{low carb/primal} cauli pizza dough

In sticking with our new low-carb/primal food journey, I wanted to test out this whole "cauliflower pizza crust" idea. Hubby & I were more than a little skeptical, but we were SURPRISINGLY WRONG! 

Our "new healthy pizza" (what we told the kids) was really pretty good! The texture was pretty nice, and the cauli taste was subtle or well-hidden with our pizza toppings. The flavor was very good- finely riced & steamed cauliflower, mixed with egg, spices, and mozzarella. Makes a pretty good combination of flavors. We will definitely be eating this again, possibly every Friday as it's usually Pizza Night! =)

Thank you to Pinterest for this great find (recipe & pic) from "The Sprouting Seed"

Perfect Cauliflower Pizza Crust

gluten/grain free, paleo
inspired by The Savory Lotus
makes 1 large crust or 4 small personal crusts

Ingredients

1 head of cauliflower, cut into florets (stem and leaves removed)
1 1/2 cups mozzarella (preferably fresh, organic), grated
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 cloves fresh garlic, minced (I used my pickled garlic)
1/2 tsp. unrefined sea salt
(and sauce and toppings of your choice)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 F and line a cooking sheet with parchment paper.

2. In a food processor, pulse small batches of cauliflower florets until cauliflower pieces are the size of rice grains. (If you don’t have a food processor, grate the cauliflower with a cheese grater.)

3. In a large pot, add the cauliflower “rice” and 2-3 Tbsp. of water and cover the pot. On medium heat, steam the cauliflower for about 4-5 minutes until soft. Then transfer to a fine, mesh strainer and drain completely.

4. Once drained, transfer the “rice” to the middle of a clean dish towel. Gather the ends to wrap the rice in the towel. Making sure the “rice” is wrapped in the towel, squeeze the heck out of the rice to drain excess water. A LOT of water comes out, ensuring a dry, crisp pizza crust. (This is a very important step- don't skimp. You don't want soggy pizza crust.)

5. Transfer cauliflower “rice” to a large mixing bowl and add mozzarella, eggs, salt and garlic. Mix well. (The mozzerella and eggs act as a binder for the cauliflower.)

6. Scoop out the dough onto the parchment-lined cookie sheet. Press the dough into one big thin-layered pizza crust or into smaller personal-sized crusts. (I made four personal pizzas using a 1/4 cup for each pizza)

7. Bake at 400F for 35-40 minutes or until crust is golden brown and firm.

8. Remove from oven and add your choice of pizza toppings and cheese. Bake for another 10 minutes until the cheese is melted.

healthier & stronger

Over the past month, Hubby & I have really been trying to eat better, more whole foods, less carbs and sugars, and exercise more in order to LIVE A HEALTHIER LIFE! We're using the Paleo/Primal aka low-carb, dairy-allowed food plans.

We're trying to transition (and not diet) to a healthier lifestyle of food and exercise. It's amazing the difference we feel with eating better whole foods (as in not processed or refined), which is a hard thing to do coming from a carb-addicted, baking fiend. But I'm seeing the benefits and really want to make this transition for me AND my family. I'm finding there are some tasty HEALTHY goodies out there too. I'll be posting the good recipes I test out so I can share them here.

I just wanted to post a bit about this as you'll be seeing (and possibly have seen in the past) some "strange" low-carb foods and recipes. ;) Here we go.....!

{February} what's cookin?

Here are some of the good eats we enjoyed during our snowy, SUPER cold month of February. Maybe something will inspire you. :) You can find most of them here.

PB fudge bars

Fiesta fajitas

Guiltless (chicken) fettuccine Alfredo

Roasted sweet potatoes

(Fearless homemaker) thin crust pizza

Orange chicken & egg rolls

Baked creamy chicken taquitos

Crockpot French dip sandwiches 

Slow cooker 20 garlic chicken

{OBB} red potatoes and pearl onions

Penne rustica

White chocolate raspberry cheesecake- AMAZING!

{our best bites} grilled taco chicken

Elk steak

{OBB} sweet potato fries

Chicken tortilla soup

Baked ravioli

{OBB} meatballs

Italian sodas

Caramel chocolate squares

PB banana oatmeal chocolate chip cookies

Priest Lake Lasagne

French toast, bacon, cheesy scrambled eggs

{our best bites} grilled taco chicken

Another success from Our Best Bites, taken from their 1st cookbook...

