Monday, July 29, 2013

Even better Cauliflower pizza crust

The Secret To Perfect Cauliflower Pizza Crust
Author: 
 
A grain-free alternative to traditional pizza crust, that you can pick up with your hands!
Ingredients
  • 4 cups raw cauliflower rice (about one medium head)
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • ⅓ cup soft goat cheese (chevre)
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • pinch of salt
Instructions
  1. Preheat your oven to 400F.
  2. To make the cauliflower rice, pulse batches of raw cauliflower florets in a food processor, until a rice-like texture is achieved.
  3. Fill a large pot with about an inch of water, and bring it to a boil. Add the “rice” and cover; let it cook for about 4-5 minutes. Drain into a fine-mesh strainer.
  4. THIS IS THE SECRET: Once you’ve strained the rice, transfer it to a clean, thin dishtowel. Wrap up the steamed rice in the dishtowel, twist it up, then SQUEEZE all the excess moisture out! It’s amazing how much extra liquid will be released, which will leave you with a nice and dry pizza crust.
  5. In a large bowl, mix up your strained rice, beaten egg, goat cheese, and spices. (Don’t be afraid to use your hands! You want it very well mixed.) It won’t be like any pizza dough you’ve ever worked with, but don’t worry– it’ll hold together!
  6. Press the dough out onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. (It’s important that it’s lined with parchment paper, or it will stick.) Keep the dough about ⅓” thick, and make the edges a little higher for a “crust” effect, if you like.
  7. Bake for 35-40 minutes at 400F. The crust should be firm, and golden brown when finished.
  8. Now’s the time to add all your favorites– sauce, cheese, and any other toppings you like. Return the pizza to the 400F oven, and bake an additional 5-10 minutes, just until the cheese is hot and bubbly.
  9. Slice and serve immediately!
Notes
Time-Saving Tip: I recommend making a double-batch of cauliflower pizza crusts–> make one for now, and save one for later. After baking the crusts, wrap up the extra pizza crust in foil, and FREEZE it for a quick “frozen pizza” to enjoy another night! All you need to do is add toppings and bake at 400F, until the cheese is hot and bubbly.

Monday, July 22, 2013

Summer Vegetable Tian


Ingredients
  • 1 Tbsp olive oil $0.11
  • 1 medium yellow onion $0.70
  • 1 tsp minced garlic $0.08
  • 1 medium zucchini $0.71
  • 1 medium yellow squash $0.85
  • 1 medium potato $0.91
  • 1 medium tomato $1.65
  • 1 tsp dried thyme $0.05
  • to taste salt & pepper $0.05
  • 1 cup shredded Italian cheese $1.49
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Finely dice the onion and mince the garlic. Saute both in a skillet with olive oil until softened (about five minutes).
  2. While the onion and garlic are sauteing, thinly slice the rest of the vegetables.
  3. Spray the inside of an 8×8 square or round baking dish with non-stick spray. Spread the softened onion and garlic in the bottom of the dish. Place the thinly sliced vegetables in the baking dish vertically, in an alternating pattern. Sprinkle generously with salt, pepper, and thyme.
  4. Cover the dish with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil, top with cheese and bake for another 15-20 minutes or until the cheese is golden brown.
  5. Dice the onion and get it cooking with the garlic and olive oil in a skillet.
  6. Meanwhile, slice the veggies very thin. (I didn’t dare try to use my mandolin again!)
  7. When the onions are soft and translucent, place them in the bottom of a baking dish (8×8 or round pie size). I sprayed the inside of my dish to make sure nothing would stick… I have a hunch that rubbing it with butter would add amazing flavor but I didn’t think of that till just now.
  8. Alternate the vegetables in the dish. They don’t have to be pretty. I started out with it looking nice and in a distinct pattern but then I realized that I had a bunch left over and just started jamming them in there… I didn’t want to waste any precious veggies. It all worked out in the end. Oh yeah, sprinkle generously with salt, pepper, and thyme. GENEROUSLY.
  9. Cover the dish with foil and bake in a preheated 400 degree oven for 30 minutes. Remove the foil, sprinkle with cheese and bake for another 15-20 minutes or until the cheese is nice and golden brown. ENJOY!


Parmesan broiled tilapia

4 Tilapia Fillets 
1/4 c parmesan cheese 
1/8 c butter 
1 1/2 T greek yogurt 
1 T lemon juice seasoning 
turn broiler to high combine all ingredients except talipia 
place tilapia on a foil lined pan broil 3 minutes 
flip over - put the parmesan mixture over uncooked sides of tilapia return to oven and broil 3-4 minutes

paprika
parsley