Comfort Food: Cauliflower Pasta

1 Head Cauliflower

2 cups pasta, broken into 1 inch pieces

EVOO

1/2 Parmesan Cheese

Salt & Pepper, to taste

Bring a pot of water to a boil, salt the water.  Cut the head of cauliflower into florets.  When water has come to a boil, add the florets and boil for 5-7 min or until (barely) fork tender.  Add the pasta after 5-7 min and boil for 8 min or until pasta is al dente.  Before draining the florets and pasta carefully extract a cup of cooking liquid from the pot (I use a coffee cup).  Drain florets and pasta and return to pot immediately.  Add EVOO (about 3-4 turns around the pot), cheese, salt & pepper to taste and slowly add cooking liquid until it is creamy consistency (you may or may not use all the cooking liquid).  Mix well and enjoy!

Serving suggestions:  add a little extra cheese to your serving.  Heat left overs with a little extra water to bring back to creamy consistency. 

Morph Your Meal - Chicken Edition

Cooking can be tiresome so I have decided to try my hand ad 'Morphing Meals.' This week I made...

Original Dish - Oven roasted chicken:
1 5-7 lb whole chicken Stuffed with:
2 lemons quartered
1.5 heads of garlic halved
1 handful of fresh thyme
Coated with: 2 tbsp of softened butter (massaged into the meat and the skin)
liberally salted and pepper
Baked at 425 for about 1 hour, until internal temp reached 165)
Serving Suggestion: Creamy Mac and Cheese and Spinach Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette

Morphed Meal 1 - Chicken and Rice Casserole:
1 lb of chicken cubed
2 cups rice (cooked)
1 can Cream of Mushroom
1/4 cup mayo
1/4 of vegetables (I had stir fry mix in the freezer that included broccoli, red bell pepper, yellow bell pepper and green beans)
1/4 cup wine (I had red on hand but would have preferred to use white or even chicken stock)
Salt and pepper
Topped liberally with shredded, mild, cheddar cheese
Bake at 350 for 45 min

Morphed Meal 2 - BBQ Chicken Dip:
12 oz of chicken shredded
8oz Cream Cheese
1/4 cup ranch dressing
1/4 cup sour cream
3/4 cup BBQ sauce
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Combine ingredients in baking dish and bake at 350 for 25-30 min until bubbly.
Serving Suggestion: Chips or Celery

Morphed Meal 3 - Chicken with Spinach Salad (Single Servings):
Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing:
2 tbs Balsamic Vinegar
4 tbs EVOO
Salt and pepper
1 crushed garlic clove
Whisk dressing together and pour over your choice of spinach leaves and pieces of chicken for a delicious and healthy lunch.

Enjoy!