Cauliflower Gratin lightened up!

I am a huge fan of cauliflower, it's a versatile and filling winter vegetable.  I saw this recipe in December's Bon Appetit and was intrigued by the cornbread topping as I had just made some cornbread last week and had put the leftovers in the freezer.  However, to lighten it up I sauteed the shallots ( I used vidalia onion) in a spray of olive oil instead of the butter.  I substituted whole milk for the heavy cream and used Land of Lakes light butter (comes in a tub with canola oil) for the cornbread topping.  I used 3 cups of cauliflower for 2 people, about half a head. It's delicious!

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Cauliflower-Gratin-with-Mustard-Sage-Cornbread-Crumbs-362309

I served it as a side dish with Mediterranean style Tilapia and side salad with Cranberry Vinaigrette topped with toasted pecans, dried cranberries and Brie.  The colors were a little too similar and I would have sprinkled the fish with some chopped parsley if I had some!

For 2 Tilapia filets, I chopped 2 plum tomatoes and sauteed them with a chopped shallot and 2 minced garlic cloves, set that aside and added some chopped sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil and a spoonful of capers.  Brush olive oil on the fish, season with lemon juice, salt and pepper and saute in a hot sillet for a few minutes each side.  Add a splash of white wine and the tomato mixture and top each filet with a little black olive tapenade (from a jar).   Easy and healthy!

Grilled Steak isn't always boring....

The deck is shoveled off so decided to take a strip steak out of the freezer and get to the gas grill.  I always keep strip steaks, u-15 shrimp and boneless chicken on hand (Sam's Club!).  But first you need a little side twist to serve with the beef.  I carmelized a sliced Vidalia onion in my cast iron skillet (my absolute number one pan, if you don't have one go out and get one and get it nicely seasonsed, I  use it for almost everything).  Saute the onions in a little olive oil and butter covered for about 10 minutes until soft.  Remove the cover and let them get nicely browned, it takes about 20 minutes.  I then added baby bella mushrooms that were cut in half and sauteed them until browned but not too soft.  You can do this hours ahead and just let them sit on the stove until the steak is cooked. 

One strip steak is perfect for the two of us, trim the fat, season both sides with your favorite rub or just kosher salt and pepper ( I used Montreal seasoning), and let the steak sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes. 

Grill your steak about 4 minutes each side for medium rare.  Let sit for 10 minutes before slicing it into about 1/4 inch slices.  Reheat the mushrooms and add a spalsh of dry sherry (Marsala or Madeira work too).

I served this with Oven Baked Sweet Potato Fries and a Caesar Salad.

For the fries, peel a large sweet potato, cut in half length-wise and cut into wedges.  Spray the wedges with olive oil and season with salt and cajun seasonings.  Roast at 450 for about 20 minutes or until nicely browned and crunchy.  A really healthy way to enjoy your potatoes!

Today is my first post! Dinner tonight is my favorite spaghetti and meatballs!

These are the best meatballs, and I’ve tried many different versions. The key is the amount of water that is added, it really makes them tender. This makes about 24 meatballs, you  might as well make the full recipe and freeze what's left for another day!  The meatballs are baked on parchment which makes them healthier than frying in oil and easy to clean up.
1 pound ground lean beef
½ pound ground pork
½ pound ground veal
2 large eggs
1 cup grated Pecorino Romano or Parmesan cheese
2 tbls chopped parsley
2 cloves garlic minced
2 cups fresh bread crumbs
2 cups warm water
coarse salt and pepper to taste

In a large mixing bowl combine the meat, eggs, cheese, parsley, garlic, salt and pepper and mix with your hands until well combined but don’t over mix. Mix in the bread crumbs, then add the water a little at a time and keep mixing until it's well incorporated. Form into 2 inch balls.

Line 2 rimmed sheet pans with parchment paper. Arrange the meatballs in the pans and bake at 350 for about 20 minutes or until lightly browned and cooked through. Drain on paper towels and then add to your sauce.  Serve over your favorite pasta with a side salad and some great garlic bread.

You really need to use fresh breadcrumbs. Process good quality, day old French or Italian bread in the food processor until coarse ground. Keep in a Ziploc bag in the freezer. Or in a pinch, use Panko.

Marina Sauce

Classic Marinara, it does justice to the homemade meatballs.

• 2 28oz can diced tomatoes
• 1 28oz can crushed tomatoes
• 1 medium onion diced
• 2 gloves garlic diced
• olive oil
• salt and pepper
• crushed red pepper
• Italian seasonings
• Fresh Basil (optional)

• Saute the onions and garlic in olive oil, seasoning with salt and pepper. Add tomatoes, a pinch of crushed red pepper, about 1 tsp of Italian seasonings and salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil, then turn the heat low and simmer for at least one hour. Taste for seasonings. If you like a smoother sauce, use an immersion blender to smooth to the desired consistency. Add chopped fresh basil just before serving.