Soyrizo and Pepper Jack Cauliflower "Mac" and Cheese

Cauliflower has become increasingly popular. I've seen so many recipes ranging from pizza crust to macaroni and cheese that subs cauliflower for noodles. I've had cauliflower gratin before which is super similar to this recipe, and I wanted to switch up the flavor profile from the traditional cheddar. I love Soyrizo. If you don't know what it is, it's a vegan alternative to chorizo. Chorizo has a delicious taste, but the ingredients can be questionable depending on which kind you buy. It's also loaded with fat, and Soyrizo is a great alternative if you aren't vegetarian or vegan but want to cut out all the grease. I personally think when you have it with scrambled eggs and peppers with tortillas and beans on the side, you really won't notice the difference. The flavor is great, and it works really well in this dish since the cheese is already so rich on it's own.

Easy Roast Chicken and Butternut Squash

When I think of fall I think of squash and cinnamon, so this recipe was a no brainer for me. It's so simple to put together but I love that the flavors are a little different than what I'm used to which is more of an Italian flavor base. This recipe has cinnamon in it which it such a great addition and really warms the meal up. The best part is it's a one pan recipe, and the ingredients list is simple.

Quick and Easy Mashed Potato Pancakes

Last year Isla was a newborn for St. Patrick's Day, so I didn't cook and we didn't celebrate. Now that she's a toddler I wanted to have some fun and cook the traditional Irish-American corned beef and cabbage with a couple sides. This resulted in too many mashed potatoes for a family of three. I like to make leftovers a little different the next day, and these potato pancakes were a fun way of changing up the meal from the previous night. Best part is you can fry a bunch up, then reheat the leftovers the next morning with scrambled eggs. Yum!

Easy and Delicious Pollo Asado Tacos

This was another quick and easy meal that we really enjoyed. You can speed the process up more by using pre-made ingredients, but why buy salsa if you already have the ingredients in your fridge. The best time saver here is starting the pre-marinated chicken, and while it cooks throw together the toppings and your side.

Low Calorie Curried Chicken Salad

I love all of the cold salads: potato salad, macaroni salad, and especially chicken salad. This recipe is really simple and all I had to go buy was the celery and butter lettuce, chances are you also have the ingredients you need already in your pantry and fridge.

Maple Cayenne Brussels Sprouts w/ Ginger, Garlic, Soy Chicken

I wish I had discovered this recipe sooner on this diet! I'm almost finished with the low calorie phase, but I can guarantee you I'll be making this often in the future. It's sweet, tangy, and spicy but it comes together in about 20 minutes or less.

BBQ Pork Tenderloin w/ Shrimp Pineapple 'Fried' Rice

I saw the recipe for this rice on Gina's Skinny Recipes and decided to give it a go using what I already had. I love recipe that you can use frozen food and pantry items for, it makes life easier! The pork tenderloin marinated in a BBQ sauce/chipotle sauce I poured over it in a Ziploc for a couple of hours. Marinate longer if you have the time, I did not. Also, this rice isn't fried in oil! I used precooked brown rice I bought from Fresh n Easy. It already had mushrooms and other veggies added in so it was extra tasty.

Cranberry Orange Stuffing

Sorry for posting this so late! It's been a crazy busy week. This stuffing is absolutely delicious and very easy to make. I adapted this from Rachel Ray's 30 Minute Meals recipe found here. Her recipe was to serve four people, but her serving size was about an ice cream scoop full. Now, I don't know about your family, but mine is all about leftovers. I wanted to make enough to feed all 6 of us and have some goodies left over. 

Keep in mind that I undercooked mine slightly so that tomorrow when we re-heat it, it won't dry out. I say cook yours about 40-45 minutes or until it's golden brown on top and no longer a soupy texture.

Cranberry Orange Stuffing

• EVOO
• Couple pats of butter
• 7 ribs of celery diced , no leaf with the white chopped off
• 1.5 medium white onions, I chopped it super fine
• 3 bay leaves
• S&P to taste
• 2 cans (32 ounces) chicken stock
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 3 tablespoons freshly chopped thyme
• 2.5 loaves Trader Joe's Low Fat Cranberry Orange Bread

First things first, if you can't get Trader Joe's brand cranberry orange bread then don't worry about it. I'd say 2 loaves are equivalent to about 5 large cranberry orange muffins. So 7 muffins? Yikes. I'm sorry I'm not sure how big the loaves are and I forgot to take pictures before I threw away the wrappers . . . 

Preparation & Cooking Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 F. Chop all of your veggies, saute in a skillet over medium-low heat with the bay leaves and thyme until they've reduced in size and softened. Once the oven is heated, chop the bread and toast in the oven for 10 minutes. I had left my bread unwrapped on a baking sheet for two days to dry it out a bit, which it didn't really get dry so I had to toast it up a bit. Beat the eggs and whisk in the chicken stock/broth. In a large bowl add the veggies and bread. Ladle the stock over the bread and veggies and mix until it has soaked up a lot of moisture. I ended up not using the entire 2 cans of broth because I didn't want the mixture to be too soupy, since the bread is already much more moist than regular toasted bread. It should be moist enough where you squeeze it in your hand some of the moisture leaks out, but doesn't drip down your hand. Place mixture in casserole dish and bake at 350 F for 40-45 minutes, or until golden brown on top. Let cool and serve!

Awesome Recipe for Peas! ^_^

When I first saw the post about Philly Peas over at Leslie's blog I died and went straight to pea heaven! I couldn't wait to try them! After a month I finally had all the ingredients and the time and focus to whip them up! I did a modified version of this amazing recipe Healthy & Homemade style! Leslie, you're a genius for making peas your kids want to chow down on!

Irish Colcannon: Served with Corned Beef Brisket & Cabbage

Top of the mornin' to ya! I hope everyone is having a lucky St. Patty's Day. This is one of my favorite holidays, in addition to being Irish I am also a beer and whiskey drinker . . . obviously this holiday suits me well ;-) I decided to cook colcannon, brisket, and cabbage this year. Super incredibly simple to make and very hearty. Here is a simple and quick recipe for Irish Colcannon.

BBQ Baked Tofu

I *love* this recipe! It's incredibly simple to pull together, everything cooks at just about the same time but with enough time in between to prep and it's healthy! GASP! Healthy? I know, about time. Grab a few pots and dishes and lets get cooking!

Lemon Chicken & Champ

Hi there! If you like sticky sweet ooey gooey chicken and potatoes, then grab a skillet and lets get cooking!

Crispy Salmon and Potatoes

Good morning! Hubby was working yesterday, and I wanted to have a delicious, no fuss, home-cooked meal for dinner! I went down to Albertsons and picked up a salmon fillet, a can of new potatoes, asparagus, and scallions and got to brain storming. I decided on crispy a salmon fillet, side of asparagus, tomatoes baked in the oven, and a mashed potato-salad-like dish! This is a healthier and simpler spin on something I saw made by Chef Gordon Ramsey.