Cheesy Cauliflower Tots

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Sneak in more vegetables by revamping a childhood favorite and instead making Cheesy Cauliflower Tots.
Cheesy Cauliflower Tots via RDelicious Kitchen @rdkitchen
Hello… it’s me (please tell me you sang the Adele song in your head as you were reading this) I’ve been a little MIA this past week, because the bf was home on his spring break from PT school and blogging took the back burner. When you are in a long distance relationship, you want to soak in every minute when you can be together! But it’s the perfect time to jump back in to blogging because drumroll please… it’s Recipe ReDux time! This month Recipe ReDuxer’s were challenged to create recipes with 7 ingredients or less.
Cheesy Cauliflower Tots via RDelicious Kitchen @rdkitchen
At work, for National Nutrition Month, I created a fruit and veggie challenge to strive for five fruits and vegetables a day. Each day on the calendar has five little boxes in it that participants can check off as they go along day to day to help them keep up with this challenge. This past week, one of the participants came into my office with doubt that she won’t be able to finish the challenge because she can’t stand to eat steam cauliflower for one more day. I don’t blame her. Steamed cauliflower every day for a month, I would get sick of it too! That conversation inspired me to make this recipe .. and also because Napoleon Dynamite was on TV last weekend – “You gonna eat your tots?”

Bring back childhood memories of tater tots with a healthy new twist and try these Cheesy Cauliflower Tots #rdchat

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Cheesy Cauliflower Tots via RDelicious Kitchen @rdkitchen
Vegetables don’t have to be boring! I think this is where most people get stuck in a rut of preparing vegetables the same way over and over again. Simply changing up the cooking method can make all the difference. Have you ever compared steamed cauliflower vs. roasted cauliflower side by side? Big change in flavor, taste, and texture. Now, transform cauliflower into cheesy tots, I think cauliflower just got even more appealing! These tots freeze very well and great for simple veggie side dish.

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Cheesy Cauliflower Tots dipped in ketchup

Cheesy Cauliflower Tots

  • Author: Julie @ RDelicious Kitchen
  • Yield: 4
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Ingredients

Scale
  • 4 cups finely chopped cauliflower (or cauliflower crumbles)
  • 1 egg, whisked
  • 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
  • 1/4 cup Cabot cheddar cheese, shredded
  • 1/3 cup whole wheat panko
  • 1 tablespoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon dried parsley

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 375. Spray mini muffin tins with cooking spray and set aside.
  2. Place cauliflower in a large microwave safe bowl. Dampen a paper towel and place on top of cauliflower pieces. Microwave cauliflower for 2 minutes, until cauliflower is tender. Squeeze out any excess moisture with a dish cloth or paper towels.
  3. Add the egg, parmesan cheese, cheddar cheese, panko, garlic powder, and parsley. Mix well to combine.
  4. Add 1 heading tablespoon to each muffin tin. Press to pack down the cauliflower into the tin.
  5. Bake 15-20 minutes, until cauliflower tots are golden brown. Let cool for at least 5 minutes before removing from pan.
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Honey Roasted Carrots + The Vegetarian Flavor Bible Review

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Spruce up your roasted carrots with flavor profiles learned from The Vegetarian Flavor Bible.

When I was in culinary school, one of my chefs introduced me to The Flavor Bible. That book was my culinary bible during my days at JWU. It really helped me understand flavor profiles and pairings of various spices, herbs, and foods. Whenever I had a lab practical (aka. creating a new dish based on the certain class) that was the first book I turned to, to get ideas.

