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Tomato Basil Cauliflower Rice

October 1, 2014 by Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine 93 Comments

Wow, happy October 1st! It’s Halloween season already!? I’d rather not think about that (nightmares of scary never-ending winters are happening full force!). But that just means I am one month closer to winter break and going home! Plus, I mean, Fall isn’t horrible (yes it is), but there are a few small redeeming qualities. You know I love scarves, pumpkin, fall produce (apples!), hot drinks, big sweaters and comfy sweats. I also like pretending in my mind that I do fun fall activities like apple-picking, bonfires, enjoying the colors of nature, snuggling up by the fire, festivals, races, etc. But really, no, I never do any of that. Sad life 😛

I’m also going to not share the fall fun with a fall recipe today. No pumpkin, apples, squash, comfy soups. (Side note: I actually am not a fan of apple recipes. Why kill an apple, a beautiful apple, and ruin the beauty that is eating a whole, crisp, sweet, juicy apple. That first bite! O like nothing else…I digress). Instead I am going to share a recipe I have been craving! But it also is one that makes me sad, reminiscent. It was the last new recipe I made before I left home 🙁 I even ate the leftovers the night before I left. So it’s beautiful and sad at the same time, but the goodness outweighs everything else!

Fake “carb” dishes have been booming all over the place lately! With the rise of paleo and such, people are testing out crazy things. Crazy things that just happen to be absolutely delectable (like beet or zucchini noodles)! I have always been intrigued by cauliflower rice, but have been hesitant to make it since my tummy is sensitive to the cruciferous veggies. But I finally said screw it, and bite the bullet.

And I am so glad I did! This stuff was out of this world! Who knew cauliflower could make my favorite kind of “rice” 😉 I would pick this over the actual grain any day! Maybe it is how I seasoned and cooked it up, but this doesn’t even taste like cauliflower. It just tastes like sweet tomato basil rice goodness!

I had an opened jar of my beloved tomato paste and needed to use that up too before I left. I had thought about using actually tomato sauce, but I am so glad I went with the paste like I usually do. The flavor is so much stronger and sweeter. It coated the “rice” perfectly instead of making it “swim” in sauce.

This yummy side dish is full of Italian herbs and spices too! We’ve got basil of course, marjoram, and oregano. Onion, garlic, pepper. All of that makes the best low-carb, paleo, gluten-free, vegan, super-healthy dish that will satisfy and fulfill your Italian comfort food craving. (Really it will!)

Tomato Basil Cauliflower Rice

Ingredients: (serves 4)

+ 1 Large Head of Cauliflower

+ 1 Tsp Dried Oregano

+ 1 1/2 Tsp Dried Basil

+ 1/2 Tsp Marjoram

+ 1/2 Tsp Onion Powder

+ 1/2 Tsp Chopped Garlic

+ 1/8 Tsp Black Pepper

+ 1/4 Cup Salt-Free Tomato Paste

+ Dried Parsley for Garnish

Directions:

+ Cut Cauliflower into small florets. Place in a food processor and process until “riced”. Depending on the size of your processor you’ll probably have to do this is batches like I did.

+ In a large saute pan, add the cauliflower and the rest of the ingredients. Saute, covered, for about 5-8 minutes on medium high heat. Remove and serve! (Quick and easy, right?)

When you need some rice in your life, but you only have a lonely cauliflower…now you have a solution 😉 You’ll be surprised by how good this tastes! I promise it is so worth it! And a bonus, it tastes like pure gold eaten cold the next day. I think it tastes even better this way! Topped with raw cashews and it was the perfect mid-day snack for me.

So tell me:

+ Have you tried cauliflower rice?

+ Random: Broccoli or Cauliflower? For me, I love them both best eating wise is steamed broccoli and raw cauliflower.

