Roasted Broccoli & Cauliflower

I've found a new veggie recipe that I love! :) As much as I love to smother broccoli in a nice cheesy casserole, this was a really simple and healthy way to get our yummy green vitamins. I'll warn, though - I eyeballed and guessed on pretty much all the measurements, so if that's not your style of cooking, this may not work for you. Give it a shot, though!

Roasted Broccoli & Cauliflower

3 Tbsp. olive oil
1 lb broccoli & cauliflower florets
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 tsp. onion powder
2 Tbsp. water
1 Tbsp. bread crumbs
2 Tbsp. parmesan cheese (I used reduced fat)
pinch of salt

You don't have to do this part, but I highly recommend it: a couple hours before you plan to bake this, mix the garlic, onion and olive oil together and let it sit until you're ready to finish the dish. It will infuse the oil and make it extra yummy!

Mix the olive oil, garlic, and onion powder together. Cut the broccoli/cauliflower into bite-sized pieces, roughly the same size. Drizzle the olive oil mixture over the broccoli and toss to coat. Pour the water into the bottom of a baking dish, pour the broccoli on top. Sprinkle the bread crumbs over the broccoli, and salt to taste. Bake covered at 400 for 15 minutes. (If you're like me and like your broccoli on the more tender side, you might even bake it for 20 minutes.) When it is finished baking, sprinkle the parmesan cheese on top. Enjoy!

Here's what our dinner plates looked like tonight:

Mashed Potato Lovers, this one's for you!

It's no secret in my family that my sister and I LOVE mashed potatoes. Well... potatoes in any form, really. I knew that if I was going to succeed in this diet thing, I was going to have to come up with some alternatives for my favorite things, and this was a big one. I had heard of this cauliflower mash alternative, but I confess I'd been just too wary to give it a fair shake. But one day, my desire for the real thing outweighed my concern about the possible failure of this alternative. I'm pleased to announce - I thought it was awesome, and my husband enjoyed some too! We all know that's the real test - if the husband will eat it, it can't be all bad. ;)

So here it is - enjoy!

Cauliflower Mash

1 head cauliflower (approx. 6 cups florets)
1/2 cup fat free sour cream
2 T. butter or margarine (I used Smart Balance)
1/4 teaspoon onion salt
salt to taste

Steam the cauliflower until soft. Don't boil it! This will change the consistency and also change the ratio of ingredients needed! Let cauliflower cool enough to handle, and place in a food processor with the sour cream, butter and onion salt. Blend until smooth and add salt to taste. It doesn't need much, so be careful.

Serve along with any meal where you'd normally enjoy mashed potatoes, or even just by itself as a meal!

Important Note: Keep an eye on the amount of cauliflower in the head you've got - they can vary quite a bit. Be sure to adjust the other ingredients accordingly.