One Pot Sausage Broccoli Pasta

Around our house, we've been running from one holiday event to the next, preparing for holiday travel, and just generally trying to survive the mayhem of life with children. I've been combing through my recipe files pulling up my easiest, kid-friendliest, and still nutritious dishes in an effort to continue to keep things as simple, healthy, and yum :) as possible despite the busy season. As I was planning the other day, this recipe came to mind as one that we have loved. It's quick and easy, and you can do it all using only one pot - which means fewer dishes to worry about after!

Happy Holidays! (Which reminds me … don't forget to enter our 100th post giveaway for the chance to win some holiday cheer from us at Pass the Fresh!)

One Pot Sausage Broccoli Pasta
6 SERVINGS 
PREP: 15 minutes           COOK: 15 minutes            READY IN: 30 minutes

SIMPLE	HEALTHY	YUM

INGREDIENTS

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• 1 box whole grain pasta
• 1/2-2/3 pound chicken sausage, cut into small chunks (I used 2 links of Trader Joe's Sweet Pesto Chicken Sausage)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1/4 cup diced onion
• 1/2 cup chicken broth, divided
• 3 cups chopped broccoli pieces
• 1 cup chopped cauliflower pieces
• 2 tablespoons cream cheese (1/3 or low-fat if you have it)
• 3 tablespoons fresh basil, finely chopped (or 1 1/2 tablespoons dried basil)
• salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

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1. Prepare pasta in a large pot as directed on the package. Drain.
2. Using the same pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add sausages and heat thoroughly (or cook until brown if they are not pre-cooked). Add garlic and onion, and cook until the onion starts to soften. 
3. Add in 1/4 cup of the chicken broth, along with the broccoli and cauliflower pieces. Cover and cook until the broccoli turns a vibrant green and slightly softened (about 5 minutes). 
4. Stir in the cooked pasta. Add remaining 1/4 cup broth, cream cheese, and basil, stirring until the cream cheese "melts" over the pasta. 
5. Serve sprinkled with freshly ground pepper, and parmesan cheese if desired.

NUTRITION FACTS

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    1 1/2 cup serving    414 calories   11.1 g fat   62 g carbs    18.9 g protein    3.4 g sugar   

Enjoy!
Recipe adapted from Week of Menus.

Cauliflower Waffles

The name might throw you off, but I have never eaten these for breakfast. You could, and it would probably be awesome, but I use these more as a side dish. Think of them like fritters, and you could make them look like fritters too if you don't have a waffle maker. They are incredibly light and the kids think they're getting something special. Little do they know, I'm just really good at tricking them. Muah-hahahahaha!

Cauliflower Waffles
4 SERVINGS  (1 full waffle)
PREP: 15 minutes           COOK: 5 minutes            READY IN: 20 minutes

SIMPLE	HEALTHY	YUM

INGREDIENTS

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• 1 cup raw grated cauliflower
• 1/2 cup cheese (I used colby jack)
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

DIRECTIONS

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1. In a medium bowl, mix together all the ingredients. 
2. Pour into waffle maker and cook until it says it's ready! (I noticed mine took a little longer to cook than a normal waffle).
3. Serve!

NUTRITION FACTS

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    1/4 waffle    152 calories   11.6g fat   2.6g carbs    9.3g protein    0.9g sugar   

Enjoy!
Inspiration from Joy the Baker.

Wisconsin Cheddar Cauliflower Soup

Zupas, a restaurant located throughout Utah, has some of the best light (and filling) foods I've yet to find. My husband and I go there for most date nights because we love their unique selection of paninis, soups, and salads. This soup, known at Zupas as the "Wisconsin Cauliflower Soup," is to die for! I have never used cauliflower for a soup base and boy, have I been missing out. The cauliflower made this soup thick and very flavorful - I definitely think we will be making it again soon (especially as the weather continues to get more chilly!)

