Cauliflower Pizza Crust

We have all been trying to go grain-free because of my husband and add more vegetables to our meals at our house.  I had really been wanting to try a cauliflower pizza and this gave me the perfect opportunity.  After doing a little research and tweaking this to my own preferences, our recipe for cauliflower crust pizza was born.  This has many steps, but all of them are easy - in other words, this is not fast, but it is simple.  It's also surprisingly filling - must be all the veggies.  My favorite thing is that it is processed free.  Let pizza night begin!

Makes 2 medium pizza crusts

1 large head of cauliflower
2 eggs (beaten)
1 cup shredded mozzarella
1 tsp. fine sea salt
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
1/4 tsp. black pepper

Toppings of your choice: sugar free pizza sauce, cheese, shredded zucchini, olives, bell peppers, mushrooms, pepperoni, ricotta cheese, etc.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and liberally grease it with olive oil.  Chop the cauliflower into small pieces and pulse until finely chopped in a food processor - not pureed though.  Pour into a microwave safe bowl and heat for 8 minutes then let it cool enough to handle. 

Put small batches into a tea towel and twist to remove as much moisture as you can - it has to be dry!  You may have to do this in several batches like I did.

Transfer to a bowl and add the other ingredients.  Shape into two crusts on the oiled parchment and bake for 15 to 17 minutes. 

Should be slightly golden.  Cool a little and add your toppings.  Bake again for 10 to 15 minutes or until the cheese has melted and started to bubble.

Feel free to experiment with your own seasoning and toppings.  I also think this is easier eaten with a fork rather than picked up like a traditional pizza slice.  Give this a try - you may find you like eating more veggies! 

Watermelon Lime and Coconut Snow Cones

 

My friend Lenor, who is an amazingly creative cook, made a coconut watermelon smoothie for me out of frozen watermelon and coconut flavored syrup.  It was so delicious, but I wanted to come up with a sugar-less version for my family that didn't use coconut syrup since it is full of refined white sugar.  Not exactly processed free!  I also wanted to introduce one more flavor - lime.  Have you ever heard of people eating watermelon with a sprinkle of salt?  It may sound odd, but it does tend to add a nice flavor enhancement.  Lime can often take the place of salt in a recipe and add tremendous depth of flavor, as well as a freshness you just can't beat from citrus.  So this was my thinking in adding the lime.  The result was something absolutely wonderful, sweet, and completely processed free.  My kids gobble this up as if  they were being given the most delicious treat in the world. 

 

juice of one lime

1/4 tsp. coconut extract

3-4 drops liquid stevia

2 Tbsp. finely shredded unsweetened coconut

3 1/2 cups frozen watermelon chunks



Cut fresh watermelon into 1 inch squares and freeze in a zip top bag.  This will take hours, if not over night to freeze completely.  Once frozen, you are ready to make the snow cone.  Juice one lime and add the coconut extract and stevia to the juice and stir.  Pour this into the blender or food processor.  Add the shredded coconut and frozen watermelon.  Puree this until it all comes together.  You will have to stop the machine, scrape down the sides, and stir it together a few times.  Once the watermelon is not in chunks anymore and it's all the right consistency, give it one more stir to make sure all the flavors are incorporated evenly before serving.  You will see white bits of coconut throughout the snow cone. 

Another great thing about this recipe is that it doesn't melt as fast or in the same way as a regular snow cone made of water and syrup.  Because the base is watermelon, it stays together quite well - even to the last bite!  And the kids do not get as sticky with sugary syrup since there is none, not to mention stained by artificial food coloring.  I hope you enjoy this as much as our family.  This has become one of our favorite summer treats - with no refined sugar!

Berry Yogurt Parfait

 

I'm about to have a little love fest of photos for my berry yogurt parfait!  It has been my very favorite breakfast of the last few months, and I'd even go as far as calling it a dessert - it's that good!  

 

It's chalked full of yumminess without any refined sugar, which makes it processed free.  This comes together in no time (especially if you use berries that don't need to be cut up) and puts a smile on my face every morning I eat it.  Now that's worth waking up for!

 

plain organic whole milk yogurt (I like goat's milk yogurt)
organic heavy cream
vanilla crème liquid stevia
fresh berries
coconut sugar and cinnamon blend (see mine here)

Put enough yogurt in a bowl for one serving.  Pour a splash of cream in and about 5-6 drops of vanilla crème stevia.  Stir to combine.  Top with fresh berries and sprinkle on your desired amount of coconut sugar and cinnamon. 

 

Here are my favorite brands of yogurt and stevia:

 



 

 

Bean Pasole

Everyone needs a few recipes that can come almost entirely from the pantry.  This is one of those recipes - you can basically have everything on hand you need to make it without a shopping trip.  This is something I keep in my hip pocket for a day when I don't feel like cooking, haven't been to the store, or don't have time to babysit the process.  The basics of this soup came to me from my friend Amanda.  She delivered this to my house one day when I was horribly sick.  My whole family loved it and I asked her for the recipe.  It only took minor changes to make this processed free and now we eat it all the time! 

