Say CHEEEEZE!

Vegan ‘Cheeze’ Sauce. Hmmm. A recipe worth tackling. Worth Tweaking. Worth Trying. Trust me. Nutritional Yeast and I have become practically besties over the last few weeks so I thought it was about time to break out the big guns. I have tried the faux blocks of cheese and while they taste decent at best, I am not the biggest fan. Maybe I need to try it in different recipes. I just hate the idea of eating something so processed especially when I know there is a recipe out there I can try.

I came home from my golf lesson the other night to find that my boys had taken it upon themselves to order pizza. The smells emanating from the box threw me into a pizza craving fit. Luckily I knew I had a leftover Rudi’s pizza crust in the freezer! I would make my own pizza and I
 would make it better than the saturated saucer in the take out box. I am calling a duel. ON GUARD!

A veggie pizza was an easy choice, and I had some marinara in the fridge I could smear for the base. But there was the question of cheese. I have baked with soy cheese in the past and it honestly didn’t provide the cheesy goodness flavor I desired. “It’s time…” my mind murmured to me while I caramelized my onions. I puttered over to the computer and pulled up a few vegan cheese recipes. I decided on Angela’s from her blog Oh She Glows. I am pretty dedicated to her these days as she has really helped me on my path to wellness through food.

I accidentally misread the amount of mustard to be put in but it tasted delicious. The cashew flavor was pretty prominent however so I think I will play around with it some more. It did taste like cheese though and brought great flavor to the pizza. Ok vegan cheeze, I surrender.


Gluten Free/Dairy Free Caramelized Onion and Mushroom Medley Pizza

Ingredients
• One gluten free pizza crust
• ¾ cup marinara (I used a bell pepper, black olive classico one)
• ½ package organic mushroom medley (cremini, Portobello, shitake)
• 1 sweet onion, cut into half moons
• Pinch kosher salt
• Black pepper to taste
• Angela’s vegan cheeze sauce (see recipe below)
• Extra virgin olive oil

Instructions
Preheat your oven to 375 F. Place your gluten free pizza crust on a pizza baking sheet. Smooth marinara evenly, leaving a quarter inch of edge for your crust. Lightly brush olive oil on exposed edges.

In a sauté pan on medium high heat add 1 tbs of EVOO and toss your onions in to coat. Add a pinch of kosher salt and constantly sauté and turn your onions until they have begun to turn a dark brown color. It took me about 20 minutes. Add the mushrooms and toss until softened, about another 5 minutes. I added a little Cajun seasoning because quite frankly I am obsessed but that is optional!

Remove from heat and let cool for a few minutes. Begin your cheeze sauce (recipe below). After taste testing…twice over here with absolute delight!...top your pizza with the veggies and finally drizzle the sauce on top. I added a little black pepper on top.

Bake in the oven for about 10-12 minutes or until your crust is golden brown.
Serve with a smile and say CHEEZE!


Angela’s “Cheeze” Sauce

Ingredients• 3/4 cup raw cashews
• 1 cup non-dairy milk (I used unsweetened + unflavoured soy milk), or more to thin out
• 3 garlic cloves
• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 2 tsp kosher salt, or to taste
• 6-7 tbsp Nutritional yeast (provides the cheesy consistency)
• 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1/2 tsp or a bit more of dried Italian seasoning
• 1/4-1/2 tsp Tumeric powder, optional (gives the orangey color)
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

InstructionsAssemble your cheeze sauce ingredients (cashews, non-dairy milk, garlic, lemon, salt, nutritional yeast, pepper, mustard, seasonings) and add just the cashews to food processor. Process until a fine crumb forms similar to corn meal. Now add in the rest of the cheese sauce ingredients and process until smooth. Adjust seasonings to taste.

**This recipe is vegan except for the pizza crust which contains eggs.

One Love, One Heart, One Gluten Free Pizza

Gluten Free pizza seems to be popping out of many restaurant ovens these days and I am lovin’ it! I have sampled Joe Mommas Pizza in the past and was pleased. I have tried Gina & Giuseppe’s pizza and it was quite delicious. But my friends, alas there is only ONE LOVE, ONE HEART, and ONE GLUTEN FREE PIZZA that truly tickles all the right pizza taste buds. A pizzeria that offers both Chicago style pizza AND gluten free pizza. A pizzeria where them belly full but we [AIN’T] hungry no more. A pizzeria where I don’t envy the deep dish pizza on my husband’s plate because mine is just as doughy and delicious. A place where I can get together and feel alright about eating gluten free at a restaurant. Enough hints? Well alright…

My no gluten, no cry pizza stop that satisfies my pizza cravings. So long cracker thin crust and hello again deep dish! Well, about as deep as gluten free goes.

