Heart Healthy No-Fail Coconut Vegetable Fried Rice

As we are about to wrap up Heart Health month, I wanted to share a fresh new recipe that puts a healthier twist on one of my favorite dishes, Fried Rice! If you’ve ever been to a Japanese Steakhouse or Hibachi Restaurant you’ve watched the chefs chop and dice and throw their knives around creating beating hearts out of their delicious fried rice, right? It’s my favorite part of a hibachi meal, but have you ever noticed what they are actually throwing into it? You know that wad of garlic butter that they toss in there…that’s the equivalent of a whole stick of butter! No wonder it tastes so darn good!

Anyway, when I teamed up with Kelapo Coconut, I knew it would be a great opportunity to play around to tweak this recipe and boost the nutritional value. I'll be swapping out all that artery clogging butter for nutrient rich coconut oil. 

Did you know that coconut oil is comprised of medium chain triglycerides (MCTs) which have been shown to help the body absorb important nutrients and minerals as well as eliminate harmful bacteria and fight signs of aging. So just adding coconut oil into your cooking routine will skyrocket the nutrients of the rest of your meal!

Caramelized Peach Salad Recipe

I recently recreated a dish from one of my favorite spots in Los Angeles. Call me hokey, but I LOVE Villa Blanca in Beverly Hills. Sure, their food isn't as stellar as it used to be which if you're a fan of Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, you would know that there was a huge blow-out between Lisa Vanderpump, the restaurant's owner and their head chef. You can get filled in on that drama via Bravo.

Anyway, there used to be a salad on their menu that was out of this world. It had everything I loved, fruit, fresh mozzarella, prosciutto, and a dressing with some serious spice! It was the perfect combination of flavors. 

[Restaurant Recipe]: Casa Vega's Spinach Enchilada

I'm so grateful that Christy over at Casa Vega was willing to share some of her family's recipes with us! Turns out, they are pretty simple to make and beyond delicious! 

Spinach Enchiladas

Ingredients:

1 package of corn tortillas

12 oz fresh spinach

½ sliced white onion

1 tbsp chopped onion

8 large green tomatillos

2 cups of water

1 bushel of cilantro

1 tbsp cilantro

1 tsp granulated garlic

1 tsp of salt

½ avocado

1 oz sour cream

6 oz shredded cheese (Monterey Jack or Asadero)

#MeatlessMonday - Vietnamese Summer Rolls Plus a Vegan Dessert!

Recently I've been obsessed with Vietnamese Summer Rolls. There is something about that cold, crisp bite that is instantly refreshing! I realized that I was ordering them off any menu they graced so it was about time I learned how to make them for myself.

After a quick spin down the Asian Foods aisle of the grocery store, I had all the ingredients I needed. It's amazing how even the most obscure ingredients, i.e. rice paper, can be found just a few rows over from Lunchables.

Don't forget to get a taste of the Vegan sweets from Sugar Beak Bakery at the bottom of this post!

Transform Your Tofu: Caprese Appetizers

Since working with Nasoya, I have had the chance to tackle tofu far more often than I would have imagined. However, there are only so many stir-frys a gal can make. That's why I decided to think outside the "block" and find a fun new way to serve our soy-filled friend!

Tofu Caprese

Ingredients
1 block of Nasoya firm tofu
fresh cherry tomatoes
fresh basil
Italian Dressing

Preparation
Using a melon-baller, scoop out balls of tofu from the block.

Place in a small storage container and cover with Italian dressing. Let marinate for at least one hour.

Skewer together the basil, tomatoes and tofu on toothpicks. Arrange and serve!

Best Green Bean Recipe Ever!

Was that a little too presumptuous? Perhaps. However I feel that I have finally cracked the code to making the tastiest green beans I have ever laid my tastebuds on.

You see, my quest to create the best green beans started about a year and a half ago... on my wedding day actually. Our caterer, Prazni, had created the most amazing green beans I had ever had in my life.

