Cauliflower Crust Pizza with Caramelized onion and Veggies

Every time I browse Pinterest I see about ten pins about cauliflower crust. As a lower carb, gluten free, and healthy alternative to traditional pizza crust, it's no wonder this trendy food has gone viral. I figured it was about time I gave it a shot!

I tried to veganize my pizza as much as possible, using caramelized onions as a base, rice cheese instead of mozzarella, and plenty of veggies. However, since this was my first time making a crust from cauliflower, I decided it would be best to use the eggs included in the recipe. Next time I'll try to use a vegan replacement for those as well!

All in all, the final product was quite tasty and successful. My only issue was that the crust stayed kind of soft in the middle, not holding its shape and making it a bit hard to serve- definitely required a fork! Hopefully I can troubleshoot this the next time I make it and keep the crust more solid all around. Let me know if you figure out a way to solidify the center more!



Cauliflower Crust Pizza with Caramelized Onion and Veggies
By Caroline Mac, crust adapted from recipegirl.com

Ingredients:
Crust:
1/2 large head of cauliflower, shredded into small crumbles (I used a food processor)
1 large egg
1 c shredded vegan mozzarella cheese (I used a rice-based cheese)
1/2 t garlic powder
1/2 t Italian seasoning
1 clove garlic, minced

Toppings:
1/4 bell pepper, sliced
1/4 zucchini, sliced
3 cloves garlic, halved
4-5 basil leaves, shredded
1/2 portobello mushroom, sliced
6.5 oz. jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained
1 white onion, chopped
2 T olive oil

Step 1: Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion. Stir occasionally for about an hour until the onion browns and becomes very soft. The onion is now caramelized. It's worth the extra time!

While the onion caramelizes, make the crust...

Step 2:  Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Place cauliflower crumbles in a bowl and microwave for 8 minutes. Let cool.

Step 3: Grease a baking sheet or pizza pan and set aside. Combine cauliflower and remaining crust ingredients in a bowl and stir until thoroughly blended. Pat the mixture onto the baking sheet in a circle about 9-12" in diameter, making sure it is an even thickness throughout. Spread a little olive oil over the crust.

Step 4: Place all veggies and garlic (except the artichoke) in a baking dish and drizzle with a little olive oil and italian seasoning. Stick these in the oven with the pizza crust (step 5) for about 6 minutes. Set aside.

Step 5: Bake pizza crust for fifteen minutes, or until golden. Remove from oven.

Step 5: In a food processor or blender, puree caramelized onions with artichoke hearts. Once creamy, spread over the pizza crust, leaving a 1/2 inch border on the edge. Place all veggies and basil on the pizza.

Step 6: Bake pizza for another 3-5 minutes, making sure not to burn the crust. Remove from oven. Let cool for a few minutes (It'll be easier to serve).


Remember, my crust wasn't 100% successful, so I can't guarantee that yours won't be a bit floppy using this recipe. However, I can vouch for the taste- It's super delicious! I'll update this recipe once I figure out a solution for the crust.


Enjoy!

~Caroline~

Veggie Quinoa Pasta with Spicy Tomato Sauce

One of my goals for my blog this year is to start creating more of my own recipes. I thought a good first one would be a classic tomato sauce. I decided to make it a little more interesting than your average marinara by adding basil and a kick of chili pepper. I made a meal out the sauce by adding veggies, beans, and some protein-packed quinoa pasta! 

Veggie Quinoa Pasta with Spicy Tomato Sauce

By Caroline Mac

Ingredients:

Sauce

6 oz tomato paste

3/4 c fresh basil

2 cloves garlic

2 fresh tomatoes, peeled

1 t olive oil

1/2 T Italian seasoning

4 pinches salt

1/4 t plus 1 pinch chili pepper

Veggies

1 squash, diced

1 zucchini, chopped

1/2 onion, diced

1 1/2 c mushrooms

1/2 c great northern beans

Olive oil to sauté veggies

Chosen amount of quinoa pasta 

Step 1: In a food processor, combine all sauce ingredients and puree until relatively smooth and creamy. Set aside.

Step 2: In a medium saucepan, sauté onion and mushrooms in olive oil until tender and onions become translucent. Add squash and zucchini and sauté until tender. 

Step 3: Add beans and sauce to pan and stir until everything is evenly coated. Cover and set heat to warm until pasta is cooked.

