Posts tagged ‘Tomato’

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July 3, 2012

Cauliflower-Crusted White Pizza

Long before I made the decision to go gluten-free, I came across a cauliflower pizza crust recipe. I was intrigued, loving the idea of a thin, crispy crust without the carbs or guilt and I, of course, pinned it right away for future reference. Earlier this summer, I finally got around to tackling the recipe with my foodie/fitness side-kick, Amanda, and let me tell you, it was out of this world. We made it dairy-free with a “white sauce” (a variation seen here) out of cannellini beans, roasted tomatoes, garlic and fresh herbs. Then, to amp up the veggie content/overall “wow” factor, we topped it with sweet caramelized onions and thinly sliced eggplant.

Crust Ingredients
(Inspired by Eat. Drink. Smile.)
2 cups cooked, riced cauliflower
2 beaten eggs
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
Crushed red pepper and a pinch of salt

To start, shred roughly half a large head of cauliflower by cutting the florets into large chunks and pulsing in a food processor. Don’t over pulse or it will end up pureed! Transfer the riced cauliflower into a microwave-safe bowl and pop it in the microwave for 8 minutes or so. While that’s cooking, spray a large cookie sheet or pizza pan with cooking spray and preheat the oven to 450°F. We used a Silpat, one of my new favorite kitchen accessories, so there was no grease necessary or mess to clean up! If you’re a roasting fiend like me, you need one!

Allow the cauliflower meal to cool before combining with the egg and spices. If you feel inclined, you may add your favorite shredded cheese but because of my sensitivity, we skipped out on the dairy. Once the mixture is ready, spread it evenly on your pan into your desired shape. Lightly spray the crust before baking so it will get crispy and place in the oven for about 15 minutes.

When the crust is golden brown, remove it from the oven and get creative with your toppings! Our roasted eggplant disks with caramelized onions and bean paste was two thumbs up but I would love to experiment next time. And there will be a next time, trust me. What about a Mexican twist with a homemade, chunky salsa, corn, black beans, roasted hot peppers and ground turkey? Or how does a wilted arugula salad-topped pizza sound with a balsamic reduction? I’m curious if I could easily make a gluten-free pie crust out of this concept. Mmm…this will not be the last time you see a cauliflower-crusted pizza recipe up here. Return the pizza to the oven under a broiler for 5 minutes (or less if you’re not cheese). Time to dig in. No need to keep track of how many slices you eat here! PS: This recipe could easily be used to make pizza popper appetizers! How cute and bikini-conscious of a host are you?
Have you ever made cauliflower crust? Thoughts?

Sprinkled with Love,
Lauren

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July 15, 2011

“There’s nothing better than a good friend, except a good friend with chocolate.” Linda Grayson

Hey all! TGIF! Boy, has this week whizzed by! Here are some of my foodie highlights. 1) I had the privilege of attending a Chile 101 Boot Camp and family-style lunch at Rosa Mexicano (Union Square) on Tuesday, hosted by Culinary Advisor, Susana Trilling and Culinary Director, David Suarez. At the event I learned all about chili peppers from how to prepare them to the different types. Although I never considered myself to have a palate for spicy schtuff, I really enjoyed having the opportunity to taste-test and discovered I’m quite fond of the variety of flavors (smoky, fruity, hot, etc.)!

The restaurant’s atmosphere and food was fabulous…I can’t wait to go back! FYI the Guacamole en Molcajete is TO DIE FOR. 

2) After getting out of my internship, I met up with Laura and her friend, Steph, at Ayza Wine & Chocolate Bar for dinner. I was still pretty full from my incredible lunch but ordered the Wild Smoked Salmon Salad (with mixed field greens, tomato, cucumber, capers and extra virgin olive oil dill dressing), which was delightful. Light but just the perfect portion, leaving room for…

…Tuesday’s Ladies Night Out! AKA complimentary chocolate shots and Belgian chocolate covered strawberries!

Doesn’t get much better than that, huh?

Perfection. By the way, it was a sticky 98 degrees that day. Traveling on the subway and walking around was not the most pleasant experience but completely worth it, of course. 

