Cookbook Review: Pampered Chef Favorites Made Gluten Free

  
    I am super excited to have the opportunity to bring you a review of a new cookbook. I'm a huge Pampered Chef fan to begin with. I have tons of their products and love them. However, I always hate going to the parties people throw because the food made is NEVER gluten free. So you just have to sit there drooling and wishing you could have some. Until now.....Pampered Chef has finally come out with a gluten free cookbook!! YEAH THEM!!
     To say I was excited about this book was an understatement. I couldn't wait to get my copy to see what they had come up with for us. They did not disappoint!! The book itself is smaller than expected, which initially shocked me, but now I love it's size. It's the perfect size to sit on the counter while you cook and it doesn't take up ALL the space. It is 8 in. by 6 in. and is spiral bound. I love the binding because you can lay it out flat and not have to sit a sugar bag or rolling pin on it to keep it open.
     Each recipe has a picture of what you are making. The food photography is amazing. Each picture makes your stomach growl and your mouth drool. I love a cookbook with pictures!
     Oh, and let's talk price. According to the pampered chef website this book is only $8!! It is well worth $8. I have spent far more on lesser cookbooks in my gluten free time.
      I decided that I of course had to TEST a recipe to see if there was any merit beyond pretty pictures and yummy titles. I tested Jalapeno Popper Pizzas and Taffy Apple Pizza. I tried to stick as closely as I could to the instructions. However, I don't own every pampered chef accoutrement that is mentioned to use in the recipes so I had to improvise some. No big deal though.
     The recipes use mostly Bob's Red Mill and Betty Crocker's gluten free line of mixes. So it is nice that the ingredients are easy to find, and use some short cuts. We all need short cuts once in a while!
     The Jalapeno Popper Pizzas were a hit. They were easy to make and turned out great. The only difference from my recipe to theirs was that mine made 15 pizzas and theirs said it would make 24. I guess I made mine bigger. OOPS! The flavor was good and they were loved even by non gluten free folks. I would call them a success.

Jalapeno Popper Pizzas

     I also made Taffy Apple Pizza which is a dessert pizza. It was easy to put together. It used a Betty Crocker gluten free yellow cake mix for the base (not mixed according to the box). The taste of this recipe was good, but the base was very crumbly and didn't hold together as much as I would have liked it to. This recipe doesn't really make great leftovers, so it would have to be made for an occasion where you knew it would all be eaten. That all being said, it tasted good, looked pretty, and was enjoyed. I would make it again, but with a few tweaks.

Taffy Apple Pizza

     There are several other recipes that I can't wait to try out in this new book. One that I see being used for multiple uses is a recipe for Crescent dough (crescent rolls) that is used in their recipe for Chicken and Broccoli Braid. I can't wait to try that out! Their picture looks amazing for that. The book has recipes for Appetizers, Main Dishes and Desserts. Lots of yummy ideas.
      So if you are looking for a new gluten free cookbook, or maybe even a gift for a gluten free loved one, this cookbook is well worth your $8. I hope this is just the first of many gluten free cookbooks put out by Pampered Chef.
     If you are interested in getting your gluten free hands on this book you will either need to order it through a Pampered Chef consultant, or you can order it online at PamperedChef.com . Just FYI.... I have not been compensated for my review, other than receiving the book to review. So this is just my opinion on the book. I hope my review was informative for you and maybe even helped you to decide if you need a new cookbook in your kitchen.

-Jessica
    

My secret for you: Re-heating pizza to make it new again

     Want to know a secret?? How about a secret that will forever change your life? I have one for you today. I'm going to teach you the secret way to re-heat pizza. It is life changing!! You will want to name your first born after me when you are done reading this......unless it's a boy.
     We all hate soggy cold pizza. Soggy warm pizza comes in at a close second place. You put the pizza in the microwave and it comes out warm, but soggy crust. You re-heat it in the oven and it comes out overcooked and dry. ICK! So here is your life changing tip of the day!! You will need a skillet, piece of foil, and your cold pizza slice.

