Baked Cauliflower Ziti

Cauliflower has not always been my favorite vegetable.  But over the past year it has grown on my.  My sister was feeding this casserole to her baby as baby food and I was coveting it.  She shared the recipe and we have been making it a lot.

 I love that this casserole is vegetable based and contain NO cream of chicken soup.  It is very easy to put together and it is delicious. 

Baked Cauliflower Pasta

Printable Recipe

1 ½ cups Freeze Dried Cauliflower, if using fresh I use an entire head and pan roast it.

½ cup Freeze Dried Sausage, if using fresh use 2-4 cooked links with casing removed

1 tablespoon garlic

¼ teaspoons red pepper flakes

Salt and pepper to taste

1 can petite diced tomatoes, don’t drain

2 cups pasta, elbow, ziti, or other small tube pasta

1 cup or more, Mozzarella Cheese, grated.

1.     Bring a large Dutch oven, or other oven safe pot, of water (6-8 cups) to a boil.  Add pasta, freeze dried cauliflower, and sausage. Cook until pasta is chalky but almost tender.  Drain.  Return to the pan.  

2.     Add remaining ingredients, mix well.  Bake 20 minutes at 400 degrees. 

Sun Oven Giveaway

I'm over at the Prudent Homemaker today, giving away at Sun Oven.

 Head over to enter. http://theprudenthomemakerblog.blogspot.com/2012/09/sun-oven-giveaway.html

Last Chance to save 20% on Consultant Kits

Do would you like to build your family's food storage for free? Would an extra few hundred dollars a month make a difference in your family's budget? I became a Shelf Reliance consultant 2 years ago because I fell in love with the quality of the food and was determined to build an emergency supply of food for myself, husband and three children. With consistent and diligent effort on my part I have built a home based business that generates full time income with part-time hours. The best part is I can work it around my family's schedule. 

Shelf Reliance seldom offers their consultants kits at a discount. But until Friday September 14th you can sign up to be a consultant and save 20% on which ever kit you choose. Since becoming a consultant 2 years ago, I have built a supply of food that gives me and my family peace of mind and security. I love the feeling protecting my family from whatever uncertainty may come in the future. 

Signing up to be a consultant is an easy process.  It is all done on line and it only take 15 minutes.  


To join our team you will need to enter the 
following information when signing up.  
Enroller ID 1209
Enroller Name Heather Lorimer
Enroller Email: heather@teamshelfreliance.com

Pork Loin with Apple Cream Reduction

As a college student I took several culinary arts classes.  As a part of my favorite one we spent six weeks cooking meat.  Every kind of meat you can think of we cooked.  My absolute favorite was Pork Loin with Apple Cream Reduction. 

Every fall I start thinking about this dish again.  I don’t know if it is because the days are starting to get cooler or if it is because the apples are starting to ripen but to me this is the perfect fall dish. 

Fall is also a great time to stock your freezer.  Start watching for deals on beef, chicken and pork.  For the past couple of years pork loins have gone on sale at Sam’s Club for under $2.00 a pound, I’m thinking they were around $1.50 a pound last year.  For me that is the price point when I fill my freezer.  The pork loins from Sam’s are huge so I buy a couple and cut them into a more reasonable size for my family and freeze them. 

Printable Recipe

How to Cook a Pork Loin

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Rub the meat with olive oil, place in a large Dutch oven (the kind you put in the oven not the kind you take camping) and brown the edges.  This should take about 1 minuet per side.  When all sides are brown remove from heat and cover the Dutch oven with a lid.

Place pork loin into oven. Cook until the pork is no longer pink in the center, about 1 hour. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read 145 degrees F (63 degrees C). Remove roast to a platter.  Serve with Apple Cream Reduction.

Apple Cream Reduction (from Heather’s Culinary Arts Class)

Note:  This is not gravy, it is a lovely fruity cream sauce, it goes well with pork chops or roast

½ oz minced shallots

1 t minced garlic

½ c apple sauce

½ c concentrated apple juice

1 c cream

Sage to taste

Sauté shallots and garlic

Add apple sauce and juice and reduce.

Add cream, sage and salt and pepper. Serve hot.