Category: Recipe

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Recipe: Creamy Brussels Sprouts Bake

Okay…I’m going to admit it.  When I received my bin from my CSA, I had a major crisis in my kitchen.  No, nothing hazardous or spoiling.  In fact, the issue was more with one of the items in my bin itself.  The culprit – Brussels sprouts.

Laugh it up, but these little mini heads of cabbage really threw me for a loop.  While they have always been one of my mom’s favorite vegetables, we never had them when I was growing up.  Ever.  She never made them and never even attempted to get us to try them.  I knew every joke from television shows and movies though regarding Brussels sprouts, so…yeah…I was sort of thrown for a loop.  Not only had I never tasted these myself, but I had no idea how to prepare them.

My roommate claimed she maybe had them once…and she wasn’t a fan…but probably because they weren’t cooked correctly.

This didn’t boost my confidence in this vegetable at all.  But…I was determined to find a recipe to make…where both of us would hopefully enjoy these little leafy greens.  And after a few searches online, and a few recipes tossed at my roommate, she finally decided on one that would use a couple other items from the bin.  Good thinking!

I embellished the recipe a little as I only had 16 ounces of Brussels sprouts in my bin and the recipe calls for 20.  So, I substituted 4 ounces of broccoli.  No harm no foul, right?  So…for all of you lovers of Brussels sprouts and for those of you, who like me, have no idea if you like them or not…I encourage you to try this recipe.  It’s compliments of Taste of Home…but this is my own take on it.

Recipe: Creamy Brussels Sprouts Bake

Creamy Brussels Sprouts Bake
Creamy Brussels Sprouts Bake

Servings: 6
Time: Prep 15 minutes; Cook 35 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened (I used Tofutti Better Than Cream Cheese)
  • 1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream (I used Tofutti Better Than Sour Cream)
  • 1/2 pound sliced fresh mushrooms
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 16 ounces fresh Brussels sprouts
  • 4 ounces fresh broccoli
  • 3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese

 

Directions:

Onions, mushrooms, broccoli, and Brussels sprouts sautéing in pan
Onions, mushrooms, broccoli, and Brussels sprouts sautéing in pan

In a small bowl, beat cream cheese and sour cream until smooth; set aside.

In a large skillet, saute mushrooms and onion in butter until tender.  Stir in Brussels sprouts.  Remove from the heat; stir in cream cheese mixture.

Spoon into a greased shallow 2-qt. baking dish.  Cover and bake at 350F for 25-30 minutes or until bubbly.

Uncover; sprinkle with cheddar cheese.  Bake 5 minutes longer or until cheese is melted.

Serve.

Creamy Brussels Sprouts Bake (fresh from oven)
Creamy Brussels Sprouts Bake (fresh from oven)

 

~*~*~

I admit it…I was nervous going into this one.  With not knowing what to expect from Brussels sprouts, I was actually quite nervous about taking my first bite.  My roommate, as she so often does, threw herself on it immediately and assured me that it was actually really good.  She said the Brussels sprouts had a bit of a nutty flavor to them…and she was right.  And the cream cheese/sour cream soup that surrounded the greens, mushrooms, and onions was out of this world.  This was actually quite delicious…and yes…quite filling.

But I am no longer afraid of Brussels sprouts.  And, perhaps, next time I’ll try simply roasting them in olive oil and give that a go.

Trust me…this is at least worth a taste.

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Recipe: Roasted Pumpkin-Apple Soup

A couple weeks ago, my CSA bin contained an item that I wasn’t too sure what to do with.  Hey…it happens.  Honestly.  Not that this item was exotic or anything…it’s just not something I’ve done much with.  The item in question…a pie pumpkin.

Naturally, one would think…make pumpkin pie!  The thing is…aside from being a Celiac…I do not like pumpkin pie!  Never have.  So, baking a pie was out of the question.  I had to come up with something else to do with it.  But first, I had a few out of town trips and the like to do…which actually allowed the pumpkin to ripen quite a bit while I was away.  So, on Sunday…I settled on spending time, chopping, peeling, seeding, and roasting up the pumpkin.  For what?

Only one of my favorite things in the world.  SOUP!

