Sesame Roasted Cauliflower

Every time I purchase a new head of cauliflower, I try to find other ways to experiment with it. I have to say that roasting is my all-time favorite way to prepare and consume it as it really takes on a wonderful flavor. This time I added in some sesame oil and seeds to give it a little different flare and it was extremely tasty.

Lemon-Ginger Grilled Pork Chops

Happy Monday~I hope you all had a wonderful weekend! This past Friday I attended a Food Blogger conference called TECHMunch and had a great day learning some tips from some of the industry's best, as well as meeting some of my favorite food and lifestyle bloggers. All in all it was an informative day filled with lots of laughs and good food. Who could ask for anything more? 

On another note, I was recently diagnosed with high cholesterol but not high enough to be put on medication, which I'm happy about. But, I do have to start watching what I eat,  exercise more frequently, and find foods that help lower cholesterol like Ginger. Here are some health benefits of Ginger I found on eHow.com

1. Look for whole ginger root that is light brown and knobby in appearance.


2. Store the ginger wrapped in a paper towel and sealed in a plastic bag. Keep this bag in the vegetable bin of your refrigerator.

3. Peel fresh ginger before you use it. Instead of peeling the whole root, only peel the portion that you cut off to use.


4. Look for recipes that call for ginger (like this Lemon-Grilled Pork Chops I have listed below!)
5. Add ginger to a variety of foods to lower your cholesterol. Use ginger that is grated, minced or chopped in homemade ice cream, soups, salads, marinades and vegetable dishes.


6. 
Take ginger root juice to treat high cholesterol. Insert ginger into your juicer or add the juice to a vegetable-juice cocktail.



Tips & Warnings
1. Do not confuse ginger, or ginger root, with ginseng, a plant that grows above ground.
2. Despite the benefits of ginger, it can have unpleasant side effects, such as bloating, heartburn, burping, gas and nausea. 

3. Ginger that isn't chewed or broken down properly can block the intestines.

4. Avoid using ginger as the sole treatment for high cholesterol. Ginger should be used as a supplement to other treatments, such as exercise and diet.

5. It may be tempting to freeze ginger to keep it from going bad, but freezing it will result in lost flavor.

I made these pork chops last week and didn't even realize the benefits of ginger lowering my cholesterol until now, so I was pleasantly surprised. These were deliciously light and citrusy and were a huge hit for dinner.

Lemon-Ginger Grilled Pork Chops
4 (4-6oz.) Pork Chops, boneless, center cut
1 Lemon, juice only
1 tsp. Fresh Ginger, grated
1 tsp. Honey
2 tbsp. Low Sodium Soy Sauce
1 tsp. Sesame Oil
2 tbsp. Canola Oil

In a bowl, add the lemon juice, ginger, honey, soy sauce, sesame and canola oils and whisk together. Trim any fat from your pork chops and add them to a resealable plastic bag along with the marinade. Seal the bag and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Remove the bag from the refrigerator 30 minutes prior to grilling to bring the meat to room temperature so the meat cooks evenly. Cook until proper internal temperature. Serves 4. 

Enjoy!

Shared at Thursday's Treasures on 5/24/12