No one will ever guess this amazing-tasting chicken is so simple to make. Use it to fill taco shells, or tortillas for tacos or burritos or on top of chopped Romaine lettuce for a healthy lunch.

Grilled Taco Chicken

Ingredients
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2-3 juicy limes
1-2 T. red wine vinegar
3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1 t. chilli powder (I only used 1/2 t. because I was afraid it'd be too spicy for my crew; this was a good call)
1/2 c. cumin
1/2 c. kosher salt
1/2 t. freshly ground black pepper.

Directions

1. Chicken breasts in a heavy-duty zip-top plastic bag.
2. (I found I needed to cut my chicken in half width wise so they weren't as thick). Squeeze limes over chicken. Add a splash of vinegar and the minced garlic. Seal the bag and shake to distribute the marinade. Marinate for 4-8 hours.
3. Preheat grill (or grill pan) to medium-high heat (about 400*).
4. Combine the chili powder, cumin, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Remove chicken from bag and discard the used marinade. Rub the spices into the chicken.
5. Place the chicken breasts on the hot grill. Grill for 7 minutes, turn, and grill for an additional 5-7 minutes (5 minutes for smaller chicken  breast, no longer than 7 minutes for larger ones). Remove from heat to a clean plate and allow to stand for 5 minutes before slicing and serving.

Tip: Do NOT use chicken tenderloins because they will become dry and their smaller size throws off the spice-to-meat ratio.

Serving suggestion: Serve with homemade flour tortillas, pico de gallo, guacamole, and shredded cabbage (just use the packaged coleslaw mix without the dressing) and crumbled Cotija cheese for a fun, fresh Mexican dinner.

{our best bites} sweet potato fries

Have I mentioned I love "Our Best Bites"?! I had tried to so many of their recipes that I LOVE. This is another one from their 1st cookbook. Find it here. This is one you need for your collection- not only are the recipes wonderful, but the pictures and all the little notes are great too!

Sweet Potato Fries

These crispy, savory and slightly sweet fries are a delicious, healthy alternative to more traditional French fries.

Ingredients
1/2 t. cumin
1/2 t. oregano
1/2 t. coriander
1 t. kosher salt
1 t. parsley
1/8 t. black pepper
1 pound peeled sweet potatoes, cut into 1/4" matchsticks
2 T. extra-virgin olive oil

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425*.
2. In a small bowl, combine cumin, oregano, coriander, salt, parsley, and pepper.
3. Place the sweet potatoes in a pile directly on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Use your hands to toss until all pieces are well coated. Sprinkle seasoning mixture on top and toss again with your hands to coat.
4. Arrange sweet potatoes in a single layer so that pieces are not touching each other. Place the pan in the preheated oven and bake for 15 minutes. Use a metal spatula to gently flip fries and then return pan to oven. Cook for an additional 15-20 minutes or until fries are starting to lightly brown and crisp. Remove pan from oven and cool 5 minutes. Serve immediately.

Tip: You want 1 pound of sweet potatoes after they are peeled, sliced, etc. Weigh them at the store to make sure you have a little more than a pound to allow for the peeling and throwing away of small pieces.

Serving suggestion: Serve with grilled chicken or your favorite burger.

{our best bites} white chocolate raspberry cheesecake

HOLY TOLEDO! This was the best cheesecake I've ever made AND the best white chocolate raspberry cheesecake I've ever tasted! It was PHENOMENAL! It has a wonderfully smooth texture and perfect combination of flavors. This is another NEW FAVORITE recipe from Our Best Bites "Savoring the Seasons" cookbook.

And it turned out beautiful!!! I was SO pleased!

White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake

Ingredients:
Raspberry sauce-
12 oz. frozen unsweetened raspberries (about 3 c.)
1/2 c. sugar
3 T. water, divided
1 T. corn starch

Crust-
2 1/2 c. chocolate sandwich cookie crumbs (about 25 cookies, such as Oreos)
6 T. butter, melted

Cheesecake-
1 c. white chocolate chips
3 (8 oz) packages cream cheese, softened
1 c. sugar
3 large eggs, at room temp
1 t. almond extract
1 t. vanilla extract
2 T. flour
3/4 c. sour cream

fresh raspberries, for garnish
white chocolate curls, for garnish

Directions:
1. For the sauce: Place frozen berries, sugar and 2 T. water in a medium saucepan on medium heat. Stir occasionally, mashing berries with your spoon, until the mixture comes to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer and cook 5 minutes. Combine remaining 1 T. water with corn starch in a small bowl and then add mixture to sauce. Stirring constantly, allow to simmer 1-2 minutes until slightly thickened. Pour sauce through a fine-mesh strainer to remove seeds. Set aside. This sauce can be made several days ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator.

