Monday, May 13, 2013

What's Cookin' May 13 - 19

I have been feeling really scattered this week, although I couldn't tell you with what.  Dinners seemed to be haphazard and eaten without a lot of thought.  Spring fever? Could be...

This is what we ate:

Monday, May 6
Taco Salad

Tuesday, May 7
Leftovers

Wednesday, May 8
Ate out with friends

Thursday, May 9 (Michael cooked)
Spinach and Swiss Quiche
Canadian Bacon
Strawberries and Kiwi with Whipped Cream

Friday, May 10
 Cauliflower "Mac n Cheese" with Ground Beef and Corn
(recipe below)

Saturday, May 11
Apple Chicken Sausages
Fried Potatoes

Sunday, May 12
Main Dish Salad with Tuna

Here's what's planned for this week:

Monday, May 13
Burrito Bowls 
(Chipotle take out)

Tuesday, May 14
Pork Tenderloin
Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Parsnips

Wednesday, May 15
Chicken Thighs
Zucchini "Noodles"

Thursday, May 16
Leftovers

Friday, May 17
Chili
Grain-Free "Corn"bread

Saturday, May 18
Leftover Chili

Sunday, May 19
Jalepeno Sausages
Chopped Salad
Avocado Slices

So... one of the things I made last week was an experiment I'd been wanting to try for awhile.  One of my childhood comfort foods (which became one of my kids' comfort foods in turn, which they are also passing on to their own) is Macaroni and Cheese - specifically the Kraft blue box - with cooked ground beef and corn stirred in.

I am not eating Kraft dinner anymore - or, for that matter, pasta noodles - so I wasn't sure if this was something even vaguely possible to still enjoy occasionally without just flat out grabbing the blue box.  I'd say this recipe got about 75% of the way there - it's not the stuff of my comfort food memories, but it did hit comfort food territory, we both enjoyed it, and were happy to note  that it reheated very well the next day for lunch.  I was a little short on cheddar cheese, and I think next time, I'd ramp up my cheddar to try to hit that crazy orange Kraft cheesy taste a bit closer (without turning to chemicals to do it).  But other than that - if you're avoiding pasta, cauliflower makes for a good carrier for a good cheesy sauce.

Cauliflower "Mac" & Cheese with Ground Beef and Corn

1 head cauliflower, cut into bite sized florets
1 lb. ground beef
salt, pepper
dash Worchestershire Sauce
2 cups organic frozen corn
1 can coconut milk
1/2 cup shredded Swiss Cheese
1/2 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
1/2 t. nutmeg
1/2 t. tumeric
1/2 c. shredded Parmesan cheese
2 T. almond flour

 Brown ground beef and season to taste with salt, pepper, and Worchestershire Sauce.  Add corn and mix.

In a saucepan, heat coconut milk (don't boil) and add shredded cheeses, nutmeg and turmeric until cheese is melted and sauce is smooth.  Add cauliflower, stirring to coat completely.  Add beef and corn mixture, and blend well.

In a small bowl, combine Parmesan cheese and almond flour. Set aside.

Turn cheese mixture into a casserole dish.  Sprinkle almond flour mixture on top.  Bake at 400F for 30-40 minutes.

Note: To keep this grain-free, you'd want to leave off the corn - since I was re-creating a childhood comfort food for myself, I had to add it or it just would not have been right!  But substituting other veggies for the corn would also work just fine for folks without my taste-memories. :)

Shared with: 
Gluten Free Weekly Menu Plan, Menu Plan Monday, On  the Menu Monday, SusieQTPie's Menu Plan Monday
Busy Monday, Clever Chicks Blog Hop, Craft-O-Maniac Monday, Frugal Crafty Home Blog Hop, Gathering Spot, Homemade Monday, Homestead Monday, In and Out of the Kitchen Monday, Made By You Monday, Make It Yourself Monday, Make Your Home Sing Monday, Make Your Own MondayMealtime Monday, Melt in Your Mouth Monday, Mix It Up Monday, Monday Funday, Mop It Up Monday, Mostly Homemade Monday, Motivate Me Monday, Natural Living Monday, Thank Goodness Its Monday.
. Anti-Procrastination Tuesday, Backyard Farming Connection Hop, Eco-Kids Tuesday, Family Table Tuesday, Fat Tuesday, Hearth & Soul Hop, How-To Tuesday, Living Green TuesdaySlightly Indulgent Tuesday, Tasty Traditions Tuesday, Tasty Tuesday, Tempt My Tummy Tuesday, Time to Sparkle, Totally Tasty Tuesday, Traditional Tuesday, Tuesday Greens, Tutorial Tuesday, You're Gonna Love It.
Allergy-Free Wednesday, Creative Spark, Down Home Blog Hop, Fluster's Creative Muster, Frugal Days - Sustainable Ways, Gluten-Free Wednesdays, Healthy 2Day Wednesday, Make - Bake - Create Party, Party Wave Wednesday, Penny Pinching Party, Real Food Wednesdays, Show & Tell Wednesday, Two Girls & a Party, Waste Not Want Not WednesdayWednesday Fresh Foods Link Up, Well Fed Wednesday, What's Cooking Wednesday, Whatever Goes Wednesday, Whimsy Wednesday, Whole Foods Wednesday, Wicked Awesome Wednesday, Wonderful Food Wednesday, Works For Me Wednesday, Wow Me Wednesday.
DIY Accomplished, Fabulously Frugal Thursday, Full Plate Thursday, Home & Garden Party, HomeAcre Hop, Hookin' Up With HoH, Open House Party, Showcase Your Talent Thursday, Simple Lives Thursday, Thank Your Body Thursday, Thursday Favorite Things, Thursdays Treasures, Transformation Thursday, Weekly Homemaking Party.
Allergy-Friendly Lunchbox Love, Be Inspired Friday, Feathered Nest Friday Foodie Friday, Foodtastic Friday, Freedom Friday, Fresh Bites Friday, Friday Favorites, From the Farm Blog Hop, Frugal Friday, Gluten-Free Friday, Old-Fashioned Friday, Pin Me Linky Party, Pity Party, Rattlebridge Farm Foodie Friday, Shine On Fridays, Show & Tell Friday, Simple Meals Friday, Thrifty Things Friday, What I Am Eating.
A Favorite Thing, Finding the Pretty & Delicious Linky Party, Get Schooled Saturday, Saturday SHOW-licious Link Party, Say G'Day Saturday Link Party, Serenity Saturday, Show & Tell Saturday, Simply Natural Saturday, Super Saturday Show & Tell, Weekend Potluck, Weekend Re-Treat, Weekend Show Off Party, Your Great Idea.
Creative HomeAcre Blog Hop, Sunday School Blog Hop, Sunday Show Off, Think Pink Sunday.    

