Roasted Beet & Fennel Pesto Pizza! GF, SCD, BED & Paleo w/ Vegan opt'n!

What up Happy Tummiesss?!!

How was everyone's weekend? Did you watch the World Cup finals? I watched it with my friends in Harlem. What a fun day.

A double rainbow on the way to the airport in Wisconsin.

So yep, I'm back from Wisconsin, and boy do I miss my fam. It was so great to be with them, especially my little niece, Baby A. She turns one on Thursday. Such. A. Cutie. :D My mom loves being a gma:)

It is definitely a different kind of summer here in NYC. It is seriously muggy and humid here on the East Coast, but that was NOT the case in Wisconsin! It was so cold in the Northwoods that on a couple days, that I had to wear a ski suit when we went boating!! And at the lake home, we have all our old clothes up there -- as the "cottage wardrobe." So let's just say I looked pretty sweet in my mom's 80's ski outfit! haha

Yep, it was a high of 63 degrees some days, so lets just say it was f-f-f-freezing on the water! Quite the change from NYC :D

One night in Wisconsin, I decided to make one of my favorite meals: a Cauliflower Flatbread Pizza!

Flatbreads are a standby for me. They're so delicious, filling, easy to make, and seriously good eats!

And you did read that right: it's made out of Cauliflower! Cauliflower and almond flour to be exact:D

This particular flatbread was a Roasted Beet and Fennel Pesto Flatbread! And it's Gluten and Grain Free, Specific Carb Diet and Body Ecology Diet Friendly, Paleo, and has a Vegan option!

Here's what you need: (Serves one)

1/3 cup almond flour
2 egg whites (Vegan option: 1 flax/chia egg)
1 cup cauliflower florets (riced in a food processor)
3 pinches salt

1 beet, cut into 1/4 inch rounds (BED sub red pepper)
1 bulb of fennel, half cut into wedges, and half shaved on the mandolin

Pesto Sauce:
1 cup, packed fresh basil
1/4 cup pine nuts
juice 1/2 lemon
salt and pepper
3/4 cup green peas, microwaved for 2 minutes
1-2 Tbsp EVOO

Garnish:
fresh basil, chopped
sunflower seeds

Preheat oven to 400 degree. Rice your cauliflower in the food processor. Then, place your riced cauliflower in either paper towels, cheesecloth, or a clean kitchen towel, and wring out all the excess liquid. (This is a really important step!)

Combine the riced cauliflower with the egg, almond flour and salt in a medium sized bowl. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. (NOT wax paper!) Place your "dough" in the center of the parchment paper. Place another piece of parchment on top, and "smoosh" out the dough to about an 8 inch circle. Leave the top paper on, and bake as a "parchment sandwich" for about 30-35 minutes, until the edges turn golden brown.

Next, scrub and dry your beet, and slice it into 1/4 inch rounds. Place them in a single layer on a tin-foil-lined, olive-oil-sprayed baking sheet. Spritz with olive oil. Set aside.

Take your fennel bulb and remove the two outer layers. With half, cut into wedges, keeping the button intact, so the wedges stay together. Place these wedges in a single layer on the baking sheet with the beets. Spritz with olive oil and bake for 20 minutes.

After 20 minutes, take the fennel off the baking sheet and set aside. Flip the beets, and return the baking sheet to the oven for another 10 minutes.

With the remaining 1/2 fennel bulb, carefully shave it on the mandolin into paper-thin slices. These will be scattered raw on the pizza.

Meanwhile, make your pesto by combining all the pesto ingredients in the food processor and blitz until smooth. You'll need to scrape the sides several times.

To assemble, place a thin layer of the pesto sauce on the crust. Top with slices of the beets, the roasted fennel, and raw fennel, and garnish with basil and sunflower seeds.

Oh my goodness this pizza was SO GOOD! Holy cow, what a treat. For those of you who are skeptical of a crust made out of cauliflower, I assure you, you do NOT taste the cauliflower at all. No kidding. I passed it around the table for my family to try, and they all couldn't believe that there was cauliflower in it. Even my dad --- and that's saying something!

The textures were so great. The crust was chewy and bready, and a little crispy/crunchy on the edges. The creamy pesto, chewy beets and roasted fennel went perfectly with the crunchy sunflower seeds and raw fennel.

