Cauliflower Pizza Crust

Pizza is my weakness anytime I’m trying to lean out. The ooey, gooey, cheesy goodness just warms my insides at the mere mention. But I know it also will leave me bloated and sorry I gave in to my craving afterward. This crust, from Eat. Drink. Smile. solves that problem!

CAULIFLOWER PIZZA CRUST RECIPE

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup riced, then cooked cauliflower
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 egg, beaten
1 tsp italian seasonings
1/2 tsp crushed garlic
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (for topping)
pizza sauce & additional toppings of your choice

DIRECTIONS:

To rice the cauliflower, cut florets into chunks and pulse in a food processor until you see rice-like bits. You could also use a cheese grater to produce the tiny pieces. Do not over process, you don’t want mush.
Microwave the riced cauliflower in a bowl for 5-8 minutes depending on your microwave. No need to add water. After microwaving, transfer riced cauliflower to a fine mesh strainer and drain completely, gently pressing out excess water. Once drained, transfer riced cauliflower to a clean dish towel and wrap the sides around the cauliflower while gently pressing out excess water. This drying process is important!
One large head of cauliflower will yield about 3 cups of riced cauliflower. Use it to make more pizzas immediately, or store in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Spray a cookie sheet with non-stick cooking spray.
In a medium bowl, combine 1 cup riced, cooked cauliflower, 1 egg and your parmesan cheese. Next, add Italian seasonings, crushed garlic and salt. Making sure everything is well mixed, place your “dough” on the cookie sheet and pat out a 9″ round. Be sure not to press it too thin as it’s easy to create holes.
Bake your dough at 450 degrees for 15 minutes.
Remove from oven. Add sauce, mozzarella cheese, and your favorite pre-cooked toppings to your pizza. Place pizza under broiler just until cheese is melted, be sure to keep an eye on it!

If you use Facebook and are interested in the things I may not devote an entire blog post to: things like health articles, my favorite recipes, fun drinks, food facts, nutritional information, restaurant reviews, photos and other things that make my mouth water, I have a very active page on Facebook you can visit too:https://www.facebook.com/ThisGirlLovesHerFood

Weeknight Salmon in Parchment

For all of us trying to get more fish, and heart-healthy Omega-3’s, into our diets, this quick and easy recipe from Tastemade (the link takes you to the video – which is handy if you have trouble folding the parchment) takes 15 minutes from prep to cook to table!

INGREDIENTS

30-inch long piece of parchment paper
½ bulb of fennel, thinly sliced
1 large scallion, cut into 2-inch-long pieces
4 oz salmon fillet
Salt
Paprika
1 slice lemon
¾ Tbsp butter

Preheat oven to 425ºF.
Fold parchment paper in half and cut out a large heart shape. Fold open the heart.
In the middle of the right side of the heart, place 3–4 pieces of scallions and a few pieces of fennel.
Place the salmon skin-side down on top of the scallions and fennel.
Top salmon with salt, paprika and the lemon slice. Add the pat of butter on top.
Fold the heart-shaped paper over the fish until the edges meet. (This means the crease will lift off the table.) Begin overlapping folds from the top left and work your way around to the bottom left, at which point you can twist it or paper clip it.
Transfer to a baking sheet and place in oven for 8 minutes, or until meat thermometer reads 140ºF. Serve in the bag on a plate.

Toss a salad together while the salmon is baking and you’ve gotten a completely healthy meal on the table in under 30 minutes on a weeknight!

Oreo Red Wine Nutella Cupcakes

red-wine-nutella-cupcakes-with-oreo-nutella-filling-and-red-wine-frosting-767x1024 I was sourcing articles related to wine and the picture, almost as much as the title convinced me, although I am seriously deficient in the cupcake decorating department, to give these a try.

I’m not sure what appealed to me more, the wine or the chocolate, but I figured I could manage combining them without staining everything in my kitchen. I might even be able to pipe on the frosting without too much problem, so I’m off to the store to make these grown up delights!

I found this little bit of deliciousness at a blog I saw on Pinterest: www.yummyaddiction.com.

One thing: I noticed the blogger didn’t specify what type of wine she used or recommend a type. For my own personal taste, with the cocoa, cinnamon and brown sugar in the cake, I am going to go with a red wine with a similar flavor profile like a Zinfandel, Petite Syrah or maybe a Pinot Noir or Malbec.

