Cauliflower Pizza Crust

Sadly, my sister’s winter break has come to an end.  It was too short and I already miss having her around. I feel so blessed to have her as my sister and best friend. One thing I especially appreciate is our shared love for cooking and baking.

While she was home, she introduced me to one of her new favorite recipes – pizza crust made of cauliflower. Strange, I know. I thought the same thing. Pizza is my favorite food, so I was a little skeptical of this recipe. However,  I was pleasantly surprised by the outcome. I’m not going to lie and say it’s just like eating a flour pizza, because it’s not. But it definitely is an incredibly tasty and healthy alternative. Go ahead, try it. I dare you.

Mexican Rice Bowl

My husband and I eat a lot of Mexican food. It always sounds good to me. We eat a lot of quesadillas, burritos, enchiladas and guacamole. This Mexican Rice Bowl is definitely my kind of meal. You may notice that I did not include ingredient measurements because I never measure for this recipe. It is that easy! We like to make individual bowls so that we can each add our own favorite toppings.

Ingredients:

Rice, cooked
Black beans, drained
Tomatoes, diced
Red onion, diced
Cilantro, chopped
Avocado, sliced
Fresh lime juice
Chicken, cooked (optional)

Instructions:

1. Add rice to a bowl or plate. Top with black beans, tomatoes, onion, chicken, cilantro, and avocado slices. Squeeze fresh lime juice over the entire dish. Serve warm. Enjoy!

 

Strawberry Poppy-seed Salad

This past weekend, my husband and I went to a birthday party for his brother and sister. The hosts of the party were planning to order pizza, but asked me to bring a salad. I did not even think twice about it; I knew that my favorite strawberry poppy-seed salad would be perfect for the party!

Strawberry Poppy-seed Salad

Ingredients:

1/2 Cup Almonds, slivered or sliced

2 Tablespoons sugar

1 bag spinach leaves

strawberries, sliced

blackberries

feta cheese

green onions (optional)

No-Rise Pizza Crust

Pizza has always been one of my favorite foods.  I am convinced I could eat it for dinner every night and not get sick of it. This no-rise pizza crust is easy and delicious!

No-Rise Pizza Crust

Yields four 9″ pizzas; Recipe from TheFauxMartha

Ingredients:

1 cup water, heated to 110 degrees

1 tbsp. olive oil

1 tbsp. sugar

1 envelope (2 1/4 tsp.) rapid-rise or instant yeast

1 3/4 c. all-purpose flour

1 c. whole wheat flour

1/4 c. grated parmesan cheese

1 tsp. sea salt

Sweet Potato Burger

I have always loved eating a nice juicy hamburger.  However, I have developed a new obsession with quinoa burgers, black bean burgers and sweet potato burgers. Don’t get me wrong…I still love hamburgers, but these sweet potato burgers are a much healthier (yet still delicious) option.

Sweet Potato Burger

Yields 4 burgers; recipe adapted from Howsweeteats

2 cups coarsely mashed sweet potatoes (or yams), about 2 large potatoes
1 cup cannellini beans (rinsed and drained if canned)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/3 cup panko bread crumbs
1/3 cup all-purpose or wheat flour
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/8 teaspoon cumin
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
1 avocado, sliced
4 whole wheat buns

1. Pierce potatoes all over with a fork,  place on a paper towel and set in the microwave. Microwave the potatoes for 5 minutes, then flip and cook for 5 minutes more. Remove, slice in half and let cool until you can scoop out the potato.
2. In a large bowl, mash beans with a fork. Add in sweet potato and coarsely mash together. Then add in spices, salt and pepper, minced garlic, egg, panko and flour. Mix together until combined, then place bowl in the fridge for 15-20 minutes.
3. Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add 2 tablespoons olive oil. Remove mixture from fridge and form into 4 equal patties, then place in the skillet once hot. Since the mixture can be messy and wet, do not move until they are fully cooked and golden on one side. This takes about 5-6 minutes. Then, add more oil if needed and flip burgers very gently. Cook for another 5-6 minutes.
4. Toast buns and add avocado if desired.