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by Emily

Comfort Food Extravaganza: Cauliflower-Pumpkin-Ricotta Gratin

It’s that time of year again…daylight savings is totally messing with my body and making me crave warm, rich comfort food as soon as I drag my sorry butt home from work. I can’t help it, when it gets dark outside at five pm I just go into hibernation mode, aka sweatpants and cheesy food in front of the TV mode. Fortunately I have a lot of tricks up my sleeve when it comes to fall and winter comfort foods so I don’t actually pack on as much weight as a slumbering bear.

For example, cauliflower! It’s such a versatile vegetable. Use it in place of white, starchy carbs like pasta or potatoes and you have a super indulgent and cozy yet much healthier meal. When I was grocery shopping at Central Market last weekend I found some beautiful orange cauliflower on sale (the color is so fun! And it means that the cauliflower is especially high in beta-carotene, the same reasons carrots have that great orange color). I knew I had to do something with it…then orange made me think of pumpkin…I still had some pumpkin puree and ricotta left over from the pumpkin lasagna I made last week… BAM. This recipe was born. It’s way quicker and easier to make than your traditional gratin (which are traditionally creamy dishes topped with browned cheese), not to mention way healthier. And it’s totally creamy and satisfying! You won’t regret this one.

Cauliflower-Pumpkin-Ricotta Gratin

by Emily

Thai-Inspired Kale and Carrot Salad

Last week, I participated as a featured food blogger (woo!) in a kale-centric event at kor180, an indoor cycling and pilates studio in downtown Austin. It was a blast! I demo-ed one of my recipes, met a ton of awesome members of the Austin fitness and cooking community, and generally had a great time.

Obviously I was jazzed to attend a party ALL ABOUT KALE, and also unsurprisingly, I put an Asian twist on my salad recipe. What can I say? Sometimes I’m pretty predictable. In this case it was a good thing, as my recipe turned out really well, if I do say so myself. It’s crunchy, salty, sour, a little sweet, and a little spicy. Plus it’s veeeerrry easy to make and totally good for you. What’s not to love?!

Thai-Inspired Kale and Carrot Salad

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by Emily

Brussels Sprout Caesar Salad

There’s a cute place in Austin’s Manor neighborhood called the Salty Sow. Their slogan is “swine + wine + beer” so clearly I’m on board. (I love Salty Sow so much that I actually wrote a bit about them in an ES post last summer!) This head-to-tail gastropub specializes in all things porky and meaty, of course, but surprisingly one of my favorite things on their menu is a salad! Go figure.

This isn’t just any salad, though. It starts with brussels sprouts, always a winner in my book, and makes them into a take on the Caesar salad, topped with dried cranberries and candied almonds. It’s salty, savory, slightly crispy, and just a tad bit sweet. My mouth is seriously watering just thinking about it.

I loved this salad so much that I begged the recipe out of ’em, and now I want all of you to experience its magic.

Brussels Sprouts Caesar Salad

in Cheese / Featured / Recipe / Restaurants / Veggie 3 comments

by hungry monster

Sensible Sports Snacks: Baked Taco Roll-Ups

Are you finding that you are going to more get-togethers lately? That”s how I feel about fall. When the weather is nice, people love to gather. And you know what? When people gather…they eat.

So, if you have a few friends over for the big game (Go, insert relevant sports team name here!!) why not make them some secretly healthy taco roll-ups to fill their bellies?

They will thank you for it.

(Healthy) Baked Taco Roll-Ups

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by Emily

Cabbage Cashew Detox Salad

This is one of my favorite things to make when I’ve been indulging a little toooo much and need to give myself a nutritional jumpstart. It’s chock full of cruciferous vegetables (namely broccoli and cabbage), which are great because not only do they contain tons of vitamins, minerals, and fiber, but they’re also said to lower your risk of cancer and regulate inflammation. Basically you can eat a ton of this salad and feel awesome about yourself, especially if you’ve been slacking in the nutrition department!

You’re not depriving yourself, though; the added avocado and cashews, both rich with flavor and texture, make every bite an indulgent yet 100% good-for-you treat. That’s the beauty of heart-healthy fats, people!

Another fantastic thing about this recipe is how easy it is. You can seriously throw it together in about ten minutes, tops. If you’re especially pressed for time and don’t feel like chopping up a big pile of cabbage and broccoli, you can even take a shortcut by using a bagged broccoli slaw, which should be easy to find in the produce area of your average grocery store.

When I’m in a hurry and “cheating” with bagged veggies, I personally like using Mann’s Rainbow Salad, because not only is it a delightful blend of shredded broccoli, red cabbage, cauliflower, and carrots, but it also reminds me of the hilarious/amazing song “Text” by Mann feat. Jason Derulo. I am a ridiculous person.

Cabbage Cashew Detox Salad

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by Miss K

Guacamole That Beats the Heat

I am not a sucker for gimmicks. Some years ago, I paid big bucks to go to a certain very fancy restaurant, wherein I was served a dish that was “a play on chicken Parmesan.” It consisted of a one-inch piece of pressed chicken, some Parmesan noodles, and a handful of little frozen tomato sauce balls, a la Dippin” Dots. And after consuming the one bite that was this dish, I remember thinking, “I wish I had a plate of chicken Parmesan.” Because I am hungry, and five Dippin” dots do not a meal make.

So, when I was invited to for a preview of their summer ice cream festival, where one of the featured items was a tableside preparation of “guacamole ice cream.” I was skeptical. Not one to resist the charms of frozen desserts, though, I tried to go in with an open mind.

For this particular concoction, avocado ice cream was hand-blended with raspberries, mint, white chocolate and something crunchy. It was done in a frozen stone bowl (think upscale Coldstone). The result looked like guacamole and tasted, well, delicioso. Cinnamon-coated fried tortillas were the perfect thing for dipping into the “guacamole.” The presentation was cool (heh) but it was the end result that really delivered. It was enough to at least partially obliterate my memories of those tiny frozen tomato balls.

in Desserts / Restaurants / Trends / Veggie 0 comments

by hungry monster

Beefy Taco Veggie Quinoa Bake

So, three weeks ago I had the bright idea that we should re-do the kitchen. Aaaand we are in the thick of it. It’s an ongoing process and there is so much to do!! Needless to say, I don’t really feel much like digging through the boxes in the dining room for lots of pans and coming up with clever recipes.

This one happened by accident. Such a happy accident!

I was talking to my mom, musing about what to make for dinner one night and she said to come shop in her overflowing pantry. She has a million cans of things. Once I saw her can of black beans, I knew what to do. I could eat this combination of flavors every day and be cool with it.

It is kind of a long list of ingredients, but your entire, healthy & delicious meal is all in one dish. Can’t get simpler than that! Every ingredient adds another layer of flavor to this dish. It’s a party in your mouth! But if there is something you don’t have on hand, substitutions could easily be made. If you don’t have butternut squash, you could add in a cup of diced zucchini. Mushrooms would also be a lovely addition.

Beefy Taco Veggie Quinoa Bake

in Cheese / Recipe / Red Meat / Veggie 5 comments

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