Tag Archives: Cauliflower pizza base

CarolCooks2 weekly roundup…August 29th-September 4th 2021… Environmental A-Z, Pre-Diabetes, Oranges, Thunderstorms and Boulangere Potatoes..…

Music with Fleetwood Mac, Environmental A-Z, Boulangere Potatoes, Thunder and the beautiful Orange Fruit…

Welcome to this week’s edition of my weekly roundup of posts…Especially for you just in case you missed a few posts during this last week…Time is marching on…

 We are now just into the month of September time just flies…some September trivia…

September the 9th month of the year marks the beginning of Autumn in the Northern Hemisphere…and the start of spring in the Southern hemisphere…

September has three birth flowers: the forget-me-not, the morning glory, and the aster. Forget-me-nots represent love and memories, asters represent love as well, and the morning glory represents unrequited love. The birthstone for the month is the sapphire.

Of the 3 birth flowers, Forget-me-nots are my favourites…and the bees love them…

It’s also National Cheese Pizza Day today…my contribution is a cauliflower pizza base…

Today’s tune…released in Sept 1981 a favourite of mine…Soft Cell “Tainted Love”… It charted in the UK #1 in the USA #8…

Enough of Septembers news…Let’s go and see last weeks posts just in case you want to catch up…

An important and could be a life-saving topic…The figures for pre-diabetes around the world are horrific and scary however if you are diagnosed with pre-diabetes or type 2 Diabetes there is invariably much you can do to remedy the situation as it comes down to diet and exercise…Head over to Smorgasbord Magazine to read how you can help yourself #recommended read.

https://carolcooks2.com/2021/08/30/smorgasbord-health-column-family-health-a-z-pre-diabetes-a-billion-at-risk-of-diabetes-worldwide-by-sally-cronin/

Plastic …The latest News …week 5.

Yes, I am banging the same drum…

Five weeks in the news is not particularly great..it seems that although there are states and provinces and a couple of countries around the world who are really pulling together and doing their bit..some of the incentives cannot be built in a day and neither was Rome HOWEVER the results show it was money well spent and it works PLASTIC AND WASTE ARE BEING PUT TO GOOD USE…on the downside…there are some big countries who need to step and fast…act now or be damned and in the process you damn the rest of us…

Plastic…The Latest News…Week 5…

Environmental A-Z…The LetterO.

Oil Spill…Not the ones which dominate the headlines it’s the ones that go largely unnoticed…

We have all seen these over the years and the damage it does to the wildlife those poor animals which flash across our screens covered in thick black oil…These are the obvious spills the ones which make national and international headlines…HOWEVER, these account for only a small part of the total amount of pollution in our oceans…according to scientists many of the other sources such as automobile oil go largely unnoticed…

Here are three little-reported sources of oil that contribute to oil pollution in North American oceans…please click the link below to read more…

The Environmental A-Z…the letter O…Oils Spills and Ozone…

Potatoes are often banned from certain diet plans or we ourselves cut them out thinking of them as diet busters…but they are a good source of valuable nutrients it is how we cook them or what we load them up with that is the problem…Boulangere Potatoes are one of my favourite ways of cooking potatoes it is one-pot cooking, tasty and not loaded with as much fat as Gratin dauphinoise which is far more unhealthy than Boulangere Potatoes and personally I think these are far more flavoursome…

CarolCooks2…In my kitchen…Boulangere Potatoes…

Tropical Friday…The Orange…

I’m sure all of you know what an Orange is and how good they are for you so today let’s look at the Orange, of course, they are different and sometimes the same around the world we have all enjoyed eating an Orange or a glass of OJ…

There are over 400  different types of Oranges in the world…however they all don’t belong to the citrus family whose Oranges are a rich source of citric Acid plus Vitamin C…

Many of us and I take Oranges, Apples, Lemons and Limes for granted they are freely available around the world…a beautiful, healthy fruit which I thought deserved a mention …

Tropical Friday…The Orange…

Saturday Snippets…Thunder…

I am really enjoying these one-word prompts and feel free to suggest one…Thank you, Clive, for yours…as I said to Clive it took me few minutes to make the connection then the penny dropped and the lightbulb come on…lol…for everyone else they will have to wait for next Saturday when all will be revealed…

Thunder was an enjoyable, enlightening and ear-bashing trawl through the internet…AC/DC is loud as you know…Stevie Nix lightened the tone somewhat at the end of the post…I hope you enjoy!