Photo Credit Angela Greenlaw Photography

They were this crazy combination of crisp, buttery, sweet, salty, all at once. Magical I tell you, simply magical. Anyway, this mission to recreate these green beans took effect after that day I couldn't seem to replicate the yumminess, until now!

Ingredients
4-5 cups of fresh green beans
1/4 cup of water
1 tbsp unsalted butter
1 tsp of sea salt
1 tbsp of light agave

Preparation
In a saute pan, add green beans and water. Cover and let steam for no more than 2 minutes. The key to this recipe is allowing the green beans to stay firm.

Uncover and allow water to evaporate. At this time add in the butter and salt. Toss beans allowing for all the beans to get coated. Drizzle in the agave, toss once more and let simmer for an additional minute on a low flame.

Remove from heat and serve. Add a bit of lemon zest for garnish if you'd like!

Butternut Squash Lasagna with Moscato Cream Sauce

I have been teasing this recipe for years now. You see, I made something similar when I was back in college (Butternut Squash Ravioli with Moscato Cream Sauce) and since then I haven't really had a reason (or a taste tester) to try it out, until now! Last week, two of my dear girlfriends and I got together for a good old Girls Night In. I said I would bring the entree if they brought the wine and the gossip!

This dish would be classified to some as a "Fall/Harvest" dish but in my opinion, if you can get butternut squash year round, make this year round! It has roasted butternut squash, caramelized onions, creamy ricotta, and a delicate cream sauce that is out of this world. It's the perfect dish for Sunday Supper or Meatless Monday!

Ingredients
1 whole butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cubed
1 sweet onion, thinly sliced
1 tbsp olive oil
1/4 c brown sugar
1/4 c butter
1 tsp cinnamon
1 box of lasagna noodles, cooked
1 6 oz. container of Ricotta
3 c shredded mozzarella
salt and pepper to taste



For Sauce
1/4 c butter
2 tbsp flour
1/2 c Moscato wine
1 carton of half & half
1 c shredded mozzarella

Preparation
Toss cubed squash in olive oil, brown sugar, cinnamon and a sprinkle of sauce. Lay out on roasting pan and roast at 425 until tender.

While the squash is cooking, caramelize onions in a sautee pan until golden brown.

In a mixing bowl, combine ricotta and 1 cup of mozzarella. Fold in caramelized onions and add a bit of salt and pepper to taste.

By now, the squash should be done. Remove from oven and add to blender or food processor. Blend until smooth. Add a bit of the roasting liquid to get it moving if needed.

Layer cooked lasagna noodles, squash, and ricotta mixture alternating each layer.

To prepare the sauce - 
Start by melting butter and adding in flour to make a basic roux. 

Whisking continuously, add in the moscato followed by 1 cup of mozzarella. 

Once you smell the alcohol burning off, add in the half and half slowly, continue to stir. 

Add salt and pepper to taste and pour over the top of the layered lasagna. Top with more mozzarella. 


Bake for 35-40 minutes until cheese is melted and begins to brown.

Let rest outside of oven for 10-15 minutes before serving.

Fresh Greek Tzatziki Sauce Recipe

Over the past few years, Greek food has wiggled it's way up my list of favorites. It's nestled itself somewhere above Chinese but below Italian. There's something about that warm fluffy pita, meat that may...or may not be lamb scraped off of a rotating skewer, and that cool creamy sauce that makes it all complete, tzatziki (tat-ziki)... at least I think that's how you say it. It's all Greek to me!

Restaurant Recipe: Panera's Apple Kale Smoothie!

    

A big thanks to my friends at Panera Bread for sharing this delicious smoothie recipe that is packed with vitamins, nutrients, and FLAVOR! This is the perfect treat to keep those resolutions on track! 

