Cheesy Cauliflower and Broccoli Bake

 

My family adores cheesy bake dishes, as you may have noticed from the regular recipes which contain a cheesy bake of some description, including Tuna and 4 Veg Polenta Bake and Potato, Tuna and Mushroom Gratin. This time, my cheese offering is a side dish to complement a main meal and maybe even tempt the non cauliflower/broccoli eater in your house to try some.

I decided to make a lighter version of the classic cheesy cauliflower/broccoli bake - without the addition of calorie rich cream. Cottage cheese is a much lighter ingredient, yet you still get the creamy texture and flavor you expect from such a dish. The dish is also lightened by being topped with just a few tablespoons of Parmesan, a cheese that only requires a little to provide a huge flavor hit.

To make the Cheesy Cauliflower and Broccoli Bake, simply place your frozen vegetables into a microwave and oven safe dish. Microwave until defrosted.

Beat together the cottage cheese and egg until you have a smooth and creamy mixture.

Then, it's simply a matter of mixing together the cottage cheese mix and the vegetables until they are well combined.

Sprinkle over the Parmesan and then place in the oven until cheesy and golden.

I made the dish using half a 500g bag of frozen mixed cauliflower and broccoli, but feel free to use all of one or the other, or use a couple of heads of fresh cauliflower and broccoli. If you're not using frozen, then simply skip the defrosting step and go straight to mixing the egg and cottage cheese together before mixing in with the vegetables. 

My Husband was only halfway through his first mouthful when he insisted that I make this again. Soon. The dish was met with a similar response from Mr (almost) 2 who kept wanting more and more! I served the Cheesy Cauliflower and Broccoli Bake to him as part of a Bear Themed Bento Lunchbox, along with some bear shaped peanut butter sandwiches and bear shaped apples, that I made using various Bear Cookie Cutters.

 
Cheesy Cauliflower and Broccoli Bake
250g Mixed Cauliflower and Broccoli
1 Egg
1 Cup Cottage Cheese
2 Tablespoons Grated Parmesan

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F.
2. Place the frozen vegetables in a dish that is microwave safe and oven safe. First place in the microwave to defrost the vegetables to around room temperature.
3. In a bowl, beat together the egg and cottage cheese until smooth.
4. Once the vegetables have defrosted, keep them in the oven proof dish and pour the cottage cheese mix over the veg and stir through until evenly distributed.
5. Top with the grated Parmesan and place the dish in the preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until the top is golden.

Serves 4 to 6 as a side/vegetable dish

To recreate the Bear Themed Bento Lunchbox, you'll need:

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Recipe Update - I shared this recipe before getting rid of my Microwave. I now either steam or boil the vegetables before they go in the oven. Click through to read more about our decision to have a Microwave Free Kitchen.

Linking up at: Market Yourself Monday; Makin You Crave Monday; Must Try Monday; Mix It Up Monday; Tuesday Talent Show;Tasty Tuesdays; Talent Tuesday; Whole Food Wednesday; Sweet Treats and Swanky Stuff Thursday; Tastetastic Thursday; House of Hepworth; Sugar & Spice; Showcase Your Talent Thursday; Strut Your Stuff Saturday; Kitchen Fun and Crafty Friday; Monday Mania; Allergy Free Wednesday; What's For Lunch Wednesday;

You'll also love these Yummy Cheesy Bakes:

Macaroni and Cheese with Cauliflower and Coconut

Potato, Tuna and Mushroom Gratin

Tuna and 4 Veg Polenta Bake

 

What's your favorite cheesy bake version? 

 

Watermelon & Blueberry Smoothie and Breakfast Ideas Mondays #6

 

This week my contribution to Breakfast Ideas Mondays is a healthy Watermelon and Blueberry Smoothie. It's rich in vitamins and anti-oxidants from the fruit and the Flax Seeds provide a healthy dose of Omega 3's too. 

I found that just half a glass of the smoothie kept me feeling full for a good couple of hours. The family loved this combination, with sweetness from the watermelon and a little tart from the blueberries. The pictured smoothie was made especially for my Husband, so I garnished the glass with a little heart of watermelon that I cut using a mini cookie cutter. A little gesture of affection to make up for the fact that I made him a yummy smoothie and then took it away to take a picture of it!

Watermelon and Blueberry Smoothie
2 Cups Diced Watermelon
1 Cup Frozen Blueberries
1 Cup Plain Natural Yoghurt
1 Cup Milk
1 Tablespoon Flax Seeds

1. Place all ingredients in the blender.
2. Blend until smooth.
Makes 4 Cups

Now, on to the features from last week's Breakfast Ideas Monday.

