Friday Foodday

Happy Friday lovebugs! Here are my favorite recipes this week.

Pomegranate Grapefruit Paloma
c/o Smitten Kitchen

Ingredients

• 2 thin slices or small wedges grapefruit
• Kosher salt for rim, if desired
• 2 tablespoons grapefruit juice
• 2 tablespoons pomegranate juice
• 1 teaspoon honey, sugar or agave
• 1/4 cup white tequila
• About 3 medium-sized ice cubes
• 1/4 cup club soda or seltzer
• A few pomegranate arils (for garnish)
• Directions
• If you'd like to salt the rim of you glass, put a little kosher salt on a small plate. Swipe the rim of your glass with a wedge of grapefruit (or a wedge from the emptied grapefruit you've just juiced) and place the damp rim in the salt, twisting to coat it.
  Place both juices and honey or sugar in the bottom of your glass and use a long spoon to stir it until combined, and/or until the sugar has dissolved. Add tequila, stir to combine. Add ice then club soda or seltzer. Garnish with additional grapefruit slices and pomegranate arils. Repeat as needed.

Cauliflower Fried Rice
c/o Skinny Taste

Ingredients

1 medium head (about 24 oz) cauliflower, rinsed

1 tbsp sesame oil

2 egg whites

1 large egg

pinch of salt

cooking spray

1/2 small onion, diced fine

1/2 cup frozen peas and carrots

2 garlic cloves, minced

5 scallions, diced, whites and greens separated

3 tbsp soy sauce, or more to taste

Directions

Remove the core and let the cauliflower dry completely.

Coarsely chop into florets, then place half of the cauliflower in a food processor and pulse until the cauliflower is small and has the texture of rice or couscous – don’t over process or it will get mushy. Set aside and repeat with the remaining cauliflower.

Combine egg and egg whites in a small bowl and beat with a fork. Season with salt.

Heat a large saute pan or wok over medium heat and spray with oil.

Add the eggs and cook, turning a few times until set; set aside.

Add the sesame oil and saute onions, scallion whites, peas and carrots and garlic about 3 to 4 minutes, or until soft.Raise the heat to medium-high.

Add the cauliflower “rice” to the saute pan along with soy sauce. Mix, cover and cook approximately 5 to 6 minutes, stirring frequently, until the cauliflower is slightly crispy on the outside but tender on the inside.

 Add the egg then remove from heat and mix in scallion greens.

Oreo Peppermint Cookies
c/o A Taste of Home Cooking

Ingredients
1 box yellow cake mix 
1 stick butter, melted 
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
8 Oreo cookies, crushed into pieces
1 package Andes mints, crushed (or 1 cup Andes Peppermint Crunch pieces) 
1/2 cup chocolate chips

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. 

Combine the cake mix, melted butter, egg, and extracts in a large bowl. Using a hand mixer, beat until a soft dough forms. Add the softened cream cheese and beat in gently until combined. Stir in the Oreos, peppermint pieces and chocolate chips. Cover the bowl and refrigerate the dough for at least 30 minutes.

Using a 1 1/2 tablespoon cookie scoop, divide the dough into 36 balls. 

Bake on an ungreased cookie sheet for 9 minutes. These didn't spread at all, so I was able to fit 8 dough balls on each sheet. The cookies will be very soft and look under done. Let them sit on the hot cookie sheet for 2 minutes, then gently remove them with a spatula to a cooling rack. Very gently tap the tops of the cookies with the bottom of the spatula to even out the tops. Let them sit until completely cool. Store in an airtight container.