I found a great recipe from Eating Well that would also use up some of the apples that I got in my numerous bins over the past couple of weeks.  Let’s face it…one can only eat so many apples.  And when you go out of town…well…there they are.  They are the hot item in the bin I get right now.  Every week means more apples.  I’m okay with that.  I like apples.  But I have a lot of them now.  So…this soup was ideal because it included roasted apples as well.  The recipe…super easy with only 9 ingredients.  And trust me…this soup is awesome and creamy without the addition of milk, cream, or flour!

Recipe: Roasted Pumpkin-Apple Soup

Roasted Pumpkin-Apple Soup
Roasted Pumpkin-Apple Soup

Servings: 12
Time: Prep 30 minutes; Cook 60 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 4 pounds pie pumpkin or butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 2-inch chunks
  • 4 large sweet-tart apples, such as Empire, Cameo, or Braeburn, unpeeled, cored, and cut into eighths
  • 1/4 cups extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1-1/4 teaspoons salt, divided
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
  • 6 cups reduced-sodium vegetable broth
  • 1/3 cups chopped hazelnuts, toasted
  • 2 tablespoons hazelnut oil

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450°F.

Toss pumpkin (or squash), apples, olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt, and pepper in a large bowl.  Spread evenly on a large rimmed baking sheet.

Roast, stirring once, for 30 minutes.

Stir in sage and continue roasting until very tender and starting to brown, 15 to 20 minutes more.

Transfer about one-third of the pumpkin (or squash) and apples to a blender along with 2 cups broth.  Puree until smooth.

Transfer to a Dutch oven and repeat for two more batches.

Season with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and heat through over medium-low heat, stirring constantly to prevent splattering, for about 6 minutes.

Serve each portion topped with hazelnuts and a drizzle of hazelnut oil.

~*~*~

Now, I have heard of the goodness of pumpkin and apple together, but this was the first time I tasted it for myself.  And OH MY GOD!  Yeah…it’s good.  The pumpkin-apple combination brings a bit of sweet and savory to the soup.  It is so yummy.

A word of warning…I had to hand peel, slice, seed, and chop my pumpkin and this took FOREVER.  If you can buy it pre-done…DO IT!  Trust me.  Just do it.  I have a great, sharp set of knives and this was still a struggle.  It was totally worth it in the end…but, wow…it really took a lot of time to get it right and done.  But, once it was roasting with the apples…my kitchen smelled awesome and I couldn’t wait to make it into the soup.  Don’t bypass the hazelnut oil (it can be pricey!) or the chopped hazelnuts on top either.  I found these to be key ingredients to the finished product.

When life hands you a pie pumpkin…seriously…make soup!

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Recipe: Parmesan Baked Potato Halves

You know…it’s because of places like Pinterest that I can find new and exciting ways to fix up some of the produce that comes in my CSA bin every week.  Honestly.  While working with potatoes isn’t at all difficult, sometimes I can just get accustomed to making them one way and not really branching out from there.  I was determined not to just slice these up into cubes and make home fries to go with eggs in the morning.

My organic fingerling potatoes are beautiful, mind you.  And back when I first signed up for Pinterest, one of the recipes that I pinned was for Parmesan Baked Potato Halves.  Sounded great.  And here I was with some fingerling potatoes, ready to see if this recipe was all it was cracked up to be.  But you know me…I always take a recipe and twist it up some way.  In this case…I added…more cheese and a different flavor at that.  In addition to spices as well.

The original recipe comes from Favorite Family Recipes.  But below is my take on it.

Recipe: Parmesan Baked Potato Halves

Parmesan Baked Potato Halves
Parmesan Baked Potato Halves


Servings: 2
Time: Prep 10 minutes; Bake 45 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 6-9 small potatoes, scrubbed and cut in half
  • 2 tablespoons butter (I used Smart Balance)
  • 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1/3 cup grated Chives & Dill Jack cheese
  • garlic powder
  • other seasonings (to personal preference) (I used a touch of crushed red pepper, rosemary, and salt)


Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Melt butter and pour into a 8×8 inch pan and spread evenly across the bottom.

Generously sprinkle Parmesan cheese and Chives & Dill Jack cheese and lightly sprinkle other seasonings all over the butter.

Place potato halves face down on the butter and seasonings.

Place in preheated oven and bake for 40 to 45 minutes.  Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pan.

