Swap the meat and heavy breading with cauliflower and a crunchy, salty panko topping, and you have a hearty, satisfying pescatarian dish that’s quick, easy, and pleases everyone in the family. #meandthemoose #cauliflowerparmesan #lightercomfortfood … — Swap the meat and heavy breading with cauliflower and a crunchy, salty panko topping, and you have a hearty, satisfying pescatarian dish that’s quick, easy, and pleases everyone in the family. #meandthemoose #cauliflowerparmesan #lightercomfortfood #comfortfood #sheetpandinner #dinnerrecipes

Cauliflower Parmesan

June 21, 2021 by Rebecca Davis in Cooking, Kid eats, No refined sugar, Pescatarian, Quick meals, Recipes, Summer, Toddler eats

This recipe replaces meat with cauliflower steaks and uses some crispy, briny, magical breadcrumbs to add a crunch that mimics breading without any dredging or frying necessary!

Take me to the recipe!

I put on real clothes for the first time post-pandemic and postpartum for a wedding last weekend and it felt…strange. Like, I’ve completely lost track of the parameters of my body. I ordered a couple of dresses that were all either wildly too big or wildly too small. Have clothes changed a lot in the past 23 months? Or do I need to add body dysmorpia to the list of fun things I have to deal with now???

Anyway, I need to get a grip on a lot of things. Firstly, clothes. Secondly, time. The pandemic made time seem both short and interminable. But one nice benefit to having my husband working from home for the past year was that I could hand him a baby monitor while Z napped or leave him with a barely moving infant while he worked so I could handle the 5-year-old. Now that Z is a one-toddler wrecking crew and Ethan will head back to the office soon, I have to account for the whereabouts of two children who are doing activities in the real world again. Ugh.

Well, this cauliflower parmesan sheet pan dinner solves both problems. Well, not SOLVES necessarily, but definitely fits the bill for a fast, light meal that everyone likes.

A couple of notes:

This recipe leaves a lot of wiggle room for more sauce, cheese, and breadcrumb topping to suit your tastes.
I use cauliflower here, but you could certainly use meat or any other vegetable you like topped with sauce, mozzarella, parmesan, and magical breadcrumbs.
I find this meal really filling for something sans meat, but my husband always asks for a sausage or some leftovers from another meal to go with it, so use this guy as a side or a main as you see fit.
I barely salt the cauliflower. Usually, it needs a lot of seasoning, but since the breadcrumbs are so salty, I don’t want to overdo it. You can always add, but you can’t subtract.
The cooking time will depending on how thinly you slice the cauliflower. Check it after 10 minutes and stop roasting when the stems are just fork tender.

Cauliflower Parmesan

Time: About 30 minutes, all active
Yield: 2-3 mains or 4-5 sides

1 very large or 2 medium heads of cauliflower, stems intact
¼ cup olive oil
Pinch of salt
1½ -2 cup tomato sauce (plus extra for dipping)
1½ cup shredded mozzarella
¼ cup shredded or grated parmesan
1 cup Magical breadcrumbs (recipe below)

Preheat oven to 425.

Remove the leaves at the bottom of the cauliflower, but leave the stem intact. Cut the cauliflower into 1-inch thick slices and spread on a baking sheet. Some may break into florets and that’s okay!

Spray or brush on half of the olive oil. Flip the cauliflower and spray or brush the other sides. Season one side of the cauliflower with a pinch of salt.

Roast for 15-20 minutes, or until the stems of the cauliflower are fork tender. Start checking around 10 minutes.

While the cauliflower roasts, make the breadcrumbs (recipe below)

When cauliflower is fork tender, remove it from the oven and turn on the broiler.

While the broiler is heating, top the cauli steaks with 1 cup of the sauce and all of the mozzarella.

Broil until the cheese is golden brown, about 2 minutes.

Top with the parmesan and magical breadcrumbs to taste.

