Brocca-cheese.

Alas! Back to the blogging world! Sorry for being M.I.A for quite some time, but I have been traveling to Birmingham and the likes for the internship so have been a little preoccupied. We are now onto our pediatric rotation, working with children with special needs such as PKU and Rett's syndrome. Still pretty positive clinical dietetics is not my calling, but still very interesting to learn about. I was away for Halloween, but did get to see Keene on HGTV's Pumpkin Wars, which was so neat! Only wish I could have been there (on my birthday too!) I did however make this awesome scarecrow, which greeted unsuspecting visitors at the front door (scared me almost every time I left in the morning)

 

Impressive, I know.

Last night, I had one of my first nutrition consultations over the phone...ok so it was my best friend, but it was still nutrition advice! I really enjoy when people come to me for advice, knowing that they trust and want my opinion. It always helps that this is my passion, so any way I can help others makes me happy! Amid the catching up and girl talk, we did talk about menu planning and making meals ahead since this is how I stay sane and fed throughout the week. I am a self-proclaimed "Type A", OCD food freak, planning, writing, blogging, calculating anything and everything to do with my meals. I plan my grocery list, look up recipes, write them out for the week..I could go on, but it works for me.

One of this dishes that was on my plan last week came from of course pinterest. I adapted it for my own liking of course, but pinterest does wonders for the foodie in me. It was for a broccoli rice casserole, meant as a side dish, which I just had larger portions of for a main dish. You could make this for a side dish, or add cooked chicken or cooked ground turkey too for a filling main dish. With the addition of cheese, this creamy dish could turn your broccoli hater, into a broccoli debater. ( See what I did there?!)

Broccoli & Cheese Casserole
serves 4 (or 6-8 as a side dish)
 adapted from Salad In A Jar
 
1 1/2 cup instant brown rice, uncooked
1 head broccoli, chopped
1/2 onion, chopped
1 can cream of mushroom soup, condensed (I used Campbell's healthy request)
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup shredded cheese (I used mozzarella, but use your favorite)

Start by cooking the rice to the package directions, which is usually boil the same amount of water, add rice, and simmer 5 minutes covered. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees, and spray a 9x9 casserole dish with cooking spray. I used my cast-iron skillet of course, so that would work as well.

While the rice is cooking, add the broccoli and onion to a microwave-safe dish, add a couple tablespoons of water, and microwave for 4 minutes, to cook partially. Set aside.

In a small saucepan, add the remaining ingredients, except the cheese, and heat on medium-low. Whisk ingredients together until heated.

Once the rice is cooked, and soup is heated, add the soup mixture and broccoli to the rice, stirring to combine. Transfer to prepared casserole dish, sprinkle with cheese, and bake for 20 minutes, or until cheese is melted and bubbly.

Add this to your weekly menu plans for a quick dish for dinner!

 

Served up with my favorite, Sweet Potato and PB!

Happy Birthday to the bestest friend eva, Ashley tomorrow!!!! Miss you!

So old, but still one of my favs of us!

 

Eat Your Broccoli! (and enjoy it.)

Broccoli. Love it or hate it. I of course love it, and could probably polish off an entire head of it, but I am not your average veggie eater. BUT! This recipe will make you change your mind on this questionable vegetable. It is inspired by a dish that my best friend's mother would make. It's a perfect side dish for really any occasion or season. I did not have her recipe or any internet the day I made mine, so it was all an experiment, and I am pleased with the results. It's originally simply called Broccoli Salad, but since it was my own experiment, I decided to title this one 'Green Tree Salad'. It's also less daunting without the B word in the title. Here's what you'll need:

Green Tree Salad- ~serves about 6-8
1 Head of Broccoli, bite size pieces
1/2 red onion, diced
1 cup plain non-fat yogurt (regular or greek-style)
2 Tablespoons Light Mayo
1 Tablespoon Vinegar
1 teaspoon Sugar
1/4 cup Sunflower Seeds
1/4 cup Dried Cranberries

Equipment:
Knife
Cutting Board
Measuring Cups
Measuring Spoons
Small mixing bowl
Serving Dish

First, chop the broccoli into bite size pieces and place in your serving dish. Then, dice your onion and add to broccoli

I forgot to take a picture of the next step since I was on the phone, and multitasking isn't exactly my strong point. It is pretty self explanatory though. Combine the mayo, yogurt, vinegar, and sugar in a small mixing bowl. Add to broccoli and stir until combined. Stir in the cranberries and sunflower seeds.

That easy to a delicious dish! Now before serving, I just sprinkle on some more cranberries and sunflower seeds. I love the flavor of this dish, and the crunch of the broccoli. It's tangy, sweet, and creamy, and just a winning combination. It makes a great alternative to the redundant pasta or potato salad, and you're getting some veggies in!

Depending on how many servings you get, this dish is around 80 calories per serving. There's a great tool on sparkpeople.com that allows you to analyze recipes for nutrition information. If you really wanted to be accurate, or if you change any ingredients, here's the link:
Recipe Calculator

Do you have a favorite spin on classic side dishes?