While I had the blender out for the Watermelon and Blueberry Smoothie, I thought I'd enjoy a little more smoothie goodness and follow a recipe from last week's Breakfast Ideas Monday. I scrolled through the list of yummy options and this Strawberry Cheesecake Smoothie from The Royal Cook caught my eye. I followed the recipe and the family went crazy for it. It certainly tasted like an indulgent cheesecake, yet was full of healthy ingredients and only a touch of cream cheese included in the recipe.  

I'd never heard of Hootenanny, and In Her Chucks shared a recipe for it last week and now I'm intrigued to try the recipe for myself. Looks a little like a yummy, rich pancake crossed with a piece of french toast - I'm looking forward to giving it a try!

It's looking like this week is the week of yummy smoothies, but I just couldn't go past featuring this incredible Pina Colada Oatmeal Smoothie by From Calculus to Cupcakes. It's got the amazing flavors of pineapple and coconut as well as the goodness of oats, making this a truly yummy breakfast drink.

Each week I'll feature my favorite Breakfast Ideas from the previous week. Make sure you link back to this page.

Here's the Button for you to grab. Thanks in advance!

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Breakfast Ideas Mondays Rules
1. Post a link to your latest Breakfast Creation.
2. Include a link back to Breakfast Ideas Mondays.
3. Visit other participants for some Breakfast Inspiration. I look forward to seeing your Breakfast Ideas this week. 

Linking the Watermelon & Blueberry Smoothie up at: Market Yourself Monday; Makin You Crave Monday; Must Try Monday; Mix It Up Monday; Tuesday Talent Show;Talent Tuesday;Tasty Tuesday; Allergy Free Wednesday; Whole Food Wednesday; Sweet Treats and Swanky Stuff Thursday; Tastetastic Thursday; House of Hepworth; Sugar & Spice; Showcase Your Talent Thursday; Strut Your Stuff Saturday; Kitchen Fun and Crafty Friday;

 Click Here To Be Emailed Regular FREE Healthy Family Food Recipes

You'll also like these Fruity Recipes:
Berry Banana Smoothie
Kiwi and Cucumber Salad
Instant Raspberry Ice Cream
 

Orange and Tomato Salad

3 Sliced Oranges + 3 Sliced Tomatoes = A Refreshing Sweet & Tangy Orange and Tomato Salad with No Salad Dressing required!

We enjoyed the salad as a side to a rich (& yummy!) honey roasted chicken dish - balanced out the heaviness of the chicken dish perfectly.

The kids don't usually like tomato but amazingly they did when it was mixed with oranges in this salad. I also served the salad in a de-constructed manner, with the oranges and tomatoes in separate holes in a muffin tin meal, along with a portion of the honey roasted chicken and a little popcorn.Mr (almost) 2 loved it and wanted more of everything!

<-- Pin this Muffin tin Meal!

The Orange and Tomato Salad is a simple, yummy salad that can be put together at a moment's notice.

Linking up at:
 
Wordless Wednesday;Monday Mania; Slightly Indulgent Tuesday; Tasty Tuesdays; Talent Tuesday; Tuesday Talent Show; Allergy Free Wednesday; Li'l Luna Link Party; We Did It Wednesday; Wow Me Wednesday; Cast Party Wednesday;Happy Hour Friday; Hodgepodge Friday; Kitchen Fun and Crafty Friday; Strut Your Stuff Saturday; Sweet Saturday;Sundae Scoop; Nifty Thrifty Sunday; Sister Sunday Link Party; Say G'day Saturday; Market Yourself Monday; Makin You Crave Monday; Must Try Monday; Mix It Up Monday; Monday Mania;

You may also like:
Beetroot & Lentil Yummy Summery Salad
Kiwi & Cucumber Salad
Quinoa & Egg Salad

Click Here To Be Emailed Regular FREE Healthy Family Food Recipes

Pomegranate Muffins

 

Yesterday I shared the recipe for Pomegranate Breakfast in a Jar and I promised to share the details of what I did the with the rest of the Pomegranate seeds from the 2 Pomegranates I bought. Well, I used the bulk of the Pomegranate Seeds for these yummy Pomegranate Muffins and the rest I just enjoyed mixed through a bowl of yoghurt after being inspired by how yummy the Breakfast in a Jar was.

