Cauliflower Crust Pizza

One of America's favorite meals at (I think) ANY time of the day is... 

I googled pizza to see what came up. There was quite the variety: pizza with vegetables, pizza with meat, pizza with fruit, deep dish pizza, Chicago style pizza, taco pizza, dessert pizza, cheeseburger pizza, macaroni and cheese pizza, pizza with chocolate, the list goes on. 

But this also confirms that pizza = love. 

Fun Facts about pizza:

- October is National Pizza month here in the United States

- Modern pizza evolved from similar flat-bread dishes in Naples, Italy in the 18th or early 19th century. Prior to that time, flat-bread was often topped with ingredients such as garlic, salt, lard, cheese, and basil.

- The United State's first pizzeria, Lombardi's, opened in 1905.

- The world's largest pizza was at the Norwood Pick 'n Pay hypermarket in Johannesburg, South Africa. According to the Guinness Book of Records the pizza was 122 feet 8 inches in diameter and was made using 1,100 lb of flour, 1,800 lb of cheese and 2,000 lb of tomato puree. 

- Pizza can be high in salt, fat and food energy. The USDA reports an average sodium content of 5,101 mg per 14 in (36 cm) pizza in fast food chains.

So what better way to make a pizza than to make it ALL with vegetables! 

Cauliflower Crust Pizza

For the Crust:

2 1/2 cups Cauliflower (1/2 head) grated

1 Egg, slightly beaten

3/4 cup Mozzarella cheese, Shredded

2 Cloves of garlic minced

2 T Parmesan cheese, grated

Salt and Pepper to taste

Toppings:

1/4 cup Tomato sauce (we use homemade canned sauce from the garden)

1 cup Grape tomatoes, sliced in half

6 Basil leaves, cut into strips

3/4 cup Mozzarella cheese, Shredded

1. Make sure the cauliflower is chopped up super nice, I usually toss it in the food processor but if you don't have one just use a cheese grater. Put the cauliflower in a microwave safe bowl and cook on high for 7 minutes in the microwave.

2. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

3. Once the cauliflower is done cooking in the microwave add the remaining ingredients for the crust to the bowl and mix it up very well. The cheese will melt and it will smell pretty good. 

4. Grease your pizza stone or pan you are going to use. Put the pizza dough on the pan and spread it out as best and evenly as you can. I recommend making it a 10" round pizza. Be careful not to make the edges too thin because they will cook faster and we don't want to burn them! 

5. Place the crust in the oven for 12 minutes.

6. CAREFULLY take the hot pan out of the oven so you can finish putting together your pizza.

7. Spread the sauce, tomatoes, basil leaves and cheese over the top. ( You can add or omit any ingredients you wish, this is just how I made my pizza. ) 

8. Put the pizza back in the oven and bake for an additional 12 minutes.

9. When the pizza is looking golden brown and smelling pretty amazing take it out and let it cool. 

10. Cut pizza into desired sizes and serve. 

* REMEMBER the crust is mostly cheese so if it is under cooked or really hot when you try to cut or eat your pizza, you will need to eat it with a fork. 

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Baked Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal Cups

In the mornings I've usually been in a hurry or running out the door to get to work on time, leaving little time to make breakfast. So having these bad boys ready to grab and go are simple a treat! This is probably the easiest recipe I've made all week. I came home from work the other day and had a sweet tooth craving that would NOT leave me alone. I had been eating lots of berries that day so I wanted to mix it up.

Thank the skies above for APPLES! Apples that come in big bags! Crisp and tart when consumed raw, soft and sweet when baked. 

Apples are grown everywhere and are easy to find year round in nearly every store that carries fresh produce. There are more than 7,500 known cultivars of apples, resulting in a range of desired characteristics. Different cultivars are bred for various tastes and uses, including cooking, eating raw and cider production. 

About 69 million tons of apples were grown worldwide in 2010, and China produced almost half of this total. The United States is the second-leading producer, with more than 6% of world production. Turkey is third, followed by Italy, India and Poland. Apples are often eaten raw, but can also be found in many prepared foods (especially desserts) and drinks. Many beneficial health effects are thought to result from eating apples. According to the United States Department of Agriculture, a typical apple serving weighs 242 grams and contains 126 calories with significant dietary fiber and modest vitamin C content, with otherwise a generally low content of essential nutrients.

Baked Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal Cups

2 cups Oats (I use Gluten Free Rolled Oats)

1 tsp Baking powder (also Gluten Free)

1/4 tsp Salt

1/2 tsp Cinnamon

1 cup Milk (I used unsweetened almond milk but you can use soy, rice or diary)

1/2 tsp Vanilla

1 Egg

1 1/2 Bananas, mashed

1 Apple, cored & diced (I used Ambrosia but you can use any variety)

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. 

2. In a bowl mix the oats, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. 

3. Add the milk, vanilla and egg to another bowl and whisk.

4. In the oats bowl, mix in the banana and the liquid milk mixture.

5. Lastly, fold in the apples. 

6. Spray or line muffin pan and fill each muffin with 1/4 cup of the batter (This should make 12) and bake for 20-25 minutes until they are golden brown. 