                                 


18 comments:

  1. Was eating mashed yellow cauliflower last night and was wondering if anyone had done a cauliflower mac and cheese. Thanks for this recipe. I'll have to try it.

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  2. Mmm... sounds like healthy ingredients and a good recipe! I am constantly on the lookout for recipes to hide vegetables in for my 2 year old, so we'll give this one a shot.

    Thanks for sharing on Natural Living Monday!

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  3. I've been wanting to try the cauliflower mac and cheese too! Thank you for sharing this on Fluster's Creative Muster Party!

    Robin
    Fluster Buster

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  4. Thanks for sharing this healthy recipe with us! I do love my mac and cheese bad though it is!

    Linda and Diann

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  5. Your "mac" and cheese looks delicious - what a great idea to use cauliflower here!!! Love that idea, and I'll have to try it out sometime!! Looks wonderful!

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  6. Really healthy and tasty version of mac n cheese. thanks for sharing it with us on foodie friday.

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  7. Very clever recipe! I've had cauliflower with cheese before, of course, but never thought to try it with ground beef or corn. Thanks for linking up today!

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  8. Looks to be a great recipe - I'm a vegetarian, so I would make it without the ground beef.

    Thanks so much for joining in this week.

    xo
    Claudia

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  9. I've come across a few mentions of cauliflower mac n cheese lately (and cauliflower mash and also as pizza crust) - I'm vegetarian and so intrigued. Thanks for the reminder to give it a try!

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  10. I've heard of making mashed cauliflower and using it like mashed potatoes, but never for a pasta type replacement. I generally have just liked cauliflower raw. We planted some this year for the first time. If it does well (keep our fingers crossed) I may need to try this. Thanks for sharing!

    Please join us again Thursday at:
    The HomeAcre Hop

    ~Ann

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  11. Love the swap out of cauliflower for macaroni. Sounds like a delicious dinner. Thanks for sharing on Thursdays Treasures.

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  12. We eat gluten free ad almost totally grain free, so what a great recipe.. Thanks for sharing with us at Eco-Kids Tuesday! Hope you stop by again! http://likemamalikedaughter.blogspot.com/2013/05/eco-kids-tuesday_21.html

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  13. this sounds fantastic -cauliflower mac n cheese - what a wonderful way to enjoy this comfort food in a heathly dish. I appreciate you sharing with Home and Garden Thursday,
    Kathy

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  14. I LOVE cauliflower Mac and Cheese! Thanks for linking up at our Gluten Free Fridays party! I have tweeted and pinned your entry to our Gluten Free Fridays board on Pinterest! :)

    Can't wait to see what you are bringing to the party this week! We have another GREAT giveaway!

    Cindy from vegetarianmamma.com

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  15. Great spin on Mac & Cheese! Thanks for sharing this at my Pin Me Linky Party.

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  16. Thanks for sharing your recipe at my Say G'Day Saturday linky party; it sounds delicious!

    Hope to see you again this weekend.

    Best wishes,
    Natasha in Oz

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  17. Everything sounds so yummy! Thanks so much for sharing on The Creative HomeAcre!
    Hope to see you again tomorrow at:
    http://www.theselfsufficienthomeacre.com/2013/05/thecreativehomeacrehom17.html

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  18. MMMM... love mac and cheese! Thank you so much for coming to share at Super Saturday Show & Tell! I'd love to have you come and share again today http://www.whatscookingwithruthie.com Have a great weekend! xoxo~ Ruthie

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