This Cauliflower Crust Pizza recipe is gluten-free and dairy-free, making it the cleanest pizza I’ve found. It’s also delicious! You can actually pick it up with your hands, and it can be frozen for a quick dinner.
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By Laura
This Cauliflower Crust Pizza recipe is gluten-free and dairy-free, making it the cleanest pizza I’ve found. It’s also delicious! You can actually pick it up with your hands, and it can be frozen for a quick dinner.
…
By Laura
I’m a schwag whore.
Race expo bags, conference loot, free t-shirts, retreat goodies… you name it, I get excited. You can imagine my eyes popped out of my head when I saw the gigantic bag ‘o schwag we were gifted at the Blend Retreat. Lots of bars, cereal, Fitmixer Aminos, protein drinks, and even granola.
One of my favorite items was a lemon-blueberry granola by Nature’s Indulgence. It’s loooong gone, but I still think about it.
When I saw this guest post on Lauren’s blog, I was excited to be able to combine those flavors once again.
I had to take liberties with the recipe, as my training diet doesn’t allow for the sugar. You know what? I don’t even miss it in this recipe! A mashed banana helped to sweeten and bind the granola, and it lended a subtle fruit flavor since dried fruits are a no-no (pure sugar, people!).
Another twist I put on the original was to add a bit of cardamom. You have to be careful with it – a little goes a long way – but a small amount added to sweet-ish recipes can elevate it to something uniquely delicious.
One of the things I liked the most about the Nature’s Indulgence version was the inclusion of millet. It added a cool crunch to the texture. I didn’t have any millet, but the chia seeds in my version to achieve a similar effect.
It is really fantastic sprinkled over a bowl of Greek yogurt with fresh plum and cinnamon.
Recipe at bottom.
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First a little round up from the blog world! I sometimes worry that much of the stuff I make is too weird for anyone to actually try. More often that not I end a description with “Its really is good, I swear!”
Because of this, I get unnaturally excited when you guys share your own iterations of recipes I’ve posted. Here are a few recent shares from around the blog/Instagram world… they’re good, I swear!!!
Allie ordered her very own peanut flour and tried my favorite sauce combo: peanut four, almond milk, and sriracha:
Heather rocked out a vegan version of my Tiramisu Protein Parfait using a coconut whipped cream that looks absolutely scrumptious:
Ashley made this Protein Breakfast Tart that I adapted from Tessa… coincidentally, I made it again yesterday morning. 🙂
Lauren made my PB & Jeggs with a grilled PB&J after I told her of my childhood love. I wonder if anyone will try this lightened up version posted yesterday.
Last but far from least, Meg made my take on a Cauliflower Pizza Crust. It turned out beautifully, and I love her runny egg on top!
***Since the original post, I’ve remade and improved upon the crust. Based on feedback from others I realized the measurements needed to be more precise and detailed instructions. Look for that update on Monday!***
Thank you to everyone who has tried a recipe and/or given feedback! I love learning from you all. 🙂
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Pre-heat the oven to 325 degrees.
Stir all ingredients together in a large bowl until well-combined.
Spread the mixture evenly onto a parchment-lined cookie sheet.
Bake for 15 mins. Stir the granola and bake another 10 mins, until golden brown.
Allow the granola to cool completely before transferring it to an air-tight container.
Note: If you don’t have Stevia, you can sub in 1-2T of your favorite liquid sweet treat (maple syrup, agave, etc.).
Makes 4 servings (1/4 C each).
Approximate nutritionals: 117 calories, 6g fat, 16.4g carbs, 2.3g fiber, 2g sugar, 3g protein
***
I’m attending y first show this weekend! I can’t wait to see the figure competitors… it’s hard to believe that’s going to be me in a few months! 🙂
What is your favorite granola combo or recent blogger recipe?
What are you looking forward to this weekend?
By Laura
Comfort food will always reign supreme in my heart.
Even something close to the memory of your favorite comfort food can satisfy. Take pizza, for example. I LOVE good, Italian pizza but… It’s like gettin’ frisky. All pizza is good, some is just better than others.
Cinnabon may be about to bust up my theory though. They are apparently introducing Pizzabons. Lucky ATL is their test market.
