3 Days Later

Zucchini-Broccoli Pizza

I'm sorry I haven't posted for 3 days. This is my final week of school, and then I will have my Associate's Degree in Liberal Arts. Everyone keeps asking what I'll do once I am done, but I don't know. There aren't many Bachelor's Degree offerings that appeal to me at the college here. Many people have told me to go to the college's culinary school. It is something I have considered. I've even spoken with the counselor for the program. However, I need to make some money and pay back the money I used for my A.A.. I also wonder how I would work going to culinary school with my issue with gluten. I certainly couldn't taste anything containing gluten, and I worry about being around too much flour floating around in the air. I don't have any skin issues with gluten, and I don't believe I have trouble with breathing it in, but it seems like I shouldn't chance it. I'd hate to spend the money to go to school, only to be made sick by it. I believe I've discussed this in a prior post.

It came to my mind this morning because of this being my last week of school, and because of a dream I had. If you can't eat certain foods you have probably had a dream in which all of the food available is food you can't eat. That was my dream last night.

In my dream I was in an airport with my mom, and we stopped to get some food at the food court. She quickly grabbed something to eat, and I told her that I'd go see if there appeared to be anything I could eat. Well, I wasn't having much luck until I spotted a sign at an Italian place. It looked like the sign said they offered brown rice pasta, but the letters were so small I couldn't tell. I actually climbed up onto the counter to read the words, and found disappointment. The letters spelled out something different entirely. So, I went and sat back down with my mom. I watched everyone around me eating. I was so hungry, but because of an awful idea that people thneed gluten on everything to be made happy, I was made angry and depressed.

Dining out is so difficult for people with food allergies, intolerances, and Celiac Disease(which is not an allergy, it is an autoimmune disorder). I can't even call up the pizza place and order a couple of pizzas. I have to make them myself. Which isn't all that bad you know. Homemade pizza has all of the things I like on it, it's delicious, and still hot. It doesn't take long if the sauce is pre-made, or if you have a quick sauce recipe. This was our dinner last night. We ate the pizza and watched Dune.

Now, I know I promised a post on eggs, but I swear that will be here soon enough. I just felt that I had to post this particular entry this morning. All in due time my dear readers.

Unbaked Pizza

Zucchini-Broccoli Pizza

• 1 small gluten-free pizza crust [from scratch and pre-baked(recipe follows), or frozen]
• 1/4 cup pre-made pizza sauce
• 1 cup Tillamook Vintage White Cheddar, shredded*
• 1/2 a large onion, julienned**
• 2 medium zucchini, yellow and green***, sliced into rounds
• 1 small head of broccoli, cut into florets
• Crushed Red Pepper Flakes (optional)

Preheat the oven to 400F.

Using a medium sized spoon, smooth out the sauce over the crust.

Top the sauced crust with the zucchini, starting on the outside, forming a ring, and working in. It's like laying pepperoni.

Place the broccoli as evenly as possible over the pizza.

Sprinkle the cheese on top of the veggies.

Bake in the preheated oven, on a baking sheet or pizza pan, until the cheese has melted and the onions are browning on the ends.

Serve with the crushed red pepper for a little spiciness.

*Note: I think goat cheese would taste delicious on this pizza.

**Note: Use less onion if you're not a big onion fan.

***Note: Feel free to use one large green zucchini. You're going to have more than enough for the pizza. Leftover zucchini is great in other dishes as well.

For the pizza I used the recipe for gluten-free pizza crust in The Gluten-Free Vegan, as well as the sauce recipe. I made up the sauce a few months ago and froze half of it.

I'm still trying to understand the copyright laws for posting recipes. I've posted a few without any problems, and I contacted the author of The Gluten-Free Vegan but received no response. Since many of you are probably looking for a good gluten-free pizza crust recipe I'll go ahead and post it in my own words, since it seems that the directions are the most protected part, and if I get a take down notice I'll remove the recipe.

