cauliflower mash

I'M THE WORST BLOGGER IN THE WORLD. yes, yes. i have teased you. i keep saying i'm back and ready to blog and i cook all this awesome food, forget to take photos, and then never blog about it. i know. i'm so lame. anyways, back to it.
        first off (and most related to food), i've started thinking i may be sensitive to gluten. YES, yes you read that right. this pasta and bread loving chick is possibly semi-allergic to that little protein called gluten *cries*. so, i'm trying a short-term elimination/low carb diet to see how things go. things so far are all good, but man, it's hard to get rid of gluten! it's in a surprising amount of food items, and not all of them are just starches! (think: soy sauce, flavoured drinks, sauces: gravies, salad dressing, condiments, marinades... oh my!)

cauliflower mashed potatoes - seriously better than the real thing!

       part of this experiment meant upping my veggie intake and creating foods that have a similar texture to my much missed carbs. first on the list was cauliflower mash - i've seen this loads of places and thought i should give it a go! it turned out SO WELL - maybe even better than real mashed potatoes! it is a bit of work but this recipe makes a big batch so it will last you quite a while!

you will need:
1 large head of cauliflower
1 tbsp margarine
1 tsp paprika
salt and pepper
2 cloves garlic (if you want a garlic mash, leave out if you would like plain)
1/2 cup skim milk

step 1:
bring a large pot of water to the boil. cut up your cauliflower into chunks, place in the pot and cook until tender, approximately 5 minutes.
step 2:
strain the cauliflower and transfer to a food processor, add the margarine, paprika, salt and pepper and garlic if desired. while pulsing, slowly add in your skim milk until mix is smooth. you may need to add more depending on the size of cauliflower. DONE! that's it, easy peasy :)

eva's awesome salsa!

everyone in my life knows that i'm super picky with my salsa and like it to be authentic and NOT CHUNKY. i hate a chunky salsa. making your own salsa is SO EASY i don't know why i didn't think of it sooner! not only that, this way i can adjust chunky-ness and the spiciness! this recipe makes a LOT of servings, like, and entire blender of servings. i also am on the fence about cilantro so only added a very small amount to appease my family, so if you like it, double or triple the amount i added!

what you need:
1 28oz can diced tomatoes (low-sodium is good, even better is using fresh tomatoes: 8 or 9 depending on the size)
1 4oz can of fire roasted tomatoes
1 jalapeno (i suggest adding a few chunks at a time, spiciness in raw japalenos varies quite a bit!)
1/4 yellow onion
4 cloves of garlic
10 cilantro leaves
juice of 1-2 limes
1.5 tsp cumin
salt and pepper

step 1:
drain both cans of tomatoes of their liquid. i finely diced my cilantro prior to putting it in the food processor (due to loathing it), you can just add it straight in if you like. add onion, garlic, jalapeno, and the 28 oz tin of tomatoes and pulse a few times till combined.
step 2: 
add the 4 oz can of tomatoes, lime juice, salt and pepper, and cumin and pulse until all combined. taste, and make any adjustments necessary.



and thats it! serve with chips, use as dressing in taco salad or on top of eggs in the morning :)