dusty cauliflower.

My mom's been making this recipe for many years, and it's always been one of my favorites. I'm not honestly sure where she got it. It may be from a cookbook but I wouldn't honestly know which one. Anyways, I had a taste for it recently, so I decided to make a batch of it myself. 


the recipe
4 cups cauliflower, cut into flowerets
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 tablespoons oat bran
3 tablespoons dry bread crumbs
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon grated Parmesan cheese
1/8 teaspoon pepper
Dash of garlic powder


1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Lightly oil a baking pan or spray with a nonstick cooking spray.
3. Place cauliflower in a large bowl. Drizzle with oil and toss until cauliflower is evenly coated.
4. Combine remaining ingredients and sprinkle over cauliflower. Toss until coated.
5. Spread cauliflower in prepared pan. Sprinkle with any remaining crumbs.
6. Bake 18-20 minutes, until lightly browned.


substitutions
It's not really a substitution, I guess, but my mom and I use wheat germ for the oat bran. We've always used it, and it works well.


great with
I personally think this is a delicious side to accompany a veggie burger. That's exactly what I had this with.


the review
As I said in the beginning, this is absolutely one of my favorite recipes. I really like cauliflower, but there's no denying that it can taste a little plain at times. This is not a plain recipe. It's delicious. This is also one of the easiest things to make. Just toss everything in a bowl, stick it in the oven, and then you can concentrate on the rest of dinner. Easy and delicious.

orzo with buttered bread crumbs.

I am not one to take to the Internet to complain, so I'll just say that I'm not having a fantastic week, and leave it at that. On the bright side, I allowed myself to take part in some of my favorite comfort food. To me, this recipe is up there with homemade macaroni and cheese. Though I usually stick with fairly healthy meals most of the time, let's face it--it's nice to indulge every once in a while.


the recipe
8 oz. orzo
1 stick of butter
seasoned bread crumbs
Boil water and add the orzo. In a small frying pan, melt 1 stick of butter. As the butter melts, add enough seasoned bread crumbs to absorb all the butter. After the orzo is cooked and drained, stir in the melted butter and bread crumbs. Add salt and pepper to taste.


substitutions
Look at that recipe. There are only good things going on there, trust me.


great with
Pretty much whatever strikes your fancy. I love, and I mean, I really LOVE peas, so I tend to throw them into this recipe, as the picture at the top indicates. I'll also usually have it with a Morningstar Farms Chicken Pattie.


the review
This is a really simple combination of food, but it's really good. The secret to this recipe is not skimping on the bread crumbs. When made correctly, this is the ultimate comfort food.

meatless meatballs.

I come from a very Italian family which means that every Sunday, it's pasta for dinner. This is a tradition that I kept up when I was away at college, and that I now continue on my own. I love pasta, but really, what's pasta without meatballs? Well, for a vegetarian that can be a difficult thing, but luckily, my mom has this incredible recipe for meatless meatballs. They're truly amazing. 

I was recently telling some of my coworkers about this recipe and they didn't believe that they could be a suitable substitute for a real meatball. My dad's not a vegetarian, but he absolutely loves these and says you'd never know the difference from a real meatball. I made this recipe and brought it into my coworkers to share and sure enough, they agreed. I hope you do too.

the recipe

1 cup ground nuts (walnuts work well)

1 cup seasoned bread crumbs

2 whole eggs plus one egg white

1 small onion chopped fine

oil for frying

salt, pepper, parsley, and oregano to taste

tomato sauce

Put the nuts and onions in a food processor and make sure they are well blended. Put in bowl and add additional ingredients and mix well. Form into balls and fry in oil in frying pan. After meatless balls are browned, put in sauce and simmer for half an hour. 

substitutions

I don't actually have any for this recipe. I think that's a first.

great with

Pasta, of course! I usually start with a salad and then serve the meatballs over penne with a five cheese sauce. Delicious.

the review

Amazing, quite simply. I've grown up on this recipe and I love it. Having never actually consumed a real meatball (seriously) I can't compare this recipe to the real thing, but I hear that the texture and taste is quite similar to a real meatball. This recipe is sure to be a big hit with anyone. Give it a try and see for yourself.