Cauliflower Crust Pizza with White Sauce

I told you I'd be back soon. And with a killer pizza recipe to boot. So get excited, because this dish is tried and true. Actually, I've made it so many times, I have no idea how it hasn't been on the blog yet. But this is hands down my favorite way to eat starch-less pizza and has become a real staple at our house.

{riced}

{squeezed out}

{pre-baked crust}

Ingredients:
for the crust-
1/2 large head of cauliflower (if your cauli. is on the smaller side, use 3/4)
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 eggs
2-3 ounces of cheese, shredded (I usually do a mix of mozzarella and parmesan)
salt and pepper, a few pinches of dried oregano and basil
for the white sauce-
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup heavy (or light) cream
1-2 cloves of garlic, minced (depends on how garlicky you like your pizza-this is always an argument at our house)
salt and pepper
top it off-
3-4 ounces mozzarella cheese, sliced thinly or shredded (I use low-moisture cheese, because nobody likes soggy pizza)
1 ounce of parmesan, grated from the block
your choice of toppings: a handful of olives, mushrooms, sliced onions, fresh tomatoes, etc. the sky is the limit, really!

Directions:
for the crust-
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. To "rice" the cauliflower, either grate it with a box grater or pulse it in a food processor until it resembles grains of rice. Put the riced cauliflower in a large microwave safe bowl and microwave uncovered until softened, about 6-8 minutes, stirring at least once. Cool slightly.
2. Pour the cauliflower onto a kitchen towel and wring out the excess water from the cauliflower (I wear latex gloves to do this because the cauliflower is hot!). Put the wrung-out cauliflower back into a large bowl and add in the eggs, cheese, garlic, salt, pepper, basil and oregano. Stir until combined. Spread out the "dough" for the crust onto your lined baking sheet. Try and make it as thin as possible without any holes poking through.
3. Bake about 30 minutes, or until golden/light brown. The darker it gets, the crispier your pizza's crust will be-but keep in mind that you'll be putting it under the broiler later, so you don't want it to turn out burned when you're melting the cheese. (Sometimes I'll flip the crust over and bake it for another 5 minutes, just to make sure that it's thoroughly cooked.) Let cool for 10-15 minutes before you load it up with toppings.
for the white sauce-
4. While the crust bakes, you can prepare your sauce and get your toppings ready. Whisk together the sour cream, heavy cream, garlic, salt and pepper. Keep it in the fridge until you're ready to put your pizza together.
assemble it-
5. Preheat the broiler. Once your crust is golden and has cooled a bit, spread your white sauce evenly over the top, going almost to the edge. Spread the mozzarella across the sauce, then fill in the gaps with your parmesan. Lay out your choice of toppings across the cheese. (And sprinkle some dried oregano on top, if you want that pizzeria feel.) Broil 5-6 minutes, or until cheese is melty and golden in spots. Be careful to watch your pizza closely, because it'll burn quickly under the broiler. Let cool for a few minutes before cutting and serving. If you'd like, you can add some chopped fresh basil and oregano before serving as well.

*And for a recipe for tomato sauce and a variation on the white sauce, check out my first post on starch free pizza here.

Major Sale at Cortalito

Hello all!

I know I have been thoroughly neglectful to this blog lately, but what can I say? Day jobs and side jobs and life in general gets in the way. I have so many recipes to share with you! And eventually, I'll get there.

I'm stopping by today to let you know about a major sale I'm having in my Etsy shop, Cortalito. I'm trying to clear out most of my products so that I can have a sort of shop renaissance, recreating my vision of Cortalito. I'd love your help!

Just use the coupon code REN2013 during check out to get 25% off your order (there is a minimum purchase of $10). Follow any of the links on your right to head over to Cortalito and see the merch.

Have a great day!
Kara

Summer Salad with Nectarines & Fresh Mozzarella

This salad is perfect for those hot and sticky summer days when you'd just rather not have to turn on your oven. Especially when you have delicious locally grown nectarines at your disposal. And at first glance it may seem fancy, but it couldn't be simpler to make. This is a very relaxed recipe; I don't usually use exact measurements when putting together salads, especially in the summer time when the weather is lovely and I'd rather be doing other things besides cooking indoors. So just throw it together and enjoy!

