Farfalle with Roasted Cauliflower and Breadcrumbs

How good does this look???  

Farfalle with Roasted Cauliflower and Breadcrumbs
(serves 6)
for the roasted cauliflower
1 head of cauliflower, cut into small florets
1 teaspoon salt
pepper to taste
3 tablespoons olive oil

Place florets in a bowl and toss with salt, pepper, and olive oil.  Roast in a 400 degree oven on a baking sheet for 20 minutes.  If your florets are bigger, cooking time may vary.  Place roasted caulflower in a large bowl and set aside.

to make the pasta
1 pound farfalle pasta (I like to use Barilla Plus)
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon anchovy paste (If you are a vegan just omit this.)
3 garlic cloves, minced using a garlic press
pinch of crushed red pepper
1 cup plain panko breadcrumbs (seasoned is okay too)
1/2 a teaspoon salt
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts

Boil pasta according to the directions on the box. Meanwhile, over a medium flame pour olive oil, anchovy paste, garlic, and red pepper in a large pan.  Stir and simmer until oil is fragrant but without letting the garlic burn, about 5 minutes.  Add breadcrumbs and salt to the pan and continuously mix the breadcrumbs until they become golden brown, about 7-10 minutes.  Transfer breadcrumb mixture to the bowl with the roasted cauliflower.  Add chopped parsley and toasted pine nuts to the bowl as well.  When pasta is cooked to your liking, drain and add hot pasta to the bowl.  Mix until well combined and drizzle with a dash of olive oil and serve.  Enjoy!

Lowfat Dill Ranch Dressing

When I was away in Michigan last week visiting my friend Hilary, she took me to eat at the Red Coat Tavern.  It's a burger joint in Royal Oak, Michigan.  Really good burgers, very much like JG Melon, here in NYC.  

Here we are in front...

Anyways, before my burger I ordered a wedge of iceberg with tomatoes and cucumbers, served with a great dill ranch dressing.  I decided to create my own version inspired by the one I ate at the Red Coat Tavern.  Here it is.

Lowfat Dill Ranch Dressing

8 tablespoons light mayonnaise

1 cup lowfat buttermilk

the juice of 1 lemon

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1.4 teaspoon paprika

1/2 of a shallot (or 1 small shallot), minced or grated on a microplane

1 cup chopped dill

1/2 cup parsley

Blend all ingredients together in a blender until smooth and green.  Drizzle on top a wedge of iceberg letter, tomato chunks, and cucumber slices.  I think raw corn would be a great addition, and if you eat bacon, some bits would be great as well!

Happy 1st Blogiversary!

Today is my first blogiversary!!  I can't believe I've been blogging for a year. It's really amazing looking back to see how much I've cooked, baked, and entertained!  It's been so fun and I hope that all of you have enjoyed this past year as much as I did!  I hope to continue to blog and grow my community of readers!  Thank you for all your support and comments, please keep them coming both on Facebook and here on the blog!!

And no...I did not bake that cupcake myself, maybe next year!  Thanks Crumbs!

Dark Chocolate Bread Pudding

I'm visiting my friend from college up in Michigan....her whole family came over for sunday night dinner.  I had a challah leftover from Shabbat and thought to make a bread pudding with it.  I saw this recipe (see below for exact recipe) on Skinny Taste and thought I'd try it out!  It was so amazing!!! Everyone enjoyed it very much along with strawberries and cool whip!!  Gina's recipe serves 2, so I multiplied the recipe by 5 for a whole loaf of challah and it can serve about 10-12 people!

Dark Chocolate Chunk Bread Pudding
Gina's Weight Watcher Recipes
Servings: 2 • Size: 1 pudding • Old Points: 6 pts • Points+: 7 pts
Calories: 277.1 • Fat: 11.1 g • Carb: 34.7 g • Fiber: 2.8 g  • Protein: 9.6 g

• 1-3/4 cups (1.25 oz) challah bread, cut into 1/2 inch cubes (no crust)
• 2/3 cup 1% reduced-fat milk
• 2  tbsp sugar
• 1 1/2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• cooking spray
• 1 oz dark chocolate, coarsely chopped (Green & Black's 70% dark)
• 2  tbsp fat-free whipped topping

Preheat oven to 350°.

