He has filled the hungry with good things... Luke 1:53 (NKJV)

This week, we take a break from devotionals for cooking. Instead of feeding the soul, we’re feeding your tummy. It’s been a long time since I shared a recipe with you. Going through various health crises has caused me to overhaul all my eating, menus, and recipes. Eventually, I hope to tweak all my recipes on this site to include what I can actually eat now.

Today I’m following a predominantly grain-free Candida Diet to reduce small intestinal fungal overgrowth, as well as to encourage a healthy balance of yeast in the gut. I’m also eating carefully to heal a fatty liver (caused either by gallbladder removal or too many painkillers for my back). Eating lots of cruciferous vegetables, such as cauliflower, broccoli, and cabbage, are just the thing to heal the liver.

This Perfect Cauliflower Pizza is so healthy and yummy, I just have to share it today. It is grain-free, gluten-free, dairy-free, and Candida-friendly. When I was being treated for SIBO and ate a low fodmap diet, I substituted broccoli for the cauliflower, and rice flour for the almond flour, and it worked just as well. The trick is to get people to eat their veggies, hidden in the pizza, on movie night :-). And what are we watching for movies? Our family has been watching reruns of The Chosen while eagerly awaiting season 3. We also enjoy many of the programs on Minnokids, especially the Torch Lighters about famous missionaries. And now, for the recipe…

Perfect Cauliflower Pizza

Ingredients:

1 large head of cauliflower, cut in half (or 3 cups riced cauliflower)
4 eggs (organic, free-range)
1-1/4 cups almond flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dry basil
1/2 teaspoon dry oregano
1/2 teaspoon dry parsley
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder or Italian seasoning (optional)
1 Tablespoon olive oil

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
Wash and cut cauliflower head into two halves. Core one half of the cauliflower, leaving short stems. Place cauliflower florets in a food processor. Grind until rice-like. This should be about 3 cups.
Put riced cauliflower in a microwave safe casserole dish and cover. Microwave on high 4 minutes. Lay out a smooth dish cloth on the counter. Carefully transfer the cooked cauliflower to the towel to cool.
In a medium mixing bowl, beat the 4 eggs. Add the almond flour, salt and seasonings. Mix well.
When the cauliflower is cool. Fold up the edges of the towel and squeeze out the extra moisture over the sink. Transfer the cauliflower to the mixing bowl and mix well.
Add 1 T. olive oil to the cauliflower mixture and give it one more stir.
Line a pizza pan with parchment paper. Carefully spread the cauliflower mixture onto the parchment paper, shaping into a pizza crust.
Bake the crust for 25 minutes and remove from oven. Edges will be golden brown.
Top your pizza crust with your favorite toppings. Mine include homemade pesto, organic green olives, organic red peppers, and organic spinach.
Use a pizza peel to place the pizza directly on the oven rack. Bake another 10 minutes.
Remove from oven and top with any extras, like hemp seed or sprouts for added protein.
Enjoy! Repeat with the other half head of cauliflower. Or, turn the other half into riced cauliflower and freeze for next week!

For an amazing Pesto: Toast 1 cup walnut pieces in a pie pan in the oven, 7-10 minutes at 375 degrees). Combine in a blender: Juice from 2 lemons, 1/2 to 1 cup olive oil (depending on how thick you want it), 2-3 cups of fresh greens (basil leaves, oregano leaves, spinach, kale, etc.), 1 cup toasted walnuts. Blend until smooth. Use to top pizza, zoodles, pastas, salads, etc.

GF Facts:
People on a gluten-free diet must read labels for other ingredients related to wheat, barley, and rye.

Some of these other grain products to avoid include: Bulgur, Couscous, Durum, Einkorn, Emmer, Farina, Triticale, Kamut, Graham, Matzo, Spelt, Wheat germ, Wheat starch, Barley malt, Semolina, Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein (HVP), Bran, Orzo, Panko, Seitan, Udon, Faro…that’s quite a list!

Here is a recipe for Banana Muffins that contain no unwanted grains. The applesauce replaces butter, making them low fat. You can enjoy the yummy banana flavor, knowing that you are eating a whole-some gluten-free muffin.

The Yummy Banana Muffin Recipe for you:
Set oven to 350 degrees.
Line a muffin pan with 12-4 muffin papers.

Mix together the dry ingredients:
1 ½ cups brown rice flour
½ cup tapioca flour
1 t. xanthan gum
2 t. baking powder
¼ t. baking soda
½ t. salt

In another bowl cream together:
1/3 cup applesauce
2/3 cup sugar
2 eggs

Beat until smooth.

Add:
1 cup mashed ripe bananas
The flour mixture
½ cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Use an ice cream scoop to measure the batter into your lined muffin pan. Bake for 25 minutes.

This recipe was adapted from a quick bread recipe found in an old church cook book. Try adapting your favorite quick bread recipe to make gluten-free muffins. Please remember this recipe was tested at 6000 feet. You may need less flour if you are at a lower elevation. Enjoy!

Then God said, “Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb that yields seed, and the fruit tree that yields fruit according to its kind, whose seed is in itself, on the earth”; and it was so. Genesis 1:11 (NKJV)

New King James Version (NKJV)