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... :)

Spinach Power Salad

Lunch is one of my favorite meals of the day. It's probably because it's smack dab in the middle of your work day so you get to eat something that tastes great while conveniently kicking your feet up on your desk for a few minutes (at least, that's what I did...). Sounds pretty good, right?

Because I was pretty lazy about making my own lunch or heck, even bringing leftovers the majority of the time, I would end up ordering takeout with my colleagues. And I really thought I was making good, conscious decisions about the meals I would order. Basically, if I ordered a salad from anywhere I would think to myself, "Win!" But as I started to workout more frequently I downloaded the application, MyFitnessPal, so I could log my daily caloric intake. Have you heard of this application? I thought so. Everyone and their mom has heard of this application and if you haven't, you're probably my mom reading this. (The woman has an iPhone5 and an iPad mini - her Christmas gifts - before this she was using her decade old flip phone. Anyhow, she doesn't really know how to use either, which my whole family thinks is totally adorable.)

Anyway, I digress. When I downloaded MyFitnessPal I was mortified when I realized just how many calories these "healthy" salads actually contained. I was lucky to find a salad under 800 calories. 800 calories!! According to the application I should've only been eating 1400 calories a day, which means that breakfast and dinner have to be practically nothing if I wanted to remain within my budgeted caloric intake for the day. (And I wondered why I was so tired after eating one of these so called healthy salads for lunch...It contained way too many calories for one meal.) So I started thinking about healthier alternatives to the already supposed to be healthy salads. And this is what I came up with:

This spinach power salad is a healthier alternative than even that of Panera Bread's spinach power salad, which weighs in at 460 calories. Not too shabby for a commercial salad, but for one you can easily duplicate at home, I still think you can do better. So I'm very happy to announce that my Spinach Power Salad I made at home was 1/3 of the cost and it has less calories sitting in at 229 calories. Do yourself a favor and try this one because that's a difference of 231 calories, which could easily be two glasses of red wine after work. Now I think Panera has started a "Power Menu" (and maybe other restaurants have started a similar version) where your meals don't exceed 400 calories. I applaud them because they're probably making a lot more money reducing the calories in their salad bowls making all of us lunch buyers happy as well. Oh, and if I didn't mention it before, this salad tastes great and it is packed with protein that will get you through the rest of your afternoon without yawning. Enjoy!

Cooking Ingredients:

• 2 cups Raw Spinach (14 calories)
• 1 Boiled Egg (78 calories)
• 1/2 On the Vine Tomato, sliced (7 calories)
• 1 Tbsp. Good Olive Oil (119 calories)
• 1 Tbsp. Red Vine Vinegar (3 calories)
• 1 tsp. Dijon Mustard (4 calories)
• 1 tsp. Freshly Squeezed Lemon Juice (2 Calories)
• Dash of Salt (0 calories)
• Dash of Freshly Ground Pepper (0 calories)
• 1 tsp. Red Pepper Flakes (0 calories)
• 1 Green Onion (2 calories)

Cooking Directions for a Medium Rare Egg:

• Place the egg in a small pot and add water until it reaches just about a quarter of an inch over the egg so it is completely submerged
• Place the pot on the stove and heat over high heat until the water comes to a rolling boil
• Once it reaches a rolling boil turn the heat all the way down to low and allow the egg to simmer for exactly 4 minutes
• Immediately place the egg in ice cold water (by "shocking" the egg it will prevent the inside of the egg to continue cooking) 
• Peel the shell off of the egg after allowing it to cool
• Slice the egg in half and place with the sliced tomatoes and chopped green onion on the bed of spinach

** If you do not like the inside of the egg to be at all runny follow the step by step directions above and leave the egg to simmer for 12 minutes instead of the 4 minutes listed**

Cooking Directions for the Salad Dressing:

• In a small bowl whisk together the olive oil, red wine vinegar, dijon mustard, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes
• Drizzle over the salad and serve immediately

Smoked Sausage Over Spaghetti Squash

There are so many wonderful things about the fall: beautiful leaves, incredible sunsets, sweater weather, scarves, boots, holidays, campfires, spiced candles...the list goes on and on. But even though this is my favorite time of the year I tend to block out another aspect the chillier weather brings: cold season. I tend to forget about this one every year because I'm too busy being excited that coffee and breads like danishes, muffins, donuts, and pies all become pumpkin flavored. But sadly, pumpkin flavored foods don't prevent you from getting sick...at least not me anyway.