Prep time: 10 mins 

Serves 4

Ingredients:

2 Granny Smith apples, peeled and coarsely chopped 3 cups honeydew melon cubes 1 kiwi, peeled and coarsely chopped 1 cup packed baby kale leaves 1 small ripe avocado, peeled, pitted, and coarsely chopped 1 cup crushed ice Pinch of salt

Simple Pickled Vegetables

Savor those early Fall vegetables all season long with this easy pickling recipe.

Ingredients:

2-3 large carrots

1 large parsnip

1 large cauliflower floret

1 yellow or orange pepper

6-8 cloves of garlic

fresh dill

2 c white vinegar

2 c white sugar

1 tbsp whole black peppercorn

2 tsp red pepper flakes

1 tsp salt

Caprese Pasta Salad

It's no secret that one of my favorite ingredient combinations is fresh tomato, mozzarella and basil. Add a little balsamic glaze to that, and now we're in business! Oh, it's also a well known fact that I am a serious "pasta-holic", so when I was asked by The Mr. (last minute, of course) to whip up a dish for one of his office cookouts, I decided to stick to my faves!

This recipe can be put together in 30 minutes, tops. Yes, even including the pasta!

Morningstar Mediterranean Giveaway!

Want to try MorningStar's newest veggie burger?? Inspired by the flavors of the Mediterranean, this flavorful and versitile burger is a "must-try" especially as we head into grilling season!

Enter below to win the following prize pack from MorningStar including:

• 1 Package of MorningStar Farm's Mediterranean Chickpea Veggie Burgers
• Greek-Inspired Apron
• Chickpea Tote Bag
• Mediterranean Cookbook

(Give it a second for the Rafflecopter Widget to load! Firefox & Google Chrome Only)


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Roasted Red Pepper Sauce from Cupcake Provocateur

A simple and tasty version that is simple and easy to make even on a busy
weeknight. Allot of recipes out there include chicken broth and other ingredients but
I feel it waters this sauce down, I prefer the heartiness and full flavor of this
version. You can certainly add to this to make it your own, such as sautéed onions
and garlic or crushed red pepper flakes for a new take on fra diavolo.

Ingredients
6-8 large red peppers
olive oil
alt and pepper

Preparation
1. set your oven to broil on high

2. place peppers on a broiler pan (be careful not to crowd your pan other wise they
will steam more than roast)

3. brush olive oil on peppers

4. sprinkle salt and pepper on peppers

Roasting
Place pan with peppers on top rack in oven, leave oven open slightly to let a little
heat escape. broil till skin on pepper starts to char, turning till most of peppers have
a nice char on them.

Peeling and Processing
Take out of oven and place in a pepper bag to steam for about 10 minutes (this will
help to peel them much easier). Be sure to peel them while they are still a little
warm, if you let them cool completely the skin will be much more difficult to peel.
On a cutting board gently peel the skin off peppers, then cut in half, while using a
paring knife gently scrape the seeds and membranes away from you on the cutting
board. Reserve any liquid on the board and place in food processor with peppers
and puree.

Finishing
add pureed sauce to a sauce pan on med heat, heat until hot adding any additional
salt and pepper to taste.

Don't forget to check out Cupcake Provocateur for adorable aprons and other kitchen accessories! 

Kasey Quickie: Roasted Figs

So I came across a really affordable batch of figs at my super secret (super cheap) produce haven last week. As I was cleaning out my fridge over the weekend in preparation for this week's creations, I came across the forgotten figs and realized I needed to do something with them, FAST!
To me, roasting was the obvious choice.

What You Need:
Figs (um, duh)
Oil (I used a lemon infused olive oil from Bari)
Sea Salt
Aluminum Foil

What You Do:
Crank up your oven to 400.

Cut the figs in half, the long way. Place into a bowl, drizzle with oil and a sprinkle of salt then toss so they are fully coated.

Line a baking sheet with foil (these things get sticky, this saves on clean-up)

Place the figs SKIN SIDE DOWN and not touching, touching promotes steaming which is bad for the roasting process.

Let roast for about 25 minutes. Be sure to keep an eye on them.

