Mashed Cauliflower

Mashed cauliflower is a simple dish to make.  You'll love how its a nice alternative to serving mashed potatoes.  The texture is creamy and delicious, it goes well with any entree' and the best part is it only takes about 10 minutes to whip it up and serve. 

Mashed cauliflower is a wonderful healthy vegetable. Its low in fat, high in folate and vitamin C. Serve mashed cauliflower alone or with some beef gravy on top, which is a great way to introduce this dish to kids.  It's how I got my kids to try it. They love it ever since!

Mashed Cauliflower

• 1 medium cauliflower- cord, chopped
• 2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 1 ounce water, if needed
• salt & fresh ground pepper
• finely chopped parsley for garnish

Rinse, cord and chop cauliflower.
Boil or steam in a pot with 1 inch of  water for about 10 minutes, or until tender.

Drain and transfer to a blender or food processor and puree to a smooth texture. I used a hand-held immersion to whip the cauliflower.

Add olive oil and parsley and mix into a smooth texture.
Season with salt and pepper.
Garnish with some fresh parsley. Serve immediately.

Serves 6

Pasta with Smoked Ham and Baby Peas

 

Here is an easy way to make pasta with smoked ham and baby peas in a light cream sauce.  The baby peas give this dish a delicate flavor while the Black Forest Ham gives it a nice smokey flavor to the pasta.  I like to use farfalle pasta because they're shaped into cute little bow ties, and they're kid friendly.  Its a great way to get kids to get some vegetables.

Mom always makes this dish with Italian prosciutto di Parma. But I decided to try this recipe using a different cured meat.  The Black Forest ham is a moist ham that is cured and smoked over pine which gives its intense flavor.  It's a tasty combination to add with a light cream sauce. A great dish for dinner, serve as a side dish or as the main course with a mixed green salad and Enjoy!

 Pasta with Smoked Ham and Baby Peas

• 1/2 pound Farfalle Pasta, bow tie shaped pasta
• 3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 2 Tbsp. butter - divided
• 1 small onion - chopped
• 10 ounce box Frozen Baby Peas
• 1/4 cup water
• 3 slices of Black Forest Ham - (Applegate or Boars Head is fine)
• 1/3 cup Half and Half
• pinch cayenne pepper
• salt and pepper to taste

In a large non stick skillet.  Heat olive oil with 1 Tbsp. of butter (reserve the other tablespoon for later).
Add the onion and saute' for a few minutes, until onion is golden brown.  Add cayenne pepper, frozen peas and water.

Cover with a lid.  Simmer of low-medium heat for about 5 minutes. Stir occasionally until the peas are soft and tender.  Season with salt and pepper.  Lower the heat.

Roll the slices of Black Forest Ham together and chop into small pieces. Toss the Ham into the skillet. Turn off the heat.

In a large pot of boiling water. Add some salt. Add the Farfalle Pasta ( bow-ties pasta) into the boiling water. Follow the directions to cook the pasta.  About 7 minutes, or until the pasta is al dente.

With a medium size strainer, take out the pasta and carefully add the pasta to the skillet with peas and ham.  Turn the heat back on low, add in 1 tablespoon of butter and Half and Half.  Simmer for 2 minutes. The sauce should be smooth and creamy. Serve immediately.  Enjoy!

Serves 4

Grilled Chicken Spinach Salad with Feta Cheese

Since I ( me, Liz) have been juicing a meal or two these past few weeks, sometimes eating a crunchy, refreshing meal is a welcoming change to add to this healthy program.  You just need to chew your food once in a while, know what I mean?

So instead of juicing today, I was in the mood to make a fresh grilled chicken spinach salad with feta cheese.   I had some grilled chicken (left over from last nights dinner), some fresh spinach and some vegetables on hand, making this salad so tasty.

If you don't have any grilled chicken, its relatively easy to take one or two thin chicken cutlets and grill them on stove top in a skillet, add one tablespoon of balsamic vinegar and saute until fully cooked. The balsamic flavors the cutlets without any seasonings.  I prefer less sodium in my food anyway, but you can season the chicken to your liking.

