CauliFlower-Bean Tacos with Homemade Tortilla's

I often have weird dreams with creative ideas - usually about housing floor plans, organization or some nerdy engineering stuff. When I have these dreams, I wake up and make notes somehow; by either sketching or putting it in my phone as a calendar reminder at some random future date. Well, a few months ago, I had a dream that I used Cauliflower as taco 'meat' (weird, I know!) and took note of this in my phone. Yesterday, on my drive home from the gym, this reminder popped up on my phone. Oddly enough, I had JUST bought a head of Cauliflower the day before... meant to be?! Maybe!

I did a little research to see if others had attempted a similar idea and the answer was... YES! I reviewed a couple food blogs to see how they moistened the cauli and make it more meat-like... I figured tomato paste or a vegetable puree or some sort, but turns out BEANS make the best additive. Time to experiment!

I was in luck, I had some dried black beans in the cupboard, but I needed to give those a quick boil and let them soak for an hour or so. As the beans were soaking, I prepared the tortilla dough and prepped the spices. Most of the tortilla recipes use lard, but I don't have any nor do I want to cook with it; so, I found a yummy recipe from The Hippy Homemaker. I pulled the taco seasoning from All-Recipes, using the original 1 ounce serving size. The rest is up to experimentation... Let's Cook :)


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Cauli-Bean Tacos
Prep Time: 75 mins |  Cook Time: 10 mins  |  Ready In: 90 mins
Makes 8-10 Small Tacos

Cauli-Bean Taco 'Meat':
1/2 Head Cauliflower
8 oz Dried Black Beans
1/3 Onion (chopped)
2 Tbsp Ketsup
Taco Seasoning Mix (see below)
Olive Oil

Taco Seasoning  (Recipe from All-Recipes):
1 tbsp chili powder
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp paprika
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp black pepper

Tortillas  (Recipe from The Hippy Homemaker):
3 cups unbleached flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/3 cup canola oil
1 cup hot water

Toppings:
Shredded Kale (or Lettuce)
Shredded Cheese
Sliced Roma Tomato
Slided Avocado
Spicy Sauce (mix mayo or sour cream with Cholula hot sauce)



1.Boil and soak the black beans as directed on the package. Soaking time will be 60-90 minutes and will allow for time to prepare the rest of the meal. While the beans are soaking, finish preparing the other ingredients.

2. Prepare the tortilla dough and let rest, as directed.

3. Prepare the Taco Seasoning as directed and set aside in a small bowl. 

4. In a food processor, chop the cauliflower into small crumbles and set aside.

5. When the beans are ready, add to a food processor and blend until smooth. I had to add a little hot water to create a smoother texture. Scoop into a bowl and set aside.

6. In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cauliflower to the skillet and cook for 5 minutes.
(while this was cooking, I rolled and cooked a few tortilla's, as directed).

7. Reduce the heat to low and add the Taco Seasoning Mix and ketchup (I don't measure, I just squirt a few lines across the top of the cauli and onion mixture). Mix together and continue cooking over low heat for a few minutes.

8. Add the bean puree to the mixture in small amounts until desired consistency is reached (I only used about 2/3 of my puree batch). Continue mixing over low heat for another minute.

9. Serve warm over Homemade Tortillas. Add toppings and enjoy :)

 

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Almond Butter - Simple, Easy, Yummy!

One of my favorite sweet treats has always been to add mini chocolate chips to a scoop of peanut butter. Previously, I had started making my own Peanut Butter, but I realized I had a can of almonds and wondered how I would take to almond butter. Thus begins my journey into making my own Homemade Almond Butter!

The first round I made with a can of almonds and couldn't remember if they were roasted and salted or all natural. Therefore, my next trip to the grocery store, I ended up buying both as an experiment.

First up, was the Whole Natural Almond Butter... I very quickly learned that I must have previously used roasted-salted almonds. The whole natural almonds were very dry and didn't produce much natural oil, thus the need for adding a bit of peanut oil to help instigate the creamy texture. With the natural almonds, I also needed to add some salt to taste - but this is my personal preference, I know some may not like additional salt flavor.

Second, I experimented with the Roasted Salted Almonds... these almonds are definitely my preference for future creation. I did not need to add any additional oil or salt. These almonds also seemed to blend much easier than the whole natural. You can see in the picture below, that the roasted salted almonds produced a much more creamy consistency, all without the influence of additional oil.



All-in-all, almond butter is very easy to make! Everyone should go out and buy a bag of almonds and a few storage jars to enjoy this delightful treat! 

Enjoy!

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Homemade Almond Butter 
Ready In: 5 min

Almonds, Roasted Salted -OR- Whole Natural
Peanut Oil (optional)
Salt (optional)


1. Add almonds to food processor, cover and chop the almonds until fine and smooth.

2. If using Whole Natural Almonds, you may need to add a dash of oil to the food processor and blend to achieve a smooth, creamy consistency. If using Roasted Salted Almonds, I did not have to use any oil or salt.

3. (optional) Add salt (in small amounts) to the food processor and blend. I only added salt to the Whole Natural Almond mixture.

