Summer Family Bucket List: Visit Rockome Gardens

When I put "Visit Rockome Gardens" on my summer bucket list I truly had no idea what to expect or if the kids would have a good time.  We loved this place.  We got there right when then opened and it was quiet the entire time we were there.  There was so much for the kids to do and see and after we left, I asked everyone what their favorite part of the day was, and everyone had a different favorite thing.  Next time we are heading down to southern Illinois, we will definitely go there again. 

Visit Rockome Gardens

Summer Family Bucket List: Springfield Children’s Museum

I thought Springfield had their own children's museum, but I realized that it is still being built.  There is however, a children's museum inside the Illinois State Museum, so that's where we went.  The kids had a lot of fun...mainly using the "credit card" type cards to get more information from the exhibits.  Matthew loved the jeep in the children's museum.  And Brian loved seeing the mastodont's that he's working on with someone from the Illinois State Museum.  :)  Me?  I loved the "jump seat" in the bathroom that I could put Matthew in.  I wish all public restrooms had these! 


Springfield Children’s Museum

Summer Family Bucket List: Metropolis, IL

 When I asked everyone what they wanted to do this summer, this was one thing Brian wanted.  So on the list it went.  The kids really got into it.  We went to the Superman Museum and after a little while I took Chloe and Matthew outside.  Chloe ran up and down the street at least a dozen times being Super Chloe, much to the amusement of people passing by. 

 

Metropolis, IL

Summer Family Bucket List: Spend the night in a hotel

Here's 2 of the 3 kids...

So this actually wasn't our first time spending the night in a hotel this summer.  We took the girls to the WI Dells right when school got out but Matthew didn't join us.  This was the first time this summer that all FIVE of us spent the night in a hotel.  Besides trying to get Matthew to sleep at night (which wasn't too terribly difficult) the kids had a blast. 

 

Spend the night in a hotel

Summer Family Bucket List: Swim in a Lake

For those of you that do not know me, I should probably mention that I hate sand.  Hate it with a passion.  So when my family asks to go to a beach it takes a lot of planning.  I knew that "swimming in a lake" really meant "go to the beach."  I was totally prepared for this.  :)  We went to Lake Glendale in Shawnee National Forest and the water was SO warm.  Except for the huge catfish that swam in front of us (and I will admit that I may have left the 4 year old to fend for herself in a moment of panic with the baby), and the gross bathrooms we had to change it, it was overall, a very fun time.  I would definitely go back...in a few years (I can't go to the beach too often you know!)  But the kids were happy, so another bucket list item can get crossed off.

Swim in a lake

1,000 Recipes and Counting

When I started on this journey of trying out the ridiculous number of recipes accumulating in my recipe box, my goal was to try one new recipe a week for a year.  My goal was 52 recipes.  When I started this blog, I never dreamed I would be posting my 1,000th recipe. 

A huge thank you to everyone who has ever given me a reason to make a new recipe (book club, birthday party, family gathering, etc.) as well as anyone who has been subjected to actually eat the new recipes I made.  My family has eaten so many new meals because of this.  I'm sure they are missing some of our old standby meals. 

And a slight apology for taking pictures of your meal before I served it.  (That's for you dad!) 

#1,000: Chocolate Green Smoothie

The name of this recipe is both interesting and intriguing.  I couldn't help to make it not only for me, but to give to the kids as well.  This is freaking delicious!  LOVE, LOVE, LOVED this.  And so did the kids.  Well not Chloe, but she rarely will finish a smoothie I give her. 

2 frozen bananas (peel them before freezing or life will be very frustrating!)
1/2 to 1 cup almond, rice or coconut milk (I used about 1 1/4 cups of almond milk because it was so thick)
1 to 2 cups organic spinach, collards or kale
2 tsp raw honey
2 tbsp cacoa powder
Dash of sea salt (optional)
1 small handful of almonds or walnuts, chopped (I used 1 tbsp. almond butter)
Cacao nibs to sprinkle on top (optional)

Mix all ingredients except chopped nuts and cacao nibs in a blender. (I did add the almond butter at this point) Blend well. Add nuts and pulse once or twice. Pour into a glass and sprinkle cacao nibs on top for even more yummy nutrients.