Saturday Snippets… 4th September 2021…Thunder!

Once again I would like to extend my thanks for the emails, messages and calls of support for our dear daughter and for us stuck here at the moment so far away…it helps enormously…Lauren saw the consultant on Thursday to discuss her forthcoming treatment and to outline do and don’ts for her going forward she has a long road ahead but we hope with support and her fighting spirit she will get through this…on the plus side, her consultant has said she can attend a family wedding in a Cyprus before her treatment starts this cheered her up somewhat as Thursday was not a good day her…Thank you once again I do appreciate all the support…Much love and Hugs xxx

Tomorrow is the start of a new week I hope you will join me for next weeks posts…Have a lovely Sunday…its a wet and windy one here but much cooler for once xxx

 

 

 

 

 

#Meatless Monday…Week 8…The Cauliflower…

 

Why Meatless Mondays?…

Introducing more plant-based meals into your diet can help you maintain a healthy weight if you have some weight to lose then adding more plant-based meals has the benefit of removing foods from your diet which cause weight gain.

Plants are high in fibre…this means by introducing more plant-based recipes to your diet that the health of your gut improves so you are better able to absorb the nutrients from your food… you will be eating foods that support your immune system and reduce inflammation.

Fibre can lower cholesterol and stabilize blood sugar and it’s great for good bowel management…

How is introducing more plant-based meals going in your kitchen… Going well or meeting with some opposition?...

This week …it’s a Cauliflower pizza base, cauliflower, rice, walnut and red pepper dip and cauliflower cheese…

Cauliflower and broccoli are both delicious vegetables…They come from the same family Brassicaceae…however broccoli is a member of the Italica cultivar group, while cauliflower is part of the Botrytis cultivar group…

I think I need to take a course in Olericulture…so much is the same but different…like cauliflower and broccoli…

As a family, we love most vegetables both my grandfather and my father had vegetable gardens and I myself have dabbled in England I had an allotment for a while I also used to grow fruits and vegetables in raised beds, pots, grow bags, on window sills and hanging baskets…I still have pots of herbs growing and fruit trees here and my aim is to cultivate some of the rarer Thai fruits…

Cauliflower Pizza Base…

Ingredients:

  • 1 medium head cauliflower.
  • 1 egg, large.
  • 1 tsp Italian seasoning (dried oregano or basil)
  • 1/8 tsp salt.
  • 1/4 tsp ground black pepper.
  • 1/2 cup Parmesan or Mozzarella cheese, grated/shredded.
  • Cooking spray, I make my own spray I don’t do bought oil in spray cans…I have a little stainless steel one for oil.

Let’s Cook!

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F/190 C and line a baking sheet with unbleached parchment paper.

Rinse cauliflower, remove the outer leaves, separate into florets and chop into smaller pieces. Process in a food processor in 2 batches, until “rice” texture forms.

Transfer cauliflower rice on a prepared baking sheet and bake for 10 mins this just removes some of the moisture.

Remove cooked cauliflower rice from the oven, transfer to a bowl lined with a double/triple layered cheesecloth or linen towel, and let cool for 5 minutes.

Then squeeze the liquid out of the ball as hard as you can. Be patient and do this a few times until barely any liquid comes out.

Increase oven temperature to 4 degrees F/200 C. Then in a medium mixing bowl whisk the egg with dried herbs, salt and pepper for 10 seconds. Add cheese and squeezed cauliflower mix very well with a spatula until combined.

Line the same baking sheet with new parchment paper and spray with cooking spray. Transfer cauliflower dough to the middle and flatten with your hands until thin pizza crust forms.

Bake for 20 minutes, carefully flip with a spatula and bake for a few more minutes. Top with your favourite toppings and bake again until cheese on top turns golden brown.

Slice and enjoy!

Let the kids help you can never second guess a child and what they will like.  Encourage them to help prepare their food…They are more likely to eat what they help prepare.

THE VERSATILE CAULIFLOWER… I love it! x…I really like this pizza base and it may be because I am not a fan of the traditional pizza base…I loved the crispy edges where the cheese browned my family didn’t like it as much as a traditional Pizza base…

Cauliflower Rice…

cauliflower-rice-pork-thai basil-recipe

Cauliflower Rice

And all you need is a Cauliflower and an Onion.

