craving pizza. We haven’t indulged in a hot, homemade pizza in a while. As I scanned the shelves of my pantry to collect the necessary ingredients, an unopened package of mesquite flour caught my eye. Hmmm, what would that taste like mixed into my tried-and-true pizza crust recipe?

Tried-and-true recipes are just sitting there waiting to be messed with anyway if you ask me.

How many of you are familiar with mesquite flour? You probably recognize mesquite as the wood chips you use in the grilling process to impart a smoky flavor to some meat or poultry, or even veggies. Well, this is made from the dried and ground bean pods of the mesquite plant. It’s a leguminous plant so for you that means more protein than your all-purpose wheat flour has. And, speaking of wheat flour, mesquite flour is gluten free! It has a sweet, slightly nutty flavor and is a good source of fiber, calcium, and magnesium.

I only used mesquite flour for a portion of the total flour called for in my original crust recipe. The substitution here is mostly for the sweet, nutty flavor it will contribute to my pizza crust.

You could use your taste bud imagination to come up with a variety of toppings. I selected these yellow cherry tomatoes which are little tomato flavor bombs, some fresh mozzerella, and chopped parsley. Next time I might go the way of a dessert pizza, fresh berries, shaved dark chocolate, and dollops of ricotta!

Mesquite Crust Pizza

• 4 cups white whole wheat flour
• ¼ cup mesquite flour
• 1 ¾ teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon instant yeast
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 1 ¾ cups warm water

With that in mind, I attempted to bump it up a notch this week. I went back to a cookbook which I thumb through often, marking pages containing recipes I really want to tackle . . . when I have more time. Well, it seems I rarely get back to them because I never make the extra time.

This week I had the excuse. I wanted to offer a dish that was as interesting to look at as it was to taste. This is a vegan creation from Isa Chandra Moskowitz via her cookbook Veganomican. She recommends saving this one for a Sunday Night Dinner due to the time investment needed to prepare it. I used a mandolin which helped to move things along a bit and kept my layering nice and even.

The pine nut cream was easy to whir together and would be delicious dolloped over steamed vegetables, a pasta dish, or as a repalcement for the cheese on a vegan mushroom pizza.

Eggplant Potato Moussaka with Pine Nut Cream

adapted from Veganomican

Vegetable layer:

• 1 pound eggplant
• 1 pound zucchini
• 1 1/2 pounds long russet baking potatoes
• 1/4 cup olive oil

Sauce:

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 4 large shallots, thinly sliced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/3 cup red wine
• 2- 15 ounce cans crushed tomatoes, with juice
• 2 teaspoons oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Pine Nut Topping:

• 1 pound soft tofu
• 1/2 cup pine nuts
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon arrowroot powder
• 1 clove garlic
• pinch nutmeg
• 1 1/4 teaspoon salt or to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
• 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
• Extra pine nuts for garnish

❶ Preheat oven to 400℉. Lightly oil three baking sheets or line with parchment paper.

❷ Wash and trim stem from eggplant and zucchini. Scrub and peel potato. Slice the eggplant, zucchini and potato, lengthwise, into approximately 1/4 inch thick slices. Salt eggplant slices and drain in a colander for 15 minutes. Rinsing with cold water and pat dry with a paper towel .

❸ Place the eggplant slices on one baking sheet, the zucchini on a second, and the potato slices on the last sheet. Distribute 1/4 cup oil between the three sheets and sprinkle the zucchini and potato slices with some salt. Toss to coat, making sure each piece is completely coated with oil. Spread vegetables out with minimal overlapping. Roast the zucchini and eggplant for 15 minutes or until tender. Roast the potatoes for about 22 minutes, until edges are lightly browned. Remove from oven and let cool.

❹ While vegetables are cooking prepare the tomato sauce. Add remaining 1/4 cup olive oil and minced garlic to a large heavy bottom sauce pot. Bring to medium heat and let garlic sizzle for about 30 seconds, then add shallots and cook until soft and translucent, 3 to 4 minutes. Add wine and simmer until slightly reduced, another 3 minutes. Add crushed tomatoes, oregano, ground cinnamon and bay leaf. Partially cover and simmer over medium-low heat for 12 to 14 minutes, stirring occasionally. Sauce should reduce slightly. Turn off the heat, remove bay leaf and leave it chunky or purée with an immersion blender.

