How to Eat a Whole Head of Cauliflower...BY YOURSELF!

I was a raw foodist for a while. During that time I remember making something called cauliflower popcorn which was dehydrated. It tasted pretty good but then again everything I ate tasted pretty good because I barely ate anything.

During my raw food days I noticed a great deal of improvement in my digestion. I have struggled with digestion issues for about 12 years and I felt really good during that time. I now realize that it was less about the raw food diet and more about being grain free.

I am now eating cooked and raw foods but I have been staying away from grains and my stomach is thrilled. I recently tried adding in some popcorn and while it tasted delicious, it didn't agree with my body. But it tasted so darn good!

So last night I decided to look up that popcorn cauliflower recipe and give it a try. I didn't find the original raw recipe. I found something better! It was so simple, so easy, and oh my gosh, so good. I would love to tell you that my family liked it but I never gave them a chance to try it because I ate the whole thing myself. Yum!

I added a bit of garlic powder to the recipe but I couldn't really taste it. I might try to double the amount next time or just leave it out. The recipe says to leave the pieces the size of golf balls. I made mine a bit smaller and in the end, I found that the smaller the pieces, the better they tasted so next time I am going to make all mine teeny tiny. It will cook faster too.

It really doesn't make that much so if you are going to make it for other people, I would suggest you double the recipe. I think this one is a winner! Let me know how you like it.

Cauliflower Popcorn

1 head cauliflower

4 Tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees
2. Cut the cauliflower into small pieces. Throw away all of the core and the thick stem.
3. Combine olive oil, salt and garlic powder in a bowl. Add the cauliflower and toss to coat.
4. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet (you can skip that it if you don't have any but it makes it easier to clean up).
5. Roast for 1 hour, turning 3 or 4 times until most of each piece is golden brown. The browner they are, the better they taste.
6. Serve immediately

The Nutty Monkey

It's a rare night when we have nothing going on and we get to stay home and enjoy a leisurly dinner. Tuesday night was one of those nights and I can't tell you how thankful I am when I get them. We grilled some adobo chicken I marinated and had some Spanish rice with it along with a nice fresh salad. Of course I had my hubby grill up some steak so we could enjoy that for dinner on Wednesday. I am always thinking ahead.

On these nights when we have no where to be and nothing to do I get a hankering to make dessert. It just seems like the thing to do. I don't like to give the kids a lot of sugar and junky desserts though so I decided to whip up a dessert with fruit and natural ingredients that the kids would love...and they did!

Nutty Monkey

Serves 4

4 Tablespoons butter (organic)

4 bananas sliced in rounds

3 Tablespoons peanut butter (organic)

1 Tablespoon honey (raw and local if you can get it)

1. Melt the butter in a skillet over medium high heat. Add the bananas and cook for a few minutes.
2. Remove the bananas with a slotted spoon and put in serving dish.
3. Turn the heat to low and add the peanut butter and honey to the butter in the skillet.
4. Cook and continue to stir to make a sauce.
5. Pour over the bananas and serve.

Note: If you want to go dairy free use coconut oil or ghee in place of the butter. You could sprinkle with chopped nuts, coconut, or even a teeny tiny bit of mini chocolate chips. The portion is small but a little goes a long way!

Forgive the picture. I know it doesn't do the recipe justice.