Pizza Crust

adapted from The Gluten-Free Vegan by Susan O'Brien

• 1 cup Bob's Red Mill All Purpose Gluten-Free Flour
• 1/4 cup potato flour*
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 tsp xanthan gum
• Egg replace for 1 egg**
• 1 tablespoon agave nectar
• 1/2 cup milk replacer (soy works well, but so would hemp or perhaps another)
• 1/8 cup grapeseed oil or canola oil

Preheat the oven to 400F.

Grease a pizza pan or baking sheet with a little vegetable oil.

Combine the dry ingredients, but not the egg replacer or the ingredients listed below. Whisk it together.

Mix the egg replacer together, and add to it the agave, the milk, and the oil. Whisk this well.

Add the liquid ingredients to the dry and stir it together with a rice paddle, a flat wood spatula, or a spoon.

Form into a ball. It may look crumbly, but once it is brought into a ball form it will hold. If not, add a little more milk or oil.

Set the dough ball onto the baking sheet and flatten it down by hand.

Place a piece of wax paper, or parchment, or saran wrap over the dough. Roll the dough into the desired shape(circle or rectangle). Remove the paper/parchment/wrap.

Using your fingers, push down at the edges and push against the side of the dough and form a raised crust.

Bake for 12-15 minutes, depending on the thickness of the crust.

Top with your favorite toppings!

Note: The author tops the pizza crust with the toppings before baking it, but I've never found the inside of the dough to be completely cooked when I follow her directions as was the case last night. I've made the recipe in 2 ovens, and haven't had success in getting the dough to be fully baked through. That is why I suggest pre-baking the crust. If you worry about the edges getting too brown, treat it like a pie and cover the edges with aluminum foil.

*If you don't have potato flour, buy some instant mashed potatoes and processes 1/3 cup of them in a blender or food processor until they reach a more flour like consistency. This is my own suggestion, not the suggestion of Susan O'Brien.

**O'Brien uses Ener-G, but I use 1 tablespoon of flaxseed meal mixed 3 tablespoons of warm water.

Oh, and we used our zucchini leftovers for breakfast. Pan roasted and topped with poached eggs. Fresh made orange juice too!

Easy Gluten-Free Ameri-Mexican

Grilled Chicken Quesadillas

with

Black Bean, Corn, and Tomato Salad

Last night I served up grilled chicken quesadillas with Tillamook vintage sharp white cheddar on corn tortillas, with a side of black bean, corn, and tomato salad. This was a quick, easy, delicious, and light dinner. The Black Bean Salad made more than enough for 2, and we'll be eating it for days, but it's good enough that I won't mind a bit!

Perhaps you've noticed my love affair with the Tillamook vintage sharp white cheddar in previous posts. I seem to use it exclusively. Well, it's aged for 2 years which means that the lactose levels are very low in comparison to other cheese (Yes, Kraft shredded "cheeses" often say they contain 0g lactose per serving, but that's not cheese to me), and the flavor is sharp just how I like it. I did consider picking up another package of the Tillamook mild cheddar cheese at Costco, but the budget didn't permit it, and I think the vintage white is able to be used on just about anything that requires cheese. I'd even put it on apple pie if I had an apple pie. That gives me an idea for another post sometime soon. Looks like a bag of apples goes on this week's shopping list.

Going without dairy for nearly 10 years, and now being able to have it again is a wonderful thing to me. I've worked so hard this past year to keep myself healing. I've stayed away from so many delicious gluten containing foods in hopes of healing up and feeling well; and then I learned that some people with a gluten intolerance, or Celiac disease, who have lactose intolerance can eat dairy again after a long enough healing period. Well, I'm one of those people.

So, why on earth after all of that hard work would I eat cheap dairy products? I only eat the good stuff now. Why buy cheap champagne to celebrate something wonderful when you know it's a special treat you won't be having all of the time? It's the same thing for me. Getting to have dairy again is so special to me, that I'm going to buy the best. And, I do treat it like a special occasion when I pull out the Tillamook.

If you have a love affair with Tillamook cheese like I do, check out the Tillamook Fan Club.

