Tag: recipe

Cauliflower Mash Recipe by Catherine Marchetta

Hey Everyone! I am Catherine, from my self named blog Catherine Marchetta bringing you healthy living recipes and life tips. Today I am sharing Cauliflower Mash, it is super easy to make and delicious. I promise you won’t miss the potatoes in this recipe, the consistency and taste is so similar, it may even be…dare I say, better.

Recipe List: 

Frozen Cauliflower
Butter
Milk of choice (I used Almond)
optional: thyme, garlic, salt, and pepper

*Disclaimer: you will need a food processor, trust me on this…possibly a Vitamix would work too. Do not use a hand mixer, you will have cauliflower flying all over your kitchen. I may have learned that the hard way.

Firstly, you’ll need frozen cauliflower because we are busy and don’t have time to wring out the water in fresh cauliflower. Am I right? I love buying Trader Joe’s frozen grilled Cauliflower its gotta be one of my favorite items from there.


Directions:

Step 1: Place frozen Cauliflower or frozen riced Cauliflower (gather whatever serving size your heart desires), into a microwave safe dish with water covering cauliflower and microwave covered for 7 minutes.

Step 2: Drain water out of cauliflower dish and transfer to the food processor

Step 3: Add cauliflower, butter, garlic clove, splash of almond milk (you won’t need much since cauliflower is very water based) and pulse until smooth

Step 4: add salt, pepper, thyme and parmesan cheese.

Honestly this recipe is so easy I just eyeball everything measurement wise. It is super versatile and can be paired with vegan or paleo dishes and you’ll be sure to have leftovers.

If you’ve ever tried cauliflower mash before, comment below!

Until next time!
xo Cat

Be sure to check out Catherine’s blog here, and follow her on Instagram and Facebook! *PS: I have a guest post on her blog as well so be sure to check it out!

Chocolate Banana Overnight Oats

1Breakfast is a must have for me. If I don’t eat something by 10:30 I start to get very cranky. I’m also not a morning person so I love breakfasts that are easy to make. This is the perfect breakfast for those who are on the go in the morning because you can make it the night before and it’s ready to eat when you wake up. This is also a great recipe because you don’t really need to measure anything out, just eyeball it and you’ll be fine!

Chocolate Banana Overnight Oats

What you need:

A mason jar, or mug
1 ripe banana
Rolled Oats
Unsweeted Cocoa Powder
Milk (I prefer Almond)

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1. Mash up the banana using a fork.

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2. Add the oats. Be sure to leave room for the milk at the end.

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3. Top everything off with some milk and a spoonful of cocoa powder.

4. Mix your oats and banana.

5. Refrigerate overnight. Enjoy!

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Easy Egg Bake

Hey guys its Catherine from Collective Passions! Today I’m going to be sharing a yummy recipe perfect for meal prepping for the week. This recipe is something I came up with when I was tired of making eggs every single day, why go through that trouble when you can just reheat an egg bake? An egg bake is extremely versatile so feel free to add your favorite veggies and cheeses.

I have experimented with different versions and found this combination works best.

Egg Bake Recipe
1 Carton of Egg Whites
4 Eggs
One medium Zucchini
Half a carton of mini portabella mushrooms
Half a carton of tomatoes (or more depending on your preference)

Optional:
Add any veggie you want: onions, spinach, peppers, etc.
Add cheese on top (highly suggested), I usually add Daiya cheese, but cheddar would taste great as well.

Directions:

  1. Preheat your oven to 375
  2. Get out a large bowl, add your egg white carton and four eggs to the bowl
    whisk together and place aside
  3. In the meantime, get our your veggies and start chopping! I suggest chopping the veggies into smaller pieces.1
  4. Add all the veggies with the eggs in the bowl and mix togetherVeggies and Eggs mixed together
  5. Spray a pan (I use olive oil spray, or coconut oil spray) I usually use a large rectangular glass Pyrex pan (about 4 quartz) and pour your bowl into the pan
  6. Spread everything over evenly and add your cheese to the topReady for the oven!
  7. Bake for 30 minutes (add or minus 5 minutes depending on your pan size)
  8. Cut into squares and cool completely before putting it in the refrigerator (to avoid condensation and the egg bake getting soggy)Out of the oven and ready to serve
  9. Enjoy!

This recipe is super easy to make, it’ll take less than 20 minutes to prepare, and is perfect for on the go. Have you ever made an egg bake or egg muffins before? Leave it in the comments.

xoxo Catherine

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Avocado Pesto Cream Pasta

Hey loves! It’s Catherine, today I am back to Guest blog and share another delicious and easy recipe perfect for summertime. I just recently moved to Raleigh, NC so I know first hand cooking in the heat is dreadful and turning on the oven is a huge no. This recipe is light, dairy free and can be modified with all different types of pasta and ingredients. 1Photo Cred: OhSheGlows

 Avocado Pesto Cream Sauce over Pasta
(Adapted from OhSheGlows)

  • 2 servings of pasta (could be regular, whole wheat, spelt, brown rice, quinoa)
  • 1 ripe avocado
  • 1 or 2 garlic cloves
  • Basil leaves (fresh about 5-6)
  • 1 tablespoon of olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon of lemon juice
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  1. Bring a pot of water to a boil with salt, so the pasta doesn’t stick, cook your pasta according to the directions on the package.
  • While your pasta is cooking, get out your food processor or blender/ Vitamix
  1. Add the basil and garlic to the food processor and pulse
  2. Cut your ripe avocado in half, remove the pit, and scoop out both sides into the food processor along with your lemon, olive oil, salt, and pepper
  3. Process all of the ingredients until the sauce is smooth and creamy, if it is took thick add some water or more olive oil
  4. Place your pasta in a bowl and place the avocado cream sauce on top

2Photo Cred: OhSheGlows

(Optional: add in spinach, mushrooms, chicken, broccoli, asparagus anything your heart desires)

  1. Serve and Enjoy!

This recipe is so flavorful and a staple for putting together a quick dinner in less than ten-fifteen minutes, I promise you will love it. Let me know if you try it out! Leave it in the comments, until next time.