Summer Salad with Nectarines & Fresh Mozzarella

Ingredients:

a couple of handfuls of arugula or baby spinach (I used arugula here, but the taste can be a bit strong for some)

a nectarine or peach, sliced thinly

fresh mozzarella, torn into pices

a couple of sprigs of fresh herbs (I used sweet spearmint and basil here), minced

a green onion, thinly sliced

balsamic vinegar and olive oil

salt and pepper

Directions: 

Make a bed out of the arugula (or whatever type of lettuce you please, really). Layer on top of it the peach slices, mozzarella, green onions and herbs. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar and olive oil and sprinkle everything with salt and pepper. So easy and fast!

{Can you spot my cooking partner in this photo? And my polka dot pants?}

Pollo Borracho and Cilantro Lime Cauliflower Rice

Pollo borracho (Cuban style drunken chicken) is one of my favorite party dishes. It's easy to make a day ahead of time, and just re-heat on the stove or in the oven. And! It's great as leftovers days later. Oh, and it's pretty much impossible to mess up, so it turns out delicious every time.

Cilantro lime cauliflower rice has been making the rounds on food blogs and pinterest, so of course I decided to put my own spin on it and give you the recipe here. The flavors go perfectly with pollo borracho, and it's so easy and tasty that you won't even miss your white rice. If you change around the spices, you can serve it in place of white rice in any meal.
 

{browning the chicken}

{letting it simmer}

Pollo Borracho (Drunken Chicken, Cuban style)
Ingredients:
one 4- to 5-pound frying chicken, cut into serving pieces and skin removed (you can also buy pre-cut breasts or thighs, that's what I usually do)
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 teaspoon ground oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
 1/4 cup olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 large onion, thickly sliced
1 bay leaf
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup dry sherry
1/4 cup large green Spanish olives (with the pimientos), drained and roughly chopped
Directions:
1.) Wash the chicken pieces, pat dry with paper towels, and season with salt, pepper, cumin and oregano.
2.) In a dutch oven (or large oven-proof skillet big enough to hold the chicken pieces without crowding), heat the olive oil over medium heat until fragrant, and brown the chicken pieces well on all sides. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside. Reduce the heat to low, add the garlic and onions, and cook, stirring, until tender, 6-8 minutes, adding more oil if necessary.
3.) Add the bay leaf, wines, and olives and stir to incorporate. Return the chicken to the pan, cover, and cook over low heat until tender, about 45-60 minutes. If you prefer, you can place the covered skillet in a 350 degree F oven for 45 minutes instead. Remove the bay leaf and serve with cauliflower rice.

Cilantro Lime Cauliflower Rice
Ingredients:
1/2 large head of cauliflower
1/2 yellow/white onion, diced
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
zest of one large lime
juice from 1/2 a lime
2 tablespoons olive oil
a dash of cumin
salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
1.) Pulse the cauliflower in a food processor or grate it, so that it resembles grains of rice.
2.) Heat a large pan to medium heat and add olive oil, onion, and garlic. Cook until just translucent, then add riced cauliflower.
3.) Cover the pan and let steam for 6-7 minutes, or until cauliflower is softened and gently cooked through.
4.) Remove cover and cook off any excess liquid.
5.) Add in lime zest, cilantro, cumin, salt, and pepper. Mix well, then transfer to a serving dish. Squeeze fresh lime juice over the rice and serve.

{you can also shred the chicken & mix it in with the rice: delish!}

Washington DC Metro Autoimmune Walk

Hi All!

My husband & I are going to be participating in the Autoimmune Walk for the DC area on June 22, in order to raise money for research into prevention and cures for autoimmune disorders. I know that many of you who read and use this blog suffer from autoimmune disorders, so I felt I should share this information here. 

The main page for the Autoimmune Walk can be found here. There are walks planned in Michigan, Kentucky, Georgia, New York and in the DC metro area.

We're walking to raise money for the Autoimmune Diseases Association, the only non-profit dedicated to research for autoimmune disorders. They support special diets (like the starch free diet!) as an option for treatment of these disorders, instead of only pushing pharmaceutical treatment options.

If you'd like to donate and support our team (we're called Team Peppy), you can visit our team page right here. And if you live in the DC area, you should come out and walk with us!

If you'd like more information about the AARDA, check out their website.

Thanks everyone! 
Kara

Savory Leek and Arugla Tart

Let's put your almond flour crust making skills to good use, now in a savory dish! This recipe has recently become one of my favorite go-to recipes for dinner when I'm running out of food in the fridge and needing to go the grocery store.  Although I use leeks and arugula for the tart here, this recipe works well for a number of different fillings. If you only have onions and spinach on hand, that would be just as delicious. You can also change the herbs and spices depending on your taste and what you have on hand at home. This tart would also be perfect for serving at a brunch. It's loosely adapted from this recipe.

