Gluten Free Pizza Recipe | Food Friday

About six months ago I was diagnosed with celiac disease which has meant that I am now forced to live a gluten free lifestyle. It's not hard to be gluten free, per se; there's tonnes of stuff on the market that is gluten free. The difficulty has come because of my other food allergies- anaphylaxis to fruit and nuts. The majority of gluten free foods are made with fruit and/or nuts. 

This has meant that I've been experimenting in the kitchen. I've been trying to find good recipes and alternatives for everything from bread to cookies to crackers and beyond.

One thing I was really missing was a good pizza. Making your own dough is easy, but gluten free dough never seems to be right. It either tastes funny or the texture is all wrong. 

I've finally found a pizza base recipe that is absolutely delicious that I want to share with you guys! This pizza base is reminiscent of a thin and crispy crust pizza, not a thick or soft crust my any means. It's my favourite type of pizza crust!

So here it is:

To make this delicious pizza base I used a combination of oat flour and rice flour. As a binder I used a combination of eggs and mozzarella cheese. I seasoned the dough with black pepper and salt.

This dough has to be baked for about twelve to fifteen minutes before you assemble the pizza. I used homemade pizza sauce, corn, and mozzarella cheese to top my pizza. I then put it back in the oven for another fifteen minutes. 

I hope you all enjoyed this recipe- if you try it let me know what you think! Also if you have any gluten free recipes/resources leave a comment below!

Thanks for reading & check back again to see what KatieDidd, xo

Vegan Dinner for Meatless Monday | Recipe

Hey y'all! Today I want to share with you this DELICIOUS recipe that I concocted... that just so happens to be completely vegan! 

Before beginning on the main recipe, you'll need to make or buy some vegetable broth. I made mine by combining water, carrots, celery, leeks and a bay leaf in a big pot. Once it came to a boil, I reduced the heat down to a simmer and let it do it's thing for about an hour. By this time all the veggies in the broth were pretty mushy and so I scooped them out with a slotted spoon. I added salt, pepper, garlic, parsley, and rosemary to the broth and let it simmer another hour or so. I put it in the fridge and let it sit overnight.

To prepare the actual meal, I began by dicing a sweet onion and two vine ripened tomatoes. I placed the onion and tomatoes into a skillet over medium heat and covered it all with vegetable broth. I then covered it with a lid and let it simmer away for about 10 minutes. 

After 10 minutes, I seasoned the onions and tomatoes with basil, oregano, garlic, and red pepper flakes. I put the lid back on, reduced the heat to a low temperature setting and let it simmer whilst I cooked the rice. I used the vegetable broth for cooking the rice instead of water to infuse flavour into it. 

Once the rice was finished cooking, I spooned it onto a plate and topped it with the tomato/onion mixture. I served the dish with a garden salad. It was a huge hit- everyone loved it!

If you try this recipe do let me know! It's delicious! If you have any recipe suggestions for me to try- meatless or not- leave them in a comment!

Thanks for reading & check back again to see what KatieDidd, xo

2. What I Eat In A Day: College Edition | Meal Time + Recipes

Breakfast:

Chocolate Oatmeal

1/2 cup large flake oats, 1/2 cup milk, 1/2 cup water, 1/2 teaspoon raw cacao powder, 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon. 

To make this I add the oats, milk, and water to a saucepan and bring that to a light boil over a medium heat. I then turn down the heat to very low, stir in the cacao powder and cinnamon and allow it to simmer over the low heat for about 5 minutes. To serve, I put it into a bowl and add a little splash of milk around the edges.

Cinnamon Tea

1 cup water, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/8 teaspoon sugar, 1 teaspoon milk.

To make this super delicious and simple cinnamon tea, I bring 1 cup of water to a boil. I then stir in the cinnamon and allow it to steep/simmer for about 8 minutes. I add in the sugar and milk once the tea is already in my mug. It's super simple, delicious, and great for you!

During breakfast I have been journaling as of late. It's been so nice to start my morning with some me time instead of what I had been doing prior which was scrolling social media. Taking this time in the morning to reflect has really helped with my anxiety and has also helped me to have a clear mind going into the day. 

Lunch:

Eggs on Salad

2 large brown eggs, black pepper, 1 cup romaine lettuce, splash of white vinegar.

To make this salad I fried my eggs on a low heat to ensure that they cooked all the way through whilst still keeping the yolk runny, seasoning them with black pepper. I chopped up the romaine lettuce and drizzled the vinegar on top- I probably used about 1 teaspoon. Once my eggs were cooked I placed them on top of the lettuce.

Rice Pudding

1 cup cooked rice, 1 cup milk, 1 tablespoon greek yogurt, 3 teaspoons sugar, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon.

To make this delicious rice pudding I put all the ingredients, discluding the cinnamon, into a saucepan and let it cook over a medium heat for about 20 minutes, until almost all the liquid was boiled off. I then stirred in the cinnamon, covered with a lid and allowed the pudding to simmer for another 5 minutes. It's such a delicious way to fill you up while being able to have a dessert element at lunch time- plus you get a container of leftovers from this sized batch!

