Wheat Free Archives - Page 31 of 32

Cauliflower Herb Pizza Crust. Gluten-Free. Vegetarian. Grain-Free.

April 17, 2013 by Knead to Cook Filed Under: Cheese, Gluten Free, Pizza, Vegetarian, Vitamix, Wheat Free 55 Comments

After numerous attempts, I’m thrilled that today I finally got it! Any recipe takes time to develop… this one was no exception! If you follow my simple steps, I promise you will have success too! This is grain-free, vegetarian and gluten-free. Packed with flavor and you control the toppings you want on top. I baked these up earlier in the day (even the day prior) and use them when I need them.

Ingredients:

1 medium-sized head of cauliflower (I used organic), washed and cut into smaller florets (remove the stems)
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon of sea salt
1 teaspoon of dried basil
1/2 teaspoon of dried parsley
1/2 teaspoon of crushed red pepper
1/2 cup of part skim mozzarella cheese (grated)
1/4 cup of grated asiago cheese (measure it grated, light and fluffy not packed down)
1 egg
Salt and pepper

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 450 degrees with your pizza stone on the lowest rack setting.

1. Make sure you’re starting with washed cauliflower that has been dried as much as possible.

2. Take your florets (with most of the stems removed) and place in your food processor or Vitamix. Pulse about 8-10 times until it looks like fluffy snow (see pic). I worked in batches so not to overcrowd.

3. Add the cauliflower “snow” to a microwave safe bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Cook in your microwave for 3 1/2 minutes. Remove carefully and let it rest, covered for 1 minute. Remove the plastic wrap and dump the cauliflower into the center of a clean dishtowel. Let this cool for about 8-10 minutes.

4. Once cool, place a large bowl underneath and twist up the towel (see pic) and ring it out. When I say ring, I mean it! Keep ringing until you literally get no water out of the cauliflower anymore. See the pic of how much water I got from one medium sized head of cauliflower (over 1 cup)! Insane! You need to do this to make the crust perfect… trust me.

5. Open the towel to reveal what looks like sugar cookie dough (best description). See pic. Add this to a mixing bowl or stand mixer bowl and add the remaining seasonings/ingredients. Adjust here what you love or omit what you don’t. Mix well in your stand mixer or with your hands. The dough is very easy to work with and will be a bit sticky but not bad.

6. I made two 8 inch crusts. Take a large enough piece of parchment paper and spray it with a non stick oil (I used Smart Balance). Then split your “dough” in half and form it into an 8 inch round or whatever size you desire. I used a rubber spatula to press the dough down and tighten up the edges. It worked perfectly! (see pic) You want to make sure that the dough is less than 1/2 an inch thick and even throughout. I started at the center and worked my way out. I then made sure the edges had no cracks and were pretty tight.

7. With a pizza peel, slide your parchment paper with dough onto your pizza stone in the preheated oven. Bake for 18-22 minutes or until golden. This will depend upon your oven. I like it more golden brown so that’s my recommendation. Then remove gently and let the crust cool.

8. I pre-made these for tonight. When you are ready to cook, make sure your oven has been pre-heated for at least one hour at 450 degrees with the stone inside. Top your crust with whatever you like and bake until cheese is melted or about 4 minutes.

Enjoy!

— Knead to Cook

Black Bean Quinoa Burgers with Sriracha Chobani Sauce.

April 2, 2013 by Knead to Cook Filed Under: Vegetarian, Wheat Free, Yogurt 7 Comments

Last night I wanted to make a lovely meatless Monday dish. My family are total carnivores and I always am leery about making any vegetarian dish – but they loved it. The texture is a bit different and I don’t recommend cooking these on the grill because they are a bit more fragile than a protein-packed meat burger. I cooked them on my indoor griddle pan (flat side) and it worked great. A large sauté pan would also be perfect. I served mine over sauteed spinach and kale. My family had them with sweet potato fries and raw veggies. Whatever works for you.