*Recipe linking up for the week! WIAW, Allergy Free Wednesdays, #RecipeFridays, #RecipeOfTheWeek, #StrangeButGood, Gluten-Free Wednesdays, Real Food Friday, Gluten-Free Fridays, Tasty Tuesdays, Savoring Saturdays, Healthy Vegan Fridays, #WeekendBites, Real Food Recipe Roundup, Gluten-Free Tuesdays, Tasty Tuesdays, Meatless Mondays!*

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Grilled Vegan Margherita Pizza

August 13, 2014 by Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine 58 Comments

I have a confession. I love Pizza! I really do. I always scoffed at those who would answer the question of “what’s your favorite good?” and they would say pizza. Well, pizza isn’t my favorite food, but it’s up there. Of course my pizzas are not the typical cheese and sauce on a doughy gluten-filled crust, but that’s not the definition of pizza anyway. Dictionary.com told me the definition was this: “a flat, open-faced baked pie of Italian origin, consisting of a thin layer of bread dough topped with spiced tomato sauce and cheese, often garnished with anchovies, sausage slices, mushrooms, etc.”

Okay, so maybe it is close to what I said isn’t the definition, but it doesn’t specify what the dough or cheese has to be made from! The pizza I have to share with you today, is the closest to fitting this definition of pizza that I have made yet. It has the “dough”, sauce, and even cheese (or cheeze in my case)! The definition for a margherita pizza says: “a type of pizza made with tomato, sliced mozzarella, basil, and extra virgin olive oil.“ I hit all those except the EVOO. But that’s okay…I made up for it with a few other extras 😉

One this I did take to a new level with how it was “cooked” and in this case it was grilled! Two great loves combined in one meal! Grilling and pizza, can you get any better? There is something about grilling that just leaves you feeling super accomplished in your culinary feats. It takes a bit of extra gusto to grill than it does to bake. And I am so happy I started using the big bad grill this summer. It was intimidating at first, but now I like to call it my best friend 😉 It hasn’t let me down yet or screwed up a recipe. I think it likes me too 🙂

What I loved about grilling the pizza was the nice smoky taste it gave. It also nicely and lightly cooked the delicate topping with the grill cover closed. Each flavor was able to burst through and hold its own when you took a bite. The colors all stayed vibrant and really made the pizza a feast for the eyes (as well as the stomach!)

Grilled Vegan Margherita Pizza

Ingredients: (serves 1)

For the Cashew Cheeze:

+ 1/4 C Raw Unsalted Cashews (soaked in 1 cup of water overnight)

+ 1/8 Tsp Onion Powder

+ 2 Shakes of White Pepper

+ 1 TB Water

For the Pizza:

+ 1 Large Brown Rice Tortilla (I use Food For Life)

+ 1 Handful of Arugula

+ 5 Leaves of Fresh Basil

+ A Few Slices of Sweet Onion

+ 3 or 4 Slices of Tomato

+ 2 TB Salt-Free Tomato Paste

+ 2 TB Sliced Black Olives (rinsed)

+ Sprinkle of Garlic Powder

Directions:

+ To make the cashew cheeze, combine the soaked cashews, pepper, onion powder, and water in a food processor. Pulse until you get a relatively smooth but crumbly texture. Set aside.

+ To assemble the pizza, spread the tomato paste, layer the tomatoes and onions down, next the arugula and basil, sprinkle on the olives, then make 3 “blobs” with the cashew cheeze, and finally sprinkle on a bit of garlic powder.

+ On a medium heated grill, place you pizza on an oiled piece of foil down on the grill. Close the cover and grill for about 6-8 minutes.

Pretty simple! Of course you can make a few of these a feed the fam, but I am usually alone so one grilled pizza will suffice 😉 In conclusion, this pizza elevated my love for pizza that much more! Plus it was the first time I made cashew cheeze and I loved it! It really does taste like cheese, plus cashews are so buttery and sweet anyway, it was just fabulous. (Rivaling the nutritional yeast cheese!). I was also able to get my fix of tomato paste. I love the stuff! It’s so concentrated and tangy; so much better than tomato sauce! Since I never use a whole jar at once, I freeze a few tables spoons in plastic baggies to whenever I need it. Then I just thaw it out in the microwave and I have tomato paste ready to go!