After 25 minutes, turn the oven off and let the figs stay in there for an additional 20 minutes. This helps dehydrate them even more.

Now they should be a little shriveled but full of sweetness!

Add to salads, wrap some prosciutto around them, throw them on a pizza, in some cookies, whatever!
Enjoy!

Super Healthy Chicken Meatballs & Eggplant "Spaghetti"

Whipped these up last night and I'm obsessed!! I made mine the Paleo way, but you can add whatever works best for you.



 

No-Time Gnocchi and Garlic Tomato Sauce with Veggies

The other night I was inspired by all the fresh produce I had delivered from Luci Organics (<---- Click for more details, they are amazing!) and I knew I wanted to make something full of veggies! BUT, I needed a little more bulk. I had some mashed potatoes left over in the fridge from The Mr.'s birthday dinner so that's when it hit me... Gnocchi! I did a little digging and figured out all you need is flour, an egg and potatoes. I was in business!
By the way, this recipe will be a 2 part-er We'll start with the Gnocchi and then I'll tell you about the sauce!

No-Time Gnocchi

What You Need:
2 Cups of Flour
1 egg
2 Potatoes (Mashed)

What You Do:

Bring a large pot to a boil and add salt to the water.

In a large mixing bowl, combine all your ingredients until you form a dough. If you find that it is too dry and crumbly then wet your hands and continue kneading the dough. Repeat the wet hands thing if necessary.

Roll out your dough into long snake pieces and cut them into 1/2 inch pillows. No, you don't need a ruler, just eye-ball it.

Drop the dough pillows into the boiling water. When they rise back up to the top, they are done. (About 5 minutes, no more) Pull them out with a straining tool of some sort and set aside until you're ready to use. 

*KK Extra - Swap out the mashed potato with my Butternut Squash Puree and OMG! Delish with my Moscato Cream Sauce... that recipe will be coming soon for sure! 

Garlic Tomato Sauce with Veggies

What You Need:
1 carton of grape/cherry tomatoes
6-8 pieces of peels garlic
1 carrot
olive oil
sea salt
assorted veggies (I used the following: Spinach, Eggplant, Zucchini, Roasted Red Peppers, Onion)

What You Do:
In a large pan (with a lid), heat enough olive oil to cover the surface of the pan. 

Once the oil has heated add in the carton of tomatoes, garlic and a few shakes of sea salt. Give the pan a shake to make sure everything is coated. Put a lid on it and turn the heat down to low. 

Let simmer for about 10 minutes or until the tomatoes have popped and the garlic is tender. Grate in the carrot and let cook another 5 minutes. 

Put the hot mixture into a blender or food processor and puree until smooth. 

In the same pot you already used, add a little bit more olive oil and saute the rest of your vegetables. If you're using onions, start with those first. It helps build the flavor. Add in your tomato sauce to the veggies, give it a few stirs and then top off your gnocchi or any other yummy pasta dish you'd like! 

*KK Extra - Add in some crushed red pepper for an extra kick! 

Perfect Peck of Roasted Peppers

I've never been a huge fan of peppers... especially green peppers, YUCK! However I've learned to wein my way into becoming a pepper-person since it seems red peppers are in EVERYTHING these days.
Here's my recipe for super tasty roasted peppers, the perfect gate-way pepper.

What You Need:

variety of different color peppers (I used red, yellow and orange)
garlic oil or regular oil
sea salt

What You Do:

Preheat oven to 400

Cut peppers in half and place in a large mixing bowl

Add in oil and a generous amount of sea salt and toss with your hands to evenly coat all the peppers.

Place the peppers on a baking sheet with the skin side up. Try not to let them touch, that will cause them to steam and hurt the roasting process.

Bake for 20 minutes until the skins brown.

Here's the trick - turn the oven off and let them sit in there for an additional 10-20 minutes. This prevents them from sweating out too much and leaves them truly roasted.

Use these on sandwiches, toss into pasta, blend them into a paste and make a spread... opportunities are endless!