3) I spent the night at Laura’s, giving me the opportunity to “sleep in” — which in my case is 7 AM. I ran 4 miles on the treadmill in her building’s gym before showering and grabbing some breakfast in a little place near my office. What did my favorite meal of the day include? An assortment of fruit (grapes, blackberries, blueberries, watermelon and honeydew), two hard boiled eggs, a plain Chobani yogurt and grande iced coffee from Starbucks. Great way to start off my day!

4) Lunch included a protein-packed salad (spinach, cherry tomatoes, asparagus, tofu, navy beans, chickpeas, edamame, pumpkin seeds and carrots with balsamic vinegar/olive oil) from Zeytinz Fine Food Market Place. I caught a few rays and people watched in Bryant Park while chowing down on my lunch break!

So there’s a look at my week through what I ate. I realized the other day that most of my pictures on my camera and phone are of food. Pathetic? I think not! Hopefully I’ll be able to cook something new and fun this weekend! (I’ve really been wanting to create my own gazpacho.) Although I love trying different fare in NYC, I miss the comfort of home cooked meals, not to mention having the time to prepare my own recipes.
Any quick, summery recipe suggestions? 

Sprinkled with Love,
Lauren

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January 6, 2011

Whole-Wheat Margherita Pizza

Whether you prefer thick crust or thin brick oven style, pizza is an universal comfort food everyone loves and craves. It is simply good for the soul! Instead of caving in to a greasy take-out slice last night, I decided to create my own healthy pie by combining a few different recipes and piling on the veggies. No need to feel guilty nor break your New Year resolutions just yet. This low-fat recipe allows you to go for seconds without remorse. Win, win!

Eating Well’s Whole-Wheat Dough
Ingredients
(Yields 1 lb.)
1 cup whole-wheat flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 package quick-rising yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons)
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar OR I substituted 1 teaspoon honey
3/4 cup hot water
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Flaxseeds (My healthy addition, optional)


Sprinkled with Love’s Margherita Pizza
Ingredients
3 large tomatoes
1/2 yellow summer squash
1/2 zucchini
7 oz. bag of Kraft Mozzarella Fat Free Shredded Cheese
2 garlic cloves
Extra-virgin olive oil (1/2 teaspoon to brush on crust, 1 tablespoon to top pizza)
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 cup thinly sliced fresh basil
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper

Begin by preheating the oven to 400°F. Let’s start with the dough: Combine whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, yeast, salt and honey. Mix together with food processor or mixer (I am a poor college kid so used a hand mixer…) Combine hot water and oil in a measuring cup and gradually pour into the mixture, with the motor running. If it is too dry, add one to two tablespoons of water.

Transfer the dough onto a floured surface and knead into a ball. Coat a sheet of plastic wrap with cooking spray and place spray-side down over the dough. Let rest for 20 minutes before rolling.

Roll the dough out to desired thickness. I personally like mine thin! Place dough on pizza stone or baking sheet and sprinkle with flaxseeds. Pop it in the oven for 8 minutes before topping it!

To save time, while your pie crust is baking, prepare the balsamic vinegar/olive oil (whisk together) and salt/pepper. Chop garlic and basil, as well.

Slice up your desired toppings and basil. I added the zucchini and summer squash for color! Once the crust is done, drizzle olive oil and sprinkle the garlic over the flaxseeds. Arrange tomato, zucchini and squash slices leaving 1/2 inch border.

To finish it off, add the cheese! Bake for 12 minutes or until the cheese has fully melted. Once done, sprinkle pizza evenly with salt, pepper and sliced basil. Drizzle the vinegar mixture evenly over the pizza.

It doesn’t get much better than that! Absolutely scrumptious.

