Recipe Corner - Pecan Pie Cheesecake

This post is a few days late (ok almost a week) . . . But surely all will be forgiven when you see the amazing and decadent dessert I'm sharing with you today!  I've made this cheesecake twice now this week (one for each Christmas celebration we had - it's been fun experiencing our first Christmas together as a married couple and celebrating with both sides of our family.) And it's been a delicious treat to share with both families.

I found the recipe via Pinterest (check out my page for many more food pins) and ultimately used the recipe from Lil' Luna (which can be found here).  Fair warning - this cheesecake is extremely rich and decadent.  Go easy on the serving sizes.  :)

Pecan Pie Filling

The first time I made it without the crust since we're gluten-free, and I couldn't find any vanilla wafers that were also gluten-free.  Still tasted amazing.  The second time we made it with a crust, and it was still amazing.  Another change I made was substituting honey for the dark corn syrup.  I did a 1-1 ratio substitution; however, you can use the corn syrup or do another substitution.  My family decreed the pecan pie filling bottom absolutely the sweetest part of this cheesecake.

Once the pecan pie filling is made and in the pan, the next step is cheesecake (my favorite part)!  I would advise letting the pecan pie filling part cool in the fridge while you mix the cheesecake to keep the cheesecake from filling the center and pushing the pecan pie filling up the sides.

Next came the hard part - letting the cheesecake sit overnight so that we could mix up the topping and finish it the next day.  But the topping tastes and looks amazing!  And, as an added bonus, it hides any mistakes or imperfections in your cheesecake top!  I do recommend, however, baking your cheesecake in a water bath.  This helps prevent cracking.  But also wrap the bottom of your cheesecake pan with tinfoil to avoid getting water inside.

And voila!  You've got an amazing and decadent dessert perfect for any special occasion!  As an added bonus, I used my leftover heavy whipping cream to make my own whipped cream - 1 c. whipping cream + 2 tbsp. sugar/honey + 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract.

What do you think?  What's your favorite dessert?  

Recipe Corner - Gluten-Free Paleo Flatbread

From my pizza days . . . back when I didn't care about eating wheat.

I really enjoy pizza . . . it's a comfort food.  With my O-blood type, however, "normal" pizza is absolutely out of the question as are most "gluten-free" options on the market (they typically include potato or corn of some variety - the only brand I've found so far without wheat, corn, OR potato is California Pizza Kitchen).  Regardless, let's just say it's very difficult to satisfy my pizza craving when pretty much my only option is making my own.  Not that I don't enjoy making my own pizza.  I really do enjoy that . . . worked as a pizza delivery girl/pizza maker for a few years in college.  But it's hard to find a pizza dough recipe that I can actually eat AND tastes good.  I found one on Thrive Market (it's made with tapioca flour and tastes pretty good.)  The one I'm going to share with you today works best if you cut it in small squares rather than large pieces . . . like a flatbread.

I adapted the recipe from this one for a Chicken Alfredo Flatbread.  First, mix together 1c. almond flour, 1 egg white, and 1/8 tsp. salt.
I was pleasantly surprised at how easily it turned into a dough ball with such little liquid.

Next, roll out the dough ball between two layers of parchment paper.  You'll want to make it pretty close to paper thin so that the thick flour will bake more crisply.  This dough recipe was originally a cracker recipe - I thought the original flatbread recipe crafter was pretty ingenious for combining recipes.  Bake the crust at 325 for 8 minutes.

Third, while your crust is baking, pick your toppings!  The original recipe was a Chicken Bacon Alfredo flatbread.  Given that pretty much all commercial alfredo sauce has corn or potato of some variety, I opted for a more traditional pizza.  But I did go with some spinach, tomatoes, and chicken.  And LOTS of mozzarella cheese.  It's the best!

Fourth, add your sauce to the rolled out dough.  Note that you leave the dough on one of the two pieces of parchment paper you used to roll out the dough.  Spread out your sauce and get ready for the fun part!

Fifth, add your toppings!  This looked pretty tasty, if I do say so myself.  Once you've added all of your toppings, broil it on high for 5 minutes or until the cheese is slightly golden.

And voila!  You have a wheat-free, potato-free, corn-free flatbread pizza!  You could even make it dairy-free by substituting a dairy-free cheese or nixing the cheese altogether!

I hope you try this recipe soon!  If you do, let me know how you like it in the comments section!

Recipe Corner - Chicken Parmesan Zucchini Boats

Everyone tries to eat healthy.  To avoid fattening foods.  To ban delicious starches from their lives.  But too often we have the idea that eating healthy = eating tasteless food substances.  In my quest for healthy eating, I have often struggled with the battle against the starches (which is especially difficult given my O blood type).  Wheat, potato, corn, etc. are all incredibly harmful to my body, and they make it very difficult to lose weight.  So my quest for recipes that are practically starch free AND tasty began.  I'm a huge Pinterest fan, and I probably spend too much time on there.  BUT they have an incredible array of recipes that are easy to follow and easily adaptable (when necessary) to my dietary restrictions.  One such recipe is the Chicken Parmesan Zucchini Boats that I made for the first time this past Monday.

I adapted the recipe (found here) slightly (since I couldn't find ground chicken at my local Trader Joe's), but the dish came out incredibly tasty.  And you can even make it dairy-free by using dairy-free cheese!

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  

Cook your chicken in a skillet (either ground chicken or chicken tenders/breasts).  I used chicken tenders and then chopped them up once they were done cooking.  

Sprinkle in some salt, pepper, and garlic and cook for a few minutes before mixing in the pasta sauce.  You can use whatever sauce you prefer - experiment!  Try sauce with mushrooms or peppers.  If there's anything I've learned since trying to eat more in line with my blood type, it's to take chances and try new things when cooking.  That's the only way I've been able to basically eating meat and vegetables for dinner every night appetizing and exciting.

In the meantime, halve your zucchini and scrape out the innards (think back to your Halloween pumpkin carving days).  Place your newly crafted zucchini boats in a greased 9x13 pan.  

Once you've finished cooking the chicken mixture, spoon it into your zucchini boats and top with parmesan cheese and mozzarella (as much or as little as you desire.)  Cover the pan with tin foil, slide it into your oven, and cook for 35 minutes.

While waiting for your zucchini boats to finish baking, ponder the following question: which came first?  The chicken or the egg?

When the timer goes off, you will gladly set aside your philosophical musings to taste the delicious dinner you've made instead.  Wait for the boats to cool slightly before serving.  You can top them with more parmesan cheese or freshly diced basil.  Serve and enjoy!

If you try this recipe, share your stories in the comments!  And if you have more recipes like this, share them!  I'm planning to adapt this recipe in many ways, including a tasty steak and peppers mix as well as a fish with peppers and sauce.  If you're looking for more tasty recipes (especially gluten-free ones) and can't wait until my next post, check out my Pinterest boards on gluten-free recipes, meal planning, and meals I've tried (and actually liked).