Enjoy.

~*~*~

My roommate enjoyed her half of this tasty potato dish this morning with some ketchup.  As for me…hot sauce was my game.  Or, you can serve with whatever dip you choose to enjoy potatoes with…or just plain on their own.  They are yummy that way too.  It’s a simple recipe that really just takes a little time to bake up.  But the cheese melts and crusts against the top and packs a whole bunch of flavor into each bite.

I’m making it again tomorrow morning!  Go ahead…try it out.  Flavor with whatever cheeses you fancy and whatever spices compliment it.  Get creative!

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Recipe: Gluten-Free Pumpkin Spice Chocolate Chip Rice Krispie Treats

It’s pumpkin season, in case you aren’t aware.  And as many of you know…I have been doing a lot of cooking and baking using pumpkin.  I love pumpkin…except in pumpkin pie.  I don’t know what it is…but while I have never liked pumpkin pie…I have this strange affinity for using pumpkin in recipes, whether sweet or savory.

I wanted to make something for my podiatrist and his staff as a thank you for repairing my torn plantar fasciitis prior to a half marathon race I ran back in September and somehow turning me into a better, faster, more efficient runner in the process.  Since my injury, my speed and endurance have definitely improved and I owe it all to him and his staff.

Being that it is October, I wanted to do something seasonal.  I just happened to have a box of Gluten-Free Rice Krispies in my pantry.  And I always have pumpkin on hand.  I also, believe it or not, always have Marshmallow Fluff on hand too.  So…inspired, I decided to make some Pumpkin Spice Rice Krispie Treats (with chocolate chips included because…pumpkin and chocolate are an amazing combination).  The recipe follows…

Recipe: Gluten-Free Pumpkin Spice Chocolate Chip Rice Krispie Treats with a Chocolate Drizzle

Gluten-Free Pumpkin Spice Chocolate Chip Rice Krispie Treats
Gluten-Free Pumpkin Spice Chocolate Chip Rice Krispie Treats with a Chocolate Drizzle

Servings: 12-16
Time: Prep 10 minutes; Cook 30 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1/4 cup canned pumpkin puree
  • 1 (7 ounce) container Marshmallow Fluff
  • 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • Pinch of allspice
  • Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
  • Pinch of kosher salt
  • 5 cups crispy rice cereal (I used Gluten-Free Rice Krispies)
  • 1 cup mini chocolate chips
  • 2 squares semi-sweet Baker’s chocolate, melted


Directions:

Butter a 9×13-inch baking dish (or a smaller dish…as my podiatrist’s office is small, I put these in 2 8×8 baking dishes).

In a heavy saucepan or Dutch oven, melt butter over medium-low heat.

Add the pumpkin puree and continue to cook until it is warmed through.

Fold in the Marshmallow Fluff, stirring frequently until almost completely melted.

Add the vanilla, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, and salt, and remove from heat.

Allow the marshmallow mixture to cool 20  minutes or until it is room temperature (failure to cool the mixture will result in soggy rice crispy treats).  Add the puffed rice cereal and the mini chocolate chips and stir, using a silicone spatula, until combined.

Press the mixture into the greased baking dish.

Let set for 30 minutes.

In a microwave safe dish, place the bakers chocolate and melt in microwave, starting with 30 seconds and then adding 10-15 seconds to each additional heating until the chocolate has melted.  Use a spoon or fork and drizzle the melted chocolate over the top of the Rice Krispie Treats.

Allow chocolate to harden.  Cut into squares and serve.

~*~*~

Honestly…I wasn’t sure what to expect with these.  They are, truly, packed with flavor.  With only a scant 1/4 cup of pumpkin, these actually taste like pumpkin.  I’m glad I added the chocolate chips because it really gives these a kick of sweetness that ties in so well with the pumpkin and spices.

Since I am a vegetarian, I nixed the marshmallows and used Fluff instead.  I find that I should probably incorporate a cup less of the Rice Krispies next time as these are not stuck together and ooey-gooey as they should be.  They tend to crumble.  But, they are still delicious…even if they fall apart.  That’s why instead of the usual 6 cups of Rice Krispies recommended for treats, I cut it back to 5 on this recipe.  I think that will make for a better binding together of the fluff and the cereal.