A little Coconut oil to cook or other oil of your choice.

Sea Salt and a squeeze of Lemon Juice.

Either grate or blitz in a food processor ( but not too fine) you want some texture.

Heat pan and keep pan HOT as you don’t want Cauliflower to steam and go soggy.

Use Tablespoon Coconut Oil and put in the desired amount of Cauliflower and onion mix.

Cook quickly and then season and add lemon juice.

All in all, it only takes a few minutes to cook….. a bit longer if more than one portion but keep pan hot.

cauliflower-rice-pork-thai basil-recipe

If you wish to vary the taste you can add 1 tsp of Cumin seeds to the oil before adding Cauliflower if you are eating Indian food.

Eating Mexican AND WANT TO ADD SOME AUTHENTICITY……. then add 1/2 tsp turmeric to oil and tsp tomato puree.

This is very versatile and just use your imagination and add any herbs and spices that you like.

To store...I make a batch and keep it in the fridge during the week but keep it in a glass jar or zip lock bag…I think plastic containers may make it sweat too much…..Enjoy…. and if you are cutting the carbs it is an ideal and yummy substitute for rice and I love rice…… eat it all the time but happily substitute this as I am also a cauliflower lover.

Cauliflower Cheese…

Make any white sauce and add grated cheese and some mustard…A white sauce is essentially Béchamel sauce traditionally made from a white roux and milk.

Ingredients:

  • 500ml whole milk
  • 1tsp English mustard powder
  • 50g butter
  • 50g plain flour
  • 100gm mature cheddar, grated
  • 50gm parmesan grated

Let’s Cook!

Melt the butter in a pan and stir in the flour and mustard powder to make a paste. Gradually whisk in the milk and simmer to thicken to a smooth sauce, stirring constantly.

Take the sauce off the heat and stir in 2/3 of the cheddar and half the Parmesan. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Pour over your steamed cauliflower and broccoli and sprinkle over the remaining cheeses. I also add little cherry tomatoes around the edge or tomato slices…

Cauliflower and broccoli bake

Cook under the grill until the sauce is bubblier and the top is golden brown about 15-20 minutes on 180/200 oven.

I didn’t run out of tomatoes...lol…hubby doesn’t like tomatoes so I always leave a gap…

We love roasted or cauliflower florets in batter…nice and crispy with a dip it makes a nice snack or light lunch with a glass of wine…just saying…I have a new addition to my pantry a lovely pomegranate molasses… this molasses came from Iran with some Sumac…I wanted to try an original to get the taste as I haven’t cooked with sumac and the last time I had pomegranate molasses was when I was in the UK…

Pomegranate Molasses

This lovely Red Bell Pepper and Walnut Dip will be a great accompaniment to the Roasted Cauliflower…

To Roast a small head of cauliflower break in florets…

Toss cauliflower florets with a light drizzle of olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Arrange on a small baking sheet and roast in a pre-heated oven at 220C (convection)/200C (fan-forced) for approximately 18-20 minutes until cauliflower is cooked and golden. Remove from the oven.

For the dip:

  • 2 red Bell peppers
  • 4 tbsp fresh breadcrumbs
  • 1 tbsp pomegranate molasses
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp red chilli flakes
  • 2 garlic cloves, chopped
  • ½ cup walnuts
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • ½ tsp sea salt flakes and crushed black pepper
  • To serve: Mint leaves, crushed walnuts, chilli flakes, olive oil…

Let’s Cook!

Place bell peppers on a small, rimmed baking sheet. Rub with olive oil. Roast peppers in a pre-heated oven at 220C /200C (fan) for approximately 20-25 minutes until the peppers are blackened and cooked. Remove from the oven and transfer capsicum to a bowl. Cover with cling film or foil to steam the capsicum as it cools. Cool for 10-15 minutes. Remove and discard the core, skin and seeds.

Place the red pepper flesh, breadcrumbs, pomegranate molasses, cumin, paprika, chilli flakes, garlic, walnuts, lemon juice, oil, salt and pepper in the bowl of a small food processor and pulse a few times to get a chunky ish dip.

Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary.

Spoon the mixture into a serving bowl/dish. Create swirling dips with the back of a spoon and drizzle with extra olive oil (if using). Top with crushed walnuts, chilli flakes, mint leaves. Serve warm with pitta bread or your favourite bread.

Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days. Can be warmed for a few seconds in the microwave before eating…if preferred ours never lasts that long…

That’s all for today on my journey into eating more plant-based meals on a Meatless Monday……Thank you again to everyone who is suggesting recipes I will try them all…xx

Thank you for reading this post If you have enjoyed this post please leave a comment as any tips or comments I love as you all know I just love to chat…Love Carol xx

 

Eat Smart! Eat Healthily!… Recipes, Wacky Diet Corner and some Commonsense…

Ahhhh…First drink of the day…Oolong green tea…It is quiet and peaceful…Aston has been packed off to school, time to check my e-mail and stuff…and then I write…

I write these posts as a way of focusing my mind on my diet although I have been helped by my smartwatch it focuses me by keeping a track of my steps, heart rate and sleep patterns for me I like it apart from my laptop it is the first personal piece of technology that I own and a good buy…

What helps focus your mind...Do you find it easy sticking to healthy eating? If not …Why not? What drives you is it your health and your families health.?.. Is it because you want to wear the latest clothes and look good?. Is it to attract that special someone? Is it so you can play ball without wheezing with your kids?

I have used those reasons over the years plus some…Have I tried quick fixes…Yes, I have…Have I failed miserably after starting off so well… Oh…Indeed I have…I have brought books ( South Beach Diet), subscribed to Weighwatchers, Slimming World,…None of those bad…Like my wacky diet corner and I would never do those..But all restricted or didn’t allow certain foods in some way or another…I don’t follow rules very well either…Well, I don’t…

Low fat…Well, I was reading a study just the other day and like all studies, they need to be long term…Low fat and telling us meat was really bad for us…All debunked…It didn’t work and the latest news is …Forget all that…Low fat generally means higher sugar…

The latest news is...don’t eat low fat, cut out or down the processed foods…Eat organic where possible or wash your food thoroughly…Grow your own…Shop local…Don’t cut out food groups unless you are medically advised…EAT MODERATELY…

I know many of you are probably sick of hearing that word…What would you rather I use? within reason, reasonably, temperately, conservatively, sparingly, economically, somewhat, slightly???

Or just say…Forget…Eat your heart out…..

heart-care-1040248_640

Our heart…One of our major organs…If it didn’t keep to the beat we would have a problem…It needs to be kept as healthy as we can keep it…How we do that? Read Sally’s post on Healthy Eating for a Healthy Heart…

It is a good, commonsense post and for me. a good read…Don’t tell anyone but as I have got older I have found commonsense…He has always been one step in front or behind of me and now we are synchronised and in harmony…But I still have a piece of chocolate or a doughnt..sometimes…A little of what you fancy does you good …Remember that…

Wacky Diet Corner…The Tongue Patch Diet…

 

It’s like a horror movie …Some people are eating clay…A tsp a day in water…I think they all need to read Sally’s post on cravings…

A new series on a sensation that has been blamed for our consumption or over-consumption of certain foods since we were old enough to make excuses! How often do we tell ourselves or others that ‘we crave’ chocolate, crisps, cheese, soda, fried food or even something non-food related… such as dirt or coal? AND CLAY!

https://smorgasbordinvitation.wordpress.com/2019/07/03/smorgasbord-health-column-what-causes-your-cravings-part-two-need-chocolate-by-sally-cronin/

I think that it is good that we can attribute certain factors which cause our cravings and much of that is down to restrictive diets and it certainly makes me feel better that it is not just my lack of will power but a valid reason…

Recipe Corner...The cauliflower…

Cauliflower with leaves

Image by 1195798 from Pixabay

One of my favourite vegetables I love the white cauliflower and also the vivid green romesco cauliflower it is lovely just lightly steamed as a vegetable, roasted with some Indian spices or au gratin with a cheese sauce…I can now add cauliflower rice to that list and a cauliflower pizza base…Today I also saw a recipe using the cauliflower as a burger bun I haven’t tried and tested that yet…But I will…Below I have given the cauliflower rice recipe which is well tried and tested…

And all you need is a Cauliflower and an Onion.

A little Coconut oil to cook or other oil of your choice.

Sea Salt and a squeeze Lemon Juice.

Either grate or blitz in a food processor ( but not too fine) you want some texture.

