanut sauce. In a bowl whisk together peanut butter and water creamy and smooth.  Add in all other ingredients and stir til combined.  

5) After 15 minutes in the oven, dump the cauliflower back in a big bowl and toss with hot sauce mixture.  Make sure it all is coated.  Pour them back on the baking sheet and cook about 5 more minutes.

6) Serve hot or room temperature with sliced cucumber.

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The Kate Spade private sale started yesterday and it is filled with some great buys.  Most items are 75% off.  If you need a purse now is the time to buy one.  I am talking $600 purses for like $130.

Scroll through to see my favorites.  I have this one and this one sitting in my cart.

You can check out the whole sale HERE.

3 Veggie Sides + All White OOTD

Hello Wednesday.  I have a list a mile long of things to get done before we leave town and of course I have waited til the last minute to do it all and now I am stressed out! Today I wanted to share 3 easy veggie recipes plus an outfit.  I think I shared the cauliflower recipe on here awhile ago but I had a request to share again, so here you go!  These 3 veggie sides are made almost every week in our house.  They are easy to make and added bonus my kids will eat them and they are PICKY about veggies these days.  Monday night we had the cauliflower and okra with navy beans for our "Meatless Monday" meal. Btw I am obsessed with purple cauliflower it is such a gorgeous shade of purple.   I have been mixing it with the white cauliflower the past few times I have made this dish but feel free to just use the regular white cauliflower. 

 I hope you love these sides as much as we do!

S P I C Y  R O A S T E D  O K R A

1-2 pounds okra

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon hot sauce

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

1/4 tsp garlic salt

1/2 tsp paprika

salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  In a bowl toss the okra with the olive oil and hot sauce and then add in red pepper flakes, garlic salt, and paprika.  Mix all together and season with salt and pepper.  Place on a baking sheet and bake 20-25 minutes.  I like my okra crispy so I cook it a little longer. 

R O A S T E D  C A U L I F L O W E R +  C H I C K P E A S

via My Father's Daughter Cookbook

1 14-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed, drained and dried

1 head of cauliflower, outer leaves removed and discarded, cut into bite-sized florets

3 tablespoons plus 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, divided

Coarse sea salt

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon seeded mustard (i.e., grainy mustard)

1 tablespoon white wine vinegar

Freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup chopped Italian parsley

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and set the rack in the middle. Toss chickpeas and cauliflower together in a large roasting pan with 3 tablespoons olive oil and a big pinch of salt. Roast, stirring now and then, until everything is dark brown and the cauliflower is quite soft, about 45 minutes. 

2. Meanwhile, whisk together mustards, vinegar, and 1/4 cup of olive oil with a big pinch of salt and a few healthy grinds of black pepper. While the chickpeas and cauliflower are still warm, toss them with the mustard dressing and the parsley. Serve warm or at room temperature.

P A R M E S A N   R O A S T E D   B R O C C O L I 

Via Back to Basics Cookbook

4 to 5 pounds broccoli 
4 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced 
Good olive oil 
1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt 
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest 
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice 
3 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted 
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese 
2 tablespoons julienned fresh basil leaves

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Cut the broccoli florets from the thick stalks, leaving an inch or two of stalk attached to the florets, discarding the rest of the stalks. Cut the larger pieces through the base of the head with a small knife, pulling the florets apart. You should have about 8 cups of florets. Place the broccoli florets on a sheet pan large enough to hold them in a single layer. Toss the garlic on the broccoli and drizzle with 5 tablespoons olive oil. Sprinkle with the salt and pepper. Roast for 20 to 25 minutes, until crisp-tender and the tips of some of the florets are browned. 

Remove the broccoli from the oven and immediately toss with 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, the lemon zest, lemon juice, pine nuts, Parmesan, and basil. Serve hot. 

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I also wanted to share my outfit from yesterday.  I have been loving some all white this Summer.

I have this tee shirt in green as well and loved it so much I bought the white.  It is from the junior's section so I sized up and went with a medium because I like a looser tee shirt fit.  It also comes in black and wine.

