Tag: sweet potato

The Pizza Crust Chronicles: Cauliflower Crust

Written by Tricia on . Posted in Food, Recipes.

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I love Pizza, I mean who doesn’t. Its certainly delicious, but its also diverse and I love that in any mood, I can usually find the right combination of toppings to satisfy my cravings (and lift my spirits!).  A dear friend of my mom’s asked me recently to seek out a top-notch pizza crust recipe. Obviously, I was immediately excited and ready to take on the task. After searching through recipes and experimenting with the options however, I really couldn’t settle on ONE. And so, the ‘Pizza Crust Chronicles’ were born. From Yeast to No Yeast, Gluten-Free, Veggie, or Vegan I plan to organize this ode’ to the pizza pie as an easy reference for your next homemade ‘za.

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First up, is The Cauliflower Crust. Unorthodox I know, but I’ve seen a rise in recipes touting the veggie and couldn’t help but experiment with it myself. Cauliflower is low in fat and low in carbohydrates but high in fiber which make it the perfect healthy alternative to your typical greasy pizza crust. Not only is it healthy, but truly easy to make. Bonus!
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Cauliflower Pizza Crust:

Preheat Oven: 400 degrees

2 cups cauliflower, grated or food processed into rice size pieces

1 cup mozzarella cheese, grated

1 egg, beaten

1 garlic clove, minced

1 tsp. oregano

1. Coat a cookie sheet with a thin layer of olive oil.

2. Spread grated cauliflower across oil-glazed cookie sheet and bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes.

3. In a bowl, mix cauliflower, cheese, egg, garlic and oregano until well combined and dough-like in texture.

4. Spread mixture onto a parchment paper-covered pizza pan and create a circular crust. Bake  for 25 minutes.

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I topped my Cauliflower crust with Sweet potato mash, feta cheese, caramelized onion and collard greens. It was both savory and a little sweet, but all together delicious. I love reminding myself that this pizza is “healthy” and therefore eating 6 pieces is totally acceptable.

Sweet Potato, Feta Cheese and Collard Green Pizza:

1 sweet potato, medium-sized

2 cups collard greens, chopped

1 cup chopped onion

1 tbsp lemon juice

2 tbs feta cheese, crumbled

2 garlic cloves, minced or smashed and chopped

pinch of salt

1. Bake sweet potato in oven at 400 degrees for 1 hour, or until well done.

2. Heat 1 tbs. of olive oil in frying pan and saute onion until tender

3. Add collard greens and lemon juice into pan and saute until wilted, about 5 minutes. Set aside.

4. Remove sweet potato from skin and mix in a bowl with salt.

5. Spread sweet potato mash onto pizza crust and top with garlic.

6. Sprinkle feta cheese and greens on top of potato layer.

7. Bake in oven at 350 degrees for about 10-15 minutes.

8. Let cool for 5 minutes. Slice, serve and enjoy.

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I’ll be posting periodically in the ‘Pizza Crust Chronicles’ as I come across delicious crusts and experiment with new recipes . I hope you’ll stay tuned and feel free to share any “must-try” crusted creations you can’t live without.

Hail to the ‘za, in every top and crusted form

love,

tricia

Red Lentil and Sweet Potato Stew

Written by Tricia on . Posted in Food, Recipes.

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Soups and Stews are my comfort food. They warm up both body and soul when the weather outside is dreary and they fill the house with incredible wafting aromas while they simmer on the stove.  This stew was a must-try recipe I picked up from Sarah at My New Roots. Sarah is a holistic nutritionist and chef-extraordinaire that I absolutely admire and whom I receive inspiration from regularly. If you haven’t checked out her blog and your a lover of fresh seasonal whole food recipes, its about time you received an introduction.

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Sarah was recently asked by Whole Living to develop a menu for healthy living in the new year. The Menu is built as a detox, to start the new year off fresh, and this stew is featured among the first week of recipes. Though I haven’t jumped on any strict detox train, I certainly expect to be enjoying quite a few of these recipes on their own in the coming weeks.

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The color in this dish is incredible and I’m a firm believer in eating with my eyes. Not only does it taste delicious and bring you warmth physically, but the colors themselves instil a sense of warming comfort as well.

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ingredients:

  • 2 Tbsp coconut or extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp ground turmeric
  • 1 Tbsp curry powder
  • 1 diced large onion
  • Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 4 minced cloves garlic
  • 2 Tbsp minced fresh ginger
  • 2 peeled and diced sweet potatoes
  • 1 diced (stemmed, seeded) red bell pepper
  • 1 1/2 cups rinsed red lentils
  • 6 cups cleansing broth (substitute vegetable broth if need be)
  • Chopped fresh cilantro

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directions:

  1. Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Cook cumin, turmeric and curry powder until fragrant, about 1 to 2 minutes. Add onion with a few pinches salt, and cook, stirring, until tender, about 6 minutes. Add garlic and ginger and cook, stirring, until tender, about 2 minutes. Add sweet potatoes and bell pepper and cook 1 minute.
  2. Add lentils and Cleansing Broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until lentils are tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Top with cilantro before serving.

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This stew will be a new staple in my recipe box and I am so excited to have found it. The savory spices paired with sweet potato and red pepper are an instant well-balanced, delicious meal. And what’s even better about soups is you’ll often have leftovers for lunch!

Do you have a favorite soup or stew this season? …Tell me ALL the details…

Fill your day with color and warmth

love,

tricia

Growth by the Season

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