So tell me:

+ What is your definition of pizza?

+ Have you ever grilled a pizza? Do it before the summer is over!

*Recipe linking up for the week! WIAW, Allergy Free Wednesdays, #RecipeFridays, #RecipeOfTheWeek, #StrangeButGood, Gluten-Free Wednesdays, Real Food Friday, Gluten-Free Fridays, Tasty Tuesdays, Savoring Saturdays, Healthy Vegan Fridays, #Foodie Friday, Real Food Recipe Roundup, Gluten-Free Tuesdays, Tasty Tuesdays!*

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Vegan Pepperoni White Bean Pizza

June 11, 2014 by Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine 61 Comments

Well. I would tell you the story behind this recipe, but I am not. Why? Because it is rather tragic and a bit embarrassing to say the least. Lets just say, I didn’t follow the rules again. But, whatever, I am moving on from that 😉 Instead, I will share a different story. One that may be a bit gross, but now is just funny (at least to me). It is even funnier because the gross part happened to me, but it always bothered my brother and mom so much more than me. I guess it’s because I was so young and really don’t remember it, only the retelling of the story every year we would walk past Snow White’s pizza place on the Wildwood Boardwalk.

Now apparently, this place is rated one of the number one spots on the boardwalk, however, we beg to differ. It was a day many years ago and we stopped in to grab some pizza for lunch. My mom, brother, and I all ordered a few slices and went and sat down at a table in the back. I assume we all started eating, and then I look down and find a white hair (white, get it? Snow White?) on my pizza. Fabulous right? When you are starving and now the food in front of you and everyone else turns into the grossest unappetizing thing. And then I am assuming we threw away out slices and left in search of some more suitable fuel.

Well, from that year on, any time we walked passed that place on the boardwalk, we would all relive and retell the story. Saying “Ew, gross!” under out breath as we walked by. It is funny how these little moments in time, are remembered and held as memories for so long. Yet I can’t remember how to factor a polynomial in math after only a few weeks of taking the test. I digress. But you know what place we found that did have the best pizza on the boardwalk? Sam’s Pizza Palace! My mom fell in love with that place. I am not sure I ever got a chance to eat there though because it came later in the years and I think I was already having my stomach problems then. I do remember they had the best fountain soda because they used this perfect crushed ice in the cup! Ah, ice, I love the stuff 😉 That is one of my favorite things about hotels and the like. Going to the ice machine and filling up cups of ice to munch on! Haha, can I get any more random today?

Now lets talk about this good (hair-less) pizza. Mushrooms were the name of the game but I wanted them to have more flavor then just roasting them on the pizza. Plus I needed to add some protein source to make this more substantial for my tastes. I had always liked a good pepperoni pizza as a kid, I was never a plain jane just cheese girl. In the later years of my pizza eating, I moved on to the gloriousness that is an onion pizza. Stringing white onions, perfect. There was even a time I forayed into the white broccoli pizza. But that was short lived. Too much cheese, I needed the red stuff. Then there was a time where I went for the ultimate gluten pizza a few times. Pasta pizza! Yea, they put penne pasta on a pizza. Another favorite was a Sicilian slice. I loved the thickness (and squareness)!

I never liked mushrooms early enough in my pre-celiac years to enjoy a mushroom pizza, but that is okay beucase I’ve got one now! This pizza combines a few of my favorites. Pepperoni-esque marinated roasted mushrooms and eggplant, olives (another winner), onions, white beans (which take on a faux white pizza look, but really is just a hummus type of spread), and of course, the glorious red stuff. I like using Tomato Paste on my pizzas though more than sauce. It has a more concentrated flavor and if perfect when making just your own personal pizza like this one here. Anyway, this pizza is my new favorite! I could eat this baby everyday. Gluten-free, vegan, soy-free, meat-free perfection on the famous Food For Life Brown Rice Tortilla!