The salad was very refreshing, crunchy and tasty!  Great to serve for lunch or dinner. It turned out really delicious!  We hope you enjoy!

Grilled Chicken Spinach Salad with Feta Cheese

• 1 Chicken cutlet grilled - cubed or cut in long strips
• 1/2 package of pre-washed salad mix, rinsed
• 1 cup fresh spinach - rinsed
• 2 radishes - thinly sliced
• 1/2 cucumber - sliced
• 1/2 small red onion - sliced
• 1/4 tsp.dried oregano
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese

In a large bowl, add all the ingredients. Mix until well combined.  Serve immediately.

Serves: 2

Artichoke Hearts Sauteed with Baby Peas, Onions and Capers

Artichoke hearts sauteed with baby peas, onions, capers,  crushed red pepper and fresh parsley is a staple dish in our family.  The artichokes are delicately tender to every bite while the peas are sweet and delicious, which makes this a wonderful combo of vegetables that goes perfect with any entree.

You can use fresh artichoke hearts or frozen. We prefer to use the frozen artichoke hearts to help speed up the cooking time.

Next month it will be almost a year since we started our recipe blog,  and even though its been fun, the hardest part is trying to get the actual measurements to Moms recipes when she cooks. She never measures anything, and yet she amazes us with how relaxed she is when cooking, and claims it's due to years of experience.   

Artichoke hearts with baby peas is an easy side dish you can make in advance and re-heat before serving.  It's a favorite dish in our family and we hope you will enjoy it as well!  And,  thanks for stopping by!

Artichoke Hearts Sauteed with Baby Peas, Onions and Capers

• 1 Tbsp. butter
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 medium onion -chopped
• 2 garlic cloves -sliced
• 1/8 tsp. crushed red pepper
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/8 tsp. ground black pepper
• 2 tsp. capers
• 1 box (9 ounce) Frozen Artichoke Hearts
• 1 bag (16 ounce) Frozen Baby Sweet Peas
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley - chopped
• 3/4 cup water

In a large deep skillet and on medium heat.

Heat olive oil with butter.

Add chopped onion, garlic slices and crushed red pepper. Saute for about 3 minutes.  Add the frozen artichoke hearts and capers. Lower the heat and simmer for 3 minutes, or until the artichokes defrosted and have softened a little.

Add the frozen peas, water, and chopped parsley.  Season with salt and pepper. Cover with a lid and raise the heat. Bring to boil.  Lower the heat and simmer for about 15 - 20 minutes, until the water has almost been absorbed. Taste for salt and adjust if needed. Turn off heat and serve.

Serves 6 - 8

  

Creamy Broccoli Soup - Without the Cream !

Creamy Broccoli Soup- without the cream is one of my favorite soups.  I love making this soup during the winter months. It's a versatile soup.  You can either make it very creamy or leave it colorful with chunks of broccoli. And don't be fooled,  just because it says creamy, doesn't mean is has cream in it. In fact, this soup is good for you.

It provides a whole day of vitamin C, even in just a cup.  You can serve it as a first course or as the main and its great for lunch. It's healthy and easy to make.  This one is worth a try!


Creamy Broccoli Soup - Without the Cream!

• 1 bunch of Broccoli
• 1 medium onion- chopped
• 2 stalks of celery- chopped
• 1 garlic clove- sliced
• 2 Tbsp. butter
• 3 Tbsp. olive oil
• 3 + 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 3/4 cup  1% milk
• 1 pinch dried thyme
• 1/8 tsp. dried marjoram
• 1 Tbsp. fresh parsley chopped
• 1 Tbsp. basil chopped
• 1 cup water ( if needed )
• salt & pepper to taste
• pinch of cayenne pepper
• Optional - 1 small tomato, seeded and chopped for garnish. 

Peel the stalks of the broccoli, and cut them into 1/2 inch lengths.  Break the tops into small florets. Rinse and wash the broccoli.  In a medium pot, bring 1 cup of water to boil , add the broccoli, cover and steam for 3 minutes.