I accidentally stumbled into this gluten free glorious revelation when my husband suggested we meet my parents there for dinner. I have been eating vegan/vegetarian anyway so I figured I would order a salad with some veggies and be on with my life. Pizzerias are never really my first choice when choosing dinner because I have to endure the wafting smells of oven baked goodness while I munch on lettuce. Don’t get me wrong, I love salads, but not necessarily in this setting. I went online and checked out the menu and saw that they offered gluten free. Wait, WHAT? Wow…You had me at local pizzeria. Add the clever name, setting, location (close to my house!) AND gluten free…Can someone pinch me please?

I have been back three times now, and it gets better every time. Especially yesterday.

I ordered a spinach, artichoke, and mushroom pizza and was blown away. Thick crust held a layer of savory and sweet marinara sauce.

Veggies were piled on with abandon. Then a gooey, stringy, melty (yes melty) mozzarella coated the top. AHHHHH. I be jammin’ with this place as much as possible.

The restaurant itself is a fun lovin' place to be. Surrounded by walls in an organized chaos of concert posters and the greatest musicians, TVs that blare the latest sports games, and the promise of live musical acts to come soon can't get any better in my opinion.

Bob Marley once said, “One good thing about music, when it hits- you feel no pain”. I agree. And I adopt my own quote inspired by both him and my new pizzeria love. “One good thing about Marley’s g-free pizza, when it hits-you feel no pain.”

http://marleyspizzeria.com/
Marley’s Pizzeria
6104 E 71st Street
Tulsa, OK 74136
918-551-7744

Defeating Wheat When Going Out To Eat

Apparently people think that I am completely handicap when going out to restaurants. I get asked frequently if I am able to eat out at all, and what could I possibly order?! I have harped before about eating naturally gluten free and it is easy to do. Yes, even in restaurants. The biggest risk when dining out would be cross contamination, however to be honest I have not had this problem in the restaurants here in Tulsa. Hats off to you T-town chefs and staff!

That said, I wanted to share a few of my favorite places to eat here in Tulsa, and what I have enjoyed without ordering a side of anxiety too. To make this blog reasonable in length, I drew my favorite from each food fare category and only ones that I have recently visited since being diagnosed. Thai, Mexican, even Italian can be tackled in T-town. Just make sure you inform your waiter/waitress that you are gluten free and to make sure that nothing containing gluten comes near your plate. Sounds harsh, but I have yet to get an evil stare back from the other party.

PIZZA
Joe Momma’s Downtown Location – 10” gluten free pizza crust with your choice of any toppings or specialty pizzas

ITALIAN
Piatto- Their Insalata della casa is absolutely amazing! Fresh Artichokes, sun dried tomatoes, and freshly pulled mozzarella marry a beautiful bed of romaine. For an entrée I have had the chicken rolletini, and chicken saltimbocca and melted into both with every bite. Steer clear of the antipasta section and head for the chicken and pork dishes.

MEXICAN
Café Ole- their peppery salsa is the best in town, and their chips are all corn (I inquired about the exact ingredients). The best part about Mexican food is they use a lot of corn products so it makes for an easy g-free establishment. We split a chicken dish the other night, and substituted rice and beans but have enjoyed many delicious dishes here.

THAI
Thai Village- I have eaten all the Thai here in town but this one tops them all! We eat here at least once a week because I can order pretty much the majority of the menu. We always start out with their fresh rolls which are filled with delicious shrimp, lettuce, and sliced carrots and come with a peanut dipping sauce to die for. All entrees are served with white rice. My favorite is in the curry section, Pad Pak Curry. I order it with chicken but you have a few choices of protein naturally. Coconut milk, eggplant, mushrooms, water chestnuts, bamboo shoots…Ah, you had me at coconut milk.


