Best Gluten-free Pizza Crust Yet

This is more like a light foccacia bread, but it's super tasty, and I really liked using it for pizza.  It was a moderately-adventurous experiment, as I substituted a flour mix for the original ingredients called for in the recipe, and it turned out fabulous.  So, here is my version:

Foccacia-inspired Pizza Crust

2 c. Bob's Red Mill Biscuit & Baking Mix
1 1/3 c. milk (I use plain Rice Dream)
4 eggs (~1 1/3 cup--this is useful because I get ungraded farm eggs, and they can really vary in size)
1 t. salt
1 t. garlic salt
2 T italian seasoning (or pizza seasoning)

Mix gently, don't over-beat.  Batter will be lumpy and more like thick cake batter than bread dough.  Scrape into a greased cookie sheet (the kind with sides) and spread as evenly as possible.  Bake for about 15 minutes in a 400-425F oven (my oven runs hot, so 400 it is for me).

Take it out, top with your favorite things, (make sure any meats are pre-cooked), and put it back in until the cheese is melted.  We had marinara, mozzarella, olives, sliced fresh tomatoes and kippered herring.  (All natural, Bar Harbor kippered herring--it's really yummy.)  Another good one is pesto (I like Costco's), olives, sundried tomatoes, mushrooms and smoked salmon.  Or, the kids' favorite, sauce of any kind, cheese, olives & pineapple tidbits.

This disappeared so fast that I didn't get a photo.  I'll try to snap one the next time I make it--which will probably be soon!

Best Vegan Mac & Cheese in the World (Seriously)

Best Vegan Mac & Cheese in the World
(Original recipe found here.)

Servings:

This recipe fed my family of seven (who eat a TON) for a dinner and lunch, with a bowl left over for me to snack on.  

Sauce Ingredients

1 1/2 c plain almond milk
1/3 c Bragg's Liquid Aminos
1 1/2 c nutritional yeast
1 T paprika
1 T garlic powder
1 t Real Salt or Real Salt's yummy seasoned salt (opt)
1 T Salt-free seasoning (I like Costco's, but Vege-Sal works too.)
1/4 block firm Tofu (not silken!)
1 C Safflower oil (could easily be cut by half)
1 dollop mustard
(1/2 c. water, if making oven version with brown rice pasta.  If using wheat pasta, use 1 c. water.)

Mix all ingredients in a blender and buzz until very well-combined.

Pasta

2 lbs Tinkyada brown rice pasta (or 1 1/2 lbs regular), cooked according to package directions.

Pour sauce over drained pasta, mix gently and serve right away.

Oven version:

Preheat oven to 350F.  Add 1 c. water to the blender with sauce ingredients.  Place cooked pasta in large pan (a big pyrex works well, or a casserole dish--but you want something shallow and wide rather than smaller and deep, as you want as much lightly crisped crust on top as possible), and pour sauce over the top.  Bake for about 15 minutes, or until top is crispy.  (According to the original: " . . . but not too crispy because that is gross." lol)

Variations:

You can add all manner of yummy things to this . . . carmelized onions and sauteed green beans, green peas and pearl onions, etc.  There are pages and pages of comments at the link above, if you want to see what others have done.

Opinion & Mods:

Now, this doesn't taste like Kraft . . . but do you really want it to? ;o)  This is a more complex, more "grown up's cheese" flavor . . . and it's awesome comfort food.  The sauce could easily be tweaked to smooth out the flavor and make it a little more Kraft-like.


The next time I make it, I'm going to cut back a bit on the nutritional yeast, and maybe on the Paprika.  I'll taste the sauce as I go and see what I think.

Sorry there's no photo . . . it was so yummy I entirely forgot!  Next time . . . next time . . . 

A few changes around here . . .

So, since my last post (eons ago, I know), a few dietary events have taken place.

Well, there have been a ton of them (meals, you know), but here are the most important:

• I've done a long stint as a raw vegan (and loved it!)
• I've discovered I'm gluten-intolerant (one bite and boy do I know it!)
• I've renewed my commitment to being completely dairy free (coconuts are my best friends)
• I've discovered I'm pregnant (14 weeks as of this post--but of course I've known for a while)

So, as you might be able to see, the recipes I post here are going to take a new bent.  I have a bunch of recipes I've saved up over the last long while, and I'll start posting the ones I love (hopefully with photos, if I can remember, lol), along with links to my favorite resources for gluten-free and other alternative dietary sites and recipes.

Tonight we're celebrating our youngest's birthday, and I've tried a bunch of new stuff . . . here's the menu:

Gf-df mac & cheesy sauce

Preservative-free turkey franks

Spinach salad

Pamela's decadent chocolate cake (the only thing from a commercial mix)

Peach coconut milk ice cream

Reveiws, etc., to come . . . I hope you enjoy what I have to share, and that it helps ease the challenge of eating outside the S.A.D.

Bon apetit!

Banana Cream Pie Smoothie

3 small bananas (or 2 large)  Make sure they're really ripe, with some brown speckles on them (or at LEAST no sign of green anywhere).  Ripe bananas make all the difference!

2 ripe pears (Bosc are my favorite, they're still in season kinda/sorta, and they thicken this like pudding).

