Healthy Take on Pizza

Everyone that knows me, knows that I'm a pizza freak. I absolutely LOVE pizza - any pizza. So, when I found out that I was allergic to wheat, it kind of put a real crimp to my pizza loving ways. However, being The Substitute Chef, I wasn't going to let a little gluten stand between me and my beloved pizza. There are several pizza crusts in both premade, freezer form, and in flour (add water) type on the market.
Bob's Redmill makes a good mix, and I would recommend it.

So, I've already told you about my love for pizza, right? Well, I found a new pizza love when we were on a cruise a few years ago. It was a mushroom, garlic, goat cheese delight that both me and my daughter fell deeply in love with. We ate that pizza every single day when we were on the cruise. And were quite saddened when we came home, and couldn't have our new pizza passion.

I vowed to find a way to recreate that pizza! So, below you have my version of the pizza. I've added some greens, which gives it a healthy twist and a great taste!  Also, this is gluten-free (using a GF crust), egg-free, corn-free, vegetarian, and a great way to eat your greens and get the health benefits as well.

Garlic, Goat cheese, and Kale Pizza

Ingredients

1 pizza dough, rolled and ready (either premade or homemade)
½  package prewashed kale or chard (if not available – one bunch, washed, and finely chopped)

2 tablespoons of cream

Pinch of nutmeg

3 tablespoons olive oil

4 cloves of garlic (finely chopped)

1  5- ounce package of goat cheese, crumbled

 Pizza Stone

Preparation   Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place pizza stone in oven to preheat. Heat a large skillet to medium high heat. Add olive oil and washed and chopped kale (or chard). Add in batches.  When wilted (about 10 minutes), add cream, nutmeg, and continue cooking for another 15 minutes. Set aside. Roll pizza dough on floured surface. Place pizza dough onto stone and cook for 10 minutes. Remove dough and add cooked kale, then garlic, then crumbled goat cheese. Carefully replace pizza onto stone and bake until cheese is slightly browned, and pizza dough has browned slightly as well. Serve immediately.

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Posted in: gluten-free,healthy cooking,pizza,vegetarian,veggies

Perfect Polenta

Last night I whipped up polenta (for the first time). I served it with steamed asparagus, and pan seared rainbow trout. Awesome eats!
So here's my recipe for the polenta - and in the vein of my theme, feel free to substitute the spices, cheese, etc. to suit your taste and accompanying foods.

Perfect Polenta
Serves 4
1 cup ground corn meal (I used Bob's Redmill - coarse ground)
5 cups water
1 teaspoon sea salt

Dump 3 cups of water, salt, and corn meal into pot. Stir to incorporate the polenta and remove lumps. Heat on medium until it begins to simmer. Stir. Stir polenta every so often to make sure it doesn't stick. It will absorb the water and begin to thicken. Warm the remaining cups of water. In quarter cup amounts, add water to polenta and stir. Add water until polenta reaches desired thickness.

That is your basic polenta recipe. From there I added:
1 large shallot, 2 cloves garlic - chopped and sauteed in butter.
2 tablespoons butter
salt, pepper to taste
2 pinches of dried thyme
1 ounce goat cheese

Polenta is very healthy, gluten-free, and versatile. It would make a great base for a spicy meat with a good deal of sauce (like a stew).

Despite rumors of polenta being 'difficult' to cook, it proved to be very easy. It is time consuming, and benefits from slow, lengthy cooking. So while it isn't labor intensive, it does take quite some time to cook the perfect polenta!

Enjoy!

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Posted in: cooking,cooking substitutions,gluten-free,polenta,recipe

Gluten - What is it, exactly?

Today's post will discuss gluten in detail. How many of my gluten-free friends know what gluten is? Sure, we know it comes from the grain, wheat, but what exactly IS gluten?

Gluten is produced when a high protein flour is kneaded. It's that stretchy quality found in dough, particularly pizza dough, breads, etc.

Here is a video from the cooking school,

Rouxbe Online Cooking School & Video Recipes

So, in short, gluten is the stretchy stuff in breads, etc., that causes the breads to rise, and have a light airy taste.

In the full lesson they discuss the different properties of flour. A lower protein flour will have less gluten once kneaded. So, this got me thinking. . . what might be a good substitute for a high protein grain for a flour that will have more gluten, but not be wheat. After some serious thought, I've come up with Quinoa. I'm going to attempt using Quinoa flour to create bread. It certainly has enough protein, thereby making it a great candidate to produce gluten, but yet be wheat gluten-free. I'll let you know how it goes!

Happy, allergy-free cooking!

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Posted in: cooking,cooking substitutions,gluten-free

Back to School!

Yes, I have gone 'back to school'! I've recently enrolled in an online cooking school. Through a link of a link, I'd discovered they offer a free couple of day trial. And though I consider myself pretty knowledgeable in the kitchen, I thought, "Free? What the heck, why not?" I'm pleased to say that I am very impressed by the information, presentation and overall school. I learned quite a few things in the short amount of time I've been with them. Let me add that, this school is completely online, you get to pick what you'd like to learn next, and then you can take the quiz to see how you've done. I can proudly say that I'm an "A" student.

Interested in knowing more, get your own free trial (and trust me, it's WELL WORTH IT!!!)? Here's a link to get you started:

Rouxbe Online Cooking School & Video Recipes

And if you sign up, come and find me at the school. (And tell them The Substitute Chef sent you). ;-)

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Posted in: cooking,cooking substitutions,learning to cook,recipe

Calcium - It's Not All About the Milk

Good news today for my lactose intolerant friends, and vegetarians alike! This article explains that milk and dairy products are not the best source for calcium. Leafy greens and other vegetables are a better source of calcium.

I'm not saying, "Stop drinking milk and eating dairy products", but rather this article suggests that calcium is best absorbed by the body when combined with proper proportions of magnesium at the same time. Vegetables are high in many different vitamins and minerals. In an Eastern diet (such as in China, or Japan), milk or dairy products are barely consumed, if at all, thereby these cultures get their daily intake of calcium through their fruits and vegetables.

So, basically, if you're a milk lover, don't stop! Just be sure to eat your dark greens as well to maintain the proper calcium and magnesium balance. And remember just because you eat it, doesn't mean you'll absorb all of the goodies a particular food has to offer. The body is a complex machine, and making sure you have the right combination of foods is very important for optimal health and body function alike!

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Posted in: dairy,food allergies,lactose,milk,vegetarian