I love fried rice.  I don’t love what the carbs and starch do to my body!  Thankfully I have a “healthy hack” that not only tastes great it is great for your body.  Years ago when I was on the South Beach diet, they had a recipe for cauliflower mash that was a hack for mashed potatoes.  Now I am not a huge mashed potatoes fan, never have been, but I adored the cauliflower.  My boys weren’t big on that deceptive hack, being huge mashy fans, but Momma made them anyway!  I also started roasting my eggplant for eggplant rollantini or even just egg-plant parm, and long before everyone was making Zoodles, I was making thin ribbons of zucchini and yellow squash in place of pasta, as well as using spaghetti squash as a hack for spaghetti.

There is only one hack I have not been able to get behind, and that is using turkey to make my meatballs.  I don’t mind turkey burgers if made the right way, but I just need the real thing when it comes to my meatballs.  I will however tell you that I make chicken meatballs and prefer much more.  Ground chicken is a perfect hack for meatballs when seasoned perfectly and simmered in gravy. I also use it to make some banging buffalo chicken meatballs that are to die for.  It’s all a matter of taste I suppose, as many people much prefer turkey meatballs over chicken.  I say whatever gets you eating even a wee bit healthier is well worth it, no matter what your preference is.

About a year ago I discovered that you could “rice” fresh cauliflower in a food processor Ninja, and get these rice like grains that look like white rice.  I tried it and absolutely loved it and I made it and even daughter, and youngest son liked it.  I have made this many times with just veggies, shrimp, or leftover chicken, but I love the King crab in this.  This can be a lite supper or even a nice lunch, making this yesterday for the blog it was my breakfast!  You can vary what you add to this as well.  I think it is the perfect fix to for a takeout craving!  Try it and see for yourself!

Sinfully,

Susan xoxo

• Servings: 3-4
• Time: 25 min.
• Difficulty: easy
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A simplified version of a Chinese Takeout Classic, that's quick, easy, and oh so satisfying!

 

 

Credit: CrazySexySavor.com/Susan Mangieri-Maurath

Ingredients

• 1 large head of cauliflower florets only
• 1 lb. of King Crab Legs roughly two
• 1 large carrot, peeled and finely chopped
• 1 small onion finely chopped
• 1/4 cup of green peas (frozen)
• 2 scallions greens only
• 2 eggs lightly beaten
• 2  tbsp. of sesame oil
• Kosher salt and cracked black pepper to taste
• Low sodium or regular Soy sauce

Directions

1. Remove meat from King crab legs. Pulled apart by hand (I like thin shreds, you can chop as well)
2. In a food processor or Ninja, working in batches, pulse cauliflower until it resembles rice grains or similarly couscous.  Set aside.
3. Heat a large skillet or wok, on high heat.  When heated add sesame oil.
4. Add carrots, and onions to skillet, stir until lightly saute, about two minutes.  Add cauliflower, mix well, allowing cauliflower to become soft. When cauliflower is soft, add peas and mix to incorporate.
5. Shift all the veg to one side, add a bit more sesame oil, and add eggs to skillet, scramble in one spot until almost firm then begin to fold into the veg mixture.  Cook about a minute more than remove from heat.  Finish with some soy sauce, mixing well.  Plate and top with more soy sauce or Siracha.  Devour!

Chicken Meatballs with Zucchini and Yellow Squash Ribbons

• Servings: 4-5
• Time: 30 min.
• Difficulty: easy
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A healthy hack for your Italian Pasta fix, that's quick, easy, and just as satisfying as the real thing!

• These can be served over pasta or veggie noodles

Credit: CrazySexySavor.com/Susan Mangieri-Maurath

  *  This tomato sauce is what I like to call my rustic tomato sauce, chunks of fresh tomatoes, onion and garlic, not a smooth marinara sauce.  I love it this way!

 

 

Ingredients

• One pound of ground chicken
• one onion finely chopped
• 5 cloves of garlic finely minced
• 6 Roma tomatoes, or two pints of heirloom tomatoes diced
• splash of red wine
• 1 can of tomato paste
• 2 tbsp. of unsalted butter
• 1 lb of zucchini
• 1 lb of yellow squash
• 1/3 cup of Pecorino Romano cheese
• splash of low-fat milk to moisten stale bread (don’t use too much it will make the chicken too wet to roll into firm bread)
• 3 slices of stale wheat bread or white crusts removed and soaked in milk
• 1 egg lightly beaten
• 1/4 cup of panko bread crumbs
• 1 tbsp. of fresh parsley
• 1 1/2 tsp. of the following dry herbs: oregano, basil, and Italian seasoning
• Kosher salt and cracked black pepper to taste
• 1 tbsp. of sugar

For the meatballs

1. In a large bowl soak bread slices for about five minutes.  Begin to break apart bread into small breadcrumb like pieces, add chicken, add two cloves of the minced garlic, cheese, 1 tbsp. of the tomato paste, fresh parsley, egg, salt and pepper to taste.  Form into balls, refrigerate on a plate wrapped in plastic wrap for at least an hour so meatballs firm up.
2. In a large skillet add  EVOO to pan, heat over medium high heat, add chicken meatballs, fry until browned on all sides.  About 15 min. depending on size.  Add to gravy and simmer for about 15 minutes to absorb flavors.

For the sauce

1. In a large skillet, add 1 tbsp. EVOO on medium heat.
2. Add garlic and onion, saute until soft about five minutes.  Add tomato paste, spices, salt and pepper to taste, mix well.  Add sugar.  Add wine.  Add tomatoes, mix well to incorporate.  Let cook down a few minutes to meld flavors, add cooked chicken meatballs simmer for about 25 minutes partially covered.

For the Zucchini and Squash Ribbons

1. With a mandolin or sharp knife or vegetable peeler, cut zucchini and squash into thin ribbons about 1/8 of an inch in thickness.  *If using a mandolin, please do not use without the guide.  I have received stitches from using it without the guide and it was unnecessary to be that careless.
2. In a large skillet, add butter over medium heat, melt then add the ribbons to pan. Season with salt and pepper, saute until soft about 5 minutes.  Drain the zucchini well they retain a lot of moisture and will make your sauce runny.
3. Remove to serving platter, top with chicken meatballs and sauce, top with a sprinkling of grated Pecorino Romano cheese and fresh chopped parsley. Mangia!

Directions

*  I truly wish you could have tasted those chicken meatballs, they were probably the best batch of meatballs I ever made! I hope you give these a try! As an Italian girl these foot the bill for my meatball fix, and I love them way more than a turkey meatball!