And the flavors were fabulous! The pesto was so bright and fresh, and the beets had a wonderful earthy sweetness to them that paired perfectly with the sweet and licorice-y fennel. There's something magical about fennel when you roast it in the oven -- its inherent sweetness comes out and caramelizes. SO good! And the sunflower seeds gave a nice nutty and salty *pop* to it.

Finally, it was a stunning dish with the bright green and deep purple. Just beautiful.

Alright, I'm off to watch the Bachelorette! More great recipes coming later this week! Be sure to check back!

Fennel & Pesto Pizza! GF, V, SCD, BED & Paleo!

Hey Happy Tummies!

Can we just hit the pause button real quick and talk about the fact that we're already halfway through September!? Umm...what?! Time is flying by at warp speed!! 

Well this is going to be a great week becaaaaaause....fall TV is starting!! DWTS is tonight, The Mindy Project premieres on Tuesday...who's excited!? :) I don't know how I feel about James Franco's appearance on the show though...

Any who! As I mentioned before, I was home this past weekend and I had a blast. Not only was I there for some birthday celebrations, (the monster cookies were a hit!) but we also got our family photos taken since we have a new addition! Anna from Anna May Photography is seriously amazing. Anna is a good friend of my brother and his wife. She has a beautifully artistic eye. I thought I'd share some favorites:)

OK, now on to some FOOD! For dinner one evening, I made a delicious cauliflower crust pizza!

One of the beauties about pizza is that you can make it ahead of time and have it all ready to go at the drop of a hat!

Soo, I made a Fennel and Pesto Pizza!!

And it's gluten free, Specific Carb Diet & Body Ecology Diet friendly, & Paleo w/ a Vegan Option!

Here's what you need: (serves 1)

Crust:
1 cup cauliflower, riced
2 egg whites (Vegan option: 1 flax/chia egg)
1/4 cup almond flour
1/4 tsp salt

Pesto:
1 cup broccoli, steamed
3/4 cup green peas, steamed
1 cup fresh basil
2 Tbsp pine nuts
juice 1/2 lemon
1 garlic clove
1 Tbsp EVOO
healthy pinch of salt and pepper

1 tomato, sliced (BED omit)
4 mushrooms, sliced
1 bell pepper chopped (BED use red) 
1 bulb of fennel, shaved
1/4 tsp dried oregano and basil

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Put your raw cauliflower florets in the food processor and process until it resembles rice. Then, place the rice in a clean kitchen towel (or several paper towels) and wring out all the liquid. This is a really important step.  Combine it thoroughly with your almond flour, salt, and egg whites. Cut 2 sheets of parchment paper the size of a baking sheet. Put your batter onto one sheet of parchment, and place the other sheet on top. “Smoosh” it out fairly thin. Spritz the top with EVOO. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until golden brown.

Meanwhile, brown your mushrooms in a skillet with 1 tsp EVOO. Do this by placing them in a single layer and then don't touch them for about 3-4 minutes, so that they can brown. Then, flip, and let sit untouched for another 3 minutes. Add your bell peppers to the pan and let them cook for another 3 minutes. Sprinkle them with about 1/4 tsp dried basil and oregano.  Take off the stove and hit with salt and pepper. 

Next, carefully shave your fennel on a mandolin. (I've learned from experience that it is very important to use the safety hand guard!) Also, slice your tomato into about 1/4 inch slices.

Finally, make your pesto. First, steam your broccoli and peas either in the microwave or in a steamer basket. Then, place all your pesto ingredients in the food processor and process until smooth. You'll need to scrape the sides several times. 

To assemble, spread a thin layer of the pesto on your flatbread. Leave about a 1/2 inch boarder. Then, place your tomato slices on top. Top those with your peppers and mushrooms. Finally, sprinkle the top with the raw fennel.

Mmm mmmm mmmm this was so tasty!