In another large sauce pot, cook the onion, celery, and garlic in the butter and oil over moderately low heat, for about 4 minutes or until the onion is softened.  Add the broth and simmer for about 5 minutes.

Add the herbs, and the steamed broccoli. Heat the soup for about 6 minutes.  Add the milk. Cook the soup  until its heated through. Taste for salt & pepper.  Transfer soup to a blender, food processor, or use a hand held immersion blender, which I like to use, and simply puree into a creamy texture and serve!

If the soup is too thick for your liking, just add some more water.
Optional: garnish with a spoonful of chopped tomato, and you may add some grated parmigiano cheese on top.

Serves 6

Oven Baked Idaho and Sweet Potato-Cut Fries

Oven Baked Idaho and Sweet Potato-Cut Fries are spicy tasty fries without the frying!  These are fresh Idaho and sweet potatoes cut into french fries-style, drizzled with olive oil and loaded with spicy seasonings. A kid friendly recipe your family will definitely love! 

The potatoes are baked in the oven with multiple spices,  giving them a flavorful spicy kick!   No need to have the Ketchup on the table,  at least no one asked for it this time.  This is a healthier recipe and a nice change from french fries.  You may also try using your own variations of herbs and hot spices to your liking.  Try this recipe!

Oven Baked Idaho and Sweet Potato Fries

• 4  Sweet Potatoes- peeled, sliced 1/4" thick into fries
• 2  Idaho Potatoes -peeled, sliced 1/3"thick into fries
• 1 tsp. sea salt
• 1 tsp. garlic powder
• 1 tsp. onion powder
• 1/8 tsp. chili pepper
• 1/4 tsp. red pepper
• 1/8 tsp. black pepper
• 1/8 tsp. cumin
• 1/2 tsp. oregano
• 1/2 tsp. rosemary
• 5 Tbsp. of olive oil
• 3 Tbsp. of butter - chopped
• cooking spray oil

Preheat Oven 450 degrees.  In a nonstick 18 x12 roasting pan.

Spray  generously with cooking oil. 

Place potato fries into roasting pan.

Scatter all the seasonings. 

Mix with hands to flavor all the potatoes well.

Spread pieces of butter over the potatoes.

Drizzle olive oil over the top.

Bake potatoes for 35-45 minutes, depending on your oven.

Shake the pan every 15 minutes to turn them.

Turn off oven, and leave them with the door remained closed for additional 15 minutes.

Remove and place them onto a serving dish and serve!

Serves 4-6

Penne Pasta with Creamy Pink Sauce, Peas and Sundried Tomatoes

Happy Valentines Everyone!  

For those of you who are not making reservations for dinner tonight, I thought I would make a pasta dish that would make your family members, husbands, boyfriends, or friends,  just fall in love with your cooking all over again!

It's a creamy pink sauce made with crushed tomatoes, onions, peas, sundried tomatoes, white wine and light cream served over perfectly cooked penne pasta. So delicious, full of rich flavors from the sauce including the peas and sundried tomatoes. You have to try this!

Our photo is a bit dark, so we apologise, it was dark outside when we made this for dinner.

So this Valentines Day, make a pasta dish they will remember!  And enjoy this meal with your loved ones.

 

 Penne Pasta with Creamy Pink Sauce, Peas and Sundried Tomatoes

• 1 pound penne pasta, cooked al dente
• 2 cans crushed tomatoes
• 1 cup of frozen peas
• 2 whole onions, chopped
• 1 cup white wine
• 10 fresh basil leaves
• 4  sun dried tomatoes, chopped
• 1/4 cup of Parmigiana cheese
• 1/2 quart  heavy or light cream
• 3 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
•  1 tsp. salt 
• fresh ground pepper to taste 

In a large sauce pot, add olive oil,  and heat on medium heat.

Add onions and saute until the onions become golden, soft and translucent.

Add 2 cans of crushed tomatoes, and bring to boil.

Add salt and cayenne pepper.

Lower heat and cover.  Simmer for 20 minutes.

Add peas, white wine, fresh basil leaves and sundried tomatoes.