Arrange bread cubes in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake at 350° for 5 minutes or until toasted. Remove bread from oven; decrease oven temperature to 325°.

Combine milk and next 5 ingredients (milk through egg) in a medium bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Add bread, tossing gently to coat. Cover and chill 30 minutes or up to 4 hours.

Divide half of bread mixture evenly between 2 (6-ounce) ramekins coated with cooking spray; sprinkle evenly with half of chocolate. Divide remaining bread mixture between ramekins; top with remaining chocolate.

Place ramekins in an 8-inch square baking pan; add 1 inch of hot water to pan. Bakeat 325° for 35 minutes or until set. Serve warm with 1 tablespoon whipped topping.

Turkey and Herb Meatloaf

For Valentine's Day I invited some of my single friends over for dinner.  I wanted to make something healthy and decided on a meatloaf.  I made up this recipe and it was a huge hit!! I am definitely going to make this one of my staples!  It feeds 4 people perfectly. I stole 2 slices to put in my lunch for the next day, but if I hadn't done that we would have eaten the whole loaf!! Whoops!  It was moist and full of flavor! I hope you enjoy it as much as my friends and I did!!

Turkey and Herb Meatloaf

1 pound ground turkey

1 tablespoon chopped chives

1 tablesoon chopped parsley

1 tablespoon chopped thyme
2 zucchinis, chopped very small (see note below)

1 1/2 teaspoon salt

4 garlic cloves, minced
2 eggs

1 onion chopped and sauteed, cooled

1 1/3 cup panko crumbs or breadcrumbs (plain or seasoned)

pepper to taste

**NOTE: I used a mini food processor to chop the herbs, the garlic, the onion, and the zucchinis.  I would do the zucchini separately, and make sure to squeeze out as much liquid as possible from it before mixing it into the meat mixture. Use a sieve or double layer of cheese cloth to do so!

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine all ingredients in a bowl and using clean hands to mix until all ingredients are incorporated throughout.  Place in a loaf pan that has been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray.  Bake for about an hour and 10 minutes, uncovered, and let rest for about 5 minutes.  Serve with your favorite jar of marinara sauce, warmed up of course. Enjoy!

To make meatloaf muffins, divide into muffin pan and bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes.

Coconut Curry Shrimp

It was Saturday morning and I always wake up and watch the Food Network.  Claire Robinson of 5 Ingredient Fix was on and she made this amazing looking coconut curry shrimp.  All her recipes have 5 ingredients or less, besides salt and pepper.  It seemed so easy and fast that I actually went out and bought all the ingredients and invited a friend over for dinner that night.  I needed to have the meal right then and there, I couldn't even wait another day!!  That's how excited I was to make this dish.  It actually came out so delicious and literally took me about 20 minutes total to put it together and plate it!

Click here to see the original recipe from the Food Network, below is a slightly adapted version.

Coconut Curry Shrimp
(serves 4 people)
1(14-ounce can) coconut milk, unsweetened
2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper or cayenne pepper (optional)
the juice of 1/2 a lime
1 teaspoon salt
pepper to taste
1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped (optional)

In a large pot whisk together the coconut milk, lime juice, curry powder, salt, pepper, red pepper or cayenne and ginger. Slowly bring to a low boil over low heat. Simmer until slightly reduced and thickened, 5-7 minutes. Add the shrimp and simmer until the shrimp are fully cooked, about 5-7 minutes. Transfer the curry to a serving bowl and serve with lime wedges and a side of coconut rice or quinoa. Sprinkle with some fresh chopped cilantro, serve with a lime wedge and enjoy!