Grilled Chicken Quesadillas

with Tillamook Vintage Sharp White Cheddar

8 corn tortillas

2 cups of shredded Tillamook Vintage Sharp White Cheddar

1/2 pound of boneless skinless chicken breasts

Crisco for the pan, or other high heat cooking fat

Grill the chicken breasts either on an indoor grill or on an outdoor grill. Slice into pinky finger sized pieces.

Heat the Crisco, or other fat, in a large skillet (I used cast iron) over medium heat until the fat has melted and coated the bottom of the pan.

Place one tortilla into the pan and put about a golf ball sized amount of cheese in the center.

Put as much chicken as you'd like in the quesadilla on top of the cheese, fanning it out toward the edges of the tortilla. Top with about half the amount of cheese put onto the bottom tortilla to make the chicken and top tortilla stick together.

Cook until the bottom tortilla gets crispy, but not burnt, and flip the quesadilla over carefully.

Cook until the other side is crispy. Remove from the pan and repeat the process with the rest of the tortillas, chicken, and cheese until you run out of one of the ingredients (in Chemistry this would be your limiting reagent; I told you all I'd been studying too much...).

If you like your tortillas not crispy, then just cook until the cheese has melted, then flip and repeat. I like mine more like tostadas than soft quesadillas.

Serve with salsa and non-fat plain yogurt, or sour cream.

Note: I used Crisco because a friend of mine said that when she cooks Mexican food she always uses Crisco because it can stand the heat and makes the tortillas nice and crispy. She's been cooking a while longer, than me, and I respect her cooking knowledge. She was definitely right on this one. Normally I wouldn't recommend Crisco as it is a hydrogenated fat (it stays solid at room temperature) which isn't healthy for your body, but if used sparingly it can be included in your cooking.

Black Bean, Corn, and Tomato Salad

adapted from vegweb.com

2 cans of black beans (organic preferably) drained and rinsed

2 large ears of corn (organic preferably, I used local), shucked

1 can of diced tomatoes, drained

2 cloves of garlic, minced

3 green onions, green parts only, sliced

2 tablespoons dried parsley (or 4 tablespoons fresh, chopped)

1 tsp cumin powder

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

Fresh cracked pepper

Break the ears of corn in half and boil for 8-10 minutes until the corn is bright yellow and the kernels are tender. Remove any bad kernels carefully using a paring knife.

Cut the kernels off of the corn cobs using a sharp knife. Place the cob on one end, holding it in place with your fingers at the top of the cob, and the ball of your hand on the side opposite from your cutting point. Slice down the cob, starting at the top, or near the top, and cut all the way down. Turn the cob and continue this procedure. Repeat with the 3 other corn cobs.

In a large bowl combine the minced garlic, green onions, parsley, cumin, vinegar, oil, and pepper. Whisk together well.

Dump the beans, corn, and tomatoes into the bowl, and toss with 2 spoons until the beans, corn, and tomatoes are coated with the spices.

Chill in the fridge while you're making the rest of your meal.

Note: For an extra refreshing kick, add some fresh cilantro and use lime juice instead of the vinegar.

Vegetarian Black Bean and Pumpkin Enchiladas in Tomato Based Sauce

Vegetarian Black Bean and Pumpkin Enchiladas in Tomato Based Sauce

AmandaonMaui

7 corn tortillas

1 Tbsp Olive oil for sauteing

1/2 onion, chopped (keep a little for garnish)

1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped (keep a little for garnish)

2 cans black beans (or equivalent pre-cooked dried black beans) drained and rinsed

1/4 cup of water

1/2 can of pumpkin puree

1 cup of shredded white cheddar cheese (or whatever cheddar/Mexican shred blend, or cut some cheese off a block)

Enchilada sauce from lampuntomyfeetandalightuntomypath.blogspot.com

Preheat oven to 350F

1. Make the enchilada sauce. Make sure it's nice and smooth. Don't over reduce it either, because you're going to want quite a bit.

