Cauliflower Pie with Potato Crust

This was a great vegetarian entrée, and a fun, different way to use cauliflower. Andrew, of course, wouldn't touch it, given his hatred of cauliflower, but Joe and I both really enjoyed it. Cauliflower and cheese is a match made in heaven anyway, and the flavors work really well together in this dish. I thought the pie itself was a bit dry; I wanted it to be wetter, so next time I'll add more milk or another egg. I think I'll definitely make this again, though. It's an impressive vegetarian dish for brunch, lunch or dinner, and it really does taste delicious.

Cauliflower Pie with Potato Crust
source: adapted from Lemons & Love, who got it from Branny Boils Over

2 cups packed grated raw potatoes

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 egg white, beaten

1 cup grated strong cheddar cheese, divided

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

1 medium cauliflower, broken into small florets

1 garlic clove, crushed

1 cup chopped onion

Dash of dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 egg, beaten

1/4 cup milk

Black pepper to taste

1. Combine grated potato with salt and beaten egg. Press into a greased pie plate. Bake in a preheated 400-degree oven for 30 to 40 minutes or until browned. Remove from oven and lower temperature to 350 degrees. Sprinkle 1/4 cup of cheddar cheese over pie crust.

2. Meanwhile, saute chopped onion in a nonstick pan with thyme and salt. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add pepper to taste. Break cauliflower up into small florets. Combine onion mixture with cauliflower and remaining cheddar cheese. Pour into prepared pie crust. Beat together milk with egg and pour over vegetable mixture. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top. Filling will appear dry.

3. Bake for 40 minutes until tender. Let set 5 to 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

Weekly Meal Planning, Week of 4.5.10

Ahh, April! Finally! Spring! Finally! There's something about the nice weather we've been having that just puts me in a perpetually good mood, despite the fact that this week is my first full week back at work and I'm very sleep-deprived.

Since it's my first full week back, I'm giving myself an easy week this week -- nothing too high-maintenance and nothing that requires a lot of prep.

Happy Easter, everyone! I hope you have a wonderful holiday, however you celebrate.

Monday: BBQ beef and cheddar quesadillas. I'll make the quesadillas using the leftovers from the pulled beef sandwiches I made last night, and share both recipes with you at the same time.

Tuesday: Pasta and bean skillet. Thanks for sharing this one, Kat! I can't wait to try it!

Wednesday: It's my sweet husband's 30th birthday, so he can have whatever he wants for dinner. (He hasn't told me yet what that is, but he'd better soon, because I'm going grocery shopping tonight.)

Thursday: Pulled chicken suiza sandwiches. We love these. Delicious, quick, and simple.

Friday: Leftovers or sandwiches

Saturday: Baked eggs and tortillas. This is on the menu for the third week in a row. I am seriously going to make it this week. For reals.

Sunday: French-fried onion chicken tenders, fries, green beans

Asparagus Two Ways

I love Easter. To me, the Easter feast is the official beginning of spring. I think it's all the fresh flavors that are typically a part of the meal: spring vegetables, deviled eggs, something lemony for dessert. I've never hosted an Easter dinner, so I've never been responsible for the main event (which, in our family, is usually a yummy, sweet-salty-smoky ham), but for the past five years or so I've always been responsible for the asparagus. Asparagus is the perfect side dish because it's so easy to prepare, so good for you, and so incredibly delicious.

I didn't always love asparagus. The first time I tried it, in fact, I was in my 20s, and I hated it. It was way over-cooked. It's Joe's very favorite vegetable, though, so I took it upon myself to find the perfect preparation for it. Over the years I've come up with two ways of cooking it that I absolutely love -- roasting and grilling -- and I thought I'd share both of them with you today so you can add one of them to your Easter feast. It's not too late!

Happy Easter, everyone!

Roasted Asparagus

1 pound asparagus spears, washed and trimmed
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter, melted
Salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Combine olive oil and butter; pour mixture over asparagus and toss to combine. Season liberally with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.

2. Arrange in a single layer on a foil-lined baking sheet. Cook 15 minutes, or until slightly browned and crisp-tender.


Grilled Asparagus

1 pound asparagus spears, washed and trimmed
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon brown sugar
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Toss asparagus with olive oil. Sprinkle with brown sugar and salt and pepper.

2. Arrange in a single layer on a piece of foil and place on grill. Grill, turning frequently, until asparagus is crisp-tender, about 15 minutes.

Easter Bunny Cookies

For those of you who celebrate Easter, here's a fun cookie to make for -- and with! -- your kids. I made these for my son's daycare class, and I think he and his friends are just going to love them. Start out with a batch of your favorite sugar cookies (or just buy a mix like I did, semi-homemade girl that I am), add icing, shredded coconut, and decorations, and voila!: adorable little Easter bunny cookies. I was going to make some flowers too, but it turns out the cookie-cutter that I thought was a flower was actually a snowflake, which isn't exactly appropriate for the season. I think the bunnies are cute enough on their own though.

Easter Bunny Cookies

Equipment: bunny-shaped cookie cutter
1 batch of sugar cookies (make them from scratch, or use a mix)
White icing
Shredded coconut
Easter M&Ms
Black decorating gel

1. Cut sugar cookie dough using bunny cookie cutter; bake cookies (according to directions on package, if using a mix). Cool.

2. Spread cooled cookies with icing and sprinkle with shredded coconut, pressing gently to ensure that the coconut sticks to the icing. Add M&Ms for eyes and nose. Use decorating gel for eyeballs and mouth.

Chicken BLT Salad with Buttermilk Dressing

You guys, this is one of the best salads I have ever had. The idea is absolutely genius -- all the flavors of a BLT, which in and of itself is one of my favorite things, in salad form. I added some chicken to make this a little bit more meal-like, and it was a delicious addition. I can't wait to have this again. I think it's going to make it onto our dinner table a lot this spring and summer.

I've linked to the original recipe, but I took lots of short-cuts with this to make it even easier. I used store-bought croutons (but the Texas toast kind, so they were more delicious than "normal" croutons) and bottled salad dressing. I would have used my grandma's homemade buttermilk dressing if I had a jar on hand, but I didn't. One day I'll have to share that recipe with you, because my grandma makes amazing buttermilk dressing.

But I'm getting side-tracked. The point is, this salad is delicious, fresh, crisp, and flavorful, and I think you should make it really really soon.

Chicken BLT Salad with Buttermilk Dressing
source: adapted from Steamy Kitchen who adapted it from Everyday Food's Fresh Flavors Fast

2 chicken cutlets
8 slices bacon
1 bag or box croutons
Buttermilk salad dressing
1 pound romaine hearts, coarsely chopped
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Arrange bacon in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until bacon is crisp. Crumble the bacon into large pieces.

2. Meanwhile, season chicken cutlets with salt and pepper. Grill or pan-fry until completely cooked through; set aside.

3. In a large bowl, mix together lettuce, tomatoes, bacon and croutons; toss to coat with dressing. Slice chicken cutlets and place on top of individual salad servings. Serve immediately.