Tee Shirt |  Shorts | Sandals | Necklaces| Tote | Ring

Another all white look from last month.  These jeans are the best white jeans!  They offer the perfect amount of stretch, and are not see through.

Blouse | Jeans | Sandals | Necklace | Ring

Cauliflower, White Bean, and Feta Salad

If you follow me on Instagram then you knew this recipe was coming your way.  I have been trying to eat pretty clean since the New Year (minus the Bojangles and Pizza I consumed last weekend).  I like to make a salad at the start of each week to have for my lunch everyday.  Saves money and then lunch is easy no planning necessary and it's healthy.  I made this salad this week and it knocked my socks off.  If you love Cauliflower then you will love this salad.  The flavors are so fresh, light, and delicious.  I think it would be killer with some grilled Shrimp if you wanted a heartier meal but it was perfect alone for lunch.  I love that the cauliflower is raw and not cooked- most recipes call for it cooked.  The raw crunch of the cauliflower adds some great texture.   All the fresh herbs and feta really give the salad amazing flavor.  I promise you will be hooked on this.  I am on day three of eating it and still not sick of it!
Bon Appetit!

{CAULIFLOWER, WHITE BEAN, AND FETA SALAD}

• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary

• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 2 1/2 teaspoons finely grated lemon peel
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

• 1 medium head of cauliflower, trimmed, cut into small florets (about 3 cups)
• 1 (15-ounce) can white beans (such as Great Northern or navy beans), drained
• 2 large heads of Belgian endive, trimmed, halved lengthwise, then thinly sliced crosswise
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley
• 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese (about 3 ounces)

Combine oil and rosemary in small saucepan. Stir over medium heat just until fragrant, about 1 minute. Cool.

Whisk lemon juice, vinegar, lemon peel, salt, and pepper in small bowl.

Combine cauliflower, beans, endive, chives, parsley, and rosemary oil in medium bowl; toss. Mix in cheese. Add lemon juice mixture and toss to coat. Season salad with salt and pepper.

What I Eat | 3 Day Food Diary

I shared a food diary last January and I had a request to share one again.  

A few things to note:

This took place during the week on a Tuesday-Thursday.  Let's be real I don't always eat this healthy  but my A game is on since I gained 5+ lbs over the Holidays.  I do however still eat a lot of veggies and very little meat in my regular diet , I just usually snack more often.  During the week I really try to be mindful of what I am eating with little processed foods,  little sugar and not many snacks.   On the weekends I definitely indulge more and don't restrict myself. Also if I am eating out, I order what I want and don't restrict myself. 

I didn't include all my drinks below, so FYI I gave up caffeine after I had Frances and I only drink decaf coffee now.  The caffeine was making me anxious and I feel so much better now without it.   I don't miss it one bit.  But I do still like a cup of coffee in the morning, I usually either make a decaf black coffee with my Nespresso or pick up a decaf latte  or cappuccino at Starbucks.  Otherwise during the day I only drink water, seltzer, or unsweetened green tea (the tea is the only caffeine I have and it doesn't seem to affect me like coffee did), and of course wine a few nights a week. 

I just recently got back into juicing and I have to say my energy has been so much better.  Sometimes it is easier to just pick up a green juice but it saves so much money if you make it at home.   I have this Breville Juicer and love it. I bought it 4 years ago after Christmas and it still works like a charm.  The parts are also dishwasher safe which is always a plus.    I hand wash it for the most part but run it through the dishwasher once a week. 

Now sometimes I am lazy and don't feel like juicing, on those days I drink one of these 8 greens tablets dissolved in water.  It is a superfood supplement and contains 8 different greens pressed into one little tablet.  They are kind of like Airborne but filled with nutrients and greens instead. These green tablets are amazing.  On Sunday I felt so tired and wanted to take a nap but I drank one and then ran 2 miles and felt so good.  I had so much more energy.  Btw this is by no means an ad or sponsored post, I paid for them and truly love them.

DAY ONE

Lemon Water.  I start each day with hot lemon water and often end with it as well.