Oreo Red Wine Nutella Cupcakes

Makes: 10 cupcakes

For the cupcakes:

1 cup all-purpose flour
¼ cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
¼ cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 egg
¼ cup red wine, any kind you like
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ cup Nutella
10 Oreos

For the filling:

½ cup Nutella
5 Oreos

For the frosting:

1 cup red wine, any kind you like
¼ cup granulated sugar
½ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
salt, to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 10 muffin cups with cupcake liners. Set aside.
The cupcakes. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugars together until fluffy. Add the egg and beat to combine. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Beat in the vanilla extract. Stir in Nutella and red wine until evenly combined. Slowly add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined. Place an Oreo cookie on the bottom of each cupcake liner. Pour batter over each Oreo cookie and fill each cupcake liner about ¾ of the way full. Bake the cupcakes for about 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool completely.
The filling. In a ziplock bag, place the Oreos and use a mallet to crush the cookies into small pieces. In a small bowl, combine Nutella with crushed Oreos. Set aside.
The frosting. In a small saucepan, combine red wine and sugar. Cook over medium heat, stirring, until sugar dissolves and wine comes to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes (until the liquid is reduced to about ¼ cup or a light syrup texture). Let cool.
Beat the butter until until smooth and creamy. Slowly add in powdered sugar (1/2 cup at a time), vanilla, and ¼ cup of prepared wine syrup. Beat until no lumps remain. Taste the frosting and add salt to cut the sweetness, if you prefer.
Assembling the cupcakes. Cut out the center of each cupcake with a sharp knife. Fill the cupcakes with Nutella & Oreo filling. Transfer the frosting to a piping bag fitted with a decorative tip. Pipe frosting into a swirl on each cupcake. Enjoy!

Boozy Hot Cocoa

Last year the weather reports for California promised the El Niño was coming which was supposed to mean many many opportunities to stay in, warm and dry, and sip on hot drinks. The weather reports couldn’t have been more wrong! Instead of rain filling up our reservoirs, lakes, and packing our mountains with snow, it was one of the hottest years on record! I barely had to wear more than a sweatshirt and my Uggs stayed clean and dry, unworn, in my closet. Hardly the kind of weather for enjoying hot drinks.

This year the weather reports predicted a La Niña, an unusually dry winter. Thankfully, once again, the forecasters have been completely wrong. We are just 3 weeks past the official start of winter and already we’ve had more cold days & nights, more rain than we’ve seen in years, and there’s more to come. Instead of bone dry reservoirs, we are seeing them refilling to levels of 75-80% of capacity. Thank you #PineappleExpress!

That also means that I can finally whip out the recipes I have been sitting on for boozy hot cocoa. Yes!

Mint Cocoa Hot Toddy

1 oz Kahlua
1 oz Peppermint Schnapps
1 envelope hot cocoa mix
6 oz hot water (or milk, if that’s what pkg calls for)
Miniature Marshmallows
Chocolate Shavings
Cinnamon Stick

Make 6 oz. of hot cocoa in a 10 oz mug.
Add the Kahlua and the Schnapps.
Place 8 or so miniature marshmallows on top.
Grate some chocolate over the marshmallows, and stir with a cinnamon stick.

Toasted Bailey’s Hot Cocoa

3 cups Milk
1/3 cup Half and Half
1 cup Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
1/2 cup Bailey’s Irish Cream
Marshmallows

In a small saucepan, add milk and half and half. Turn on medium heat and let mixture warm up. Add chocolate chips.
Let chocolate chips melt in milk mixture, whisking frequently. Once the chocolate has fully combined, add Bailey’s. Stir to combine and transfer to mugs.
Place marshmallows on top of hot chocolate and toast the tops of your marshmallows with your mini-torch. Once your marshmallows are browned and melty it’s time to enjoy!

Chocolate-Orange Hot Chocolate

2/3 cups Milk
1/4 cup Heavy Cream
Zest of 1/2 and Orange
2 oz Dark Chocolate chopped
1 oz +/- Warmed Grand Marnier

Heat the milk, cream and orange zest together in a saucepan until simmering then remove from the heat and pour through a sieve into a jug to remove the orange zest. Pour the infused milk mixture back into the pan and add the chocolate, stirring until the chocolate has melted and is really smooth.
Put the pan back on the heat to warm through then add the orange liqueur. Pour into a mug and serve.

Meal Prepping Made Easy

I came across a post on Twitter last night that is so simple, I can’t believe I haven’t seen it dozens of times before!

What is the one thing, besides tracking your meals and exercise, that all diets rate as a “must do” for weight loss success?Meal Planning. Hand and hand with pre-planning what you’ll eat and when you’ll eat it, is making sure the food you’re supposed to be eating is ready and able to be eaten with minimal fuss to keep you from resorting to fast or unhealthy food choices.

