Day 75: Whipped Parmesan Cauliflower Puree

Fair warning, I'll probably be cooking out of the "Skinnytaste: Fast and Slow" cookbook for a while, I love this book!! The only thing I added to this recipe were the herbs and extra seasoning. I needed a good side dish and its been a while since I've had cauliflower and I need to incorporate more veggies into my diet so here we are. Let me just tell you, my husband was not thrilled when I told him that this was our side dish for the night. Once he tried it though-- THAT was a different story; he even went back for seconds :) Enjoy!

*Ingredients
1 medium heada cauliflower (about 1 1/2 lbs), cut into florets
3 garlic cloves, peeled
1/4 cup 2% milk
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 TBS whipped butter
1/2 tsp kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/4 cup grated light Havarti cheese (I used regular Havarti cheese)
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp dried rosemary

*Instructions
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the cauliflower and garlic and boil until the cauliflower is soft, 15-20 minutes. Drain, and return the vegetables to the pot.
Add the milk, Parmesan, butter, salt, and pepper to taste. Puree the mixture right in the pot with an immersion blender until smooth (I used my Ninja blender, there's a soup setting). Stir in the Havarti cheese until melted; serve hot.

Day 74: Slow Cooker Brisket with Onioins

I am so excited that "Skinnytaste: Fast and Slow" has finally arrived! I literally have been waiting for this cookbook for months and seriously waited by the door all day/night long until it finally arrived. I love this book because I feel like with such busy schedules, we can all use some more slow cooker meals- especially ones low on calories but bursting with flavor. This was my first recipe out of this cookbook and I cannot wait to keep trying them out. If you don't know about this cookbook- look into it. You will not be disappointed!

*Ingredients
2 1/2 lbs lean (first cut) beef brisket, trimmed
1 tsp kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
1/2 TBS all purpose flour
2 tsp olive oil
1 TBS Worcestershire sauce
2 large vadalian onions, sliced
1 2/3 cups reduced-sodium beef broth
2 TBS tomato paste
3 garlic cloves, quartered
1 TBS chopped fresh parsley, for garnish

*Instructions
Trim off fat from bottom of brisket. Season the brisket with 3/4 tsp of the salt and pepper to taste, then dust with flour.
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 tsp of the oil and brisket and cook until browned, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer meat to slow cooker. Top the brisket with the Worcestershire sauce.
Reduce heat under the skillet to medium-low and add the remaining 1 tsp oil and the onions. (At this point I added salt and 1/2 TBS white sugar to onions so they caramelize, but you don't have to). Cook, stirring, until soft and golden, about 15 minutes. Place the onions over the brisket and sprinkle with remaining 1/4 tsp salt and pepper to taste. Add the broth, tomato paste, and garlic to the slow cooker.
Cover and cook on low for 9-10 hours, until the meat is very tender. About 30 minutes before your timer goes off, transfer the brisket to a cutting board. Using a sharp knife, slice the meat across the grain into 1/8-inch-thick slices. Return the sliced meat to the slow cooker, submerging the meat under the gravy and onions. Cook for 30 more minutes. Keep warm until ready to serve. Sprinkle parsley on top of plate when ready to serve.

Day 73: No Bake Oat Energy Bites

My husband, his best friend, and I are trying to get back on the fitness track which means my husband has requested some healthier blogs in the mix of all of the delicious fall treats. I've seen these energy bites around pintrest, so I figured this is the perfect time to try some out. Also, I recently just ran out of my batch of granola and I'm thinking these energy bites will be the prefect substitute. They're packed with nature energy and nutrients. I love that you just grab one from the fridge and go, or put one in a ziplock bag for later as an afternoon snack at work. I really like the way these turned out and am looking forward to venturing into the healthier side of snack... but don't worry, my sweet tooth will be back soon enough.

*Ingredients

1 cup old fashioned oats (dry)

2/3 cup tasted coconut flakes

1/2 cup peanut butter (I used chunky)

1/2 cup ground flax seed

1/4 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

1/4 cup peanut butter chips

1/3 cup honey

1 TBS chia seeds

1 tsp vanilla extract

*Instructions

Mix all ingredients in a large bowl; combine completely. Cover and let chill in the refrigerator for at least half an hour, so it's easier to form into balls and to keep shape.

Once the mixture is chilled, roll balls into preferred size. Store in airtight container and keep refrigerated. Enjoy!

