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charlottealvina

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Monthly Archives: August 2012

Mashed Cauliflower “Fauxtatoes”

09 Thursday Aug 2012

Posted by charlottealvina in Recipes

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Tags

cauliflower, gf, glutenfree, meatlessmonday, recipes, vegan, vegetarian

Mashed Cauliflower

There are a lot of reasons you might want to substitute cauliflower for potatoes when you want a mashed side. Certainly the nutritional value of cauliflower is significant:

  • Potatoes are almost 4x more caloric than cauliflower.
  • They are comparable in fiber, but potatoes are 4x higher in carbs.
  • Cauliflower is a very good source of Vitamin C – one cup has 77% of your daily value.
  • While both potatoes and cauliflower score above 100 on amino acids (meaning they are complete or high-quality proteins) the caloric ratio of cauliflower is 19% versus 7% for potatoes.
  • Cauliflower has a significantly lower glycemic load (2 versus 10 per 100 grams) so this is a much better choice for maintaining healthy blood sugar.
  • Cauliflower is mildly anti-inflammatory (Inflammatory Factor score of 18, higher is better) while potatoes are mildly inflammatory (IF score of -60).

But for me the flavor and texture are big selling points, making mashed cauliflower more than a mere substitution. It’s no compromise in my mind, it’s a delicious side dish in its own right.

You can double this recipe to make a big batch using the whole head of cauliflower, or do what I do: cut out the “middle half” in two half-inch thick slices and save for cauliflower steaks.

Mashed Cauliflower Ingredients

Ingredients:

  • Half head cauliflower
  • 2 cups vegetable stock
  • 2 tbsp olive oil + more to drizzle
  • 2 to 3 cloves garlic (we love it, you should adjust accordingly!)
  • Celtic sea salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

  1. Break cauliflower into medium-size florets.
  2. Simmer in stock for approximately 10 minutes until tender.
  3. Strain but reserve some cooking liquid to adjust texture later if necessary.
  4. Place cauliflower, garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper in a food processer and blend until desired texture.
  5. Serve with an additional drizzle of olive oil and sprinkle of pepper if desired.
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Roasted Garlic Baba Ganoush

08 Wednesday Aug 2012

Posted by charlottealvina in Recipes

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

baba ganoush, baba ghanouj, baba ghanoush, babaganoush, eggplant, garlic, meatlessmonday, vegan, vegetarian

Roasted Garlic Baba Ganoush

Baba Ganoush is essentially hummus made with roasted eggplant instead of garbanzo beans. But the flavor is distinct and the two dishes pair well together, with the same types of veggies and bread for dipping.

You can roast the eggplant and garlic in the oven, but if you’re firing up the grill for other things (try brussel sprouts or sweet potatoes!), take advantage of that flame for a better flavor that’s also energy efficient.

Roasted Garlic Baba Ganoush

Ingredients:

  • 1 large eggplant
  • 1 to 2 garlic bulbs
  • .5 cups chopped parsley
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • .25 cups extra virgin olive oil + more for garlic
  • .25 cups tahini
  • .25 tsp Celtic sea salt
  • .25 tsp cumin powder

Instructions:

  1. Preheat grill to approximately 350° or medium heat.
  2. Double wrap garlic bulbs in tin foil with a sprinkle of olive oil and place on grill.
  3. Wash eggplant and remove leaves but not the stem, then pierce several times with a knife. Place on grill, turning every 5 to 10 minute to char all sides. Leave on grill approximately 20 to 30 minutes or until skin is fully charred and meat is soft.
  4. Remove garlic and eggplant from grill and allow both to cool enough to handle.
  5. Peel off skin and remove stem from eggplant.
  6. Cut off top of garlic blubs and squeeze out roasted garlic cloves – should be mushy.
  7. Place all ingredients in a food processor until smooth.
  8. Refrigerate for at least an hour. Will keep in refrigerator for several days.
  9. Garnish with additional olive oil when serving if you like.

Herbed Popcorn

07 Tuesday Aug 2012

Posted by charlottealvina in Recipes

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

meatlessmonday, nutritional yeast, recipes, vegan, vegetarian

Herbed Popcorn

Popcorn night was a family tradition for me growing up. Every Sunday night, we would make a big bowl of popcorn plus a variety platter of fruits and cheeses. That was dinner and we would sit together on the floor in front of the TV watching the Muppet Show. Later, when that went off the air, we rented movies. But the classic popcorn night for me will always include Pigs in Space, the Swedish Chef, and that “we’ve got crab legs” jingle during commercials. It’s a wonderful memory, so I’ve continued the tradition with my own spin: less frequency but more “grown up” nibbles.

The “fruit and cheese” portion of the meal can be anything you want for munchies on the side – nuts, veggies, marinated olives, etc.

Munchies

I also plus-up my popcorn with olive oil, garlic salt and thyme instead of butter and salt. It’s healthier (vegan, if that’s important to you) and more fun. I love it with nutritional yeast instead of thyme for a cheddar-like flavor, but that’s not as popular with other members in my household.

My parents have an air popper, but I never got one. Instead, I use my big stock pot over medium heat on the stove. Works great and there’s one less small appliance in my cupboards.

Herbed Popcorn Ingredients

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup popcorn kernels
  • 2 tbsp grape seed oil
  • .5 cups olive oil
  • 1 tsp garlic salt
  • 1 tsp dried thyme OR 2 tbsp nutritional  yeast

Instructions:

  1. Heat the kernels over medium in grape seed oil on the stove. After a few minutes they’ll start popping. Listen for the popping to slow down until it’s almost stopped and remove from heat.
  2. Immediately transfer to a large bowl and cool the stock pot under cold water.
  3. In batches, add the popcorn back into pot.
  4. Top with olive oil, garlic salt and dried thyme/nutritional yeast.
  5. Shake vigorously with the lid on so all the popcorn is evenly seasoned.

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