Lets be honest: Fennel can be kind of an intimidating vegetable. It's this big white bulb that has these freakish and fuzzy stalks protruding up like Edward Scissor Hands.  (dramatic much??) BUT, it really is delicious. It adds a wonderfully delicate crunch to a dish and has an unmistakably lovely licorice flavor, unlike anything else. I had some extra fennel left over, and my family (who had never had it before) put it on their salads and LOVED it! #fennelconverts :)

I loved the addition of the juicy tomatoes to this dish too. They were sweet and fresh and complimented the bright pesto wonderfully.  Finally, the mushrooms were perfectly chewy and earthy.

Finally, it goes without saying, but I love my cauliflower crusts. They're one of my "staples." I always keep the ingredients on hand: frozen cauliflower and almond flour! It has this wonderfully nutty and delicate flavor. You honestly don't taste the cauliflower AT ALL! It's a miracle food, seriously!!

And you can pick it up like a piece of pizza. Sounds like a winner to me!

And lastly, this dish was absolutely beautiful too with all the colors. It just begs to be eaten and enjoyed. And that's just what I did!



What fall TV show are you looking forward to?



Want more GFHT?  You can now get my e-cookbook, The Best of GlutenFreeHappyTummy for only $2.99 on Amazon!

Oven-Dried Tomato, Eggplant and Avocado Flatbread! GF, V, SCD & Paleo!

Happy Labor Day!!

What a whirlwind of a summer it has been!

I don't know about you, but Summer '13 was awesome. My brother and his wife welcomed a beautiful baby girl into the world, there were milestone birthdays, I shot a cooking show pilot, and best of all --- it marked the one year anniversary of being back in NYC after my Ulcerative Colitis flare!

So, I thought I'd send out the summer with a bang. And, it must be the Midwestern gal in me, but for me, the best way to celebrate is with a pizza party! :)

SO, tonight, I had a pizza party...for one:) haha But it was INCREDIBLE!!

I made an Oven-Dried Tomato, Eggplant and Avocado Pizza w/ a Cauliflower Crust!

I wish you could see me right now...I'm doing a happy dance just writing about it. It was SO GOOD!!

Holy camoley, you guys. This was outrageous. Like...SO GOOD. I had never made Oven-Dried tomatoes before, and ohhhh my gosh. GAME. CHANGER. Seriously. If you take one thing away from this post, it's MAKE THE TOMATOES!! :D haha

And it's gluten free, Specific Carb Diet friendly and Paleo, and has a Vegan Option!

Here's what you need:

Crust:
2 egg whites (Vegan option: 1 flax/chia egg)
1 cup cauliflower florets, riced
1/4 cup almond flour
1/4 tsp salt

1 tomato, sliced into 1/4 inch rounds
1 eggplant, sliced into 1/4 inch rounds
4 mushrooms, sliced
fresh basil, sliced
1/2 avocado, mashed
1 Tbsp pine nuts, toasted

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Put your raw cauliflower florets in the food processor and process until it resembles rice. Then, place the rice in a clean kitchen towel (or several paper towels) and wring out all the liquid. This is a really important step.  Combine it thoroughly with your almond flour, salt, and egg whites. Cut 2 sheets of parchment paper the size of a baking sheet. Put your batter onto one sheet of parchment, and place the other sheet on top. “Smoosh” it out fairly thin. Spritz the top with EVOO. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until golden brown.

Also, toss your eggplant with 1 Tbsp EVOO, salt and pepper. Then, place your tomato and eggplant slices in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for about 40 minutes, flipping the eggplant halfway through. Then, take the eggplant off and set aside. Now, to get your tomato slices suuuuper dry and chewy, you'll need to turn the oven off and leave them in there with the door closed for another hour. However, you can forgo that step and eat them as is.

Next, brown your mushrooms in a skillet with 1 tsp EVOO. Do this by placing them in a single layer and then don't touch them for about 3-4 minutes, so that they can brown. Then, flip, and let sit untouched for another 3 minutes. Take off the stove and hit with salt and pepper. 

Finally, mash your avocado with salt.

To assemble: spread your avocado in a thin layer. Top with slices of tomato, eggplant, mushrooms, pine nuts, and fresh chopped basil. 

OK, this was officially one of the best things ever. Oven-dried tomatoes are seriously amazing. They become intensely sweet and "tomato-y." And they're nice and chewy and sticky. And combined with the creamy eggplant, and chewy and earthy mushrooms, it was just fantastic. 