#999: Grilled Huli Huli Chicken

As you can see from my note below, I didn't use chicken thighs as suggested in this recipe, instead I used boneless, skinless chicken breasts.  And I cut down on the sauce by half.  This is very good chicken!  It was super moist and there wasn't a single bite left after dinner.  I practically couldn't cut it fast enough for the girls.  There is a lot of sugar in this recipe (ketchup, brown sugar and soy sauce) but most of it gets dumped down the drain in the leftover marinade.  We will definitely make this again!

I only used 4 chicken breasts, so I cut the marinade down to 1/3 of the recipe. 

1 cup packed brown sugar3/4 cup ketchup3/4 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce1/3 cup sherry or chicken broth2-1/2 teaspoons minced fresh gingerroot1-1/2 teaspoons minced garlic24 boneless skinless chicken thighs (about 5 pounds)  (I used 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts)

 

In a small bowl, mix the first six ingredients. Add chicken to a ziplock bag, pour in marinade, cover and refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight.
 

Drain and discard marinade from chicken. Moisten a paper towel with cooking oil; using long-handled tongs, lightly coat the grill rack.
 

Grill chicken, covered, over medium heat for 6-8 minutes on each side or until no longer pink.

#998: Paleo Meatballs in Homemade Marinara Sauce

I am the WORST meatball maker.  My Italian grandma and relatives would be very disappointed in my lack of meatball making skills.  My meatballs come out like very dense golf balls.  I normally bake my meatballs so they are healthier but my very Italian aunt told me I'm basically making meatloaves when I do that.  She said I need to cook them in the sauce.  So when I found this recipe, I decided I would follow most of it, but start the meatballs in a pan and then finish them off to cook in the sauce. 

I don't love these meatballs but they are very good.  They are just lacking flavor.  Next time I'm going to add fresh parsley (I used dried Italian seasoning this time) along with a tiny bit of grated parmesan. I loved the sauce though.  I will definitely be making that again.

Homemade Sauce:
2 (28 ounce) cans organic stewed or whole tomatoes (I used crushed tomatoes)
1 (6 ounce) can organic tomato paste (I omitted)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper
2 Tablespoons chopped fresh parsley or a liberal amount of dried Italian seasoning
I also added 6 fresh basil leaves

Puree ingredients in a blender or food processor.  Heat marinara in a skillet or sauce pan.  Bring to a boil and reduce heat to simmer uncovered while meatballs are cooking.  Marinara can be cooked ahead and stored in the refrigerator until ready to heat and eat.   


Paleo Meatballs:

2 lbs. lean ground beef
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1/4 cup almond flour (or 2 Tablespoons coconut flour)
1 onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
1 Tbs. chopped fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon sea salt

In a large bowl combine all ingredients.  Pull on some latex gloves and mix with hands but do not over process it.  Cover the bowl and allow flavors to marinate in the refrigerator for an hour.  Form into small meatballs (about the size of a ping pong ball).

Preheat cast iron skillet.  Add a dash of olive oil.  Place meatballs in one layer, sides not touching.  Cook them one batch at a time, browning them on all sides.  Use a meat thermometer and cook meat to 160 degrees. (Overcooking causes dryness. Yuck!)  Remove meatballs to an oven proof dish and keep covered in a warm oven until all batches are cooked.  Serve meatballs in marinara sauce and garnish with extra parsley. 

 

#997: Spanish Cauliflower Rice

In an effort to eat low carb, I decided to try this "rice" using cauliflower instead.  I love the concept of cauliflower rice, but sadly this recipe didn't do it for me.  However, I did enjoy it with some homemade marinara sauce, chopped turkey bacon and raw pumpkin seeds in it.  I know I won't make this particular recipe again but I will definitely try cauliflower rice again.  

 

3 tbsp bacon grease (I used olive oil)

1 onion chopped

2 cloves of Garlic chopped

1/2 a small green pepper, chopped, (I used colored bell peppers)

1 (10 ounce) can Mexican Recipe Stewed tomatoes (I used petite diced tomatoes)

1 teaspoon Hot Mexican Style Chili Powder

1 tsp ground cumin

1 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

 

Heat your bacon grease in a heavy skillet, such as a cast iron 10" pan.  Add the onion, peppers and garlic and saute for a few minutes until onions are soft.  Then add your riced cauliflower and fry over high heat for a couple of minutes.  Stir in your canned Mexican tomatoes and continue to cook for a couple more minutes over high heat until the liquid has evaporated, stirring only occasionally.