Lunch for me is usually a nice little break from school/studying. I like to catch up on YouTube videos or TV series whilst I eat my lunch. I'm trying to eat slower and more mindfully than I had been in the past so my lunch usually spans about 30-60 minutes. I noticed myself eating out of boredom quite often which left me feeling bloated and not having the greatest energy levels. Now that I'm eating mindfully I have noticed a big difference in the way I feel. I make sure that I'm truly hungry before thinking of eating instead of mindlessly binging on food just because I'm bored during a long study session.

Dinner:

Herbed Pasta and Veggies

1 cup whole wheat penne pasta, 1/3 cup frozen peas, 1/3 cup frozen corn, 1 teaspoon garlic, 1/4 teaspoon oregano, 1/4 teaspoon basil, salt and pepper to taste.

To make this super simple dinner, I first boiled water to cook the pasta. Once the pasta was half cooked, I added in the frozen vegetables and allowed the pasta and vegetables to cook together. Once everything was cooked through I drained off the excess water, stirred in the spices and allowed the dish to cool before transferring to a tupperware container. 

Although this particular day, my dinner was eaten at work, most days dinner is treated a lot like lunch for me. The only difference is that I have been taking this hour of time to read a novel for pleasure while I'm eating. I love to read but allowing myself the time for enjoyment reading is a tricky balance. When I begin to read I tend to get lost in the book- two hours later I've still got my nose stuck between the pages. Reading during dinner gives me a conscious cut off time; I can read for an hour without the fear of wasting my study time.

Snack:

Greek Yogurt Bowl

1/2 cup greek yogurt, 1/2 teaspoon raw cacao powder, 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/4 cup oats, 1/3 cup multigrain Cheerios.

This snack is so ridiculously simple yet so deliciously satisfying at the end of the day. I begin by mixing the yogurt and the cacao until it's completely mixed through. I then fold in the cinnamon and oats roughly and flatten the mixture out- yes it looks as odd as it sounds but trust me on this. I sprinkle the Cheerios on top with a dash of extra cinnamon and voila! It's a light snack but enough to tide me over during the night. On top of that the flavours are amazing- you get a taste of chocolate, cinnamon, yogurt, and cheerios in every bite.

During my evening snack, I pull out my journal again. I like to look back on my day through writing. I'm currently on a journey of getting to know me and I feel like daily journaling is really helping me to get in touch with myself. 

I hope you enjoyed reading through my meals of the day and I hope it helps any of you struggling to balance college life with eating well. Not sure if you noticed but this was a completely meat free day for me! I like to eat meat free 2-3 days per week as I feel it really helps with my weight control, my digestion, and my energy levels- I highly recommend trying a meatless day! If you have any tips for me, please do let me know! What is your favourite quick meal or snack?

Thanks for reading, xo, Katelyn

100 Calorie Oatmeal Breakfast Muffins | In The Kitchen: Baking

Hey guys, I haven't posted a recipe in quite some time it seems so I decided I would share with you my oatmeal breakfast muffin recipe! I have been working on perfecting this recipe for quite some time now and I've finally gotten them (what I consider to be) perfect!

So for this recipe you will need:

Equipment

Oven preheated to 350F

Muffin tin & liners

Spatula

Measuring cups and spoons

2 Mixing bowls

Whisk

Ingredients

1 cup oats

1 cup milk

1/4 cup plain greek yogurt

1/3 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup butter softened

11/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/4-1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4-1 cup dark chocolate chips

The first step is to mix half the milk and the oats in a small bowl. This allows the oats to soften before being incorporated into the muffin mixture. This step is optional, but highly recommended as it allows the muffins to retain a lot of their moisture during the baking process.

After you set that oat and milk mixture aside you'll want to mix together the wet ingredients -greek yogurt, brown sugar, butter, vanilla- making sure all the ingredients are fully incorporated.

After mixing the wet ingredients you'll want to add the flour, and baking soda gradually and mix well. Next, mix in the oat mixture and the rest of the milk. Lastly, you'll want to fold in the cinnamon and dark chocolate chips. These two are both completely to preference; I used 1/2 tsp cinnamon (I'm a huge cinnamon fanatic) and 1/4 cup dark chocolate chips.

The next step is to fill the muffin liners 1/2-3/4 of the way with the batter- it should be the exact amount for 12 muffins. Bake them in your preheated oven for 15-18 minutes, until they're golden brown. Once you take them out of the oven, transfer them out of the muffin tin and onto a cooling rack as soon as they're cool enough to touch. Taking them out as soon as you can removes them from the heat of the pan, keeping the moisture locked in instead of continuing to bake them from residual heat.

They are absolutely delicious! I cut mine in half, spread some plain greek yogurt on it and then sprinkled some cinnamon. They're so soft, moist, crumbly, and taste absolutely gorgeous. I must say, they are best consumed warm!

