Don't Forget Your Vegetables

I'm so proud of myself for finally adopting healthy eating habits. I was so incredibly nervous to make the switch because I was one of those people who assimilated healthy with bland. After almost a year of eating clean, I can confidently report that I couldn't have been more wrong. Eating clean by no means you have to sacrifice taste of or flavor and last night's dinner was the perfect example to prove my point. 

Lately I've been trying to cut out even more carbohydrates so I've been trying more veggie substitutes for pasta and breads. Last night I tried out a new recipe for Macaroni and Cheese with Cauliflower instead of Macaroni shells and it was UH-MAZING! As for the Sweet Potatoes, I found the recipe a couple months back and I've used it a handful of times. I never really gave Sweet Potatoes a fair chance because I was such a picky eater as a kid, but eating healthier has definitely helped me broaden my food horizon. After using this recipe, I don't see why anyone could not like eating Sweet Potatoes. Not to mention they're crazy good for you.

Honey Roasted Sweet Potatoes

Ingredients:
2 lbs Sweet Potato, rinsed and cut into 1 inch cubes
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
2 Tbsp Honey
Juice of half a Lemon

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Pour the cubes into a baking dish, or I like to use a 9x9 baking pan. Then, in a small bowl mix together the Olive Oil, Honey, and Lemon Juice. Pour the sweet citrus mixture over the potato cubes and lightly toss them to coat. Bake for an hour, but every 20 minutes, take the pan out to to stir. Lightly sprinkle Sea Salt over top after the potatoes are done baking.

*I find it easier to just set my timer in 20 minute intervals so that I don't forget to come back and stir them. When you don't stir them, some of the potato cubes come out dry.


Cauliflower "Mac" and Cheese

Ingredients:
1 kosher salt, as needed, plus 1/2 teaspoon
1 large head cauliflower, rinsed and cut into small florets
1 vegetable oil cooking spray
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/8 tsp garlic powder 
1 1/2 tsp dijon mustard
1 cup heavy cream ( I didn't have cream so I just substituted whole milk)
2 oz cream cheese, cut into small pieces (I use Neufchâtel Cheese)
2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded, plus 1/2 cup for top of casserole

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Season the water with sea salt. Spray the baking dish with cooking spray. Cook the cauliflower in the boiling water until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Drain well and pat between several layers of paper towels to dry. I didn't want the casserole to be soggy so I took extra care in making sure the florets were dry. Transfer the cauliflower to the baking dish and set aside. Bring the cream (or milk) to a simmer in a small saucepan, and whisk in the cream cheese (or Neufchâtel) and mustard until smooth. Stir in 1 cup of the cheese, salt, pepper and garlic and whisk just until the cheese melts, about 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat, pour over the cauliflower, and stir to combine. Top with the remaining 1/2 cup cheese and bake for about 15 minutes or until browned and bubbly. 

*I didn't add the extra cup of cheese on top because I thought the cheese sauce mixture would be rich enough. But for all you cheese lovers out there, sprinkle away!

The rest of our dinner consisted lean pork chops seasoned with salt and pepper, pan seared on each side for 2 minutes then baked for 20 at 350 and of steamed asparagus; my favorite! I try to fill at leas half of my plate, dish, bowl etc. with vegetables and then divide the remaining half between a protein and the other reaming portion with grains/carbs so this meal was perfect! I also make sure to east my vegetables first, that way I am more likely to get full after eating the real healthy stuff. So don't be shy; give it a try!