I’m 100% a grain girl. I love pasta almost as much as I love my husband, and rice comes in at a close second. For years, not a day went by that I didn’t have one or the other. I’m talking serious dedication.

As I get older, I’ve realized the need for more variety in my diet. There were hundreds of delicious vegetables out there just waiting to be tried. At first, I thought I would have severe withdrawals from my daily bowl of pasta, but honestly I’ve enjoyed trying new things. If I had never branched out, I wouldn’t have tried dishes like { mashed cauliflower } or { kale salad } (which I could honestly eat every day of my life!).

I don’t feel like I’m missing out on anything, but rather gaining an appreciation for our ability to choose what we eat, in a world where not as many people are that lucky. It’s a daily goal to find new-to-me foods to try or to find new ways to enjoy old favorites. The latter is exactly how this recipe came about. I’d seen cauliflower “rice” recipes floating around on the internet and was skeptical at first. Could anything taste as good as my beloved rice?

Yep. It can. Does it taste exactly like rice? No, afterall, it is cauliflower. But, it’s also a delicious alternative and a great way to introduce kids to a new vegetable in a familiar form.

My challenge this week is to find one vegetable you’ve never tried and give it a whirl. Chances are it’s no more difficult to prepare than anything you’ve had before, and it’ll make you feel great for branching out. After all, you don’t usually find anything amazing in life if you don’t set out on an adventure first.

Cauliflower “Rice” with Leeks and Parmesan

{ Serves 3-4 as a side }

1 head cauliflower

*1 leek, sliced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 TBS coconut oil

salt + pepper

1 lemon

2 TBS Parmesan

Take the head of cauliflower and cut off the stalk. Cut the remaining cauliflower into large chunks. Process in a food processor at 2 second intervals until the cauliflower resembles large chunks of rice.

Add processed cauliflower to large bowl along with the sliced leek and minced garlic. Drizzle with coconut oil, a few pinches of sea salt and black pepper and toss well to combine.

Spread mixture on a large, rimmed baking sheet. Bake at 450 for 10-15 minutes until mixture begins to brown, stirring mixture halfway through.

Remove from oven, add juice from 1 lemon and Parmesan and toss well. Taste to adjust seasonings and serve.

* Here’s a { great tutorial } for how to clean and slice leeks.

For the past couple years, I’ve tried to get on the quinoa bandwagon. It seems quinoa keeps popping up everywhere! As a side dish, in meatloaf, as a coating for fried or baked meats…you name it. If you’ve never had it before, it’s a small grain similar to cous cous and is a great source of dietary fiber as well as being gluten-free.

I’ve had it prepared numerous ways–some I liked and some I didn’t like. A few weeks ago I was in Whole Foods and noticed an interesting quinoa salad full of  mango, cilantro, peppers and raisins. I decided to grab a small container to go, not really sure if I would like it.

Oh, my word. It was delicious!

I now realize that I really enjoy quinoa when it takes a backseat to bigger, bolder flavors. And let me tell you, this dish is not lacking in flavor! It’s a great source of protein, Vitamin C and healthy fats. It’s also gluten free and diabetic friendly. It’s a dish that just about anyone can enjoy!

Try serving it alongside grilled fish or add diced chicken to make it a one dish meal. Enjoy!

Quinoa with Mango and Raisins

Inspired by Whole Foods

{ Serves 4-6 }

1 TBS cilantro

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

2 tsp. coarse sea salt

1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper

few cracks of fresh black pepper

Juice from 2 limes

1/2 cup olive oil

2 cups cooked quinoa

1 red pepper, diced

1 yellow pepper, diced

1 mango, diced

1 small red onion, diced

1/4 cup raisins

1/4 cup raw, toasted nuts

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Blend first 6 ingredients together. Slowly drizzle in olive oil until well incorporated. Taste and adjust seasonings.

Add half of the dressing mixture to the quinoa. Stir well and let sit for a few minutes.

Add remaining ingredients to the quinoa mixture, along with the remaining dressing. Toss well to combine and serve!

 I’m going to go out on a limb and say that kale has been the new “it” vegetable from this past year. Everywhere I look I see recipes using kale. In almost every recipe, the kale is steamed/sauteed/baked…basically cooked. When I came across a recipe using raw kale, I was interested. How could you turn such a sturdy green into something that tasted great raw?

The trick, I learned, was to use an avocado and a bit of oil. By massaging it into the kale, it helps to soften the greens, all while infusing flavor. I was sold. 

It’s creamy from the avocado, tangy from the lime juice and has a nice fresh crunch from the green onions. Definitely a different combination of flavors. This would be great served with grilled chicken or fish for a delicious light meal!

Kale and Avocado Salad

{ Serves 2-3 }

1 bunch of curly kale, de-stemmed and torn into pieces

1 avocado, scooped and diced

1 TBS olive oil

3 tablespoons chopped green onions

2 Roma tomatoes

1/2 tsp. salt

1 lime (start with juice from 1/2 then add more to taste)

Add pieces of kale to a large bowl. Add in the diced avocado and olive oil. Using your hands, massage the avocado and oil into the kale until each leaf is well coated.

Add remaining ingredients, except for the lime juice, to the bowl and toss to combine. Start by adding juice from 1/2 of the lime then add more to taste. Toss well and serve.

This will keep in an air-tight container in the fridge for 2 days.

Now before you jump to any conclusions, you’re not going to find the word “tofu” anywhere in this recipe. Nor will you find any other supposedly-tastes-like-meat-but-looks-gross-to-me meat substitute. Now if you’re a tofu loving, tempeh tasting maniac, more power to you. It’s just not my thing. The day I walk through my front door with tofu is the day my husband will send me packing. Seriously.