The best part about these muffins? They taste like something you'd pick up at a bakery- full of sugar and fat.. you know the kind that you feel guilty for eating. These taste just like them but they're only 100 calories!

I hope you guys enjoyed this recipe post. If you try it let me know how you get on and if you like them!

Thanks for reading, xo, Katelyn

Food Friday | July 24, 2015

What I Ate...

Breakfast

I had my typical breakfast of 1/4 cup oatmeal cooked in 1/4 cup milk and 1/4 cup water topped with cinnamon and dark chocolate.

Lunch

For lunch today I scrambled some egg whites up with bacon, lettuce (since we had no spinach- this was surprisingly just as good), and tomatoes. I seasoned the dish with salt, pepper, garlic pepper, and basil. This was so delicious!!

Dinner

Mom made homemade lentil soup which is one of my all time favourite soups- next to leek. It was so yummy and I can guarantee I will be tucking into the left overs for as long as their in the fridge. 

*I didn't take a photo, but I did have a mug of cocoa between breakfast and lunch. I've found that this helps to keep me awake throughout the day as chocolate naturally has caffeine but it doesn't get me wired and shaky like coffee does*

Thanks for reading, xo, Katelyn

Food Friday | July 17, 2015

Oatmeal Pancakes

I'm a big pancake lover, that's for darn sure! I always have loved pancakes for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks- anytime of the day I'll have a pancake. I love trying new pancake recipes and playing around with them instead of just the typical fluffy, white Aunt Jemima style that we all know and love.

Recently I have been making a batch of oatmeal pancakes once a week and storing them in the fridge. The recipe I am going to share today makes about 10 medium sized pancakes- which means 5 days of breakfast! They re-heat really well in the microwave without getting mushy or dry like typical pancakes do so they're perfect! Warming these up in the morning has let me feel like I'm having a nice, luxurious, sunday-morning-style breakfast on any day of the week.

Ingredients

2 large eggs

12/3 cups rolled oats

1 cup + 2 tbsp milk

1 tbsp brown sugar

1/4-1/2 tsp cinnamon (to preference)

3 tsp baking powder

1/4-1/2 cup dark chocolate chips (to preference)

Instructions

1. Whisk together eggs, oats, milk, sugar, and cinnamon. Let sit 20 to 30 minutes so oats can soften.

2. Whisk in powder and chocolate chips. Let sit another 2 minutes.

3. Melt butter in hot pan. Spoon batter into pan to make pancakes of desired size. Cook on low heat until bubbles come up on top.

4. Flip and cook one more minute.

5. Top with whatever you desire and enjoy!

I hope you like this recipe! If you do try it let me know! If I could still eat fruit I'd probably replace the chocolate chips with berries or apple chunks for a slight variation. 

Tip: these taste amazing along size some bacon strips!

Thanks for reading, xo, Katelyn

Food Friday | April 24, 2015

Cocoa and Cookies

Oh my goodness, just looking at this photo makes me hungry! Cocoa and my oatmeal cookies is my all time favourite snack. I have to consciously ration myself with these cookies or else I will end up eating an entire batch in one day.

Cocoa

*Makes 2 cups of cocoa*

Ingredients

2 cups milk (I use 2%)

2 tablespoons cocoa powder (I use Hershey's 100% cocoa) 

2 tablespoon granulated sugar

1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

1. Measure the milk into a small saucepan and place over medium-high heat. Heat to your preference (I usually wait until it begins to bubble, right before it would boil).

2. Remove from burner. Use a fork to scrape the film from the top.

3. Add in the cocoa powder and mix as well as you can.

4. Add the sugar and vanilla. Mix well.

5. Get a strainer and your mug. Strain the cocoa into your mug so you don't have cocoa powder lumps in your drink.

6. Enjoy! You can top this with whipped cream or anything else of your choosing but it is delicious just as it is!

Oatmeal Cookies

*Makes 30-36 cookies typically*

Ingredients

1 cup butter (softened or melted)*

3/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup white sugar

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

11/2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 cup boiling water

2 cups quick oats

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1 cup dark chocolate chips

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. In a large mixing bowl, cream butter, both sugars, and vanilla.

3. Add flour, mix well.

4. Dissolve baking soda in boiling water. Mix in to large bowl with other ingredients.

5. Stir in oats.

6. Add cinnamon and dark chocolate chips and mix in (these are optional add ins but I highly recommend them both!)

7. Place 1 teaspoon balls of the dough onto an un-greased cookie sheet.

8. Bake for 10 minutes (should be golden brown on bottom and around edges).

9. Remove from oven and let cool on pan for about 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.

10. Enjoy!

*If you soften the butter the cookie dough will be more firm and the cookies will not fall as much in the oven. If you melt the butter the dough will be more sticky and runny and the cookies will turn out as pictured. Both ways are fine, they both taste amazing, and both ways make chewy cookies. It's up to you if you want bigger, flatter cookies or smaller, more round cookies.