I squeeze half a lemon into a coffee mug with water and microwave 1 minute.  You can do this on the stove as well.

Next Green Juice.  My go-to Green Juice is : 2 apples, 1 lemon, 2 celery stalks, 1 baby cucumber, 1 jalapeño seeds removed, 1 inch piece peeled ginger, 1 bunch kale, and handful spinach.  This makes enough juice for Matt and I both to have a glass.

Breakfast

 Yogurt with Strawberries and Pistachio Crumble.  

This recipe came out of the Bon Appetit Food Lovers Cleanse cookbook and Matt and I are both loving it.  It is super simple all you do is dry roast 1/4 cup chopped pistachios, 2 teaspoons poppy seeds and 2 teaspoons sesame seeds on medium heat about 1minute.  Then add in 2 tablespoons honey and cook 1 more minute.  Remove from heat and let nuts cool and harden into chunks.  Serve over greek yogurt with fresh strawberries.

Lunch 

Greek Salad + Hummus + Naan Bread + Pepperoncini

I frequently make this chopped Greek salad.  It is just chopped cherry tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, kalmata olives and feta cheese if you have it.  Add salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil and red wine vinegar.

Dinner

Panko Crusted Salmon + Roasted Cauliflower & Chickpeas with Mustard and Parsley (recipe below)

The cauliflower + chickpea recipe comes from Gwyneth Paltrow's cookbook and we all love it.  My kids will even eat the cauliflower this way.  It is so delicious.

1 14-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed, drained and dried

1 head of cauliflower, outer leaves removed and discarded, cut into bite-sized florets

3 tablespoons plus 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, divided

Coarse sea salt

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon seeded mustard (i.e., grainy mustard)

1 tablespoon white wine vinegar

Freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup chopped Italian parsley

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and set the rack in the middle. Toss chickpeas and cauliflower together in a large roasting pan with 3 tablespoons olive oil and a big pinch of salt. Roast, stirring now and then, until everything is dark brown and the cauliflower is quite soft, about 45 minutes. 

2. Meanwhile, whisk together mustards, vinegar, and 1/4 cup of olive oil with a big pinch of salt and a few healthy grinds of black pepper. While the chickpeas and cauliflower are still warm, toss them with the mustard dressing and the parsley. Serve warm or at room temperature.

I was still hungry before bed and I ate 1/2 an orange. 

Then I had hot lemon water with ginger.

DAY TWO

Hot Lemon Water.

Starbucks Decaf Latte

Breakfast

2 eggs scrambled with cheese, spinach and avocado, 2 pieces of bacon, 1/2 grapefruit

Lunch

Chopped Detox Salad + Leftover Roasted Cauliflower + Naan + Hummus

I had 1/2 a vegan cookie from Earthfare for a snack.

Dinner

Shrimp Nachos

DAY THREE

Hot Lemon Water

Green juice

I save my old Starbucks cup so I can use them as to-go cups and take my juice with me.

Breakfast

Starbucks Oatmeal + Decaf Latte

If I am on the go and need a quick easy breakfast I frequently get the oatmeal at Starbucks.  It is surprisingly good and filling.

Lunch

I ate lunch out at Xao Bao Biscuit and had the Cabbage pancake + fried egg

I had a few pretzels left over from the kid's snack before dinner.

Dinner

Skinny Taste's California Sushi Stacks (we used tuna and crab instead of shrimp) + Edamame.

This meal is super easy and my kids actually loved the edamame, added bonus.

Lemon Ginger water before bed.

When I eat clean like this and exercise I usually notice results quickly.   I lost about 2 lbs last week just from cutting out most of my snacks and processed foods.  I am not the type of person who can totally give up carbs, so I still enjoy them in moderation.   If you have any go-to healthy recipes I would love you to share them! 

