Pineapple Veggie Lover Pizza - Gluten Free

It's been ages since I've had pizza and have been wanting to make one for a while now. It's always fun to make your own and this one came out so colorful & yummy! I picked up a package of Bob's Gluten Free pizza crust and thought I'd give it a go. I'm not gluten intolerant but do try to keep my recipes along those lines as much as possible. Feel free to use any pizza crust you like. I've heard Trader Joe's has a great pre-made crust I want to try later. This one was surprisingly easy to make. Once you get the dough together it sits for 20 min to rise and then about 7-9 min in the oven so you can chop up your veggies while waiting. Everything flows together nicely. After pizza is topped and in the oven you'll have about 20 min till ready. 

As usual, this is one of those dishes that can be adapted to your own flavors. These are mine!

Ingredients

Dough:

• Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Pizza Crust Whole Grain Mix
• 1 1/2 cup warm water
• 2 flax eggs (2 tablespoons flax seed meal & 6 tablespoons water, mix and let set for 10 min)
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• Yeast packet, included in pizza mix
• fresh herbs or spices, optional (I didn't use any this time but it would be nice to spice it up with something)

Pizza topping:

• marinara sauce or any pizza sauce of choice 
• 1/2 cup pineapple
• 1-2 jalapeno
• small handful mushrooms
• 1/2 bell pepper, I used orange
• 4-5 grape tomatoes, quartered
• 1/2 small red onion
• 1 scallion
• 5-6 big leaves of basil, chopped

Directions

Prepare and cook pizza dough according to package, layer with pizza topping when called for. I cooked mine on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.

Try adding a little Almond Parmesan topping if you want to add a bit of cheesiness. It's really easy to make and a great pantry staple!

Enjoy!

I can finally check this off my 'to do' cooking list. After making this pizza I had a wonderful idea....'Pizza Pasta'...a little quirky but very tasty. If you can load all these gems on a pizza, why not on pasta! Pineapple adds a whole new level to this dish, I found myself searching for those sweet pineapple pieces, along with the mushrooms too....pretty good. 



Cheers to quirkiness...

'Sweet Tang' Smoothie

Sweet pineapple, tangy plum and chia seeds make for a smoothie that will give you plenty of extended energy that tastes great any time of day. It's a 'Sweet Tang' Smoothie.

 Chia seeds are not just for the 'chia pet' that I remember growing up with, in fact, they are a 'superfood'. They contain omega-3 oil (a great source for vegans), its protein is complete to raise your energy levels and they expand with liquids to keep you feeling fuller longer. It contains a lot of nutrition in a little package. A serving (two Tbsp) of chia seeds has 60 calories, 5 grams of fiber, 3 grams of protein and 4 grams of healthy fat. They have no flavor and are so little you really can't tell they're there. They are a staple in my kitchen these days. Great To sprinkle on salads, fruit dishes, add to smoothies, cereal...all kinds of places to sneak these in!

'Sweet Tang' Smoothie

Ingredients

• 6 plums
• 1/2 cup fresh pineapple chunks
• 1 cup coconut water
• 2 tablespoon chia seeds

Directions

1. Wash and remove seeds from plums. 
2. Place all ingredients in blender and blend to desired smoothness. 

* Makes approximately 24 oz., a glass and a half, which was a serving for me.

* To make this a 'Fiber Blast Smoothie' add an extra serving of chia seeds. You can also replace the coconut water with other water if like.

Enjoy !

Raw Chocolate Banana Ice Cream

Raw banana ice cream! Why have I not known of this before, what a great dessert or meal (I had this for dinner the other night). It's super delicious, fat free, no refined sugars and dairy free which means it's cruelty free. You can do so many things with this...be creative and have fun experimenting with what works for you.

Raw Chocolate Banana Ice Cream

Ingredients

• three frozen bananas
• 1 heaping tablespoon raw cacao/cocoa powder
• fruit or chopped nuts for topping, optional

Break frozen bananas into small pieces. Place bananas and cocoa/cacao into blender or food processor, blend until desired consistency scraping down the sides every now and then, will take anywhere from 3 to 6 minutes. 

Scoop into your bowls, top with fruit or nuts and eat right away. 

Serves one generously with enough to share if you like. :)

Notes:

You can also freeze this ice cream by storing in an air tight container. Keep in freezer for at least six hours or overnight, let thaw 10 min or so before scooping. Double this recipe and freeze for convenience. 

I just received a new processor for Christmas and it works so well compared to my old one. The extra time spent will depend on the power of your processor/blender. A good blender will be a good friend to you when making this ice cream.

