Where's the Beef??

Earlier yesterday a friend was sharing some recipes that brought a great idea to mind. I have about 3 containers of slice portabella mushrooms, and a head of organic cauliflower......lets make a "meat and potato" dish!!! So I looked deeper in my frig and found some red peppers and thought about making a mock peppered steak with mock mashed potatoes. The prepping time was minimal since the mushrooms were sliced. So here's some ingredients I used:

Mock Peppered Steak

1 Container of Sliced Mushrooms (portabella mushrooms gives a "meaty" texture)
2 medium onions*, sliced (I love onions, one onion is enough)
1 red pepper*, sliced
2 garlic cloves*, crushed
2 tablespoons of oil
1/2 cup of balsamic vinegar
Salt and season to taste

On a medium heat add 1 tablespoon of oil to a sauce pan and saute mushrooms for about 2 minutes. Once mushrooms seem to absorb oil; make a well in the middle of the pan and add remain tablespoon of oil and add onions and a pinch of salt. Cook together for about 3-5 minutes, and then add red peppers. Cook for another 3 minutes on a medium heat.


Add the balsamic vinegar, and garlic and turn heat on low and allow to braise for 10-15 minutes covered. Once onions and mushrooms seem tender turn the heat off and allow to stand for 5 minutes uncovered. Enjoy with Mock Mashed Potatoes (recipe below)


Mock Mashed Potatoes (Mashed Cauliflower)


1 head of cauliflower*, core removed
1/2 cup of milk** (I used a heavy cream, but coconut milk, or other unsweetened non-dairy )
salt to taste
shredded cheese (optional)

In a pot with a tight lid add washed cauliflower with milk and allow to steam on a medium low heat covered for about 15-20 minutes. Once cauliflower is tender, pour and reserve milk***. Mash cauliflower with masher, fork or blender. Season to your liking and top with Mock Peppered Steak and some fresh chopped chives. Enjoy a meal that's flavorful, guilt-less and quick!

*Organic
**Organic & Grass-fed dairy

*** with reserved milk you can add to the Mock Peppered Steak to give a cream finishing.

Great Snack, Breakfast, or Dessert.

Recently, I had a moment and brought a large amount of steel cut oats due to a craving for oatmeal. After the first few bowls, the craving past and now I was stuck with all this uncooked steel cut oats. So of course the first thing that came to mind was......GRANOLA! I attended a food swap in my City a few months ago and was able to swap some of my ice cream for a batch of peanut butter and jelly granola that was awesome. So I wanted to try my own novice version of granola. The funny thing is I am not really a granola kinda girl but that peanut butter and jelly granola had me rethink my stance. So I began my granola journey. Here are the ingredients I used:

steel cut oats
almonds
cashews
sunflower seeds
maple syrup (organic grade B)
cinnamon
raisins
a sprinkle of kosher
vanilla

Mix all except raisins and bake in an oven on 350 for 15-20 mins. Allow to cool and then add raisins and store away in air tight container(s) or ziploc bag.

It came out great! I made this batch during the evening which was great for my night snacking. What really made me a lover of granola was having it the next morning for a bowl of cereal. It was so tasty and it really stood up to the almond milk nicely. What I love about this recipe is the versatility of additional add-ins that is almost endless. Its kid approved too, and not too much sugar. I also think this a great way to have kids be apart of making versions of their own cereals and snacks. Also, if you add flax seeds it's a great way to add fiber and they would never know the difference. Enjoy for a breakfast - hot or cold cereal. Add into your lunch salad for an added crunch and a bit of sweetness. Top and indulge with a really creamy greek yogurt for a light evening dessert. Add your own twist, enjoy and be healthy.