ASIAN
Pei Wei/ PF Changs- I am a local food junkie but for asian, this is the only spot I have tried. If you know of somewhere in town that you have tried, let me know! These two have a whole menu dedicated to gluten free gurus. You can never go wrong with a protein and rice. Pei Wei is a more limited menu, so I ordered the Pei Wei Spicy Shrimp.

Organic and Vegan
Café Samana- all organic, all fresh, all of the menu is absolutely amazing. Vegans and Vegetarians, this is your haven. I can order a sandwich for lunch now because Tracy has gluten free bread! Trust me, when you eat sandwiches for lunch 80% of your life, it was a blessing to have somewhere to return to the habit. My favorite is the roasted vegetable sandwich on gluten free bread, and I always try a cup of one of her daily soups which have never failed to wow me. The hummus of the day, hold the pita, is delicious and a filling meal in itself! This is a must try restaurant regardless of you dietary needs.

American
The Melting Pot- My boys took me here for mother's day and it was such a wonderful time. I remember the last time I visited the establishment I had dipped and dunked my way into a food coma. This time, was completely different. I told the server that we would be dining free and they did a wonderful job accomadating. We ordered the big night out, a three course fondue frenzy. For the first course we ordered the cheddar fondue which was made with a gluten free beer base, the second course was served with a Bourguignonne base – European style fondue in cholesterol free canola oil. The other lighter broth options had gluten ingredients. We finished off the meal with a yin yang of white and milk chocolate. All the dipping ingredients were gluten free for me, and my boys kept their bread separate. My six year old found the experience exciting, and my only reason to be terrified was that I would end up speared with his dipping fork by the end of the night. I left the restaurant delightfully full, and not wounded.



Other restaurants in the market that I have not tried but know they have specific gluten-free menus:

Sproutz
Carrabba's Italian
Kilkinny's Irish Pub
Michael Fusco's
BoneFish Grill
Chipotle
First Watch
Lone Star Steak House


Those are just a few of my faves but I wanted to get this out there so I can hear back from you dear readers. Where have you tried in Tulsa that has tickled your taste buds? Share in the comments box below.

“When the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie, that’s amore"

I love a good slice of pizza like the next. So, when I was diagnosed and was combing through the lists of all the things that I could not eat, my heart inevitably fell when I saw pastas and pizza. That is, the pasta and pizza that I was eating before. Just like all the other gluten gorged groceries out there, there is always a substitute. Glass of red wine half full on this celiac’s Sunday night.


We all like to kick up our heels and just enjoy a good pie once in a while. I have made my own pizza crusts in my flour flecked past and enjoyed many make your own pizza nights with friends. I was determined to make this night no different than the next. Easy, simple meal, that would be in our tummies in no time.

I picked up a box of gluten free pizza dough mix, Annie's organic tomato and basil red sauce, and some toppings and headed over to the produce section to see what my husband would choose for his Italian masterpiece. I must admit I already knew that a margarita pizza was in store but I pretended to be surprised when I saw him holding the roma tomatoes and fresh pulled mozzarella. Of course, he too likes to raid the backyard basil at every chance. He looked down at my basket full of parmesan and organic genoa salami and I am sure was just as surprised at my choices. But then his eyes focused in on the pizza dough mix. He perused the directions and as soon as his gaze fell on the “let rise for 30 minutes, bake for 30 minutes…” I knew this would not cut it for our ‘no hassle’ cooking night.

I convinced him that I would do all the work and we headed down to the freezer section so I could pick up some bread for the week. Behold, tucked into the frozen section of whole foods was a readymade gluten free pizza crust. Winner winner chicken dinner. Or pizza dinner in our case.

The crust was thick, delicious, and baked perfectly in the oven. I layered slice upon slice of fresh salami, parmesan, and oregano on my pie, and my husband made a delicious margarita pizza with our fresh basil. We enjoyed good red wine, and a lazy Sunday. That my friends, is amore.



Since we are on the subject of pizza, I must bring up another easy way to get your fix. Joe Momma’s pizzeria in downtown Tulsa also makes gluten free pizza crust. For those of you who enjoy a thinner crust pizza, this is your pie. You can ask for any of the specialty pizzas to be made on the 10 inch crust, and it is absolutely delicious. We enjoyed a “California love” pizza with chicken the other night. Go check it out!