Magnolia's Banana Pudding

This was my first time making banana pudding.  I made it for the Super Bowl and it was a huge success!! I always love to buy some at Magnolia Bakery or Buttercup Bakeshop in NYC.  I'm not going to tell you that it was exactly the same texture and all, however the taste was definitely there!  I'm going to try again soon.  Here's the recipe I used, it can be found online here as well.

Banana Pudding

2 boxes Instant vanilla Jell-O pudding mix (you'll need 2/3 a cup of it, about 1 and 1/2 packages), 

1 can sweetened condensed milk (14 oz)

1 1/2 cups water

3 cups heavy cream

1 box of Nilla wafers (I used reduced fat)

4 ripe bananas, sliced

• In a small bowl, on the medium speed of an electric mixer, beat together the sweetened condensed milk and water until well combined, about 1 minute. Add the pudding mix and beat well, about 2 minutes more. Cover and refrigerate for 3-4 hours or overnight, before continuing. It is very important to allow the proper amount of time for the pudding mixture to set.
• In a large bowl, on the medium speed of an electric mixer, whip the heavy cream until stiff peaks form. Gently fold the pudding mixture into the whipped cream until well blended and no streaks of pudding remain.
• To assemble the dessert, select a large, wide bowl (preferably glass) with a 4-5-quart capacity. Arrange one-third of the wafers to cover the bottom of the bowl, overlapping if necessary, then one-third of the bananas and one-third of the pudding. Repeat the layering twice more, garnishing with additional wafers or wafer crumbs on the top layer of the pudding. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and allow to chill in the refrigerator for 4 hours - or up to 8 hours, but no longer! - before serving.

Turkey Chili

Last night I made turkey chili for dinner, and then I had it today for lunch too, click here for photo.  It was the perfect night to have a warm and hearty bowl of chili.  And my goodness, I did enjoy!! I followed this recipe from Epicurious but added ground turkey and some extra spice using a jalapeno pepper! and more cayenne pepper as well.  If you don't prefer your chili to be spicy or if you are a vegetarian simply follow the recipe on Epicurious.  Enjoy!

Turkey Chili

(Makes 4 main-course servings)

1 pound ground turkey, cooked, in 2 tablespoons olive oil and put aside

3 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups chopped onions 
1 2/3 cups coarsely chopped red bell peppers (about 2 medium)

1-2 jalapeno peppers, chopped6 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tablespoons chili powder

1 tablespoon kosher salt2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 15- to 16-ounce cans black beans, drained, 1/2 cup liquid reserved
1 16-ounce can tomato sauce

Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add onions, peppers, and garlic; sauté until onions soften, about 10 minutes. Mix in chili powder, oregano, cumin, and cayenne; stir 2 minutes. Mix in beans, 1/2 cup reserved bean liquid, cooked ground turkey, and tomato sauce. Bring chili to boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until flavors blend and chili thickens, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes. 

Ladle chili into bowls. If desired, add chopped cilantro, sour cream, grated cheese, and/or green onions to your bowl!

Super Bowl Foods of all Sorts

Hey everyone, I know the Super Bowl is coming up on Sunday and I'm sure you are thinking about what you can make for the various guests that are coming over.  Or maybe you are thinking you want to bring a dessert to the person's house you are invited to!  Well here are link to some older recipes that I think would be great additions to the usual Super Bowl smorgasbord!

If you are thinking to do a carb-loaded meal try this menu:
1. Ceasar Salad or Arugula and Apple Salad to start, then Pasta with an Easy Tomato Sauce or Homemade Pesto...and for the vegans out there Dairy-Free Pesto
2. Garlic Bread
3. For dessert try Brownie Bites with Marshmallow Meringue Frosting and/or Marshmallow Cornflake Cookies

For the men who you know that want the real guy food, try this menu:
4. Deli Roll (definitely make a double of this!)
5. Truffle Mac and Cheese OR
6. Chicken Pot Pie, individuals or cooked in a casserole dish!
7. Maybe some of Suzan Z's Lemony Cabbage Salad to go with it on the side!
8. For dessert, try these cookies: Magic Cookie Bars OR these Ginormous Cookies which can also be made into Half and Half Cookies. And also feed them some PB&J Mini Pies!

