Cauliflower Pizza Crust- Healthy and Gluten Free!

A few months back there was a viral Facebook post about cauliflower breadsticks that got my mind going. If you could make breadsticks with broken down cauliflower, what else could you make?! I love the idea of making unhealthy foods healthier by upping the veggie content so the idea of pizza without flour fascinated me. This was my second attempt at making a cauliflower pizza dough. The first time it felt undercooked and didn’t crisp at all. I think this time around I got it very right by flipping the dough halfway through the cooking process and blotting the moisture off with a paper towel(Much like I did with my zucchini noodles in veggie lasagna) . The dough was slightly chewy with crunchy crisped edges. Obviously it’s a bit more work than ordering papa johns but I found it to be a worthwhile kitchen adventure!

1. Cauliflower Snow 2. before toppings 3. Finished pizza

 

Cauliflower Pizza Crust
1 large head of cauliflower
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup mozzarella cheese
1 tsp Italian seasonings
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
1 tbs corn meal
1 egg

Pizza Toppings and Sauce of your choice!

Preheat oven to 450 with a pizza stone on the middle rack. While the stone heats up prepare the cauliflower.

Working in small batches pulse cauliflower in a food processor until it is finely shredded. It will have the consistency of fine snow. Microwave the cauliflower ‘snow’ for 5 minutes. Remove from microwave and let cool in the refrigerator for about 20 minutes.

When the cauliflower is cool to the touch wrap it in cheesecloth and squeeze out as much liquid as you can. Transfer to a large bowl and combine with mozzarella, parmesan, egg, corn meal, and spices. Mix until everything is evenly distributed- I find it’s best to use your hands for this step.

Spray a piece of parchment paper with cooking spray and turn out the dough ball into the middle. Press and sculpt into a round shape about 1/4 of an inch thick.

Transfer parchment paper with dough on it to the pizza stone and bake for 15 minutes. Flip crust by sandwiching between two cookie sheets with a fresh piece of sprayed parchment and bake on the other side for 15 more minutes.

Remove from oven and add sauce and toppings. Return to oven until cheese is melted- about 6 more minutes.

Enjoy!
Charlie

 

Ginger Margarita

Rumor has it we *might* make it to 60 degrees outside today. This has been the never ending winter in NYC. In order to remedy the winter blues we had taco night with margaritas this past weekend. Lots of margaritas.

We tried making some crazy flavors but the ginger margarita rose to the top as my favorite. I used SNAP ginger liquor and a frozen can of limeade to make this subtly spicy treat. Now I can’t wait for summer so I can sip on one of these on a sunny day in the park!

Ginger Margarita

1 part tequila
1 part ginger liquor(snap or domaine de canton)
1 part frozen limeade
Splash of soda water

In a blender combine tequila, limeade, and ginger liquor with a handful of ice cubes. I like to use the container the limeade comes in as my measuring cup. Blend until smooth. Serve in a rocks glass topped with a splash of soda water and a lime.

Enjoy!
-Charlie

A Thrifty Thanksgiving: Apple Cider Glazed Faux Turkey (Quorn Turk’y Roast)

I think being a vegetarian around the holidays can be the WORST. Every big holiday meal is centered around a beautiful roasted turkey.  Yes there are all sorts of delicious side dishes that can be made to offset not being part of the main event but what happens when you throw a thanksgiving dinner for a group that consists of mostly vegetarians?? This past thanksgiving I was faced with this dilemma.

Coming from Georgia, the holidays are always a big to-do in my family. Believe me- southerners know how to fill a table with fabulous food. My favorite was always a spicy cajun turkey. I tried my best last Thanksgiving to bring a taste of the south up north and make it as vegetarian friendly as possible.

My findings include a tasty way to cook the fabled “tofurkey”– Let’s be honest: this faux log of a “bird” isn’t going to fool anyone. It’s awkward and funny looking BUT if seasoned correctly it can stand in and make quite an impression.  There are several brands that you can try but my favorite in all of my tastings was the Quorn Turkey Roast. If you’ve been a longtime reader of Thrifty Foodies you’ll know that I cook often with Quorn products because they don’t contain soy and have the most meat-like texture out of the variety of vegetarian products on the market.

