Listen to the Flavors

A photo of a delicious looking cheese-less pizza that I found on the Internet I can't decide which I miss more: ice cream, or cheese. At least with ice cream, there is a reasonable alternative that is cold and sweet: sorbet. There really is no good substitute for cheese. Oh, there is, you say? No. No, there is not. I have yet to try to make a cheeseless pizza, since I've been forced to give up dairy, because it just seems too sad. Today, however, I was slightly encouraged by a delicious slice of veggie cheese-free pizza I had at Whole Foods. Tomato sauce and vegetables and a heavenly crust. I am inspired. There is hope. So, I don't actually have a recipe to share just yet. I'm open to ideas. I'm searching the internet. And when I next have time to cook, I intend to experiment with some pizza dough, tomato sauce, pesto, sundried tomatoes, pepperoni, garlic, and other vegetables and meats. I'm annoyed by most of the dairy-free pizza recipes I find

  On weekdays, I usually don't have time for breakfast, at least not before I'm out the door. Typically I eat at my desk when I get to work, and then it is a bowl of cereal. Since breakfast is my favorite meal of the day, I make a point of doing it right on the weekends. This breakfast is actually quite simple and didn't take that long to make. The oatmeal is from a bag of quick oats from Trader Joe's that takes about 10 minutes on the stove or 2 minutes in the microwave. Fraternizing with the raspberries and blackberries are sliced mini kiwis I picked up from Whole Foods last night. I didn't add any sweetener, but almost added a drizzle of the ginger syrup I also picked up from Whole Foods last night. I wanted to keep this breakfast sugar-free.  That, in itself, is probably a big enough breakfast. But I'm going for a bike ride this morning and I want lots of energy. Thus, the chicken apple sausage with kale and green onions, sauteed in coconut oil.

I am currently dairy-free, most definitely NOT by choice, so I'm doing what I can to fill the sad ice cream void in my life. I liked sorbet before I went dairy-free, but always thought of it as a decidedly different food than ice cream. That is still true, but I've become a little creative with toppings to get closer to that ice cream happy place. This is just a scoop of raspberry sorbet topped with coconut cream and raw chopped walnuts. Coconut cream is basically coconut milk but the creamy, higher fat part of it. It comes in many brands, and is sometimes labeled as coconut milk or culinary coconut milk. Just make sure it has around 14 grams of fat per 1/3 cup or something like that, and it only takes a drizzle to make this deliciously rich and creamy. Well, at least for me, on my sadly dairy free diet! I have yet to appreciate the soy, rice or other dairy alternative ice creams. Maybe that will come with time. For now, they just taste like impostors. Chocolate chi

You really can make this in seven minutes if you have all the ingredients ready to go, like this... Look at you! You are so organized! Why is the goat cheese orange? Because it's Sweet Chile Goat Cheese. Ingredients: 2 eggs 1 clove garlic Handful of kale or other greens Small red or other potato Goat cheese or other cheese Salt and pepper Butter or olive oil Tools: Garlic press Knife Ovenproof small skillet/pan Microwave (or small saucepan) 1. Preheat your oven to BROIL. You need a hot oven to make a frittata! 2. Cut the potato to about 1/2" dice to make about 1/2 cup. Microwave in a small bowl with a little water for 2 to 3 minutes until almost fully cooked. (You can stick a fork through it but it doesn't fall apart when you do.) OR if you don't have a microwave, steam it for about 10 minutes or to same tenderness in a saucepan. Drain them so they're nice and dry. You don't want a wet frittata! 3. Meanwhile, chop the kale in small piec

Banana Soft Serve I don't recall where I first heard of the idea of pureeing frozen fruit to a soft serve ice cream consistency. I had tried it once or twice at home awhile ago but then sort of forgot about it. Then, this summer I was in Denver and had some banana soft serve from a food truck called  Ba-Nom-a-Nom  that was delicious! You could get other fruits mixed in and choose from many healthy toppings. I had plain banana topped with coconut and enjoyed it on a bench in Civic Center Park. Back home in the summer heat, I wanted to make this for the kids, who both love mango. I tried both plain mango and a combination of mango and banana, using my small Ninja blender. I found that it works best to add some frozen yogurt and a little liquid (juice or kefir milk) for consistency and easier blending. My kids both prefer the mango version, and here is our recipe. (Don't tell Molly. She says it is a secret.) In your blender, mix 1/2 cup mango nectar, 1 cup frozen v