Thai Chicken Meatballs + Curry Cauliflower + Dressing Room Find | Tee Shirt Dress

Happy Humpday guys!  I had several requests to share the recipes from my instastory Monday night featuring these Thai meatballs and curry cauliflower.  I have to say both were amazing.  The flavors were off the hook good and both were relatively easy to make and healthy.  The meatballs have no bread in them just chia seeds to bind so they are super light and tasty.

I swear I only have one kid that is a good eater at a time.  Right now it is Sterling.  As I was making the meatballs he exclaimed that looks gross like 10 times.  The green stuff always throws him for a loop.  After he sat down to eat them, he looked at me and goes " Mom,  you were right these are awesome." Winning mom moment, I love when I am right:)  Frances however would not touch dinner and went to bed hungry.  Go figure, at least one child appreciated my cooking skills.  These are a little spicy so use less hot sauce if you don't want them as spicy. 

I loved both and I also paired mine with my favorite Asian Kale Salad.  The 3 make a pretty killer dinner combo in my book:) 

Enjoy!

|| T H A I   C H I C K E N  M E A T B A L S || 

via The Dude Diet

- 1 pound ground chicken

- 3 garlic cloves minced

- 1.5 teaspoons grated fresh ginger

- 3 green onions sliced finely

- 1/4 cup cilantro finely chopped

- 1.5 teaspoons soy sauce

- 2 teaspoons sesame oil

- 2 tablespoons chia seeds

FOR THE GLAZE

- 3 tablespoons soy sauce

- juice of 1/2 lime

- 1 tablespoon honey

- 1 tablespoon sriracha

Put all the ingredients for the meatballs in a medium bowl.  Use your hands to mix all together.  Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.  This gives the chia seeds time to bind everything together. 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

With damp hands gently roll the chicken mix into balls.  Don't squeeze the meat too much.  Arrange them on the baking sheet.  Bake for 20 minutes or until lightly browned.

In a large skillet, whisk together ingredients for the glaze.  Bring to a boil over medium heat and cook about 1 minute or until it slightly thickens.  Add meatballs to skillet and shake to gently coat with glaze.  Serve warm.

|| R O A S T E D  C A U L I F L O W E R  W I T H  C U R R Y + L I M E ||

via It's All Easy

- 1 head cauliflower, cut into bite size pieces

- 2 tablespoons olive oil

- 1/2 teaspoon curry powder

- 3 tablespoons vegenaise

- juice of one lime

- 3 tablespoons chopped cilantro

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Put the cauliflower on a baking sheet and toss with olive oil, curry, and salt.  Roast for 20 minutes.

Mix vegenaise and lime juice in a large bowl.  When cauliflower is done toss it in this mixture.  Add cilantro and mix all together.

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The dressing room find of this week is a super cute tee shirt dress I spied at Loft.  

I am wearing a size small runs TTS.   I loved the pattern and the fact that it was not clingy

Swing Dress you can find my shoes HERE

also comes in black.

Roasted Veggie Pot Pie

Last week I had a reader comment and ask if I really felt better eating vegetarian.  I mentioned this before but I am not strictly vegetarian, Matt however is.  The truth is we both feel better when we eat a mainly plant based diet.  I have noticed I have way more energy,  I am not as sluggish and I think Matt feels the same.  He has even lost some weight and looks really good.  Of course for us ladies losing weight is always harder:) 

 I still love to indulge in some meat every now and then but I eat a primarily veggie based diet the majority of the time.  I cook mostly meat free meals now since Matt is a vegetarian.  I don't love meat enough to cook it just for me and the kids.  I love a good veggie meal so that is why many of the recipes I post lately are meat free.  I will post meat recipes again but this is our life and what we are eating currently.

We have had a lot of rain and dreary days lately and that makes me crave comfort food.  This veggie pot pie is so good you won't even the miss the meat.  But if you did want to have meat add some chicken in by all means.  I subbed cauliflower for the chicken because I felt like it was a hearty veggie.   Roasting the cauliflower and potatoes beforehand helps bring out great flavor instead of just boiling or steaming them.  You could really use any vegetable combo you wanted though.  I think for a fun Fall pot pie butternut squash or sweet potatoes would be really good.