As with most faux turkeys they all come packaged with ‘suggested’ cooking methods. Go ahead and do everyone a favor and throw those directions in the trash. The only way you’ll make this substitute taste remotely holiday worthy is to give it a  little TLC in the form of marinade and spices. Last year I cooked mine marinaded in veggie stock with a TON of poultry spices. I’ve whittled it down to a tasty apple cider marinade that makes the entire house smell amazing as guests arrive.  It is a little time intensive (as are most real turkeys) but give it a try and I guarantee you wont be disappointed.

Apple Cider Glazed Faux Turkey (Quorn Turk’y Roast)

1 Quorn Turkey Roast

1 tsp poultry seasoning

1/2 tsp rosemary

1/2 tsp thyme

1/2 tsp sage

a few grinds of pepper

2 cups apple cider

1/4 cup soy sauce

1 small tart apple

mixture of baby carrots, chopped onion, parsnips, celery, cubed sweet potatoes, and cubed red potatoes

 

Remove all packaging from Quorn roast- Including the plastic wrapper that they suggest baking it in. Place roast in a gallon sized ziplock bag along with apple cider, soy sauce, rosemary, thyme, sage, and pepper. Close bag and shake it up to mix everything together. Place in the refrigerator and marinate overnight. 

 

 

When you are ready to cook the roast fill the bottom of a baking dish with a mixture of baby carrots, chopped onion, parsnips, celery, cubed sweet potatoes, and cubed red potatoes. Make a small indention for the roast to sit in the middle of the veggies and pour the sauce over everything. Make a few indentions down the body of the roast and slip a few pieces of the tart apple into them. Cook on 350 degrees for 1 hour and 20 minutes covered with aluminum foil. Uncover and cook for 20 more minutes.  At this point if your roast isn’t as golden brown as you would like it to be feel free to remove it from the pan and place it under the broiler for 5 minutes. 

 

 

Enjoy!

~Charlie

The Thrifty Breakdown:

Quorn Turkey Roast- $8.50
Carrots- bag for for $1.50
Sweet Potatoes- 2 for $1.00
Red potato- 1 for $0.25
Onion- 1 for $0.50
Apple Cider- 1/2 gallon for $2.50

Kitchen Staples: poultry seasoning, rosemary, thyme, sage, soy sauce, apple

This thrifty thanksgiving substitute made enough to serve four totaling $14.25 or around $3.50 a serving.

Healthy Summer Vegetable Chowder

It’s been a crazy busy summer so far. I’ve been trying to stay out of the sweltering hot kitchen as much as possible.  When the weather heats up I try to stick to one pot meals, avoid the oven, and cook  anything that is quick to prepare and keeps me out of the heat. Last week I made this healthy chowder that tasted extremely fresh.  I love the way potatoes substituted the thickness usually added to chowder by heavy cream and butter. It was fresh, simple, and used my favorite veggies from summer.  The best part was that it tasted just as delicious cold as it did hot!

Healthy Summer Vegetable Chowder

2 heads of broccoli, rough chopped

2 cups frozen corn 

3 cups veggie stock

1 cup milk

1 large russet potato, diced

1 onion, diced

3 garlic cloves, diced 

1/4 cup flour

1 tsp. thyme 

1/4 cup bacon bits(or Morningstar Vegetarian Bacon if that’s your game)

 

In a large soup pot heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Sauté garlic and onions for about 6-7 minutes until they begin to soften. Working quickly, sprinkle flour over onion mixture and stir constantly for 1 minute.  Make sure that the flour doesn’t turn brown and burn. Add veggie stock, potatoes, and thyme to the pot. Bring mixture to a boil and simmer for 7-8 minutes until the potatoes are cooked through. Add broccoli, corn, and milk and continue simmering for an additional 5 minutes until slightly thickened and the broccoli is cooked to a bright green.  Season with salt & pepper and serve topped with bacon bits.

 

Enjoy!