Place your slice into the pan. Turn the heat on very low and cover with foil.

The key is low flame and the foil to keep the heat in.

 

Check the pizza after 4 or so minutes to see if it is warm enough. You don't want to burn the bottom so be sure that heat is very low. Let the foil do it's job of keeping the heat in and warming the toppings while the direct heat from the burner crispies up your crust.

 

You know when it is warm because the cheese will get that shiny look to it, and of course it will feel warm to the touch. Once it is warm then serve immediately. You will never go back to putting pizza in the microwave again!

     I hope that you enjoy this life changing tip. I ONLY re-heat my pizza this way. I have this perfect little skillet and it is just the right size for one slice. The pizza tastes just like it did the night before (sometimes better) if you re-heat it this way. Enjoy!

-Jessica

Zu Za (Mini Zucchini Pizzas)

     Ok, so this is another idea inspired by Pinterest. I couldn't decide which way it was going to go....would I LOVE this recipe or would it bomb. Well the results are in and I LOVE it! It isn't exactly like pizza, but it is more like a yummy veggie version. You don't have to feel as guilty for eating these versus regular pizzas.
     I'm not really going to type out a recipe for you, but I will show you some pictures and tell you how I made my Zu Za's (get it zu from zucchini and za from pizza, I can SEE you rolling your eyes so stop it )

On a foil lined cookie sheet sprayed with cooking spray. lay down the slices of zucchini.

Top each slice with pizza sauce.

Top with your favorite topping. I used pepperoni and banana pepper fresh out of my garden.

Then top with cheese.

Set your oven to BROIL and broil the ZA's for 10-12 min. or until the top is browned.

I hope you enjoy this slightly healthier alternative to pizza. I did!

-Jessica

Minsky's Pizza : Lawrence, Kansas A little gluten free review for you

     I know that this review will not apply to all of you, since many of you don't live in Kansas. However, I had to share. A few months ago I started noticing commercials on T.V. for Minsky's pizza with a little tag line that said something to the effect of "now with certified gluten free pizza". Of course my ears perked up when I heard "gluten free pizza"!!
     I looked up their locations online. They have several in both Kansas and Missouri. I made a little mental note that I needed to stop there sometime when I was in the area.
     About two months or so ago, I had the opportunity to drop in on their Olathe location (159th and MUR-Len). I was on my way home so I got carry-out. I sat down in a chair and waited. My chair just happened to be positioned to where I could partially see in the kitchen (not on purpose). I watched them take my pizza to a seperate area, use a seperate stack of to-go boxes, use seperate utensils to cut it. I was SO impressed. I took my pizza home and had it for supper. It was yummy. I had zero side effects from eating there. I was sooooo very happy with my Minsky's experience. It seems that I always have some sort of tummy issue after eating pizza out, but I didn't after eating at Minsky's.
     Today I had the opportunity to visit their newly opened location in Lawrence, Kansas. I was super excited to hear that Minsky's had come back to Lawrence. I was greeted at the door cheerfully. I was seated and waited on quickly and by very kind and cheerful people. They gave me a gluten free menu to order with. The number of choices were impressive. I didn't feel "cheated" because there were several toppings and options to choose from.....even a dessert on the menu!!
     Their gluten free za comes in two sizes a mini and small. I decided to go with the small so that I would have leftovers and not have to cook supper tonight (oh yes I'm always thinking of ways to get out of cooking supper ha). I ordered the Small Gluten Free Combo pizza (hamburger, sausage, green peppers, onions, pepperoni, and black olives (but I had them swap the olives for mushrooms)).
    My waitress was super nice. She seemed to know a little about gluten free. She said that a friend of hers was recently diagnosed and she has a hard time. She said the friend is also dairy free and vegan ontop of gluten free!! I can't imagine trying to wade through all the labels her friend has to read.
     My pizza came out looking amazing. It had tons of toppings (which I love because I hate when places skimp on the toppings). It had tons of ooey gooey cheese. It just looked yummy!!

Doesn't it look yummy?!?!?!

