It’s been a few months since my last In My Kitchen post and I am happy to rejoin the group. In My Kitchen is hosted by Sherry of Sherry’s Pickings. It’s a collection of posts from bloggers around the world, a fascinating look at what’s new in their kitchens. It’s not so much a collection of recipes, although you may find an occasional one, but more a diary of the past month’s events in the kitchen. In my case it will be several months. Click on the In My Kitchen link to read them all.

Here in my Northern California kitchen it is almost fall, my favorite season of the year. In the past few years it has also been the beginning of the dreaded fire season, which is not so good. We already have some big ones going in parts of the state. The coast is blessed with cool and foggy weather but winter rain fall has still been below normal. Our fingers are crossed that we have an early rainy season and escape the fires.

Food wise there hasn’t been much to write about these past few months. We eat a lot of very simple meals when the weather is warm, grills and simple salads are stars of the menu. We have been using our new Traeger Grill quite a lot for glorious smoked and grilled foods.

Smoked and Grilled Chicken Thighs

I do have an ode to cauliflower, which has been a star of the vegetable world for several years as well as a star in my own kitchen this past month. I find it amazingly versatile. Here are a few ways I have recently prepared it…

Mashed Cauliflower

I think it’s even more flavorful than mashed potatoes.

Stir Fried Riced Cauliflower with spinach and pine nuts

This was a quick and easy way to use the pre-riced cauliflower you find in many grocery stores.

Riced Cauliflower Salad with Chick Peas, Dates, and Herbs

A perfect salad to take to a potluck. You can make it ahead, and it’s both dairy and gluten free (as well as vegetarian).

Lastly here is a simple side dish to toss in the oven when you are baking a chicken. Sheet pan roast riced cauliflower with peppers and spinach.

Sheet Pan Riced Cauliflower

I have found that the packages of pre-riced cauliflower at Trader Joe’s and other stores are best for roasting as a riced vegetable. Since many stores sell the florets, the stems are used for the riced cauliflower. If you are making mashed cauliflower, the florets are best as they are tender. Or, purchase an entire head, use the florets for mashed cauliflower and pulse the stems in your food processor to the consistency of rice.

Sheet Pan Riced Cauliflower with a roast chicken breast

Our friend Marylinn suggested this contraption for making scrambled eggs in the microwave. It’s from the Pampered Chef. Now there are no morning discussions in our house about how the eggs should be cooked. My husband can make his own preferred scrambled eggs (he isn’t a cook but has mastered the technique with the ceramic egg cooker) and I soft cook my own in the air fryer (11 minutes at 270 degrees F). We are both happy.

Pampered Chef – ceramic pot for scrambled eggs in the microwave

In My Kitchen I have flowers from the garden. It’s dahlia season and I planted some new varieties last spring.

dahlias

I adore having cut flowers in the house.

Lastly I have, what looks like, a new dog in the house. Casey, our eldest, has a lot of fur with a think undercoat. She has been miserable in the warmer weather. So we had her trimmed. What looked like an overweight dog is now slim and trim. It was an amazing transformation.

Casey, puppy Shanna, and Quinn

Casey, after

I is difficult to believe she is the same dog. And she is so much happier and energetic. I know that trimming their fur is not good for it overall, but at almost 14 it seemed more important that she be comfortable.

Shanna is doing well, we’ve had a lot of company this summer…many of them with their own pups. Shanna has been in heaven.

Heather, Shanna, Casey and Quinn with the conductor

I hope you have enjoyed this quick look at what’s new in my kitchen.