Get inspired in the kitchen with new flavor combination ideas from The Vegetarian Flavor Bible #NNM #rdchat

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When Karen Page reached out to me about a month ago about their latest book: The Vegetarian Flavor Bible to see if I was interested in a copy to review, I was ecstatic.
With March being National Nutrition Month, The Vegetarian Flavor Bible is having a virtual book tour and myself and other awesome RD bloggers were asked to help celebrate! You can read the other reviews here.
The Vegetarian Flavor Bible Review
Like Deanna mentioned in her review, you don’t have to be vegetarian to enjoy this book. It is an amazing resource to amp up your veggies or learn about new foods and pairings to try!
The Vegetarian Flavor Bible Review
The book, with over 500 pages, breaks down the different food groups from A-Z. Each ingredient itself has a flavor description, peak season of freshness, nutrition profile, how to prepare or use the item, botanical relatives, possible substitutes, and cooking techniques. What I REALLY love is the part after the description. It lists ALL other ingredients and flavors that would pair best  with that given ingredient.
Honey Roasted Carrots via RDelicious Kitchen @rdkitchen
Honey roasted carrots may seen not too out of the box, but the addition of cardamom (which I would never have thought of adding before reviewing The Vegetarian Flavor Bible) really gives this recipe a refreshing boost of flavor.

CARROTS + HONEY + GINGER + CARDAMOM

Honey Roasted Carrots via RDelicious Kitchen @rdkitchen
Many of the clients I work with always struggle with figuring out what to pair with certain foods. I will now be recommending The Vegetarian Flavor Bible!

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roasted carrots in an antique bowl

Honey Ginger Roasted Carrots

  • Author: Julie @ RDelicious Kitchen
  • Yield: 2-4 1x
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Ingredients

Scale
  • 8 carrots, peeled, trimmed
  • 1/4 cup honey
  • 1/4 tsp ground cardamom
  • 1/2 tsp ground ginger
  • salt and ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. Preheat an oven to 400° F.
  2. Place the carrots into a baking dish, drizzle on the honey, and sprinkle with cardamom and ginger. Season with salt and pepper.
  3. Bake for 20-30 minutes until carrots are tender.
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Disclaimer: I received a free copy of The Vegetarian Flavor Bible. I was not compensated for writing this post. 

Spinach Tomato Tortellini

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This spinach and tortellini dish is a great weeknight meal that is ready in just 20 minutes and is filled with flavor!

Tortellini with tomatoes, white beans, & spinach @ RDelicious Kitchen

This recipe was inspired by my boyfriend, Adrian. Adrian and tortellini have long history.
I learned from his mom that he literally would eat it every. single. day. in high school. Tortellini with Prego tomato sauce. When we started dating, that was pretty much the extent of his cooking. Oh, and PBJs. He can make a mean PBJ.

One of our favorite things to do together is cooking. Over the past 3 years, Adrain really stepped up his game in the kitchen. One of my favorite dishes he makes is a southwest quinoa dish. Maybe one of these days, Adrain will make a guest appearance on RDelicious Kitchen!
When you are dating a dietitian, a whole package of tortellini with tomato sauce just doesn’t cut it for a balanced meal. To keep his love of tortellini still on the menu for our dinners, I created a more balanced meal by adding veggies and protein.

Why We Love This Recipe

Quick and easy. You can make this recipe from start to finish in less than 15 minutes. It is perfect for a quick weeknight dinner. What helps make this recipe quicker is the use of canned foods.

Nutritious. Research found that canned fruits and vegetables are nutritionally similar to fresh or frozen and in some cases, even better. For example, canned tomatoes have more lycopene, which is associated with reducing cancer risk and has more B vitamins than fresh tomatoes. Canning also helps make fiber in certain vegetables, like beans, more soluble and therefore more useful to the human body. (source)

Budget Friendly. With the price of groceries on the rise, we love cheap meals!

Ingredients Needed

  • cheese tortellini – fresh or frozen will work because we are cooking it before adding the other ingredients. You can even meat filled raviolis if you would like.
  • olive oil
  • garlic cloves – I love using fresh ingredients, but the cloves can be swapped for garlic powder if that’s what you have on hand.
  • tomatoes – we are using canned, no salt added, the Italian blend. This adds a ton of flavor without having to use extra spices and seasonings.
  • white beans – for a little plant based protein and more fiber.
  • baby spinach leaves
  • fresh basil
  • parmesan cheese – totally optional, but we can’t resist when we have pasta!

How to Make Spinach Tomato Tortellini

Cook the tortellini according to the instructions on the package. Then drain and set aside.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and cook until fragrant.

