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sugar

Quick-Pickled Cauliflower

By Jen

If you are looking to add more veggies to your plate, quick-pickled is a fun, easy method for preparing a big pile of veggies to enjoy all week long. Honestly, you can quick-pickle a wide variety of vegetables, but here I’m going to show you how I like to pickle a head of cauliflower.

It’s helpful to have an actual canning jar (that can tolerate high temp liquids) on hand like these 1.5 liter Weck jars and these easy, no-fuss lids so that you can pour the heated liquid directly into the jar, and store it in the fridge easily. No problem, though if you don’t have that. You can also use any pot you have on hand, and simply let the mixture cool before you pour it into your dish/jar of choice for storage.

Here are a couple of ways to enjoy this sweet, tangy, and crunchy side dish:

  • added to a pasta salad, like the one pictured below (an easy way to add plenty of tangy, acidic zip to your pasta salad AND boost the veggie content for a more balanced, fiber-rich pasta salad)
  • as a side to just about any meal – this one works with breakfast, lunch, or dinner!

make it your own

In my version of quick-pickled cauliflower, I’ve added flavor with the addition of mustard seeds and black peppercorns. Feel free to experiment with other spices if you like (ground or whole)! You could also add fresh herbs, dried herbs, garlic, or peeled and sliced fresh giner.

enoy it in a pasta salad

Easy, Veggie-Loaded Pasta and Grilled Turkey Kielbasa Salad (quick-pickled cauliflower included!)

Print Recipe
Quick-Pickled Cauliflower
Course Salads & Side Dishes
Servings
Ingredients
  • 1 small to medium head of cauliflower chopped into small, bite-sized pieces
  • 1 1/2 cups water
  • 1 1/2 cups cider vinegar
  • 4 tablespoons sugar (=1/4 cup)
  • 2 tablespoons kosher salt
  • 2 tablespoons mustard seeds
  • 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
Course Salads & Side Dishes
Servings
Ingredients
  • 1 small to medium head of cauliflower chopped into small, bite-sized pieces
  • 1 1/2 cups water
  • 1 1/2 cups cider vinegar
  • 4 tablespoons sugar (=1/4 cup)
  • 2 tablespoons kosher salt
  • 2 tablespoons mustard seeds
  • 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
Instructions
  1. Pack cauliflower in roomy jar* (I used a 1.5 liter Weck-brand jar). * NOTE: If you do not have an actual "canning" jar (which can tolerate hot liquids), use a large bowl or pot instead at this point. Later, after your mixture has cooled, you can pack it in any jar that fits.
  2. Combine vinegar, water, salt, sugar, and spices in pot and bring to simmer until salt and sugar dissolve.
  3. Pour immediately over cauliflower. Allow mixture to cool. Store in refrigerator. You can enjoy soon afterward, but the flavor really takes off and is more fully developed about 48 hours in. The pickled cauliflower will keep for a month in the fridge (though I am sure you will have eaten it all by then - too good to last!).

Filed Under: Featured, Recipes Tagged With: batch cooking, pickled, vegetables, veggies

Quick Pickled Red Onions

By Jen

Quick-pickled red onions are an easy, delicious way to add a bright, tangy burst of flavor to a savory dish that needs that perfect finishing touch. It’s amazing how the small addition of something acidic can transform a meal!

Here are a few ways you can enjoy this simple side:

  • top your tacos or tostadas
  • add to pork carnitas (grab my easy carnitas recipe here)
  • top a bean salad (snag my recipe for easy, pantry-friendly bean salad here)
  • add to a grain salad or to a hearty kale salad
  • layer them in your sandwich
  • use as a topping for your avocado toast

bowl of pork carnitas with sides
perfect topping for a pork carnitas bowl

Store your pickled onions in a glass or ceramic jar. Plastic will absorb the flavors, and a metal container will likely react with the vinegar.