Heat pan and keep pan HOT as you don’t want Cauliflower to steam and go soggy.

Use Tablespoon Coconut Oil and put in the desired amount of Cauliflower and onion mix.

Cook quickly and then season and add lemon juice.

All in all, it only takes a few minutes to cook….. a bit longer if more than one portion but keep pan hot.

cauliflower-rice-pork-thai basil-recipe

If you wish to vary the taste you can add 1 tsp of Cumin seeds to the oil before adding Cauliflower if you are eating Indian Food.

If you require colour if eating Mexican……. then add 1/2 tsp turmeric to oil and tsp tomato puree.

This is very versatile and just use your imagination and add any herbs and spices that you like.

To store...I make a batch and keep in the fridge for during the week but keep in a glass jar or zip lock bag…I think plastic containers may make it sweat too much…..Enjoy…. and if you are cutting the carbs it is an ideal and yummy substitute for rice and I love rice…… eat it all the time but happily substitute this as I am also a cauliflower lover.

Cauliflower Pizza Base…

Ingredients:

  • 1 medium head cauliflower.
  • 1 egg, large.
  • 1 tsp Italian seasoning (dried oregano or basil)
  • 1/8 tsp salt.
  • 1/4 tsp ground black pepper.
  • 1/2 cup Parmesan or Mozzarella cheese, grated/shredded.
  • Cooking spray, I make my own spray I don’t do bought oil in spray cans…I have a little stainless steel one for oil.

Let’s Cook!

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F/190 C and line a baking sheet with unbleached parchment paper.

Rinse cauliflower, remove the outer leaves, separate into florets and chop into smaller pieces. Process in a food processor in 2 batches, until “rice” texture forms.

Transfer cauliflower rice on a prepared baking sheet and bake for 10 mins this just removes some of the moisture.

Remove cooked cauliflower rice from the oven, transfer to a bowl lined with a double/triple layered cheesecloth or linen towel, and let cool for 5 minutes.

Then squeeze the liquid out of the ball as hard as you can. Be patient and do this a few times until barely any liquid comes out.

Increase oven temperature to 4 degrees F/200 C. Then in a medium mixing bowl whisk the egg with dried herbs, salt and pepper for 10 seconds. Add cheese and squeezed cauliflower mix very well with a spatula until combined.

Line the same baking sheet with new parchment paper and spray with cooking spray. Transfer cauliflower dough to the middle and flatten with your hands until thin pizza crust forms.

Bake for 20 minutes, carefully flip with a spatula and bake for a few more minutes. Top with your favourite toppings and bake again until cheese on top turns golden brown.

Slice and enjoy!

Let the kids help you can never second guess a child and what they will like.  Encourage them to help prepare their food…They are more likely to eat what they help prepare.

THE VERSATILE CAULIFLOWER… I love it! x

I hope that you have enjoyed reading this and that it proves helpful to you in your healthy eating journey xx

About Carol Taylor:

Enjoying life in The Land Of Smiles I am having so much fun researching, finding new, authentic recipes both Thai and International to share with you. New recipes gleaned from those who I have met on my travels or are just passing through and stopped for a while. I hope you enjoy them.

I love shopping at the local markets, finding fresh, natural ingredients, new strange fruits and vegetable ones I have never seen or cooked with. I am generally the only European person and attract much attention and I love to try what I am offered and when I smile and say Aroy or Saab as it is here in the north I am met with much smiling.

Some of my recipes may not be in line with traditional ingredients and methods of cooking but are recipes I know and have become to love and maybe if you dare to try you will too. You will always get more than just a recipe from me as I love to research and find out what other properties the ingredients I use contain to improve our health and wellbeing.

The environment is also something I am passionate about and there will be more on this on my blog this year

Exciting for me hence the title of my blog, Retired No One Told Me! I am having a wonderful ride and don’t want to get off, so if you wish to follow me on my adventures, then welcome! I hope you enjoy the ride also and if it encourages you to take a step into the unknown or untried, you know you want to…….Then, I will be happy!

