Cauliflower Alfredo Sauce

We were scared to try it, and ended up loving it!

 

Ingredients

• 1 lb. uncooked fettuccine noodles
• 3 small heads cauliflower
• 6 cups vegetable broth
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 teaspoon salt
• pinch of nutmeg
• pinch of black pepper
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ¼ cup heavy cream
• 1 cup starchy boiling water from pasta pot

Instructions

1. Chop the cauliflower. Bring the vegetable broth to a boil over medium high heat and add cauliflower. Cook until cauliflower is soft, about 15 minutes. In my experience, the longer you cook it, the smoother the sauce will be. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and saute for 4-5 minutes or until soft and fragrant.
2. As the garlic and cauliflower are cooking, bring a large pot of water to boil and cook the fettuccine according to directions on package, reserving some of the starchy water to add to the sauce later.
3. Transfer cauliflower to a blender with about 2 cups of the broth. You may need to do this in batches depending on the size of your blender. Add the sauteed garlic, salt, nutmeg, and black pepper and puree until very smooth, about 5 minutes. Once the mixture is moving, stream the olive oil into the blender. Add more broth or water if the mixture is too thick to move through the blender. You want it to turn through the blender easily. When puree is very smooth, transfer back to the butter/garlic skillet.
4. Add the cream and cook over low heat. Add the starchy pasta water (or regular water if you’re not making pasta) and keep warm until ready to serve. Combine noodles and sauce in a large pot or skillet and serve immediately.

Notes

The sauce will “dry out” a little bit as it cools on the pasta. Adding a little water to the leftovers will help make it creamy again. Serving size is ⅛ of the noodles with about 1 cup of sauce

Pesto Pasta

The perfect light summer dish!

spaghetti
basil pesto (I just use the Classico brand from the store)
real parm cheese shreds
cilantro
tomatoes
cooked shredded chicken


Cook and drain spaghetti, add a little pesto at a time- until it tastes just right. A little goes a long way. Add cheese, cilantro and tomatoes to taste - Easy peasy and oh so tasty!  (it's good warm or cold)
 

Quick, easy, and delicious alfredo sauce

1 stick butter

1 8 oz. brick cream cheese (can use low fat)

2 tsp. granulated garlic powder

2 C milk

6 oz. grated or 8 oz.shredded parm cheese

1/8 t gr. black pepper

 

Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add cream cheese and garlic powder, stirring with wire whisk until smooth. Add milk, a little at a time, whisking to smooth out lumps. Stir in Parmesan and pepper. Remove from heat when sauce reaches desired consistency. Sauce will thicken rapidly, thin with milk if cooked too long. Toss with hot pasta to serve.

 

This is easy and yummie. I always keep bricks of cream cheese on hand for whatever anyway, like frostings, sauces, or stuffing's and who doesn't have parm cheese in the fridge or granulated garlic in their spice cupboard. This sauce is awesome and so versatile. Add broccoli, spinach, peas, grilled chicken, shrimp, or sundried tomatoes to your pasta of any shape, or make your own chicken alfredo pizza with it. Mmmm......alfredo.

 

Makes enough for I think about 6-8 servings

Banana drop cookies

Oven to 375

Mix:
1 1/2 C flour
1 C sugar
1/2 t baking soda
1 t salt
1/2 t cinnamon
1/4 ground ginger
1/4 t nutmeg

Then cut in 3/4 C butter until mixed
Add:
1/2 C chopped walnuts (*optional)
1 3/4 C oats
1 egg
1 C mashed, very ripe bananas (about 3)

Bake 12-15 minutes until cookies brown around edges.

Glaze when mostly cooled with glaze made up of: 2 C powdered sugar, 2-3 T milk, and a little bit of vanilla.

Crockpot Cheesy Tortellini

Ingredients:

1 lb. of roll sausage
1 clove garlic
1/4 tsp. oregano
1/4 tsp. dried basil
1 small bag of fresh spinach
2 cans of italian style diced tomatoes
1 box or 4 cups or chicken broth
1 block of cream cheese (1/3 low fat works)
1 bag of frozen tortellini

Brown the sausage and garlic. Drain. Put all ingredients in crockpot chunking up the cream cheese.  I put tortellini's on top so they don't over cook. Cook on low for 3-4 hrs. Serve with italian bread (bruchetta if you're ambitious). Yum! Serves 5-6

Protein power balls

Okay, these are so yummy and the perfect little snack to grab during crazy busy days, which I'm pretty sure all of us have crazy busy days EVERY day!

In a big bowl, combine:

1 C dried old fash oats
1/2 C peanut butter - Jif Natural is a good one (organic isn't sticky enough)
1/2 C almond butter
1/3 C Agave (I use Blue Organic)
2 T Honey
1 C coconut flakes (I use unsweetened organic)
3/4 C flaxseed (ground or seed - I do half and half)
1/4 C Chai seeds
1/4 - 1/2 C mini choco chips (I use sweetened organic)
1 tsp vanilla
2 scoops of protien powder (I use Elite chocolate or vanilla)
Optional: dried berries or nuts (I use dried blueberries)

Mix everything well together in a bowl. Refridgerate for 30-40 min. Once chilled, roll into whatever size balls you want, and store in fridge in airtight container. YUMMY and HEALTHY!

Saute`d Mushrooms

A simple but yummy recipe for mushrooms!  Even my picky eaters like these.  Perfect for steak or just as a side dish.

INGREDIENTS:

2 Tbsp. butter

1/2 Tbsp. Olive Oil

1/2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar

1 clove garlic, minced

1/8 tsp. dried oregano

1 Lb. Button mushrooms, sliced

DIRECTIONS:

Melt butter and oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Stir in balsamic vinegar, garlic, oregano, and mushrooms.  Saute for 20-30 minutes, or until tender.