Sprinkled with Love,
Lauren

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December 12, 2010

Tomato and Basil Salmon

This may be one of my favorite dishes ever. I made it for my DZ family the other night and my little sisters are still raving about it. I stumbled upon it a few weeks ago when I cooked dinner for my boyfriend. Mouth still full, Mike said, “Oh my God, Laur. Why didn’t you take pictures of this for your blog. It’s so good.” Usually I think Mike eats my food because he feels bad, but this time I knew for a fact he wasn’t playing pity party because he ate every last bite. Success. Anyway, I couldn’t wait to have another opportunity to make this Salmon with Tomatoes and Basil recipe (Eating Well) because it was so delicious! I baked mine in the oven, but if you want to grill it like the recipe says, by all means do so! Sorry, but going outside in this weather to grill is not what I call fun…I put the salmon over quinoa and made Asparagus with Hazelnuts (FabulousFoods.com) as a side dish. This meal is perfect for entertaining because it is simple and not time consuming whatsoever. I was glad I made too much because this made great leftovers!


Ingredients
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 whole wild salmon fillet (roughly 1 1/2 lbs)
1/3 cup plus 1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh basil (divided)
2 medium tomatoes, thinly sliced (wish I had the De Buyer Kobra Adjustable Slicer from my X-mas list)
1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper

Preheat the oven to 350°F and coat a baking sheet with cooking spray. Mash the minced garlic and 3/4 tsp kosher salt on a cutting board (using the side of a knife or spoon) into a paste. Transfer to a small bowl. Stir in the oil and half of the basil.

Check the salmon for bones, remove if necessary, and place the fish skin-side down on the foil. Spread the garlic mixture over the fillet.

Overlap tomato slices on top and sprinkle with freshly ground pepper and the remaining salt. Place in the oven for about 20-30 minutes (4 to 6 minutes per half-inch of thickness,) or until the fish easily flakes when separated with a fork.

Before serving, sprinkle the rest the fresh basil on top of the fish. Garnish with a lemon wedge. Again, I put the salmon over quinoa (drizzled with olive oil,) but rice or couscous would also be great. This meal was absolutely fantastic. The tomatoes get crunchy on top of the salmon, but keep the fish nice and moist. I really enjoyed the asparagus recipe with hazelnut and balsamic. It was a great side dish to pair with the seafood.

All in all, great last meal of the semester with the best friends any girl could ever ask for. YAY!

Sprinkled with Love,
Lauren

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October 17, 2010

Summer Recipe Takes a Fall Twist

I have been itching to create a seasonal dish ever since the leaves started changing color. While searching for the perfect autumn dinner, I discovered a common theme among a lot of recipes: spaghetti squash. An appetizing SkinnyTaste. com recipe, Spaghetti Squash Pesto with Tomatoes, caught my eye as not only delightful and healthy, but simple! I figured it would be the perfect meal to make for my sister, her friend, Steph, and Amy, who all came to visit me this weekend so gave it go.

Ingredients
1 small spaghetti squash
15 large basil leaves
1 small clove garlic
1/4 cup olive oil
3 tbsp Parmigiano-Reggiano
salt and fresh pepper
1 tomato, diced

To start, cut the squash in half lengthwise…I had trouble with this so Kru had to come and take over.

As you would with a pumpkin, scoop out seeds and fibers.

Place the halves in a shallow baking pan with 1/4 inch of water. This huge spaghetti squash didn’t quite fit but it worked in the end! Place in the oven for an hour at 350° F.

While the squash is baking, start working on the pesto! It’s so easy.

In a small blender combine basil, garlic, olive oil, parmesan cheese, salt and pepper.

Purée until smooth.

Garlicky goodness!

When the spaghetti squash is done, let cool for a minute or two. Gently scrape your fork’s prongs to shred the pulp into spaghetti-like strands.

Drizzle pesto over two cups spaghetti squash (I doubled the recipe to accommodate my guests.)

Add tomatoes and season with additional salt and pepper.

TO DIE FOR! Let’s just say this recipe made me fall in love with spaghetti squash and I have sworn off pasta forever. It’s such a healthy alternative and a versatile ingredient you must try this season!

Kru and Steph both enjoyed it!

I have always loved pesto. Every summer, my mom makes homemade pesto and it is a tradition I cherish as it coincides with happy memories of beautiful shoreline weather and fun in the sun with family and friends. This recipe revamped a summer favorite into an staple fall meal, starring spaghetti squash. Be on the lookout for more recipes from me using my new favorite vegetable. Until then, try it with marinara sauce:

Sprinkled with Love,

Lauren


 

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