Summer Family Bucket List: Drive-In Movie

 

We have been going to the drive in every summer since Allison about 2 years old.  This year we left Matthew with my in-laws and took the girls.  I was sure they would be out cold 45 minutes into the movie (Monster's U).  I was wrong.  They stayed awake for the entire movie.  Allison watched the whole thing and really enjoyed it.  Chloe realized quickly that Boo wasn't in this one and decided she wasn't interested and after her candy ran out asked to watch the I-pad instead.  Regardless, it was a cute movie and we all had fun!

Drive-in Movie

Summer Family Bucket List: Pop Bottle Terrarium

One thing I vividly remember doing in high school sooooooooooooooo many years ago was walking over to the nature center across the street and building a Pop Bottle Terrarium.  So I thought it would be a fun, science-y thing to do with the kids.  Brian wasn't very helpful in trying to help me find a nature preserve close by that we could go to and start digging up plants so we decided to just go to our front yard and look for things we needed.  The girls attempted to extract a purple flowery plant but killed the flower off it.  They dug up a HUGE piece of grass/weed/plant and stuck it in the terrarium.  We are excited to see the changes that occur over the next few days/week. 

Pop Bottle Terrarium

#996: Banana-Almond Milk Shakes

Don't get all excited, I wouldn't exactly call these a milk shake.  I think these are more of a thick smoothie.  There is no ice cream in this milk shake.  This is a very healthy smoothie in my opinion.  A quite delicious one too.  I made it healthier by skipping the mini chocolate chips and whip cream (even though it would have made it even better). 

I will definitely be making this again....possibly for breakfast tomorrow.  :)  Note: the ingredients listed below serves FOUR. 

1-1/4 cups almond milk (I used unsweetened chocolate almond milk)

6 frozen medium ripe bananas, cut into chunks

1/4 cup almond butter

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon almond extract

1/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips (I omitted)

Sweetened whipped cream, optional (I omitted)

 

Place the first five ingredients in a blender; cover and process for 2 minutes or until smooth. Add chocolate chips; cover and process 30 seconds longer or until blended.

Pour into chilled glasses and garnish with whipped cream if desired. Serve immediately. Yield: 4 servings.

#995: Chinese Stir Fry

Well I made this healthy Chinese stir fry for dinner but my non-veggie eating husband would have never eaten it if he saw it all mixed together so I actually had to pick out all of the chicken pieces and put them in a separate bowl so he wouldn't know the difference (which he did not notice and ate all of it by the way!).  Now I know that sounds a bit ridiculous and I can hear many of you already saying I should have just served it like that anyways and you can't believe I actually picked out the chicken...BUT I did that a little bit for my benefit too.  The chicken was definitely cooking with the veggies but I think the liquid in the veggies was steaming the chicken rather than pan frying it.  I like my chicken with a brown crust.  I truly dislike "white" looking/steamed chicken.  So I pulled it out of the veggies to brown up for me too. 

The chicken was wonderful. The veggies soaked up a little too much of the sauce and was a little salty in my opinion.  I (the non-chicken lover) actually picked out all the chicken pieces and started eating around the veggies.  You know it must have been good then.  I would probably make this again but I will make the chicken in a separate pan to avoid picking it out later and I'll add a lot less of the sauce with this dish.  Other than that, it was good.

3 chicken breasts

1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 stick celery, chopped (I omitted)
3 skinned carrots
1/2 white onion, diced
20 edamame
2 Tbsp light soy sauce (the green bottle)
3 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp olive oil
Dash of salt and pepper
Pinch of red pepper flakes
 
Chop up all veggies, except for the edamame, and cut up chicken breasts and season with a bit of salt and pepper.  Set aside.  Heat a skillet on medium heat and add about a tablespoon of olive oil.  Throw veggies into skillet and sauté for about 3 minutes.  Add chicken, soy sauce, lemon juice and red pepper flakes and cook for about 15 minutes or until chicken is completely cooked.

Summer Family Bucket List: 2 Liter Bottle Sprinklers

The weather is FINALLY getting hot here and the kids are enjoying playing in the backyard and swimming in the kiddie pool.  I found an activity of making a sprinkler out of a 2 liter pop bottle.  So I showed it to Brian and set him off to make one (or two) for us.  I don't know if the kids enjoyed playing with/under it or drinking out of it more.  :) 

2 Liter Bottle Sprinklers

Summer Family Bucket List: Ice Cream Dough

This is a different version of playdough but it is SO incredibly soft.  It's so fun and such a nice spin on play dough.  The kids loved it.  It's not something young kids can play with though because even Allison (who is 6) asked if she could try it. 

