Buffalo-Roasted Cauliflower, Buttermilk Bleu Cheese Dressing

Fresh cauliflower is cut into florets, misted with olive oil and seasoned with sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper.  Slow-roasted until tender-crisp and brown, then dressed with Buffalo sauce (equal proportions of Frank’s Hot Sauce and melted butter, with a dash of vinegar) and returned to the oven for a few more minutes to glaze.

Served hot with a cooling combination of crumbled bleu cheese, buttermilk, shaved celery, sour cream, chives, parsley and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice..

“Cauliflower is very low in Saturated Fat and Cholesterol. It is also a good source of Protein, Thiamin, Riboflavin, Niacin, Magnesium and Phosphorus, and a very good source of Dietary Fiber, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, Vitamin B6, Folate, Pantothenic Acid, Potassium and Manganese.”  –NutritionData

Roasted Banana Walnut Ice Cream

Ripe bananas roasted with raw brown sugar, walnut butter and a touch of fresh cream..

Roast Banana Walnut Ice Cream

Roasted Banana Walnut Ice Cream

Makes 2-3 servings, no ice cream machine needed

4 large ripe bananas, cut into 1/2 inch sections
2 heaping tablespoons walnut butter
2 tablespoons (more-or-less) unrefined high-molasses sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh cream
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

Slice bananas into 1/2 inch pieces, sprinkle with sugar and roast in a 400 degree oven until caramelized, about 20-25 minutes.  Allow to cool, then freeze at least 4 hours or overnight.

Pulse frozen bananas with walnut butter, lemon juice and cream.  Place mixture in a seal-able container and freeze at least 2 hours (longer is better).




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Curry Roasted Cauliflower and Chickpeas

Because the fridge was nearly empty today, I took the opportunity to completely empty it out and give it a good cleaning.  While I was at it, I threw away the few remaining bottles and jars of processed stuff.  For now, at least, my fridge contains nothing but fresh whole foods and homemade stuff.

Because the fridge was nearly empty today, there wasn’t much on hand to make dinner with.  Half a head of cauliflower, a few inches of leek, a can of chickpeas and some spices was pretty much it.  Seems a perfect challenge for The Nourishing Gourmet’s Pennywise Platter..

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Curry Roasted Cauliflower and Chickpeas

Wash, trim and separate fresh cauliflower into small, individual florets.

Drain and rinse 1 BPA-free can of chickpeas.

Combine cauliflower, chickpeas, melted ghee (clarified butter) or coconut oil, some good curry powder, sea salt, black pepper, cumin and coriander seeds and a little lemon juice in a bowl.  Don’t spare the fat, and don’t spare the spices.

Spread the mixture single-layer on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and roast in a 375 degree oven (just shy of the fat’s smoking point) until caramelized and tender, about 45-60 minutes.  Toss 2 or 3 times to ensure even cooking, adding the sliced leeks about 1/2 hour into the cooking process.

Garnish with some sprouts for additional protein and visual appeal.

I only used 1/2 of the chickpeas, so I roasted the rest of them with a Moroccan blend of cumin, ginger, sea salt, pepper, cinnamon, coriander, cayenne, allspice and cloves.  This will make a healthy snack for later..

(from Kalyn’s Kitchen)

Crispy Roasted Chickpeas

Crispy Roasted Chickpeas



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Turkish Roast Eggplant with Bulgur Pilaf

Posted in support of Meatless Monday..

Bulgur is an ancient cereal, usually made from durum wheat. Common in Turkish and Middle Eastern dishes, nutty-tasting whole grain bulgur is more nutritious than rice or couscous.  Overnight soaking helps to break down the phytic acid, making it more easily digested..

Roasted Eggplant and Bulgur Pilaf

Roasted Eggplant and Bulgur Pilaf

Soak medium-grain bulgur overnight in filtered water.

Split eggplant in half lengthwise through the stem and soak in cold, filtered salt water for at least 30 minutes to reduce the bitter taste.  Drain, scoop out and chop the insides and set aside.

Pour 1/2 cup boiling water over 1 cup soaked and drained bulgur. Let stand 15 minutes.

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon of butter in a heavy pan over medium heat.

Sauté half a chopped onion until lightly browned, then add 1 teaspoon each tomato paste and red pepper paste and cook several minutes until the oil separates.

Add 1/2 cup chopped tomatoes, the reserved chopped insides of the eggplant, 1 teaspoon chopped green chilies, the juice of 1 lemon, 1 teaspoon sumac, 1 tablespoon chopped parsley and 1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint. Stir to combine.

Add bulgur and stir to combine.

Lightly coat eggplant halves with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.  Fill eggplant with bulgur mixture and roast at 350 degrees until eggplant is tender, about 25 minutes.

Garnish with diced raw tomatoes, mint and scallions.


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Hard-Boiled Eggs Masala

A delicious late-Sunday breakfast, this is one of my favorite ways to eat eggs.  The dish can be put together in about 20 minutes..

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Masaledar Ublay Unday (Hard-Boiled Eggs Masala)

To prepare hardboiled eggs, place eggs in a pan and cover with cold, filtered water.  Eggs should be 2 inches below the surface.  Bring the water to a fast boil, then immediately remove from heat, cover and let stand exactly 10 minutes.  Drain the water, roll the eggs around to crack the shells, then fill the pan with ice water and allow to stand another 5-10 minutes.

Masaledar Ublay Unday (Hard-Boiled Eggs Masala)

(adapted from a recipe by Madhur Jaffrey)

1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon cracked black pepper

2 tablespoons ghee (clarified butter)
1/2 teaspoon whole cumin seeds
4 green or 1/2 yellow onion, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh ginger
1 cup chopped fresh tomatoes
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro
6 hard boiled eggs

Combine the cayenne, turmeric, ground coriander, salt, pepper, lemon juice and 1 tablespoon water in a bowl.  Mix and set aside.

Fry cumin seeds in ghee in a heavy skillet set over medium heat until brown and fragrant, about 20 seconds.

Add onions and ginger and fry until the onions are lightly browned, about 1-2 minutes.

Add the spice paste and stir until combined.

Add the tomatoes, cover the pan and simmer 5 minutes.

Add halved eggs and chopped cilantro.  Cover the pan for 2 minutes to warm the eggs, then spoon into a serving dish.



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