Cauliflower Crust for Pizza

Have you been noticing that there is a lot of buzz about alternative pizza crusts? Gluten free, whole wheat, cauliflower, zucchini, and spinach are a few that I have seen recently and have thought about trying. Now I haven't even made traditional pizza crust yet since I love the pizza we get from our local place, but it's on my list. But first I wanted to try a cauliflower crust pizza.

My sister made a cauliflower crust pizza the week before I did and had some good tips to share, so I followed the recipe she recommended. Her tips are noted throughout this post.           

One thing we both agree on is the use of the word pizza when talking about this "crust." If you think about this being like a pizza, or the perfect substitute for traditional pizza dough, you will be disappointed. The crust does crisp up a bit, but not enough to trick you into thinking you are holding a piece of pizza. The consistency and texture, to me anyway, were more like that of these polenta tartlettes.

Making these does take a lot of time, but the steps are simple ones. Basically you run your cauliflower through a food processor to rice it, cook it, drain it, squeeze out the liquid (and there will be a LOT of liquid), mix it with eggs and cheese, form the crust, bake, add toppings, and bake again. Time consuming but easy.

Now, my husband completely disagrees with me (completely!), but I was happy with these. I think I could have shaped them a bit better, and maybe kept them thicker on the edges, but overall I liked the flavor. I think I was happier with my crust because I didn't stick to sauce and cheese as my toppings like he did. This isn't a traditional crust so using traditional toppings wasn't appealing to me. Instead I used caramelized onions, sautéed spinach and tomatoes, and a bit of mozzarella.

If you are curious about these, definitely give them a try. While they won't completely satisfy your pizza craving, they are fun and different. And to get everyone in your family into trying them, make individual crusts instead of one large crust so each pizza can be individualized. If you make them, please let me know what you think!

Cauliflower Crust

Source: The Detoxinista

Ingredients

• 1 large head of cauliflower
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/3 cup soft goat cheese (chevre) (I used shredded mozzarella)
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• pinch of salt

Directions (In my own words)

• Preheat your oven to 400 degrees and line a cookie/baking sheet with parchment paper. Don't go without the parchment paper!
• Wash the cauliflower and chop into florets. "Rice" it in batches in a food processor; see pictures above for the consistency.
• Once you have riced all of the cauliflower, fill a large pot with 1 inch of water and bring it to a boil. Add the cauliflower and let it cook 4-5 minutes. Drain it through a fine-mesh strainer and then transfer to a clean dish towel.
• This step is very important - the cauliflower rice will hold a lot of liquid. Wrap the towel around the cauliflower and squeeze to get rid of the extra water. I squeezed for a good 2 minutes.
• Transfer the cauliflower rice to a large bowl. Add the egg, cheese, salt, and oregano. Mix well and a dough will begin to form (I started with a wooden spoon but then used my hands - it's unlike any dough you've ever worked with).
• Once you get the dough consistency you want, press it onto the parchment paper. You want the crusts to be 1/3" thick. As the original author recommends, you can raise the edges a little so it looks like a real crust.
• Bake 40 minutes until it is golden brown and crispy.
• Remove from the oven, add your toppings and bake for a few minutes until your cheese is melted and the toppings are hot. Serve immediately.

   

Vegetable Fried Rice

Fried rice is such a treat when we go to our local Japanese restaurant for hibachi. I love watching how they cook it on such a hot cooktop while putting on such a show. I'd love to have a cooking surface like that at home. Imagine how much fun it would be cooking dinner every night! My little one gets a kick out of trying to catch the pieces of veggies in her mouth at the restaurant, so it might get just a bit messy!

When I made this fried rice at home I used a wok shaped stainless sauté pan - I'll need to invest in a good wok one of these days. I wanted to make a fried rice packed with veggies, and turned to 2 recipes I had recently pinned for inspiration. One used edamame as the star ingredient, and the other included several other veggies, including edamame and kale. I had a ton of fresh veggies in my fridge to use up, but unfortunately didn't have shelled soybeans in my freezer like I thought I did. You can really use any veggies that you have sitting around, but next time I definitely want to add the shelled soybeans to this for some protein. I also used white rice, my husband's preference (still working on changing that one...).

