Pineapple “Crust” Hawaiian Pizza (Grain-Free)

As I have previously mentioned, I have an aversive reaction to the enzymes in fresh pineapple. Namely, I experience a stinging sensation in my mouth and my lips puff up. Not pretty.

But when cooked, I don’t have the reaction (unless if I chow down an indecent amount of pineapple).

And so, when working with pineapple, I usually use the outer sides of the pineapple (less enzymes are concentrated here) or cook it.

To kick off the unofficial start of summer, I’m posting a Hawaiian Pizza recipe. But instead of topping it with pineapple, I’m using the (cooked) pineapple as the crust!

Pineapple “Crust” Hawaiian Pizza (Grain-Free)

Ingredients:

Pineapple slices (sliced thinly)

Marinara/pizza sauce

Bell pepper (any color), chopped

Precooked ham, chopped

Mozzarella cheese

Cilantro

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place pineapple slices on a baking pan and place in the oven for 10 minutes. Take out, spread on a thin layer of sauce, followed by bell pepper, ham, mozzarella, and cilantro. Put back in the oven for 10 more minutes. Let cool for at least another 10 minutes before eating.

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Cauliflower Hawaiian Balls (Paleo)

This week has been ridiculously cold. To the point where I have been rather unproductive; my survival instincts have taken over and I rather curl up in a ball under the covers than do homework. Unfortunately, my professors didn’t get the memo 😦

The only comfort I got was the space heater in my basement. My brother and I would come home from school, crank the heater on high and sit in front of it until our skin literally turned red. That is, until this week when it no longer turned on. Apparently my dad did get the memo (the bill) that we were using it and he shut off the heater 😦 😦

And so, to mentally escape the cold, I am posting a rather tropical recipe today. Hey, if I can’t live in Hawaii right now, I can pretend with food, right?

(The answer to that is a resounding “yes”).    

Cauliflower Hawaiian Balls (Paleo)

Ingredients:

1/2 head cauliflower, cut into florets

1 egg

1 cup pineapple, divided

2 tbsp cilantro

1/2 tbsp garlic powder 

1 tsp onion powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup bell pepper (any color), chopped into small pieces

2/3 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

1/3 cup precooked ham, chopped into small bits

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and oil a baking sheet.

In a food processor, process cauliflower until it resembles rice. Add in egg, a 1/2 cup of the pineapple, cilantro, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt and process until evenly mixed.

Transfer cauliflower mixture to a bowl and mix in bell pepper, the rest of the pineapple, shredded coconut, and ham.

Roll into small balls (I get anywhere from 35-40 balls) and place on baking pan.

Bake for 35 minutes. Let cool for at least 10 minutes before removing from tray (NOTE: Use a spatula for removal- it gets until the Hawaiian balls and lifts them with leaving anything behind).

Spicy Lime and Cilantro Corn

I hope everyone had a safe and yummy Thanksgiving! I sure did and probably will for the next week with all the leftovers we have 🙂 I was thinking of posting a recipe with the left overs, but I figured with all the good-looking posts I’ve seen around, anything I post wouldn’t compare! Instead, I want to veer away from Thanksgiving food (very hard for me to do, by the way) and post something a little less holiday-ish and with more of a kick. I’m talking some good old Mexican food. With the spice and water you’ll be chugging down, it’s the perfect way to start your metabolism right back up. Warning: this is not for the faint hearted. Add the jalapeños with extreme caution!

Lime and Cilantro Corn 

Ingredients: 

3 and 1/2 cups of frozen corn

1/3 cup plain yogurt

3 tbsp jalapeño peppers

2 tbsp lime juice

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tbsp cilantro

1 tsp chili powder

1 tsp red pepper flakes

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 onion, minced

1/2 cup of your favorite cheese, grated

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Cook the corn according to instructions. Place in a bowl and add in the rest of the ingredients.