Tomato, Basil, & Roasted Garlic Pizza on Cauliflower Crust with Balsamic Vinaigrette

{Don't get me wrong, I totally believe that food is fuel for our bodies and minds. But, I certainly don't believe that it ends there. Think about the cup of coffee, with a cookie or  a slice of lemon pound cake on the side, shared over encouraging conversation with a friend, the first bite you had during the dinner that you finally realized you'd fallen in love, the flavor of that treat that you couldn't get enough of while being pregnant. It was present at the late night sleep overs, the early morning chats about the upcoming day, the afternoon get-a-ways. Food; it's shared. It ties itself to our memories. It's coveted. It's a gift. Certainly, it's more than just fuel. Yes, eating well/right/healthily is wise, but that doesn't mean that we should minimize the gift of taste buds!}

When my sister-in-law was going into labor with her second son, [per the doctor's orders] we were at the hospital walking in circles for hours, even up and down stairwells, trying to get things moving along. But, we were sent home to wait it out. I wanted to be with her just in case she suddenly transitioned into active labor, so her and I napped together. Through the nap and when she woke up, the contractions were getting a bit stronger, but then would let up a bit again. Her body was still working hard and it was important that I fed her before active labor was upon her. So, we looked up natural foods that can help labor progress; safely. Basil, balsamic vinegar and tomatoes all came up. Well, I happened to have all those things. 

First I made her a little salad with those ingredients. While she was eating that, I used some Dion's pizza dough and went to town. I roasted garlic, on the stove top with herbs and spices, made balsamic vinaigrette, and layered the tomatoes, parmesan cheese, fresh basil along with the roasted garlic and balsamic dressing. I popped it in the oven and... Mmmmm, it was so good! And, as a bonus, within an hour or so we were back at the hospital as her labor really did progress. Was it the basil, balsamic and tomatoes? Perhaps, but either way, it made for a delicious memory in the midst of another beautiful life being born into our blessed family. 

This recipe actually became another family favorite. It's pretty easy, so flavorful and super delicious. Our home is now gluten-free so the recipe featured in the blog is actually a cauliflower crust, with all the fresh and healthy toppings mentioned above. My family really enjoyed it, especially my six year old son. I just love how creative we can be to use all natural ingredients to fit our needs and desires to serve our bodies well so that, in return, we can serve others well. 

Tomato, Basil, & Roasted Garlic Pizza on Cauliflower Crust with Balsamic Vinaigrette

3-4 tomatoes, sliced
4 cloves garlic, chopped semi-finely
6-8 large leaves of fresh basil, chiffonade (I use scissors to cut into slices)
1 large head of cauliflower, chopped and crumbled in food processor 
1 package of Italian blend cheese OR 1 cup mozzarella mixed with 1/3 cup grated parmesan/ mozzarella cheese (as usual, my recipes are pretty flexible)
1 egg, beaten
1 tablespoon olive oil (or your oil of choice)
1 tsp Mrs.Dash "garlic and herbs" OR 1 tsp Italian seasoning (for roasted garlic)
1 tsp Italian seasoning (for cauliflower crust)
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
salt and fresh ground pepper to your taste
Ingredients for simple pizza sauce
1/2 teaspoon olive oil
one 32 oz can San Marzano crushed tomatoes
2 cloves garlic, minced
1tsp olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt 

1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

pinch of raw sugar

Ingredients for Balsamic Vinaigrette

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon raw sugar (or sugar of your choice)
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 olive oil
(I often add minced garlic to this dressing, but since I have roasted garlic in this recipe, I don't add it for this use)

In a small saute pan, add the olive oil (on NO heat) then add the chopped garlic and Mrs.Dash/ Italian seasonings. Turn heat to low and allow it to simmer, slowly. Keep an eye to make sure it never rises above a low simmer as to not burn the garlic - that would be no bueno! Stir occasionally. It might fizz/bubble a bit, that's fine, let the flavors marry! In about 15 minutes you should have roasted garlic flavor - but made much quicker on the stove top.

In a small pot add 1/2 teaspoon olive oil on medium heat. Let warm up a bit, then add all other ingredients for the simple pizza sauce. Cover and cook on medium heat for about 20 minutes. Again, this recipe is simple, quick and not overly flavorful - which works for this pizza (which is very flavorful).