I can’t judge because I haven’t (and won’t) try it, but my hunch is that Cinnabon should stick with what it knows.If I had to choose, grilled PB & J would be my #1 comfort food. Growing up, my mom used to load the sandwich with lots of peanut butter (JIF) and my grandmother’s homemade muscadine jelly. She would then butter the outside of the bread and grill it up like a grilled cheese. The peanut butter would become runny and the buttery, crunchy bread was just the right contrast to the oozy-goozey center.
It’s been years since I’ve had one. I can’t bring myself to put that much butter and gooey deliciousness on a sandwich. This thing was probably close to 1000 calories. That’s before the sides – Cheetos and chocolate milk (with extra syrup snuck in when Mom wasn’t looking).
When I was craving this particular sandwich yesterday, I decided to try to make a healthier version of my mom’s classic.
The bread was easy: I used my favorite P28 High Protein Bread. The jam was also a no brainer – sugar-free Smuckers Strawberry.
The hardest part was the peanut butter. I needed to achieve the right amount of gooey-ness, and actual peanut butter isn’t allowed on my training plan. Time to get creative. Peanut FLOUR is ok (it’s de-fatted), but it won’t melt. It needs to be a creamy filling… and you know what’s creamy? Tofu.
I blended my peanut flour with a serving of tofu and a couple of stevia drops for an amazing creamy, low-fat, protein-filled peanut butter. Bam.
Rather then Cheetos I opted for apple sprinkled with cinnamon. There was a little tofu-peanut butter left over, which made the perfect apple dip.
I never thought I’d say thing, but these days apple slices are legit more appealing than the processed orange cheese things.
Pre-heat George Foreman grill, panini press, or grill pan.
Place Peanut Tofu Butter ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.
Spread peanut butter and jelly on your bread of choice to make you sandwich. Place in/on hot grilling apparatus and cook until each side is golden brown.
Enjoy!
***
To be clear: I have nothing against Cinnabon (outside of a general opposition to junk food). Admittedly, the smell of their cinnamon rolls is intoxicating. I just can’t imagine wanting a Pizzabon over a real pizza slice or a real Cinnabon.
Would you try the Pizzabon?
What was your favorite childhood meal? Would you still eat it today?
By Laura
Nuggets of gold, I tell you.
Who needs Chick-fil-a?! These tasty vegan treats all the flavor and finger food deliciousness of the fast food treat, but without the MSG, high fructose corn syrup, ammonium sulfate, yellow 5, blue 1, etc. (I only wish I were kidding about that ingredient list.)
Maybe they missed the memo:
Isn’t this awesome? I ordered this tee from Callie @ Rawxy. Her cookies are good too, IMHO. 😉
Growing up I thought my mom was so mean because we were rarely allowed to stop for fast food. I wanted a toy with dinner! Looking back I am grateful – to this day I have never eaten a fast food hamburger!
However, I did enjoy the occasional chicken nugget from a certain Southern chain. Today I wouldn’t dream of buying them, especially when there are clean alternatives like these:
My chick-less nuggets are TVP-based and are vegetarian/vegan.
After a quick pulse in the blender, mix in some chickpea flour and an egg (a flax egg works here) to bind them. This creates a nugget-like texture that… well… tastes like chicken.
You can make the bites any flavor you’d like, but I went for the classic blend of paprika, red pepper, onion, and garlic. Lay off the red pepper and these would be ideal for kid meals! Sorry, toy not included.
Dunked in a healthy, quick sweet ‘n spicy mustard sauce, you’d almost swear these were from a drive-thru… a thought you’ll quickly push aside because these clean bites are better.
Preheat oven to 500 degrees, or 475 convection.
Heat water in medium bowl and stir in bouillon until dissolved. Add TVP, stir, and allow to stand for 5 mins.
Pulse soaked TVP in food processor; you want larger pieces broken up, but not a puree. Add egg and flour and mix well. Season with your favorite spice blend.
Form “nuggets” with the TVP mix (heaping 2T per nugget). Drop balls onto a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Place in oven and bake for 10 mins, until golden. Flip nuggets and bake for an additional 5 mins. Allow to cool slightly before serving.
Makes 10 nuggets.
Note: Use a flax egg to make vegan.
Approx Nutritionals (per nugget): 47 calories, 0.8g fat, 20.7g sodium, 3.7g carbohydrates, 1.7g fiber, 1.4g sugar, 5.8g protein
Mix together and dip away!