Charlie

Rosemary Crusted Linguine

I think this year will be the first time I’ve successfully kept a herb garden alive for more than one month without something going terribly wrong. In my NYC lifetime I’ve had basil burnt to a crisp by a heat wave, pigeons nesting in my cilantro, and entire plants flown away(roots and all) by the birds in the alleyway. This year is different. I finally have an exterior window IN THE KITCHEN with all day southern sunlight. Those birds don’t have a chance!

This year I’m growing basil, cilantro, mint, and rosemary in the window and I’ve been on the look out for ways to add them to my dinners. I found the base for this recipe in Vegetarian Times but switched things around with some basil, vidalia onion, and more spices. It was the perfect way to utilize what’s been growing in my window box!

Rosemary Crusted Linguine

1/2 package linguine

2 green peppers, cut into strips

1/2  vidalia onion, cut into slivers

1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese

1/2 cup panco bread crumbs

3 tbs olive oil

2 tbs apple cider vinegar

1/4 tsp crushed red pepper

3 tsp fresh rosemary, chopped

3 tsp fresh basil, chopped

3 garlic cloves, chopped

 

Preheat oven for 350 degrees and start a pot of water boiling. In a small bowl combine 2 tbs of the Parmesan cheese, 1 tbs olive oil, 1 1/2 tsp of the rosemary, and bread crumbs until mixture is the consistency of moist sand. Spread  crumbs onto a small baking sheet and bake for 7-9 minutes until golden brown.

 

Meanwhile, add pasta to the boiling water and heat the remaining 2 tbs of olive oil in a large sauté pan. Add garlic, crushed red pepper, green peppers, onion, and remaining rosemary. Season with salt and pepper and sauté until slightly limp- about 6 minutes.

 

By this point the breadcrumbs should be finished. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool. When the peppers have softened and the pasta is finished cooking, ladle out 1/2 cup of the starchy pasta water into the peppers and add apple cider vinegar. Remove from heat and stir in remaining parmesan cheese while tossing with drained pasta. Sprinkle breadcrumbs on top of each portion before serving. 

The Great GoogaMooga v2.0: A Thrifty Foodies Guide

Hello friends-  Yesterday was BEAUTIFUL in NYC and it seemed like everyone who had the day off was out in central park laying out. Warmer weather is shining down upon us and it can only mean one thing: Summer Festivals!

If you remember last May there was an interesting too-good-to-be-true festival called GoogaMooga. The event promised to be the perfect mash up of music, food, and Brooklyn but fell very short of any expectations resulting in some very unhappy festival goers. Thrifty Foodies reviewed the experience last year and have been invited back to witness the new and improved GoogaMooga. Event organizers have been very clear that many changes will be implemented in order to make this years event go smoothly.  In any case here’s a Thrifty Foodies crash course to making the most out of your GoogaMooga experience.

What is GoogaMooga?

Produced by the same producers as Bonnaroo, GoogaMooga promises an amusement park of food, drink, and music.  Running Friday 5/17-Sunday 5/19 in Prospect Park, this years event is slated to have dining options from 85 NYC restaurants, 100 wine varieties, 75 beer varieties, and 10 cocktail bars.  There will also be two stages of music performances by the likes of Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Flaming Lips, The Darkness, Matt & Kim, De La Soul, Kool & the Gang throughout the day.

 

What to eat at GoogaMooga, Thrifty Foodies Top 5 Choices:

With so many options at this years festival(Including several one time only  Pop Up concept restaurants) Thrifty Foodies thought it would be a great idea to pick out some dishes we are looking forward to the most.  This year to simplify the messy cluster of last years festival each vendor will only be offering one item—Which in theory will mean every vendor will bring their best sellers!

 

1. Calexico
Quesadilla with roasted mushroom, goat cheese, sweet corn, and huitlacoche
We wrote about Calexico in our review of Madison Square Eats. They make some seriously tasty quesadillas and California style Mexican food. 
2. Caracas Rockaway
La Mamasita arepa with grilled wild mushrooms, roasted corn, Venezuelan chile “aji dulce”, cotija cheese, sweet plantains and avocado. Caracas is seriously one of my favorte places to eat in all of NYC.  Their food is so cram packed with fresh tastes that it’s always worth the long journey to their restaurants.
3. South Brooklyn Pizza
Margherita Pizza with fresh basil, San Marzano tomatoes, mozzarella, fontina and grana padano topped with olive oil. We ate this last year and it was SO delicious. They have a tasty roasted garlic “gunk” that you spread on the pizza before you eat it. I think it’s one of the best pieces of pizza in NYC and their location in the east village is one of my top places to stop for late night grub on the way home from the bar