Cauliflower Crust
Preheat oven to 450. Clean, chop, and crumble cauliflower in food processor (in batches, based on what your food processor can handle). Put cauliflower into bowl and into microwave for 8 minutes. Let cool for a bit (about 10 minutes). Use cheesecloth or thin towel to squeeze out as much liquid from cauliflower as possible. Add 1/2 cup of cheese, 1 beaten egg, 1 tsp Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, onion powder and garlic powder. Also, you can season with salt to your taste, if you'd like. 
Rub pizza pan with a bit of olive out and roll out cauliflower crust on pan. Press firmly, and mold as you would normal dough. Bake in oven for approximately 10 minutes... be careful, you might want the crust to get "crispy" (as I do), but once this starts to brown... it goes fast! Keep a watchful eye, after 10 minutes in the oven. 

While the crust is baking, put all ingredients for balsamic vinaigrette into a tightly sealed container/ mason jar and shake, shake, shake! 

Take crust out of oven and add most of the remaining cheese (leaving just a bit for sprinkling on top). Spread the pizza sauce over the crust. Cover the crust with sliced tomatoes. Sprinkle the fresh basil all over the top. Then you can just sprinkle the [warm,obviously you don't want to put piping hot garlic on your fingers!] roasted garlic with your fingers to make sure each bite will catch some of that delicious flavor, or you can use whatever utensil you would like. Lastly, sprinkle remaining cheese and drizzle some of the balsamic vinaigrette all over the pizza (note, you probably won't want to add ALL the dressing to the pizza. Just enough so each bite can get a drizzle).

Place the "pizza" back in the oven for another 5 minutes or so, until the cheese is melted and slightly getting brown. This is another dish that is delicious both warm or room temperature.  I sure hope you enjoy!

Homemade Tomato Basil Soup

{Don't get me wrong, I totally believe that food is fuel for our bodies and minds. But, I certainly don't believe that it ends there. Think about the cup of coffee, with a cookie or  a slice of lemon pound cake on the side, shared over encouraging conversation with a friend, the first bite you had during the dinner that you finally realized you'd fallen in love, the flavor of that treat that you couldn't get enough of while being pregnant. It was present at the late night sleep overs, the early morning chats about the upcoming day, the afternoon get-a-ways. Food; it's shared. It ties itself to our memories. It's coveted. It's a gift. Certainly, it's more than just fuel. Yes, eating well/right/healthily is wise, but that doesn't mean that we should minimize the gift of taste buds!}

While Eric and were driving back from our honeymoon, in Denver, we stopped by a couple of bookstores that were going out of business. Eager to brush up on my domestic abilities, I went straight for the cookbooks. Nearly the whole ride home, Eric and I talked about our favorites foods and meals. I was tearing little pieces off of a spare wedding invitation (yes, I forgot to send a couple out. Oops!), and used them to bookmark recipes that I wanted to cook for my new husband. One of those recipes was homemade tomato soup with basil and shell pasta. I tweaked the recipe a bit and he loved it!! Ever since, it has been my go-to recipe for the start of Fall, when tomatoes are in season and on crazy sale, or to warm up the home for guests who come to visit. One Fall, I made it, packed it up and we even enjoyed our bowls of soup at the Balloon Fiesta (with a dear friend who visited from Nebraska). It's been nearly eight years since I tried this recipe for the first time, as a newlywed, and now it's a family favorite among our three kids (yes, even my ten month old enjoys its flavor!), friends, and extended family. It's delicious, super healthy, and warm yet refreshing all at the same time! Well, lets get to the recipe...

Homemade Tomato Soup with Basil

8 (or so) large tomatoes, blanched and chopped
4 (or more) cloves of garlic, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
1 large red bell pepper, chopped
10 fresh basil leaves, chiffonade (cut into strips with scissors, is easiest... in my opinion.)
3 tablespoons tomato paste
2 tablespoons olive oil (or oil of your preference)
4 cups low sodium chicken stock (or you can use vegetable stock, or whatever you have on hand)
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 (or more) teaspoon cayenne pepper (or red pepper flakes)
pinch of sugar
fresh grated parmesan cheese for garnish
season with salt and pepper to your taste
(You can add a box of shell pasta; regular, whole wheat, quinoa, or brown rice, if you'd like to bulk up the recipe. Just cook separately and add to finished soup.) 