 
Crust:

2 1/2 cups almond flour/almond meal

1/4 parmesan, finely shredded (not pre-grated, they put corn starch in that stuff!)

1/2 teaspoon salt 
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

3 ounces (3/4 stick) unsalted butter

1/8 cup ice water 

Filling:  
2 tablespoons of unsalted butter

4 leeks (white part), thoroughly cleaned and coarsely chopped

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon coriander 

5 large eggs 

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/4 cup milk

1/3 cup sharp cheddar cheese, grated

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated 

a handful of cilantro, chopped 

2 1/2 oz arugula  

To make crust:  

1.) Heat oven to 300 degrees F. Combine cold butter, almond flour, parmesan, salt, pepper and water, and knead into a firm dough. The dough should be crumbly. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. 

2.) Roll out dough between 2 sheets of parchment, then invert into your greased tart pan. Press the dough into the bottom and sides of your pan. (If you have a 10-inch springform tart pan, that would work best. Since I don't, I use a regular ceramic tart pan. I just end up with a little extra filling that I bake in a small dish.) 

3.) Bake at 300 for about 30 minutes or until golden. Remove from oven and let cool while you prepare the filling.

To make filling:  

1.) Melt butter in a large skillet over medium low heat. Add in leeks and spices and then cover and cook until leeks are tender, stirring every so often. Remove from heat and transfer leeks to a bowl to cool. 

2.) In a separate bowl combine eggs, cream, milk, both cheeses and whisk to combine. Mix in cooled leeks, cilantro, and arugula into mixture.

3.) Pour filling into crust and bake at 375 degrees. Bake for about 35-40 minutes or until filling starts to puff, gold spots appear and center is set. Remove from oven and transfer to rack and cool slightly. Serve warm. 

 

Guava Swirl Cheesecake

Hey everyone, I'm still alive! I've just been letting work and life take precedence these days. But that also means that I've build up a good pile of recipes to share with you.

This dessert popped into my head one day when I was thinking about a way to combine the flavors of guava and cream cheese. My husband loves these super sweet Cuban pastries filled with guava and cream cheese, but trying to make a starch free version of the real pastry just wouldn't come close enough to the real thing. I had to get a little more creative with the flavor combination. And so the guava swirl cheesecake was born! (And depending on your flavor preferences, you can change the guava to any type of jam or jelly and this cheesecake would still be delicious. I think strawberry, blueberry and blackberry would all be amazing.)

The crust is the same recipe that we used in our Key Lime Mousse Pie and makes a good starch free substitute for any pie or dessert recipe requiring a crust.

Guava Swirl Cheesecake
makes one 10-inch cheesecake
for the crust:
3 cups almond meal/flour
4 ounces (1 stick) unsalted butter
(scant) 1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
(scant) 1/8 cup water
for the cheesecake:
two 8-ounce packages cream cheese, at room temp.
2/3 cup sugar (you can use a little less depending on how much jelly your adding in)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs, at room temp.
2/3 cup heavy cream
1/4-1/2 cup guava jelly, depending on your taste - I used Goya, in the international food section

for the crust:
--> Combine the almond meal with the baking soda, salt and sugar. Add the butter and some water, but don't add too much water! You just need enough to moisten the dough so that you can mix it. Knead to combine, and don't worry if some of the butter still shows through the dough. Form the dough into a flat disk, cover completely with saran wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

--> Preheat oven to 300 degrees F and lightly butter or spray a 9 inch or 10 inch springform pan. Remove the dough  from the fridge and place between 2 sheets of parchment paper. Roll the dough out to a round disk a little larger than the springform pan. Remove the top sheet and invert the shell onto the pie dish. (Sometimes, if the dough feels a little bit on the sticky side, I just put the dough directly on my pan and press it in piece by piece with my fingers instead of rolling it out. When it's too sticky, it can just stick to the paper.) With your hands, mold the dough to fit your springform pan, making the edges a little thicker than the bottom.

--> Put into the oven and bake for 30-35 minutes or until the crust has very lightly browned and is firm. Remove from the oven and cool completely while you make your filling.
 
for the cheesecake:
--> Increase the oven temperature to 325 degrees F. With a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat cream cheese at medium speed until very soft and smooth, about 4 minutes. Add sugar and salt, and continue to beat at medium speed for another 4 minutes or so, until cream cheese is light. Beat in vanilla. Add eggs one by one, beating for a full minute after each addition so that your batter will be well aerated. Reduce to low speed and mix in heavy cream.