 

Vegetable Fried Rice

Adapted from/Inspired by: Edamame Fried Rice on Skinnytaste and Edamame Fried Rice on Epicurious

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1.5 c cooked white rice (leftover works best, not freshly cooked)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp ginger, minced
• 1 sm head of broccoli cut into tiny florets
• Approx 2 c kale, chopped
• 1/2 red pepper, chopped
• 2 green onions, chopped
• 1/2 carrot, cut into same size pieces as the red pepper
• 4 Tbsp low sodium soy sauce

Directions

• Heat a large skillet or wok over medium high heat
• Add a touch of your oil and then add the egg and cook until done (I didn't scramble them, but made a large flat egg like what you would do for a folded omelet, flipped it and finished cooking it). Transfer eggs to a cutting board and chopped.
• Add half of the remaining oil to your pan. Add the broccoli, kale, red pepper, and carrots to the pan. Saute 2-3 minutes.
• Add the ginger and garlic; sauté 1 minute.
• Push the veggies to the side, increase the heat to high, and add the remaining oil. Add the rice and fry, tossing to coat with the oil. Make sure you scrape up any rice that gets stuck on the bottom of your pan.
• Add the green onions and soy sauce, and toss to mix the veggies and rice while mixing everything with the soy sauce.
• Finally, add the eggs and stir. Serve immediately.

 

Loaded Baked Potato Dip

You know how they say to sing "Happy Birthday" three times while washing your hands, and you'll know that you washed them long enough? Well, that applies to making this dip too... sing the happy song three times and when you are done, the dip will be ready. That is how quick and easy this dip is. Seriously.

Every time anyone asks for something they can prepare quickly for unexpected guests or a last-minute get together, this is what I will tell them to make. Or even if you have a ton of time to get things ready, throw this one on the list as your easy app. Heck, even the kids could make this one for you.  And with the Super Bowl coming up, I highly recommend you buy the ingredients for this dip and make it. Oh, and it's so good that you might want to double the recipe!

The original recipe called for real bacon, and while I'm sure that's great, it would have added some time and mess to the prep so I went with real bacon bits. Not Bac-Os or other bacon-flavored bits of who knows what, but a bottle of real bacon bits. For a dip they are just fine and even better, they don't get all soggy after sitting in the dip for a day or two, that is if you have any leftover.

Loaded Baked Potato Dip
Inspired by: The Barbee Housewife

Ingredients

• 16 oz sour cream
• 3-4 Tbsp crumbled bacon
• 8 oz shredded cheddar cheese
• 3 green onions, chopped
• 1/4 tsp each salt, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder (or more, taste as you go)

Directions

• Mix the sour cream, most of the bacon, all of the cheese, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and most of the green onions (taste and adjust spices as needed). Chill for a few hours.
• When ready to serve, stir and then top with the remaining bacon bits and green onions
• Serve with potato chips 

You can also use this on top of baked potatoes, that is, if you have any left!! It also makes a great topping over fries!

   

Quinoa with Brussels Sprouts and Tomatoes

It's time for me to branch out in the lunch department. I have gotten into the habit of eating sandwiches every day... and I'm not a fan of meat on sandwiches so they are usually cheese sandwiches with tomatoes and lettuce. I'll often have a cup of soup on the side and the variety of soup changes often, but the sandwich is always the same.

I started to think about quinoa and how filling it is, and thought that a warm quinoa salad would make a great lunch. I looked over some of the quinoa recipes I had made in the past for inspiration, including one I created that quickly became my favorite - Quinoa with Roasted Garlic, Tomatoes, and Basil. So following that idea, I created this quinoa with Brussels sprouts and tomatoes.

These flavors worked so well together - the quinoa and sprouts are nutty, the tomatoes were sweet and tart at the same time, and the onions and garlic rounded out the flavors. I added the crushed pecans at the end for some texture.

I ate a bowl of this for lunch and was SO full I could barely finish it! It held me over all afternoon so I didn't need to snack.  If you take this for lunch, I recommend warming it in the microwave for 30-45 seconds, just enough to take the chill off. Top with the pecans after warming.

Enjoy! I did :)

Ingredients

• 1 c quinoa
• 2 c vegetable broth plus 1/2 c vegetable broth
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 small onion, diced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 8 large Brussels sprouts sliced into three and then sliced into three crosswise
• Handful of cherry tomatoes, diced
• Salt and pepper
• Optional: crushed pecans for garnish

Directions

• Put quinoa and 2 c vegetable broth in a pot. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer, cover, and let simmer 10-15 minutes until the liquid has absorbed.
• Heat olive oil in a sauté pan. Add the onions and garlic; sauté 2 minutes.
• Add Brussels sprouts and sauté 2 minutes
• Add tomatoes and sauté 2 minutes
• Season with salt and pepper, add 1/2 c of broth and let simmer for just a few minutes. Adjust seasoning if needed.
• Put quinoa in 2 bowls and top each with half of the Brussels sprouts/tomatoes. Garnish with crushed pecans if desired.

