Cauliflower Fried "Rice"

Cauliflower Fried "Rice"

This is one of my favorite all veggie meals and a great way to use up extra cauliflower and veggies. You can add whatever vegetables you have on hand and any of your favorite spices. I also like that it feels more like a meal than just eating plain veggies. I often leave out the eggs but if I want a bit of protein it is a great option. For anyone following a Paleo meal plan or anyone trying to reduce their meat intake, this would be a great meal. It's very filling!
 

Ingredients

1 medium head cauliflower, cut into florets
1/2 head broccoli
1/2 shredded carrots
1/2 medium red onion, diced
1 small zucchini
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp chili flakes
2 eggs (optional), slightly beaten
1/4 cup Thai sweet chili sauce or teriyaki sauce
1 tbsp grated ginger
Salt
Pepper
sesame seeds to garnish

Instructions

1. Throw the cauliflower into a food processor and pulse until they are the desired size (think grain of rice). 
2. Place them in a large bowl. 
3. Then reuse the processor bowl and do the same thing for the other veggies. 
4. Heat a large pan over medium heat. 
5. Add 1 -2 tbsp oil. 
6. Throw in the veggies.  
7. Add the ginger, garlic and chili flakes.
8. Stir fry until cooked - about 7-10 minutes.
9. Make a well in the centre of the veggies and add the eggs. 
10. Stir the eggs until slightly scrambled and then mix through the veggies. 
11. Add the sauce. 
12. Season with salt and pepper. 
13. Sprinkle with sesame seeds. 
14. Serve.

Low Fat Greek Salad

Greek salad is one of my favourite meals especially during spring and summer. I love the crispiness of the veggies and the colours! I don't like many bottled dressings though so I often make my own oil/vinegar dressing. In this recipe though I use only reduced balsamic vinegar and lemon juice. By reducing the vinegar it becomes syrupy and much sweeter. I find that I don't need the olive oil - which is great if you are watching your calorie intake (and I would rather give up the oil than the feta!).

Serves 2.

Ingredients

2 large tomatoes, diced
1 cucumber, diced
1/3 c kalamata olives, pits removed and roughly chopped
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
1 carrot, grated
1 large bunch of fresh basil
3/4 c feta cheese (I use one that comes already cubed)
1 lemon, juiced
1/4-1/3 cup reduced balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Lightly toss all of the vegetables, olives, basil and feta together.
2. Divide between plates.
3. Drizzle vinegar and lemon juice on each plate.
4. Salt and pepper as desired.

How to reduce vinegar:

• Place two cups of balsamic vinegar in a heavy bottom sauce pan over medium heat.
• Bring to a simmer (not a full boil) and watch carefully for 20 or minutes.
• I usually reduce it by half but it's totally up to you. Taste it every 5-10 minutes to see how it tastes.
• Store in the fridge.

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Fruit Salad Lower Fat Muffins

Pineapple, banana, apple and strawberry add up to a fruit salad muffin!

These muffins are my new favorite go to treat. They are lower in fat than regular muffins and have quite a bit of fruit in them. The kids love them as a school snack and I like them with a cup of coffee (ok my husband doesn't like them but that's because they contain bananas!). The original recipe came from Anne Lindsay's cookbook, New Light Cooking which has quite a few delicious recipes to try. I've added different fruits and spice to my version but kept the whole wheat goodness of the original.

Makes 12 muffins. They will keep in an airtight container for 2-3 days but you can freeze them for up to two months! Each muffin contains about 200 calories, 5 grams of fat and 3 grams of fibre, and 4 grams of protein.

The dollop of jam adds a nice burst of flavour.

Ingredients
2 c whole wheat flour
2 tbsp ground flax seed
1/2 c berry sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 c mashed banana
1/4 c grated peeled apple
1/4 c finely chopped strawberries
1/2 c crushed pineapple (drained)
1/4 c milk
1/4 c vegetable oil
1/4 c fruit jam

What to do

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Lightly spray muffin pans with non-stick cooking spray (according to Anne Lindsay, lower fat muffins tend to stick to paper liners!)
3. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, flax, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon.
4. In another bowl slightly beat egg.
5. To the egg, add vanilla, all fruit, oil, and milk.
6. Pour the egg mixture over the flour and stir to just barely combine (if you over stir the muffins will be tough!).
7. Divide batter evenly amongst 12 muffins tins. Make a small well in the centre of each and add a little fruit jam to each.
8. Bake for about 20 minutes.

These muffins stay moist thanks to the fruit!