Bang Bang Cauliflower

I wanted to try something fun and adventurous in the kitchen...that also didn't take a ton of time or effort. During the week, I have my limits! ;)

The kiddos love fried rice and when trying to find something yummy to pair with it, I came across this recipe for Bang Bang Cauliflower...it was a hit...Enjoy!

Ingredients

1/2 a head of cauliflower
2 cups of panko bread crumbs
2 large eggs (whisked)
2 tablespoons of sweet chili sauce
2 teaspoons of Sriracha sauce
1/4 cup of mayo
1 tablespoon of honey

Directions

First, pre-heat your oven to 400 degrees while you cut your cauliflower into bite sized pieces. Separate your egg, breadcrumbs, and cauliflower into three separate bowls to create your assembly line of fun!

Dip your cauliflower in the egg and then roll in the bread crumbs, coating each piece before you place it on a baking sheet.

Bake for 20 minutes or until each piece is lightly golden and crispy!

While they are baking, mix up your Bang Bang sauce! Dump the remaining ingredients (sweet chili sauce, Sriracha, mayo, and honey) into a bowl and mix until smooth.

To plate, simply drizzle your sauce over the cauliflower and enjoy!

This dish was delicious! The cauliflower was crunchy and the sauce was the perfect mix of spicy and sweet!

Did the kids enjoy it? Oh..no...wouldn't even try it. BUT, the adults loved it! ;)

5K Success!

My three week, 5K prep journey consisted of a lot of monogrammed running gear, Nelly Radio on my Pandora, and just doing what I could.

I didn't push myself but I didn't give up either! My goal the first week was to just run one straight mile. When that goal was achieved, I just kept going. Finally, I bit the bullet and bought a nicer pair of running shoes. Happy Birthday to me!

 I LOVE them! Varsity Sports was amazing...as always. My first run in my new kicks (Brooks Launch) was the longest consistent run I had done. So clearly...it was an amazing purchase! ;)

I knew I was ready to tackle the race! Not only did I complete the Louisiana Marathon 5K...but I ran the entire time and shaved two minutes off my time from last year! WHAT!?!?!?!? Enjoy some pics from the day!

Pre-Race...attractive, no? ;)

Pre-Race selfie!!!

Yeah...that's not what I thought I looked like when I ran...but whatever!

Post-Race with Lily! Poor girl had the sun in her eyes! ;)

The Louisiana Marathon is really a well run event...I had a blast! Of course, now I have the running bug!  After three weeks of "training", I can more easily run a 5k and still smile about it! My average mile was around 11 minutes and I hit the race 4lbs lighter than when training began. So...what's next!?!?!?!?

I'm trying to work out scheduling to sign up for the Mardi Gras Mambo 10k next month! Of course, it's three weeks away and I've never ran that far...but why not!?! Training can start tomorrow! 

 Stay tuned!

#10kprep

Spaghetti Nests and Zucchini Balls

My kids love spaghetti. Like, Lily loses her mind when I tell her we are having spaghetti for dinner. Anytime I see an opportunity to get creative with a meal that I already know they will like, I jump on it! So, when I saw Zucchini Balls on a blog that I follow and Spaghetti Nests on Tasty...I immediately took notice and added it to the plan! These dishes aren't hard but they do require a bit more preparation than most weekly dinners, so we did this during holiday to ensure it was done properly! This will be a future fun weekend dish! Just keep that in mind if you want to add this to your rotation! Enjoy!

Zucchini Balls Ingredients

Olive Oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 medium zucchinis
1 cup Italian-Seasoned breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons of dried basil
1 large egg, beaten
1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese
1 jar of quick marinara sauce
Salt and Pepper
Cooking Spray

Spaghetti Nests Ingredients

Cooked Spaghetti Noodles
1 large egg, beaten
1 cup of Parmesan cheese
1/4 quick marinara sauce

Directions

First, start on your zucchini balls by preheating your oven to 375 degrees and grating your zucchinis (skin on). Go ahead and spraying a baking sheet with your cooking spray.

Next, heat your olive oil in a skillet over medium heat and toss in your garlic. Saute until golden (about 30 seconds) and then toss in your zucchini with a dash of salt and pepper. You want to cook out as much of the water in the zucchini as possible for about 5-7 minutes. Then toss in a colander and attempt to squeeze out more.

Once you have squeezed and pressed, toss your zucchini into a large bowl with the breadcrumbs, cheese, egg, and basil. 

Mix well!

Now, it's time to get your hands dirty! Mold the mixture into little one inch balls and place on the baking sheet. Spray the top with the cooking spray once more and then toss in the oven to bake until firm and brown, approximately 20-25 minutes.

Heat your sauce in a deep skillet and place your cooked balls in the sauce to simmer until ready to serve!

Now, let's move over to your Spaghetti Nests! First, whipped your egg in a large bowl.

Next, toss in your cooked spaghetti, cheese, and some of the sauce from your zucchini balls. Mix well! I cooked an entire package of spaghetti noodles and only tossed in half. 

Spray a  large muffin tin with cooking spray and fill each section with your spaghetti mixture.

Take a rounded spoon (I used a tablespoon) and press the center of each to create a little indention.

Bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes.

Once cooled, they are easy to remove for plating!

Place one of your zucchini balls into each spaghetti nest and then sprinkle extra sauce and a little cheese over each.

So pretty on the plate! Am I right!?!?!?! Served with a little salad, it's a gorgeous plate!

And seriously tasty!

Chris and I tore these up! And the kids...well, the kids LOVED it! They were a big hit! And, they tasted great the next day for lunch! Look at Lily's sweet little spaghetti filled grin! Harrison was too busy eating to smile! ;)