   

Individual Apple Cobblers

Last weekend I had a friend over for lunch. When I was planning my menu I knew immediately what I would serve for lunch (these Sweet Ham and Swiss Sliders, my Roasted Potato Soup, and a green salad with a balsamic Dijon dressing), but I could not decide on a dessert. The holidays just ended and I really didn't want anything too heavy or rich or full of chocolate... we all ate enough of that for 2 weeks!

I decided to do something with fruit, and took inspiration from a Peach Cobbler that I made a few years ago. Instead of making one apple cobbler, I pulled my ramekins out and made individual cobblers. I love these because they work well for a breakfast treat, lunch dessert, or night time snack... warm with some vanilla ice cream, of course!

Individual Apple Cobblers

Inspired by this Peach Cobbler

Ingredients

For the apples:

• 3 apples, peeled, cored and diced
• 1/4 c white sugar
• 1/4 c brown sugar
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp fresh lemon juice
• 2 tsp cornstarch

For the topping:

• 1 c flour
• 1/4 c white sugar
• 1/4 c brown sugar
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 6 Tbsp butter chilled and cut into small pieces
• 1/4 c boiling water
• 3 tsp sugar mixed with 1 tsp cinnamon

You will need 6 individual ramekins - I used 4 oz ramekins which are 3 inches in diameter and 1.5 inches deep.

Directions

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees
• In a large bowl, combine the ingredients for the apples, tossing to coat. Divide the apples evenly between the 6 ramekins. Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes (I put all of the ramekins on a baking sheet).
• Meanwhile, make the topping. Combine the flour, sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Blend in the butter with your fingertips or a pastry blender until the mixture resembles a coarse meal. Stir in the water until just combined.
• Remove the apples from the oven and drop a large spoonful of the topping mixture into each ramekin, spreading it out just a bit. Sprinkle each one with some of the sugar/cinnamon mixture.
• Bake for 22-25 minutes until hot and bubbly with a nice golden brown crust.
• Serve warm.

 

Take-Me-Back-To-Childhood Breaded Pork Chops

Happy New Year! After taking a break from blogging over the holidays, I'm back and ready to share a lot of great recipes with you.

A few weeks before Christmas, my friend, the author of the blog A Taste of Home Cooking, mentioned that she was making breaded pork chops for dinner and I was immediately taken back to childhood. I had visions of sitting at the round kitchen table at the end of our galley kitchen doing homework and talking to my mom while she breaded and fried pork chops. I have a lot of memories of doing homework in the kitchen while my mom cooked. We always had so much fun working together to make up sentences using my spelling words. Isn't it funny the things that stick out in your mind?

Anyway, my mom made great breaded pork chops and I can't believe I never made these before. I didn't follow a recipe, but just seasoned, breaded, and fried them. They cooked up so quickly, were perfectly crispy, and we devoured four of them between three people. I served them with a Spinach Risotto, very similar to this Spinach-Shiitake Risotto, just without the mushrooms. I'll have to write up my spinach risotto recipe soon!

Breaded Pork Chops

Ingredients

• 4 thin pork chops
• Salt
• Pepper
• Garlic powder
• Italian seasoning
• 3 Tbsp flour
• 1 Egg
• 1 cup bread crumbs
• 2 Tbsp vegetable oil

I don't measure when I'm seasoning, so I did not list amounts above. I lightly seasoned the chops with salt, pepper, and touch of garlic powder, and then generously seasoned the bread crumbs with garlic powder, pepper, and a touch of Italian seasoning and salt.

Directions

• Season your pork chops
• Prepare the breading station - flour in the first bowl, beaten egg in the next, and bread crumbs in the next
• Heat the oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat
• Dredge pork chops in the flour, then dip in the egg, and then coat with bread crumbs.
• Add to the pan and cook until golden brown on one side (about 2-3 minutes); flip and cook until golden brown on the other side (about 2-3 minutes). At this point they should be done, but you can always check with a meat thermometer (160 degrees).

Saucy Asian Meatballs

At least once a week I'll cook something Asian inspired, from lo mein, stir fries and tofu to grilled meats using ingredients like soy sauce, hoisin, Sriracha, ginger, and sesame oil in the marinades and sauces. I'm always looking for new ideas so immediately pinned a recipe I found for Saucy Asian Meatballs.

I served the meatballs as a main dish alongside some vegetable lo mein, but they would be awesome appetizers too. The meat is packed with flavor - ginger, garlic, and green onions - and the sauce is sweet and sticky and immediately reminded me of a steak sauce I made several years ago, a sweet and spicy hoisin sauce. The sauce is so good that next time I will definitely make more to serve over rice or noodles.

