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 :)

perfect summer side

orzo = love. roasted veg = love. so why not combine them? that's exactly what i did in my roasted vegetable orzo salad. nothing too exciting, but with good, basic flavours. you really can't go wrong. this is a very versatile recipe that can be made with an array of veggies (mushrooms, asparagus, tomatoes, onions, etc), you can any add fresh herbs and it can be served warm or cold! soooo many options!

what you need:
1 globe eggplant, cut in cubes
1 zucchini, sliced
2 bell peppers of any colour (i used red and yellow)
1/4 cup of sun dried tomatoes
1.5 cups orzo (whole wheat if you can)
nice hunk of feta cheese
juice of 1 lemon
olive oil
salt + pepper

step 1:
preheat oven to 400. i like to cut and salt my eggplant for ~30 minutes, but you don't have to. next, go ahead and chop all veggies in bite sized pieces, toss on baking trays with some olive oil and roast till caramelized, approximately 40 minutes, turning once.
step 2:
while your veggies are roasting, cook the orzo according to package instructions, drain, and put into a large bowl. cut your sun dried tomatoes into small pieces, and add to the bowl.
step 3:
once your veggies are done cooking, add them to the bowl along with the orzo. add a squeeze of lemon juice, a little olive oil, salt and pepper and toss.
step 4: 
when ready to serve, crumble some feta cheese over the top, and voila!


makes ~5 servings
i've eaten this alone for dinner, but would be great along with some grilled souvlaki and tzatziki!