Hey guys!
So I’m in Wisconsin! Yay!! Don’t get me wrong, I love NYC,
but every now and then it’s good to just get away, see nature, and spend time
with family. So bring on the lake!
Wisconsin is so amazing. I love being on the lake and just
having the stress melt away. Up here, life is slow. The day revolves around
when you’re going out on the boat, what beers to bring in the boat cooler, and
which supper club to go to for dinner. The local Friday Night Fish Fry is an
institution, and being a Packers fan is the religion around here. Cheeseheads
for the world!
I’ve really missed cooking. Cooking in the city is pretty
difficult. Food is SO expensive. ($6.00 for a red pepper!!) That, and my days
are so busy that it’s hard to make time to cook/blog. So as a result, I’ve been
only cooking one special “blog meal” per week. But up here, I can really let
loose "culinarily" and have fun!! SO let the culinary adventure
begin!
Last night I made an AMAZING meal! We’re talking a 10/10!
Delicious, filling, healthy, and beautiful to boot. What was it?
Beet, Mushroom and Basil Cauli-Flatbread!
Talk about a fabulous treat! And it’s gluten/grain free,
Specific Carb Diet friendly, paleo, and has a vegan option!
Here’s what you need: (serves 1)
Crust:
¼ cup almond flour
1 cup cauliflower
2 egg whites (Vegan option: 2 flax/chia eggs)
salt and pepper
¼ cup almond flour
1 cup cauliflower
2 egg whites (Vegan option: 2 flax/chia eggs)
salt and pepper
1 beet, scrubbed and diced
2 Tbsp onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
salt and pepper
2 Tbsp onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
salt and pepper
4 mushrooms, sliced
5 sugar snap peas, sliced into bite-sized pieces
basil, chopped
5 sugar snap peas, sliced into bite-sized pieces
basil, chopped
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Scrub and dry your beet. Then,
cut it into ½ inch cubes. Place them on a tin foil-lined, olive oil-sprayed
baking sheet in an even layer. Spritz with olive oil and season with salt and
pepper. Bake for 40 minutes, stirring once halfway through.
While that’s baking, prepare your crust. Steam or microwave
your cauliflower. Then, place the florets into the food processor and process
until it resembles rice. Place your riced cauliflower in a clean kitchen towel
or paper towels and wring out as much water as you can. This step is really
important!! Mix your dried cauliflower rice with your egg of choice, almond
flour, salt and pepper. Set aside. Cut 2 pieces of parchment paper and place
one on a baking sheet. Put the dough in the center of the sheet. Place the
other sheet on top and “smoosh” out the dough to form a circle. Don’t make it
too thin, but spread until you get a nice sized crust. Bake crust for 35
minutes at 400 degrees. This is what the underside of the crust looks like when
it’s finished: see how golden and crispy it is?!
Meanwhile, sauté your mushrooms and sugar snap peas in 1 tsp
of olive oil, salt and pepper for just a minute: until the mushrooms brown and
the peas become a vibrant green. Transfer to a plate and set aside. In the same
pan, add another tsp EVOO and sauté your onions and garlic with salt and
pepper. Allow the onions to brown a bit, and then transfer them to the food
processor.
When your beets come out of the oven, place them in the food
processor with the onions and garlic. Add some salt and pepper, and blend until
creamy.
To assemble: Place your crust on your plate.
Top with the beet mixture.
Top with your mushrooms and sugar snap peas.
Garnish with fresh basil and DIG IN!
I cannot even begin to describe how delicious this flatbread
was! First, the crust was chewy and a little crispy. You could not taste the
cauliflower AT ALL! It had a subtle nuttiness to it from the almond flour.
And the entire thing was just bursting with flavor. There
was an earthy sweetness to the dish. The beets had an underlying sweetness that
was complimented by the sweet sugar snap peas. The mushrooms really highlighted
the earthiness of the beets. And the basil gave the dish a wonderful freshness
that tied it all together!
Finally, it was a truly beautiful dish. The white mushrooms
and green peas just popped off of the deep crimson beets. It looked like a work
of art. Almost too pretty to eat. Almost.
:)
And one last thing! I found an AWESOME new product! It’s
called Reallygoods! It’s a regional organic, vegan/glutenfree/raw snack bar/“cookie.” - It's literally called a "raw fruit and nut thing" haha See?
I enjoyed them on the boat for lunch yesterday.
Check out the ingredients: macadamia nuts, pecans, raisins,
coconut….SO INCREDIBLE! And I loved them because they didn’t have any dates in
them like Larabars. (Dates don’t really agree with my stomach. I think the
sugar is too concentrated in them.) So yeah, keep an eye out for them!
They were super chewy and just the right amount of
sweetness! I mean, check out that texture!
More fun to come in the kitchen tonight! See ya soon!
Want more GFHT? You can now get my e-cookbook, The Best of GlutenFreeHappyTummy
for only $2.99 on Amazon!
for only $2.99 on Amazon!
You're right - that does look beautiful! $6 for a pepper?! Wow, I had no idea food there was so expensive. Enjoy the WI costs while you can. :-)
ReplyDeleteYay, I'm so glad you are able to spend time with your family in Wisconsin! The house is so lovely, I remember all of your gorgeous pics from last summer :) The flatbread looks gorgeous! Look at the beautiful rich color from the beets. Really lovely! That bar (thing lol!) looks really great too!
ReplyDeleteWhat a perfect escape from the (HOT) city!
ReplyDeleteWhen i go visit my parents i do so much more cooking too- free time plus cheaper groceries, and my dad and sister are an appreciative audience :) i want to make this cauli-crust yet just can't deal with turning on the oven lately. Bookmarked for future. Enjoy the rest of your vaca!
Ttrockwood(at)yahoo(dot)com
Thank you so much! Yeah I hear you about not wanting to turn on he oven! Yikes! It's so hot! Thanks for stopping by! Have a wonderful weekend!
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