Continue to simmer for another 15 minutes.

Add light cream and parmigiana cheese. 

Cover and simmer on lowest heat for another 10 minutes.

Taste for salt. Adjust if needed.

Remove and serve over cooked penne pasta. Add fresh black ground pepper to taste.  Enjoy!

Serves 4 - 6

Low-Fat Whole Wheat Pumpkin Spice Bread

I know its February and you know about my fetish of making pumpkin puree after Halloween so that I can make my pumpkin recipes all winter long?  ahh... Well I couldn't resist!  I wanted to try to make a healthier breakfast bread using my pumpkin puree.

I have been reading about how some substitutions and little changes can actually help in lowering the fat and cholesterol when baking or cooking.  This pumpkin spice bread turns out to be lower in fat and lower in cholesterol, just by changing a few ingredients.  And, how surprised I was that this pumpkin spice bread still maintained its moistness and delicious flavor. 

So I took our recipe for Easy Pumpkin Muffins and opt out the butter to cut the fat and cholesterol. And, replaced it with non-hydrogenated butter, like Smart Balance, and opt out the white flour and used organic whole wheat flour instead.

I brought my pumpkin spice bread one morning at a gathering for friends to try. They gave it a thumbs up!  It was super easy to make and DELICIOUS to serve at breakfast, or as an afternoon snack with some milk, tea or coffee.  So go ahead and enjoy!

Use a muffin pan to make low-fat whole wheat pumpkin spice muffins, the kids will love them too!

 Low- Fat Whole Wheat Pumpkin Spice Bread

• 3 +1/2 cups Organic Whole Wheat Flour
• 2 cups light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 tsp. salt
• 2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 3/4 cup melted Smart Balance Butter
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 2 cups pumpkin puree
• 2/3 cup water
• 2 tsp. ground cloves
• 2 tsp. ground nutmeg
• 2 tsp. ground cinnamon
•  olive oil cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large mixing bowl,  mix all dry ingredients together.
Make a well in the center and add  pumpkin puree, eggs, water and melted non-hydrogenated butter.  Mix well until completely combined and smooth. 

Spray with cooking spray three 8 x 3 bread pans, and dust with sugar and cinnamon.
Pour the batter evenly between the three baking pans.
Lightly sprinkle on top with some sugar and cinnamon.
Bake for 50 to 55 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean.
Remove from oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes.
Remove from the bread pans and tightly wrap the breads with clear wrap while the bread is still warm.  Refrigerate or freeze.

Yields: 3 loaves


Try them as Low-Fat Whole Wheat Pumpkin Spice Muffins
Just bake them for 20 - 25 minutes.
Optional:  add some icing on top!

Yields: 24 Muffins

Italian Style Tuna Salad in a Wrap - Lightened!

A freshing twist on tuna salad - Italian style!

This is not your ordinary tuna salad your mom made for you as a kid.  Not our mom anyway.  This is a tuna salad she has been making for years,  using fresh vegetables, fresh lemon juice and a touch of mayo making it lower in calories and lower in fat!  

The taste is delicious with a light crunch and a citrius-y punch to it. This tuna salad is colorful and refreshing. It's terrific for those days you want something easy to make.  Great with toasted french baquette or serve it as a tuna wrap in a Mulit-Grain Flour Tortillas.

I love these Multi-Grain soft taco tortillas because you get 4 grams of whole grain per serving, with 0 grams of trans-fat and additional 4 grams of protein.  A great way to get some whole grains with your meal.   Enjoy!

Italian Style Tuna Salad in a Wrap- Lightened!

• 2 cans Solid White Tuna (packed in Water) , drained
• 1 Carrot stick - minced
• 1 Celery stalk - minced
• 1/2 cup Red Onion - minced
• 2 Tbsp.  Mayonnaise
• 1  Lemon- juiced
• 1/8 tsp. ground pepper
• 4 Multi- Grain Flour Tortillas (soft taco, medium size)   

In a medium size bowl,  mix tuna with minced vegetables , lemon juice, mayo and pepper.

