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Friday, March 21, 2014

Cauliflower Pizza Crust A Paleo Pizza Story

After a week in Ireland eating potatoes (on the side of my potatoes) and two weeks of eating out to avoid creating more clutter in the midst of a move, Im ready to get back to my paleo meals. Like any addict though, Im gonna have to ween myself off ~~crack~~ flour and sugar slowly, lest I suffer from night sweats and bouts of withdrawal-induced shock. What better way to trick my body (and tastebuds) into thinking were not kicking these bad habits any time soon than with a paleo version of pizza??

Theres really nothing particularly unusual about this za. Its topped with marina (sugar and soy free, of course), pepperoni, mushrooms, olives, and lots of mozzarella (which isnt technically paleo, but Im weening myself, here!!). All the "paleo" in the pizza is coming from the crust, made entirely from cauliflower and mozzarella.

See?? It even LOOKS like crust:

Cus I like to keep it rull witchall, I will say it doesnt taste like the traditional pizza dough we all know, love, and curse our thighs about. But it is REALLY good! I mean, its cheesy, herbed cauliflower baked into a bread-like crust. You literally cant NOT like it. And if you dont, my guess is you dont have a soul.

I imagine Ill be making iterations of this non-stop over the next several weeks.

Cauliflower Pizza Crust For People Who Have Souls
Makes one pizza crust, roughly 8 large slices

1 head cauliflower
2 cups mozzarella cheese
1-2 eggs, beaten
1 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

2. "Rice" the cauliflower by chopping it into small chunks and pulsing quickly in a food processor until it looks like short grains of rice. Dont overpulse or youll puree it and thats no good. Alternatively, you can grate the cauliflower on a cheese grater as well.

3. Microwave cauliflower "rice" for 8 minutes. Dont add any water to this. Theres enough water in the cauliflower.

4. Mix cauliflower, cheese, egg, and seasoning with your hands. Start with one egg. If the mixture feels dry, add slightly more egg until it starts to bind or come together.

5. Pat the crust on to a WELL oiled/PAMd cookie sheet covered with foil. You can make it any shape or thickness you like.

6. Bake for 15 minutes.

7. Top with your choice of ingredients (must be cooked) and place under broiler until the cheese is bubbly and golden brown.

Saturday, March 15, 2014

Cocoa Cherry Pork Tenderloin – Based on a True Story

My favorite candy growing up was the chocolate covered cherry. I didnt have them often, but when I did, it was always a special treat. The way that thin, crisp chocolate would break away to reveal the florescent red maraschino cherry suspended in the clear syrup was intoxicating.

I almost never eat them anymore; only on the rare occasion my mother, Pauline, or mother-in-law, Peggy, happen to have some out, usually around the holidays. One such occasion came on my recent trip back to Clifton Springs, NY, and as I enjoyed the sweet treat a strange thought popped into my brain. What about a savory dish that celebrated the same basic flavors?

I remembered seeing Alton Brown use cocoa in a rub for chicken, and since I had a pork tenderloin sitting in the fridge, just a shelf away from a jar of black cherry preserves, I figured, why not?

I really loved how this came out, and while its obviously an unsweetened version of chocolate being used, the plate definitely had some of the same culinary DNA as my beloved candied cherries. Anyway, thats the odd-but-true story of how this recipe ended up here, and as usual, I hope you give it a try and tell me what you think. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1-2 pork tenderloins

salt as needed

2 teaspoons vegetable oil

For the rub:

2 tablespoons unsweetened dark cocoa powder

1 tablespoon ancho chili powder

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon ground chipotle

For the sauce:

1/3 cup cherry preserves

1/3 cup white vinegar

big pinch of oregano

View the complete recipe