Ingredients:

Olive oil
2 cups of cooked quinoa (according to the package details)
1/4 of a yellow onion, finely diced
1 large shallot, finely chopped
1/2 of a red bell pepper, diced
2-4 garlic cloves, minced
1 16 oz can of black beans (low sodium) drained and rinsed well
1 teaspoon of cumin
1 teaspoon chipotle chili powder
1 cup bread crumbs (seasoned)

Directions:

Heat the sauté pan with olive oil. Add the onion and pepper for about 4 minutes then add the garlic. Cook for an additional one minute then remove from the stove to cool. In your food processor add the black beans, cumin, chipotle powder, quinoa and cooled mixture. Pulse 4-5 times until chopped but not pasty. Remove and form into patties. Add the bread crumbs to a large plate and press the bean burger into the crumbs on both sides and set aside. Repeat until done. Heat your griddle or pan with additional olive oil until hot. Add the patties to cook and heat through. They are fragile in nature so use caution when flipping. I let brown on each side for about 4 minutes and then serve.

Sauce:

1/2 cup of non fat plain Chobani
1/2 teaspoon of ground cumin
2-3 tablespoons of Sriracha sauce (depending on your taste)

Blend together and top each burger.

— Knead to Cook

Curry Chicken Chobani Salad. Healthy & Low fat.

March 21, 2013 by Knead to Cook Filed Under: Chicken, Gluten Free, Salads, Wheat Free, Yogurt 2 Comments

My friend Jenny, who we just visited over spring break inspired this recipe. She had in her fridge a similar salad and I recreated it in her honor. It is so good that I cannot stop eating it! Guilt-free because I used organic chicken and non fat Chobani instead of mayo. Totally healthy! Chobani adds much needed protein. It’s a perfect lunch idea!

Ingredients:

1.25 lbs of organic chicken tenders (cooked – I grilled mine)
3 teaspoons of curry powder
1 tablespoon of lime juice (fresh)
2 teaspoon of raw honey (or you can use agave or maple syrup)
1/4 cup of chopped dried cherries (or you can use raisins or fresh grapes halved)
Salt
Pepper
1/2 tsp of ground cayenne pepper (use less if you don’t want it spicy)
3/4 cup of non fat plain Chobani
Green onions, 2 chopped
Optional: Celery or carrots chopped, red onions, red bell peppers

Directions:

In your stand mixer, with the paddle attachment, place your chicken in the mixing bowl and turn on the mid speed. This will shred the chicken nicely but keep an eye on it and stop it when you reach the right shredding consistency. If you prefer, you can chop the chicken into pieces. Then add the remaining ingredients and mix until combined. Refrigerate in a covered container. Great served in a bell pepper, on crackers, bread or pitas. Enjoy!

— Knead to Cook

Pulled chicken taco soup.

March 19, 2013 by Knead to Cook Filed Under: Mexican, Soups, Wheat Free Leave a Comment

This pulled chicken taco soup was inspired by my youngest who, each and every week, begs for tacos. I thought I would put a little spin on it and make my carnivore family a lovely little taco soup with pulled chicken. I had a board meeting and sadly missed it but my husband’s report was that it was a great success!

Ingredients:

32 ounce low sodium chicken broth (I used Pacific natural organic low sodium)
4 chicken breasts
Salt and pepper
1/2 of a medium onion, chopped
4 chopped tomatoes or 1 can of chopped tomatoes (smaller size can)
1 can of black beans or red kidney beans (low sodium)
1 bell pepper, chopped
1 jalapeño, diced with seeds removed (leave them in if you like more heat)
1 6 ounce can of tomato paste
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon of chipotle chili powder
1/2 teaspoon cayenne powder
4 cloves of garlic

Directions:

In your Dutch oven or large stock pot over medium flame, add your broth and chicken. Bring it to a boil and cook until the chicken is completely cooked through. This will take 10-12 minutes. Turn the burner down to low, remove the chicken slowly and place it in a bowl. With two forks, start shredding the meat. In your bowl, add the cumin, chili powder, cayenne, salt and pepper. Then add the meat back to the broth. Add the remaining ingredients. Cover and stir occasionally. Taste and adjust the seasonings as needed.

Garnish with jalapeño peppers, Chobani plain non fat yogurt, cheddar cheese or sour cream.

— Knead to Cook

Chocolate Avocado Smoothie. Vegan. (Tastes like pudding!)