Cover with clear wrap and chill up to one hour before serving.
Spoon about 2 to 3 tablespoons of tuna salad and place onto a multi-grain flour tortilla.
Gently pick up one side and begin to roll.  Cut in half,  place onto a serving platter. Repeat with each Multi-Grain Flour Tortillas.  Add some chopped lettuce and tomatoes on the side, and serve.

Serves 4

Broccoli Rabe Steamed and Sauteed

Broccoli Rabe is a healthy green veggie that has a nutty and bitter taste to it. A staple dish well liked in our entire family, and it's widely popular in Southern Italy. Broccoli rabe is known for great health benefits, providing a high source of Vitamins A and C, potassium, calcium and iron. 

Steamed or sauteed to a crunchy texture with a slight bitter taste that is not very appealing to alot of people.  Everyone makes it a little different, but we find that our brother Danny makes it healthy and most delicious! He lightly sautes the broccoli in garlic and olive oil, then steams it in some chicken broth, reducing and off setting the bitterness of the broccoli, not to mention making it very tasty!   It's great to serve on a slice of toasted french bread or serve with meat and potatoes.

Just the other day, our brother Danny said to us " if we keep adding his recipes on our blog, then we should change our name to "2 sisters and 1 brother recipes" ! LOL...... He is a funny guy!

 Broccoli Rabe Steamed and Sauteed

• 2 Bunches of Andy Boy Broccoli Rabe
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 4 garlic cloves, sliced in half
• 1/2 tsp. Red Pepper Flakes
• 1 Tbsp. of kosher salt
• 3/4 cup of low fat Chicken Stock
• Lemon wedges

Directions:

   Unwrap the broccoli rabe bunch and place onto a cutting board.

     Cut off stems of Broccoli rabe, about 3 inches from the bottom..... and discard.

Take remaining broccoli and slice into three equal size parts beginning from the top to the bottom of the stems. Then place the chopped broccoli into a colander.

Wash the broccoli under cold water.........

        In a large saute pan, saute garlic in oil until garlic is golden color.

                                      Turn stove onto high setting .........

Add Broccoli, salt, and red pepper flakes.  Cover with lid to steam for 3 to 5 minutes, and gently tossing broccoli occasionally.....

Add chicken stock. Cover once again for additional 2 minutes.....

Uncover and saute broccoli for 3 more minutes tossing occasionally......

Remove from pan and transfer onto a serving platter. Add lemon wedges and Serve!

Serves 6-8

Enjoy!  Please leave us your comments, we would love to hear from you.

  

Spinach and Artichoke Dip

Here is a fun party dip for this Super Bowl weekend!
Spinach and Artichoke Dip is a delicious way to nosh on as an appetizer while dinner is getting ready.  True story: There is a great restaurant Liz, myself, my kids and our entire family absolutely LOVE. It's called Houston's, and they have many restaurants nation wide, and we are lucky to have one right here in our town.

Anyway, every time we eat there, we always order the artichoke and spinach dip served with tortilla chips. It's delicious and very addicting!

So we tried to duplicate the dip.  A little bit of this.... and a little of that.... and  after a few batches in the making, we think we got pretty close to the one at Houston's.  We served it the other night at a dinner party and everyone really loved it!  Serve this appetizer dip warm with tortilla chips, sour cream, salsa and maybe a cold beer!  Enjoy!


Spinach and Artichoke Dip

• 2 - 10 ounce package Frozen Chopped Spinach- thawed and squeeze out excess liquid.
• 1 - 9 ounce package Frozen Artichoke Hearts -thawed, finely chopped
• 1 cup of light Sour Cream
• 1/2 cup of Mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup Parmigiano Reggiano grated cheese 
• 1/4 cup sweet onion or green scallion- chopped 
• 1 garlic clove- minced
• 1+ 1/2 cups shredded part skim mozzarella cheese
• some fresh ground pepper to taste

 Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
 In a medium bowl, mix and blend all the ingredients together.
 Pour into a 2 + 1/2 quart baking dish. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes.
 Remove and serve immediately.

Serves many.....