Do you love pumpkin and chocolate?  Do you love Rice Krispie Treats.  Do something seasonal…and give these a go.  I love them and hope my podiatrist and his staff do as well.

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Recipe: Quin-y (Quinoa) Bean-y Lettuce Wraps

So, my CSA bin this week contained a beautiful bunch of very large, amazing romaine lettuce leaves.  Immediately, the first thing I thought of to do with it was make lettuce wraps.  They are simple, tasty, and low carb.  And, you can literally put anything you want to inside of them.  Pack them with your favorite foods, roll them up, enjoy.

As I’m attempting to use up the fresh produce in my fridge before my upcoming trip to Hershey, Pennsylvania for the Hershey Half Marathon, I had plenty of options to choose from.  What I ended up doing was cooking up some quinoa (a pantry staple in my kitchen), tossing it with some beans, green chilies, and roasted red peppers, giving it a dusting with vegan cheese, and viola…lettuce wrap perfection.  My actual recipe follows…

Recipe: Quin-y (Quinoa) Bean-y Lettuce Wraps

Quin-y Bean-y Lettuce Wraps
Quin-y Bean-y Lettuce Wraps

Servings: 2
Time: Prep 5 minutes; Cook 15 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 6 large romaine lettuce leaves
  • 2 Wild Garden Traditional Hummus On-The-Go pack (1.76 ounces each) (…or your favorite hummus)
  • 1/2 cup quinoa, dry (I used Bob’s Red Mill)
  • 1/4 cup organic black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 2 tablespoons roasted red pepper, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons green chiles (I used Ortega Fire Roasted Diced Green Chiles)
  • 1/4 cup red onion, chopped
  • 2/3 cup cheddar cheese (I used Cheddar Flavor Rice Shreds)


Directions:

Cook quinoa according to package directions.

While the quinoa is cooking, rinse and dry romaine lettuce leaves.  Spread hummus over each leaf and sprinkle with red onion.

When quinoa is cooked, remove lid from pot and add black beans, roasted red pepper, and the green chilies.  Stir.  Cover and allow to steam to heat through.  Remove from heat.

Spoon quinoa mixture into each leaf.  Top off with cheese.  Fold romaine lettuce around the filling.

Enjoy!

~*~*~

These were really delicious.  My roommate even asked if we could have them again tonight.  And that is definitely the plan.  Not only are they easy to make and assemble, but they are full of flavor, low carb, high in protein, and just delicious.  As I like a little zing to mine, I added a splash of Cholula Hot Sauce to mine.

Looking for an easy meal to prepare without a lot of hassle and that’s not high in carbs or calories…give these a try.  Fill them with whatever you have on hand…or give my own recipe a try.  I’m totally looking forward to dinner tonight!

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Recipe: Grilled Portobello Mushroom Burgers

You know…with all the produce that I get delivered right to my door, it’s amazing I talk myself into buying anything else while out at the grocery store.  However, for some reason, I had the urge to make portobello mushroom burgers this week.  I have plenty of produce to use already, but no…these just had to be made.  I had made up my mind already in my head and all I needed were organic portobello mushroom caps…which my local grocery store happened to have.

The rest…was inspired by a recipe on Pinterest…which I then deviated from to work with the fresh veggies and items I had on hand in my fridge.  So…here is the recipe…

Recipe: Grilled Portobello Mushroom Burgers

Grilled Portobello Mushroom Burger
Grilled Portobello Mushroom Burger

Servings: 2
Time: Prep 10 minutes; Cook 10 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 2 portabello mushrooms, cleaned and gills removed
  • 2-1/2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tablespoons soy sauce (I used San-J Reduced Sodium Tamari)
  • 1-1/2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
  • 6 grape tomatoes, sliced into rounds
  • 1/4 roasted red pepper, chopped
  • 1 ounce goat cheese
  • 1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (I used Galaxy Mozzarella Rice Shreds)
  • 2 leaves romaine lettuce
  • 2 buns, split (I used Schär Gluten-Free Sandwich Rolls)
  • butter for spreading on buns


Directions:

Heat grill to medium-high heat.

Combine balsamic vinegar, soy sauce, olive oil, garlic powder and onion powder in a small bowl.  Pour over mushrooms, tossing a few times, and let marinate for 10 minutes.

