Lunch Recipes

Dear Gluten-Free Fans,

What are you craving? Sometimes I just want a pizza and beer!

TGIF! And good news, now we can have our pie and eat it too! Plus, the gluten-free beers on the market keep getting better and better (yes, most regular beer is made from barley hops and contains gluten). I love this easy to make pizza crust for the crispness, the omega-3 fatty acids, and the normalcy of sharing a gluten-free pizza and beer with loved ones on a Friday night. N4AO- kids will happily eat it up but hold the beer. Vegan or Gluten Intolerant? Have it your way: Red (tomato), White (cheese)  or Green (pesto).  But, to all my gluten-free G/F, I gotcha your back. Raw? NVM. Finish the meal with a Hail Merry Miracle Tart and smile because gluten-free has never tasted so good! Enjoy the weekend…Eat, Drink be Hail Merry!

Gluten-Free & Vegan PIZZA CRUST

Makes a 9 or 12 inch round pie (recipe can be doubled for 2 pies)

1/2 cup gluten-free oat flour

1/4 cup organic cornmeal

1/4 cup flaxseed meal

1/2 cup tapioca starch

1 teaspoon xanthan gum

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon sugar

1 packet dry quick rise yeast granules (2 ¼ teaspoons)

3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon water (115ºF)

Baking spray or oil

Cornmeal (optional)

1. Liberally spray 12 inch pizza pan (with a ridged bottom, not smooth) or bottom of spring form pan (with a ridged bottom, not smooth) with baking spray and lightly sprinkle corn meal over the entire pan (cornmeal is optional).

2. Mix all dry ingredients in large bowl of electric mixer. Pour warm water (115ºF) and mix until just blended. Scrape bowl and beaters and then beat at high speed for 2 minutes.

3. Spoon dough into center of prepared pan. Use a cake spatula to move dough from center to outer rim of pan using individual strokes; lightly dampen spatula with warm water as necessary (but not too much). Try to move dough so that it covers entire pan in an even thin layer.  Cover with a light cloth and let rise in a warm place for 40 minutes. Pizza should be approximately double in height.

4. Place shelf in lower third of oven. Preheat oven to 425ºF while pizza is rising.

5. Bake pizza in pan on rack in lower third of preheated oven for 10-12 minutes (12-15 minutes for 9-inch pizza). Pizza should be light golden in color and cooked through. Remove from oven and cover with pizza topping of your choice (make sure topping is not too wet*). For pizza parlor type crust, leave pizza in pan for 5 minutes, then place pizza directly on rack for 5 minutes. Remove from oven, let sit three minutes, slice and serve.

For very crisp crust: Put on pizza topping and place pizza directly on rack in lower third of oven; bake about 8-10 minutes until topping is cooked and bottom is crispy.

Are you a kale devotee? If so, try this raw and vegan Kale Salad with Cranberries and Pepitas? It is reminiscent of the delicious Kale Salad Central Market (in Texas) sells in the prepared food section except we replace the almonds with Vitamin E rich Hail Merry Salt N Pepper Sunflower Seeds. This super healthy salad was adapted from a Recipe for Life recipe by Debbie Gore with minor tweaking to make raw.  Grape seed oil is perfect for the raw citrus salad dressing because it is lighter than olive oil and rich in vitamins and healthy fats. We keep the sunflower, pumpkin and sesame seeds raw and throw in some ginger and palm sugar for a peppery sweet taste. This raw and vegan salad makes a wonderful light meal filled with plant protein, antioxidants, vitamins, alkalizing minerals and cancer protecting phytonutrients. Don’t forget- it is a good idea to stock your refrigerator with Hail Merry Seasoned Nuts and Seeds so you can always Feed Your Body Royally with healthy salad toppers.

