Pizza! Pizza!

I miss pizza.  Eating just the toppings off a regular pizza doesn’t cut it.  Using a portabella mushroom cap, while good, doesn’t always cut it.  Using a meat crust, also while yummy, doesn’t always cut it.    The gluten-free pizza from Westshore Pizza, while tasty, doesn't always cut it.  

Cauliflower was on sale recently.  I decided to try out one of the many cauliflower pizza crust recipes out there on the ‘net.  I have NO idea with which recipe I started.  I tweaked it and came up with this.  I give it 4 wing flaps!

Cauliflower Pizza Crust

Ingredients

1 head cauliflower, stalk removed

.5 cup shredded Colby Jack (I started with cheese cubs and pulsed them in the blender - just grate it, it’s easier) (original recipe called for Mozzarella)

.25 cup grated Parmesan (I pulsed mine in the blender)

.5 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning (original recipe called for ½ t dried oregano)

.25 t garlic powder

.5 teaspoon Jane’s Krazy Mixed-Up Salt

2 eggs, lightly beaten (try using only 1 egg)

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.  Prepare pizza pan (I buttered mine because I’ve never used it before and didn’t know if it is non-stick).  If you don’t have a pizza pan, line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Break the cauliflower into florets and pulse into itty-bitty pieces.  I used my blender.  Most recipes I’ve read for cauli-rice, cauli-pizza, etc. instruct the reader to pulse the cauliflower in a food processor until fine.  NOTE:  I used my blender BUT it’s quicker to grate it, as you would cheese.

Steam cauliflower in a steamer basket and drain well.  Let cool.  Drain the cauliflower.  (VERY IMPORTANT!!! DO NOT try to squeeze the water out of the cauliflower before it cools - freshly steamed cauliflower is HOT and WILL burn your bare hands!  Ouch! Yes, that's what I did!)  To drain:  use a clean smooth cloth napkin to wring the water out of the cauliflower.  Get as much water out as possible.  You want DRY cauliflower or the crust will be limp after it’s baked.  Try partitioning the cauliflower and drying it in portions to get maximum water expulsion.

While the cauliflower is steaming and cooling, combine the cheese and seasonings.  Lightly beat the eggs.  When cauliflower is cool, add it to the cheese mixture and then add the eggs.

Transfer the mixture to the center of your pizza pan (or baking sheet) and spread it into a circle, resembling a pizza crust. Bake for 20 minutes.

Add desired toppings and bake an additional 10 minutes.

NOTE:  The crust is a bit soggy.  Try using only 1 egg next time.  Try flipping the crust halfway through 1^st baking. 

Nutritional info:

Fat:  36.63g (55.6%)

Protein:  43.27g (31%)

Carbs:  17.71g (13.4%)

Calories:  527 cal

BBQ hotdog pizza on a cauliflower pizza

P.S. No posts for a week or so.

Oven BBQ Pork Spareribs

Howdy!  I worked from my home office today so I was able to cook up some delicious spareribs.  These are pretty yummy - if I do say so myself.  I had a sweven (vision) of them darkening up like normal bbq does in the oven.  Then I realized that there's no sugar to caramelize.  These are 4 wing flaps of yumminess anyway.

Oven BBQ Pork Spareribs

1 Slab of pork spareribs (mine was 3.5#)
Homemade BBQ sauce

Put a slab of ribs, meat side down, on shallow, foil covered pan.  Brush with sauce.  Bake in oven at 350F for 1.5 hours.  Baste and flip.  Bake at 250F for 1.5 hours, basting every 10-15 minutes.  Watch the time - govt. says it's okay to cook until center hits 145F.  Let rest for 3 minutes.  Then chow down.

Homemade BBQ Sauce
1 14.5oz can Italian diced tomatoes
1/3 can water
2T Tamari (gluten-free soy) sauce
2T Worcestershire sauce
2T Steak sauce
1T spicy mustard
1T Balsamic Vinegar
2t liquid smoke
4 drops liquid Splenda

Put it all into the blender.  Mix together.  Makes 24 ounces.

Nutritional information for entire recipe of sauce:

Carbs:  57.70g (81%)
Protein:  11.16g (16%)
Fat:  1.32g (3%)
Calories:  281

Nutritional information for spareribs:  check packaging of your ribs!

BBQ Country Style Pork Ribs - slow cooked

I know, I know.  I said I wasn't cooking anymore entrees this week.  BUT ... I realized I still had 4 pounds of pork country style ribs in my fridge - and no room in my freezer!  So I decided to cut them up and cook them today as I worked from home.  The recipe is modifiable (i.e., Brown Sugar Twin for the sf syrup or apple cider vinegar for the white, brown the ribs before putting them in the slow cooker).  These ribs are delicious!  The slow cooking allows the flavor to seep into the meat so you get the sauce flavors in each bite.  I give these ribs 4 wing flaps because the texture is a bit stringy/pasty.  I overcooked them (I think).  I didn't watch the time closely.

BBQ Country Style Pork Ribs - slow cooked

• 4 lb. country style pork ribs, cut up not slab (I used bone-in because that was on sale)

Sauce:

• 1/3 cup tamari (wheat-free) soy sauce
• 1/2 cup low sugar ketchup (I used Heinz Reduced Sugar)
• 1 tbsp. prepared mustard
• 3 tbsp. sugar free maple syrup
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp. vinegar 

In a bowl combine all sauce ingredients; Put ribs in slow cooker and pour sauce evenly over ribs. Cover and cook on LOW setting for 8 to 10 hours, or on HIGH for 4 hours (FYI: my "high" cooked these to doneness in 3-4 hours - your might require longer time).  This recipe serves 4 to 8.

Nutritional information for the entire recipe
Carbs:  34.43 (3%)
Fat:  340.26 (67%)
Protein:  339.51 (30%)
Calories: 4628