***
I added a mini “about” section to my side bar with a pic, but am unsure about it… too much?
Do/did you ever like fast food?
What is your favorite dipping sauce?
By Laura
I’m beet up and ‘choked up this Monday!
It’s the second installment of Heather’s Meatless Mondays from A-Z challenge!
Last week the ingredient we were to use was artichokes, and I submitted this Quinoa Stuffed Artichoke. Without thinking, I incorporated this week’s ingredient – beets – into the recipe by soaking my quinoa in beet juice.
This week… Oops, I did it again.
My submission is a Golden Beet and Tempeh Stuffed Poblano Pepper, and in my tempeh stuffing I incorporated both beets AND artichoke hearts.
If you are someone who doesn’t do well with red beets, I encourage you to try the golden variety. Golden beets tend to have less of an “earthy” taste, and are slightly sweeter than red beets. I loved that sweetness in this dish balanced with the mild heat of the poblano pepper.
Don’t be scared of the poblano. It rates a 4 out of 10 on the Scoville Scale (compared to a habanero which is 9 out of 10). A poblano’s heat is more of an accent than a punch. They are perfect for those who like just a touch of spiciness. FYI – the reddish-brown poblanos are more ripe, and are sweeter than the true green ones.
Poblanos are commonly used in Mexican dishes, but I took this in a more Indian direction by coating my sautéed stuffing ingredients in a quick sauce made of curry and nutritional yeast. Curry is an excellent pairing with the nutty tempeh and nutritional yeast flavors, and the sweetness of the beets added a fun twist to the stronger flavors.
Admittedly, I’d never roasted a pepper before. It seemed like a complex task for some reason. Rest assured it was stupid-easy, and definitely worth a shot. This recipe can be easily multiplied and customized to fit the needs of a crowd!
Next week’s ingredient is caperberries… should I purposefully aim for artichokes, beets, and capers? 😉
Workout recap before food though! This week was a weird one. I traveled on Wed/Thursday so I had to take a rest day midweek. Being on an airplane makes my body really tired/weak-feeling, making Friday’s workout was a hard one. I also had a weird pain in my heel on Friday morning. It feels bruised, but I didn’t do anything that would bruise it. It happened before I workout – almost immediately as I got out of bed. It still hurts today… I’ve been resting and icing, and I skipped past leg day Saturday to give it a rest and instead focused on upper body. Like my triceps:
Last week I mentioned being frustrated that while I have seen increase in weight I can move, my weight is the same. This week will bring some adjustments to my diet, adding more fats, protein from “real” sources (not powder), and a small increase in carbs and veggies (woo hoo!). Candidly, I am a little nervous. That’s a LOT of food, and I often struggle to get in all 7 meals with the smaller portions. If anyone wants to come shovel food in with me, I could use the encouragement! LOL!
Workout Recap (8/6 – 8/12):
Preheat oven to 475.
Place the pepper on a baking sheet, and place in oven. Roast for 30 mins, turning pepper every ~10 mins. The goal is to char it on all sides.
Once charred, place in a bowl and cover with a towel to steam for ~10 mins.
Meanwhile, heat oil in a skillet and begin to saute onions and beets. Once onion begins to turn translucent, add garlic, tempeh, and artichokes. Add apple cider vinegar (or other white vinegar), and stir to combine. Cook until warmed through, and garlic becomes fragrant (~2 mins).
Mix nutritional yeast, curry, and cumin with water and pour over saute. Stir to combine and remove from heat.
Remove pepper from bowl and begin peeling. The skin with come off easily when they’re cooked like this.
Make a small slit down the length of one side of the pepper, being careful not to cut through to the other side. Carefully remove seeds, leaving stem intact. Spoon tempeh mixture into the pepper to fill.
Transfer stuffed peppers to baking sheet dish. Place in oven and bake until golden, 5-8 mins. Cool for a moment before transferring to a plate. Sprinkle with chopped mint, lime juice, and additional nooch sauce if desired.
Makes 1 (easily doubled or quadrupled).
***
I didn’t want to clutter the post with all of my cheat day treats, but this happened (among other things):
Have you ever had an odd heel pain? Any advice?
Do you like beets? What is your favorite way to eat them?
By Laura
My love affair with breakfast continues.