2. For the crust: Combine the cookie crumbs and melted butter. Press the mixture onto the bottom and 1" up the sides of a 10" springform pan.

3. Preheat oven to 350*.

4. For the cheesecake: Place the white chocolate chips ina microwave-safe bowl and heat in 30 second intervals, stirring after each, until the chocolate is melted and smooth.

5. Beat cream cheese and sugar in a separate mixing bowl until smooth. Add eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Add extracts, flour,  and sour cream and beat just until combined. With the mixer running, add the melted white chocoate in a steady stream and mix just until incorporated.

6. Pour half the cream cheese mixture over the cookie crust and spread evenly. Drizzle 2 T. raspberry sauce over the top and use a knife to swirl the sauce into the filling. Pour remaining filling on top and drizzle another 2 T. raspberry sauce over the top. Use a knife to swirl the sauce.

7. Place the springform pan on top of 2 layers of heavy-duty foil. Wrap the foil up the sides of the pan to prevent water from leaking into the pan. Place the foil-wrapped pan into a larger shallow pan, such as a large roasting pan, and place in the oven. Pour enough hot water into the larger pan to reach about 2/3 up the sides of the cheesecake pan. Bake 70-80 minutes or until the cheesecake is set on top and very lightly golden around the edges. Cheesecake should have a slight jiggle when gently shaken.

8. Remove both pans from the oven and let cheesecake sit in the water bath for 30 minutes. Remove the springform pan from the water and remove the foil. Place the pan on a cooling rack until cooled to room temp. Cover and refrigerate for 6-8 hours.

9. When ready to serve, gently remove the sides from the springform pan and cut cake into 10-12 slices. Serve with remaining raspberry sauce drizzled on top and garnish with fresh berries and white chocolate curls, if desired.

(the pioneer woman) chicken & noodles

My sweet sister-in-law got me my first Pioneer Woman cookbook! I'm having fun going through and looking at all the yummy foods! I tried out the "chicken & noodles" recipe in here and it is DELICOUS! It's like chicken noodle soup but without all the soupiness. (Check out more of Ree's tasty recipes here.)

Chicken & Noodles

Ingredients:
1 (2-3 lb) chicken fryer, cut up
1/2 medium onion, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
2 carrots, diced
1 t. salt
1/4 t. white pepper
1/2 t. turmeric didn't have any to use
1/4 t. ground thyme
2 t. finely minced parsley
16 oz. frozen homestyle noodles (she suggests Reames brand, but I couldn't find any so I just used some dried homestyle noodles from the pasta isle)
3 T. flour
splash of half & half, optional

Directions: (her book includes PICTURES with EACH step!)

1. Start by putting the chicken in a pot and covering it with water. Bring the water to a boil, then reduce the heat to low. Simmer for 45 minutes, then remove the chicken from the pot. Set the chicken aside to cool briefly.
2. Shred the chicken with 2 forks, reserving the bones.
3. Return the bones to the pot and boil for 20 minutes. Remove the bones from the pot and discard.
4. Add the shredded chicken, onion, celery and carrots to the pot.
5. Then add the salt, pepper, turmeric, thyme, and minced parsley.
6. Bring the mixture to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
7. Stir in the noodles. No need to thaw them first!
8. Finally, mix the flour with 1/2 c. water until smooth. Stir the flour mixture and the splash of half-and-half (if you're into that kind of thing) into the pot. Simmer for 15 minutes or until the noodles are tender, tasting and adding more salt if needed at the end.
9. The soup should be thick and stew-like. And your kitchen should smell like home. :) 

This recipe was WONDERFUL! I will be making this again! Although, it didn't end up stew-like to me (rather just skinny on the broth) but maybe that's because I couldn't find FROZEN noodles to use.

Enjoy!