Xoxo Catherine

Follow Catherine on Instagram @cmarchet

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Zucchini, Squash and Quinoa Salad

Hey Guys! My name is Catherine, today I will be a guest blogger for GirlsWhoBrunch! It’s no secret that I got the gig because I am besties with the fabulous Esther Collins who created this chic blog. Yes, we have been friends for 17 years and counting, the proof is in the pic!

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So before I dive into what I am sharing today, I will give you guys a little background to who I am and what inspires me. I am currently living on the east coast, New York to be exact, and finishing my MBA.

I have always been passionate in expanding my knowledge in all facets of my life including education, fitness and healthy eating. I love to find healthy recipes and new creative ways to think outside the box and experiment when it comes to cooking. Who doesn’t love delicious food that nourishes the body and makes you feel good and look radiant?

Today I am here to share a recipe I came across on PopSugar, I have to admit I am obsessed with their app. This recipe for Zucchini, Squash and Quinoa Salad combines all different flavors of vegetables, dried fruits and fresh herbs, it is a must have recipe.

So lets get started!

First you will need these delicious Ingredients

3 bay leaves
Salt, to taste
2 cups quinoa
1/4 cup olive oil
2 small zucchini, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 butternut squash, peeled and diced
2 bunches green onions, chopped
1 cup dried apricots, diced
1 cup dried cranberries
1 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1 cup fresh mint, chopped
1 lemon

*Keep in mind this recipe serves 10 people, so you may want to half the recipe.

  • Firstly, you will want to chop your apricots, mint, cranberries, parsley, and green onions and place them to the side.
  • Boil 4 cups of water and season with bay leaves and salt in a sauté pan. Once the water has boiled go ahead and add your quinoa and return to a boil. Don’t forget to reduce the heat and cover the saucepan; let this simmer for about 20 minutes, until the quinoa absorbs the water.
  • While the quinoa is cooking, heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a frying pan to cook your zucchini and squash, sauté until lightly brown and add salt and pepper for taste.
  • Secondly, once your veggies are browned and cooked, and your quinoa is ready to go, add quinoa to a large bowl with the zucchini and squash.
  • Stir into the large bowl your pre-chopped, onions, apricots, cranberries, parsley and mint. It should look like this:
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  • Lastly, grate your lemon peel and add in your lemon juice and stir!

From: Epicurious.com

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This recipe may look intimidating but it is super easy to throw together, and most importantly a crowd pleaser! I served this for thanksgiving and everyone loved it. The best part is its only 221 calories per serving with 6.7 grams of protein. So what are you waiting for? Go unleash your creative side and give it a shot, I promise you wont be disappointed!

XOXO, Catherine

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Apple-Gruyere Crostini

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As you may have noticed from recent posts, we have been trying desperately to get into the fall spirit, amidst the 80 degree weather and palm trees (cue the violins). I thought, what could possibly be more fall-like than apple-picking right?! Wrong. After scouring the internet for the best orchards in the area (there are none), I hopped in the car for an hour-long road trip into the middle of the desert to what is apparently the “apple-country” of Southern California. As usual, I decided it would be a genius idea to bring my poor dog (and poor boyfriend) along on my great adventure and subject them to the million degree temperatures and my constant, overly-excited declaration of how much fun we were (I was) having. In the end, it was all worth it, and we ended up with more apples than we knew what to do with. In an effort to not let them go to waste, Esther and I whipped up these apple-Gruyere crostinis as a make-shift lunch before a matinee showing of Gone Girl. They were so quick and easy to make, and made for a perfect snack!

Apple-Gruyere Crostini

1/2 baguette, sliced into 1-inch slices

1 apple, peeled and thinly sliced

Gruyere cheese, thinly sliced

Honey

Crushed red pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place baguette slices on a baking sheet, add a few drops of honey to each, and top with apple slices, cheese, and sprinkle with crushed red pepper. Bake for 5-7 minutes, or until bread is slightly golden. Remove from oven and enjoy!

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Pumpkin Spice Cream Cheese

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Although we’re already at the end of October, it hasn’t quite started to feel like fall in Southern California yet. With temperatures still in the 80s, what better way to get in the fall mood than with pumpkin-flavored everything! We picked up a dozen bagels from Panera and decided to whip up some pumpkin cream cheese to go with. We followed Better Home and Gardens recipe and were pleasantly surprised at how well it turned out! We strayed from the recipe a bit, using a little less pumpkin pie spice as to not completely over-power the cream cheese flavor, and since we didn’t have an electric mixer, we just threw all of the ingredients into the blender, and it worked like a charm!

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