Day 72: Soft Lemon Cream Cheese Cookies

Let me start this recipe off by stating you will need at least 2-3 hours for this dough to rest in the fridge before baking them. I found this recipe on Pintrest and I the recipe didn't have that info in the cook/prep time and I didn't read the directions completely prior to starting, so I figured it out too late. Not that I wouldn't have baked them, I just would have started sooner so I could have made them the same night. Either way, these cookies are bright and delightful and definitely worth the wait! I love how they're soft and chewy with a lovely natural lemon color and flavor. My favorite part of this cookie has to be the flakes of lemon zest throughout the dough. I just love the freshness and the zest of these little gems. The pintrest recipe called for water instead of lemon juice for the glaze but I personally feel you can never have too much lemon in a lemon dessert! These cookies come together easily and after the dough has rested, you literally roll them into little balls and pop them in the oven. It was super convenient to finish the next morning. I also tried some cookies without the glaze and it was still delicious, just less sweet and less lemon-y. I hope you enjoy these as much as I did!

*Ingredients
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup cream cheese, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 TBS lemon zest
3 TBS lemon juice
2 1/2- 2 3/4 cup all purpose flour
2 tsp cornstarch
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt

Glaze
1 1/2 TBS lemon juice
3/4 cup to 1 cup powdered sugar

*Instructions
Combine butter and cream cheese in your stand mixer bowl with the paddle attachment. Cream together for about 1 minute. Add granulated sugar and continue to mix. Add egg and vanilla extract and continue to beat on medium to high speed until light and fluffy, about 5-7 minutes. Add half the flour, all the baking soda, salt, cornstarch and lemon zest. Add lemon juice and remaining flour. Mix to combine until the dough starts to form like a ball. Add a little more flour until slight ball starts to form. Cover and refrigerate dough at least 2-3 hours, or up to a few days. I had mine sit overnight and it worked wonderfully.
When ready to make the cookies, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare baking sheet and spray with cooking spray or parchment paper. Using a cookie scoop, scoop about 1 1/2 TBS cookie dough. Roll cookie dough between hands to get a nice round ball and place on prepared cookie sheet. bake for 8-10 minutes. Allow cookies to cool down completely before transferring. Cookies will slightly harden overnight a little more so don't bake them longer than 8-10 minutes.
To make the glaze, combine powdered sugar and lemon juice together in a small bowl. Whisk fast until ingredients are combined with no lumps. Dip cookies face side down onto icing or drizzle on top. Glaze will harden. Enjoy!

Day 71: Cinnamon Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

The weather is getting slightly cooler here in sunny FL, not that the temperature ever stopped me from making a yummy soup. I'm a big fan of butternut squash soup but it's actually been really hard to find a really well balanced soup. One that's flavorful but doesn't have too much garlic and that is all bursting with flavor but well balanced. Leave it to Skinnytaste to find the perfect blend of ingredients! This is the first time I've ever made anything with coconut milk and let me just tell you, it won't be the last. I didn't add anything extra to this recipe because of the new to me ingredients and since it was my first time making this recipe. The hubby gave two thumbs up and I'll definitely will be making this again! 

*Ingredients

40 ounces peeled and seeded butternut squash, cut into 1 1/2 inch cubes, from 1 whole squash

3/4 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

6 TBS sweetened coconut flakes

1 TBS coconut oil

1/4 cup minced shallots

2 1/4 cups Pacific organic vegetable broth, plus more as needed

1 cup plus 2 TBS light canned coconut milk

3/4 tsp kosher salt

black pepper, to taste

*Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Put the squash on a large baking sheet. Toss with the cinnamon and nutmeg, cover with foil, and roast until tender, 40-50 minutes. Let cool. (reduce oven temp to 350 degrees).

Spread the coconut on a baking sheet and toast in the oven, stirring every 2 minutes, until golden, 6-8 minutes. Let cool.

Heat a large nonstick pot over medium heat. Add the coconut oil and shallots and cook, stirring, until tender, 5 minutes.

Add the roasted squash to the pot with shallots. Add the broth and 1 cup of the coconut milk and simmer about 5 minutes. Using an immersion blender or a regular blender in batches, puree the soup until smooth. Add more broth if needed and simmer for 2-3 more minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

To serve, ladle the soup into 6 serving bowls and top each with 1 TBS tasted coconut and 1 tsp coconut milk. 

**To save time and effort you can buy pre cut and cleaned squash