Ranch dressing is something I love and let’s be real, I could find an excuse to put it on practically anything. While I love the flavor, I don’t love all of the junk that is in the vast majority of store bought ranch dressing like preservatives and artificial flavors.
Continue reading The Last Ranch Dressing Recipe You’ll Ever Need
Growing up, we always ate rice as a side dish and I’ve had/made more rice dishes than I could ever possibly count. A type of rice that’s new-ish to me is cauliflower rice. This low calorie alternative to regular rice is super rich in vitamin C, and also rich in fiber, potassium, magnesium and vitamin B6. I prefer to buy frozen cauliflower rice that is readily available at most grocery stores since it’s easy to prepare and use in recipes and I can make sure I have it on hand. This recipe combines cauliflower rice with flavor packed dried herbs and bright, fresh fruit for a crowd pleasing side dish!
Festive Cauliflower Rice
Makes 4 Servings
Prep Time: 5 Minutes
Cook Time: 20 Minutes
Ingredients:
1 Lb Fresh or Frozen Cauliflower Rice
1 Tbsp Dried Parsley
1 Tbsp Dried Thyme
2 Cloves of Fresh Garlic, Minced
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
¼ Cup Chopped Walnuts
½ Cup Pomegranate Seeds
Salt & Pepper to Taste
Instructions:
If you’re not a fan of thyme, try this recipe with rosemary. If you don’t have pomegranates, try using red grapes cut in half. This dish works as a room temperature “salad” for a healthy luncheon dish or a warm side for a dinner, whatever you prefer!
I absolutely LOVE breakfast foods. If we are being completely candid, I eat breakfast for dinner at least once a week. If we are being even more candid, I have an extreme tendency to choose savory breakfast items. This healthy breakfast casserole is a brunch crowd pleaser but also simple enough to make ahead and have for yourself as a heat and go breakfast during the week.
Savory Caramelized Onion and Kale Brunch Bake
Makes 8 Servings
Prep Time: 15 Minutes
Cook Time: 25 Minutes
Ingredients:
½ Large Spaghetti Squash, Cooked (See Recipe Here)
1 Tsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 Bunch Tuscan Kale
½ Red Bell Pepper
1 Sweet Onion
¼ Cup of Water
4 oz Shredded Organic Sharp Cheddar Cheese about 1 cup, grated)
12 Eggs (4 Whole Eggs and 8 Egg Whites)
¼ Tsp Garlic Powder
¼ Tsp Grated Nutmeg
Pinch of Salt
Pinch of Pepper
Instructions:
1. Preheat the oven to 375. While the oven is heating up, dice the onion and bell pepper. Add the onion to a frying pan with 1 tsp olive oil and cook on high for 5 minutes, stirring frequently until they turn translucent.
2. Add the red bell pepper to the pan and turn down to medium. While the red bell pepper cooks, about five minutes, wash the kale and cut widthwise into thin ¼ inch ribbons., separating the leaf from the stem once it gets more than a half inch thick.
3. Add the kale and the ¼ cup of water, a pinch of salt and a pinch of pepper to the pan with the peppers and onions, stir and return to high heat. Cook on high for five to ten minutes or until the kale is wilted and tender, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and place in a bowl to cool.
4. While the vegetable mixture cools, prepare your eggs. Combine 4 whole eggs and 8 egg whites, garlic powder, nutmeg, a pinch of salt and a pinch of pepper in a bowl and whisk together well until fully blended.
5. Spray a 9×13 casserole dish with olive oil. Layer half of the spaghetti squash in the bottom of the dish. Cover the squash with half of the pepper, onion, kale mixture. Cover that with half the cheese. Repeat the layering with the remaining ingredients and pour the egg mixture over everything.
6. Make sure the egg mixture is evenly distributed. Bake for 25 minutes or until the eggs are no longer runny.
In this recipe, spinach would be a great substitute for the Tuscan kale. Add artichokes and tomatoes and swap the cheddar for few for a different twist on this recipe.
Spaghetti Squash is a wonderful and nutritious vegetable that can be used as a substitute for everything from actual pasta to shredded potatoes. I personally use love using spaghetti squash as a vehicle for mounds of homemade tomato sauce with a sprinkle of shredded Parmesan. It is simple to prepare and is a great way to add more vegetables to your diet. Gram for gram, it has about 1/10th of the carbs of regular spaghetti! Once you are able to cook plain spaghetti squash, the ways you can use it are endless.
Basic Roasted Spaghetti Squash
Prep Time: 5 Minutes
Cook Time: 40 Minutes
Ingredients:
Spaghetti Squash
Salt & Pepper
Olive Oil
Instructions:
1. Preheat the oven to 425. Rinse the outside of the spaghetti squash and pat dry. While this part will not be consumed, I find it’s safest to clean the outside of the squash to avoid bringing any contaminants into the part you will consume while you are cutting and preparing it.
2. Using a sharp knife, carefully cut the squash in half lengthwise. Use a serving spoon to clean out the strings and seeds. If you’d like, set the seeds aside as you can roast these later, they are delicious and taste just like pumpkin seeds!
3. Drizzle or spray a small amount of olive oil on the spaghetti squash (no more than one teaspoon per side is necessary) and season with salt and pepper.
4. Place the spaghetti squash cut side down on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or in a glass baking dish and place in oven.
5. When the squash has finished cooking, allow it to cool for at least ten minutes before attempting to handle it.
6. Using a serving spoon, scrape the squash away from the shell on both halves. The squash will separate into strands, hence the name spaghetti squash.
In case you have been living under a rock…it’s THAT time of year, ya know the one where there are a bunch of holidays coming up and everyone is getting sick. This time of year, while super festive, can be extremely chaotic and stressful and also full of sniffles and coughs. It’s common for people to reach for vitamin C once they’re already sick (I know I always did!), but the latest studies and evidence show that ingesting Vitamin C post cold onset does not help in reducing the length or severity of the illness. While the aforementioned holds true regarding the general population and while further research may be conducted, some studies have shown that taking vitamin C daily could help reduce the likelihood of contracting a cold in those who are at risk for vitamin C deficiency, those who subject their body to extreme, rigorous exercise and those who, for whatever reason, have prolonged periods of exposure to cold temperatures.
Despite the lack of evidence for using vitamin C to reduce the duration and severity of colds, vitamin C is absolutely crucial to our health and the majority of us are able to get the amount our bodies need just from our diet alone, without supplementation. Vitamin C is an antioxidant, plays a role in helping with the regeneration of vitamin E (another antioxidant), helps to metabolize protein and is necessary for our bodies to produce collagen. In summary, vitamin C is important for our body to function, but you shouldn’t necessarily expect a recovery miracle from using it while you’re sick with a cold!
References:
1. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminC-HealthProfessional/#h7
2. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Zinc-HealthProfessional/