Don't forget to let me know if you try it!

Butternut Squash Puree In a Pinch

Thicker than soup but I won't stop you from just eating it out of a bowl with a spoon! 

What You Need:

2 cups of Butternut Squash (boiled and drained)
Splash of Vegetable Stock
Brown Sugar, about a 2 tbsp
Sea Salt
Sprinkle of Cinnamon

What You Do:

Throw it in a blender and you're ready to rock! Fool-proof!

*I topped this one with some left over pulled pork... OMG - Heavenly! 

Guilt-Free Cauliflower Crust Pizza

I have recently received an overwhelming amount of support towards Kasey's Kitchen, and I can't thank everyone enough! It has been fueling me to come up with more and more recipes to share with you all. This is turn strikes me with a bit of a dilemma... my love for food keeps getting in the way of my skinny jeans! Not saying that my Lettuce Wraps aren't figure friendly, but with pies, cookies and pasta surrounding me, I thought it was time to try a healthy alternative to pizza. So without further ado, here is the recipe for Cauliflower Crust Pizza!

What You Need:

1 head of cauliflower

1 c shredded mozzarella cheese

1/4 c Parmesan cheese (the shaker kind)

1 egg

garlic salt to taste

olive oil

For topping:

Tomato Sauce

More mozzarella cheese

Whatever other toppings you would like - I used eggplant, zucchini, mushrooms and onions.

What You Do:

Preheat oven to 400. 

Remove all the leaves and stem from the cauliflower. Cut it up into chunks and place in a microwave safe container with a lid on it. Make sure the lid isn't on too tight! Microwave for 8 minutes. You don't have to add any water, it will steam on its own. 

Let the cauliflower cool off for a bit until you can touch it.
8 minutes in the microwave is a long time, it WILL be hot! Place it into a food processor or food chopper and pulse until it looks "minced". 

In a large mixing bowl, combine minced cauliflower, egg, cheeses and garlic salt and stir together. Then press it down on a cookie sheet with your hands. A pizza stone would be best, but if you're like me, you gotta work with what you got. 

Brush with olive oil and bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes until golden brown. Make sure the center of the "dough" gets golden, it will help in the end. 

Once it's all golden and such, add on your toppings. Sauce, toppings then cheese is how I roll. The cheese on top helps everything stay together and it gets the yummy golden brown crust! YUM!

Bake for an additional 30 minutes or until your cheese and edges of the crust have browned. Remove, let cool a bit, slice and enjoy.... guilt free!

Butternut Squash Pasta Salad

The air is getting cooler, the jeans are getting tucked into knee-high boots, and everything pumpkin-flavored has resurfaced. That's right, it's Fall!

Today I want to share one of my favorite recipes that was actually created out of desperation. Ok, I'll admit, most of my recipes are created that way, but this one turned into an instant hit! I was asked to make a side dish for a cookout at my hubby's co-worker's place (last minute, of course) and I seriously had no idea what to make.
Being the "pastaholic" that I am, my brain instantly went to carbs. I wanted to incorporate the flavors of the approaching season as well, so this is what I came up with!

Ingredients:

1 box of whole-wheat rotini pasta, cooked and cooled

1/2 butternut squash, cubed

1/2 stick of butter (optional)

2 tbsp brown sugar

cinnamon

sea salt

dried cranberries

1/2 red onion, chopped

olive oil

balsamic reduction

fresh mozzarella, sliced

fresh sage (optional)

What To Do:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees

In a small brownie pan or cookie sheet, lay out the butternut squash cubes. Add a small handful of brown sugar, butter, a generous drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of cinnamon to the squash and toss with your hands. Sprinkle salt on top, salt helps the roasting process. Let cook for about 25-30 minutes until tender.

When your squash is done, add it to the cold pasta (roasting oil and all) with chopped red onion, some dried cranberries and a sprinkle of fried sage if you have it on hand. Top with mozzarella and drizzle on some balsamic reduction right before serving.