Gluten-Free Egg Beaters® "Pizza"

I know this is a style blog, but I was diagnosed with a wheat allergy a few months ago and it has been a pretty transformational time for me. I'm sharing this because I know a LOT of people who have Celiac or issues with gluten - or choose to be wheat-free for other reasons.

When I knew I had to give up the wheat, I most worried about craving pizza. my favoritest food. The nearest gluten-free pizza joint is about 20 minutes away and I just don't feel like driving there whenever the mood strikes me - because the craving is usually gone by then.

I don't normally cook, so if I make something edible, it's like WOW. And these are actually better than edible!

Gluten-Free Egg Beaters® Pizza

Preheat oven to 385 degrees.

Lightly coat a small skillet with butter.

Shake Egg Beaters® well and pour a thin layer into the skillet on medium heat.

As if making an omelet, lift the sides of the egg as they are cooking and allow the uncooked egg to run underneath. Do this until the top is fairly well cooked. (Do NOT fold.)

Pour a second thin layer on top and do the same. The idea is to have a substantive "crust" for your pizza.

When the top layer of egg is almost completely cooked, turn off burner and slide egg crust onto greased aluminum foil. Top with pizza sauce, cheese and whatever you like. I'm all about peppers and olives, obviously. (One trick I've been doing is raiding the grocery store's salad bar for my toppings. It's good for making several of these because I can get exactly how much I need.)

Bake on 385 until cheese gets brown and bubbly (about 15 minutes).

Remove and eat or cool, wrap in wax paper and store in fridge.

It does need to be eaten with a fork and knife since the egg "crust" isn't stiff like a real crust. It could also probably be eaten folded or rolled up too. And if I get really ambitious, maybe I'll try making it into a calzone sometime.

Tomato Veggie Soup (vegan)

I've been a vegetarian since I was 8 years old, with varying levels of success. I don't really cook much, but I threw together this soup a few months ago and now I make a pot of it every week and it's totally yummy. The breakthrough came from watching the Food Network, when I saw Giada De Laurentiis put a soup in the blender. What a novel idea! It was just what I needed to know to create this soup.

Ingredients

2 cartons low sodium veggie stock (I like Full Circle)

1 large red bell pepper

1 bunch of celery

Carrots (I use all different sizes and shapes, so judge for yourself)

1/4 sweet onion

3 cloves of garlic (pressed)

2 tbsp olive oil

1 can tomato paste

1 can Great Northern beans

(put in strainer and run water over them to remove excess sodium)

1 tsp sea salt
Fresh pepper

Dried Spices:

cumin, thyme, basil, parsley, Spike All-Purpose Seasoning

Optional: Tabasco sauce, crushed red pepper & cayenne pepper (I am crazy for hot stuff), 1tsp vegan Worcestershire sauce, 1 veggie bouillon cube (I like Maggi - if you add this, add 2 extra cups of water)

Starting with a big soup pot, on medium heat, put olive oil in the bottom and add chopped onion and pressed garlic. Sautee for a few minutes, stirring and coating the bottom of the pot with oil.

Next, add chopped celery, chopped red pepper, chopped carrots and sea salt. Allow to cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add one carton of veggie stock and turn heat up to med-high. Let cook for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Keep on med-high heat, add the other container of vegetable stock. Add Great Northern beans. Season to taste. Cook for about an hour.

Turn off heat and let soup sit, uncovered, for about 45 minutes.

Take out blender and a large storage bowl with lid. Fill blender halfway with soup, blend to a smooth consistency (can be more chunky if you choose). Pour soup into storage bowl. Continue doing this until finished and store the soup in the fridge.

I have also prepared the following separately and added to soup when I felt like it: white rice, quinoa, extra firm tofu

Try it and let me know what you think!