4. Bottle the butter, refrigerate and enjoy!

Homemade Oreo's

This weekend I felt like making some sweets to have around the house - so I decided to indulge in a time-honored American Classic... OREO COOKIES! I have never been a huge fan of the entire OREO; In fact, I would always eat the cookie after discarding the filling from the center. However, after having made my own - I am a fan of the entire cookie now! Homemade 'Oreos' are absolutely DELISH!!

I checked a few different food blog recipes before attempting my own creation. I found a really great cookie recipe from Bakerella and mixed up a few variations of my own filling before coming up with the perfect one - ENJOY!!

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Homemade Oreo Cookies
Prep Time:  |  Ready In: 

Cookies  (Adapted from Bakerella):
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips, melted and slightly cooled
1 egg
1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
3/4 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp baking soda

Cream Filling:
1/2 cup Heavy Whipping Cream
8 oz. White Chocolate
Powdered Sugar (for thickening)


1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the butter and sugar until well combined. Whisk in the vanilla and chocolate. Whisk in the egg until combined.

2. In another bowl, whisk flour, cocoa, salt and soda until combined.

3. Stir flour mixture into the chocolate mixture. Mix with your hands if it helps to combine the two. Let the dough sit for an hour to firm up.

4. Transfer the dough to a sheet of wax paper. Shape into a log about 2 1/2 inches in diameter. Place log along the edge of wax paper and roll. Shape as you roll to maintain a smooth cylinder. Twist ends of paper to secure and help keep the shape compact. Refrigerate at least two hours or until firm. If log settles and flattens on one side, rotate every 15 minutes or so to maintain a round shape.

5. Heat oven to 325 degrees and line baking sheet with parchment paper.

6. Cut dough in quarter inch thick slices and place on prepared baking sheet. Bake for about 20 minutes or until cookies are firm to the touch.
Note: I under baked mine (almost half the time) and they were still great. Just watch them because it’s hard to tell by looks if they are done since they are so dark to begin with. These baked in batches well, so bake a few to test if you have time. And if your cookies are smaller, adjust the baking time.

7. Make the filling: Bring cream to a boil in a small sauce pan. Place chocolate in a heat-proof bowl, then pour boiling cream over chocolate, whisking to combine. Let cool to room temperature. In small doses, whisk in powdered sugar until a thick consistency is reached. Remember, the mixture will continue to thicken as it sets.

8. Assemble the cookies: Spread 1 cookie with a dollop of filling, then sandwich with another cookie. Lay the cookies on a flat plate or sheet and place in freezer to allow the filling to finish hardening. Enjoy :)


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2 weeks in... 6 lbs down!

Thank you, un-processed lifestyle - I lost another 3.5 lb this week! It was quite a surprise given that my cardio workouts had been sacraficed due to a busy schedule. However, it just goes to show - its all about what we feed our bodies!

Happy Sunday :)

Bread, Hazelnut Spread, Crackers, Mustard and more...

Today was loaded with new recipes! I got a craving for snacks this week, so I decided to try my hand at a few for the week. On this week's menu: Homemade Mustard, Vanilla Extract, Powdered Sugar, Hazelnut Spread, Rosemary Flatbread, Rosemary & Cheese Crackers and Lentil-Barley Burgers.

My neighbor was the one who suggested I make the Hazelnut Spread (aka Nutella), and that just sounded so yummy! There was only one problem... where the heck do you buy Hazelnuts when it's not Christmas time?! I went to all the grocery stores (including Randazzo specialty store where I found my Vanilla Beans) and no luck. I was desprite, so I turned to Google, because it has all the answers... this led me to place an order through www.nuts.com - who'da thought ;-)  Three days and $14 dollars later, a pound of roasted hazelnuts were waiting at my doorstep! This website is great - very prompt in their order, the processing updates were delivered to my mail, and plus, the box was really cute... it made me smile.

Hazelnuts are not the easiest things in the world to skin. Luckily, I found some tips on the internet about using a kitchen towl to help remove them. Eventually, I got sick of this method and just threw them in with more skin the most may desire, but I figured, "eh, live and learn!"

Did you know how easy it is to make powdered sugar from scratch? You just need a food processor, some sugar, patience and viola... powdered sugar!

The Rosemary Flatbread is now one of my favorite snacks! One batch lasts me the enitre week, and it tastes good dipped in the Mustard and Hot Sauce I made. This week, I shared a portion of it with my neighbors across the street. I hope they enjoy it. The Rosemary & Cheese Crackers are a tad too dry, but they taste great with a dollop of raspberry preserves & goat cheese atop.

It was a nice day to be in the kitchen - it started snowing outside and was a pretty view from the window! Happy Cooking!


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Powdered Sugar
Ready In: 10 min

Sugar (I prefer Domino Organic Sugar Cane)
Food-Processor

Simply run the sugar through the food processor and with a little patience you will soon have powdered sugar!