I couldn’t choose between something peanut butter-y and French toast. Like a true healthy-living blogger I want nut butter at every meal, but I’d been thinking about french toast ever since receiving a loaf of P28 Bread.
French toast was my favorite childhood breakfast. Mom used to make it on challah bread with lots of cinnamon and a drizzle of honey. She would then warm syrup with butter to pour over the decadent toast.
Obviously that’s not on my training diet, and I had not attempted to make a healthy version due to my protein requirements. There’s no way French toast would pack 20g of protein… until I received high protein bread.
You may have seen me mention P28 bread in previous posts. I absolutely love it. One slice packs 14g of protein! Count me in.
P28 bread is chewier than regular bread. Some people (Lee‘s husband) like that. I don’t mind it, but prefer the bread toasted. The toasting turns it perfectly soft with a nice crunchy exterior. Note: Due to the whey, it toasts faster than regular bread, so keep an eye on it.
Now about the french toast…
Peanut butter-coated and topped with caramelized bananas, I had to name it after The King.
You know how good warm, runny nut butter is? Imagine that, but soaked into bread. A little vanilla and cinnamon makes it almost like eating dessert for breakfast. Dessefast? Deckfast?
For my topping, I sliced the bananas and let them briefly caramelize in the pan. Arranged atop of the peanut-y toast and drizzled with cinnamon-lace syrup, those bananas added just the right amount of richness and creamy texture.
No peanut flour? No problem! Just use regular peanut butter. (It will be easier to mix if you warm it just a bit.)
But really, you should order this peanut flour via iHerb. Use coupon code USO924 for $5 off your first order. It’s awesome, and it’s made in Georgia. 😉
Recipe at the end.
And now for the fun part. P28 has offered an opportunity for 3 readers to try their bread!
P28 is made with 100% Whole Wheat, Whey Protein Isolate, Oats, Flaxseed, Sunflower Seed and Millet. It’s 100% Natural, and is a great source of Omega 3s and 8 essential Amino Acids needed for growth, energy, and vibrant health.
Want a loaf of your very own? Receive up to 4 entries by:
Giveaway ends at 11:59pm EST Thursday night, August 9th. The winner will be announced here on Friday, August 10th!
Open to US Residents only. If you’d like to try these bars but didn’t win, check out their website to find a local retailer, or to order your a sample pack.
For Syrup:
For the Toast:
Combine all ingredients in wide bowl. Dip bread in mixture until saturated.
Cook in pan over med-high heat until golden brown on each side.
When almost done, place banana slices in pan and allow to caramelize slightly (they will turn a bit brown on top).
For the Syrup:
Pour syrup in small bowl. Mix in cinnamon and butter extract. Microwave for ~20 secs, until warm.
Plate your toast and top with caramelized bananas and syrup.
Makes 1 serving.
Note: If using regular bread, you may need 2 slices. P28 slices are large and more dense than a standard slice.
Vegan Option: First, use a vegan bread source. Second, replace the eggs with more almond milk and add a tablespoon of flax. Let it sit for 10 mins to thicken before dipping your bread. Proceed to cook.
Approximate Nutritionals (without syrup or bananas): 223 calories, 5.9g fat, 342.5mg sodium, 16.2 carbohydrates, 4.1g fiber, 4g sugar, 28.8g protein
***
I’m have a double serving for breakfast today. Last night was leg day with my trainger and I sort of want to die after those hack squats.
What was your favorite breakfast as a child?
Have you even done hack squats?
By Laura
I’m going to go ahead and admit it.
I’ve had a shitty week. Work was frustrating, I didn’t sleep enough, my hamstring is pulled a bit, and I’m just grouchy. Last night I showed up at the gym out of habit rather than desire.
On top of all that, it was the dreaded leg day. I look forward to it because I love training with my coach, but I would honestly would rather work any other body part than my legs. It was raining and thundering when I left the house. I almost cancelled. Habit prevailed.
Coach said I’d have a revelation at the end of the workout. After squatting 2x my body weight and a set of leg presses with 8 plates on each side, I did have that revelation. Sometimes the worst days produce the best workouts. Mood = lifted.
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Bad weeks can also product some amazing food. It’s not on purpose, but I tend to eat “fun” food when I’m having a bad day. Like it’s my bright spot.
