Spicy Buffalo Cauliflower

Alright, I've decided to take a break from writing a lecture on the reproductive system. Basically because I can already hear the giggles coming from the corner of the room when I start describing the anatomy of a vagina. And these are college students. Plus, I can't decide if want to include actual pictures of genital herpes and gummas from syphilis or not. I would hope the effect and response would be:  Boom. Practice safe sex folks. And then they do. But I have a feeling it's more like: Ew. Egh. I think I just threw up a little in my mouth. Then proceed to go out and do everything I suggest they don't do, like bang everything that walks. Did I just date myself with the use of the word "bang?"

Anyway, now that you're all thinking about herpes and syphilis, lets talk food. Particularly cauliflower. It really is the worst thing I could put in this post now, I know. I'm sorry. I'm going to do it anyway. Why? Because cauliflower is awesome. And this cauliflower is ammmazing. Really it is. My brother who only eats cauliflower smothered in cheese, ate this cauliflower.

I pinned this recipe awhile ago on Pinterest. It comes from an original post on Clean Green Simple but the recipe I used was from a blog called Bullfrogs and Bulldogs. The recipe looked simple, quick, tasty and reasonably healthy. So, why not give it a try. I used what I had on hand in this recipe, as usual.

Spicy Buffalo Cauliflower

1 head cauliflower

Batter:

  1 c. almond flour

  3/4 c. water

  1 tblsp. franks redhot (I used the thick version)

  1 tsp. salt

Buffalo Sauce:

  1/4 c. franks redhot

  1/4 c. olive oil

Cut the cauliflower into bite size pieces. Mix batter ingredients in a large bowl with a lid. Once the batter is mixed mixed well I just tossed all of the cauliflower into the bowl, put the lid on and shook it all around until all the cauliflower was covered completely and evenly. Spread in a single layer on a pan covered in foil or  parchment paper that is also greased and bake at 450F for 20 mins. You want them to bake until the batter is hard. Pull the pan out to then brush the cauliflower with the buffalo sauce. I really loaded the buffalo sauce on. Bake for another 10 mins. I let mine go a little longer because I like the taste of roasted cauliflower so I wanted them on the crispy side. And Enjoy!

Corn on the Cob with Horseradish Compound Butter

I love seasonal foods. Corn on the cob is one I wait all year for. It's so sweet and buttery. Delicioso!

I also love grilling corn on the cob, and this little treat is just the perfect side for any meaty main course you decide to grill up.

What you'll need: dozen corn ears, horseradish sauce, garlic, butter, salt, and pepper.

First, pull down the husks of your corn, without removing them entirely. Remove the silk and pull the husk back up to cover the ear of corn. Second, soak the ears of corn in water for roughly 30 mins. This prevents the husks from burning right up (sort of like you would for wooden skewers).

While you are letting the ears of corn soak, make the sauce and spread it onto the corn as shown above. You want to mix the horseradish sauce (I use the kraft brand), butter, garlic, salt and pepper to make a compound better. Then coat the corn with it, as shown above.

Cover the corn back up and throw it on the grill at medium heat for roughly 25 mins or until corn is soft.

It's easy as that and adds a little tang to your every day corn. Enjoy!

Horseradish Compound Butter

3 tbsp butter

2 tbsp horseradish sauce

1 tbsp minced garlic

2 tsp pepper

1 tsp salt

Broccoli Cauliflower Salad

Today it rained and it rained and it rained. I'm kinda over it. I'm all for loud formidable thunderstorms, but the heavy rain multiple days in a row, not so much. Besides the only result of a lot of rain in a short period of time is flooding. Which is exactly what happened.

The yard will look great after this. Not.

Anyway, rain only leaves me with a few things to do. Create lesson plans, exercise and cook/bake. This is one of the products of today. This is a crowd pleaser, especially at summer picnics. I'm pretty sure it's the bacon.

You'll need: broccoli, cauliflower, bacon, cheese, mayonnaise and sugar.