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Chocolate-Hazelnut Spread  (Adapted from OurBestBites.com)
Ready In: 30 mins

1-1/2 cups (heaping) Hazelnuts, preferably skinned and toasted
1/8 cup Powdered Sugar
8 oz Semisweet Chocolate Chips
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) Butter, cut into 1-inch pieces, room temperature
1/2 cup Heavy Cream -OR- 1/2 cup Whipping Cream + 2 tbsp Milk
Jars or Containers (will fill 2 8-ounce jars)

If your hazelnuts are not pre-toasted, read this website on how to toast them in the oven.
(If nuts have skins, rub them in a kitchen towel to remove, see photos in post for tips.)

Grind hazelnuts and sugar in a food processor until a fairly smooth, buttery paste forms (~1 min).

Place chocolate in a medium metal or glass bowl. Set bowl over a large saucepan of simmering water; stir often until chocolate is melted and smooth. Remove bowl from over saucepan; add butter and whisk until completely incorporated. Whisk in cream, then hazelnut paste.

Pour mixture into jars, dividing equally. Let cool - mixture will thicken and become soft and peanut butter-like as it cools. Screw on lids. 

This can be made up to 4 weeks ahead; keep chilled. Let stand at room temperature for 4 hours to soften. Can stand at room temperature up to 4 days.


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Homemade Mustard  (Adapted from Food Network)

Prep Time: 15 mins  + Overnight Soak  |  Ready In: 9 hrs

5-1/2 tbsp Yellow Mustard Seeds

1/3 cup drinking-quality White Wine

1/3 cup White Wine Vinegar

1 Shallot, minced

3/4 tsp Salt

1/4 tsp White Pepper

Pinch of Ground Allspice

In a non-reactive bowl, combine all ingredients and refrigerate overnight, covered.

Transfer the mixture to a blender and process until mustard has obtained the desired texture and thickness; it is equally delicious whether you leave it chunky or smooth. Store in an airtight, non-reactive container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.


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Rosemary Cheese Bites
(Recipe taken from GoodLifeEats.com)







Rustic Italian Bread
(Recipe taken from the back of the bread flour bag)







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Homemade Hot Sauce

Anyone who knows my sister and I, knows that we have a weak spot for Cholula Hot Sauce. Even the waiters at our favorite restaurant know to put a new bottle on our table when dinner is served. Though the bottle contains no preservatives or artificial ingredients, I still had no idea what 'xanthan gum' was on the ingredients list. Thus, begins my journey into making my own Homemade Hot Sauce!

I found several recipes online for hot sauce, but they all seemed to vary quite a bit. That said, I decided to make up my own, based on a few of the more notable recipe authors. I liked Emeril's method of simmering the peppers and garlic with water into a soft reduction before blending. I also was limited on the hot peppers I had to work with... I decided to buy from Kroger rather than a specialty store; I know better next time!

All-in-all, the sauce was really easy to make - it will just be a matter of adjusting the taste to my preference in the future. I cut the heat back a little too much by using a whole tomato - I will probably only add a small portion in the future. And more garlic... you can never go wrong with more garlic!

Enjoy!

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Homemade Hot Sauce
Prep Time: 5 min  | Cook Time: 20 min  | Ready In: 30 min

1 Pablano Pepper, seeded and sliced
5 Habanero Peppers, seeded and sliced
2 Red Chili Peppers, seeded and sliced
5 Garlic Cloves, finely chopped
1 cup Water
1/2 cup Distilled White Vinegar
Olive Oil
Salt
1 Small Tomato (optional)


1. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic, peppers and a dash of salt. Saute for about 3 minutes.

2. Add the water and bring mixture to a simmer, reducing the heat slightly if necessary. Simmer until the water is reduced to barely any and the peppers are soft (~15-20 minutes).

3. Remove the peppers and garlic from the heat and let cool for a few minutes.

4. Add the peppers/garlic mixture to a food processor and blend until smooth. Slowly add almost all the vinegar while running the blender. (leave some vinegar aside).

5. Add some salt to taste (in small amounts) and mix well.

6. (optional) Add diced tomato to the mixture and blend well. Add more vinegar to the mix until a smooth consistency is reached.
(If you wish to cut back the heat of the sauce, opt to add small amounts of diced tomato until desired taste is reached. I recommend adding small amounts at a time and taste testing. I initially added the whole tomato and I lost too much of the spicy heat that I like.)

7. Bottle the sauce, refrigerate and enjoy!

1 week in... 2 lb lost!

After one full week into my un-processed lifestyle, I am quickly realizing just how healthy I had already been eating. My breakfast remains the same, the only thing that changed with my lunch is the removal of shredded cheese and croutons, and my hummus is now homemade rather than store bought. The biggest change lies within my dinner and snacks. I now have Lentil Burgers and Homemade Ravioli stored in my freezer for the days when I come home too late to cook, replacing the go-to Progresso Soup and Lean Cuisine. My desire to snack has significantly reduced since I have to make these snacks from scratch.

It was less than a week into this lifestyle when I got on the scale, only to realize I had lost 2 lb with just this simple change. It caught me by surprise because I hadn't gotten as much time on the bike or cardio as I would have liked this week, but good new all the same!

:)