7. Let cool in pan 5 minutes, then transfer to cooling rack to completely cool. (This is when I usually sample one)

Other Variations: 

-Adding nuts or dried fruits

-Using green apples for a more tart taste

-Adding honey for a sweeter muffin taste.

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Creamy Avocado Cucumber Salad

So this recipe doesn't have too much of a back story. I just REALLY love cucumbers but find them to either be boring/plain and too bitter when kept in vinegar. Most creamy cucumber recipe sauces have sugar in them! BEHOLD! A recipe free of bitter and sugar, we meet in the middle with our special ingredient, Greek Yogurt!

Greek yogurt is yogurt which has been strained to remove the whey, resulting in a thicker consistency while preserving yogurt's distinctive sour taste. This yogurt is starting to become more popular due to a richer texture and higher protein content. I like Greek yogurt because it has various uses in the kitchen and in recipes. 


This recipe takes under 5 minutes to prepare. I would consider this VERY easy and convenient. 

Creamy Avocado Cucumber Salad

For this recipe you will need:

3 Large cucumbers
1/2 Avocado
1/2 cup Plain Greek yogurt
3 T White wine vinegar
2 tsp Dill

1. Mash the avocado in a bowl until smooth.

2. Add the Greek yogurt, vinegar and dill to the avocado and whisk until smooth.

3. Peel the cucumbers, cut in half lengthwise then chop into desired thickness. (I prefer bite sized pieces so I can easily eat this with a fork.)

4. Add cucumbers to the dressing bowl and toss well. 

5. Cover and let marinate in refrigerator until salad is chilled. Serve and Enjoy!

Variations to this recipe:
Spice it up by adding slices of onion, tomato & feta cheese.






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Maple Honey Nut Granola

Let's replace processed sugar with natural, beautiful, sweet, Honey. 

Honey is a fantastic sugar replacement in many baking recipes. It is in liquid form most times and honey is much sweeter than sugar so you will need to use less than your recipes suggests. Below I have listed a great recipe for granola, substituting honey for sweetness. 

Now when I talk about honey, I'm not talking about the crap in the plastic bear shaped bottle.

Raw honey is the most original sweet liquid that honeybees produce from the concentrated nectar of flowers. Collected straight from the extractor; it is totally unheated, unpasteurized, unprocessed honey. An alkaline-forming food, this type of honey contains ingredients similar to those found in fruits, which become alkaline in the digestive system. It doesn't ferment in the stomach and it can be used to counteract acid indigestion. When mixed with ginger and lemon juices, it effectively relieves nausea and supplies energy. Raw foodists love honey for its exceptional nutritional value and its amylase, an enzyme concentrated in flower pollen which helps predigest starchy foods like breads.

Usually raw, unfiltered raw honey can only be purchased directly from the bee farm. Characterized by fine textured crystals, it looks cloudier and contains particles and flecks made of bee pollen, honeycomb bits, propolis, and even broken bee wing fragments. Raw and unfiltered honey and has a high antioxidant level and will usually granulate and crystallize to a thick consistency after a few months. It is usually preferred as a spread on bread and waffles, or dissolved in hot coffee or tea.

However, as most consumers are naturally attracted to buying and eating crystal clear and clean honey, unfiltered honey which looks cloudy and unappealing, is actually my favorite kind of honey to use in baking! Specifically I enjoy consuming Spun Honey. Spun honey just means that the honey is whipped with pieces of the comb so it spreads more evenly and it is lighter in color and thicker than unprocessed honey. Other words for Spun honey include: Creme honey, Clover Spun honey, Cream honey, and Whipped honey. They do sell a great brand of this in most grocery stores (I know Cub has it) called SueBee. 

Now that we learned a little about which honey to purchase and the health benefits of honey, lets put that tasty product to great use with a granola recipe!

Maple Honey Nut Granola

This recipe is EASILY interchangeable with your favorite dried fruits or roasted nuts. I made this recipe to cater my needs of pistachios and golden raisins.





Ingredients:

2 cups oats (I use Gluten Free Oats)
1/2 cup pistachios (shelled)
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
1/4 cup mixed roasted nuts
3 T natural maple syrup
2 T clove spun honey
1 T+ 1 t coconut oil
1/4 t vanilla extract
1/4 t cinnamon (optional, I did not use in this batch)
1 t pink Himalayan salt



1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. 

2. In a medium sized bowl mix the oats, nuts and dried fruits.

3. Add the rest of the ingredients EXCEPT the salt, to the bowl and mix well with a spoon.

4. On a parchment lined baking sheet spread the mixture in an even layer.

5. Sprinkle salt evenly over the top of the granola mixture and bake for 16 minutes. 

6. Let the granola cool so it can set and the clusters will form. I like to portion out serving sizes into snack sized baggies for an on-the-go snack, otherwise store in an airtight container.

This granola is good by itself as a trail mix snack or eaten with fruit and yogurts. 













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Mediterranean Red Wine Vinaigrette Pasta Salad

Today I was feeling a little inspired by Italy because I was dreaming of pasta (who doesn't)! I wanted to create a recipe that was refreshing and light unlike many pasta dishes. Of course I HAD to incorporate my favorite Mediterranean ingredient as well, Kalamata Olives.