More and more of my blogging friends have joined me on MeWe…A social media site which is fairly new and which promises much without the restrictions some other social media sites are choosing to impose on many of us…Join me if you will on  mewe.com/i/caroltaylor3 

Carol is a contributor to the Phuket Island Writers Anthology: https://www.amazon.com/Phuket-Island-Writers-Anthology-Stories-ebook/dp/B00RU5IYNS

Connect to Carol

Blog: https://carolcooks2.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheRealCarolT
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/carol.taylor.1422

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/caroltaylor56/pins/

Thank you once again for reading this post I hope you all have a creative week ahead xx

 

 

 

 

 

Smorgasbord Health Column – Cook from Scratch to prevent nutritional deficiencies with Sally Cronin and Carol Taylor – Vitamin C (ascorbic acid and L-ascorbic acid)

Time for Vitamin C…The sunshine vitamin…I think this is such a lovely way to promote vitamins as often I am a little stumped if I want to increase a vitamin I have to think…I hope you enjoy this post as much as Sally and I do putting it all together…

Smorgasbord Blog Magazine – The Food Column with Carol Taylor – Favourite dishes of 2018

First post of 2019 on my Cookery Column over at Smorgasbord Magazine and some of my favourite dishes from 2018…I hope you enjoy 😉 xxx

Healthy Eating…No more diets…

No more...Diets Healthy eating (1)

Wow, what a week… They are all out and safe …Just in case you have been cocooned somewhere away from the maddening crowd and don’t know what I am talking about… The Thai boys and their teacher who were trapped in a cave near where I live…It must have been so scary for them not knowing if help was coming…But it did …Do you know what pleased me the most ???

It was how the whole world united and that made me so happy…Sad for the brave Ex-Navy Seal who lost his life such a brave man…R.I.P … You will always be remembered for your bravery…

I have shed a few tears these last few weeks…AND

The healthy eating? … That went out the window…She who doesn’t eat crisps..DID…She who doesn’t really snack…DID!

I was fixated on the news but with consequences…

I now feel really out of sorts…Tired, sluggish, really tired…No Energy… Zilch!

What am I doing about it?? Well, Sally’s post this week was very timely ( For Moi) I am going to detox and get back on track…

https://smorgasbordinvitation.wordpress.com/2018/07/09/smorgasbord-health-column-eating-plan-for-healthy-kidneys-and-urinary-tract/?

What am I not going to do???

 Beat myself up?… Nope…I can’t change the last few weeks…But…I can change over the next few weeks…

Don’t wish me luck…Because I AM GOING TO DO IT!

It’s the little changes we can make, isn’t it?

No-diets-No-excuses

Who do you cheat??? Yourself!

There is so much written about what we should eat and what we shouldn’t eat, how much sugar or salt foods contain, how much of this, how much of that…I can’t blame anyone for feeling like ..What do we eat then?

How did you get on after reading last weeks post?? Did you start any herbs or plants? Did you find any communal gardens  I always love to hear how you are getting on in comments and not just the good … We all have days or weeks we rather forget…

vegetables-2299716_1280

Below are just a few small ways you can start to make changes it covers a few of the main food groups things most of us eat or cook with on a regular basis and often there are so many choices for alternatives that we at loss as to what we can replace our regular food with. I hope this makes it a little easier for you.

I am also not going to bombard you with statistics and ingredients we can all look at a bottle or a can to see what is in it…If we don’t know ..google it… ask…question…we should all know what we are eating and feeding our families…It is then our choice as to whether we change or continue.

Sugary drinks…

Expensive I hear you say ….no it is not… Most of what we eat is taught to us…we teach our children, our parents taught us…some folks when they grow older make their own choices…That’s fine…but make an informed choice and try an alternative you may like it.

Water is healthy. Coffee and tea are healthy it is maybe what you put in it which is NOT.

Soda water with ice and lime or lemon is a nice refreshing drink. Freeze some fruit orange slices or pomelo fruit, and pop it in the glass with the soda water..very nice and refreshing.

Green Tea drinking set-3057645_640

Some nice green tea now I know how to brew it correctly…No more bitter green tea for me … I also love the way it is drunk and am on the hunt for a nice green tea set like the one pictured it just makes you feel special …I think so anyway and makes it pleasurable.

Coconut juice and yes I am lucky I have a tree and can go buy it fresh but you must have something where you live which is in season, fresh and you can juice or make into a smoothie.

So ditch the soda and think about what you can drink, think about what you like to drink…That is healthier than those sugar-laden sodas.

