Roasted Cauliflower

I don't know about you, but we always struggle to eat vegetables and to get our children to eat vegetables. My old go to was the steamable bags of cauliflower and broccoli that were quick and easy, but honestly didn't have ANY flavor. Now I still will sometimes buy the pre-cut up bags if I am looking for a short cut from cutting up a head of cauliflower, but I no longer steam them. It is so easy to roast cauliflower and broccoli and gives them more texture and flavor. No one in my family, including my husband liked steamed cauliflower. However, we were at the local farmers market and my 3year old picked out a head of purple cauliflower because well it was purple. I cut it into florets, tossed it with olive oil, kosher salt and pepper and roasted and wouldn't you believe the entire family who swore they didn't like cauliflower devoured the entire thing! As I mentioned, this also works well with broccoli. On the rare chance there are any leftovers, my daughter will enjoy it cold for lunch the next day too. Hope you and your family enjoy this as much as mine does!

Roasted Cauliflower
Ingredients:
1 head cauliflower (about 2 pounds), cut into bite-size florets
olive oil
kosher salt
fresh ground black pepper

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
Toss the cauliflower with the olive oil, and put on a baking sheet; sprinkle with the salt and pepper and toss again. Roast until golden and tender, about 20 minutes.
Transfer to a serving bowl and serve.

Lemon Chicken And Spaghetti Squash

When looking on my Facebook feed, it mainly consists of food and children's blogs that I follow for ideas to inspire me in the two main aspects of my life these days. We are always trying to find new recipes and ways to encourage our toddlers to eat vegetables. This was a win for everyone in the family. The lemon sauce brightens and ties everything together and is a flavor that my husband and one daughter love.

Lemon Chicken And Spaghetti Squash
Adapted from Goodful
Serves: 4

Ingredients:
1 spaghetti squash
Olive oil
Sea salt, to taste
Black pepper, to taste
2 chicken breast, cut into 1-2 inch pieces
For the sauce:
1 medium yellow onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
½ teaspoon sea salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
½ lemon, juiced
1 cup chicken broth
8 ounces baby spinach

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375˚F
2. Poke several holes vertically into the spaghetti squash. Microwave on high for 5 minutes to soften and make it easier to cut the squash in half.
3. Cut squash in half along the holes. Remove seeds with a spoon. Drizzle squash with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper.
4. Place squash upside down on baking tray and bake for 40 minutes until soft. Let cool.
5. Using a skillet, cook the chicken breast on medium-high heat with a little olive oil for 6-8 minutes until the chicken is golden brown and cooked through. Remove chicken from the pan and set aside.
6. Sauté onion for a few minutes. Add garlic and cook for a minute. Add tomatoes and cook for a couple minutes. Cook until onions are translucent.
7. Add lemon juice and chicken broth, and cook until the liquid partially reduces, about 20 minutes. Add chicken and cook for 2 minutes. Add spinach and cook for 2 minutes.
8. Using a fork, shred the inside of the squash.
9. Pour sauce over the squash. Serve immediately.