Cauliflower Chicken Pizza

The cauliflower pizza crust recipe is from Eat. Drink. Smile . I saw this recipe originally on Pinterest and then referred to her blog for more information. This is a great recipe for those of you watching your carbohydrate intake and it tastes great too!

Ingredients - Crust

• 1 cup cooked, riced cauliflower
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp crushed garlic
• 1/2 tsp garlic salt
• olive oil (optional)

Topping

• 2-3 Tablespoons of pizza sauce
• 1 cup of shredded rotisserie chicken
• 1 green bell pepper, sliced
• 1 cup of button mushrooms
• 1/2 small yellow onion, sliced
• 2 Tablespoons of olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder
• Pinch of salt
• 1/4 teaspoon of ground black pepper 
• 1/4 cup of fat-free feta cheese
• 1 cup of low-fat mozzarella cheese

Directions

1. "Rice" the Cauliflower: Take 1 large head of fresh cauliflower, remove stems and leaves, and chop the florets into chunks. Add to food processor and pulse until it looks like grain. Do not over-do pulse or you will puree it. (If you don't have a food processor, you can grate the whole head with a cheese grater). Place the riced cauliflower into a microwave safe bowl and microwave for 8 minutes. There is no need to add water, as the natural moisture in the cauliflower is enough to cook itself.
One large head should produce approximately 3 cups of riced cauliflower. The remainder can be used to make additional pizza crusts immediately, or can be stored in the refrigerator for up to one week.

2. To Make the Pizza Crust: Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Spray a cookie sheet with non-stick cooking spray. In a medium bowl, stir together 1 cup cauliflower, egg and mozzarella. Add oregano, crushed garlic and garlic salt, stir. Transfer to the cookie sheet, and using your hands, pat out into a 9" round. Optional: Brush olive oil over top of mixture to help with browning. Bake at 450 degrees for 15 minutes.

3. Toppings: In a large skillet, add the olive oil, peppers, mushrooms, and onions and cook on medium-high heat until the vegetables are translucent (about 8 minutes). Add in the shredded chicken. Season with garlic powder, salt, and pepper.

4. Top the baked cauliflower crust with pizza sauce, veggie & chicken mixture, feta, and mozzarella cheese. Bake for another 5-8 minutes or until the cheese is melted on top. Enjoy!!

Quick & Easy Chicken Tortilla Soup

Need something nice and warm in your cold, hungry belly?!? This soup is so tasty and does not require an hour and half in the kitchen! The trick to this quick and easy soup is a store bought rotisserie chicken. You don't have to cook any meat beforehand which makes this process alot quicker....the moist chicken is an added bonus! Hope y'all enjoy!!

 

Ingredients

• 1 rotisserie chicken, skin removed, shredded into small pieces
• 28 oz. container of 33% less sodium chicken broth
• 1 can of black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 can of diced tomatoes, drained  
• 1 cup of frozen corn
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 medium green bell pepper, diced
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• 6-8 corn tortillas, sliced into thin strips
• 2 tablespoons of canola oil
• 1 bunch of fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1-2 small limes
• 1 bag of low-fat shredded mexican blend cheese
• 1.5 teaspoons of ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon of ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon of chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

2. In a large pot, add olive oil, diced onion, and bell pepper. Saute for about 5-7 minutes until softened and slightly browned. Add black beans, tomatoes, and corn and stir until all of the ingredients are well incorporated.

3. Season the mixture with cumin, black pepper, chili powder, and garlic powder and stir. Add the whole container of chicken broth and bring the soup to a boil. Once the soup starts to boil, turn it down to simmer (low) and add the chicken. Put the lid on the pot and let the soup simmer for about 20 minutes.

4. While the soup is simmering, add the tortilla strips and canola oil to a large cookie sheet. Season the strips with a sprinkle of chili powder, garlic powder, and black pepper. Bake for 10 minutes, flipping half way through so both sides get crispy.

5. Assemble: Serve soup in a bowl and garnish with lime juice, 1 tablespoon of chopped cilantro, 1-2 tablespoons of shredded cheese, and tortilla strips. Enjoy!!

**If you have left overs for the next day, you can add a little bit more chicken broth to the pot to make the soup more liquidy. If you don't have any more chicken broth you can use water, but make sure you don't add too much water because it can drown out the flavor.

 

Do you find yourself constantly talking about your body image, diet, and exercise?

I read this blog post after my sister called me and told me about it and the Lord really convicted me while I was reading it. I confess that I am someone who is constantly thinking and talking about body image, calories, diet, exercise, etc., but I realized when I read this post that I need to be thinking and talking more about what Christ is doing, what He has done, and what He will do. My hope is what Jen said, "that our bodies will one day celebrate function in right relation to form, living in the glorious truth of that future hope now." I hope you enjoy this reading as much as I did!!

http://jenwilkin.blogspot.com/2011/12/new-year-new-self-control.html



Easy Chicken Parmesan Casserole

I got this recipe off of Pinterest when my sister told me about how yummy and easy it was. It took me about 15 minutes to put together the entire dish and then it baked for about 30 minutes.....simple and delicious! I served the chicken parmesan with a small spinach salad on the side, which complimented the dish really well. This is a great recipe for one of those days you just don't feel like cooking but you want something hot and flavorful! Hope you enjoy it as much as we did!!

http://foodwishes.blogspot.com/2008/02/end-of-chicken-parmesan-as-you-know-it.html

*The only thing I did different with this recipe was chop my chicken breast up into small pieces, which helped it cook faster and you don't have to use a knife to cup up the chicken!*

The Facts About Gluten Free Diets

What is Gluten? Gluten is a protein that is found in wheat, rye, barley, and oats.

I came across this article today that talks about whether or not people should consume a gluten-free diet. One of the statements that caught my attention was this: "People who cut gluten out of their diet often lose weight and begin to feel better, but it likely has nothing to do with avoiding gluten. They are probably eating a better diet by consuming less fast food and processed food, and eating more fruits and vegetables. The change toward a better diet makes the difference, not the gluten." Bottom line is this, gluten-free diets are probably not the best diet to follow if you want to lose weight and keep it off due to the diet being hard to follow for a long period of time.

Read the article here: http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2012/01/a-gluten-free-diet-reality-check/250750/

Texas Caviar Dip

Ingredients

• 1 green bell pepper (diced)
• 1/2 medium red onion (diced)
• 1 jalepeno (seeded and diced)
• 3-4 medium roma tomatoes (diced)
• 2 cans of black eyed peas (rinsed and drained)
• 1 can of black beans (rinsed and drained)
• 1 can of yellow corn (rinsed and drained)
• 1 bunch (about 1 cup) of cilantro leaves (chopped)
• 1 cup of fat free zesty italian dressing
• Juice of one small lime
• 1 tsp. of garlic powder
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Combine all chopped vegetables together in a large bowl. Add the canned vegetables (rinsed and drained) and stir to incorporate all of the ingredients.

2. Pour dressing and lime juice over the top and season with garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Stir again and refrigerate until ready to eat. Serve with tortilla chips. Enjoy!!