Kale Cranberry Salad Recipe

Serves: 4

Salad

1              bunch kale, sliced crosswise in ribbons (tough stems removed)

1              cup baby spinach leaves

1 /2          cup Hail Merry Sunflower Seeds

1/2           cup dried cranberries

1/3           cup raw pumpkin seeds

Dressing

1/3          cup organic apple cider vinegar

2/3          cup unrefined grape seed oil

1              tablespoon palm sugar (or more to taste)

2              tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice

1              tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

1              teaspoon raw sesame seeds

2              teaspoons chopped crystallized ginger

1              tablespoon finely chopped shallot

2               tablespoons fresh chopped parsley

Sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

1. In a salad bowl add kale, spinach, sunflower seeds, cranberries and pumpkin seeds.

2. To make dressing: In a small food processor or blender, mix dressing ingredients together. Use as needed or refrigerate the dressing.

3. Toss the salad with the desired amount of dressing. Season with salt and pepper and serve immediately.

Raw Green Smoothie 101

Raw Green Smoothies are vegan, gluten-free and all the rage- even Dr. Oz drinks one daily, and for good reason beyond being one of the best ways to get more greens into your diet. They are quick compared to juicing and contain more fiber! Green smoothies are easy to digest because the nutrients are premixed and assimilate quickly in the gut. They help strengthen your immune system because they are alkalizing. Green smoothies are fun because the combinations are endless and even a child can throw one together. Plus they are transportable!

If you are new to the color green in the morning, start with mild greens, such as spinach, romaine and parsley, and then move up to kale, chard and other fresh herbs. Begin with a balance of 60% fruit to 40% green leaves & vegetables.  Use cucumbers in place of water and ice as desired.  Let your taste buds and imagination guide you. Boost the nutritional content by adding hemp protein or bee pollen. Add coconut oil for added energy and to keep you full longer.

Get glowing with this Green Smoothie 101:

Makes 2 servings or 1 Supersize

1 apple, cored but skin on

1 pear, cored but skin on

1-2 handfuls spinach (or other leafy green)

1 rib celery

1 medium cucumber, peeled

1 inch ginger root, peeled

¼ cup chopped fresh parsley

juice of 1 lemon

Place all ingredients in a blender. Blend until smooth. Add 1/4-1/2 cup water if needed. Add ice if desired.

This colorful vegetarian Spanish Peasant Soup is a beautiful blend of garbanzo beans and fresh vegetables accented with paprika, turmeric, basil, cinnamon, and cayenne. It can be prepared in less than 45 minutes start to finish and perfect for a light alkalizing meal. Just one large bowl full will supply your body with three recommended daily servings of vegetables and one large recommended daily serving of beans. What more could you ask for? It is a nutritional powerhouse in an Impressionist landscape.  Enjoy some olives and Hail Merry Chimayo Chili Pecans while the soup simmers. Feed Your Body Royally!

VEGETARIAN SPANISH PEASANT SOUP

(From the Gluten-Free Good Health Cookbook)

6 Servings

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups chopped onion
2 cloves crushed garlic
2 cups sweet potatoes*, peeled and diced into 1 inch pieces
½ cup diced celery
1 cup diced tomatoes**
1 cup diced yellow peppers
1½ cups cooked chickpeas
3 cups of stock or water
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon basil
1 bay leaf
Dash of cinnamon
Dash of cayenne
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1. In a medium stockpot, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onion, garlic, sweet potatoes, and celery. Sauté for 10 minutes. Add seasonings and stock.
2. Simmer, covered, for fifteen minutes. Add remaining vegetables and chickpeas. Cover and simmer another 15 minutes.
3. Remove bay leaf. Season with salt and pepper and serve hot.

Cook's note: One 15-ounce can of beans equals 1½ cups of cooked beans. One cup of dry beans yields 3 cups cooked. One pound of dry beans yields 6 cups cooked.

*Carrots or butternut squash can be substituted for sweet potatoes.
**Recommend Muir Glen® Organic Diced Fire Roasted Tomatoes.