As I mentioned yesterday, I've never cooked with Pomegranates before and found the tutorial I found on Pinterest to be of great help. So, having not cooked with them, also meant the boys had never eaten Pomegranate before. I was a tiny bit worried because Mr 3 is fussy so I didn't know how he'd react to the new food and I wasn't sure how Mr (almost) 2 would handle the tiny seeds.

I shouldn't have worried - Mr 3 LOVED these muffins and enjoyed the taste and texture of the seeds and since the seeds were cooked in the muffins, they were soft enough for Mr (almost) 2 to handle.

The Pomegranate Muffins are really easy to prepare, you simply mix the wet ingredients together, and in a separate bowl mix the dry ingredients. Then you just mix the two together and fold through the pomegranate seeds. I love the contrasting colors of the bright pomegranate seeds sitting on the muffin batter.

Pomegranate Muffins
1 and 1/2 Cups Unbleached Plain Flour
1 Cup Rolled Oats
1/3 Cup Brown Sugar (Or Rapadura/Sucanat)
1 teaspoon Baking Powder
1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
pinch of salt
3 Eggs
1/3 Cup Apple Sauce
1/2 Cup Milk
1/2 Cup Pomegranate Seeds

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F and line a 12 hole muffin tin with Muffin Liners.
2. In a large bowl, mix together the flour, oats, brown sugar, baking powder, bicarb and salt until well combined.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, applesauce and milk.
4. Pour the egg mixture over the flour mixture and stir until just combined. Briefly fold through the pomegranate seeds.
5. Divide the mixture between the prepared muffin tin and bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until firm and golden.

Makes 12 Pomegranate Muffins

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Having enjoyed both this recipe and the yummy Breakfast in a Jar has inspired me to pick up some more Pomegranates next time I see them. 

I'd love you to share how you enjoy this nutritious fruit, to give me (and the other yummy readers) some more Pomegranate Recipe Ideas!   

Disclosure - This Post Contains Affiliate Links.

 

 

Pomegranate Breakfast In a Jar & Breakfast Ideas Mondays #5

Yes the "in a jar" theme is a bit of a trend right now, but it just so happens that this trendy little treat is just so much fun to make. In fact, a while back I shared a "Breakfast in a Jar" that I made for the boys and mentioned that my Husband asked for a version just for him. So, that's what this yummy breakfast is - an "adult" breakfast in a jar. (but don't let that stop you from offering it to the kids!)

Last week I got myself a couple of Pomegranates. I've never actually cooked with pomegranates before, so I went looking for some "how to" tutorials on what to do with the anti-oxidant rich fruit. Luckily I found an excellent tutorial through Pinterest which has a video and detailed explanation on how to get all the yummy seeds(arils) out.

To make the Pomegranate Breakfast In a Jar, simply place a layer of yoghurt at the bottom and top with your favorite muesli and then a sprinkling of pomegranate seeds in each jar. Repeat with a second layer of yoghurt then muesli and finally top with pomegranate seeds to complete the jar.


I used about half a Pomegranate worth of seeds across the 2 jars. I made Pomegranate Muffins with the remainder of the Pomegranate seeds.

Now, onto Breakfast Ideas Mondays. Thanks to all who took part in last week's Brekfast Ideas Monday! There was such a diverse range of yummy breakfast ideas, here are the favorites:

 

These Gluten Free Banana Pancakes from Real Food, Real Deals looks so sweet and yummy. I love how the bananas are cooked into the pancakes. I imagine it would almost taste like banana bread!

This Slow Cooker Vegetable and Egg Casserole from Practical Stewardship makes a healthy start to the day. Packed full of nutritious vegetables and eggs, it's a great way to increase your daily veg intake!

 

Since I love ANYTHING with coconut, the Coconut Mocha Frappe from Peanut Butter and Peppers had me intrigued. What a yummy way to have your morning caffeine hit, while enjoying a chocolatey coconut drink. I'm looking forward to giving this a try soon.  

Each week I'll feature my favorite Breakfast Ideas from the previous week. Make sure you link back to this page.

Here's the Button for you to grab. Thanks in advance!

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Breakfast Ideas Mondays Rules
1. Post a link to your latest Breakfast Creation.
2. Include a link back to Breakfast Ideas Mondays.
3. Visit other participants for some Breakfast Inspiration. I look forward to seeing your Breakfast Ideas this week. 