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Score an "X "on each tomato, with a knife. Add each tomato to boiling water. Once the skin on the tomato starts to bubble remove with tongs and put in colander. Let sit and cool while you continue on with the next steps. 

Empty the water out of the pot. Once the pot is dry, add oil to bottom of pot and heat on medium/high heat. Add chopped onion and chopped red bell pepper. Once the onions start to get translucent add the chopped garlic. Stir well.

Peel the skin off of blanched tomatoes and chop and drop into pan with other veggies, and sprinkle with onion, garlic powder, and cayenne pepper. Stir well. Let veggies cook for about 10 minutes then add the tomato paste and stock. Stir well again. And let cook for another 10 minutes. 

Use scissors to cut half the fresh basil into strips, right into the pot of veggies. Season, to your liking, with salt and fresh ground pepper. Remove from heat and use handheld blender (if you have one) and mix until thoroughly smooth. If you don't have one, just allow soup to cool a bit, then blend until smooth in your blender. (I highly recommend a handheld blender! I paid $30 for mine about 5 years ago and I just love it! I love easy appliances with EASY clean up!)

Return blended soup to medium heat and put a lid on it, let cook on low for another 15 minutes, or longer if possible. Sample the soup, and adjust seasoning to your liking. 

Serve with fresh basil and parmesan cheese to garnish... and enjoy! Our home is now gluten-free, BUT I must say this recipe is delicious with sliced, toasted, baguette! 

I sure hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do! Let me know what you think.

(P.S. I know the tomatoes in the photographs of the soup aren't "large" like the recipe calls for. Just use what you have and make adjustments. Just have fun and enjoy your taste buds!) 

Grilled Corn, Avocado, Cucumber, Cherry Tomato Quinoa with Southwestern Grilled Chicken

{Don't get me wrong, I totally believe that food is fuel for our bodies and minds. But, I certainly don't believe that it ends there. Think about the cup of coffee, with a cookie or  a slice of lemon pound cake on the side, shared over encouraging conversation with a friend, the first bite you had during the dinner that you finally realized you'd fallen in love, the flavor of that treat that you couldn't get enough of while being pregnant. It was present at the late night sleep overs, the early morning chats about the upcoming day, the afternoon get-a-ways. Food; it's shared. It ties itself to our memories. It's coveted. It's a gift. Certainly, it's more than just fuel. Yes, eating well/right/healthily is wise, but that doesn't mean that we should minimize the gift of taste buds!} 

What in the world is Quinoa?? And, how in the world do you say it?? Well, some people say it's a grain and some people say it's a seed, but most say it's a seed - so Im going with that. It's pronounced KEEN-WAH. Fancy, huh? Don't let it get to your head! (I'm kidding.) I like it because it's versatile, but it also isn't this empty addition to your plate - it has loads of protein and is pretty high in iron and fiber. So, don't let the fancy name fool you, because it's super easy to prepare!  Here's a recipe that I came up with my first time making quinoa. I really enjoyed it and so did my husband and kids - so that's a bonus, right?? It really is a light yet hearty, and healthy but certainly flavorful, dish. I hope you enjoy!

Grilled Corn, Avocado, Cucumber, Cherry Tomato Quinoa with Southwestern Grilled Chicken

12, or so, cherry tomatoes, quartered

3 small/medium avocados, chopped

1 cucumber (or a half, that's all I had and it was fine)

1 ear of corn

1 lemon

1 clove of garlic, minced

1 tbs fresh cilantro, chopped

1/2 cup quinoa 

1 package boneless, skinless chicken tender loins (or chicken breast cut into 1 inch thick slices)

aprox 1/2 tsp each: cumin, paprika, onion powder, cayenne powder (or ancho chili powder), garlic powder (I just sprinkle each side of the chicken with each spice, I don't actually measure it out)

1 tbs oil of your choice for grilling

1 tbs rice vinegar
salt and fresh ground pepper, season to taste

Chicken

Heat the grill on medium/ high (on my grill, high was perfect). Season the chicken on both sides with each spice (I happen to sprinkle pretty liberally with my spices, not salt though. I like a lot of flavor but not a lot of sodium). Drizzle with just a bit of oil and put the chicken in the grill. Flip after approximately 7 minutes, just when the first side starts to get charred. Cook the second side for another 7 minutes (approximately). When the chicken is cooked through and slightly charred put onto serving dish and squeeze the juice of half the lemon over each piece. 