If it weren’t for my husband, I’d probably be a vegetarian. (That eats steak on occasion.) (And a bite or two of fried chicken just to remind myself of what I gave up.) Basically, I’d eat a lot less meat if I wasn’t cooking for a guy. I do think roasted chicken and turkey sandwiches have a place in our diet, just in moderation. I try to eat vegetarian for lunch, and have at least two veggie only dinners during the week. Sounds hard? It’s really not.

The key to eating more vegetable is to find new ways to make them. I know I say it every time, but it really works! When I made these “meat”balls, Justin actually had to ask me if there was meat in them. There’s so good, you won’t even miss the traditional version. They’re salty, cheesy and have a kick from the crushed red pepper.

I serve them over brown rice pasta with lemon and zucchini. The beautiful thing about this recipe is you can make the meatballs, and change up everything else. They would be fantastic served with marina sauce and a nice side salad, or piled into a pita topped with tzatziki sauce. The options are endless.

Spinach “Meat”balls w. Lemon Zucchini Pasta

Adapted from { this recipe }

{ Serves 4 }

{ Meatballs }

1 lb. frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry

3/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese

1 cup panko breadcrumbs

1/4 cup soy sauce

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 tsp. lemon zest

1/4 tsp. crushed pepper

3-4 cracks of fresh black pepper

1 TBS coconut oil

Preheat oven to 325.

Place all ingredient in a large bowl and mix until well combined. (Best to use your hands.) Using a 1″ ice cream scoop, form meatballs. Make sure to firmly pat each meatball into a ball.

Heat coconut oil in a large saute pan over medium high heat. Place one meatball in the pan. If it sizzles, the oil is hot enough. Add remaining meatballs to the pan and cook for 1 minute on first side, or until well-browned. Using a spatula, carefully turn over each meatball to brown on all sides.

Once browned, remove meatballs from the pan and add to an oven-proof plate. (Leave pan sans meatballs on the stove.) Place in oven, uncovered, until pasta is finished cooking.

{ Pasta }

1 lb. brown rice pasta

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper

3 garlic cloves

1 tsp. fresh thyme, chopped

2 zucchini, cut into thin strips

1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese

juice from 1 lemon

Cook pasta according to package instructions. Meanwhile, using the same pan you just removed the meatballs from, add olive oil and heat over medium heat. Add crushed red pepper, garlic and thyme to the pan. Cook for 30 seconds.

Add zucchini to pan and cook for 2-3 minutes, or until zucchini has just begun to soften. Stir in parmesan cheese, lemon juice and cooked (and drained) pasta. Toss well to combine.

Serve meatballs over spaghetti for a delicious vegetarian dinner!

If you’re anything like me, right now you have an abundance of zucchini and squash sitting around waiting to be used. Between the vegetable CSA we’re a part of, and friends that grown their own and have passed several to us, I have more than I know what to do with. Oh, and did I mention that I’m not a huge fan of squash?

Growing up I had a pet iguana (strange for a girl, I know). I used to feed him squash and I guess it became ingrained in my brain that squash = iguana food. Crazy, right? I wanted to find a way to make squash something I would actually enjoy eating and with this dish I did just that!

The squash and zucchini become browned and deliciously soft, while the corn adds a great crunch. Combine that with the freshness of the basil and tomatoes and you really have a winning dish. This meal embodies everything I believe in: it’s healthy, it’s easy to make, and it’s affordable.

The biggest stride you can make in you decision to eat healthy on a budget is to eat in season. The next time you go to the grocery store, look at the prices for zucchini, squash, basil, corn and tomatoes. I’ll bet you they’re on sale. This is a dish you can easily make for under $10. And it feeds at least 4 people. Yep, awesome.

If you want to make this meal even more affordable, try growing your own basil. I picked up a locally grown, organic basil plant for $4 at Whole Foods and it saves me at least $2 every time I use it. If I can grow it on an apartment balcony (with no green thumb!), then you can too!

Try making these meal for the squash hater in your life, and watch them change their mind.

Summer Pasta

This pasta embodies everything I love about summer vegetables.

{serves 4-6 }

- 1 TBS coconut oil

- 2 small squash, diced

- 1 large zucchini, diced

- 1/4 tsp. coarse sea salt

- 2 large cloves of garlic, minced

- 2 Roma tomatoes, diced

- 2 ears of corn, shucked and kernels taken off the cobb

- 1 pound of whole wheat pasta

- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

- 1/2 basil leaves, lightly packed and torn into pieces

Heat coconut oil in a large saute pan over medium high heat. Once heated, add diced squash and zuchinni to pan. Season with 1/4 tsp. of coarse sea salt.

Cook, stirring occasionally, for 3-4 minutes, or until vegetables have begun to brown and soften.

Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package instructions.

In the saute pan, push the vegetables to the side and add the minced garlic to the center of the pan. Cook garlic for 30 seconds, stirring constantly.

Lower the heat to medium low and add the diced tomatoes and corn kernels to the pan. Mix vegetables together and allow everything to heat through.

Reserving 1/2 cup of the pasta water, drain pasta. Add hot pasta to the  vegetable pan, along with the parmesan cheese and 1/4 cup of the pasta water. Mix everything together.

If the pasta seems dry, add the remaining 1/4 cup of the pasta water. Taste for seasoning and add salt as necessary.

Right before serving, add the torn basil leaves. Serve with additional parmesan cheese for sprinkling and a drizzle of olive oil if you like.

{ Helpful Notes }

- I used { this } tool to scrape the corn kernels off the cob. It’s life changing.

- I love the whole wheat pasta at Trader Joe’s. For an easy glueten free version, try the brown rice pasta at Trader Joe’s. It’s great!

- { This } is the salt I used.

- { This } is the coconut oil I used.