2. In a large saute pan add 1Tbsp olive oil and almost all of the onion and jalapeno peppers. Saute for a minute until the onions just barely start to turn translucent. Add in half of the black beans, and add a little bit of the water. Use the back of a large spoon, or a potato masher, to mash out the black beans until they start to look like chunky refried beans, keep adding water as needed to get the right consistency. This should take about 4-5 minutes.

3. Add in the rest of the black beans. Cook, stirring occasionally for another 2 minutes.

4. Into the beans mix the canned pumpkin, making sure there is even distribution of the ingredients. Continue cooking until everything is warmed through, about 3 minutes.

5. Pour into the bean and pumpkin mixture 1/4 cup of the enchilada sauce. Stir it all together and keep it warm.

6. In a large casserole (9x13) pour in just enough enchilada sauce to lightly coat the bottom of the pan. Spread it around.

7. Place a corn tortilla into the casserole and top it with some of the bean mixture. Roll the tortilla up and flip it fold side down. Repeat this step until all of your tortillas or mixture, or baking space, is used (whatever your limiting reagent may be depending on how much filling you use up per enchilada, etc.).

8. Cover your rolled tortillas with the rest of the enchilada sauce. Pour it over as evenly as you can.

9. Sprinkle cheese evenly over the top of the enchiladas.

10. Garnish the enchiladas with the leftover onion and jalapeno peppers.

11. Bake in oven for 15 minutes, or the cheese is melted and sauce is bubbling.

12. Eat and say OMG, these are so good.

I am sitting next to a casserole dish with foil over the top, and I've eaten an enchilada and salad, and I am full, but I'm about to rip into that dish if I don't move it to the refrigerator right this second!

P.S. This dish could easily be made vegan if you switch to a vegan sugar in the sauce and use vegan cheese.

Oh, and it's totally gluten-free!

Maui Onion and Tillamook White Cheddar Pizza

No pictures folks, so sorry about that. But this was my first real cheese pizza in a very long time. Because of the high quality of the cheese it was amazing. This pizza was definitely worth the wait. I know that I can buy the more expensive cheeses now because I can't eat as much of it, and I'd prefer that over eating Kraft any day. I know Kraft has its uses, but I'm so over it.

Some of you foodies out there probably think that Tillamook is now on the level for you that Kraft used to be, but it's really good cheese for a great price. I'd never had white cheddar before this month, and I enjoy the heck out of it. I don't know if I can go back to yellow cheese. Okay, yes I can, but I am forever changed.

I made tonight's pizza by following the pizza crust and pizza sauce recipes from "The Gluten-Free Vegan." Instead of using Ener-G egg replacer I used flax seed, which adds some fiber to the pizza, and it still cuts back on the unnecessary calories and cholesterol in eggs.

Neither the bf nor I have to watch our cholesterol, and I want to keep it that way. My parents deal with high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and high blood sugar (my mom). I don't want to reach a point where every time I go to the doctor I get lectured about how unhealthy I am and how I should be doing so many different things to get myself back in shape. I send them lots of information about foods they can eat to help with these issues, and they even eat oatmeal nearly every morning with ground flaxseed now (I got some when I was visiting and left it with them to use, their doctor was happy about that).

Dairy is high in fat, calories, cholesterol, etc. but it's a treat around here, not an every day or every meal occurrence. I still drink my soymilk, and the bf eats Yoplait+ yogurt with fiber in the morning and the occasional white Russian with organic milk, although I'm considering switching to local if it will last long enough.

Here's a tangent for you. I was watching a spot with the local milk producer on the news, and I read an article by Michael Pollan(author of "The Omnivores Dilemma"), and I learned that the organic milk is ultra-pasteurized to make it last longer and that the process ends up killing off a lot of the good bacteria and vitamins. Not cool.

Well, that was quite the Sagittarius segway(since when is that not an actual word?).

Pizza. Good. Try white cheddar and onion on your next pizza. You'll love it too.

Oh, and I had to follow it up with a little pineapple gelato from Ono Gelato.