Meal prep for the week is a great idea, but what is the most common complaint? Boredom. One can only eat so much grilled chicken! This brilliant idea from Fit Men Cook takes care of boredom without adding more than 5 or 10 minutes to your weekly meal prep time!

By simply using foil to create sections on a cookie sheet, you can create individually seasoned portions of the protein you’ll be adding to your lunches and dinners for the week and, by doing it when you pre-cook it, save time when you eat it during the week. You can create different salad choices, bowl themes, stir fry mix-ins, fillings for lettuce wraps, toppings for zucchini noodles, the options are unlimited.

When you have a specific goal in mind (losing weight, adding muscle, or if you are an athlete) you need to consume specific amounts of protein. Meal prepping using a scale, sectioned cookie sheet for baking, and zip bags or storage containers, is a great way to keep you on track.

Most of us need at least 50 grams of protein a day, and significantly more if we’re working out a lot or trying to lose weight. This graphic shows what 25 grams of protein looks like in a variety of foods, so you can eat a few of these portions and know you’re on the right track.

Darkest Chocolate Cake With Red Wine Glaze

chocolate-red-wine-cake-101916

I keep old copies of Bon Appétit, Gourmet, Cooking Light, Food and Wine, and other cooking magazines for when I want to break out of a recipe rut. Lately I have been experimenting with wine more in my cooking and baking, but wasn’t happy with the texture of the last couple of cakes I’d made, so I thumbed through in search of professional guidance so I’d be able to share something decadent at an upcoming dinner party.

I found exactly what I was after in the February 2014 edition of Bon Appétit.

**Tip: I always read the reviews of those who have made the recipes, paying particular attention to those who have made them more than once. Those changes have been included in the recipe below.

Darkest Chocolate Cake With Red Wine Glaze

Cake:
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into pieces, plus more for pan
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour, plus more for pan
- 8 ounces unsweetened cocoa or 100% cacoa baking chocolate chopped
- 1 cup sugar
- 6 large eggs
- 3/4 teaspoons kosher salt
Glaze and assembly:
- 8 ounces bittersweet chocolate (at least 70% cacao), finely chopped
- 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1/2 cup red wine (such as Pinot Noir)
- Blackberries, Raspberries and/or Strawberries (1-2 baskets total) washed, stemmed (if necessary) and laid on paper towels to dry
- Special equipment: A 9″ Springform pan

For cake:
1. Preheat oven to 325°F. Lightly butter and (powdered) sugar the pan.
2. Melt the chocolate and the butter.
3. Separate the 6 eggs.
4. Whisk the egg yolks and sugar together until the eggs are thick and pale in appearance.
5. Pour a little of the chocolate mixture into eggs to temper it and then add the egg mixture to the chocolate and mix well.
6. Add the flour and the salt and mix til combined.
7. Beat the egg whites until soft peaks form.
8. Add a bit to the batter and gently mix in.
9. Add the rest of the egg whites to the batter and gently fold until completely incorporated into the batter.
10. Pour batter into pan, it should go almost all the way to the top.
11. Bake for 43-45 minutes, check with toothpick for doneness, if it comes out clean–it’s done.
12. Transfer pan to a wire rack and let cake cool completely in pan before turning out.
13. Cool completely before releasing pan.
14. Glaze as directed and pair with some of the berries to balance out the chocolate.
For glaze and assembly:
1. Heat chocolate, butter, and salt in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water (bowl should not touch water), stirring, until chocolate and butter are melted, about 5 minutes. Whisk in powdered sugar.
2. Meanwhile, bring wine just to a boil in a small saucepan.
3. Remove chocolate mixture from heat and whisk in wine; let cool until slightly thickened and a rubber spatula leaves a trail in mixture when stirring, 8–10 minutes.
4. Set cake on a wire rack set over a rimmed baking sheet. Pour glaze over cake and spread it across the top and over the edges with an offset spatula. Let cake stand at room temperature until glaze is set, 2–3 hours.
5. DO AHEAD: Cake can be made and glazed 2 days ahead. Chill. Bring to room temperature before serving.

Alternative Preparation: You an substitute an equal amount of Chambord Liqueur for the wine and you will get a sweeter dark raspberry taste to the chocolate glaze.

The cake is very rich. Slice into very narrow pieces – you can easily serve 12-16 with this decadent cake!

10 No Fuss Healthy Soups

Cold Outside? Warm Up Your Insides!