Stir in the white beans and tomatoes, then bring to a boil. Add the spinach and cook until it has wilted.

Add the cooked tortellini to the pan and stir in the basil. Cook until all of the ingredients are warmed through.

Serve and top with grated parmesan cheese!

Tortellini with tomatoes, white beans, & spinach @ RDelicious Kitchen

Tips for Making

  • Don’t overcook the tortellini. It’s so small that it cooks really fast.
  • When adding the garlic, only cook it for about 30 seconds. After that it may burn, which will make the entire dish taste different.
  • If you don’t want to add the beans, you can omit them and follow the same instructions.
  • To make it creamier, stir in a little heavy cream or half and half before adding the spinach.
  • If desired, add protein such as ground beef or turkey or Italian sausage. Simply brown/cook it before anything else. Drain the grease. Then add it back at the end when adding the pasta.
  • Add a kick by sprinkling in a few red pepper flakes.
  • Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days. We don’t recommend freezing this recipe because the pasta gets somewhat mushy when thawing.





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Tortellini with tomatoes, white beans, & spinach on a white plate

Spinach Tomato Tortellini

  • Author: Julie @ RDelicious Kitchen
  • Cook Time: 14 mins
  • Total Time: 14 mins
  • Yield: 4-6 1x
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Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 (9 oz) package cheese tortellini
  • 1 tsp olive oil
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 (15 oz) can no-salt-added, italian seasoned, diced tomatoes (undrained)
  • 1 (15 oz) can white beans, drained and rinsed
  • 4 cups baby spinach leaves, torn
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
  • (optional) parmesan cheese

Instructions

  1. Cook tortellini according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
  2. In a large pan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant. Add the tomatoes and white beans and bring to a boil. Stir in spinach and cook for another 1-2 minutes, until spinach has wilted.
  3. Add the tortellini to the pan. Add the basil and let everything heat through, about 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  4. Serve and sprinkle with cheese.
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More Pasta Recipes You'll Love

Creamy Lemon Spinach Orzo

Veggie-Packed Beef Lasagna

Mediterranean Tuna Pasta Salad

Greek Pasta Salad

Healthier Pumpkin Bread

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My favorite thing to do when I create a new recipe, is to take an original indulgent version and lightening it up with healthier ingredients. It took me 3 times to get this pumpkin bread just right. The first time I made it, it was way too dense. The second time, there was not enough flavor. Third times a charm!
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Some pumpkin bread recipes out there are packed with a ton of sugar, fat, and lacking whole grains. I wanted to make pumpkin bread to incorporate into a healthy breakfast or snack, not a sweet treat/dessert.
I was just browsing through the bakery aisle one day and looking at all the pumpkin bakery goods. Pumpkin bread, pumpkin muffins, pumpkin donuts, etc. It’s all about pumpkin this time of year, but some of the processed pre-packaged ones are scary! Hello trans fat.. no thank you!
When in doubt, make it yourself!
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When the first time I made it with all whole wheat flour giving it a very dense texture. I wanted to still keep majority of the flour whole wheat, but I did add some all purpose flour to help keep a light and fluffy texture.
The pumpkin puree and yogurt help keep the bread moist and helps cut back on the fat. With these simple swaps, helps making it a much lower fat and more wholesome recipe.

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sliced pumpkin bread

Healthier Pumpkin Bread

  • Author: Julie @ RDelicious Kitchen
  • Prep Time: 15 mins
  • Cook Time: 1 hour
  • Total Time: 1 hour 15 mins
  • Yield: 12 1x
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Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 tbsp pumpkin pie spice
  • 1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
  • 3 eggs
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 3/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
  • 3/4 cup water
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a loaf pan with cooking spray.
  2. In a large bowl, sift together whole wheat flour, all purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and pumpkin pie spice.
  3. In another large bowl, whisk together the pumpkin, eggs, sugar, Greek yogurt, water, and vanilla.
  4. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until combined.
  5. Bake for 1 hour. Remove from oven and let sit for an additional 15 minutes before removing from the pan.