When grill is nice and hot, turn heat back to medium and grill mushrooms for about 5 minutes each side.

During the last 2 minutes of grilling, throw buttered buns on just long enough to heat through, melt butter, and impart a nice grill mark on bread.

Remove mushrooms and bread from grill.

Place tomatoes, peppers, goat cheese and mozzarella cheese inside portobello cap.  Place in a hot pan and sprinkle water inside.  Cover to allow cheese to melt.  Remove from pan.

To assemble the burger, place romaine lettuce leaf on bun, then top with the vegetable and cheese topped mushroom.  Place top of bun on top and enjoy!

~*~*~

I handed this over to my burger-loving, meat-eating roommate and she took the first bite.  Her exact words were, “This tastes like a burger.  If you didn’t tell me it was a portobello mushroom, I wouldn’t know!”

Awesome.  I must say, the marinade does make all the difference when it comes to eating something like mushrooms.  This was a fantastic burger to dine on.  I added a little kick to mine buy spreading each bun with some Koops Arizona Heat mustard.  It was a really delicious and healthy dinner.  And it’s very easy to make and assemble too, which is even better.

Love mushrooms? Or looking for an alternative to red meat?  Give this one a try.  Honestly…it was SO good.

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Recipe: Cauliflower “Breadsticks”

This was definitely one of those recipes I had to make to believe that it was even possible.  I came across the recipe from my friend Robert, who made them last week for his family and raved about them.  And…something of the like had been up and on Pinterest for awhile.  I never pinned it though because I was wondering how that might work.  Granted, I have a ton of other recipes that involve using cauliflower as the “bread” part of a dish…but this one…this one I never pinned.

But with Robert’s seal of approval…and with a head of cauliflower in my crisper drawer from my last CSA bin…I figured…why not give it a shot?  It could bake while I did my circuit training and then as it was finishing up, I could heat up the sauce to dip it in.

So, with massive thanks to Robert and to Healthier Every Day on Tumblr, I share with you this delicious, naturally gluten-free, and very nutritious take on breadsticks.

Recipe:

Cauliflower "Breadsticks"
Cauliflower “Breadsticks”

Servings: 4 (two slices per serving, as pictured)
Time: Prep 10 minutes; Bake 50 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 head of cauliflower, grated
  • 1 whole egg, plus one egg white, lightly beaten
  • 1/4 cup 2% shredded mozzarella cheese
  • Herbs and spices – whatever you love!
  • 1 teaspoon olive oil

 

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix all ingredients together (except oil) in a large bowl until evenly distributed.

Line a Pyrex dish with parchment paper and use olive oil to grease the parchment paper.

Spread and flatten the cauliflower mixture on the parchment paper evenly – about 1 inch thick. Square off the edges so it looks like a rectangle or square.

Bake for 40 minutes until slightly dried out, browning, and firm to the touch.

Remove from oven and using a spatula carefully peel away from parchment paper.  Flip over and return to oven for 10 more minutes.

**They are a little eggy, but the longer you cook them, the more bread-like and crispy they become.

Enjoy!

~*~*~

As a dipping sauce, I heated up a serving of Dave’s Gourmet Butternut Squash Pasta Sauce.  It was a nice pairing.

Now, as far as how I seasoned this massive mixture of cauliflower, I simply threw in (and I didn’t measure…just eyeballed it all) some dried parsley, some dried oregano, some dried basil, some dried thyme, some dill weed, some dried rosemary, a touch of garlic powder, and a little dash of ground red pepper.  I also mixed in some freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano.  My co-worker had suggested some of my gluten-free breadcrumbs…but I was hungry and didn’t want to fuss with it…this time.  I have a feeling I’ll totally be making this again and will include those.

Needless to say…while they aren’t exactly the same texture as breadsticks, they are healthy, low calorie, low carb, and very nutritious.  And, they smell like pizza hut breadsticks as they are baking.  How awesome is that?

A serving (that’s 2 pieces) will set you back only 95 calories and 4 grams of fat.  One serving also provides 6 grams of carbohydrates and 5 grams of protein.  Filling…while also not  adding to the waistline.  Gotta love that.