The original recipe does not cook the sauce, however I did heat the sauce and let the meatballs simmer in it for a bit before dinner.

Sauce Asian Meatballs
Adapted from: Gimme Some Oven

Ingredients

For the Meatballs

• 2 lbs. ground pork or ground beef
• 2 tsp. sesame oil
• 1 cup Panko or breadcrumbs
• 1/2 tsp. ground ginger
• 2 eggs
• 3 tsp. minced garlic
• 1/2 cup thinly-sliced green onions
• optional garnish: toasted sesame seeds, sliced scallions

For the Sauce 

(note - I would double the amounts next time to have more sauce)

• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 2/3 cup hoisin sauce
• 1/4 cup rice vinegar
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 Tbsp. soy sauce
• 1 tsp. sesame oil
• 1 tsp. ground ginger
• Added: 1/2 cup beef broth

Directions

• Preheat oven to 400.
• In a large bowl, mix together meatball ingredients until well-combined. Shape into balls and place on a greased baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until meatballs are golden on the outside and no longer pink on the inside.
• While the meatballs are baking, heat olive oil in a large sauté pan. Mix the hoisin, rice vinegar, soy sauce, beef broth and sesame oil in a bowl and set aside. Add the garlic to the pan, sauté one minute. Add the ginger and sauté quickly. Add the sauce mixture and bring to a slow simmer; the sauce will begin to thicken. If you need to thin it out, add some beef broth mixed with soy sauce.
• When the meatballs are done add them to the sauce and let simmer for a few minutes.
• Top with sesame seeds and green onions for serving.

Tomato-Basil Soup

Bloggers' Choice is always my favorite theme in the Taste of Home Cooking Recipe Swaps. The only problem is when you get a blog that has too many recipes that you want to try!


 I was given a blog I was already familiar with, The Barbee Housewife. I went back and forth between chicken recipes, pasta recipes, and finally decided to make a Tomato-Basil Soup. I've made tomato soup a few different ways, but this one looked very simple, and I was curious to see what adding the butter at the end would do. The flavor of the soup was like some I have had at restaurants, and I think it must have been the butter! The original recipe called for an entire stick of butter, but I added it slowly, tablespoon by tablespoon, while tasting it, and only ended up using half of a stick. I also added garlic because I just love garlic.

I'm so glad I made this soup, especially since we had snow twice in three days over the time I made it - it was the perfect lunch after playing in the snow for a while with my daughter!

Tomato-Basil Soup
Source: The Barbee Housewife

Ingredients:

• 4 cups of Whole, Peeled, Canned Tomatoes, crushed
• 4 cups of Tomato Juice
• Added: 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 12-14 Basil Leaves
• 1 cup of Heavy Cream
• 1 stick of Butter, unsalted (I used 1/2 of a stick)
• 1/4 teaspoon of Cracked Black Pepper

Directions:

•  Combine tomatoes, garlic, and juice in a large pot over medium high heat. Simmer for 30 minutes. Let the soup cool slightly.
• Add the basil leaves and puree the soup either in small batches in a blender/food processor or by using a handheld immersion blender.
• Return the soup to the pot and add the cream and butter (I suggest adding a tablespoon at a time until you get the flavor you want) while stirring over low heat until the cream and butter are incorporated.

Easy, No-Knead Dutch Oven Crusty Bread

Never buy bread again! 

This amazing crusty bread is the simplest recipe you will ever find for 

homemade bread. Only 4 ingredients and NO kneading. 

I have always wanted to make bread, but have been scared of it. I'm the girl who didn't own a rolling pin until recently - I had been known to roll things out with a wine bottle... But after receiving a Kitchen Aid Mixer for my birthday, I decided it was time to tackle another item on my cooking bucket list... bread. I read through a bunch of recipes and bought bread flour and yeast at the supermarket. Baby steps. 

Then I came across a recipe for a no-knead crusty bread using a Dutch oven to bake it. Really? It seemed too good to be true. I wouldn't even need to use my mixer.

I sat on the couch for a while reading and re-reading the recipe, and finally worked up the nerve to go in the kitchen and make the dough. It was 9 PM on a Saturday night (crazy night, huh?) and I was going to make dough for my first loaf of bread.

I wouldn't lie to you - this bread is seriously the easiest thing to make. If I can make this, so can you. 

First, you mix up the dough ingredients, put it in a bowl, and cover tightly with plastic wrap so the magic can happen. Make sure to store it in a warm place (if it is too cold it will not rise properly). I was so protective of this dough that I took it up to our bedroom and set it on my dresser since we turn the heat down really low downstairs at night. I was not taking a chance!