❺ Make the pine nut topping:
In a food processor blend together pine nuts and lemon juice, scrapping the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula until a creamy paste forms. Add tofu, garlic, arrowroot, nutmeg, salt and white pepper. Blend until creamy and smooth.

❻ Lightly oil a 9 x 13 pan and preheat oven again to 400℉. Spread 1/4 cup of sauce in the pan, then add a layer of the following; eggplant, potatoes, sauce, and half of the breadcrumbs. Spread all of the zucchini on top of this. Top with a final layer of eggplant, potatoes, sauce and breadcrumbs. Use a rubber spatula to evenly spread the pine nut topping over the entire top, smoothing out any uneven spots. Scatter a few pine nuts on top if desired. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until top is lightly browned and a few cracks have formed in the topping. Allow to cool 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

Coconut Pecan Granola

You might find something like Quinoa with Roasted Asparagus and Shrimp on a GF restaurant menu. It may not appear to be a special diet restriction at all. Although it contains no gluten, this is a healthy meal option for almost anyone. It offers a lean protein, a vegetable, and a whole grain.

I wanted to create a food that might be more a challenging GF treat. Doughnuts are one item that is sorely missed if you are avoiding gluten or wheat. My creation is more of a mini cake, but is baked in doughnut pans.

Ice them as soon as they can be handled comfortably. They taste best when eaten the day they were baked.

Gluten-Free Chocolate Doughnuts with Peanut Butter Frosting

Now you can substitute other dried fruits for the ones used here. Choose your favorites. If your fruit seems a bit too dry, soak in some warm water for a few minutes and drain before adding to the recipe.

I have a feeling that almost everyone except me enjoys a sweet meal replacement bar. I came to this conclusion after scanning through all the flavor options for any bar on the shelf. Cookie or pie-flavored bars are not exactly what I’m looking for, which is why you will always find tamari almonds in my bag, car, or house for a quick nosh.

My alternative choice is dried mango. Yes, it’s sweet, but not white sugar sweet. These are a nice combination of nuts and dried fruit without the slap-in-the-face sweetness. They also contain fiber to provide a slow and steady feed of energy. The intense chocolate flavor from the cocoa powder elevates them to rectangular awesomeness!

Chocolate Tropical Fruit Bars

• ½ cup dried papaya, soaked in warm water, drained, chopped
• ¼ cup dates, pitted
• ¼ cup dried pineapple, chopped
• 3 tablespoons unsweetened coconut
• ½ cup raw almonds
• ½ cup raw pecans
• 1 tablespoon cocoa powder

❶ Place the papaya, dates, and pineapple in a food processor and pulse 7 times. Add coconut, nuts, and cocoa powder and process until nuts are chopped and combined with the dried fruit.
❷ Transfer the mixture onto a silicone liner or a cutting board. Press into a rectangle and slice into 6 bars. Store in the refrigerator.

‘ve been invited to join a meal exchange. One of the big attractions for me – it’s vegetarian! I feel my best when most of my meals are vegetarian or at least light on the meat and heavy on the veggies. My creative vegetarian juices are flowing. All other projects have come to a screeching halt.

I enjoyed a soup prepared by another member of the group for lunch today. An “everything-but-the-kitchen-sink” sort of bean, grain, and veggie soup. It was delicious. So nice to have something homemade, prepared and ready to eat. Thank you.

I thought about the time I spent with this group as we exchanged what we brought for each other. Each of us was so enthusiastic about what we had created. Each dish was something that we enjoy eating and were thrilled to share.

These were genuine people who like to work out hard and enjoy good food. These are the kind of people who give energy. They fire up your imagination with fresh ideas and enthusiasm for what is possible. I have several friends outside of this group who fit this description and the interesting thing is they have a sensuous way with food. They don’t follow a recipe they just sense what textures and flavors will develop into a heavenly dish. It leaves me speechless. My friends are great chefs in their own homes. Ahhh. . .

This is my own creation. I can never leave a simple soup well enough alone. Several vegetables with different textures were added before I wrapped things up for the swap.

Red Lentil Soup with Spinach

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 medium carrots, chopped
• 1 medium celery rib, chopped
• 1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes, do not drain
• 1 tablespoon turmeric
• 2 teaspoons cumin
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1½ cups red lentils
• 8 ounces fresh spinach or chopped, frozen, thawed
• ¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
• ¼ cup fresh lemon juice, (about one lemon)

Gluten-free. It’s a hot diet trend right now. Why would someone want to cut out gluten ( the protein found in wheat) from their diet? Well, individuals diagnosed with Celiac Disease must avoid gluten-containing foods or the small intestine will actually be damaged. People with gluten sensitivity or intolerance probably should avoid gluten, but this is a fuzzy area. And people with allergies to foods or ingredients containing gluten should avoid those foods or ingredients. The best thing to do is to be tested to determine exactly what the issue is.

