cauliflower cheese with smoky crumb topping

February 7, 2016 radish*rose 0 comment

Low carb comfort food? Sign me up! Upon finding myself in possession of a generous amount of cauliflower, I looked through a few cookbooks and blogs for inspiration, and one of my all-time favorite blogs, Smitten Kitchen, came through with a great idea for cauliflower cheese. It’s kind of like mac and cheese, only with cauliflower instead of macaroni. Doesn’t it sound delicious? I thought so! So here’s my version. I’ve adapted Smitten Kitchen’s recipe by using Gruyére instead of Cheddar, adding some extra Dijon mustard, and topping it with some smoked paprika and crunchy panko (breadcrumbs). (But you can leave those off if you are avoiding all carbs, or substitute sliced almonds.) Continue reading

tamari butter tempeh with shredded brussels sprouts

January 31, 2016 radish*rose 1 Comment

There is something magical about the combination of butter and soy sauce. I didn’t even make this up – the New York Times agrees with me. It’s kind of an East-West flavor bomb. So when I found a recipe in Heidi Swanson’s Near and Far cookbook featuring butter, soy, and tempeh, I had to try it! Crispy shredded brussels sprouts finish the dish. You can serve it over rice or just eat it up! I prefer the strong flavor of tamari in this dish instead of soy sauce, but you can try it and decide for yourself. Did I mention that this is an extremely quick dish to make? Perfect for your Meatless Monday.

buffalo cucumber salad

October 18, 2015 radish*rose 0 comment

Ready to wake up your taste buds? Try this as a healthy appetizer at your next pre-game party. This four-ingredient winner features crisp, fresh cucumbers topped by spicy buffalo sauce, sliced green onions, and blue cheese. The recipe is inspired by a restaurant in my office building called Parm, which features classic Italian-American fare for the most part, but there was something on the appetizer list that caught my eye: Buffalo Cucumbers. Wait, what? I had to try it. I wasn’t sure if it would be a weird fried cucumber type of thing, but no, it turned out to be a fresh and spicy little salad! Continue reading

simple roasted artichokes

March 22, 2015 radish*rose 1 Comment

Springtime means artichokes! I happen to love them, and they’re super good for you when not soaked in butter or sauce. Here is a way to prepare them in which they are perfectly delicious alone – no need for melted butter, dipping sauce, stuffing, or hiding them in a rich dip with spinach and mayonnaise! (Although that is a nice treat, too.) Artichokes are full of fiber – 7g per artichoke – and they are also rich in Vitamin C and magnesium. Thanks to the folks at America’s Test Kitchen for this technique! I had previously only had steamed or boiled artichokes, but roasting is my new favorite thing. Continue reading

mini crustless spinach feta quiches

March 8, 2015 radish*rose 4 Comments

These easy mini crustless quiches work very well for a weekday breakfast (make ahead on Sunday, then grab and go) or lazy weekend brunch (with bloody Marys or mimosas, am I right?). But it also works for dinner. You could make the 9-inch pie version, then serve a wedge with a simple green salad on the side, a glass of crisp white wine, and a happy sigh. To make the mini version, you use something you probably already have: a muffin tin. That’s right. Mini or regular. Your choice! The recipe magically makes exactly 12 mini-quiches or one 9-inch pie. Continue reading

low carb shirataki noodle coconut curry soup

February 22, 2015 radish*rose 1 Comment

Here’s a zingy, bright low-carb coconut curry noodle soup for a grey and cold winter day (we’ve been having a lot of those lately in New York!). Shirataki noodles are something of a miracle, aren’t they? Somehow they have no carbs and very few calories. You can find them in the refrigerated section of your supermarket – usually they are by the egg roll wrappers and tofu. I find they lend themselves very well to Asian-inspired dishes, but I’d avoid trying them with Italian – they have a slight oceanic tang. I’ve used tofu for protein in this version, but you could use anything you like – shrimp, chicken, thinly sliced beef, or fish. Just make sure it is already cooked. Continue reading