Mexican Delight Burrito Bowl - Part 1 (the healthy part!)

Just to show I don't spend all day making cards (although I am not sure what would be wrong with that!) I have two recipes to share.....because after making them together, it was a definite "party in my mouth" experience!  And yes, you could certainly enjoy one without the other, but just this first time - make both!!

First of all, have you jumped on the cauliflower rice bandwagon??  I know - I had a hard time wanting to even try it and I like cauliflower - but the whole thing seemed too "different".  But I was so wrong - once again!  I have made several variations over the past few months and each was okay as a rice substitute, but THIS one is undeniably the best.  You can close your eyes and eat every morsel and never taste cauliflower.  You will be convinced you are eating a wonderfully flavored Mexican rice because of all of the luscious savory bites.  And you can prep a lot of it ahead of time - which is always a bonus!

Loaded Cilantro Lime Cauliflower "Rice"

adapted from Cooking Classy

1 medium head cauliflower (around 2 lbs)
2 T. olive oil
1/2 c chopped green onion plus more to garnish
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2-2 c. frozen corn, thawed and WELL drained)
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 firm avocado, diced
1 large Roma tomato, diced
1/3 c. fresh  cilantro, chopped (with more for garnish)
2-3 T. fresh lime juice ( I love lime juice in all things Mexican!)

Cut the cauliflower into florets and discard the core.  Some pulse the florets in a good processor, but I like the uniformity of grating it.  Set the grated cauliflower on paper towels to absorb any excess liquid.  You want it as dry as possible.

Heat the olive oil in a 12" skillet over medium high heat.  Add 1/2 c. green onions and the garlic and saute about 30 seconds. Add the grated cauliflower (aka cauliflower rice) and saute an additional 6 minutes or till crispy tender.

Add the corn and black beans, season with salt and pepper, and heat through a few minutes.  Remove from the heat and add the avocado, tomatoes, cilantro and lime juice and toss well.  Serve immediately.

If you are lucky enough to have leftovers, this reheats beautifully.  I used it as a base for a burrito bowl, but it would make a great side dish alongside a plate of enchiladas or tacos. It is SO good...

Stay tuned for Part 2 to see how I turned this into a fabulous main dish! Pin It Now!

Christmas Cookies - A decadent memory from 2014!

The week before Christmas I was busy making a wide variety of cookie dough and baking. The recipes are all courtesy of very talented food bloggers who receive full credit with the recipe links below.  Every one of these turned out perfectly and some are clearly my new favorites!

Soft Gingersnap Cookies

These were coated in sparkling sugar. 

The sparkling sugar gave them a little festive sweet crunch!

Eggnog Snickerdoodle Cookies

A combination of cinnamon, sugar and nutmeg  is the perfect holiday taste treat

Cherry Almond Shortbread

Dough balls ready to bake - and oh so good

Chocolate Crinkles -- oops - totally forgot to photograph these at ANY stage (but they are in the cookie platters - covered on powdered sugar goodness...


Peppermint Oreo Truffles

Need to work on my candy dipping technique...

Creamy goodness on the inside....  scrumptious!

Yes they were all fabulous - all soft and chewy and full of flavor.  I could not wait to share them with family and friends and they were indeed a hit. I may have finally found a combination of tastes that I can successfully recreate every year (instead of having to dream up a new array every year!)

I was so busy baking that I failed in the photograph department. I didn't get each recipe in all of the same stages - I have some in the dough stage, some freshly baked but there is no consistency except that they are all represented on the cookie platters! (ok - not true either - the truffles were in the refrigerator til the last minute so didn't make the platter photos - photo fail!) Hopefully you can use your imagination - I will do better next year (I hope - no promises!)

If nothing else,I hope that this inspires you to try new things even when you aren't sure of the results. I took a bit of a risk and I am so glad I did!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

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