Wisconsin Cheddar Cauliflower Soup
6 SERVINGS 
PREP: 10 minutes           COOK: 30 minutes            READY IN: 40 minutes

SIMPLE	HEALTHY	YUM

INGREDIENTS

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• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups milk
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1 (14.5 oz) can chicken broth 
• 1 head cauliflower, cut/broken into 1 inch pieces
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
• 1 cup pepper jack cheese, shredded

DIRECTIONS

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1. In a large saucepan, saute onion in olive oil for 10 minutes (or until golden brown), stirring occasionally. 
2. Mix flour and salt with onion, then gradually add milk, water, and chicken broth to onion mixture.
3. Add cauliflower and heat to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for about 15 minutes or until cauliflower is soft.
4. Spoon cauliflower from soup mixture into a blender and mix until smooth, about 3 minutes. 
5. Return cauliflower to soup mixture in saucepan. Mix in mustard and cheeses until melted.

NUTRITION FACTS

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    2 cup serving    308 calories   18.4 g fat   20.9 g carbs    17.3 g protein    9.8 g sugar   

Enjoy!
Recipe adapted from Butter with a Slice of Bread

Recipe Refresh: Cauliflower Pizza Crust

We have a weekend ritual at our house of having pizza and movies. We lay out a blanket in front of the T.V. and watch a kids' movie to wind down from a busy week. My children love this ritual and it's something they look forward to every week. Plus, it's the only time I let my kids eat in the family room, which makes it even more special. In an attempt to put a healthy spin on a well-loved food at our house, I thought I would try making over our traditional pizza recipe which can be found over at From Valerie's Kitchen.  I've heard a lot about cauliflower pizza crust and thought we'd give it a shot. Could pizza really be low carb and be good at the same time? Find out our review on this recipe refresh below.

Cauliflower Pizza Crust
2 SERVINGS (makes 9" pizza)
PREP: 20 minutes           COOK: 17 minutes            READY IN: 37 minutes

SIMPLE	HEALTHY	YUM

INGREDIENTS

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• 1 cup cooked rice cauliflower (see directions below on how to prepare and cook)
• 3/4 cup mozzarella cheese
• 1 egg 
• 3/4 teaspoon oregano 
• 2 large garlic cloves, minced
• olive oil
• pizza sauce
• toppings (I used canadian bacon, pineapple, black olives, mozzarella and parmesan cheese)

DIRECTIONS

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1. To Prep and Cook the Cauliflower:
   Take 1 head of fresh cauliflower. Remove stems and leaves so all you have are the florets. Chop into bite sized pieces. Place in your food processor and pulse until it looks like little rice grains. (If you over pulse, it will puree, and that won't work for this recipe). Place the pulsed cauliflower into a bowl and microwave for 8 minutes. You may want to microwave and stir every two to three minutes so the cauliflower doesn't overheat. One head of cauliflower will produce approximately 3 cups of riced cauliflower. You can use the remainder to make additional pizzas, or store this in the refrigerator for up to one week.
2. To Make the Pizza Crust:
   Preheat oven to 450º. Place parchment paper on a cookie sheet. In a medium bowl, stir together 1 cup cauliflower, mozzarella cheese, egg, oregano and minced garlic. Once evenly mixed, press into 9" round circle on parchment paper. Brush with olive oil and bake for 15 minutes.
3. Remove pizza crust from oven and add sauce and toppings. Put the oven on broil and bake for 2 minutes, or until golden brown.  (Toppings should be precooked since you are broiling for just a couple minutes).

NUTRITION FACTS

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    1 serving    393 calories   21.8g fat   12.2g carbs    36.8g protein    3.5g sugar   

I found that preparing and cooking this pizza took the same amount of time a normal pizza dough would, and my children, as well as my husband and I really loved it. I did pack the pizza sauce full of spice and that seemed to help the flavor. Below you can see a side-by-side comparison on the recipes and see how they differ in preparation and nutritional facts.

Original Recipe	Refresh Recipe
Pizza Dough: 2 1/4 active dry yeast ½ teaspoon sugar 1-1/2 cups warm water 1 teaspoon salt 2 tablespoons olive oil 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour	Pizza Dough: 1 cup cooked rice cauliflower 3/4 cup mozzarella cheese 1 egg  3/4 teaspoon oregano  2 large garlic cloves, minced
Let dough rise for an hour.	Dough does not need to rise, but a little bit more time to prep.
460 calories, 13.4g fat, 56g carbs, 27.7g protein, 3g sugar	393 calories, 21.8g fat, 12.2g carbs, 36.8g protein 3.5g sugar

Enjoy!
Recipe adapted from Your Lighter Side.