Cauliflower and Bacon Gratin

OK, Cauliflower? Not a standout favorite of mine. I am embarrassed to say my kids weren't quite sure what it was! I think I may have put it on a veggie tray a couple times in my adult life and that's about it. If you are like me and need to introduce a forgotten vegetable to the table, I've got three words for you~ butter, cream and bacon. Something tells me they just might like it, right?! They did :)  It's a super easy side dish. 
This recipe is adapted from Giada DeLaurentiis

unsalted butter, for dish, plus 4 tablespoons cut into 1/2 inch pieces
3 slices day~old sourdough bread or 2 cups bread crumbs
3/4 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon all~purpose flour
8 ounces bacon, cooked until crispy and cut into 1/2 pieces
1 cup Gruyere cheese, divided
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pound cauliflower, trimmed and cut into florets
extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling

Place an oven rack in the center of the oven.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Butter a 8x8 casserole dish.  Set aside.

In the bowl of a food processor, blend the bread until it forms into crumbs.  In a large non~stick skillet, heat the butter over medium heat.  Add the bread crumbs and cook, stirring constantly until all the butter has been absorbed and the bread crumbs are toasted, about 2 minutes.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the cream and flour.  Add the bacon and 1/2 cup of the Gruyere.  Season with salt and pepper, to taste. 

Bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil over high heat.  Add the cauliflower and cook for 2 minutes.  Drain the cauliflower and toss with the cream mixture. Pour the cauliflower mixture into the prepared baking dish.  Sprinkle with bread crumbs and remaining cheese.  Drizzle with olive oil and bake for about 40 minutes until the cheese has melted and the top is golden brown. 

Serves~ 4 to 6 as a side

White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cake

When I think about making a cake I usually go to chocolate, as it's my husband's favorite. So, for my family this one is a little different. It's a fun twist on a great cookie! It's a moist cake with chunks of white chocolate and nuts, which I happen to love. It's also a really pretty cake that doesn't need a lot of messing with. I tend to be a little cake decorating challenged. I've got to take a class one of these days. Drizzle a glaze? Yes, I can handle that.

For the cake~
1 package vanilla cake mix
1 package vanilla instant pudding mix (3.4 ounces)
4 large eggs
1 cup sour cream
2/3 cup water
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup white chocolate chips, plus more for garnish
3/4 cups chopped (unsalted) macadamia nuts, plus more for garnish

For the glaze~
3/4 cup white chocolate chips
2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly mist a 12 cup bundt pan with cooking spray, then dust it with flour. Shake out the excess flour and set pan aside.

Place cake mix, pudding mix, eggs, sour cream, water, oil and vanilla in a large mixing bowl. Beat with an electric mixer on low speed until the ingredients are incorporated, about 30 seconds, while scraping down the sides of the bowl. Beat another 2 minutes on medium speed. The batter should look smooth and thick. Fold in the chocolate chips and nuts. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan, smoothing the top with a rubber spatula.

Bake the cake on the center rack in oven, until the top springs back when lightly pressed with a finger, about 55~58 minutes. Cool cake on a wire rack for 10~15 minutes. Run a long, sharp knife around the edges of the cake, shake the pan gently, and invert the cake onto a wire rack. Let the cake cool completely.

Make the glaze. Melt the white chocolate chips in a small microwave~safe glass bowl in the microwave for about 30 seconds. Stir, and melt another 30 seconds if needed. When the chocolate is melted, stir in the cream. Spoon the warm glaze over the cooled cake. Garnish with more white chocolate chips and macadamia nuts. Let the glaze set for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

Spiced Pork and Apples

An Asian twist on a classic. Pork chops and apples enhanced with sesame oil and five~spice powder. This is really flavorful, no need for added spices or salt. In fact, I would use the less sodium soy sauce in this recipe, if you don't already use it. The pork needs to marinate for 4~12 hours. Get it going in the morning and when you are done with a busy day, it won't stress you out. It's a really quick and easy dinner to pull off. Serve it with some coconut rice or even some plain rice and you are good to go.

4~6 thin cut (about 1/2 inch thick) boneless pork chops
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons dry sherry
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
1 teaspoon five~spice powder
1 2 inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
2 large baking apples, cored and cut into thick slices
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
5 green onions, diagonally sliced into 1 inch pieces
2 tablespoons honey

Place pork chops in a resealable plastic bag set in a shallow dish; set aside. For marinade, in a small bowl combine oil, brown sugar, soy sauce, sherry, sesame oil, five~spice powder, and ginger. Pour marinade over pork chops. Seal bag; turn to coat chops. Marinate in the refrigerator for 4~12 hours, turning occasionally.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Drain chops, reserving 1/3 cup marinade. Arrange chops in an ungreased 3 quart baking dish. Arrange apples around chops. Drizzle apples with the reserved marinade. Sprinkle apples with cinnamon.

Bake, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Add green onions. Bake, uncovered, for another 10~15 minutes or until chops are cooked through (160 degrees) and apples are tender. Arrange chops and apples on a serving platter. Drizzle with honey.

Tropical "Green" Smoothie

I make some kind of smoothie just about every day for my kids. Sometimes, I try to sneak something healthy in them. If it will get my skinny kids to consume more veggies, I'm going for it. I'm not getting to radical on you and going all "healthy green revolution." I'm just trying to feel good about what my kids are eating or not eating.

Hmm...Spinach Smoothie!?

I have to admit, it took me a while to try this one. I'm glad I did, my kids have been asking me to make the weird spinach one. They loved it! So, skip the salad and try a smoothie, it's pretty good.


2 cups spinach
1 mango
2 bananas
1 cup pineapple chunks (fresh)
1 cup water
1 cup ice

Blend ingredients until smooth.