Vegan Pepperoni White Bean Pizza

Ingredients: (serves 1)

White Bean Spread:

+ 1 Cup Cooked White Beans

+ 3 Fresh Basil Leaves (torn)

+ 1/4 Tsp Onion Powder

+ 1/4 Tsp Garlic Powder

+ 1/4 Tsp White Pepper

Marinated Pepperoni Mushrooms and Eggplant:

+ 1 Very Large Portobello Mushroom Cap (5 Slices)

+ 5 Thin Eggplant Rounds

+ 1/2 Tsp Liquid Smoke

+ 1/2 Tsp Smoked Paprika

For the Pizza:

+ 1 Recipe of White Bean Spread

+ Pepperoni Mushrooms and Egglpant

+ 1 Large Brown Rice Tortilla (or other, if you have a personal favorite)

+ 3 TB Salt-Free Tomato Paste

+ 2 TB Sliced Olives (rinsed well to get excess salt off)

+ 2 TB Chopped Sweet Onion

+ 1/4 Tsp Dried Oregano

Directions:

+ To make the white bean spread, got a food processor. Add in you beans, basil, and spices. Blend until you get a spreadable smooth mixture.

+ To make the pepperoni, in a medium bowl, add the mushrooms and eggplant. Pour in the liquid smoke and smoked paprika. Then use your hands to rub in the mixture so everything is coated. Let sit while you preheat the oven to 350°F. Now line a baking sheet with foil and lightly oil. Place the mushrooms and eggplant slices on the sheet and roast for 10 minutes. Flip and roast for another 10. Remove and set aside.

+ Now change the oven to 415°F, line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place down your tortilla (from frozen), spread on the tomato paste leaving some space around the edge of the tortilla. Then spread on all the bean mixture. Now place the mushrooms and eggplant around the pizza. Then sprinkle on the olives and onion. Finally, shake on the oregano. Now place in the oven and cook for 12-15 minutes until the edges of the tortilla begin to brown. Remove and enjoy!

I love making my own pizzas. Now the blog is up to 4! This one, my Sprouted Lentil Butternut Squash one, Roasted Vegetable, and Chicken Meatball! One for every type of eater 🙂 No matter which way you spread it, top it, slice it, pizza is always a winner 😉 (As long as it does not include hair!). Happy Pizza Eating my friends!

So tell me:

+ What is the best boardwalk pizza you’ve ever had?

+ Ever had hair or something gross come in you food?

+ What is the weirdest pizza you’ve ever had?

*Recipe linking up for the week! WIAW, Allergy Free Wednesdays, #RecipeFridays, #RecipeOfTheWeek, #StrangeButGood, Gluten-Free Wednesdays, Real Food Friday, Gluten-Free Fridays, Tasty Tuesdays, Savoring Saturdays, Healthy Vegan Fridays, #Foodie Friday, Real Food Recipe Roundup, Gluten-Free Tuesdays!*

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Artichoke Spinach Chicken Burgers & Fennel Beet Parsnip Puree

June 4, 2014 by Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine 59 Comments

Grilling really has become me new favorite cooking method. It just makes food that much better and that much more summery. We have a big gas grill, nothing to fancy, but it gets the job done. I do however want to buy a cheap charcoal grill before grilling season is over. Charcoal is basically the flavor king of grilling. We used to have a small one way back when, but not anymore. So that is my mission the next time I go out to the store, find me an affordable charcoal grill (plus a bag of charcoal!).

The only annoying this about grilling, well I guess not too annoying, is that I have to use foil over the grills. I don’t trust the cross-contamination safety and I just don’t want my chicken or veggies touching the same grills a piece or beef did. (Food snob?). So I rip a large piece of foil, wipe it with come oil, and then place what ever I am cooking down on that. At least it provides easy removal since I can just lift the foil off and I don’t have to worry about brushing the grills to clean it!