Step 4: Cook pasta according to directions on the package. Top with sauce and serve warm.

Enjoy!

Thanksgiving Special: Apple Chestnut Stuffing

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

I know I haven't posted in ages, but that doesn't mean I haven't been cooking! Brace yourselves for an onslaught of recipes.

First off, I'll share a couple of the dishes I made for Thanksgiving. Since some of us couldn't go home for Thanksgiving, we all got together for a potluck! Here's my first pick:

Apple Chestnut Stuffing
Adapted from Vegetarian Times
Ingredients:
20 slices of hearty, crusty bread, cubed (I used a Multi-seed whole wheat and a Cranberry walnut from whole foods)
Olive oil to saute veggies
1 sweet white onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
5 ribs celery, chopped
2 tart apples, peeled and chopped
1 cup peeled roasted chestnuts, halved
1/4 cup chopped sage
1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
Salt and pepper to taste

Step 1: Preheat oven to 325 degrees f. Spread bread on a 9x13 baking pan and toast in oven for about 15 minutes.

Step 2: Saute onion and garlic for 2 minutes. reduce heat to low, cover, and let cook for 7 minutes. Add  apples, chestnuts, and sage and cook for 5 more minutes. Remove from heat.

Step 3: Add salt, pepper, bread and broth to mixture and stir until evenly incorporated. Transfer mixture to a greased baking pan.

Step 4: Increase heat to 350 degrees. Cover pan and bake for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake for another 15- 20 minutes, or until top is crispy and browned.

Serve Warm!

Enjoy!

Lemony Lentil Soup

This may be one of my favorite recipes I've ever made! I love soup and wanted to make something quick the night before the ballet program started. There ended up being enough left over to have for dinner another night and a half, which made life easier too. I started with a recipe from Anja's Food 4 Thought, but ended up altering a lot of proportions and ingredients to accomodate what I already had. However, I did follow her cooking directions, which were great as always. This soup would probably be good chilled as well, but I haven't tried that.

Lemony Lentil Soup
Ingredients:
4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
2 c cooked lentils
1 red onion, finely chopped
2 c chopped spinach
1.5 celery stalks, sliced
Olive oil for sautee
2 cloves garlic, minced
1t curry powder
1t cumin
1t Singapore seasoning
1/2t cinnamon
2 1/2 T lemon juice


Step 1: In a large pan, saute onions, garlic, and spices in olive oil on medium-high heat until onions are tender. Stir in celery, lentils, lemon juice, and vegetable stock.

Step 2: Let simmer, covered, for about 20 minutes. Add spinach. Let cook uncovered for another 5 minutes.

Enjoy!

Southwestern Tofu Scramble

Until just a couple weeks ago, I had never eaten a tofu scramble! Crazy right? A vegetarian that has never had this dish... Well, it turns out that I love it. My initiation into tofu-scramble-dom occurred at Whole Foods. They had a Cajun tofu scramble with Cajun sweet potatoes.

It turns out that making a tofu scramble is incredibly easy. I think they're generally made for breakfast, but I did it for dinner. My dad got me a gift of gourmet spices at a cooking shop near my studio, including Southwestern seasoning, a Singapore seasoning, and an Balti seasoning. I've made it my goal to make something each night with these spices as the inspiration. Tonight was Southwestern night. I found a basic recipe online and decided on my own spices and serving suggestion.

Check back in tomorrow for a new Asian recipe!

Southwestern Tofu Scramble
Inspired by Vegetarian Times
Ingredients:
1 red bell pepper, diced
4 green onions, chopped
1/2 cup chopped carrots
1 clove garlic, minced
2t Southwestern seasoning
1 16-oz package extra firm tofu, rinsed, drained, and crumbled
1-2t Mexican hot sauce
2T cilantro, chopped
Salsa verde, for garnish
1/2 avocado, garnish
Olive oil for saute

Step 1: In a large sillet, saute pepper and carrots in olive oil over medium-high heat until tender. Add Onions, garlic, and seasoning and cook for a couple more minutes.

Step 2: Add Tofu and hot sauce, stir until evenly mixed and cook until heated through.

Step 3: Stir in cilantro.

Step 4: Serve topped with salsa and avocado. You can also add more hot sauce if you prefer a spicier dish.

Enjoy!