I started noticing cold like symptoms early last week so I tried to do everything you're supposed to do when you're feeling under the weather: eat chicken noodle soup, pop some Tylenol, and get a good night sleep. I even tried drinking Kombucha (a strong probiotic in the form of fermented tea) but alas, I have seceded to the sickness. It's a full blown head cold with congestion that makes my head feel like it weighs twice as much as what it does and a relentless cough that makes me cry when I talk to people. All in all, I feel pretty gross right now and it has left me with a "blah" attitude about everything. Well, almost everything.

Though I feel like I'm stuck in a constant state of indifference because of the cold medicine (I feel like I'm walking in a cloud all of the time) it would take a lot more than a head cold to make me feel "blah" about comfort food - probably my favorite thing about the fall season. Spaghetti squash is a staple this time of year and it was also my first time preparing it at home. Despite the challenge of cutting the squash in half it was super easy to prepare and even easier to eat. And on a cold night (no pun intended) this dish was full of flavor and it paired very well with my pajamas and winter throw blankets.

Cooking Ingredients:

• 1 Large Spaghetti Squash
• Olive Oil
• 1 lb. Smoked Sausage
• Organic Tomato Sauce (I used Muir Glen's Crushed Tomatoes with Basil)
• Fresh Mozzarella
• Salt 
• Freshly Ground Pepper
• Fresh Basil Leaves
• Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
• 4 Large Cloves of Garlic

Cooking Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 450 Degrees Fahrenheit
• Cut the squash in half (I encourage you to use a Cleaver Knife but you can also use a large butcher knife. Just be careful cutting the squash in half - let the knife do the work, not your wrist or arm because it is easy to accidentally cut yourself.)
• Remove the seeds from both halves of the squash
• Place the squash on a cookie sheet and sprinkle generously with olive oil
• Add salt and pepper to the inside of the squash
• Place the flat side of each squash half face down leaving the round side facing upward
• Place the squash in the oven for 45-50 minutes or until the skin of the squash is tender and is able to be squeezed with your hand (check after letting it cool 10 minutes because it will be very hot to touch)
• Add a Tablespoon of olive oil in a large frying pan and heat over medium heat
• After mincing the garlic add to the oil in the frying pan and let cook for only a minute
• Chop up the sausage and add to the garlic and saute together until the skin on the smoked sausage is slightly browned
• Pour the tomato sauce over the sausage and garlic and heat
• Add 2 Tablespoons of Red Pepper Flakes (more or less based on your preference) into the sauce
• Scoop the squash out of its skin and into the frying pan (you'll see why this squash gets the name "spaghetti squash" since it will scrape out of the skin looking like short, small strands of spaghetti noodles)
• Heat the squash with the marinara and then scoop a serving into a bowl
• On a cutting board slice the fresh mozzarella and then julienne the basil leaves
• Serve the mozzarella on the side and then sprinkle the basil leaves over the top of the sausage and squash medley for an accent and a garnish

Asian Glazed Swai Fish Over Jasmine Rice

When we moved here we were warned about the competitiveness within the Philadelphia community, a.k.a. Eagles Fans. Though my husband is a huge NBA and MLB Fan, football has just never been under his radar. Yet we have found that if you're not an Eagles fan (even if you are indifferent to them) and you admit this to an Eagles fanatic they will spend as much time as they feel necessary trying to convince you why you should be an Eagles fan (that is, when the Eagles are performing satisfactorily - otherwise, they'll be cursing the coach and reconsidering their loyalty altogether).

This type of competitiveness about football is also translated into their view on weather, oddly enough. Specifically, they're competitive about their winters in Pennsylvania being the absolute coldest winters than any place (other than maybe Russia and Antarctica). Of course being from Indiana I figured I could chime in on the conversation since I've experienced a brutal winter a time or two. But I've found that each time I've tried to chime in on the conversation, no matter who I'm speaking to, if they're from Pennsylvania, I am very quickly and loudly kicked out of the conversation.