So much fun for the kids!  I will definitely be making this again for my students in school.

We used light bright pegs for candles and sprinkles and we had mini plastic ice cream cones from a playdough set. 

Make Ice Cream Dough

Summer Family Bucket List: Make Friendship Bracelets to send to someone

 

 
Allison got a friendship bracelet kit handed down from one of my co-workers at the end of the school year.  She has been having fun playing with the string and beads inside but hasn't actually attempted making a friendship bracelet.  So we decided it would be fun to put it on our bucket list but then to also send them to someone else.  I knew if I made friendship bracelets with them like we used to when I was growing up, I would end up making them all.  So I went in search of a super easy one to make. 

These required just twisting the bracelets and they came out so easy and cute.  An adult can whip out a bracelet in probably 2 minutes.  The girls took a little longer and needed some help but they still did it. 

The original website said to pin the bracelet to your sock to stabilize, which you can see if the picture with both girls, but we found it easier to tape it to the top of the box of thread. 
 
Two people have bracelets coming their way....(funny side note, both girls decided to send them to a male).  Hope you enjoy your bracelets.....
 
 

Summer Family Bucket List: Various Events

For some of the things on our summer family bucket list we are not taking pictures.  Not because we don't want to, but because they are things we've done before and/or didn't bring the camera with us.  Here is a list of some of the things we have been crossing off our bucket list without photos:

Splash Park
“Fishy Culvers”

Swimming at Four Seasons
Visit 3 new parks

 

Summer Family Bucket List: Fizzing Sidewalk Paint

I came across this recipe for our family bucket list and the kids were very excited to try it.  Matthew made a huge mess with it and kept trying to eat it, so he ended up with a paint brush and a container of water.  He was happy and I was happy he wasn't eating it anymore. 

The girls really enjoyed spraying their paintings to watch them fizz with the vinegar.  Chloe chose to paint only rocks...whatever makes her happy. 
Fizzy Sidewalk Paint
 

#994: Green beans and Broccoli with Bacon-Balsamic Dressing

I had to do a little investigating with this recipe because the measurements were in grams.  And by investigating, I sort of mean guessing and eye-balling.  Isn't that how I cook most recipes anyways though?! 

This is WONDERFUL.  It is so good.  The kids weren't big fans, but they aren't fans of fresh green beans.  Matthew had no interest in his veggies until he sat on my lap and ate out of my bowl, which he proceeded to eat a lot of veggies.  Fine by me if he sits on my lap as long as he's eating something healthy...and not throwing it on the floor or trying to pry my mouth open to see what I'm eating (yes he does that...so gross). 

Run  to the store and get the ingredients for this.  It's good. 

300g green beans, trimmed and blanched (I used 2 ½ handfuls…do you like that precise measurement?!)
2 bunches broccolini, trimmed and blanched (I used 2 broccoli crowns)
50g butter (I used 4 tbsp)
¼ cup olive oil
2 eschalots (French shallots), chopped (couldn’t find shallots today so I used a yellow onion)
3 rashers bacon, trimmed and chopped (what’s a rasher?!  I used ½ lb of turkey bacon)
⅓ cup lemon juice
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
sea salt and cracked black pepper

To make the bacon balsamic dressing, place the butter and oil in a medium non-stick frying pan over medium heat and stir until the butter is melted. Add the eschalots and bacon and cook for 5−7 minutes or until the bacon is golden. Add the lemon juice, vinegar, salt and pepper and cook for a further minute. Add the beans and broccolini and cook for 2−3 minutes or until warmed through.

Note: according to Wikipedia a rasher is a slice of bacon.  I pretty much figured that but I thought 3 slices was not nearly enough.  :)

#993: Chocolate Vanilla Coffee (with a sneaky healthy twist)

Did the title of this recipe get your attention?  I would have stopped to look at this recipe just by the "Chocolate Vanilla Coffee" part.  I've not been drinking much coffee lately because I'm cutting out sugar and I don't like my coffee black.  So when I saw this recipe I figured I'd give it a try since I have an avocado going bad in my fridge.  This is surprisingly pretty good.  I'd definitely drink this again, although I'll be honest, it was too bitter for me so I had to add a little honey.  It was a thick drink so it's not like an iced latte or coffee...it's kind of like a smoothie.  Great start for breakfast...or as an accompaniment to dinner (as I did in my case). 