I’ll be honest, cold is relative to where you are in the world. Today I’m thankful to not be in Central or Eastern Europe, which is seeing temperatures as low as -30°C (-22°F). Brrr

Here, in Irvine, CA today it is 62°F and raining which means I am under a warm blanket with my two Labrador Retrievers snuggled up beside me and the fireplace on as I sip on some coffee laced liberally with some Bailey’s Irish Cream. I use the words, “I’m freezing” in nearly every conversation I have today, but I am loving this weather. At this time last year, we were heading into what was billed as the hottest February on record with day after day of temperatures in the upper 90’s that led to 2016 being called one of the hottest, if not THE hottest year on record, so excuse my exaggeration with the term “freezing” as, in order to be cold last year, I had to have my air conditioner running.

Today I saw a picture at one of my favorite websites, www.bonappetit.com, for Chili Colorado, that made my mouth water.

I hadn’t yet decided what to make for dinner, but, after seeing this picture, no further searching was needed. This will definitely be dinner, and a couple of workday lunches as well! I am not a big pork fan, so I’ll be making the beef option.

***Note I always trim all of the visible fat away so that the meat is as lean as possible.

Rick Martinez’s Mom’s Chili Colorado

5 Dried Ancho Chilis
2 Dried Pasilla Chilis
2 Dried Guajillo Chilis
8 Cups Chicken Stock (3 Cups + 5 Cups Separated)
2-3 Pounds Boneless Pork Shoulder (or 2-3 Pounds Boneless Beef Shoulder)
Salt and Pepper
Oilve Oil (My substitution for Vegetable Oil)
6 Cloves Garlic Chopped
2 Bay Leaves
1 TBLS Ground Cumin
2 tsp Chopped Fresh Sage
2 tsp Chopped Fresh Oregano

Now Let’s Cook!

Remove the stems and seeds from all of your chilis. Make sure you have chosen soft and pliable chilis. If they are dry and brittle they are too old. They will be tasteless and ruin your dish.
Cover chiles with 3 cups of your chicken stock (it should already be boiling) and let them steam, covered with plastic wrap, for about 30 minutes until they are plump and tender. Put the chilis and all of the soaking liquid into a blender and purée until very smooth.
Cut 2 to 3 pounds boneless pork shoulder (or boneless beef shoulder) into ½” pieces and season with salt and pepper.
Brown the meat in a large, heavy pot over medium-high heat with a couple of TBLS of olive oil so meat doesn’t stick.
Chop your 6 cloves of garlic and throw it in the pot along with 2 bay leaves, 1 TBLS ground cumin, 2 tsp each of chopped fresh sage and chopped fresh oregano. Stir that around for about a minute, or until very fragrant.
Add in your remaining 5 cups of chicken stock and simmer uncovered for about an hour.
Stir in the chile purée and simmer for another 45 minutes until the meat is very tender and the sauce is a thick, mahogany-red color.
Season with additional salt and pepper.
Serve with flour tortillas – you can serve rice and beans for a full, authentic Mexican meal, if you desire, as well.

Just imagine the love and attention you’ll get from your family when they come into the house and are surrounded by the smell of chili Colorado simmering on the stove 😉 !

What Healthy Eating Does For Your Body

Top 38 Diets of 2017

usnwrdietrankings It’s estimated that more than 45 million Americans, and an untold millions more worldwide, start a diet each year. To assist those who are looking for the best and healthiest way to battle the bulge, U.S. News & World Report, the global authority in rankings and consumer advice, today released its annual assessment of the year’s Best Diets.

For the seventh year in a row, the DASH diet has been rated Best Diet Overall, followed by the Mediterranean diet, up from fourth place last year. The MIND diet, second last year, comes in third, and is followed by a four-way tie for fourth place: the Flexitarian diet, Mayo Clinic Diet, the TLC diet and Weight Watchers.

U.S. News’ Best Diets 2017 offers rankings of 38 diet plans across nine categories: in addition to the Best Diets Overall, this year’s lists can help people find the Best Weight-Loss Diets, Best Fast Weight-Loss Diets, Easiest Diets to Follow, Best Commercial Diets, Best Diets for Healthy Eating, Best Plant-Based Diets and best diets for conditions such as diabetes and heart disease.

I’ve found links to all of the 38 diets with information about the diets. I would Google any of the diets you are more interested in and pay particular attention to the opinions of people who have tried the diets. For instance, the Engine 2 diet is one that is very difficult to stick to – it was developed by a professional athlete who was becoming a firefighter: so NOT like the rest of us. Read the honest opinions and the pros and cons, especially the food limitations, so that you can make a well informed decision before committing to a diet. It’s very depressing to fail at something when it could have been avoided if only you’d have done your homework beforehand.