And the crust! Goodness, it was good. It was nutty and chewy and the perfect vessel for this delicious meal!

The avocado -- one of my favorite foods. It's buttery, luxurious, and so creamy! And the basil really gave the right amount of freshness to the dish.

Finally, it was a beautiful dish. It was rustic and regal looking. A stunner for sure.

Let's make it a great autumn! What are you looking forward to this September?
Want more GFHT?  You can now get my e-cookbook, The Best of GlutenFreeHappyTummy for only $2.99 on Amazon!

New Video!

Hey Happy Tummies!

I hope you're all having a fantastic week!

Just wanted to share another Video with you! This recipe is for my Mango Avocado Flatbread!

Enjoy!!
GlutenFreeHappyTummy Video!

I've got a new recipe in the works! I'll bring it to you by this weekend!

Until then!

Golden Beet Cauliflower Pizza! GF, V Opt’n, SCD!

It’s hard to believe that my time at home is rapidly coming to a close. It’s been a long, difficult journey with my Ulcerative Colitis flare, and I’m finally well enough to return home to NYC. It has been almost a full year – 11 months.

There are so many things I’m looking forward to, going back. Seeing friends, independence, pursuing my acting career, just living.

super tasty!

So tonight for dinner, I made something special:) A pizza! And not just any pizza – Cauliflower Pizza!! It’s my favorite:)

what. a. crust!

Grain and Gluten Free, and Specific Carb Diet friendly with a Vegan option. And actually, the crust itself is Body Ecology Diet friendly!

fabulous!

Pizza is such a celebratory food. It makes an appearance at almost every party. So I thought I’d celebrate the closing of one chapter of my life, and the beginning of another very exciting one:)

so colorful!

Here’s what you need: (Serves 1)

Crust:
1/3 head of cauliflower, riced and wrung dry (about 1 cup when packed and dry)
2 egg whites (Vegan Option: 2 flax/chia eggs)
1/4 cup almond flour
1/4 tsp sea salt
sprinkle of garlic powder

Toppings:
1/2 cup sugar snap peas, sliced in thirds
1 Tbsp red onion, sliced paper-thin

Sauce:
2 golden beets, diced into small pieces

creamy golden beets

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Put your raw cauliflower florets into the food processor, and process until it resembles rice. Then place “rice” in a clean kitchen towel and wring out all the excess water. This is really important! I get about 1 cup of water out of my cauliflower! Combine it thoroughly with your almond flour, salt, egg whites and garlic powder. Cut 2 sheets of parchment paper the size of a baking sheet. Put your batter onto one sheet of parchment, and place the other sheet on top. “Smoosh” it out as thin as you can. LEAVE THE TOP PAPER ON, and bake as a “parchment sandwich” for 30-35 minutes. Take out, spray with EVOO and return to the oven for another 3 minutes.

Meanwhile, steam your beets until soft and tender. Also, blanch your sugar snap peas in boiling water for 30 seconds until they are bright green. Finally, soak your onion slices in ice water for about 10 minutes. (This gets rid of the bitter oniony bite).

After your beets steam, put them in the food processor with some salt and pepper. Process until smooth and creamy. (You’ll need to scrape the sides 3-4 times).

so flavorful!

To assemble, top your crust with the beet sauce, your sugar snap peas and onion. Enjoy!

wait, there’s cauliflower in that?!

Ok. This. was. incredible!! Everything about it rocked my world – the flavors, the textures and the colors!! First, the flavors! The beets were sweet and earthy, which went wonderfully with the sweet peas and nutty crust. A symphony of flavors!

delicious!

Next, the textures were wonderful! The crust was phenomenal. I highly suggest trying this! It’s crispy on the outside, chewy on the inside, and you can actually pick it up with your hands like a pizza! The smooth and creamy beet sauce went wonderfully with the crunchy snap peas. Marvelous.

want a slice?

Finally, it was just beautiful! The yellow-orange sauce with the bright green and purple was whimsical and dramatic. Very appropriate for my return to NYC:)

crunchy sugar snap peas and onions!

What toppings do you get on your pizza?

Need a fabulous food processor? Here's the one I use and love: