Pizza! Pizza!

I miss pizza.  Eating just the toppings off a regular pizza doesn’t cut it.  Using a portabella mushroom cap, while good, doesn’t always cut it.  Using a meat crust, also while yummy, doesn’t always cut it.    The gluten-free pizza from Westshore Pizza, while tasty, doesn't always cut it.  

Cauliflower was on sale recently.  I decided to try out one of the many cauliflower pizza crust recipes out there on the ‘net.  I have NO idea with which recipe I started.  I tweaked it and came up with this.  I give it 4 wing flaps!

Cauliflower Pizza Crust

Ingredients

1 head cauliflower, stalk removed

.5 cup shredded Colby Jack (I started with cheese cubs and pulsed them in the blender - just grate it, it’s easier) (original recipe called for Mozzarella)

.25 cup grated Parmesan (I pulsed mine in the blender)

.5 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning (original recipe called for ½ t dried oregano)

.25 t garlic powder

.5 teaspoon Jane’s Krazy Mixed-Up Salt

2 eggs, lightly beaten (try using only 1 egg)

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.  Prepare pizza pan (I buttered mine because I’ve never used it before and didn’t know if it is non-stick).  If you don’t have a pizza pan, line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Break the cauliflower into florets and pulse into itty-bitty pieces.  I used my blender.  Most recipes I’ve read for cauli-rice, cauli-pizza, etc. instruct the reader to pulse the cauliflower in a food processor until fine.  NOTE:  I used my blender BUT it’s quicker to grate it, as you would cheese.

Steam cauliflower in a steamer basket and drain well.  Let cool.  Drain the cauliflower.  (VERY IMPORTANT!!! DO NOT try to squeeze the water out of the cauliflower before it cools - freshly steamed cauliflower is HOT and WILL burn your bare hands!  Ouch! Yes, that's what I did!)  To drain:  use a clean smooth cloth napkin to wring the water out of the cauliflower.  Get as much water out as possible.  You want DRY cauliflower or the crust will be limp after it’s baked.  Try partitioning the cauliflower and drying it in portions to get maximum water expulsion.

While the cauliflower is steaming and cooling, combine the cheese and seasonings.  Lightly beat the eggs.  When cauliflower is cool, add it to the cheese mixture and then add the eggs.

Transfer the mixture to the center of your pizza pan (or baking sheet) and spread it into a circle, resembling a pizza crust. Bake for 20 minutes.

Add desired toppings and bake an additional 10 minutes.

NOTE:  The crust is a bit soggy.  Try using only 1 egg next time.  Try flipping the crust halfway through 1^st baking. 

Nutritional info:

Fat:  36.63g (55.6%)

Protein:  43.27g (31%)

Carbs:  17.71g (13.4%)

Calories:  527 cal

BBQ hotdog pizza on a cauliflower pizza

P.S. No posts for a week or so.

Dessert! Or breakfast! Or any time eats! Lemon Supreme Cheesecake

One of my all time favorite desserts is Lemon Meringue Pie.  A close second is Lemon Supreme Pie.  They have one thing in common:  the lemon filling.   Once in a while I crave lemon.  This year, I made a Lemon Supreme Cheesecake.  Really, it’s probably the Lemon Supreme Pie I remember from high school (Baker's Square in Carpinteria) and college (Village Inn in Ft. Collins) - made low carb.  By the way, the plate in this picture is part of a set I bought in college in 1994 from Pic-n-Sav.  They have lasted!

These cheesecake and curd recipes result in something that is absolutely positively yummy!  The lemon curd is a bit more tart that I’d like - still absolutely positively yummy!  I’ll see if I can fix that next time.  I got this recipe from Linda Sue's website.  I give it 4.5 wing flaps (because of the tartness and graininess of the curd). 

Lemon Supreme Cheesecake

Cheesecake

Ingredients:

1 packet unflavored gelatin

1 cup cold water

16 ounces cream cheese, softened

Liquid Splenda equivalent to .5 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

Lemon Curd (see recipe below)

Step-by-step instructions for the cheesecake:

      1.     Put the water in a small microwave-safe bowl; sprinkle the 

              gelatin over the surface and let stand 5 minutes to soften.

       2.    Microwave on HIGH about 1 minute or just until the water 

              comes to a simmer.  Stir until the gelatin is completely 

              dissolved; set aside.

      3.     In another bowl, beat the cream cheese, Splenda and 
              vanilla until creamy. Gradually beat in the gelatin.

      4.     Pour into a greased 9-inch pie plate.

      5.     Chill 3-4 hours or until set.  Spread the chilled lemon curd 

              over the completely set cheesecake.  Serve with whipped 

              cream, if desired (not included in the counts).

Lemon Curd

Ingredients:

Liquid Splenda equivalent to 1 cup sugar (add more if you want it sweeter)*

Liquid Sugar Twin equivalent to 1 cup sugar

3 eggs

1 cup fresh lemon juice (you'll need 8-9 small lemons)

2T lemon zest (from 2 lemons)

.5 cup unsalted butter, cut in 1/2" cubes

Step-by-step instructions for the lemon curd:

      1.     In a microwave-safe bowl, whisk the sweetener and eggs. 

      2.     Whisk in the lemon juice and zest. Add the butter and stir 

              just to coat.

      3.     Microwave on HIGH in 1 minute intervals, whisking after 

              each minute. Do this until the mixture is thick enough to 
             coat the back of spoon. This will take about 3 minutes. 

      4.    Strain the curd to remove any cooked egg.

      5.    Cool, then chill, then spread on your cheesecake OR store              
             the curd in a glass jar and serve as needed.  See Note 2!

Makes 8 servings (More like 12-16 servings, depending upon your serving size)

*This lemon curd will be very tart, even with the equivalent of 2 cups of sweetener.  Next time, try using only 1T lemon zest.

Note:  When chilled, the lemon curd will become a little grainy.   Supposedly, that’s because of the butter.  If you lower the amount of butter, the curd will not be a grainy but it will be less rich as well.

Note 2:  The lemon curd does not set up.  It WILL drip all over the sides of the cheesecake.  I stored the curd in a glass jar and spooned it one each piece of cheesecake as I ate it. 

Nutritional info:

Fat:  264g (84%)

Protein:  64g (10%)

Carbs:  36g (6%)

Calories: 2,512 calories

Another recipe from the family Thanksgiving dinner: Sausage & cabbage stuffing

Next up is a favorite of mine!  Sausage-cabbage Stuffing (or dressing).  I’m gonna call it stuffing because that’s what I grew up calling it.  I know that stuffing is what’s put in the bird while dressing goes alongside the bird to dress it up.  This doesn’t go in the bird.  Although … I guess it could.  I just don’t see the need to do that.  Oh and I don’t cook turkey.  More on that at a later date - in a month or so I'll be cooking my first turkey since 1997.  I bring side dishes to family holiday dinners.  And this one was a hit this year.  NOTE:  it’s sooooo good that I make it any time of year.  Yummy x 1 million!  5 wing flaps!  Supposedly these feeds 8.  This time around, it fed 8 and there are probably 2-3 servings left.

Sausage & Cabbage Stuffing

Ingredients:

1 pound seasoned sausage (I usually use Publix breakfast pork sausage that is in bulk*)

3 stalks celery, diced

1 small sweet onion (any onion, even shallots) would do), diced

2T butter, unsalted

1 head of cabbage (small to medium), chopped small but not diced

(up to) 15 oz broth (chicken or veggie)

3 eggs, beaten

Instructions: 

Sauté onion & celery in butter.  Add sausage, brown.  Let it get crispy!  Add cabbage.  Cook until cabbage soft.  Add chicken stock as needed to keep moist.  Add seasoning to taste.

Once cabbage is cooked, remove from heat.  Add eggs.  Bake in oven at 350 for 20-30 minutes.  Enjoy this yumminess!!

Step-by-step instructions: (for those of you who prefer this instruction layout)

        1.     Sauté celery and onion/shallots in butter.

        2.     Add sausage and brown it, crumbling it as it cooks.  If you 

                think it’s browned, keep browning!  Let it get crispy.  You 

                want the yummy caramelization on the bottom of the pan to 

                add more flavor.

        3.     Add the cabbage.  I don’t have a large pan so I added the 

                cabbage a bit at a time and let it cook down before adding 

                more cabbage.

       4.     Add more seasoning if desired.

       5.     Add broth as needed to keep it moist.

       6.     Cook until the cabbage is soft and tender.

       7.     Transfer everything to a 3 quart casserole dish (mine fit in a 

               2 quart 9x13 pan). 

       8.     Add beaten eggs.  Mix.

       9.     Bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes. 

       10.   Take out and enjoy this yumminess!

*If you use turkey sausage, add more butter to compensate for less fat in the sausage.  You need the extra fat during the browning of the meat.

NOTE:  large/medium chop = size of nickel/half a nickel; diced = small chop; minced = very fine, as small as possible

Nutritional info:

Fat:  151.36g (68.2%)

Protein:  89.08 (20%)

Carbs:  52.39 (11.8%)

Calories:  1776

A recipe from the family Thanksgiving: Apple Salad

Over the holidays I made a couple of dishes.  Each will get it’s own post:  Apple Salad (not low carb!), Sausage-Cabbage Dressing/Stuffing, and Lemon Supreme Cheesecake.  Let's start with the Apple Salad.  :-)

This dish is a family tradition for both Thanksgiving and Christmas.  Responsibility for making it shifted to me about 10 years ago.  As my sister pointed out this most recent Turkey Day, it’s never exactly the same twice in a row.  Here the version I made this Thanksgiving, which I give 5 wing flaps!

Ingredients:

3 apples (mixed variety, including a Granny Smith), chopped into small bite-sized pieces

½ pineapple, cut into chunks

¼ cup dried cranberries

2T real mayo

2T lemon full-fat yogurt

Mix all of the ingredients together and refrigerate until ready to serve.  Makes 2-3 cups.  I think!  It will keep for 3-4 days, then it gets bitter.

NOTE:  an apple corer-slicer works well for the apples - just make sure your apples are not the large ones.  Or lopsided.  Also, I buy the pineapple peeled and cored but not cut up.  The apple corer-slicer works well for cutting the pineapple into strips.

NOTE 2:  in the past, I have included walnuts or pecans, toasted.  Also, the yogurt is normally no sugar added vanilla or fat-free plain.  I think I prefer the lemon yogurt.