Gluten Free Pizza Crust

Hey guys! Sorry it has taken me so long to post about the Gluten Free Naan Bread! You may have figured it didn't turn out very well because I didn't post about it soon - let me assure you that is NOT the case. This Gluten Free Naan Bread recipe was actually super delicious and I am posting about it late because I was too tired to blog that night (and all the other nights thereafter) once dinner was cooked and cleaned up...because I'm old and lame. Just kidding...I'm not really old.

I'm actually in my late 20's but I go to bed earlier now and I find it easier to attribute my bedtime to my age the older I get. Has anyone else on Facebook seen the quiz that's titled something like, "You know you're in your late 20's when..."? Well one of the topics in the article highlights people in their late 20's going to bed early on the nights they used to stay up late. One of the main reasons is because they want to be well rested for brunch the next day (because brunch is suddenly awesome to them). I chuckle because it's true but I still tell myself, "You're lame now...but wait remember how awesome brunch is...no, forget brunch, you're lame...but wait remember how awesome brunch is..." See? I'm in my late 20's, the quiz is accurate.

I digress. This Gluten Free Naan Bread ROCKED. OUR. WORLD. Granted, Ian and I could both be delirious from not having any bread for almost a month but nonetheless it really tasted like grainy pita bread. Yum!! I found this really simple recipe on this girl's blog, 3 Ingredient Paleo Naan and even though I kind of botched the first round it was sooooo good once I got it right. I did learn a valuable lesson in preparing Gluten Free Naan for the first time ever: Coconut Milk in a can is drastically different than Coconut Milk in a carton even when both are full fat. Because I couldn't find the Coconut Milk in a can, which the recipe calls for, I assumed I could substitute one for the other...nope. I was wrong. I was very, very wrong.

The coconut milk in a carton is much thinner because it is intended for foods like smoothies whereas the Coconut Milk in a can is much creamier and thicker in texture making it great for this recipe. When I used the coconut milk in a carton I ended up using twice as much almond and tapioca flour as the recipe called, which I wasn't happy about because that stuff is expensive. Learn from my mistake and remember to choose the coconut milk in a can if you're making this recipe! But again, I really am bonkers about stumbling across her blog because this recipe is versatile outside of the Naan. It will also work for pizza crust (which we TOTALLY did because we were so damn excited), pita bread, or even crepes - you just have to remember that with crepes you'll use less almond and tapioca flour in the recipe. I highly recommend this to anyone and everyone who is curious to try it. Who knew gluten free could be so gluttonous?

Cooking Ingredients:

• 1 can of Coconut Milk (full fat)
• 1/2 cup Tapioca Flour
• 1/2 cup Almond Flour (add more if you want a thicker crust)

Cooking Directions:

• In a medium size mixing bowl add all three ingredients
• Stir them together until it is the consistency of cake batter
• Preheat a non-stick large skillet or frying pan over medium heat
• Pour the batter into the pan and cook for a few minutes on each side until golden brown

If you want to make the pizza I made for myself here is everything you will need. (I will let you know that other than using 3 pepperoni on each pizza I did not measure any other topping but I did apply everything liberally.):

Pizza Toppings:

• Organic Tomato & Basil Sauce
• Red Pepper Flakes
• Garlic (Minced)
• White Onion (Sliced)
• 1 package of large pepperoni 
• Prosciutto (Julienned)
• Fresh Basil (Julienned)

Cooking Directions:

• Preheat Oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit
• Dress up your pizza crust to your preference and place in the oven for 12-15 minutes, or until all of your ingredients have been cooked
• Sprinkle the fresh basil on top of your pizza and serve right away

Our New Diet...

Can I just start by saying that I haven't blogged in MONTHS?! Oh did you notice? I guess that's obvious considering my last post was in November...Oi! (Sigh) My laptop charger officially kicked the bucket and with Ian's holiday schedule being as crazy as it usually is we just didn't get around to buying another charger until now. But guess what?? I'M BACK! And I have SO much to share with you!

Ok, let's start from the beginning of this year. (A little bit of personal information from me to you - I suffer from chronic back & neck pain from a car accident that happened YEARS ago. I have done everything I can possibly do, outside of having surgery, to help myself. Quite frankly, I am desperately seeking new ways to relieve my pain.) I was reading an article last month that talked about how both Gluten and Dairy cause serious inflammation in your muscles. Since I suffer from constant inflammation it seemed only natural (though extreme) to cut both of these delicious ingredients out of my diet immediately.

So! My amazing husband, entirely on his own, decided he was going to join me in my new diet. That made me feel so great that he would sacrifice both foods entirely to be supportive. He really does everything he can to help me and I really appreciate it. I love him...Ok, anyway! So we are trying this new diet indefinitely, or until I can determine if it will help. We are 3 weeks into the diet (minus a weekend because we visited family and we HAD to break in order to eat with everyone) and so far I haven't seen a huge impact. What I can tell you is how upside down this new diet has turned our lives because cutting out Gluten AND Dairy at the same time has been a huuuuuge challenge. You know, at first, I thought cutting out all dairy was going to be the harder part but once I really started getting into the diet I realized it was Gluten that was going to be the dirty little son of a **$*@ mother *&%*#** evil jerk that appears in EVERYTHING. $H**!!

But I consider myself to be a pretty creative individual so I have decided to see this new diet as an opportunity to spread my wings in the culinary world. All evidence of gluten and dairy have been extricated from the Thomas household and my God am I on Pinterest every damn day...But for anyone who is going through this as well as anyone who has already gone through this process I am happy to report 7 recipes that are entirely Gluten and Dairy Free that taste really really delicious. And if nothing else, I hope it at least inspires you to try those recipes you haven't to add some more flavor into your life!

• Kale Sausage & Potato Soup (Substitutions: GF Chicken Broth)
• Chinese Fried Rice (Substitutions: GF Soy Sauce)
• Gluten & Dairy Free Corn Meal Fried Chicken (Substitutions: 2 Eggs for the Buttermilk)
• GF Spaghetti & Meatballs  (Substitutions: Corn Pasta and Daiya Shredded Cheese)

These next few meals I just winged on my own but I've added some notes with recommendations on the products for best results:

• Gluten Free Hot Dogs (Udi's GF Hot Dog Buns are OKAY - you MUST let them thaw completely and I'd strongly recommend toasting them. Overall, it kind of tasted like a stale hot dog bun but after going 3 weeks without any bread substitutes it tasted great to me.)
• Chicken Wings with Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ Sauce (Feel free to choose a hotter sauce but remember without the Blue Cheese or Ranch Dressing you won't have anything to "cool" the heat.)
• Taco Night with Corn Tortillas or a bowl of rice with LOTS of Avocado & Fresh Pico de Gallo

And now for tonight I am SO excited because I am making GF Naan. I can FINALLY have some freaking Naan with my hummus. Apparently the recipe I am trying tonight will also be versatile for crepes and pizza. I have so many recipes to share with you guys but that is all for today. I will post the outcome of the GF Naan Bread tomorrow! Until then... :)