Blog - Page 17 of 41 - Impressions

Gluten Free Cauliflower Crust

August 4, 2016November 30, 2016 Rachel Sherwood

Recently, I had some private clients request options for low carb, gluten free alternatives to some of our common starchy sides like mashed potatoes, bread, muffins and pizza. This had me thinking of foods that can fulfill these requirements.

As a working mom, I still strive to eat well. I don’t mind taking time to cook but I certainly don’t have time for unnecessary steps. My goal is always to find the most efficient way to get the best results and best flavor. With all that in mind, I present to you my cauliflower crust.

No fuss, no pre-cooking, no squeezing extra liquid out nonsense. Just simple, delicious, gluten free, low carb cauliflower crust without the time intensive hassle. I have tested several recipes and methods and this is the winner. Try it out – let me know what you think and if you love it too.

The best part is that it can go far beyond just pizza. You can top this versatile crust with a variety of toppings or cut it into squares to use as bread for sandwiches like grilled cheese. Cut up smaller pieces to use like flat bread or crackers for dips and spreads. I can’t wait to hear what your favorite uses are. I truly hope you love this recipe as much as I do. Enjoy!

Cauliflower Crust

1 small head cauliflower, half of a large head (3 cups cauliflower rice)

2 eggs

½ cup cheese (Parmesan, mozzarella, Romano, or Italian blend)

1/2 teaspoon salt

¼-1/2 teaspoon pepper

½ teaspoon garlic powder

½ teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon dried Italian herbs optional

Preheat an oven to 450 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Wash and remove the core from the cauliflower. Cut cauliflower into roughly 1-inch pieces. Place pieces in a food processor and pulse or blend on low until cauliflower is resembles small pebbles or rice granules. It should not be pulverized or have large chunks in it.

In a mixing bowl, combine egg, cheese, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder and any additional seasonings if using. Add 3 cups of cauliflower rice mix well until evenly incorporated. Dump mixture onto the prepared baking sheet; press with your hand and shape into a pizza crust 1/8 inch thick to create a 14 in circle or square. The mixture will be slightly wet so don’t worry it will stick together. Get the crust as close to 1/8 in thick as possible too thick and it will be spongy, to thin and it will crack easy. Bake in the preheated oven until lightly browned, about 18-20 minutes. Remove pan from oven and let cool 10 minuets before peeling of parchment.

Top with your favorite pizza topping and bake for an additional 12-18 minutes. Be careful not to over top the pizza as the crust will hold together but it is still delicate. Or you can slice the crust into “bread pieces” and fill with cheese and toast in a pan for a delicious gluten free grilled cheese.

*Note: be sure to use parchment and do not allow any part of the cauliflower to touch the non lined pan or it will stick. There is also the option of toasting the other side of the crust after it is baked. Remove crust from oven, place another piece of parchment paper of top of the baked crust and carefully flip the crust over, removing the under parchment paper that was already baked on. Bake the crust for an additional 10 minutes for a slightly crispier crust.

Plan Simple Meals

July 22, 2016November 30, 2016 Rachel Sherwood

I had the honor to share with Mia Moran with Plan Simple Meals on her recent podcast. In a short amount of time, we covered a lot of everything: from culinary basics, freezer efficiency, make-ahead meals, easy entertaining, to cooking for kids. It’s really about making real food for real busy people. Sometimes it takes a little effort but like most things we work for, this is worth it. You can create that perfect meal without all the stress.

Remember why we cook, why food matters and why we gather together.

Hint: It is not about the food, it is about the people we love.

Enjoy this great podcast and feel free to share it with others. I even have free giveaways of my new favorites. Listen and email me to get yours!

Getting Comfortable in the Kitchen with Rachel Sherwood

June 14, 2016

In this episode, Mia interviews the author and Le Cordon Bleu graduate, Rachel Sherwood. On the podcast, Mia and Rachel talk self care, nursing mama cravings, and baby food. Rachel shares the three things everyone should have in their kitchen, and some amazing and inspiring strategies for freezing food. Rachel is also an entertaining maven, so if you want to feel like a relaxed hostess next time you have friends over, this is a must listen! You can learn more about Rachel on her site, and if you listen, you will hear her offer to email her personally!

http://plansimplemeals.podbean.com/e/getting-comfortable-in-the-kitchen-with-rachel-sherwood/#podcast

All-Purpose Seasoning

July 1, 2016July 1, 2016 Rachel Sherwood

This all-purpose seasoning is wonderful just as is and simple to make it your own signature spice blend to fit any cuisine or taste. Perfect to season vegetables, chicken, pork, steak, even fish.