Magical breadcrumbs
2 Tbsp olive oil or butter
2 whole anchovy filets (or 4 split filets depending on how your anchovies are canned)*
1 heaping cup panko
2 large garlic cloves, minced (about 2 Tbsp)

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over a medium-low flame. Add the anchovies and cook, breaking them up with a wooden spoon or spatula until they’re completely dissolved, about 3-4 minutes.

Add the panko and cook, stirring frequently, for 3-4 minutes. If the breadcrumbs start to darken, turn the flame down.

Add the garlic and stir well. Let the mixture cook, untouched for 2-3 minutes or until the bottom of the breadcrumbs start to turn golden. Turn off the flame and mix the breadcrumbs. Let cool for a few minutes in the pan before using.

If saving for later, let the breadcrumbs cool completely and then store, covered loosely, in the fridge for up to 4 days.

This quick dish is funky, salty, cheesy, and creamy with lots of greens and filling fiber thanks to the beans. #meandthemoose #lunch #dinner #sidedishes #kalerecipes #chickpearecipes #vegetarianrecipes

Miso parmesan chickpeas and kale

May 10, 2021 by Rebecca Davis in Cooking, Gluten-free, Kid eats, Quick meals, Recipes, Spring, Toddler eats, Vegetarian

This quick side dish or light main is an easy way to add some greens to your meal that are both tasty and satisfying.

Take me to the greens!

The idea for these greens came from a New York Times Cooking recipe for Miso pasta. That simple recipe combines only butter, miso, and parmesan cheese with pasta, pasta water, and a little nori on top. My husband made this dish on a whim and we were all sort of stunned by its deliciousness— even the 6-year-old!

I mean, what’s not to love?? It’s funky, salty, cheesy, a little creamy, and a lot carby. I replaced the pasta with beans and greens, which is just a light nod to health, but if you wanted to add the pasta back in (or garbanzo pasta to double up on the bean-age!) that would also be delicious.

We typically eat this as a side dish with a simple chicken or fish that’s either grilled or roasted while the kale cooks.

Just a quick note about this recipe: I used salted butter because I like things pretty salty. Between the butter, miso, and parmesan, there’s a lot of salt in this dish. While I normally advocate salting as you cook to build layers of flavor, I encourage you to hold off on adding any extra sodium until you’ve finished the dish.

Miso parmesan chickpeas and kale

Time: about 20 minutes, all active
Yield: 4 side servings, 2 main servings

3 Tbsp butter (I use salted, but use whatever you have)
1 can chickpeas, drained and dried
1 bunch kale, stems removed and thinly sliced (about 3 firmly packed cups of you’re using prechopped or frozen)
1 heaping Tbsp white miso paste
3 Tbsp water, plus more as needed
½ cup parmesan cheese, shredded
Squeeze of lemon juice, to taste
Chili pepper flakes, optional
Fried egg, optional

Over medium high heat, melt your butter. This should only take 1-2 minutes and the butter might start bubbling on the sides, which is fine!

Add the chickpeas and cook, shaking the pan frequently, until the beans and the butter start to brown, about 4-5 minutes. If you don’t drain the chickpeas thoroughly, never fear! Your butter won’t get quite as brown and may need an extra minute or two to brown the chickpeas.

Add the kale and stir to coat. Turn the heat down to medium low and let cook for 1-2 minutes while you prep the miso.

Combine the water and miso paste in a small bowl or measuring cup and whisk to combine. Add to the pan and stir well. If the liquid boils off immediately or if there are brown bits stuck to the bottom of the pan, use 3-4 more Tbsp of water at a time to deglaze the pan. Repeat if necessary. You should have a little bit of liquid in the bottom of the pan before adding the cheese.

Turn off the heat and add the parmesan. Stir until melted.

Squeeze the lemon and garnish with chili pepper flakes, more cheese, and an egg if desired.

This quick and light version of the classic Greek lemon and egg soup has fennel and kale for some nutrition while maintaining the creamy and bright notes of the original. #meandthemoose #avgolemono #soup #souprecipe #avgolemonorecipe #easyrecipe #lu…

Fennel and kale avgolemono soup

January 27, 2021 by Rebecca Davis in Dairy-free, Quick meals, Recipes, Wellness, Winter

For this classic Greek lemon and egg soup, you slowly heat an emulsion of eggs, lemon juice, and broth for a quick, comforting bowl that packs a sweet and sour punch.

Take me to the recipe!

So guys, I’m trying to lose weight. I hate admitting that because it feels like a betrayal of my hard work to unlearn diet culture over this past year. BUT! Thanks to all of that work, I think I can lose a few pounds while maintaining a healthy relationship with food and my body. Because I love food and it’s not realistic for me to give any of it up. And, while I’m still working at loving my body, I appreciate all that it’s done for me and don’t feel like it has to match an unrealistic thin, white ideal.

But the fact is, I weigh more than I’d like to. Baby weight plus quarantine weight plus holiday weight has added up. I started reigning in my eating a few months ago, which helped my mental health. Somehow feasting on unlimited amounts of Nutella to deal with postpartum and covid anxiety wasn’t working. GO FIGURE. But I focused primarily on what I was eating, rather than on how much I was eating.

Now I need to face the statistics that having had Gestation Diabetes during my second pregnancy makes it more likely that I’ll develop Type II Diabetes if I don’t maintain a healthy weight. And, one of my chief physical complaints is back pain and when I’m holding onto extra weight, there’s more stress on my spine. I want to be able to play with and pick up my kids and I can’t do that if my back is out!

Enter, soup! I love soup in the winter anyway for its coziness, but it’s the perfect vehicle for veggies and healthy fats. It’s also filling and EASY.

This version of Avgolemono in particular is one of my favorites. It’s creamy without any dairy and a well-rounded meal with the orzo and veggies. It’s also infinitely adaptable based on your diet and preferences. Doing Whole 30? Leave out the orzo and add shredded chicken. Gluten free? Swap the orzo for rice. Vegetarian? Use veggie stock instead of chicken stock. Want more protein? Add beans or quinoa. Want it zingier? Add more lemon! Want it creamier? Add another egg! The variations are endless.

The only rule with Avgolemono is this: Don’t let the eggs come to a boil! You’ll end up with scrambled egg bits in your broth and nobody wants that.

Fennel and kale avgolemono soup

Time: about 30 minutes, mostly active
Yield: about 6 cups

6 cups chicken stock
1 tsp salt + more to taste (I’ve added another 1/2 tsp at the end in some batches)
1/8th tsp of black pepper
1 bay leaf
1 large garlic clove (or 2 medium/small), peeled and lightly smashed
1/2 cup uncooked orzo
3 eggs
¼ cup lemon juice (the juice of 1 large lemon) + more to taste
2 cups lacinto kale (1 small bunch)
1 small fennel bulb, sliced paper thin

Combine the stock, salt, black pepper, bay leaf and garlic in a pot and bring to a boil. Scoop out 1 cup of the hot stock and set aside to cool.

Scoop out the garlic clove and add it to a blender. Set aside.

Add the orzo and cook according to package directions, minus one minute.

While the orzo is cooking, chop the kale and slice the fennel as thinly as possible. Set aside.

Add the eggs and the lemon juice to the blender with the cooled garlic. Set aside.

Once the orzo is done, turn the heat down all the way and let the broth just barely simmer. Add the kale and the fennel and stir.

Check the cooling cup of broth. It should be warm, but not hot. If you can comfortably leave your finger in the broth, it’s ready. If the broth is still too hot to touch, add an ice cube and check again in one minute after the ice has melted.

Whizz the garlic, eggs, and lemon juice in the blender until just combined and slightly frothy. Add the warm broth in a stream or in 4 batches if your blender doesn’t open while running.

Add the egg, lemon, garlic, and stock emulsion to the simmering broth and cook, stirring, for about 5 more minutes. Don’t let the soup boil!

Taste for seasoning and add more salt, pepper, and lemon as needed.