--> Stir bowl with rubber spatula, scraping the sides, and pour into your cooled crust. In a small bowl, stir your guava jelly until softened and uniform in texture. Pour jelly onto cheesecake mixture by the spoonful and marble gently into the cheesecake with a knife. 

--> Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until slightly browned and puffed a little. A thermometer should read 150 degrees F when inserted into the center of the cheesecake. Let cool, then place into the fridge. If you'd like, serve with whipped cream on top. But it's amazingly delicious either way.

Cheddar Onion Rolls

These savory rolls aren't too much to look at, but when you can't eat wheat or grains, they can really hit the spot. They go really well with a salad or broken apart into your soup. These rolls also make an excellent substitute for hamburger buns, and if you're making them to use for a sandwich, make sure to make them rounded, because they'll flatten as they bake, and you want them to be taller if you're planning on slicing them in half.

This recipe is based on one from the Healing Foods Cookbook.

{pre-baking}

Cheddar Onion Rolls
makes 6
3 cups almond flour
1 teaspoon soda
1 cup cheddar, grated
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground pepper
1/3 cup onions, finely chopped
1/4 cup butter, softened
2 tablespoons sugar
2 eggs
olive oil

1.) Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Combine the almond flour with the baking soda, cheddar, salt, pepper, and onions. In another bowl, whisk the butter with the eggs (and honey if you're using it) until frothy.

2.) Add the almond flour mixture to the egg mixture and knead together. With slightly moist hands, form the dough into 6 buns and place onto a parchment lined baking tray. Trace a cross across the top of the rolls with a sharp knife and brush with oil.

3.) Bake for about 15 minutes, then turn oven down to 300 degrees F and bake for another 15 minutes. The rolls should feel firm and nicely browned. Extras can be refrigerated in an airtight container.

{Closed} Giveaway / Win a Handmade Necklace from Cortalito

So, I know this isn't related to starch, but I'm sharing anyway. This morning I'm excited to be doing my first giveaway from my online jewelry shop, Cortalito. For this giveaway, I'm offering one winner the Snow & Ice Necklace in the photos above. I'm also offering a 20% off coupon for A Starch Free Cookbook readers when you use the code STARCHFREE at checkout.

Here's how you can enter to win: (This giveaway is open to international readers, too!)
Mandatory Entry:

Visit my Etsy Shop and have a look around. Come back here and leave a comment telling me your favorite item in the shop. Please leave your email address so I can contact you if you win. If there's no way to contact you, your entry will not count.

Bonus Entries: (Leave a separate comment for each entry.)

- Tweet this giveaway! Use the following sentence, "Enter to win a handmade necklace from Cortalito on @Cortalito_K blog, A Starch Free Cookbook! http://astarchfreecookbook.blogspot.com/2013/01/giveaway-win-handmade-necklace-from.html"

- Like Cortalito on Facebook.
- Share the link to this giveaway on Facebook.
- Share this giveaway on your blog or tumblr. Please include the link to your post in the comments.

So, there are a total of four ways to enter this giveaway. Don't forget to include your email address in the comments! This giveaway will end on January 12 and I'll announce the winner on Sunday.
 

***

Congrats to Katharyn (comment #8), our giveaway winner! And thanks to everyone who participated! I'm sure I'll be doing more giveaways like these down the line.

Kale Chips

I know I've said this before, but I have a hard time finding vegetable dishes that are a.) starch free and b.) that the Mister is willing to eat. That being said, he will eat kale chips every single day. AND he'll be happy about it. Doing the starch free thing, he often laments the lack of crunchy and snack-y types of foods. So kale chips make a good alternative to potato chips, even if you can eat starch. And don't tell anyone, but we like to dip ours in ketchup. They only take 10 minutes, start to finish. So you really can have them any day of the week.

{pre-baking}

Kale Chips
serves 2-3
3-4 cups of (loosely packed) kale, washed and trimmed of the thick stalk and torn into pieces
olive oil
seasoning salt and pepper

1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F and line your baking sheet with a sheet of parchment paper. Spread out kale evenly across sheet. (I usually mound up the kale a little, or you won't have very many kale chips once it bakes down.)
2. Drizzle olive oil over the kale and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Put sheet in the oven and bake for 10-12 minutes, until kale chips are *starting to brown.
3. Serve immediately. With ketchup.

*You'll have to keep a close eye on the chips in the last part of cooking, because they'll go from perfect to burnt pretty quickly. I like mine on the chewier side (which looks more green, like the picture above) and the husband likes them crispy, which will be browner. Test it out and see what you prefer.

{a little glimpse into my tiny kitchen}