Notes

Make sure to use pure pumpkin puree vs. pumpkin pie spice.
Baking with whole wheat flour can give a dense texture. The use of the Greek yogurt and water help keep it moist and fluffy.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 slice
  • Calories: 222
  • Sugar: 14
  • Sodium: 285
  • Fat: 1.9
  • Saturated Fat: 0.7
  • Trans Fat: 0
  • Carbohydrates: 44.5
  • Fiber: 2.1
  • Protein: 7
  • Cholesterol: 42
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In good health,
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Spinach & Feta Turkey Burger

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It’s that time of month for the Recipe ReDux theme recipe! What were all the Recipe Redux-ers up to this month?
A Play on Patties: While St. Patty’s Day will be over by the time The Recipe ReDux rolls around this month, we’re celebrating the ‘patty’ all month long. We’ve seen images of stacked patties go crazy on food photo sharing sites like HealthyAperture.com; so stack ‘em up! Think healthy tuna burgers, potato patties, or veggie stacks.

Honestly, right now I have been so busy, I just remembered tonight about Recipe ReDux. It’s quite alright because I has just the ingredients I needed to whip up a tasty “patty”.

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Spinach & Feta Turkey Burger

Makes 4 patties

 

Ingredients:
1 pound ground turkey breast
2 cups spinach, chopped
1/3 cup feta cheese
1/3 cup panko
1 egg
salt & pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

2. In a large bowl, combine the turkey, spinach, feta cheese, panko, egg, salt, & pepper until all ingredients are distributed throughout the turkey.

3. Form turkey into 6 patties.

4. Spray a large pan with cooking spray and put over medium-high heat. Add the turkey burgers to the pan to sear both sides. Transfer the burgers to a baking sheet and cook in the oven for another 5-10 minutes until cooked through.

5. Assemble you burger on a whole wheat bun and healthy toppings.

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(nutrition facts based on calorie count)

 

Enjoy!

Look what the other Recipe ReDux members made this month:

Whole Wheat Pizza with Veggies and Feta

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Growing up, every Friday night was pizza night. I kept that tradition going even when I went off to college. My roommates and I would make pizza together with all different topping combos. My favorite is topping pizza with a variety of veggies! I was excited for this month’s Recipe ReDux theme of Pizza Party! I made this pizza Friday night with my boyfriend. It’s safe to say that is pizza is awesome considering it was devoured.


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Try this simple recipe for a healthy whole wheat pizza crust! Top your pizza with this healthy combo or create a new version with your favorite pizza toppings.


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Whole Wheat Pizza with Veggies and Feta

Makes 1 medium pizza, 8 slices

 

Ingredients:

Whole Wheat Pizza Crust:
2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 packet yeast
3/4 tsp salt
1 cup warm water
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp sugar
 
Pizza Toppings:
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp garlic, minced
1 cup part skim mozzarella cheese
2 cups spinach, roughly chopped
1 cup mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup red onion. sliced
3/4 cup sliced plum tomatoes
1/2 cup feta cheese

 
Directions:

1. Combine yeast, water, and 1 tsp sugar. Set aside and let sit for 5 minutes

2. In a stand mixer combine, 2 cups flour, salt, the rest of the sugar. Make a well in center and add the olive oil and yeast mixture.

3. Using the paddle on the stand mixer, mix ingredients until just combined. Then, switch to the dough hook and work for the dough for another 4-5 minutes. Add the remaining flour slowly until combined and until the dough starts to pull away from the side of the bowl.

4. Transfer the dough to a bowl lightly greased with cooking spray. Cover lightly with plastic wrap. Let the dough rise for about 45 minutes to 1 hour (dough should double in size).

5. Once the dough has risen, punch down the center of the dough. Lightly flour the pizza stone. Roll out the dough evenly. Let it rest for 10 minutes. Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F.

6. Brush the dough with olive oil and garlic. Start assembling the toppings with half the mozzarella cheese, spinach, mushrooms, onion, remaining mozzarella cheese, feta cheese, and tomato.

7. Put the pizza in the oven and lower the temperature to 425 degrees F. Bake for about 15 minutes or until crust is golden brown and cheese has melted.


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Look at those layers of toppings!

