Pesto Pizza...Holiday Style

During the holidays I look to add traditional flavors and colors to a meal to add a festive flair to the day!

Making a pizza from a frozen crust is a time saving meal as it takes little time to prepare and can be customized to fit the flavor profile you are interested in at the moment.

I like to use Udi's Gluten Free Pizza Crust or Smartflour Gluten Free Pizza Crusts when I make a pizza from scratch.

While you preheat the oven you can prep the pizza toppings. The meal can be on the table in 30 minutes or less. You can add a cup/bowl of soup or a salad to accompany your pizza if you wish.

Pizza Pictured Here:

• Homemade pesto sauce (enough to coat crust)
• 2 minced cloves of garlic
• 1/2 cup diced Vidalia onions
• 1/2 large red bell pepper (or 1 small/medium size) - roasted and sliced lengthwise
• 12 thin asparagus spears (or 6 thick spears) - roasted and diced
• 1/2 to 3/4 cup of graded Parmesan Cheese (enough to cover toppings) 

Instructions:

• Spread pesto on crust
• Layer toppings in a creative and eye pleasing pattern
• Cover with cheese
• Cook according to crust instructions

NOTE: I used roasted vegetables that had been prepared earlier as I like the nutty flavor that comes from the roasting. You can use raw vegetables if you wish.

Gluten Free Holiday French Toast

French toast is great for breakfast or a snack. During the holidays when many of us are pressed for time, I find a breakfast that can double as a snack or dinner (quiche or french toast) is always good to prepare in volume.

Base Ingredients:

1. Gluten Free Bread (can be regular bread if your household is not gluten free) - I used Udi's Cinnamon Raisin.
2. Eggs and milk (I always use Almond Milk)
3. Butter (to coast the pan)

Instructions:

• Combine 2 eggs and 1/3 cup milk for every 4 pieces of break you wish to prepare. 
• Poke a fork into the pieces of bread you wish to use to "open pores" so the egg mixture will permeate the bread...turn bread to evenly coat...let bread soak for 10 minutes on both sides.
• Excess egg can be prepared as a small "side dish" of scrambled eggs.
• Melt 1 TBSP butter (I use no-salt) in a pan and place bread slices flat on pan (2-4 depending on size of pan). Cook on medium. Use a spatula to rotate after 3-5 minutes on each side. 
• The slices you do not eat right away can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for a week.

Beyond Breakfast ... Ideas for Left Overs:

• Post work-out snack/after school snack
• Dinner sandwich with Canadian Bacon and a side salad or side of vegetables

French Toast can be eaten plain... warm or cold...as a sit down meal or on-the-go!

Pictured is French Toast (plain) with a side of holiday color fruit...KIWI and RASPBERRY.

Pictured is French Toast with Maraschino Cherry Chia Jam and Greek Yogurt/Raspberry topping.

Maraschino Cherry Chia Pudding

Versatile recipes are important to have in one's repertoire. I love this recipe as it can be a healthy breakfast, snack, or a dessert with just a simple ingredient swap. Enjoy holiday flavors, festive colors, and a quick prep dish this holiday season!

Base Breakfast Recipe:
1 Cup Almond Milk (Regular or Reduced Sugar)
1/2 Cup Maraschino Cherries + Juice (Cherry Man is my gluten free choice)
1 RIPE banana
1/4 Cup Chia Seeds (organic is preferred)

Instructions:
Mash the banana
Add the almond milk and cherries and stir till combined
Add the chia seeds and stir
Chill in the refrigerator for 30-60 minutes or until desired consistency (add more liquid or if you wish a "thinner" consistency)

To convert to a mid-day snack...serve 1 cup with a 1/2 cup of walnut pieces or slivered almonds and 1-2 tbsp shredded coconut (low sugar or sugar free)

To convert to a dessert...Use VANILLA Almond Milk or add 2 TBSP vanilla flavoring to the Base Breakfast Recipe.

Pumpkin Spice Holiday Cake

I am a fan of Pamela's Products and purchased Spice Cake Mix and customized it to fit my family's needs. Customizing the package ingredients allowed me to make the cake my own.

• I added 1 cup of pumpkin instead of the 1 cup of milk
• I substituted "3 flax seed eggs" for the eggs (RATIO:1 TBSP ground flax seeds to 3 TBSP water ... mix...let rest till a gel like consistency forms)
• I added 1/2 cup gluten free oats

I cooked in a 350 degree oven in an 8x10 baking pan for 55 minutes (or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clear).

Once cool...I made cream cheese frosting by combining the following on a bowl with an immersion blender:

• 1 package of low fat cream cheese (room temperature)
• 1 TBSP vanilla extract
• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 1/4 cup butter (room temperature) 

 
To serve: Garnish with fresh berries and nuts or dried fruits and nuts. I chose dried cranberries and walnuts to stick with the holiday theme

OPTION: OMIT the frosting and serve warm with a little butter or jam and fruit/nuts

Gluten Free Sandwich Series #3 Featuring Three Bakers Bread

Barbecue Chicken Sandwich Featuring Three Bakers Bread

Precooking (oven roasting) plain chicken breasts and using them through the week saves time in meal preparations. Starting with a plain base allows me to customize the flavor profile so each meal is unique!