Looking to incorporate more vegetables in your diet…this is a great way to do it.  I recommend giving it a try.  I loved them and can’t wait to make them again…and see how else I can dress up the recipe.

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Recipe: Gluten-Free and Vegan Mediterranean Pizza

Okay…I’ve become addicted to using hummus as the “saucy” part of a pizza.  I admit it.  Why?  Because it challenges me to come up with flavors that will pair well with it.  After my use of it yesterday on my version of a Tostada Pizza…I was ready to take on a new challenge.  And that’s exactly what I did.

Tonight, I created a version of a Mediterranean Pizza…once again utilizing hummus as the base and building the flavors on that.  Tonight’s result turned out to be one of my favorite pizzas that I have created to date.  I only wish I had a much more clever name for it.  But…that can always change.

There is some prep involved in this, but I promise…all the roasting, toasting, and caramelizing is worth it in the end!

Recipe: Gluten-Free and Vegan Mediterranean Pizza

Gluten-Free & Vegan Mediterranean Pizza
Gluten-Free & Vegan Mediterranean Pizza


Servings: 4 – 12 (depending on the size crust you use)
Time: Prep 40 minutes; Cook 15 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 1 Pizza crust (either homemade or store-bought) (I used Rustic Crust Gluten-Free Napoli Herb Crust)
  • Wild Garden Sun-Dried Tomato Hummus
  • 1/2 red onion, sliced
  • 1 red bell pepper, roasted
  • 6 organic plum tomatoes, sliced
  • 2 ounces (more if you are doing a larger pizza) goat cheese
  • 4 ounces mozzarella cheese (I used mozzarella flavor rice shreds)
  • 1 cup chopped spring mix lettuce
  • 2 tablespoons (more if your pizza is larger) toasted pine nuts

 

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

Wash the red bell pepper and place on a cookie sheet.  Roast in the oven, turning every 15 minutes, until done (about 30 minutes).  Place roasted peppers in a covered bowl or brown paper bag to make the skin easier to peel.  Once the peppers have cooled, carefully peel off the blackened skin and discard.  Pull or cut off the top of the pepper and squeeze gently to remove the seeds.  You can do this ahead of time, slice the peppers, and then keep in the refrigerator until you need to use them.

Once your peppers are out of the oven and chopped, dust your pizza stone with cornmeal and place in the oven to preheat.  If you are using a pizza pan, you do not need to do this.

Caramelize your red onion.  Slice your onions into half-rounds and place in a hot pan with olive oil.  Cook the onions over medium low heat, stirring every couple of minutes.  Adjust the heat so that they merely sizzle and continue to cook on medium-low to low heat, stirring, until the onions are soft and anywhere from honey-colored to deep brown, depending on how caramelized you like them.

While the onions are caramelizing, get out a small skillet and place over medium-low heat.  Pour in your pine nuts and shake the pan until the nuts are a golden brown.  Take off the heat and set aside.

Remove your pizza stone from the oven (or prep your pizza pan).  If you made your own pizza dough, cook it as you normally would, then remove to add the toppings.  If you are using a store-bought crust, simply place the crust in the center of the stone or pan.

Spread a layer of Wild Garden Sun-Dried Tomato Hummus across the crust.  Next, sprinkle the pizza with the caramelized onions.  Add the slices of plum tomato.  Then scatter your chopped roasted red pepper over the pizza.

Using your fingers, break apart the goat cheese and carefully drop small pieces of it around the pizza surface over the vegetables.  Add as much as you like.  Then, give a light dusting of mozzarella cheese to the pizza.

Place in the oven and cook the pizza for 8 – 10 minutes, allowing the crust to turn golden and the cheese to melt.  Remove from the oven and scatter chopped mixed lettuce greens over the top.

Next, drop toasted pine nuts over the top of the pizza and place back in the oven for 1 minute more, allowing the greens to just wilt.

Remove from oven, slice, enjoy.

~*~*~

Whew.  Like I said…the prep work that goes into this particular pizza can be quite daunting, but honestly, so much of it can be done ahead of time, or while something else is going on the stove or heating in the oven.  Chopping the vegetables is easy

The result, however, is a bold, delicious pizza with an amazing crisp crust.  The hummus creates a rich base that pairs beautifully with the roasted, toasted, and caramelized flavors of the toppings to this pizza.  I added the pine nuts for a bit of texture and they were a fantastic addition in the end.  It was my first time ever using pine nuts and now I can’t wait to try something else with them in it.