4. Dinosaur Bar-B-Que
Hand Pulled Pork on a Roll w/ BBQ sauce served with barbeque beans, pork and cole slaw. One of the few uptown Manhattan restaurants represented at GoogaMooga. Dinosaur is hands down my favorite BBQ in the city—and that’s saying something since I’m a southern boy from the land of BBQ.

5. Umami Burger
Truffle Burger, signature beef patty, house-made truffle cheese, truffle glaze. I was talking to a friend the other day about how I feel like truffle oil is running the world. I’m strangely intrigued by the idea of this sure-to-be gut bomb BUT I’m for sure going to try one.

What about Dessert and Booze??

Last year I had a very tasty wine sampler from the Red Hook Winery and an IPA from the Bronx Brewery. As far as desserts go, I would suggest trying to check out The Big Gay Ice Cream stand because its sometimes impossible to get near their truck in the summer months.  I would also try to go to People’s Pops. I bought their cookbook last summer for my sister and have been dying to try out the real thing but haven’t made it to their store yet.

Sadly, unless you were able to snag the free tickets when they were distributed in early spring you’re out of luck on getting into the event BUT that doesn’t mean you can’t check out some of these amazing restaurants in their locations all around the city. Why not make a thrifty adventure out of it?

If you go:

The Great GoogaMooga

Prospect Park, Brooklyn

Friday 5/17: 4PM– 10PM

Saturday 5/18: 11AM– 8PM

Sunday 5/19: 11AM– 8PM

 

A Thrifty Adventure: Madison Sq Eats

This week a rehearsal brought me down to the Madison Square Park area. I never spend much time in that neighborhood, but when I do I am always slightly disappointed by the presence of affordable lunch/dinner options. Of course you can figure out something tasty and relatively cheap at NY mainstays Eataly or Shake Shack, but I’m talking about $10 ‘I’m so broke because pay day is a week away’ dinners. All of this brings me to one of my favorite NYC food events that’s happening right now through the end of the month: Madison Square Eats.

Usually two times a year, the plaza slightly above the intersection of Broadway and Fifth avenue is shut down by around thirty pop up restaurants with tons of cheap dining options. It’s absolutely possible to have a killer culinary treat within the $10-15 range. Of course there are the NYC treats like Momofuku Milk Bar($2 compost cookies that are to die for) and the Red Hook Lobster pound ($16 for a buttery warm lobster roll). Where Madison Square Eats succeeds the most are the outposts for the wildly successful food carts that don’t have brick and mortar shops usually. It’s a delight to be able to actually have a table and chair while enjoying tasty burritos and affordable beer from Mexicue. Last night I treated myself to a trio of street meat from Seol Lee Korean Bar B Cue- a first time pop up restaurant- which was so fresh and satisfying for under $10.

If you’re looking for an alternate to the usual penny pinching Subway sandwich, why not take a thrifty adventure down to Madison Square Eats and dine al fresco in the shadow of the flatiron building!

If You Go:
Madison Square Eats
Worth Square (at the intersection of Broadway, 5th Ave, and 25th St.)
Through Friday, May 31st
Open Daily 11am-9pm

Veggie Frittata (in a Rice Cooker)

A few months ago Tom posted an intriguing article on my Facebook wall: 21 Surprising Things You Can Make In A Rice Cooker. Naturally my mind was blown after scrolling through the images of all of the new possibilities for my rice cooker. I decided that a good safe bet would be improving upon the vegetable frittata. At the time of messing around with this recipe Tom was working an event that had leftovers from a reception’s veggie tray coming home with him nightly. I loved the combination of those veggies making for a tasty weekend breakfast. I have since made it on a sundays to slice off pieces for quick and healthy weekday morning breakfasts.