3 Cuties (those easy-peel manadarin/clementine oranges).  You could probably substitute one regualr orange if you don't have these.

1 one-hand handful of almonds

2 Tablespoon scoops of unsweetened shredded coconut

40 drops Stevita liquid stevia (or about 30-35 drops KAL or Sweet Leaf liquid)

~1 C. rice milk (optional)

6-8 ice cubes (made with filtered water)

I put all of the above (minus peels! lol) in the Vita-Mix, and then add water until the water line is about 3/4 of the way to the top.  Walk it up to high and blend until creamy and smooth (less than a minute, but it seems like a long time when it's going that fast!).

My older daughter, the pickiest smoothie drinker ever, says this is better than her favorite pink smoothies, which is seriously high praise!

These could also be made in a regular blender--it would just take a little more careful blending order and longer blending time.  Put the almonds, rice milk, and stevia in first, and blend them into a smooth cream.  Add the rest of the ingredients, and buzz thoroughly.  Enjoy!

Easy Peasy Raw Bowl of Comfort

So, the Principled Chef has gone raw. In honor of this shift in nutritional fare, I'm going to post one of my favorite recipes. More recipes will come, as I'm building a repertoire of simple favorites.

This is what I had this morning, but I think I'll use it for lunch or dinner in the future, as I missed my fruity green smoothie. ;o) The ingredients sound a little strange, but when you get them all together, it's so yummy, and really reminds me strongly of "regular" cereal. It's as satisfying as bread used to be . . .

Easy Peasy Raw Bowl of Comfort*

1 T flax seeds
2 T sesame seeds (I like brown)
2 T sunflower seeds
1/2 ripe banana
Cereal liquid of choice (I like vanilla rice milk, but go with what you like--even just hot water if you wanted something warm on a cold day.)

Grind the seeds together in a blender, coffee grinder, etc. I like it ground pretty well, but stop before it solidifies into sunflower seed butter. Put it in a bowl, add the banana and rice milk, and enjoy.

You can sweeten with honey, etc., but it really doesn't need it with a good banana. A little banana in each bite, and you can taste the lovely, clean, nuttiness of the cereal along with the banana. When it's sweetened, I can't taste the seeds as well, and it's not as satisfying for me.

*Adapted from a privately-published local recipe book, Eating Your Way Back to Health: A Guide to Anti-Inflammatory Cooking, by Jessica K. Black, ND

Organic Honey Chocolate Cake

This is something I adapted from a recipe found online at Cooks.com. I used the minimum amount of cocoa powder the first time, and it was like a really rich honey cake; the chocolate wasn't that noticeable. Next time I'm going for the 4 T, and we'll see how much it changes. I believe I'm going to cut back a little on the honey as well, and see how that affects it. With a little of this on the side, a not-sweet-enough-cake won't be noticed at all. Oh, and my favorite part? This is a one bowl cake. Yep, One Bowl. That's my mantra, especially since I no longer have a good stand mixer. (The old Kitchen-Aid kicked the bucket, and I just can't afford the replacement. Trust me--the new Kitchen Aid's aren't made like they used to be.)

I used all organic ingredients when I made mine, and it was heavenly. It turned out moist and a wonderfully dense, but not so dense that it was brownie-like. If you leave out the baking powder, then you'd probably have brownies.

What you'll need:

• 1/2 c. butter
• 1 t. vanilla
• 2-4 T Rapunzel Organic cocoa powder
• 2 T. safflower oil
• 3/4 c. whole wheat pastry flour
• Chopped nuts (I use pecans)
• 1 c. honey
• 3 eggs
• 3/4 t. Rumford's baking powder (aluminum free)

In medium saucepan, melt butter, then add cocoa and oil. Remove from heat and stir in honey. Blend in eggs one at a time, then add vanilla. Stir in flour and nutst. Spread in a greased 8" x 8" pan. Bake at 350F for 30-45 minutes. Cool, and serve. (Although it's mighty yummy steaming hot and melting the frozen dessert of your choice.)

Photo coming soon . . . I'm thinking I'll make another one tonight . . .

Frozen Blueberry Pie, Oh My!

Words cannot describe the simple and simply wonderful way this pie goes together and turns into an amazing dessert.



Frozen Blueberry Pie

3 cups frozen blueberries (about one 16 oz bag)
3 T cornstarch
1 T raw honey
1 T lemon juice (fresh, or the kind preserved with citric acid--NOT Real Lemon brand)
1 pie crust (preferably frozen, so it doesn't get too dark; but you can use fresh if you want)
2-3 T butter

Mix the honey, lemon juice and cornstarch in a medium bowl. Add the frozen blueberries and toss well to coat. Pour the coated blueberries into the still-frozen pie crust and put little pats of the butter on top, evenly spaced.

Bake at 425F for about 50 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 and bake for 20-30 minutes more; until the juices are bubbling and thickened. Cover the crust's edges with foil or a pie shield if they seem to be getting too dark.

Serve with smooth, vanilla ice cream (the stronger the vanilla, the better). I opted for Vanilla So Delicious (a soy-based "ice cream"). Oh, and you'll want to make two, since frozen pie crusts usually come in two's, and you won't be able to keep the kids/guests/strangers-off-the-street-who-smell-it from downing the entire pie in one sitting.

Bon apetit!