Print Recipe
Quick Pickled Red Onions
Course Salads & Side Dishes
Servings
Ingredients
  • 1 large red onion thinly sliced
  • 1/2 cup cider vinegar or white wine vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt (Use a little less if using table salt.)
  • 1 cup water
Optional flavorings: (suggestions)
  • a few black peppercorns
  • 1 sprig thyme
  • coriander seeds
  • bay leaf
Course Salads & Side Dishes
Servings
Ingredients
  • 1 large red onion thinly sliced
  • 1/2 cup cider vinegar or white wine vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt (Use a little less if using table salt.)
  • 1 cup water
Optional flavorings: (suggestions)
  • a few black peppercorns
  • 1 sprig thyme
  • coriander seeds
  • bay leaf
Instructions
  1. Combine vinegar, sugar, and salt in a small saucepan. Heat on low, stirring occasionally until salt and sugar dissolve.
  2. Add water. Let mixture cool.
  3. Add red onions to a jar or bowl (with lid) along with optional flavorings.
  4. Pour liquid into jar. Let sit at room temperature for one hour, then refrigerate. (As the onions pickle, they will release some of their water, and you will ultimately end up with a little bit more liquid in your container.)
  5. Onions will keep in fridge for two weeks.

Filed Under: Recipes

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About Me:

Hi, I’m Jen, and welcome to Nourished Not Famished. Here you’ll find recipes, meal ideas, and wellness tips to thrive without deprivation or restriction. I like to keep healthy changes simple, and grounded in a real-life approach (the secret to making it stick!).  Find out about more about me here, and how you can work with me!

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🍋 Greek-inspired Shrimp Bowls! Ready for someth 🍋 Greek-inspired Shrimp Bowls! Ready for something fresh, citrus-y, crisp, and cool? 🌞 Lemon, feta, and dill bring a bright, herb-y tang to this nourishing and tasty lunch (or dinner). Hit save to make this one soon!

When life gets busy, it's easy to let meals go by the wayside. Keep your energy levels up and your mental focus dialed in by packing your plate with foods that *satisfy* and boost your energy: 
protein, healthy fats, veggies (and/or fruits) and slow-acting starchy carbs. 

Quick and easy gets the job done! This lunch (or dinner) is mostly a no-cook meal, except for the starchy side (which came from my meal prep - see deets below). .
#whatsonmyplate (each serving)
➡️ thawed pre-cooked shrimp
➡️ about a half cup chickpeas
➡️ cucumbers and cherry tomatoes
➡️ about 2 tbsps feta
➡️ 1 tbsp EVOO
➡️ about 2 tbsp chopped fresh dill
➡️ fresh lemon juice, salt & pepper, and a dash of za'atar spice
➡️ about a half cup (already cooked) quinoa (hiding underneath)
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So, you're feeling motivated to make some healthy So, you're feeling motivated to make some healthy changes. Yay, You! 🎉👏👏👏 The secret to making it all happen is . . . there is no secret. The unsexy truth is real change happens (and sticks!) through long-term consistency with the basics.

Nope, the Six-Week Shred plan isn't the magic bullet some huckster is trying to tell you it is. 

It's all about practicing the basics, with a focus on *making them happen in a way that works for you today, this week, this month*. 

And knowing that "what works right now" will change over time.

That's where the Practice Mindset helps! 👇
1️⃣ Practice a small change for a set period of time.
2️⃣ Next, pause and reflect: How did it go? What worked, what didn't, and why?
3️⃣ Proceed if it's working, or Pivot if needed (tweak the change to better fit your life).

Those unsexy basics to practice?
👉Eat more whole (or minimally refined) foods,.and less of the highly refined stuff. (Notice that I didn't say "none"?)
👉Balance your plate at meals with protein, healthy fats, and carbs. Keep it colorful, with plenty of plants in the mix.
👉 Sleep, rest, recover.
👉 Do what you can to manage stress.
👉 Move your body daily (walking is great!). Build your strength. #makesomemuscle
👉 Spend some time doing fun things that help you connect with yourself. #selfcare
👉 Get outdoors. Natural light, Vitamin D, fresh air, and nature are key. (You are a living thing, remember? 😉)
👉 Connect with people and experiences that nourish you.