Veggie Frittata (in a Rice Cooker)

6 eggs

2 tbs Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 green pepper

1 head cauliflower

1 red onion

1 red potato, diced into small cubes

4 cloves of garlic

1/2 tsp basil

1/2 tsp thyme

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Finely dice pepper, cauliflower, onion, garlic, and potato. In a medium pan heat 1 tbs of olive oil and sauté vegetables for about 6 minutes and the potatoes are starting to get soft. Season with salt, pepper, basil, and thyme then remove from heat. In a small bowl whisk together eggs until they are throughly mixed. Stir in cheddar cheese.

Prepare the rice cooker by spraying the insert with nonstick cooking spray. Add sautéed vegetables and cheesy egg mixture, stirring to evenly distribute. Cook on the “white rice” setting and the frittata will be finished in about an hour.

Feel free to mess around with different veggie and cheese combinations. I found that sometimes the top looks somewhat wet when the rice cooker is first opened. I usually let the steam escape and then flip it over for the more ‘presentable’ side of the frittata. Enjoy!

~Charlie

Starbucks Fake Out: Cranberry Bliss Bars

Tom has been perfecting his Starbucks knock off cranberry bliss bars over the past few months and it’s FINALLY time to share it on Thrifty Foodies. We’ve had these at so many gatherings and they are always a hit. I think they taste better than the ones you buy at Starbucks and absolutely have less preservatives than them.

Cranberry Bliss Bars

For the Bar:

3/4 cup softened salted butter
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar

2 1/4 cups flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
2 eggs
3/4 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup dried cranberries
6 oz white baking chocolate, chopped

 

For the Icing:

 

8 oz nonfat cream cheese, softened

6 oz melted white baking chocolate

3 cups Powdered Sugar

1 tsp vanilla

zest of 1 orange

 

Using an electric mixer or stand mixer cream together butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla. In a small bowl combine flour, salt, baking powder, and cinnamon. Slowly add flour mixture into butter mixture until incorporated. Stir in chopped white chocolate and cranberries- at this point the batter is super thick. Spread into a greased and floured 13×9 baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 18-20 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. It’s very important not to over bake or they will be too crunchy to enjoy. Let cool completely before icing.

 

While the cookie portion is baking prepare the icing. Using your electric mixer or stand mixer whisk together cream cheese, vanilla, and orange zest. Slowly add in powdered sugar until it is mixed together well. Melt white chocolate in the microwave in 15 second intervals, stirring frequently to make sure things don’t burn. Pour half of the melted white chocolate into the icing mixture. Frost bars, sprinkle cranberries on frosting, and drizzle with the remaining melted white chocolate.

 

Enjoy!

~Charlie

 

 

 

“Banana Bread” Breakfast Quinoa

Merry Christmas Eve to all of my Thrifty Foodies readers! I hope you are all home safe with your families and settled in to enjoy the holiday. For Christmas this year I adventured into an old family recipe for banana bread thats been passed down through the generations. I made a few tiny loafs for my supervisors at work and then some for my roommates and I to enjoy. As usual, I had a bunch of left over bananas. I’ve been wanting to try another breakfast quinoa recipe after the success of my Pumpkin Quinoa Casserole. Since things are getting colder in NYC, now seemed to be the perfect time. Here’s what I came up with using leftover banana bread ingredients. The eggs cook and make an almost custard like bread pudding texture. This is definitely going to be a recipe I double(or triple) at the beginning of the week in order to make weekday breakfasts.

“Banana Bread” Breakfast Quinoa

1/3 cup Quinoa

2/3 cup water

2 eggs

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp kosher salt

1 tsp brown sugar

1 mashed banana

handful of dried cranberries

handful of chopped walnuts

honey for drizzling

In a microwave safe bowl combine quinoa and water. Cover and cook for 5 minutes. Stir and cook for an additional 2 minutes. Remove from microwave and let it sit covered while you assemble the rest of the ingredients. In a small bowl combine eggs, brown sugar, mashed banana, cinnamon, salt, cranberries, and walnuts. Stir together until the eggs are fully incorporated. Spoon quinoa into the mix trying to avoid adding any remaining water. Separate mixture into ramekins and microwave for 3-4 minutes until center is set. Serve with a drizzle of honey on top.

Enjoy!

~Charlie