     It tasted as great as it looked. The crust was able to be picked up without falling apart. It held together like a champ. Great flavor. It was a very good gluten free pizza.

     The real test is of course 30 minutes and beyond AFTER I ate the yummy pizza. Again, I had zero side effects from eating at Minsky's. I applaud them for doing such a great job with the cross contamination issues and keeping them to a minimum. You will definately get my return business because I can eat there without the fear of being sick.

     Minksy's website says that they are trained by GREAT (Gluten Free Resource  Education and Awareness Training), a verified gluten free program. They also of course have the disclaimer that they do their best and try to provide you with a gluten free meal, but there are no guarantees (which of course we all know). HOWEVER, I think Minsky's is doing a great job.

      Thank you for putting the effort into creating a safe environment for people with celiac and gluten allergies to grab some ZA! It really means more than you probably realize. Now if only you were in MY town and could deliver to my door.................hint hint!

Look at all that amazing cheese!!!

FULL of toppings! YUM!

So the moral of the story is......if you are near a Minsky's go and check them out because they are rockin' the gluten free pizza!!

-Jessica

*These words are just my personal opinion and I have not been compensated by Minsky's to say them :)

Grilled Pizza......summertime favorite

     So this isn't really going to be a "recipe". I guess you could call it more of a tutorial or a "how to". I absolutely LOVE to make pizza on the grill. I don't do anything too fancy with it, but I still love doing it. It really isn't too hard to do, you just have to really keep an eye on it so your crust doesn't end up charred. Because, charred crust it gross!! Ask me how I know?!?! ha
     The first time I tried grilling pizza I used a prepared pizza from a box. It turned out great and I was hooked on grilled pizza. If you just think of your grill as a big outdoor oven then you will be fine. Some grills have thermometers on the outside that will tell you what the internal temp of the grill is. You can also just purchase an oven thermometer and that will tell you how hot it is in there. The thermometer is probably pretty helpful for your first time trying to grill the pizza. You want to try to keep the grill at an even temperature that is as close to the same temperature as your oven would be if you were cooking indoors.
     I use a Chebe Pizza mix. It is my favorite for pizza, indoors or out! Then my favorite toppings and cheese. Just like normal. Like I said, the key is just keeping an eye on the pizza so it doesn't burn the crust.

I mixed the crust according to the package and rolled it out onto a greased cookie sheet. It went out onto the grill on the top shelf on a medium/high heat for 10 min.

I then topped the crust with all of the yummy toppings and cheese. I cooked it on a medium/low heat for another 10-15minutes. I checked it a couple of times to be sure nothing was burning. Your pizza may take more or less time depending on your grill and the type of crust and toppings you used.

Best tip for grilling pizza: keep an eye on it so it doesn't burn!!

Yum!! Crispy grilled pizza.

Enjoy your pizza. This is one of my summertime favorites for the grill!

-Jessica

Cauliflower Pizza Crust.........trust me it's NOT gross!

     I ran across this recipe on Pinterest for Cauliflower Crust Pizza....it had about a zillion pins. I decided that at some point in time I would give this recipe a try. It sounded weird, but it was quite popular with the pinning crowd. I had my reservations about it. Cauliflower is a veggie that I like (with cheese). I figured that trying it once would not kill me....hopefully.
     The hardest part of the recipe is ricing the cauliflower. It isn't that it is hard, it just a little messy. However, my one head of cauliflower made a cookie sheet sized pizza, a mini pizza, and enough for another recipe that size that I put into the freezer (2 cups of riced cooked cauliflower). So at least you only have to make the mess once in a while.
     I was very surprised that the cauliflower isn't really able to be detected in the finished product. I figured it would have a bizzaro flavor, but it didn't! It tasted good. Did I just say that? A veggie crust tasted good?!?! My Mom happened to stop by while I was cooking and she tried it when it came out of the oven. She was also shocked. She thought it was really good as well. She kept saying "there is cauliflower in here?" ha Yep, Mom in the crust!!
     The texture of the crust wasn't quite stiff enough to pick up, however it was very close. On the mini pizza I could pick up the slices. On the bigger rectangle pizza I didn't chance dropping toppings all over. I liked the texture though.
     I made a few changes to the original recipe. You know me, I never seem to leave recipes alone. It just doesn't seem possible for me to follow a recipe without making it my own. Adding and subtracting things to get MY version. Without further adieu..............