1 Cup Coffee, Cold
3 tbsp Avocado
1 Small Banana
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
2 tsp Cacao Powder
1/4 Cup Ice

Place all ingredients in a blender and pulse until smooth.  Serve immediately.

#992: Apple, Butternut Squash & Bacon Hash

I made this dish to eat with dinner and I ate it for my dinner and then as leftovers for breakfast...both times it was really good.  Healthy, low-carb, easy and you can make components of it ahead of time.  I will definitely make this again.

About 2 cups diced butternut squash (fresh not frozen)

1 cup diced tart apples (about 1 large apple)
4-5 strips Bacon (I used turkey bacon)
1/4 cup or more chopped green onions
1/2 tsp coarse ground salt (or to taste)
fresh cracked pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to broil.  After prepping the ingredients, heat a large skillet over a medium heat. While the skillet is heating up, spread the diced butternut squash out evenly onto a parchment paper lined cookie sheet. Place under the broiler. Broil the butternut squash till it just starts to brown in spots and develop a skin, takes about 10-15 minutes. Stir once half way through cooking. Watch that it doesn't burn to much though. Remove from the oven. 

While the butternut squash is baking, add the bacon to the preheated skillet. Cook till crispy, then set aside to drain and cool, then break into pieces. Leave the bacon fat in the skillet for frying the squash.

Add all the butternut squash and apples to the bacon fat (if it has cooled down too much reheat before adding these ingredients) Continue to cook and stir the hash over medium-medium  high heat until the apples just begin to soften. It helps to spread the hash evenly around the pan, then let it sit for a moment before continuing to flip/stir it around again. This will help it to 'brown' instead of steam itself, which could result in a soggy hash. 

Remove from the heat, add the bacon pieces, scallions, coarse salt and cracked pepper to taste.

#991: Crunchy Kale Salad

I am not the world's biggest Kale lover.  I enjoy kale chips from time to time, I ocassionally will throw it in my smoothie, but it is so bitter, I usually stay away from it.  When I came across this recipe, I figured it couldn't hurt to give it a try.  I am SO glad that I did.  I truly think this is one of THE BEST salads I've had in a very long time.  I ate 2 bowls of this stuff and may or may not have drank the last few drops of dressing in my bowl.  Yes it was that good.  No, this was fantastic. Try this recipe.  Yum, yum, yum!!

4 cups kale, washed, trimmed, and shredded
2 cups red cabbage, shredded (I used a bag of pre-shredded cabbage)
2 cups green cabbage, shredded (see above, so I omitted)
1 Granny Smith apple, julienned
1 avocado, peeled, pitted, and diced
1 cup almonds, roughly chopped
1 cup dried black currants

Maple orange tahini dressing:
1 orange, juice of (about 1/2 cup)
1 tbsp maple syrup (I used honey)
3 tbsps tahini
pinch of salt
1/3 cup olive oil
lemon juice to taste

Make the dressing: Place the orange juice, maple syrup, tahini, and pinch of salt in a medium bowl and whisk together until blended. Slowly drizzle the olive oil into the bowl in a steady stream while constantly whisking. Add lemon juice to taste. Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the kale, cabbages, apple, avocado, almonds, and dried black currants. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to coat. Serves 4-6.

#990: Blackberry Glazed Grilled Pork Chops

Don't even think for a minute that anyone else in my family ate this.  Just telling Brian the name of our dinner, he replied with, "what am I having?"  Allison had a little cup of the glaze to dip her pork chops in but she didn't want it poured on top of her pork chops.  I, on the other hand, was thrilled that I had no one to share this with.  This was delicious.  Don't be afraid by my over-cooked pork chop in the picture.  That's just how I like my meat cooked.  It was so good.  I will definitely be making this again. 

 1-2 lbs pork chops
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon dried thyme
salt and pepper, to taste
12 ounces fresh blackberries
½ cup balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons water
pinch of salt

Place pork chops on a plate and cover your pork chops in some cinnamon, thyme, salt and pepper on both side and press into the pork chop.

While your grill heats up, place a small saucepan over medium heat on your stove top and add your blackberries, balsamic vinegar, water, and a pinch of salt.  Let the sauce begin to mix together, stirring frequently to make sure it doesn’t burn on the bottom.  Turn heat to low and let the sauce simmer for about 3-5 minutes.  Then pour half of the sauce into a bowl (you can leave the blackberries in the saucepan because you’ll just use them to top your chops off later).  Use a glazing brush to glaze one side of your pork chop then place that glazed side down onto your grill.  Then glaze the other side, cover grill and let cook for 5-7 minutes per side.