Quinoa

Rinse the quinoa well (otherwise it will taste bitter). In a pot mix 1/2 cup quinoa with 1 cup water. Bring to a boil then cover and let simmer for 15 minutes. Personally, after that 15 minutes is done, I remove the lid but keep the heat on simmer for another 5 minutes, then fluff it with a fork. I happen to like the texture of the quinoa better that way. 

Corn

Put the corn, with about half the husks still on, in the microwave for approximately 4 minutes so that it'll cook mostly through. The corn will be hot, so carefully, remove all the husks and set the corn directly on the grill and let it char on all sides, about 30 seconds per side.

Veggies

Just chop and drop all the veggies and cilantro and mince the garlic, put in to a medium size bowl. Slice all the corn off the cob and add that to the veggies. Squeeze the other half of the lemon into the bowl and add the rice vinegar. 

Mix the quinoa with the veggies and serve with the southwestern grilled chicken. I try to avoid too much sodium. The rice vinegar and lemon make it where too much salt isn't necessary, but season to your taste. I hope you enjoy! 

Roasted Red Pepper, Red Potato, Cauliflower Soup

{Don't get me wrong, I totally believe that food is fuel for our bodies and minds. But, I certainly don't believe that it ends there. Think about the cup of coffee, with a cookie or  a slice of lemon pound cake on the side, shared over encouraging conversation with a friend, the first bite you had during the dinner that you finally realized you'd fallen in love, the flavor of that treat that you couldn't get enough of while being pregnant. It was present at the late night sleep overs, the early morning chats about the upcoming day, the afternoon get-a-ways. Food; it's shared. It ties itself to our memories. It's coveted. It's a gift. Certainly, it's more than just fuel. Yes, eating well/right/healthily is wise, but that doesn't mean that we should minimize the gift of taste buds!} 

Welp, this first dish that I am sharing with you is one that I came up with while rummaging through my veggie drawer, in the fridge, trying to get dinner on the table before my husband got home from work. It ended up being a hit, but also an easy quick dish (which is always a plus, right?). It's delicious, if I do say so myself. It's something that you really can 'feel good' eating. It naturally tastes as though it has cheese in it - but it doesn't (not unless you wanna add some, of course). Both my mom and husband thought it was a cheesy soup of some kind and were surprised when I said, "Nope. No cheese THIS time!" 

So, here's the recipe, I hope you enjoy! :

Roasted Red Pepper, Red Potato, Cauliflower Soup 

1 head of cauliflower, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
3 small-medium size red potatoes, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
4 cups liquid (water/ chicken stock/ veggie stock... I use vegetable stock)
1/2 stick of butter or 4 tablespoon of olive/ coconut oil (this recipe is pretty flexible, as you can tell)
1 tsp of nutmeg
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper/ acho chili powder (add more if you like more than just an undertone of heat, like me!)
season to taste with salt and fresh ground pepper
bacon (for garnishing, the third time I made this recipe I decided to garnish with bacon, and needless to say my husband appreciated it.) 
Also, you can stir in some of half and half into the pot before serving , but I think it's rich without it. 

On medium heat, add the butter (or oil) to heavy bottom pot. As it melts add the chopped cauliflower. Stir to make sure each piece of cauliflower is covered a bit in butter. Add the red bell pepper, stir again. Then, add the red potatoes and garlic. Add the garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne and salt and pepper to taste. Mix well. Once the cauliflower starts to get toasty add your 4 cups of liquid. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low/medium until the potatoes are cooked through (about 10-12) minutes. 

Blend the veggies until smooth (I totally recommend a handheld blender. It was one of my best $30 purchases!).

Return to heat, taste to see if you need to season more for your liking, let simmer for another 5-10 minutes. This is the time that I just quickly fried up the bacon to garnish. 

That's it - you're done! Serve warm or even at room temperature. I hope you enjoy... and let me know what you think of this recipe! :)