March 7, 2013 by Knead to Cook Filed Under: Breakfast, Desserts, Smoothies, Snacks, Valentine's Day, Vegan, Vegan proteins, Vegetarian, Vitamix, Wheat Free 11 Comments

I know you’re thinking I must be crazy, right?! I was hesitant when I ran across this recipe in one of my mags that I had. I thought why not try it, my youngest daughter is so underweight that the calories (all good) would be a great start to the day. Protein, good fats… it’s all good. Both of my girls loved it! I snuck a taste and it tasted like pudding – even had that consistency to be honest. I put them on table, started making my breakfast and the next thing I heard was slurping sounds coming from their straws. Enough said!

Ingredients:

Makes 2 – 2 cup servings

1 ripe avocado, halved and pitted
2 cups of vanilla unsweetened cashew or almond milk (I prefer Silk)
2 tablespoons of raw cacao powder
2 tablespoons of maple syrup
1 tablespoons of vegan chocolate chips
1 tablespoon of vanilla extract
14 ice cubes

Directions:

Into your blender or Vitamix, add all of the ingredients. Blend until creamy. This will have a thick, pudding like appearance. Pour slowly into your glasses. Top with a few chocolate chips. Enjoy!

Eeek! Chocolate for breakfast and it is oh so good!

*Adapted from Eating Well.

— Knead to Cook

{No cream added} Roasted Tomato Soup.

February 28, 2013 by Knead to Cook Filed Under: Evolution Power Yoga 40 Days, Gluten Free, Soups, Vegetarian, Wheat Free Leave a Comment

I’m on a mission to continue to eat much cleaner and that was revamping my roasted tomato soup (which normally has some cream in it). This is perfect! It was thick and creamy sans the extra fat. I love making this soup in the summer when fresh tomatoes are plentiful but honestly, you can get the worst tomatoes in the winter, like I did, and roast them and you will never know how mealy they were when they started out in your dinner prep.

This recipe has a lot of flexibility so use what you have on hand or what you love!

Ingredients:

3-4 lbs of tomatoes (beefsteak etc.), quartered
2 red bell peppers (whatever color works), sliced into large pieces
1 medium sized onion, sliced into quarters and then peeled apart
10 cloves of garlic, peeled and smashed
Olive oil
Salt
Pepper
1 small 6 ounce can of tomato paste
4 cups of vegetable or chicken broth
Fresh basil for topping (optional)

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 275 degrees. Spray a large broiler pan (something with sides) with olive oil. Then toss all of your tomatoes, peppers, onions and garlic into the pan. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Drizzle olive oil and give it a good toss. Place in the oven for at least 3 hours. Then remove.

On the stove top over medium heat, place your Dutch oven. Drizzle some olive oil in the pan and add the tomato paste. Mix it over the heat until it melts nicely. Then add the vegetables and stock. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 30 minutes. Using a blender or a hand immersion blender, blend until the soup is completely pureed. Top with fresh basil leaves. Enjoy!

— Knead to Cook

Gluten-Free Baked Chobani Fonuts {doughnuts}.

February 27, 2013 by Knead to Cook Filed Under: Breakfast, Gluten Free, Snacks, Valentine's Day, Vitamix, Wheat Free, Yogurt 4 Comments

Fonuts are fake donuts AKA “not fried”, healthy dare I say? I’m not a huge donut fan but these little guys… I’ve eaten 3 today! They are minis after-all, so I don’t have the guilt that I normally would have partaking in such a treat. Gluten-free as well! I didn’t want to use any “junky” ingredients and guess what – they’re pretty good!! My kids came home and downed like 8 of them already.

Ingredients:

1 1/3 cup of almond flour (spooned into your measuring cups – not packed down)
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg (you can also use pumpkin or apple spice seasoning instead)
3 eggs, room temperature
1/4 cup (heaping) of vanilla Chobani yogurt
2 heaping tablespoons of raw honey (use regular if you don’t have it)
Extra honey, cinnamon, sugar for topping which is optional

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and spray your donut pan with baking spray. Set aside.

You can use a food processor, blender or Vitamix to make the batter creamy and fabulous. Add all of the dry ingredients and blend (if using a food processor – 4-6 pulses). Then add all of the wet ingredients and blend until smooth. Stop and scrape down the sides if necessary. Blend again. This process took about 1 minute or so. Then with a spoon, fill each well with about 1/2 or so of batter. Then bake for 8-10 minutes or until golden.