 I decided to get all fancy and cut a star design out of my pre-made pie shell:)  I always use pre-made pie dough.  Maybe one day I will get ambitious and make my own but the pre-made works perfectly and is so easy.  If you want to do a design just save a little extra off the sides and cut into a design and place on top!

Enjoy!

||R O A S T E D  V E G G I E  P O T  P I E ||

- 1 head cauliflower chopped

- 1 small bag yellow baby potatoes diced

- 1 small container mushrooms, sliced

- 2 leeks, thinly sliced (wash them well first)

- 1 cup frozen green green peas

- 4 carrots, chopped

- 2 cups chicken or veggie broth

- 2/3 cup milk

- 1/3 cup all purpose flour

- 1/4 tsp celery seed

- 1/4 tsp pepper

- 1/2 tsp salt

- 1/4 tsp garlic powder

- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

- 5 tablespoons butter

- 2 pre made pie crusts

Heat oven to 400 degrees.  

Toss cauliflower, carrots and potatoes with olive oil, salt and pepper.  Spread on a baking sheet and roast about 20-30 minutes until tender.

Meanwhile heat 2 tablespoons butter in skillet.  Add sliced mushrooms and leeks and sautee about 5-7 minutes until softened.  

Scoop out mushrooms and leeks and place in bowl. 

 In that same skillet add in 3 tablespoons butter, flour, salt, garlic powder, celery seed, and cook about 3 minutes.  Do not let it overcook or burn.  

It should look like mashed potatoes almost.  Add in chicken stock and milk and cook on medium high heat until bubbles and thickens.

Once it thickens remove from heat and stir in all veggies.  

In a pie shell press one pie shell on the bottom.  Bake in oven 7-9 minutes. 

 Remove from oven and pour in veggie mix.  Top with second shell.  Cut several slits in so it can breath while it cooks.

Bake at 400 degrees 35 minutes.

Mealtime How I Do It + Favorite Easy Meals

One of the number one questions I get is, how do you have the time to cook for your family and does Sterling eat what you cook. Here is the low down. 

Cooking is my passion, it makes me happy, so I make time for it in my life.  I most certainly do not cook every night but I would say 2-3 nights a week I try and whip up something tasty.  On the weekends we usually order pizza one night and then Matt helps cook something the other night, usually grilling out etc.   My happy place is in the kitchen whipping up something delicious and sipping a glass of wine.  Its how I unwind plus it gives me sense of satisfaction and accomplishment when I create a really awesome meal.

GROCERY SHOPPING AND MEAL PLANNING

 I am lucky because Sterling is in school everyday from 9:45-12:45.  Usually after I drop him off I take Frances and we head to the grocery store.  I still have not mastered the whole meal planning thing and truth be told I actually enjoy going to the grocery store.  It gets me out of the house and I love browsing.  We go almost everyday depending on what I need for our meal that night.  This week I actually cooked all four nights, but that was rare.   Usually I don't cook that many nights in a row but I was bringing a friend food who had a baby so I doubled it for us.

On the menu this week:
Monday- Gwyneth's Siriachia Lime Salmon + Quinoa, Mushrooms and Arugula + Roasted Cauliflower and Chickpeas
Tuesday- Mozzarella Stuffed Chicken Meatballs + Arugula Salad
Wednesday- Ground Beef Tacos
Thursday- Simple Baked Lasagna + Arugula Salad

You may wonder about leftovers.  If there is any type of meat leftovers Matt takes them for his lunch the next day. He eats lunch in his office everyday and welcomes the leftovers.  The salad stuff I eat, for example I had the quinoa and roasted cauliflower the next two days for lunch.  I also usually always make a batch of Tuscan Kale Salads for my lunch during the week.  If you need a quick easy salad we just toss arugula with olive oil, lemon juice, and salt and pepper.  Then we add fresh Parmesan.  It is a simple light salad we make often.