Anyway, I have a pretty snazzy recipe for you today. I wanted to use ground chicken again as well as re-make that lovely fennel parsnip puree I had at City Range a while back. So I went all out with the grilling, and some blending! This was my Memorial Day dinner and we did absolutely nothing that day, so I knew I had to make it special somehow. Some time spent in the kitchen always does the trick. I whipped up some grilled artichoke spinach chicken burgers and my own fennel parsnip puree with added beets for a pretty red color! Roasting, grilling, blending, it was a “hectic” but fun time. Not to mention it produced some rather delicious results 😉

Artichoke Spinach Chicken Burgers & Fennel Beet Parsnip Puree

Ingredients: (serves 4)

For the Burgers:

+ 1 lb Ground Chicken

+ 1/2 TB Lemon Juice + Zest from Whole Lemon

+ 1 Tsp Dried Tarragon

+ 1 Tsp Dried Basil

+ 1/2 Tsp Garlic Powder

+ 1/2 Tsp Onion Powder

+ 1/4 Tsp Black Pepper

+ 5 Artichoke Hearts (1/2 Cup)

+ 1 1/2 Cup Spinach

+ 1 Tsp Dijon Mustard

For the Puree:

+ 2 Large Beets

+ 6 Medium Parsnips

+ 1 Large Fennel Bulb

Plating Extras:

+ A Few Leaves of Fresh Basil

+ Lemon Slices (to grill)

+ Eggplant Slices (to grill)

Directions:

For the Burgers:

+ In a food processor or blender, add your spinach and artichokes. Blend until you get an almost smooth consistency, but not a total puree. You want some spinach pieces in there to stand out.

+ In a large bowl, combine the chicken along with the spinach artichoke purees, lemon juice, zest, Dijon, and all the spices. Use your hands to mix everything together very thoroughly.

+ Form 4 burger patties with you hands. Place them on an oiled piece of foil (or not) and grill for 20 minutes (10 minutes on each side). If you don’t want to grill (I have no idea why) you can also cook these in the oven at 350°F for 35-40 minutes.

For the Puree:

+ Preheat oven to 425°F. Roughly chop your beets, parsnips (I didn’t peel either), and fennel bulb in to large pieces for even roasting.

+ Roast for 30 minutes, remove from oven, and let cool for a few minutes. Then add everything to a food processor or large blender. Add 2 cups of water the blender slowly. You may need less, you may need more. Blend until you get a silky smooth puree.

Additional:

+ Slice a lemon and eggplant into rounds. Season the eggplant with some garlic and onion powder and some black pepper. Grill all for about 4-5 minutes, flipping halfway through, or using a George Foreman.

+ Plate some of the puree in a smooth flat mound, add 1 burger, 3 eggplant rounds, 2 lemon slices, and a few fresh basil leaves. Enjoy!

I was obsessed with this dish! So good! When my friend and I were chatting later that Memorial Day, I told him what I made for my own personal BBQ. Lets just say he was very jealous as he told me about his lowly grilled chicken breast 😛 I like to make things fancy…what can I say 😉

So tell me:

+ What did you make on Memorial Day?

+ Have you ever recreated a favorite restaurant dish?

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My Take On “Spaghetti and Meatballs”

October 23, 2013 by Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine 18 Comments

Last week I was wondering what new recipe I would create on the weekend. I scanned my Pinterest boards, cookbooks, and though long and hard. Then I got an idea. A healthy twist on a traditional Italian comfort food. I know, I stepped away for the pumpkin this week and decided to go a little crazy, haha! When most people think of Italian food they think of heavy carb/gluten pasta dishes, cheese, bread, and all those lovely tomatoes. Well if you thought that, then I would be really out of luck. But Italian food is all about simplicity and ingredients right form the source. Italy is actually one of the most gluten-free friendly countries to travel to. And vegan options are abound as well. But here at home I went the completely clean and whole direction with a completely plant-based, gluten-free, and vegan dish.