Ingredients:

• Oven Roasted Chicken Breast (Turkey or baked tofu can be substituted)
• Roasted Vegetables (or leafy greens)
• Parmesan cheese (optional)
• Gluten Free Bread
• Gluten Free Barbecue Sauce of choice

 

This sandwich is made with slices of oven-roasted chicken breast, sliced roasted vegetables, and sliced imported Parmesan cheese. Gluten free barbecue sauce was added to the bread to provide flavor.

To create the flavorful and moist sandwich with multiple textures, I thinly sliced the Parmesan cheese and added it to the bread so it would melt into the bread. I assembled the precooked parts while toasting the bread:

• I sliced the chicken breast
• I sliced the vegetables

To the toasted bread I added barbecue sauce on each slice then layered chicken on the bottom and vegetables on the top.

Enjoy this sandwich with soup, salad, gluten free chips, or a side of fruit or vegetables!

Gluten Free Sandwich Series #2 FEATURING Potapas

Sweet Potato Tortillas with Oven Roasted Chicken, Garlic, and Bell Peppers

During the busy workweek I try to make food that stretches for a few meals. I prepared two organic chicken breasts (with bone and skin) for the oven. I placed them in non-stick aluminum foil then sprinkled them with salt, pepper, and some olive oil. I baked them at 350 degrees until they were done (these took about 1.5 hours due to their thickness). Once cooled enough, I remove the skin and bone and place the chicken in an airtight container to store.

The chicken prepared this way is ready to be used in a variety of recipes during the week … all that needs to be done is to add a different flavor profile so that it does not taste like I am eating the same chicken every day!

For this meal I also roasted red, yellow, and orange bell peppers in the oven and baked a clove of garlic. This saved energy; as I only had to have the oven on once…and did not add extra heat to the house!

To put my sandwich together I placed two POTAPAS in the toaster oven and sprinkled Italian Blend Cheese over both of them to form a thin coat. When the POTAPAS were done toasting, I added a few cloves of roasted garlic to each one. I placed two slices of roasted pepper (all that fit on one side of the POTAPAS); I used a variety of colors, on one side of the POTAPAS and 1/4 of the chicken breast thinly sliced. I closed the tortilla sandwich and cut it in half.

Ingredients:

1.     POTAPAS

2.     Clove of Garlic

3.     Chicken Breast

4.     Bell Peppers

5.     Italian Blend Cheese

Serving Suggestions:

·      Serve with a bowl of soup, salad, or bowl of vegetables

·      You could serve with GLUTEN FREE chips such as Beanfield’s.

Recipe Variations:

·      Roasted squash or zucchini can be swapped for the bell peppers

·      Turkey could be swapped for the chicken

·      The meal could be made vegetarian by omitting the chicken and adding more cheese – perhaps melted Gouda or Parmesan

Pomegranate + Amaranth = Bountiful Breakfast

Hot cereal is a satisfying meal to start your day. Amaranth is a good choice to use for hot cereal as it is high in protein and will keep you satisfied for a while. Use it before a morning work-out or before heading off to school. The texture and consistency is a bit thicker than Cream-of-Wheat. Add the seasonal fresh fruit of your choice (or diced dried fruit) to the dish when serving and enjoy!

Pomegranates tend to be expensive. You may be lucky and have a friend who has a tree or find a sale in the store. The fruit is worth the splurge from time-to-time as the antioxidant health benefits are tremendous.

Q: How does one remove the seeds from the pomegranate without getting red all over the place?

A: This recipe uses the antioxidant rich pomegranate as the fruit of choice. To remove the seeds from a pomegranate without getting the red color of the liquid to stain your hands and clothes, follow a few basic steps:

First, cut the pomegranate in half from top to bottom. I suggest you put a kitchen towel over the fruit and knife so any liquid sprays into the towel.

Second, put the sliced fruit into a bowl of water. Use your fingers to remove seeds from membrane while submerged into the water. The seeds will sink and the membrane will float.

Third, remove the membrane from the water and drain the water. This will leave the pomegranate seeds to be used in your recipe.

Base Ingredients and Variations:

 

3 3 cups of liquid (I use 1 part almond milk and 2 parts water)

1 1 cup amaranth grain (I use Bob’s Red Mill)

1 1 cup seasonal fruit (or diced dried fruit)

     (I used half pomegranate seeds and half banana slices)

11 1/2 cups nuts (I used slivered almonds for this recipe – look for a nut that goes with the fruit chosen)

1 1/2 tsp almond flavoring (substitute vanilla or maple – use a flavor profile that works well with the fruit you are using)

1 1 tbsp local raw honey (optional addition to top the cereal)

Instructions:

1. Amaranth grains need to be cooked with a ratio of 3 cups of liquid to 1 cup of amaranth. I increased this recipe so that I would have left-overs and used 4.5 cups of liquid to 1.5 cups of amaranth grain. I started by boiling 3 cups of water in a pot then adding the amaranth. As the liquid absorbed into the grain I added 1.5 cups of almond milk .5 cups at a time and stirred to integrate the almond milk.
2.  When the liquid is almost absorbed, add the flavoring and stir. 
3. Let hot cereal rest for 5 minutes and serve or store in an airtight container for later.