Once your pork chops are all done cooking, add to plate and top with your leftover blackberry sauce that has been simmering and thickening up.

#989: Mexican Meatballs

This recipe got mixed reviews from my family.  Some liked it, others were not as big of fans.  I however (who's opinion is the most important since I do all the cooking) thought these were pretty good.  I must not be a very good meatball maker because mine tend to get pretty tough tasting.  I probably over cook them but that's my fear of food being raw coming out.  I used to order steaks when I was younger and literally asked the waiter "to burn it."  In retrospect I must have made some chefs very angry.  Anyhow, I don't know if I would consider these "Mexican" flavored.  Although they have some Mexican flavors in it, it still just tastes like a regular spaghetti sauce atop these meatballs.  Don't get me wrong, I really enjoyed the sauce and plan to finish it with or without the meatballs, but I don't think Mexican with this dish. 

Sauce:

1 medium onion, minced
2 tbsp coconut oil
2 cups tomato puree (I used crushed tomatoes)
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp chili powder
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp sea salt

Saute the onions in coconut oil until limp.  Add tomato puree, garlic, chili powder, cumin, oregano and salt.  Mix well and let simmer for 15-20 minutes, stirring often.  Pour the sauce into a food processor and process until smooth.

Meatballs:

1 lb ground beef
1 lb ground pork
1 1/2 tsp salt
3 garlilc cloves
1 tbsp oregano
1/2 small onion, minced
2 tsp cumin

Mix together all ingredients and form golf ball size meatballs.  Place meatballs into a glass dish and bake at 375 for 15 min.  Then spoon sauce over the meatballs and bake for another 10-15 minutes.  

#988: Cauliflower Hummus

I had super high hopes for this low-carb recipe but sadly it has an off taste.  I think it's the tahini, which I love, but it seems to be overpowering the cauliflower.  When eaten with cut up veggies like peppers it is definitely edible, but this isn't eat-with-a-spoon/lick-the-bowl-clean kind of recipe.  At least not for me anyways.  I will probably make this again, but will cut the tahini paste way down.  1/2 cup is just way too much for this dish. 

2 Tbs olive oil
2 tsp ground cumin
1 head cauliflower, cored and cut into 1-1/2" florets
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup tahini paste
3 cloves garlic, smashed and minced into a paste
juice of 1 lemon
1/8 tsp paprika

Preheat oven to 500°F.  Toss cauliflower, olive oil, cumin, sea salt (if desired) and black pepper together in a large bowl.  Transfer mixture to rimmed baking sheet and spread out evenly.  Bake until cauliflower is browned and tender, 25 - 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Combine tahini, garlic, lemon juice and roasted cauliflower in a food processor. Blend until a smooth paste forms (add additional olive oil if desired).  Season with sea salt (if desired) and sprinkle paprika on top.  Serve warm or cold with assorted vegetables.

#987: Baba Ganoush

 

My nephew's nickname is Baba Ganoush.  :)  I asked my brother if he knew what it was and he didn't, so I decided someone in the family should know what it is and I set out to make it.  I was super happy to realize it was made with pureed eggplant (one of my favorite veggies). 

This was so easy to make, and the hardest part is waiting for it to finish roasting in the oven.  Then you throw everything else into a food processor and you are on your way.  This is served wonderfully with pitas but since I'm trying to eat low-carb, that didn't go with my plan.  Instead I ate this with cut up peppers...or maybe just a spoon.  It was delicious.

2 eggplants (2 lbs total)

1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for drizzling (optional)
1/3 cup  tahini
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Fresh parsley, chopped Pitas

Heat oven to 450 degrees . Trim eggplants and slice in half lengthwise. Sprinkle cut sides with 1/4 tsp of the salt and 1 tbsp of the oil. Place cut sides down on a foil-lined baking sheet. Roast at 450 degrees for 30 minutes, or until eggplant flesh is soft and skin has begun to collapse. Cool slightly. Scoop out flesh and break into bite-size pieces with a fork; discard skins.

Stir in tahini, lemon juice, lemon zest, cayenne, remaining oil and remaining 3/4 tsp salt. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley and, if desired, drizzle with olive oil. Serve with pitas, grilled, if desired, and cut into wedges.