Pizza…One of the unhealthiest foods on the planet…

Does that mean you can never eat Pizza again…No!

pizza-346985_1920

Make homemade pizza instead ..Let the kids help… Make your own pizza sauce by pureeing cooked, peeled tomatoes with oregano and fresh garlic  Use low-fat mozzarella cheese so that your child gets plenty of calcium from his slice without all of the saturated fat. Skip the pepperoni and high-fat meats and add some chicken or prawns and add their favourite vegetables.  If they like olives even better add black olives for some heart-healthy unsaturated fat. One of my grandsons absolutely loved olives from the age of about one and a half, instead of sweets I used to buy him olives…

Make your own base…I have made a cauliflower base and it is lovely, Portobello mushrooms, a sweet potato base..there are so many options for bases some for another post…..It is all about experimenting and playing with flavours, food should be fun and especially Pizza because it really is a fun food ..isn’t it???

Cauliflower Pizza Base…

Ingredients:

  • 1 medium head cauliflower.
  • 1 egg, large.
  • 1 tsp Italian seasoning (dried oregano or basil)
  • 1/8 tsp salt.
  • 1/4 tsp ground black pepper.
  • 1/2 cup Parmesan or Mozzarella cheese, grated/shredded.
  • Cooking spray, I make my own spray I don’t do bought oil in spray cans…I have a little stainless steel one for oil.

Let’s Cook!

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F/190 C and line a baking sheet with unbleached parchment paper.

Rinse cauliflower, remove the outer leaves, separate into florets and chop into smaller pieces. Process in a food processor in 2 batches, until “rice” texture forms.

Transfer cauliflower rice on a prepared baking sheet and bake for 10 mins this just removes some of the moisture.

Remove cooked cauliflower rice from the oven, transfer to a bowl lined with a double/triple layered cheesecloth or linen towel, and let cool for 5 minutes.

Then squeeze the liquid out of the ball as hard as you can. Be patient and do this a few times until barely any liquid comes out.

Increase oven temperature to 4 degrees F/200 C. Then in a medium mixing bowl whisk the egg with dried herbs, salt and pepper for 10 seconds. Add cheese and squeezed cauliflower mix very well with a spatula until combined.

Line the same baking sheet with new parchment paper and spray with cooking spray. Transfer cauliflower dough to the middle and flatten with your hands until thin pizza crust forms.

Bake for 20 minutes, carefully flip with a spatula and bake for a few more minutes. Top with your favourite toppings and bake again until cheese on top turns golden brown.

Slice and enjoy!

Let the kids help you can never second guess a child and what they will like.  Encourage them to help prepare their food…They are more likely to eat what they help prepare.

Teach em young Lily making pastry 3

Start them young here is Little Lily… although she is not so little now she still loves to cook and always eats what she cooks…You also have happy kids …

N.B. Just a little note it took me a couple of trial runs before I got the base the right thickness I don’t like thick crust but made it too thin at first…

Bread…

If you love white bread, opt for a brand that is made with UNbleached white flour. Or try the bread with 100% whole grain unbleached wheat flour–

Or treat yourself to some of the lovely artisan loaves of bread available or make your own..with rapid, instant yeast it is now much easier and there are also so many recipes for sourdough starters…

Also, there is nothing more satisfying than making bread…It is great when your mood is less than happy a bit of kneading that dough works wonders…lol

If you are on a particular diet for health reasons or a food intolerance it can be a minefield I hope this helps

Gluten-free junk food…

Is high in sugar, unhealthy oils, and refined grains. I think that it is abhorrent that manufacturers make foods which they know that many people with a gluten intolerance buy and that is actually very unhealthy. Some people choose to take the label “gluten-free” to mean the same things as “healthy,” which is not accurate.

Naturally, gluten-free foods include beans, pulses, milk, yoghurt, cheese, fish, shellfish, fruit, meat, poultry, nuts, seeds, butter, and oil.

I hope this has been of help when you are deciding which is healthier to eat and it doesn’t mean expensive foods it generally means fresh either home-grown or bought from local markets, food in season or food you have made in your own kitchen.

If you are out and about or at work take your own in a little-insulated bag to keep it fresh and find a nice park bench or a little seat somewhere to eat and watch the world go by.

Until next week I am off to start my detox…

If you liked reading this then please share or reblog and spread the word about good, healthy eating and the benefits.

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Enjoy the rest of your week, have fun, eat healthily and stay mindful xxx