While baking, I took about two heaping tablespoons of the raw honey (you can also use maple syrup too) and melted it in the microwave until it was watery. I dipped each donut (fonut) into the liquified honey and then sprinkled some cinnamon and sugar on top. This is optional.

Enjoy!

— Knead to Cook

Mango Jalapeño Salsa.

February 26, 2013 by Knead to Cook Filed Under: Appetizers, Chicken, Condiments, Fish, Fruit, Gluten Free, No bake/cooking required!, Party Foods, Pork, Salsas & Guacamole, Side dish, Snacks, Vegetarian, Wheat Free 1 Comment

*Stamped spoon can be found at: http://www.etsy.com/people/pumpernickelandwry

Sometimes you need to lighten up a gray day with some tropical salsa. Today, is a bit gray and going to be rainy… I thought this would be the perfect way to brighten up dinner. I make this salsa early and let the flavors blend in the fridge until dinner. Top over grilled chicken, pork or fish. Or eat it straight up with tortilla chips. Perfect for a party!

Ingredients:

2 mangoes, peeled, pitted and diced
2 green spring onions, sliced
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
1/2 cup of cilantro leaves, roughly chopped
1 jalapeño, seeds removed (or left in if you like the heat), finely diced
1-2 tablespoons of a better quality balsamic vinegar

Directions:

Add all of the ingredients to a mixing bowl. Give a good toss and let the flavors develop for at least 2 hours in the refrigerator. Remove right before serving and add additional balsamic if necessary.

— Knead to Cook

Classic Hummus.

February 22, 2013 by Knead to Cook Filed Under: Appetizers, Condiments, Dips, Evolution Power Yoga 40 Days, Gluten Free, No bake/cooking required!, Snacks, Vitamix, Wheat Free 7 Comments

If you’ve never made hummus, you don’t know what you’re missing. Store bought hummus pales in comparison. This took me about 3 minutes to make. It tastes unbelievably good and can be used as a dip, sandwich spread… whatever! So healthy and even the kids love it! I made it for a party that we’re having tonight to serve with some fresh veggies. Chips, pretzels, crackers… they all work as a delivery vehicle

Ingredients:

2 15 ounce cans of low sodium chickpeas (One drained and rinsed, one with liquid)
1/4 cup of toasted sesame seeds
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1/4 cup of lemon juice
1/4 cup of water
4 garlic cloves, smashed (skin removed)
1 heaping teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions:

Add everything to your Vitamix or blender. If you using a Vitamix, set to Puree and let it run. If using a blender or food processor, blend until smooth and creamy. Remove and store in a container with a lid.

*Recipe loosely adapted from Vitamix cookbook.

— Knead to Cook

Quinoa Turkey Meatloaf Muffins. Wheat-free.

February 12, 2013 by Knead to Cook Filed Under: Beef, Chicken, Ground Turkey, Wheat Free Leave a Comment

I have a few recipes I still wanted to try and review for my dear friend Lauren. Her wheat-free cookbook is fabulous. Last night I tried the Quinoa Turkey Meatloaf and made it in a muffin pan for easy serving. Everyone loved it! It was so tasty and she was right… didn’t miss the breadcrumbs at all!

INGREDIENTS | SERVES 6
1⁄4 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed and drained
1⁄2 cup chicken broth (low sodium)
1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 (20-ounce) package ground chicken (or turkey or lean ground beef) -I used lean turkey
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 egg, and 1 egg white
1⁄2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon ground rosemary
1 teaspoon ground basil
3⁄4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, grated (I used Feta)

Directions:

Bring the quinoa and broth to a boil in a saucepan over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the quinoa is tender and the water has been absorbed, about 15–20 minutes. Set aside to cool.
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add in the onion; cook and stir until the onion has softened and turned translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute; remove from heat to cool.
Inalargebowladdthechicken,cookedquinoa, onions, garlic, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, egg and egg white, salt, pepper, seasonings, and Parmesan cheese. Mix until well combined. The mixture will be very moist. Shape into a loaf on a foil lined baking sheet. I scooped my mixture into muffin pans and baked it that way. I did spray the tins with olive oil.
Bake until no longer pink in the center, 50–60minutes (muffins took about 30 minutes). An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 160°F. Let the meat loaf cool for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

— Knead to Cook