Delicious and Healthy Cauliflower Crust Pizza

I have this love affair with food, but I have known for quite some time, that I will have to reform some of my foodie ways and start making healthier versions of the things I love. I am getting older and I certainly don't want to grow horizontally.  I decided to try making a cauliflower crust pizza to satisfy my hankering for ooey gooey cheesy pizza. It was a great success.

Well.

Almost.

It was tasty, and filling and cheesy and saucy and all the great things a pizza should be, so I thought I could make this pizza and trick my son into eating more vegetables by not telling him the crust was made with cauliflower.

 I made two pizzas. A supreme pizza loaded with veggies, sweet Italian Turkey Sausage and Pepperoni for me and a plain Pepperoni for him. I tried very hard to pass this vegetable crust pizza off as the real thing. Let me tell ya, it was an epic FAIL. My son is quite the pizza connoisseur because I have taken him to some of the best pizzerias in Los Angeles and his nine year old taste buds are pretty refined when it comes to pizza, so passing off a pepperoni pizza on cauliflower crust didn't quite fly. Our conversation went like this:

Me: "I have got a surprise for you!"

Little Man: "What is it mom?"

"Me: "PIZZA!!!"

Little Man: "YAY !"

My son was really excited. Very excited.

Until he put the pizza in his mouth...

Little Man: "What did you make this with, it tastes like dead vegetables mixed with garlic. I need to help you next time mom, so I can see what you put in this stuff" "Stick with your original pizza recipe mom"

Okay, so for him, no es bueno, but I LOVED IT! Now, don't get it twisted, it does not taste 100% like the real thing, but it is pretty close and very very tasty and the cherry on top is that its healthy and low carb. This is a great way to eat healthy and still enjoy some of the bad stuff we aren't supposed to have. I really like stuff I'm not supposed to have, so finding ways to make things that are bad for me, good for me is a win win in my book. Are you ready to try some healthy pizza?

You will need one head of fresh cauliflower. Put it in a food processor or use a cheese grater until it looks like snow. Microwave it for 5 minutes and then dump all of it in a towel and squeeze all of the water out of it. You must get as much of the water and moisture out of it as possible for your crust to turn out good.

 Add all of the spices and an egg and mix it together

Use parchment paper (not wax paper) and shape dough with your hands and bake in oven until golden brown

Your crust should be a nice golden brown in 15-20 minutes.

It is very important to precook the crust so that it can withstand the toppings without getting soggy

Add your pizza sauce and spread all over the crust

Ready to go into the oven

The finished product

The pepperoni pizza ready to bake

The finished product was pretty delicious. I made two pizzas and customized the toppings, but you can also make one large pizza, just adjust the toppings if you choose to make one big pizza.

Ingredients

For the Crust

1 large head of cauliflower cut into small pieces

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon oregano

1/2 teaspoon pink Himalayan sea salt

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 cup freshly shredded mozzarella cheese

2 eggs 

Toppings

Approximately 1 cup pizza sauce

1 1/4 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese

1/2 green bell pepper

1/4 cup sliced red onion

1/2 cup pepperoni

1/4 cup sweet Italian turkey sausage 

1/4 cup sliced black olives

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450

Put your cauliflower in a food processor and blend until it is the consistency of snow. (You can try using a cheese grater if you do not have a food processor). Put your cauliflower in a bowl and microwave for 5 minutes. Let it cool and wrap all of the cauliflower in a towel and squeeze all the water out of it. Once you have removed all the water from the cauliflower, put it in a dry bowl and mix in the spices, cheese and egg. You will end up with a cauliflower dough.

Use a sheet of parchment paper and shape your dough into a round pizza, no bigger than your pan or pizza stone. Put parchment paper with the dough on it, onto the pan and bake 15-20 minutes until golden brown.

Spread your pizza sauce on the crust, sprinkle the cheese and your other toppings and bake for 15-20 minutes.

I love to have salad with pizza, so I made a chopped salad and garnished with fresh avocado. Perfect healthy and satisfying dinner.

Bon Appetit!