For the ladies who watch what they are eating, try this menu:
9. Artichoke Parmesan Spread OR Roasted Eggplant and White Bean Spread served with some pita chips, pretzels, or crudite
10. Tomato and Goat Cheese Tart
11. Mixed Veggie Quinoa Salad
12. For dessert a healthy yet refreshing, how about a Lychee Fruit Salad.

I hope you enjoy the variety of menus.  Please comment below and let me know what you think!!  Enjoy the Super Bowl!!

Homemade Pesto

Sorry this is the only photo I have of the pesto I made...I actually froze the bulk of the recipe to use at a later date.  I scooped out just enough to have for lunch the other day!  It was so delicious and easy to make.  You can use a food processor or blender, even the mini food prep works just fine!  I didn't believe that sunflower seeds could be a good substitute for pesto but I'll tell you I might even become a convert and use them all the time!  For one they are cheaper than pine nuts, and don't alter the flavor much.  Plus you can give it to kids with nut or any other type of allergies!  

Homemade Pesto Sauce

(Makes enough pesto for 1 pound of pasta)
3 cloves garlic, peeled
1/3 cup pine nuts (sunflower seeds can be used instead if you have allergies)
3/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated
3 handfuls fresh basil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
a pinch of crushed red pepper, optional
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Place garlic, pine nuts or seeds, and parmesan cheese in a food processor.  Process until ingredients form a crumbly texture.  Place cheese mixture into a small bowl.  Place basil leaves into the food processor and chop leaves finely.  Add the cheese mixture into the processor along with the basil and process while slowly adding the olive oil until a smooth paste forms. Pour over cooked pasta, eat and enjoy! Or freeze for a later time!!  

Other uses for pesto:
Spread on your favorite sandwich, drizzle on a caprese salad, use it in a cold pasta salad, brush on your corn on the cob, brush on your grilled chicken, steak, or shrimp, the ideas are endless!  Please share ways you use pesto in the comment box below!! I'd love to hear your ideas and suggestions!!

Touchy Tags (Giveaway)

Happy first day of February!  I bring to you a post that has nothing to do with food, but I think you'll be happy that you are about to read this!  In the past week I think I heard or know more than a handful of people that have given birth to babies!  It's a really exciting time in a couple's life, not to mention all their parents who become grandparents!! Right?? I'm sure you know the parents I'm speaking of...


Well, anyway, a friend of mine from college started a business called, Touchy Tags.  Lauren, and her husband Eric had premature twins, almost two years ago and they wanted to create a nice way to ask people to keep their germs away from their babies.  And this is how Touchy Tags was born!    Click here to read the full story of Carson and Dean!

Touchy Tags help stop the spread of harmful germs to your little one, that lead to illness, the common cold, H1n1, and more. It can be uncomfortable to kindly ask someone to not touch your baby. Let Touchy Tags do the talking. Thanks to Lauren and Touchy Tags, Feed Your Sister is giving away one of the gender neutral Touchy Tags, in green.  See photos above!! You can hang your Touchy Tag on your child's stroller, car seat, crib, or anywhere you can think of! You can also give it as a gift by attaching it to the actual gift or the gift bag,  see below! In order to be one of the contenders for this giveaway you MUST MUST do the following: 1) Become a fan of Feed Your Sister by clicking "like" on this link: Feed Your Sister on Facebook!! 2) Also subscribe to the Feed Your Sister site via email, see top right hand corner! Be sure to confirm your subscription too!3) Become a friend of Touchy Tags on FACEBOOK!! 4) Please share a baby story where either you or  a close friend or relative wished they had had a Touchy Tag to prevent their baby/babies from unwanted germs. ***If you'd like to share this giveaway post with a friend, click on the small picture of the envelope under this post and fill out the information requested. This giveaway will end Friday, February 4th at 3pm.  Be sure to provide your email in the comment box along with your post so I can contact you if you are the winner!! Good Luck!