Instead of throwing out bananas I always freeze them for making smoothies later and this will be a new reason to pull out a frozen banana or two. Doesn't get much simpler that this.

Enjoy !

You may also enjoy this Almond Chunky Monkey Ice Cream

Inspired by this recipe at Rawified.

Carrot, Pineapple & Ginger Juice

As I get back on track with juicing, this is my favorite tropical juice. I have two juices that I make on a regular basis and hope to share the other soon. The other is my 'everything' juice and it's not as pretty as this one so I'm saving that one for later. I started juicing two years ago and stopped after six months or so. I can see a big difference in my outside appearance and overall feeling when I do it on the daily. It's so revitalizing in every way and I'm glad to be back in the swing of it. It feels good to feel good and juicing is a regime that is right in line with that feeling. I will make two large juices for the day when I'm away from home along with bringing some finger foods to munch on like veggies and hummus or pea shoot pesto as dip, an orange, grapefruit, etc...something healthy, easy and raw as possible. I always feel at my best when I take the time to put this together before heading out. It takes me about 20 minutes or so to prepare both juices with my Breville. I bought this one just to see if I would juice regularly before spending loads of money on a juicer, they can run upwards of $300 - 400. It works great although I do have to clean in between making two juices as this is a compact juicer, but it's easy to use and easy to clean. I think it's about time to upgrade to something like this Omega which I've heard great things about in taste, juicing ability and ease. It runs a little slower than the Breville but that is where the flavor and ability to extract the most juices comes in to play. I encourage everyone to do your best to add a juice to your daily routine. You will feel an overall difference in just a few days if you can replace a meal with a juice or two. And if you don't have a juicer...take a look at this post by Minimalist Baker on How to Juice without a Juicer. There's also a great recipe for an apple, carrot, beet & ginger juice. I'll be trying that one soon!

Lately I've been buying a 25 lb. bag of organic carrots. It only costs me $13.99 for this large amount and I go through one bag every other week on juicing alone for one person. I know not everyone has the room for this amount of carrots and I am lucky enough to have an extra refrigerator that I can store bulk items in. It comes in handy having them around and you can be sure that more carrot recipes will be coming soon! I love carrots with their sweet flavor, vibrant color and versatility. And if you like to buy carrots with the tops, by all means add those into the juicer too. It will change the color a bit but the carrot tops are full of their own nutrition and can be juiced without being thrown away. You may also like to add an orange if you have one on hand, it'll add a nice citrus flair.

This juice is a classic all around great drink. The pineapple and ginger pair so well with the carrots giving it a tropical feel that's so refreshing. I consider this my dessert juice. This recipe makes about two cups. I have this shown in the 3 cup mason jar and have added extra water. Feel free to dilute your juice with a little purified or clean water of choice.

Vibrant colors for a vibrant life!

 Carrot, Pineapple & Ginger Juice

Ingredients (makes two cups)

• 7 - 9 large carrot stalks 
• 1/4 pineapple, flesh only
• 1 inch nob of ginger

Juice according to your equipment and enjoy. Juice will store nicely in an air tight container for up to 48 hours in the fridge but is best fresh within a few hours.

Enjoy...

Mango Pineapple Banana Smoothie

I've been in a mango mood lately eating them as is, using them to top pancakes and adding them to fruit tarts. This smoothie is an extension of my mango love...and need I say how delicious it is! I use one whole fresh mango, a frozen banana and a spear or so of pineapple with a little water. If you're like me you always have frozen bananas on hand for smoothies or raw ice creams like this Almond Chunky Monkey Ice Cream or this Chocolate Banana Ice Cream. I also buy one pineapple a week, slice it into spears taking one or two for to-go lunches as a snack, or just eating at my leisure at home. Fruit, nature's candy! So most of this is on hand for me, all that is needed is a mango or two, depending on how many servings you're planning. Hopefully this will inspire you to get in some good habits if you're not already doing it. Your reward will be the many wonderful and tasty options you have to using these ingredients. Clean and healthy foods to keep you feeling good and high on life!

Mango Pineapple Banana Smoothie

Ingredients

• 1 mango, cut into chunks
• 1 frozen banana
• 1 cup pineapple chunks
• 1/2 cup water or almond milk
• chia seeds, for garnish

Peel and diced your mango. Combine mango, banana, pineapple and water/milk into blender and blend until smooth. Pour into serving cup and top with chia seeds. Makes about 2 1/2 cups.

Enjoy!