Cauliflower Pizza Crust
1 cup cooked, riced cauliflower
3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/3 cup parmasean cheese, grated
1 egg, beaten
2 tsp Italian seasoning mix
1/2 tsp garlic powder
3 large cloves garlic, minced

Pizza toppings: veggies, cheese, pepperoni, meat etc.
To rice the cauliflower: Wash and dry one large head of fresh cauliflower. Remove leaves and stems. Chop into chunks. Place the chunks into a food processor or heavy duty blender (you may want to do several small batches instead of the whole head at once). Pulse on high until the cauliflower resembles a grain. Don't go too long or it will turn to mush and we don't want mush. (Ricing may also be done by using a cheese grater, grate the head of cauliflower if you don't own a food processor or blender). Place the cauliflower into a microwave safe bowl and cook for 8 minutes. You do not need to add any liquid.

One large head of fresh cauliflower should be 3-4 cups of riced cauliflower . The recipe calls for 1 cup,  however I doubled my recipe to make a pizza on a cookie sheet. The remainder may be saved for another time. I packaged mine and put it into the freezer.

The Crust:
Pre heat the oven to 450 deg. and spray a cookie sheet or pizza pan with cooking spray.

In a medium size bowl. Combine the egg, spices, and cheeses. Add in the cauliflower and mix until well combined.

Using a spatula spread the mixture out in a thin layer on the greased cookie sheet. You want a thin, even, layer of crust mixture. Be sure that there aren't any holes.

Bake at 450 deg. for 15 min. Remove from the oven and top with your favorite toppings.

Increase the heat on the oven to broil and place the topped pizza back into the oven for 8-10 min. or until the cheese is melty and slightly browned.

I never would have guessed that cauliflower makes a good pizza crust!

To rice the cauliflower I used my blender. I did several small batches.

You want to have a grain like consistency, not a mush.

Here is a snazzy little video clip of me ricing some cauliflower......get excited!

Once you have the cauliflower ready, you just need to mix up the other ingredients.

Beat the egg, then add the spices and cheeses. Then the cauliflower goes in.

On a greased cookie sheet, spread the mixture into a thin even layer.

Bake at 450 deg. for 15 minutes

Abstract mini pizza crust.

I put the leftover riced cooked cauliflower into a freezer bag and into the freezer.

Remove the crust from the oven and add your favorite sauce and toppings.

This recipe turned out much better than I had ever anticipated. I hope that you love it as much as I did. It is low-carb and gluten free and yummy! Enjoy!!!

-Jessica

What do you like on your pizza?

    What do you want on your tombstone? Ok I probably just dated myself with that commercial reference. For those of you young enough to not remember that commercial....it was for tombstone pizza. (which is of course not gluten free, but it IS what popped into my head when I was thinking about writing the blog tonight ha)

    I made pizza tonight. I had gotten some Udi's crusts and I was wanting to try them out. They were pretty good. They held up well with all of the toppings that I like to pile on my pie. They were crispy and convenient. I'm not sure how much they cost, these were sent to me. Cost is usually a huge deciding factor for me on how often I purchase a gluten free product.

    While making my pizza tonight I got to thinking about toppings. There are zillions of toppings and combinations that people like on their pizza. I'm probably classified as pretty plain Jane. I like hamburger, onions, green peppers, pepperoni, cheese and mushrooms (so basically supreme minus the nasty black olives). I also like Hawaiian (ham and pineapple). There is a place up in the city that does gluten free pizza. They use crimini mushrooms and caramelized onions....that's pretty amazing too! Taco pizza is good, but I'm still working on the right combinations to get it perfect for my taste. What do YOU like on your pizza?