Apparently, only if you live in a warm climate year round can you have a conversation about bad winters with a person from Pennsylvania. And I've determined the reason for this is because they don't want a fellow survivor of comparably harsh winters to compete with them. Even though this past Friday it was 50 degrees Fahrenheit in Philadelphia and it was snowing in Indianapolis the weather, according to them, was still worse in Philadelphia because the wind was chilly...So I've deducted that people in and around Philadelphia are so competitive that it affects their scope of reality about everything. In their minds, they have to be number one for everything, even when it comes to being the worst at something.

So while everyone I knew in Indianapolis was eating meals fit for a cold day like soup and stew I decided to relish in the nice fall weather we had this entire weekend. Since I wasn't consumed this weekend by the "awful" weather from a little wind (like most of the folks I worked with) I decided to save my soup and stew recipes for the actual winter and prepare Ian and I a meal still fit for the fall. I had leftover ingredients from when my sister was here so I modified a glaze she had made for us. And I also just discovered Jasmine Rice, which I was very pleased to find the texture is a perfect cross between standard white rice and Japanese sticky rice. Jasmine Rice has great health benefits and it worked beautifully with the fish. I hope you decide to try this recipe because it's been my favorite one so far this fall. Bon Appetit!

Cooking Ingredients:

• 1 lb. Swai Fish
• 3 Tbsp. Olive Oil, divided
• 2 cups Water
• 1 cup Jasmine Rice
• 3 Tbsp. Honey
• 2 tsp. Soy Sauce
• 2 tsp. Sesame Oil
• 2 Tbsp. Sriracha (I used a lot, please modify based on your preference to spice)
• 2 tsp. Rice Vinegar
• 3 Green Onions, Chopped
• Pepper

Cooking Directions for the Jasmine Rice:

• In a small pot add one Tablespoon of Olive Oil and 2 cups of water and bring to a rolling boil
• Add the Jasmine Rice, then cover and simmer for about 20 minutes, or until all the water has been absorbed by the rice

 Cooking Directions for the Glaze:

• In a small bowl mix the honey, soy sauce, sesame oil, sriracha, rice vinegar, and pepper together

Cooking Directions for the Fish:

• Heat 2 Tablespoons of Olive Oil in a large frying pan over medium heat 
• Slice your Filets in half (if needed) and place in the oil
• Cook for 2-3 minutes on each side and then remove from heat
• Add freshly ground pepper to the fish
• On a place, place the fish filets over a bed of Jasmine Rice
• Pour a few spoonfuls of glaze over the top of the fish
• On a cutting board, chop the green onions and then sprinkle a few pieces over the top of the fish for a garnish

Pan Fried Fish & Slaw

Today I had a terrible, horrible, rotten, no good, very bad day. How's that for an introduction? But even though this is a blog and people are encouraged to vent their frustrations I'm opting to not do that primarily because I'm very tired. So here is an enormous understatement: Today I was feeling less than 100% and it negatively affected my entire day. That is, until I got home and Ian had surprised me with the best gifts.

He had purchased me some new pillows that will offer some much needed neck and back support while I sleep. You're probably reading this and not fully understanding how amazing these gifts are so you'll just have to take my word for it. He's a thoughtful man, that one. Good thing I married him. Needless to say, that (and this giant glass of wine) turned my frown upside down and I was left feeling much more positively.

After last night's dinner I was left with 3/4 of a cabbage head to use. Other than slow cooking cabbage and pairing it with sausage I haven't really explored what other recipes that were possible to duplicate. I've come to find out it is a much more versatile vegetable than I gave it credit.  I'll definitely be utilizing this vegetable much more often. I've also been researching Swai fish since it's starting to get a lot of attention in the media. Not only is it a great source of protein, high in Omega-3 fatty acids, low in fat and sodium, mild in flavor, easy to add with many different ingredients, but it's inexpensive even when wild caught. Love it! This recipe was delicious and it helped end my day on a good note.