1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon celery salt *
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
½ teaspoon optional flavoring (turmeric, paprika, smoked paprika, cumin, chili powder, mace, thyme, sage, rosemary)

*If grinding your own celery seeds use ½ teaspoon fresh ground celery seeds and ½ teaspoons salt.

In a small bowl combine all ingredients, mix well and store in an airtight container.

Want more flavor? Try a combination and mix in another herb or spice:

(Rosemary and thyme)
(Rosemary and Sage)
(Cumin and Chili powder)
(Cumin and Coriander)
(Mace and Turmeric)

How to Love Vegetables

July 1, 2016August 25, 2016 Rachel Sherwood

Lately I have been testing new concepts to use with my Mommy Cooking Group. They had requested simple ways to make vegetables easy and delicious. So when I had my niece and nephew over I thought of them to be perfect test subjects.

It started with a simple taste test and ended with two kids begging me to let them take vegetables home. I wanted to keep it really simple. So what can be easier then cooking fresh or frozen vegetables with a simple all-purpose seasoning or covered with cheese sauce?

I had a variety of vegetable options to see if that made a difference. I covered some with shredded cheese because most people love things covered in cheese right? Well to my surprise both kids would not touch the cheesy ones and they were literally fighting over the ones cooked in butter with the all-purpose seasoning.

(The taste test, a variety of vegetables cooked in butter with all-purpose seasoning and creamy cheese sauce)

Here is how it worked. I created my all-purpose seasoning mix then to make it versatile to fit a variety on tastes and cuisines. I added optional flavors like Turmeric, Mace, Cumin, Smoked Paprika and Thyme and simply sautéed them in butter. I let the kids try the vegetables with just the all-purpose seasoning fist and then let them make their own custom spice blends.

(my niece and nephew loved the vegetables with the all-purpose seasoning)

(All-Purpose Seasoning mixed with Turmeric, Mace, Cumin, Smoked Paprika and Thyme)

I think part of the fun was that they had ownership in the process. They got to taste and choose what they liked mixing up their custom spice blends. Surprisingly my niece’s favorite was the all-purpose seasoning mixed with cumin and mace and my nephew created one with smoked paprika and thyme. They had more interesting pallets than I expected.

(my niece and nephew tasting the variety of all-purpose seasoning blends)

They had so much fun eating the variety of vegetables and tasting new seasonings that they ate all the vegetables I had quickly making requests for more. “Do you have any green beans, or peas”, – they asked? This afternoon experiment left them with bellies full of vegetables and they each took home a zucchini as if it was a prized trophy.

(My niece and nephew sprinkling their custom all-purpose seasoning blend on peas)

Whether you are trying to get your kids to eat more vegetables or just enjoying them yourself this all-purpose seasoning is simple, versatile and delicious.

Almond Coconut Lemon Bars

May 27, 2016May 27, 2016 Rachel Sherwood

In my effort to try more natural gluten-free cooking my very supportive husband bought me cricket flour. Yes, you heard me right – 100% ground crickets! Apparently, they are very high in protein. I have to be honest I was a little hesitant at first but I am adventurous and people all over the world love bugs so why not give it a try? The flour looks and smells like dirt but tastes like nothing. Here is a look at my first attempts of cooking with crickets. I made gluten-free pizza crust and pancakes. They were pretty good actually, I just had to not thought about the fact that I was eating bugs and it was delicious.

(Cooking with Cricket Flour)

(Gluten Free Pizza Crust with Cricket Flour)

(Gluten Free Pancakes with Cricket Flour)

Don’t worry, I don’t expect everyone to love eating bugs so today I share one of my new favorite no-bake healthy snacks. Yes, they are also gluten-free and high in protein but they don’t include bugs – just healthy natural almonds, coconut, lemon and honey. These bars are super simple and a great treat to have for on-the-go or when you need something sweet without all the guilt. Enjoy these simple no-bake Almond Coconut Lemon Bars.

Almond Coconut Lemon Bars

1 cup almonds
1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut *
½ cup raisins
2 tablespoons honey
zest of one lemon, about 1 teaspoon
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Line a 8×8 pan with parchment paper or foil for easy removal of bars.

Place all ingredients in a food processor and blend until mixture starts to pull away from the sides and resembles a mealy dough that lightly sticks together.

Pour mixture into the prepared pan and press firmly with your hand. Allow to chill for 30 minutes for easy cutting. They are best if stored in the refrigerator or freezer.

* You can use sweetened coconut; they will just be sweeter.