Hit up my blog (link in bio @nourished.not.famished ) for ideas, tips, and resources to help you get cracking on practicing those unsexy basics. 😘

Which of these basics is your practice priority right now? How's it going?
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#makeitstick #tinyhabits #healthyhabits #practicenotperfection #nourishednotfamished #skillpower NOT #willpower
#changeskills #eatingskills #kitchenskills #balancedplate #simplenutrition #movement #sleep #stressrelief #ditchthediet  #resistancetraining #strength #metabolichealth #fitover40 #fitover50
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Reminder📣. . . these un-sexy, SIMPLE basics ge Reminder📣. . .  these un-sexy, SIMPLE basics get the job done! Not just during the holidays, but *all year long*. And simple is just what you need right now, isn't it?

Why do they work? 
👉 Because all of these habits focus on *giving yourself what you need to thrive*. 🌱 

I invite you to try this:
👉Spend a few months TRULY practicing these simple habits most of the time. Start with just one, or a few (✨Start small, and add as you feel ready.✨)
👉TIP: Sleep is a great one to start with, because it's the foundation that holds up everything else. 

As you practice these habits, pause and observe:
🤔How do I feel? 
🤔How am I performing, physically and mentally? 
🤔How is my energy?
🤔How do my clothes fit?
🤔How have my longer-term health indicators like blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and blood glucose levels changed?

If you truly desire healthy changes that
✔️feel sustainable
✔️ yield results
✔️ and STICK,
stop relying on willpower!

🌟Focus your efforts on *meeting your needs*, rather than restricting and depriving.🌟
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Stay in a groove with these habits this month, and you might just discover come January 1st that you feel ready to tackle the new year, no over-the-top diet and intense workout plans necessary! 

👉By then, you'll have already established the habits you need that let your biology work for you for optimal wellness, instead of relying so heavily on willpower.👈

Who's with me?! Will you be KISS-ing your way through the holiday season?? 

#mistletoe #healthyhabits #nourishednotfamished #tinyhabits #atomichabits #wellness #healthy #balancedplate #sleep #stressrelief #circadianrhythm #movement #everythingisconnected #holidays #december #protein #veggies #christmas #nourished #honoryourhunger #ditchthediet #fitover40 #fitover50
The most delicious form of self care: meal prep. 💕 (See stories for deets on this Turmeric Pepper Chicken & Asparagus!) 

During this busy holiday season, your needs often end up on the back burner. 
Which can leave you feeling hangry, exhausted, and ravenous by the end of the day. 
(You know, that feeling when you walk in the door and dive head-first into the bag of chips? #beentheredonethat 🤷‍♀️)

Packing up a few nourishing lunches is a surefire way to boost your midday energy during the week, and leaves you feeling *satisfied* at lunchtime. 

👉 You don't have to make fancy, fussy recipes.
👉 Instead, keep it simple & balanced by packing a lunch container of some protein, fat, carbs, and veggies and/or fruit. Leftover dinner is a great shortcut! 
👉 If takeout is part of your lunch plan, be strategic about ordering meals that will actually nourish you (yup, that means protein, fat, carbs, and veggies and/or fruit).

Is lunch a pain point for you, too?

Would you love the convenience of having it all ready ahead of time?

✨For lunch ideas 
and my top picks for leakproof lunch containers, 
check out my website at link in my bio @nourished.not.famished ✨

Head to "My Favorite Things" section of my site for my top container picks! 

#lunch #whatsforlunch #realfoodfastfood #mealprep #balancedplate #simplenutrition #ditchthediet #tinyhabits
#healthyhabits #poweryourlife #eatingskills #kitchenskills #plantforward #omnivore #fitover40 #fitover50 
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