Looking for a different sort of pizza to serve on pizza night?  Try a blend of Mediterranean flavors that is sure to impress your taste buds and your dinner companions.

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Recipe: Gluten-Free (and vegan…for me) Tostada Pizza

This was one of my favorite recipes for my mom to make when I was growing up.  Honestly.  She was the best at making her Tostada Pizza…including mixing the dough from scratch.

Of course, since my childhood a few things about me have changed.  First of all…I became a vegetarian back in 2010 and have never looked back.  So, the first alteration to the recipe I had to make was replacing the ground beef.  Thankfully, Trader Joe’s makes an amazing gluten-free and vegan chorizo.  YUM!  Secondly, I had to go gluten-free back in 2011.  So, the crust recipe had to change as well.  While I can make a gluten-free pizza crust, it was getting late, so I used a pre-made gluten-free pizza crust instead.  It worked just as well.

I’m going to post the original recipe for my mom’s Tostada Pizza here.  But I am going to make note as to how I changed it up to make it gluten-free and vegan.  If you are simply looking for a good pizza recipe, need a good gluten-free pizza recipe, or need a good gluten-free and vegan pizza recipe…this will do it (and hopefully not confuse you too much).

Recipe: Tostada Pizza

Gluten-Free & Vegan Tostada Pizza
Gluten-Free & Vegan Tostada Pizza


Servings: 4 – 12 (depending on crust you use and size)
Time: Prep 15 minutes; Cook 15-25 minutes

Ingredients for pizza crust**:

  • 2 tbsp yellow cornmeal
  • 2 cups packaged biscuit mix (use gluten-free Bisquick or other gluten-free pizza crust mix)
  • 1/2 cup water

**Or…use a pre-made and store bought gluten-free pizza crust to save time.  I used Rustic Crust Gluten Free Napoli Herb crust, which I purchased at the grocery store**

Ingredients for pizza:

  • 1 pound ground beef (I used Trader Joe’s Gluten-Free & Vegan Soy Chorizo)
  • 3 tbsp chopped green chilies
  • 1 package taco seasoning (make sure this is gluten-free) (I didn’t use this in my recipe as I was using vegan chorizo, which is already spicy)
  • 3/4 cup water
  • 1 (16 ounce) can refried beans (I used Wild Garden Traditional Hummus)
  • 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese (I used Rice Shreds)
  • 1 cup lettuce, chopped
  • 1 cup tomato, chopped
  • 1/2 cup onion, chopped
  • taco sauce


Directions:

Sprinkle your pizza stone or a well-greased 12 inch pizza pan with cornmeal.

If making your own crust, combine the biscuit mix and 1/2 cup of water.  Stir with a fork until dough forms a ball.  Turn dough on a lightly floured surface; knead 5 to 6 times.  Roll to a 14 inch circle, pat into pizza pan or place on pizza stone, crimping the edges.  Bake at 425 degrees for 12 minutes or until golden brown.

If you are using a store bought pizza crust or gluten-free pizza crust…simply heat up your stone with the cornmeal on it.  Do not pre-bake the crust unless it is raw.

If you are not a vegan/vegetarian, brown the meat; drain grease.  Stir in the green chilies, taco seasoning mix and 3/4 cup water.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered for 10 to 15 minutes.  Skip this step if you are making a vegetarian version, unless you opt to use soy crumbles.  To take out the guesswork on the taco seasoning, I simply went with a vegan and gluten-free chorizo that I didn’t need to cook or add seasoning to.

Spread refried beans (or in my case, hummus) over the pizza crust.  Top with the meat and chilies.  Bake at 425 degrees for 8 – 10 minutes.  Remove from oven and top with cheese.  Bake 2 minutes more or until cheese melts.  Remove from oven and sprinkle with lettuce, tomato, onion, and taco sauce on top.

~*~*~

I apologize for the unwieldy nature of this recipe.  But…changing up my mom’s original recipe to suit my dietary needs isn’t always easy.  And…I didn’t want to take away from the original recipe (even in this…a vegetarian food blog).  So…make substitutions as you see fit…just as I did.