There has been a whole lot of mood-lifting deliciousness in blog-land lately. My three latest addictions are thanks to fellow bloggers:
This Cauliflower Pizza Crust inspired by Gluten Free Happy Tummy. It’s the only cauliflower crust I’ve been able to pick up and eat like a slice of pizza. Also, the egg I included in round 2 was sinfully good. I heart runny eggs.
Kristen’s “Stuft”which – I do mine on P28 Protein Bread with sugar-free strawberry jam… sometimes I add a little Diaya and spinach. It’s the jam. 😉
My Protein Breakfast Tart based on Tessa’s recipe has become a staple in my kitchen. This one topped with “melted” blackberries (berries microwaved for 20-30 secs with 2-3 drops liquid stevia).
I have an ever-growing list of recipes to try. Look for these on Instagram and #WIAW next week:
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A bright spot in my week was the photos you guys shared with me of your takes on some recent recipes I’ve posted. I always wonder if people actually try anything I make… so please do share when you do. Unless you hate it. 😉
Meg tried her hand at the previously mentioned Cauliflower Pizza Crust:
Heather made some gorgeous Paleo Oat-less Oatmeal, subbing coconut flour for the protein powder:
Allie enjoyed the Oatmeal Cookie Protein Shake I made per her request:
Min tried my PB & Jeggs the DAY I posted it… and vouched for its odd deliciousness:
Heather (miss you!!!) made my Mexican Vegan Crustless Quiche, but did it in mini springforms and added smokey hot sauce:
Soben rocked a Tiramisu Parfait, adding chia seeds:
I swear I drafted this post before I saw Heather @ Kiss My Broccoli‘s post today… it’s titled “Sprinting with Broccoli.” This girl – my prom date – wrote an entire POST about recipes of mine she’s tried. I’m so flattered… I’m speechless and I could cry happy tears.
Thanks for making my week 100x better, Heather. 🙂
***
The only thing I have left to say is TGIF.
What blogger recipes have you been loving lately?
What brightens your mood after a hard week?
By Laura
Kitchen failures are no fun.
Especially when they involve the microwave – an invention that is supposed to make things easier.
I’ve tried to make a good microwave protein cake over and over. And Over. And Over. My attempts failed repeatedly. God knows how much money I’ve wasted on protein powder. But I’m stubborn (and obsessed with desserts), so I kept trying.
And, just like Dr. Seuss 98 and 3/4 percent guaranteed, I did succeed! Finally a winner!
My only requirements for this cake were that it must be low sugar, less than 200 calories, and have at least 20g of protein. The spinach was just the icing on the proverbial cake. One can’t live on green smoothies alone.
This ever-so-slightly green-tinted treat is light, fluffy, and wonderfully moist (yeah, I said moist). It’s sweet and chocolate-y. Not flavorless, dry, and/or oddly flat like some of my other attempts.
Here’s what I learned in my experimentation:
Did I mention it’s under 150 calories and packs 24.5g of protein? Can I get a gold medal?
Another pleasant discovery was the baking powder I used. My training plan has me watching my sodium intake, and typical baking powder has a TON of it. I was lamenting this fact when Sarena located this Hain sodium-free powder! I ordered it online and was thrilled when it worked just as well as the full-sodium stuff. (If you aren’t concerned with sodium, the standard stuff work too.)
Place all ingredients in your blender of choice and mix until smooth. If not adding spinach, there is no need for a blender to mix.
Transfer to a large, greased (I use PAM) coffee mug and microwave for 3-4 mins (mine took 3:21).
Tip the cake out onto a plate and top as desired. My cake was topped with a sprinkle of vanilla protein “powdered sugar” and a cherry. I also really like to use melted cherries (cut into pieces and microwaved for 20 secs).
Makes 1 cake.
Approximate Nutritionals (will vary based on protein powder brand used; this is with Sun Warrior): 148 calories, 3g fat, 219.3mg sodium, 11g carbohydrates, 3.6g fiber, 3g sugar, 24.5g protein.
**
I was blown away by the positive responses when I posted this on the Chick-fil-a controversy. The Dean of the Georgia Tech Scheller College of Business (my graduate alma mater) wrote a great op-ed piece for the New York Times on individual freedom. I respect his opinion, and hope you will take a second to read his thoughts. Click here to read.
What is your most memorable kitchen failure?
Have you reached microwave cake perfection? Do share!