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(nutrition facts based on calorie count – per slice)

 

 

Enjoy!

 Check out the other Recipe ReDux Pizza Party posts:




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Hoisin & Lime Salmon

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This recipe has minimal and simple ingredients that really work well together to a create simplistic, delicious salmon dinner.


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Hoisin & Lime Salmon
Makes 4 servings

 

Ingredients:
1 tbsp hoisin sauce
1 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp honey
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 lime (1/2 for juice, 1/2 for garnish slices)
4 (4 ounce) salmon fillets
salt and pepper
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with tin foil and/or cooking spray.
2. In a small bowl, mix together the hoisin sauce, soy sauce, honey, garlic and lime juice. Let the salmon marinade in the sauce mixture for about 20 minutes.
3. Place salmon on the baking sheet. Reserve the rest of the sauce mixture. Bake for about 6 minutes.
4. Drizzle on the rest of the sauce mixture and broil salmon for about 2-3 to create a glaze on top.
5. Garnish with a lemon slice and serve.

* Pair your salmon with garlic green beans with pecans.

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(Nutrition Facts based on Calorie Count)

 

Enjoy!

Tomato, Eggplant, and Spinach with Mini Raviolis

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So I went to Trader Joe’s today and picked up a few things. My friend Kim told me about these mini raviolis they had there. I just had to get them. They are just so little and cute! I also picked up 2 small eggplants that I wanted to use for dinner tonight. The rest of the ingredients were inspired from just rummaging through my kitchen and used what I had on hand.

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Tomato, Eggplant, and Spinach with Mini Raviolis
Makes 6 servings

 

Ingredients:
1 (16 ounce) package of mini raviolis (can be substituted with any type of pasta)
2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 small (or 1 large) eggplant, peeled and diced
1 (15 ounce) can diced tomatoes (make sure it’s in it’s own juices – no salt added)
3 cups spinach, roughly chopped
2 tbsp oregano
1 tbsp salt
1 tbsp black pepper
Parmesan cheese (optional)
Directions:

1. Cook mini raviolis (or other pasta) according to package directions
2. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat the oil and add the onion. Cook until translucent. Add the garlic and cook for another minute.
3. Add the eggplant to the skillet with 1 tsp of the salt. Eggplant is very porous and adding a little salt will help release the moisture and allow it to absorb the flavors in the dish.
4. Add the diced tomatoes, spinach, and oregano. Season with the remaining salt and pepper, to taste.
5. If you want the mixture to have a little more liquid, add a ladle of water from your pasta pot.
6. Drain the pasta, and top with the tomato, eggplant, spinach mixture. Top with parmesan cheese (optional).


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(nutrition facts based on MyFitnessPal)

 

Enjoy!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

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I know it’s not Fall yet .. but I am anticipating the PUMPKIN extravaganza that’s coming soon! I am obsessed with anything pumpkin. If you are too, definitely try these muffins!!
 

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Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins
Makes 12 muffins

 

Ingredients:
1 cup pumpkin puree*
2 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking powder
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips, plus more for sprinkling on top (optional)
* Make sure to get pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie mix. Pumpkin puree is purely pumpkin, whereas pumpkin puree has lots of sugar added.

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease muffin tins with cooking spray.
2. In a large bowl, combine the pumpkin puree, eggs, and sugar until blended and smooth.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, and salt.
4. Add the flour mixture into the pumpkin mixture in batches, until combined. Do not over mix.
5. Fold in the chocolate chips.
6. Spoon in the batter in the muffin tin, filling about 2/3 full. Sprinkle a few more chocolate chips on top.
7. Bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Let muffins cool for 5 minutes before removing from the tins.


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(per muffin)

 

Enjoy!

Lemon Rosemary Orzo

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Lemon Rosemary Orzo
 Makes 4 servings

 

Ingredients:
1 cup orzo
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 lemon (or 2 tbsp lemon juice)
2 tbsp rosemary, chopped
Directions:
1. Cook orzo according to package directions.
2. Stir in the olive oil, squeeze lemon juice, and rosemary.

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Enjoy!