 Click Here To Be Emailed Regular FREE Healthy Family Food Recipes

You'll also like:

Pomegranate Muffins

Breakfast in a Jar

Linking Pomegranate Breakfast in a Jar up at:  Strut Your Stuff Saturday; Makin You Crave Monday; Must Try Monday; Market Yourself Monday; Mix it Up Monday; Sundae Scoop; Nifty Thrifty Sunday; Talent Tuesday; Tuesday Talent Show; Happy Hour Friday; Hodgepodge Friday; Kitchen Fun and Crafty Friday; Sundae Scoop; Nifty Thrifty Sunday; Sister Sunday Link Party;

Roast Zucchini Sandwich Spread & Lunches Roundup

Following on from the great success I had with offering Mr 3 Avocado and Spinach Sandwich Spread, I decided to play with the recipe a little to nourish him with more vegetables. In this instance Zucchini.

I first roasted the Zucchini to help bring out the sweetness of the nutritious vegetable and enhance the flavor. The roasted zucchini was then simply pureed in my Mini Food Processor with a sliced hard boiled egg and a couple of tablespoons of cream cheese to make the nutritious and delicious Roasted Zucchini Sandwich Spread. 

The Roast Zucchini Sandwich Spread texture was smooth and creamy and the taste has notes of sweet and savory flavous, all rolled into one - just what a 3 year old loves!  Mr 3 enjoyed the spread in a number of sandwiches, which is saying something because I can NEVER get him to eat zucchini normally. You can also enjoy the spread on toast, mixed through a bowl of plain pasta or as a dip for vegetables or crackers.

While you're roasting the zucchini, you can fill the rest of the roasting tray with whatever vegetables you have on hand. Your extra roast vegetables can make a snack on their own or can be used as yummy sandwich fillers with the spread.

Roast Zucchini Sandwich Spread
2 Zucchini
1 Hard Boiled Egg
2 Tablespoons Cream Cheese

1.  Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F, line a baking tray with foil and grease well. 
2. Cut each zucchini into 6 chunky pieces and place onto the baking tray.
3. Roast the zucchini for 20 minutes, remove from the oven and turn the zucchini over to brown on the other side. Cook for a further 20 minutes.
4. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely.
5. Once the zucchini are cool, place in a mini food processor and blend until smooth.
6. Add the hard boiled egg, puree again and finally spoon over the cream cheese, before blending again, until you have a creamy spread.
6. Serve spread on sandwiches, toast or as a nutritious dip for sliced vegetables.

Lunches Roundup

In the lead up to my Chemistry exam in a few weeks, my blogging time is a little limited, so I thought I'd do a lunches roundup in one post, rather than in separate ones as I've done in the past. So, below you'll find two of the yummy meals prepared for the boys this week. One including the above Roast Zucchini Sandwich Spread and the other just a fun meal I put together to broaden the kids horizons. 

In this Muffin Tin Meal, there are sandwiches spread with the Roast Zucchini Spread and cut into shapes. There are also pear hearts, red pepper slices and some little orange elephant food picks. Mr (almost) 2 is really into elephants at the moment, which explains the orange elephants! He loves the sound of a big elephant trumpet, so we were trumpeting all through lunchtime.

My second meal was a bento lunchbox with little food picks holding together kebabs of red grapes and some with peas, corn and tiny meatballs. There's also a portion of dinosaur pasta, topped with little star flowers. Yes, it's a bit of a mish mash of a lunch but it was fun to put together and even more fun to chat with the boys about all the different shapes and colors on the plate.

I feel like I'm onto something with this Roast Zucchini Sandwich Spread. Mr 3 is more likely to eat new food when they are pureed and spread on a sandwich like a simple spread - nothing scary about that!

I do still offer him "whole" vegetables but they are almost always met with a polite "no thank you" - so until I get to a yes, I'm just going to have to hide veggies from time to time in food like sandwiches.

Do you have any sneaky tricks to get your picky eater to eat a food they wouldn't normally eat? 

To recreate the Muffin Tin Meal and Bento Lunchbox, you'll need:

 

Sharing at:
Tastetastic Thursday; Kitchen Fun & Crafty Friday;Strut Your Stuff Saturday;For the Kids Friday; Tuesday Tots; What Little Boys Are Made Of; The Mommy Club; Sundae Scoop; Sugar Free Sunday; Allergy Friendly Lunchbox; Kids in the Kitchen; Allergy Free Wednesday; Gluten Free Wednesdays; Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays; Healthy 2Day Wednesdays; Keep It Real Thursday;Pennywise Platter Thursday; Allergy Friendly Friday; Monday Mania;

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