WHAT DOES STERLING EAT
As for Sterling, I do not cook him separate meals any more,  and yes he is a picky eater.  That being said on the nights I don't cook sometimes he will eat chicken nuggets, cereal, or whatever I have in the freezer.  We try every night to sit down together as a family.  This is hard because Matt doesn't get home til about 7 or later most nights. We usually wait and eat with him unless he is going to be later than 7:30.  I think family meals are are so incredibly important.   It is a time where we all sit down with no interruptions and I think as Sterling and Frances get older these dinners will be even more important.  Sterling must take one bite of everything on his plate,  after that if he doesn't like it he doesn't have to eat it,  but he is not getting anything different to eat.  If he eats well he gets to choose a dessert.  There are many nights he takes two bites of something tells us he hates it and goes to bed hungry.  Eating is a struggle but I do feel like slowly this approach is working as he is starting to eat more things than he used to.  I give him a multi-vitamin and probiotic everyday to help with nutrients.

WHEN I COOK
I wish Matt had one of those jobs where he got home at 5-5:30 and could help with the kids while I cook but that is not the case.  I am in charge of dinner and bath which can be tricky (not to mention exhausting).  I usually try and make meals that can be prepped early and then just popped into the oven or stove.  Luckily for me Sterling still naps most days and if he doesn't he still has to sit in his room quietly and play with the ipad or read.  Most of the time nap time is when I get down to business.  I do laundry, get our meal started, straighten the house, and work on my blog.  I cram alot into 2-3 hours.  The morning time when he is at school is usually spent running errands and hopefully soon working out again!   While Sterling naps I will get dinner at least started and do most of the prep work so when he wakes I can spend some time with him,    Around 6 I will start to finish up our meal.  This is when I allow Sterling to turn on the TV and watch a show or two while I finish up dinner (and drink a big ole glass of wine). I usually put Frances in her swing during this time.  While dinner is cooking we will go do a quick bath although lately Sterling has been showering in the mornings with one of us which opens up some time in the evening.  This way since Matt gets home later, when he gets home dinner is ready so we can sit down and eat and the kids are ready for bed.


EASY MEALS
I wanted to highlight a few of our favorite go to meals.  They are all relatively easy to prepare in advance or quickly.   I try and make at least one new recipe a week for blog purposes and because I love testing new things but these are tried and true favorites!

|| MEXICAN RICE BOWLS ||
You can precook your rice and have all the toppings pre-diced so all you have to do at dinner is cook the meat or you can go totally vegetarian and leave off the meat.

|| SPICY BLACK BEAN, GREEN CHILE + MANCHEGO ENCHILADAS ||
You can assemble this whole dish pretty quickly since nothing has to be cooked.  I assemble at nap time then just pop in oven to cook.

|| ROASTED SALMON WITH TOMATO BASIL RELISH ||
All you have to do for this is pre- make the relish, it is better the longer it sits anyways.  Then just cook your salmon.  Under a 20 min meal.  Sterling loves salmon or as he calls it pink fish- although we serve his without the relish.

|| CHOPPED GREEK SALAD WITH SHRIMP ||
Such a quick easy salad and the shrimp only take 5 mins to cook.

|| VEGGIE RANCH PIZZA ||
You can pre-chop all the veggies and then just assemble at dinner time.  Sterling loves this pizza, it is one of the only ways I can get him to eat broccoli and cauliflower.

 || SLOPPY JOES ||
These really only take 30 mins max to whip together,  best sloppy joes ever.  We serve with box mac and cheese for an easy weeknight dinner.

|| SIMPLE BAKED LASANGA ||
I actually just made this this week for my friend who had the baby.  As far as lasagnas go it is fairly quick to whip together because you use no bake noodles and only make one sauce and it is so good.  This can be made at nap time and just popped in the oven.

|| CHOPPED MEXICAN SALAD ||
Another easy salad you can per-assemble and put in fridge like this and then just toss together and add meat at dinner time.

|| BUTTERNUT SQUASH, ARUGULA + BACON QUICHE ||
I love any variation of a quiche they are always a quick dinner and one that Sterling will eat too.

I would love to know any favorite weeknight meals you have!
Have a fabulous weekend.
xoxo