The result…a pizza just like how my mom used to make it…except completely vegan in my case!  I remember why I loved it so much.  It’s like eating a taco in pizza form.  Two of the best comfort foods out there.

Want something different…go ahead and give this recipe a try.  Whether you are a vegan/vegetarian or not…and whether you need to eat gluten-free or not…this recipe will work either way.

Yummy!

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Recipe: Sicilian Sweet Potatoes with Caramelized Onions

Sometimes when I don’t get a CSA bin…I go a little produce happy at the grocery store.  This is a dangerous thing because I nearly always run out of week to actually make things with the stuff I buy before my CSA bin arrives on Friday.  So, as this week went on…I was attempting to make sure I was using the items that I purchased in lieu of having to cancel my bin last week while I was out of town.

One of the items that I purchased at my new favorite grocery store (Earth Fare…if you have one, don’t walk…run there!  Or drive.  Your choice…) was potatoes.  Two kinds.  Your standard russet potatoes, which I baked up last night with a little olive oil, salt, butter and some (vegan) cheese melted over them.  And sweet potatoes…because I love sweet potatoes.  They are rich in Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Potassium, and Iron.  Plus, for the runner in me…a great source of nutritious, unprocessed carbohydrates.

So my quandary last night was just how I wanted to top these off.  With sweet potatoes…you can get rather creative if you want.  So, after glancing through the refrigerator…I settled on the recipe that follows.

Recipe: Sicilian Sweet Potatoes with Caramelized Onions

Sicilian Sweet Potatoes with Caramelized Onions
Sicilian Sweet Potatoes with Caramelized Onions

Servings: 2
Time: Prep 10 minutes; Cook 45 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 2 medium sweet potatoes (about 6 ounces each)
  • olive oil
  • garlic salt
  • garlic powder
  • paprika
  • dill weed
  • dried rosemary
  • 1/4 of a red onion, sliced
  • salt
  • 2 – 3 tbsp white wine
  • 1 cup marinara (homemade or store bought)
  • shredded mozzarella cheese (I used Mozzarella Flavor Rice Shreds)


Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Rinse the sweet potatoes and pat each of them dry.  Prick them numerous times with a fork.

In a small dish, mix together a blend of garlic salt, garlic powder, paprika and dill weed.  Brush the sweet potatoes with a light coating of olive oil.  Then sprinkle the seasoning mixture over them, turning to season each one entirely.  Add a little dried rosemary over each of the sweet potatoes.  Place on a baking sheet and then bake in the oven for 45 – 60 minutes.

While the potatoes are baking, cut up 1/4 of a red onion into half-rounds.

Heat a pan over medium heat and add olive oil.  Once the oil is heated, add the red onion to the pan stir until the onions are coated in olive oil.  Keep heating over low-medium heat, stirring occasionally.  After about 10 minutes, add a sprinkle of salt.  Continue to cook over the lower heat until the onions are soft and anywhere from honey-colored to deep brown, depending on how caramelized you want them to be.  Add a splash of the white wine and allow the onions to absorb it completely.

Next, heat up your marinara.  I used my homemade marinara ( https://veggiefoodlover.wordpress.com/2012/06/30/recipe-homemade-marinara-sauce/ ), but you can use any store-bought variety as well.  Just give it a warm over a hot burner or in the microwave.

Remove the sweet potatoes from the oven and turn the broiler on.  Cut a slit into the sweet potatoes and open them up.  Spoon in the caramelized onion, then top each one with a generous serving of marinara.  Sprinkle mozzarella cheese over the top and then put in under the broiler for about 1 minute, or until the cheese has nicely melted.

Serve…and enjoy!

~*~*~

I know that marinara coated sweet potatoes sound a little bizarre, but trust me…these were amazing.  The sweetness of the potato mingled so well with the sweet flavor of the caramelized onion.  The rich tomato flavor of the marinara was the perfect topper.  And the melted cheese on top just finished it off.  It was like…sweet potato gnocchi without going through the trouble of making gnocchi from scratch.  The potato cooked to a soft, sweet perfection…and it was topped off with a whole lot of vegetable goodness.  And the seasoning on the skin was perfection on the tongue.

I’m totally making this again!  I love it when a food experiment goes right.