The Gluten-free diet is not a weight loss diet, although some celebrities who avoid gluten may make it appear beneficial in that way. It may have a role in improving behavioral disorders, such as autism. There is a dizzying list of symptoms which may be alleviated by cutting out gluten-containing food and ingredients, such as stomach pain, bloating, constipation, fatigue, headaches, and infertility to name just a few.

As a result of all the recent attention to G-free eating, it is now a lot easier to find a restaurant, cookbook, and ingredients designed specifically for this diet. After ruling out Celiac Disease and allergies, if you think you still might be sensitive to gluten give the diet a try. If you are experiencing a questionable symptom see if you feel better.

But remember, keep it healthy. Don’t just run out and grab every gluten-free cookie, pancake mix, and box of pasta out there. Balance your meals with naturally g-free fruits, vegetables, dairy products, meat, poultry, seafood, nuts, beans, and legumes. You may have been eating many gluten-free meals without even realizing it!

Quinoa is one of the g-free grains. It’s as quick and easy to cook as rice and is just as versatile in recipes. I had a hard time getting these quinoa patties down on the serving platter before someone came by and swiped one or two . . .  If you don’t need to go g-free, substitute all-purpose flour for the rice flour as you most likely have that in the pantry already.

Vegetable Parmesan Quinoa Patties

• 3 cups quinoa, cooked
• ½ cup parmesan cheese, grated
• ½ cup non- or low fat plain greek yogurt
• 1 medium carrot, grated
• 1 small zucchini, grated and squeezed dry
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 3 tablespoons gluten-free flour, such as rice
• 2 green onions, chopped
• 2 teaspoons fresh thyme
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ⅛ teaspoon pepper
• 3 tablespoons olive oil

I am deeply curious. I watch to futher my understanding of why these men and women react to events in their lives by comforting themselves with amounts of food that could feed an entire family. Their whole world has been rocked by some type of personal crisis which prevents them from recognizing how they are further harming themselves. This is an eating disorder – overeating.

I always feel the urge to help. But this is a complicated puzzle involving many health disciplines in addition to nutrition. It’s not just what they are putting in their mouth . . .

During a recent show the contestants were given a popular brand of energy bars to take along on a hike. One woman read off the ingredients contained in the bar. There were only three. I thought it might be a fun experiment to try to make my own.

It’s a good idea to have some type of “emergency food” tucked away when you are out running errands or at work. A 200 calorie bar can help to get you your next healthy meal without having to resort to fast food or the poor choices in a vending machine. Dried fruit and nuts will help to quell those hunger pangs and keep you in control or help you recover after a hike.

Mango and coocnut are the flavors I wanted to feature in this bar. No sugar or other sweetener was necessary, the dried fruit provided plenty. These bars are raw, vegan, gluten-free, and very quick to whip up!

Mango Coconut Energy Bars

i 

like eating vegan meals every once in a while. I find them to be a cleansing break from the meat and sweet eating that I do enjoy. For my system, a totally plant-based repast seems to keep everything running smoothly and keep my head clear.

This soup is light, easy to make, and features one of my favorite vegetables: broccoli. I guess you could say that as much as one of our past presidents hated this veggie, I have a passion for it! And it just happens to be chock full of some really popular vitamins and minerals to boot.

So yea! Here is how to do it:

Vegan Cream of Broccoli Soup

Vegan Cream of Broccoli Soup

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic , sliced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 heads broccoli, trimmed and chopped
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 cups plain soy milk
• 2 cups low sodium vegetable broth
• ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg
• ¼ teaspoon pepper
• 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
• 1 tomato, seeded and diced

My searching produced a recipe for shortbread cookies. Aha! No baking soda or powder required and maybe I could try these cookies without the little bit of salt called for.

They were simple to make, had a nice gentle crunch, and a smooth, buttery texture. I added mini chocolate chips for some interest. A nice option when the world of cookies offers a limited selection for those on special diets.

No Salt Chocolate Chip Shortbread

• ½ cup cornstarch
• ½ cup confectioner’s sugar
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• ¾ cup unsalted butter, softened
• ½ cup mini chocolate chips