This is as easy as it comes. Cook up your bacon. I like the thick cut bacon for this recipe, and I like to bake it. Baking bacon is so much easier and less messy. And if you're anything like me your kitchen is a disaster after some time spent cooking. I tend to get bacon grease splattered everywhere. So, just put it on a grated rack and throw a cookie sheet underneath and in about 25 mins at 350 you get crispy bacon. While your bacon is cooking, clean and prep broccoli and cauliflower into little flowerettes. When you wash it make sure to dry completely. Excess water can make the dressing runny, which is not too appealing. Combine the prepped broccoli, cauliflower, chopped bacon and cheese in a bowl. To prepare the dressing mix mayonnaise and sugar (honestly the amounts vary, if you want a sweeter dressing add more sugar and vice versa, just taste it as you go). Add dressing to to bowl and mix. Chill until serving. This recipe is about 225 cals/cup or serving.

Broccoli Cauliflower Salad

1 head cauliflower

1 head broccoli

2 c shredded cheddar cheese

1/2 lb chopped cooked bacon

1 1/2 c mayo

1/3 c granulated sugar

Roasted Butternut Squash Risotto

Olympics, Olympics, Olympics! How fun! I mean who doesn't love lean tan men running around in tiny little speedos. Or beefy hunks of man jumping around in skin tight clothing. Yeah, I don't mind it at all.

Plus, it's quite the motivator to excel in all things physical and nutritional. If someone can be so dedicated to perfecting something like a sport, why can't I be so dedicated to perfecting something like my health.

Risotto takes center stage today. I'll be honest, I sometimes wonder if the result is worth the effort when it comes to risotto. All that stirring can become a little....boring and time consuming. However, this is totally worth the effort.  It is creamy, cheesy and so amazingly tasty.

First, a few tidbits about risotto. There are ways to speed up the process, I've tried them all. In my opinion, it just doesn't come out as starchy and the depth of flavor just doesn't seem there. Most risotto recipes call for arborio rice. There is, of course, a reason. Arborio rice is very high in starch and short grain, giving risotto the best texture and stickiness. On that note, I only really ever have long grain brown rice in my house. Brown rice has the bran and the germ, unlike white rice, making brown rice higher in fiber and most minerals like magnesium. Also, long grain rice has a lower glycemic index. These are reasons enough for me to make my risotto using brown rice. The risotto gods will probably strike me down. Regardless, in my opinion, it's still rather delicious. It just takes even longer to make and doesn't get quite as creamy.

What you'll need: rice, vegetable or chicken broth, onions, garlic, butter, butternut squash, olive oil, salt/pepper, nutmeg, sage and parmesan cheese.

Butternut squash is one of my favorite vegetables. It is exactly what it's called, buttery and nutty. Prepare your butternut squash by peeling it and then dicing into tiny chunks. The smaller the chunks the quicker it will roast. Once diced, drizzle with olive oil and add some salt and pepper.

Roast at 450 degrees for 30-45 mins depending on the size of your dice. After, you get this! I can sit and eat this all by itself like it's candy.

While your squash is roasting, begin preparing the rice. In a saucepan bring broth to a simmer and keep warm. Dice onions and garlic and saute in butter with salt and pepper until onions are soft in a skillet. Then add the rice and saute for 3 mins to bring out the nutty flavor in the rice. Add 1 cup of broth and stir until absorbed. Begin adding broth 1/2 c at a time, stirring after each addition until all liquid is absorbed. Do this until you've finished the broth and/or the rice has became thick and sticky. Add the roasted butternut squash, nutmeg and salt and pepper to taste. Add parmesan cheese.

Chop up some lovely fresh sage and add to risotto, saving some for garnish.

In the end you get this creamy, delicious and cheesy dish. Yep, definitely worth the efforts. Enjoy! By the way, 1 cup equals ~500 calories.

• Roasted Butternut Squash
• 8 cups cubed peeled butternut squash
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 5 c vegetable or chicken broth
• 1 medium onion, diced 
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 c uncooked rice
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1 c grated Parmesan Cheese