The next morning I got up to see that the dough had risen. About an hour and a half before I was ready to eat dinner (and enjoy the bread), I turned it out onto a floured surface, and it looked like this.

I floured my hands to form it into a large ball and was a little nervous at the sticky texture, but the recipe assured me that it was just right. After rolling and forming (note - not kneading), it looked like this -

At this point, you cover it with plastic wrap while your Dutch oven preheats. Then you put it in the oven and let it bake. That's IT.


Knowing of my past baking mishaps and how I don't like to measure, my husband had low expectations. But then we sliced into the bread and it was perfectly - PERFECTLY - crusty on the outside and airy and soft on the inside. I don't even remember what dish I served this with. Honestly, I could have eaten the bread alone and been happy.

Although I still want to try some "harder" bread recipes, this was the perfect recipe for my first time, and I can't wait to make it again. It's so easy that I don't think I'll ever need to write the words "crusty bread" on my shopping list again.

If you want to change the look or shape of your bread, grab some food-safe string or twine and a sharp knife or scoring tool. To make the "pumpkin" shape below, I placed 4 pieces of twine out on a floured board, intersecting in the center, so it almost looks like 8 slices of pizza. Flour the top of the bread, and then tie each string up into the center. If you want to do more decorating, score each of the 8 sections of the bread with 3 lines using a very sharp paring knife or a scoring tool. 

No-Knead Crusty Bread
Source: The Comfort of Cooking

Ingredients

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2-3 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon dry yeast (active dry or highly active dry work best)
• 1 1/2 cups lukewarm water
• Special cookware needed: Dutch oven or any large oven-safe dish/bowl and lid* Parchment paper. 

Directions

• In a large bowl, stir together the flour, salt, and yeast.
• Add the water and stir using a wooden spoon until the mixture forms a shaggy but cohesive dough.
• Cover bowl tightly with plastic wrap. Let dough sit at room temperature for 8-24 hours. Dough will bubble up and rise.
• An hour and a half before you want to eat the bread, preheat your oven to 450 degrees F. Place your Dutch oven, uncovered, into the preheated oven for 30 minutes.
• While your Dutch oven preheats, turn dough onto a well-floured surface and, with floured hands, form the dough into a ball. Cover dough loosely with plastic wrap and let rest.
• After the 30 minutes are up, carefully remove the Dutch oven. With floured hands, place the bread on a sheet of parchment paper and then transfer to the Dutch oven. 
• Bake for 30 minutes covered. Remove cover and bake for 7-15 minutes more, uncovered (just keep an eye on it as cooking times will vary).
• Remove the bread and place on a cutting board. Slice and serve!

The Perfect Bite - Endive with Pears, Gorgonzola, and Crushed Pecans

Thanksgiving was a hit this year. It was a Thanksgiving of many firsts - the first one celebrated in our new home, the first one shared with my godparents and cousins, and the first one where my brother-in-law, sister-in-law, and their 2 awesome boys were living on the same coast and could be with us on this day.

It was a loud and busy day, but in the best possible way. So much talking and laughing, crafting and cooking, and of course three crazy kids having so much fun running, playing, and just being kids. Loud kids :)

When we have people over to our home, I love to feed them. Jon's always complaining that I go overboard or make too much food, but that's how I like it. I love the preparation and planning that goes into it, and even loved making my timeline (and adjusting it three times until it was perfect). And perfect it was.... I wrote everything out with the goal of having our feast on the table by 3:00 PM. Once the food was ready and in serving bowls, I called everyone for dinner and happened to look at the clock. Yup, 3:00 on the dot. I'll be saving that timeline for next year!

But before the big feast, I put out some appetizers - a nice cheese and meat plate, nuts, crackers, fruit, and one fancier app that to me was the perfect bite. This app was sweet and salty, creamy and crunchy, and surprisingly was even enjoyed by a few people I thought would never even try it. Besides all of that, it was super easy to put together, making it the perfect appetizer for a busy day.

Endive with Pears, Gorgonzola, and Crushed Pecans
Adapted from: Not Enough Cinnamon

Ingredients

• 1 head endive
• 1/2 of a ripe pear, peeled and cubed (small cubes, but not diced)
• 3 Tbsp Gorgonzola cheese
• 1 Tbsp pecans, crushed

Directions

• Cut off the bottom of the endive. Gently pull apart the leaves being careful not the break them. Wash and dry, again being very gentle.
• Mix the pear and Gorgonzola in a bowl. Spoon mixture into the yellow end of the endive leaves.
• Sprinkle with the crushed pecans.