Cauliflower Rice

I cannot lay any sort of claim to the original recipe for cauliflower rice because I can honestly say I never would have thought of it. My friend & neighbor found this on Pinterest and made it... and made me try it. I loved it to the point that I was craving it this week. So below is pretty much the original recipe that she found, but I changed it a tiny bit, adding garlic, pepper, sea salt, and more cauliflower. I think it is worth posting because the possibilities here are endless. The "rice" itself taste similar to egg roll filling, YUM, but I think it would be great in lettuce wraps with a little lean beef, chicken, or turkey with a ginger sauce. I also think it would be awesome with quinoa... in wonton cups... as mexi rice... I mean I really could go on forever. I made it plain this time (with some sriracha, of course), though I'm sure this will become a base for many recipes to come.

Ingredients:
1 head cauliflower
5-6 celery stalks
1 medium white onion
1 clove garlic (or 1/2tbsp minced garlic)
*I used one clove of elephant garlic and it was wonderful, but we all know I love garlic*
2 tbsp olive or coconut oil (I used raw organic coconut oil... it's my favorite in anything)
sea salt & pepper to taste
sriracha to taste

You will need a food processor and LARGE saucepan or pot. I used a soup pot... to each their own.

Directions:
Roughly chop cauliflower, then grind in food processor until rice consistency. Finely chop onions, celery, and garlic & saute in oil for about 5-7 minutes (before adding cauliflower). Add in cauliflower, keeping heat on medium-high, and cover. Cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Cook longer for a softer texture, but I really liked the fact that the cauli-rice had a very similar texture to real rice. Remove from heat and stir in desired amount of salt and pepper. Top with sriracha.

I literally ate a bowl for dinner last night, a bowl for lunch today... and I'm pretty sure I'm going to finish off what little is left tonight with some baked fish. Yes. It is that good. If you like veggies. If you don't, then I can't promise you're going to be a fan.

EXTRA PLUS: for my friends on diets or the hcg diet... or the 3 day diet... I think this recipe could be modified to fit into your plan quite easily!

Party Dip

Habaneros are back in stores and I couldn't be more excited. There's a few things that I want all year long, habanero peppers fall in that list. I keep saying I'll grow my own one day, but let's face it, my green thumb is non-existent. So naturally, I buy a whole bunch of them and proceed to make anything and everything I can think of with my most favorite of peppers. That brings me to the party dip. Why is it party dip? Well for one it makes enough dip to feed an army, but two, it's like a party in your mouth! The kick of habaneros just does something. With that being said, I like things spicy. SPICY. The hotter the better. I din't make this dip too spicy, but I definitely felt that burn that tends to build up. I used 3 habaneros & probably would have been fine adding another one or two, but if you can't handle the heat stick to two, one... or even none.

Ingredients:
1 can fiesta corn
1 can black bean fiesta grillin beans
1 package taco seasoning
1lb ground beef
habaneros (1,2,3,4... whatever tickles your fancy)
1 block velveeta white queso

Directions:
Grind habaneros in food processor, or mince. In a pan, slightly brown beef, drain. Add in taco seasoning and habaneros, continue cooking until beef is completely cooked. Cube velveeta. Add all ingredients to crockpot on medium for an hour, stirring occasionally. Put crockpot on warm setting to keep dip warm and melty during the day/party/game, etc...

Melt in Your Mouth Meatballs

I think I've mentioned before that I developed my love of cooking because of my Gran. He was an excellent cook and taught me a lot. This recipe started in my Gran's kitchen, and I have modified  and perfected it over time. That's right, perfected. I've never had a meatball that even compares to the melt in your mouth explosion of awesome that is my meatball. True story.

Ingredients
1.5 lb ground beef
half packet italian dressing seasoning
1/2 cup italian style bread crumbs
1 egg
1.5 heaping tbsp margarine
1 small can (1oz) El Patio hot tomato sauce
1/2 cup shiraz
** I eyeball the wine every time. I know what it is supposed to look like in the pan. You want the sauce to come up to about half the meatball, so the wine is roughly 1/2 - 3/4 cup. Also, it really does not matter what brand wine you use. I buy the cheapest wine they have, which usually turns out to be Turning Leaf or something. I have also used expensive wine, and there really is no difference.**

Directions
In a medium bowl, combine ground beef, italian dressing seasoning, bread crumbs, egg, and margarine. Mix well...I use my hands. It's faster. Section out and roll into at least 1" balls. Obviously mine aren't exactly uniform.

Place meatballs in large skillet. Pour tomato sauce and wine in skillet & bring sauce to boil. Continue cooking on high heat for about 15 minutes, turning frequently.  Drain excess fat from sauce. Serve with garlic bread or pasta!