Strawberry Poppyseed Chicken Salad

It is a new year and most of us have indulged in holiday eating more than we care to admit. I ate a lot of cake and cookies and pie and macaroni and cheese. Did I mention that I ate a lot of cake, cookies and pie? I enjoyed every last crumb too. I don't even feel guilty. Okay, maybe a little. Well, the holidays are over and it is time to get serious about eating healthy. I am excited about eating a rainbow of fruits and vegetables and you should be too. You and I will feel so much better. This salad is something special.

It's really special

 

This salad is so good I have eaten it three days in a row. 

 

Yes.

 

It's that good.

 

 I love a good salad, especially a colorful salad that is chock full of fruit and fresh vegetables. One of my favorite salads is the strawberry poppy seed chicken salad at Panera Bread. It is one of their signature summer salads and I enjoy it quite often in the summer. After experimenting in my kitchen, I came up with my own delicious salad inspired by Panera, but with a few of my own special touches. This is simple, delicious and healthy. Try this and watch those holiday hips go away. If you are watching your sugar intake, you can swap the poppy seed dressing for a simple mix of Braggs apple cider vinegar, olive oil, Dijon and a hint of agave. Are you ready to taste this colorful masterpiece?

I like to mix my salad greens and I always include baby spinach

A little spring mix and romaine add more color and texture

And then the berries

oh the berries...

Mandarin oranges add additional sweetness

The Panera version of this salad has pecans, but I switched it up with toasted walnuts

Grilled chicken is the final ingredient. The salad is equally delicious if you make it completely vegetarian, but we need our protein. Don't we? I'm ready for some salad. How about you?

 

 

Ingredients

2 chicken breast halves seasoned and cooked

For the Lemon Poppy seed Dressing

1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 teaspoons diced onion
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup olive oil or regular vegetable oil
1 tablespoon poppy seeds

Add all ingredients except oil and poppyseeds to the blender or a food processor. When everything is well blended, start adding the oil a little at a time in a steady stream. Add the poppyseeds and process for a few minutes.

In a large salad bowl, combine the salad greens, fruit and walnuts. Toss with dressing and put a mound of salad one each plate and add the chicken.

Makes approximately 10 generous servings

Go ahead and tell everyone you spent all day slaving over a cold salad:-)

Bon Appetit!

Chili and Cornbread

Chili and cornbread is great comfort food. Chunks of seasoned ground turkey swimming in a spicy tomato broth with beans is a satisfying meal, but add a hunk of cornbread and some honey butter and that's some darn good eatin:-) If you are watching carb intake you can always omit the cornbread.

This is perfect for those days when you want something comforting and hearty, but completely healthy. There are some ingredients that give this a great dimension of flavor and you might not be accustomed to them in a savory dish. 

Unsweetened chocolate is very common in Mexican cooking and is usually added to moles.  I love the extra layer of flavor it gives this chili. Adding unsweetened chocolate adds body, color and flavor. The tiny hint of brown sugar balances the saltiness and spiciness of the chili. This chili also has three different beans and each one adds something special to the taste of the chili. The ground turkey instead of beef makes this quite a bit healthier than traditional chili. I always love to sprinkle some cheddar cheese and green onions on top or a dollop of sour cream.

Ingredients 
1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil
1 onion finely chopped
2 stalks celery chopped
1 small green chili pepper seeded and chopped
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 pound ground turkey
2 cups water
2 beef bouillon cubes
1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes and the juice
1 15 oz can chili beans in spicy sauce
1 15 oz can red kidney beans
1 15 oz can black beans
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa 

Directions:
 Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat and add onions, garlic, chili pepper and celery.  Saute until fragrant Place turkey in the pot, and cook until evenly brown.
 Pour water into the pot and add bouillon cubes. Mix in tomatoes, chili beans, kidney beans and black beans. Add  all seasonings: chili powder, paprika, oregano, cayenne pepper, cumin, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 30 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary.

Chili is one of those dishes where you have to taste and adjust flavors as you go. You can add more peppers to give it kick, or substitute beer for the water. Beer in chili is one of those things I can't explain. It just makes it taste good. And if you don't drink, don't worry about the alcohol because it will cook out only leaving great flavor.

Bon Appetit!