Cooking Ingredients:

• 1 lb Swai Fish (or your fish of choice)
• 2 Tbsp Olive Oil
• 4 cups Cabbage (roughly 1/4 Head of Cabbage)
• 1 cup Diced Carrots
• 4 Green Onions, Chopped
• 1 Jalapeno
• 3 Garlic Cloves
• 4 Tbsp Mayonnaise
• 2 Tbsp Lime Juice
• 4 Tbsp Low Sodium Soy Sauce
• Salt
• Pepper

Cooking Directions for the Slaw:

•  Roughly chop the cabbage in small strips and place into a medium size mixing bowl
• Dice the carrots, chop the green onions, and finely chop the jalapeno and then add them to the cabbage
• Mince the garlic and add to a small bowl
• Add the mayonnaise, lime juice and soy sauce and whisk them together
• Pour the sauce over the cabbage mixture and stir everything together
• Add salt and pepper to your taste

Cooking Directions for the Fish:

• Heat the olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat
• Place the fish in the pan and cook for 2-3 minutes on each side
• Add salt and pepper to your taste
• Remove the fish from the heat and place a filet on a bed of slaw

Caramelized Onions, Cabbage, & Smoked Sausage

As you read in my blog description above, my husband and I are new to the East Coast! We each grew up in the state of Indiana and that is where both of our families still reside. My husband, Ian, and I have always imagined ourselves living on the East Coast so our first major move together is here in the greater Philadelphia area. We were brought to Pennsylvania for Ian's job and though it's had its challenges at times, this move has created a lot of great memories for us so far.

We thought our summer went by quickly with the relocation and our wedding in July but our fall has gone by equally as fast. Both sets of our parents visited back to back, each staying for a few days. Shortly after they left, Ian and I traveled back to Indianapolis for our friends' wedding. Finally, my sister came back with us to Philadelphia for a few days.  Each visit with our family took us to New York and downtown Philly. Our visits pretty much looked like this: hugs, eat, chat, eat, buy something than eat it, go to the next restaurant, eat, drink some wine, EAT.

It was so easy and so much fun. I mean, both cities are food capitals so how could we not indulge? And while it was fun racking up bills that were high in monetary and caloric heights both my husband and I noticed our clothes feeling a little snug afterwards. And very surprisingly, it was Ian who came forward with his head hanging down, with his eyes sad, with his pants' button unbuttoned, holding his Philly Cheese Steak saying he might have a cheese problem. My husband, who has never passed on adding cheese to any meal because he classifies cheese as one of his major food groups, told me it was time for a cheese hiatus. Yes, it happened. And that's saying a lot, particularly if you know my husband.

But I applauded him for admitting his insatiable appetite for cheese. And I would be lying if I didn't feel the urge to add cheese to everything as well. So we decided it was time to turn a new leaf and walk (that's right, exercise) in a new direction. I found my inspiration for tonight's dinner here: Pasta with Caramelized Onions, Cabbage, and Smoked Ham and I modified it a little. And by a little, I mean a lottle. And it was good. Like so good. And on a scale of "healthy" to "you should definitely, absolutely not be eating this", I give it a 4. We're off to a good start.

 Cooking Ingredients:

• 1 lb. Smoked Sausage
• Olive Oil
• 2 lbs. Onions (approximately 4-5 onions)
• 4 tsp. Butter
• 1/4 head of Green Cabbage
• 8 oz. White Mushrooms
• 3/4 lb of Angel Hair Pasta
• 1/4 lb Fontina Cheese
• 1/2 cup 2% Milk
• Dried Oregano
• 1/2 cup Beef Broth
• Cracked Pepper

Cooking Directions:

• Thinly slice onions on a cutting board
• Heat a couple of tablespoons of olive oil and 4 teaspoons of butter in a large frying pan over medium heat and then caramelize the onions
• To caramelize the onions coat them well in the oil and butter mixture in the pan
• Add 1 Tbsp. Water to prevent onions from drying out during cooking
• After cooking for 10 minutes add oregano, some salt and a pinch of sugar (remember to stir the onions about every 3 minutes)
• Continue to cook the onions over medium heat for another 20 minutes stirring the onions every 3 minutes or so until they turn caramel in color
• Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook the pasta al dente then set aside
• In another pan saute the sausage over medium heat
• While the sausage cooks thinly slice the cabbage on a cutting board
• Add the cabbage to the cooked sausage and allow the cabbage to steam for about 8 minutes
• Add the caramelized onions to the sausage and cabbage mixture and continue to cook on medium low heat
• In the unused frying pan heat a couple of tbsp of olive oil over medium heat and then add the sliced mushrooms
• Once the mushrooms are cooked add them to sausage, cabbage, and onions
• In a small sauce pan add the cheese, milk, and beef broth and melt and stir over medium heat
• Pour the cheese sauce over the noodles and then combine with the other cooked ingredients
• Grind fresh pepper over the top and enjoy!