AKA PURPLE OLIVES!

The Kalamata olives are slightly more expensive because they are hand-picked in order to avoid bruising. They are almond-shaped, plump, dark purple olives coming from a tree that is irregular from the most common olive trees because of it's leaves. The leaves on these trees are twice the size of other olive varieties. Kalamata olives have a smooth, meaty texture and are named after the city of Kalamata in southern Greece. They are often used as table olives or in salads and other cold-prepared dishes. 

Now, Kalamata Olives are not only my favorite because they are my favorite color, but they also have a distinct taste. They are preserved in a brine made with wine vinegar, olive oil, and slices of lemon. This causes the flavor to be a bit more bitter than a regular green or black olive. I prefer to buy the pitted olives because you can just eat the whole thing, not having to deal with the little pit that you bite around. I also would rather not choke on the darn thing when I am eating.

Mediterranean Red Wine Vinaigrette Pasta Salad

For the Pasta Salad:

2 1/2 cups Barilla Gluten Free pasta, rotini or penne

2/3 cup sliced red onions

15 cherry tomatoes, halved

1 cup diced cucumbers

3/4 cup Kalamata olives, pitted

3/4 cup diced green peppers

1 cup feta cheese, crumbled

For the Vinaigrette:

1/3 cup red wine vinegar

2 tsp lemon juice

1 1/2 tsp minced garlic

2 tsp oregano, dried

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1. Boil water and cook the gluten free pasta according to the directions on the box. Barilla is the best brand of gluten free pasta and I prefer it in this salad because it will not soak up all of the dressing. I've tried a few different gluten free noodles and this brand seemed to work the best. Drain the noodles and let cool.

2. In a bowl add all the other ingredients for the salad.

3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the red wine vinegar, lemon juice, garlic, and oregano. While whisking pour the olive oil in slowly. Season with salt and pepper.

4. Add the cooled noodles to your bowl full of the salad ingredients. Pour the dressing over the top and toss to combine. Cover and refrigerate for 3 hours before serving. (But who even does that, put your nice big serving on a plate and freeze it for like 5 minutes so it gets nice and cold, and then eat it!) 

5. Stir again before serving so the dressing coats the whole salad evenly. 

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Healthy Jicama Slaw Recipe

Today is all about Jicama! 

Hmmm... what is Jicama you ask?

It looks like a funny potato, but that is because it grows in the ground! It is commonly known as a Mexican Turnip or Mexican Yam. Jicama is unique because it is a root vegetable found in the bean family! Yes I know.. it is a strange combination! 

Jícama is high in carbohydrates in the form of dietary fiber. It is composed of 86–90% water; it contains only trace amounts of protein and lipids. Its sweet flavor comes from the oligofructose inulin which is a prebiotic. Jícama is very low in saturated fat, cholesterol and sodium. It is also a good source of potassium and Vitamin C.

Jícama should be stored dry, between 53 and 60°F. Colder temperatures will damage the root; do not refrigerate. A fresh root stored at an appropriate temperature will keep for a month or two. So basically you can treat this bad boy like a potato and you will be fine!

Jicama is preferably eaten raw, it's texture similar to an apple or pear. It is crisp, juicy, and a tad sweet. 

So now that we know what the heck a Jicama is, lets cook with it!

First things first, lets wash and peel our jicama. We are gonna want to cut it in half, this recipe only uses half. Save the other half to make more slaw in the future or experiment with jicama fries, chips, salsas, or other salads.

Healthy Jicama Slaw

Here's what we will need: 

1/2 jicama, sliced into matchsticks
1/2 small head of green cabbage, cored and thinly sliced
1 large sweet apple (Fiji works perfect!), sliced into matchsticks
1/2 cup plain greek yogurt
1/4 cup sugar free mayonnaise (regular works fine too)
2 Tablespoons of lemon juice
1 Tablespoon of sirracha (more or less to your preference) 
Salt & Pepper to taste

1.Get out a nice sized bowl and toss in your jicama, cabbage, and apple. 

2. In another small bowl we are going to whisk together the greek yogurt, mayonnaise, lemon juice, and sirracha. 

3. So now lets pour the yogurt dressing over our bowl full of the jicama, cabbage and apple. Give it a good mix with your spatula and let it sit for 5 minutes.

4. Optional: you can add 1/4 bunch of chopped cilantro to this baby if you'd like. (I enjoy it plain.. I get less anxious about wondering if there is something green in my teeth afterwards) 

5. Serve and enjoy! Store in airtight container, keep refrigerated and stir before serving. 

So here's how mine turned out! 

I was a little crunched for time so I grabbed a bag of shredded cabbage from the salad section and used that instead of cutting my own fresh. That is also how I got a little mix of carrots in there too!

This recipe is easy to make and stores well. It should only take 20 minutes out of your day and is great food prep to get your vegetables in!

Other variations:

-Using vanilla greek yogurt for a sweeter flavor profile

-Adding roasted nuts on top

-Using pineapple juice instead of lemon juice

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