 

2 - 15 oz. cans hominy (rinsed and drained)

2 - 15 oz. cans of beans (pinto, navy, kidney, etc.) I usually choose 2 different kids to look pretty

32 oz. container (4 1/2 cups) reduced sodium chicken or vegetable broth

16 oz. jar of thick and chunky medium salsa (no sugar added)

2 tsp. dried oregano

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream (or 6 Tbsp. milk + 3 Tbsp. butter)

 

optional toppings: cheese, avocado, tortilla strips, chopped cilantro, etc.

 

Put all the ingredients, except the cream, into a crockpot and cook on low 7 to 8 hours or on high for 3 to 4 hours.  30 minutes before serving, pour in the cream, stir, and recover.  Serve as is or add some additional toppings. 

 

Truth be told, I almost never add any other toppings because I haven't been to the store to get them.  Sometimes it's just a sprinkle of cheese.  You could also easily add some leftover roast, pork, or chicken to this if you are looking to use up a small amount of cooked meat.  This is very forgiving and ridiculously fast and easy.  

 

Chicken and Quinoa Lettuce Wraps

 

I found the idea for filling lettuce wraps with quinoa on pinterest and thought it was a brilliant idea!  My husband is supposed to go grain free for three months and I've been trying to put together recipes and meal plans that include three criteria: processed free, grain free, and delicious!  These lettuce wraps absolutely qualify.  These are also very kid friendly which is a bonus.

 

3 large chicken breasts

3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

1 Tbsp. toasted sesame oil or regular sesame oil

4 Tbsp. liquid aminos or low sodium soy sauce

3 cloves of garlic, minced

1 tsp. freshly grated ginger or 1/4 tsp. ground ginger

 

2 heads of lettuce - Boston, bib or butter

3 cups cooked quinoa (here's how I make it in the rice cooker)

shredded carrots

shredded or sliced cucumber - I like English cucumber because they have less seeds

chopped cilantro

peanut sauce

 

Combine the olive oil, sesame oil, liquid aminos, garlic, and ginger in a gallon size zip top bag.  Add the chicken breast and seal it up.  Squish around the marinade ingredients so that the chicken is completely coated and let it sit in the refrigerator for about 20 to 30 minutes or longer.  While you wait, cut the veggies, put them on a platter, and make the peanut sauce (here's my easy two ingredient recipe).  Cook the chicken breasts in a couple tablespoons of coconut oil.  Then move to a cutting board and let them rest for a couple minutes before cutting them.  You can cut them in strips or cubes - doesn't matter.  I consider this an assemble yourself dinner, but for the kids, they liked everything separate with no sauce.  Whatever suits your fancy!

 

 

 

Quinoa in the Rice Cooker

 

My life just got even easier the day I learned you could make quinoa in a rice cooker!  I know it's not that complicated on the stove top, but how much better is it to throw everything in and just walk away.  That's my favorite kind of cooking!  Plus, this is ready in about 15 minutes, so I can turn it on, prep the rest of the meal and in no time everything is ready to eat.  Here are the basics, but you can play around with the ratios to make this how you prefer.

 

1 cup rinsed quinoa

2 cups liquid

1/2 tsp. salt

 

Do not skip the step of rinsing the quinoa or it will be kind of bitter.  Just pour it in a fine strainer and rinse in the sink - this will only take you about 30 seconds.  As far as the liquid goes, I use one cup water and one cup chicken stock, but you could use all water, all chicken or vegetable stock, etc.  Dump it all in the rice cooker, put on the lid, and press the button.  Done to perfection!

 

If you are trying to go grain free, this is a fantastic substitute for rice in just about any dish.  It's also good all by itself.  Get creative and add all kinds of chopped veggies, vinaigrettes, seeds, nuts, cheese crumbles, etc.  Plus, quinoa is high in protein - great for my whole family!

2 Ingredient Peanut Sauce

This peanut sauce is ridiculously easy - I mean, my two year old can make this!  Technically it's more than two ingredients, but you only need to add two things to the bowl.  I love that this is processed free, but not taste free and super healthy.  Anyone want peanut sauce last minute?  Coming right up!

Organic Natural Creamy Peanut Butter (just peanuts and salt)
Braggs Ginger and Sesame Salad Dressing

Combine equal parts of both peanut butter and salad dressing.  Stir to combine - that's it! 

You can heat this up if you want it warm or serve it cold.  If you want some texture, you could use chunky peanut butter or add some chopped peanuts after you make it.  If you prefer more peanut taste, add more and visa versa for the ginger sesame dressing.  Serve this with whatever you like.  Here are a few ideas - lettuce wraps, chicken satay, pasta, stir fry, baste salmon etc.  Have fun trying this on whatever sounds good!