Grain Free Caramelized Onion & Gruyere Sandwich! GF & SCD Friendly!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

2015! It's going to be a terrific year. I can just feel it :)

So I'm sitting in my apartment, back in New York. The snow is really coming down outside, and I am cozy and warm, snuggled under a blanket with the candles on, and a mug of tea in my hands. Life. Is. Good.

This time of year, resolutions are in full swing. People trying to eat healthier, exercise more, keep their personal space more organized, etc.

Well, I am all for that. But sometimes, on a day like today, when it's blustery outside, all you want is comfort food. SOOO, I've decided to update a classic and make it healthier, so we can stick to our resolutions!!

And what did I reinvent?

Introducing my Caramelized Onion and Gruyere Grilled Cheese Sandwich!

Wait wait wait...just how is this "resolution friendly?" -- Welllll -- the bread is actually made out of CAULIFLOWER!!

Yep, you read that correctly! The bread is grain free, and made from cauliflower and almonds!

It's Gluten Free, Grain Free, and Specific Carb Diet friendly!

Here's what you need: (Serves 1)

For the Bread:
1 cup cauliflower
1/3 cup almond flour
1 egg (or 2 egg whites)
1/8 tsp salt

1/3 vidalia onion, sliced
1/4 cup gruyere cheese, shredded

The first step is to get your onions caramelizing. In a non-stick skillet, sauté your onions in 1-2 Tbsp EVOO for about 15 minutes over medium-low heat with a little salt and pepper. Stir them occasionally, letting them become a golden brown color.

While your onions are cooking, place your cauliflower in the food processor. Pulse until it resembles rice. Then, place your riced cauliflower in a clean kitchen towel, paper towels, or a cheese cloth and wring out as much water as you can. **This step is really important!!**

Then, mix your egg, cauliflower, almond flour and salt in a medium sized bowl.

Spray a large, non-stick frying pan with olive oil, and heat over medium-high heat. Divide the batter in two, and create two "skillet cakes." Let them cook for about 3-4 minutes on each side, until they are golden brown on the edges, and fragrant (they'll smell like roasting almonds). Then, carefully flip with a spatula.

After your flip the bread, evenly place the shredded cheese on each slice of the bread. Cover the skillet with the lid for about a minute to help melt the cheese.

Once the other side is finished cooking, sandwich the caramelized onions between the bread.
You will want to serve and eat immediately.

OK guys. I have to be real with you all. This. Was. AMAZING! It's hard to believe how cauliflower can be transformed into such a decadent gourmet treat! You seriously can't taste the cauliflower. The bread just tastes nutty and delicious.

It has a wonderful texture: it's bread and chewy. The golden brown edges are a little crispy, and SO GOOD! You can actually pick it up and eat it like a sandwich!

And the caramelized onions are out of this world. If you've never had them, consider this your personal invitation. They can seem a little intimidating, but they're actually really simple -- they just take some good sweet time:)

They become almost sweet, because the sugars in the vidalia onion are released and caramelize. They become soft and chewy and they pair perfectly with the buttery gruyere cheese.

I almost forgot! The gruyere cheese!! Melty, buttery, rich and fully SCD friendly, this grilled cheese sandwich is a far cry from a greasy spoon.

In fact, with my "happy tummy" makeover...it can be considered a healthy treat! This sandwich comes in at just under 500 calories, so "splurge" away!

Alright. First week of 2015 coming up. Let's make it a phenomenal one!