I have an Italian family on one side and I can always remember eating pasta and meatballs with beautiful tomato sauce. But I also remember the pain and sickness I would experience afterward on the way home from my grandparents when I didn’t know I had Celiac. I also haven’t eaten any type pf pasta (gluten-free or not) in over two years now. During a time when I struggled with my relationship with food I would have specific dinners on specific days of the week. Gluten-Free brown rice pasta was always on Fridays. I would make a huge bowl (like I would fill this massive bowl with uncooked pasta and then dump all of that in the pot to cook) and just top it with sauce and eat. I guess it was like a “binge” food for me, since it was one of the only grain carbs I would eat all week besides my cereal in the morning. I always felt so sick afterwards for eating such a massive portion (plus the acidic sauce!). And then I would go to the gym and workout, ugh, I am nauseous just thinking about it! When I was finally able to better my relationship with food, decided to stay away from pasta. I just can’t picture eating it anymore, no desire what so ever to eat it again. I like my proteins, fats and healthier carbs for dinner anyway now. I have learned to fuel my body properly and not gorge in a weekly pasta binge. So I have not eaten “spaghetti and meatballs” in quite a few years. But last weekend that changed…well kinda. It was perfect, even though I did sacrifice myself and made a tomato sauce, but I am a fighter!

Vegan and Gluten-Free “Spaghetti and Meatballs”

Ingredients: (serves 2 large portions or 3 smaller portion)

For the “Meatballs”:

+ 15oz Can of Cannellini Beans (salt-free, rinsed, and drained)

+ 2 TB Ground Flax Seed

+ 4 Medium White Mushrooms

+ 1 TB Dried Parsley

+ 1/4 Tsp Black Pepper

+ 1/2 TB Dried Oregano

+ 2 Tsp Dried Crushed Rosemary

+ 1 Tsp Garlic Powder

+ 1 Tsp Onion Powder

+ 1 Tsp Smoked Paprika

For the Tomato Sauce:

+ 15oz Can of Salt-Free Plain Tomato Sauce

+ 1 Tsp Onion Powder

+ 1 Tsp Garlic Powder

+ 1 1/2 Tsp Dried Basil

+ 1 Tsp Dried Marjoram

+ 1 TB Dried Parsley (plus more for presentation)

+ 1/4 Tsp Black Pepper (or more, to taste)

+ 1 Tsp Crushed Dried Rosemary

+ 1 Tsp Balsamic Vinegar

For the “Spaghetti”:

+ 2 small/medium Spaghetti Squash

Directions:

+ Preheat the oven to 375°F.

+ In a large bowl combine all the ingredients and give them a toss. Then add to a food processor and blend the mix. You want to leave it lumpy so there is texture to the meatballs. I have a really small processor so I had to do mine in small batches, and then I finished it off with my hands making sure the mixture was completely combined.

+ Then liberally grease a foiled baking sheet with olive oil. Time to make the balls! Just take about 2 TB of the mixture and roll it into a ball using your hands. Place them on the baking sheet and pop in the oven for 30 minutes.

+ For the Sauce just combine all the ingredients in a sauce pot and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes uncovered. Taste and adjust seasoning to taste. Super simple!

+ For the Squash, poke a slit in the squash and microwave (one at a time) for about 7-8 minutes. Then slice it in half, scoop out the seeds, and pull the squash strings off the sides using a fork.

+ When everything is done, simple plate your “Spaghetti”, then the “meatballs”, and top with sauce. Perfect, clean, delicious! (I wished I had some nutritional yeast to add on top, but I didn’t…Well there is always next time!)

It kinda freaked me out how much these “meatballs” looked like regular meatballs! The color was so similar to the ones my mom and grandma make. Although the texture and taste were different 😉 After I took the beauty shots for this recipe, I added more “meatballs”, hemp seeds (totally try this), some raw mushrooms, and some crunchy lettuce! It was the perfect dinner two nights in a row!

Remember to link-up your recent and favorite eats with Jen’s WIAW! Also linking up with Ricki’s Wellness Weekend!

So tell me:

Do you have a big Italian family?

Have you ever been to Italy? O I want to go so bad! It looks so beautiful. It is the first place out of the county I want to vacation to if I ever get the chance!

Got any “healthified” comfort food favorites to share? Link up!