Best Diets Overall

1. DASH Diet – Information, diet books, recipes and more: http://dashdiet.org/default.asp

2. MIND Diet – Information, recipes, and more: https://www.southdenver.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/Mind-Diet-for-web.pdf
2. TLC Diet (tie) – Information, diet books, recipes and more: http://tlcdiet.org/
4. Weight Watchers – Information, diet books, meetings, recipes and more: https://www.weightwatchers.com/us/
4. Mayo Clinic – Information, diet books, recipes and more: http://diet.mayoclinic.org/diet/home
4. Fertility – Information, diet books, recipes and more: http://health.usnews.com/best-diet/the-fertility-diet
4. Mediterranean (tie) – Information, diet books, recipes and more: https://authoritynutrition.com/mediterranean-diet-meal-plan/
8. Volumetrics (tie) – Information, diet books, recipes and more: http://guidedoc.com/volumetrics-diet-menu-plan-recipes
8. Flexitarian – Information, diet books, recipes and more: http://www.webmd.com/diet/a-z/flexitarian_diet
10. Jenny Craig – Information, diet books, recipes and more: http://www.jennycraig.com/
11. Biggest Loser – Information, diet books, recipes and more: http://www.biggestloser.com/
11. Ornish (tie) – Information, diet books, recipes and more: http://www.everydayhealth.com/diet-and-nutrition/the-ornish-diet.aspx
13. Vegetarian – Information, diet books, recipes and more: http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/HealthyLiving/HealthyEating/Nutrition/Vegetarian-Diets_UCM_306032_Article.jsp#.WG27pRsrLIU
13. Traditional Asian (tie) – Information, diet books, recipes and more: http://health.usnews.com/best-diet/traditional-asian-diet/recipes
15. Slim Fast – Information, diet books, recipes and more: http://slimfast.com/
15. SparkPeople – Information, diet books, recipes and more: http://www.sparkpeople.com/
15. Anti-Inflammatory (tie) – Information, diet books, recipes and more: http://www.drweil.com/diet-nutrition/
18. HMR – Information, diet books, recipes and more: https://hmrgettherefaster.com/
18. Flat Belly – Information, diet books, recipes and more: http://www.prevention.com/weight-loss/flat-belly-diet
18. Nutrisystem (tie) – Information, diet books, recipes and more: http://www.nutrisystem.com/jsps_hmr/home/index.jsp
21. Vegan – Information, diet books, recipes and more: http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20773383,00.html
21. Engine 2 – Information, diet books, recipes and more: https://engine2diet.com/
21. South Beach – Information, diet books, recipes and more: http://www.southbeachdiet.com/how-it-works/index.jsp
21. Abs (tie) – Information, diet books, recipes and more: http://www.absdiet.com/uof/absdiet/abospl/
25. Eco-Atkins – Information, diet books, recipes and more: https://www.atkins.com/how-it-works/library/articles/the-eco-atkins-diet
25. Zone – Information, diet books, recipes and more: http://www.zonediet.com/
25. Glycemic-Index (tie) – Information, diet books, recipes and more: http://www.dummies.com/food-drink/special-diets/glycemic-index-diet/glycemic-index-diet-for-dummies-cheat-sheet/
28. Macrobiotic – Information, diet books, recipes and more: http://www.nutritionsecrets.com/what-to-eat-on-the-macrobiotic-diet/
28. Medifast (tie) – Information, diet books, recipes and more: http://www.medifast1.com/index.jsp
30. Supercharged Hormone – Information, diet books, recipes and more: http://www.doctoroz.com/article/dr-natasha-turners-supercharged-hormone-diet-reset
30. Acid Alkaline (tie) – Information, diet books, recipes and more: http://www.webmd.com/diet/a-z/alkaline-diets
32. Fast – Information, diet books, recipes and more: http://www.webmd.com/diet/a-z/fast-diet-review
32. Body Reset (tie) – Information, diet books, recipes and more: http://www.harleypasternak.com/index.php/body-reset-diet/
34. Raw food – Information, diet books, recipes and more: https://draxe.com/raw-food-diet/
34. Atkins (tie) – Information, diet books, recipes and more: https://www.atkins.com/
36. Dukan – Information, diet books, recipes and more: http://www.dukandiet.com/
36. Paleo (tie) – Information, diet books, recipes and more: http://thepaleodiet.com/
38. Whole 30 – Information, diet books, recipes and more: http://whole30.com/whole30-program-rules/

Month: January 2017

Cauliflower Pizza Crust

Weeknight Salmon in Parchment