Paleo B.L.T. Pizza

I have been experimenting with paleo pizzas (ie grain-free) and this one is my favorite.  The crust is made with almond flour, flaxseed meal and grated eggplant (I got the idea from the cookbook "Make It Paleo".)  This is the first pizza I've made that you can actually pick up and eat with your hands!  It has a thin chewy crust that I topped with a little pizza sauce, tomato slices, bacon and arugula.  De-lish!

Oh how I love this pizza!

Pizza Crust Ingredients (Makes one 12" pizza):

1 eggplant, grated with a cheese grater (skin discarded)
1/4c flaxseed meal
1/4c almond meal
1 large egg, slightly beaten
1tbs chopped fresh basil
1/2tsp italian seasoning
1/2tsp sea salt
olive oil, for coating

Pizza Topping Ingredients:
1/3c marinara or pizza sauce (I used Ragu No Sugar Added Marinara)
1 large tomato (or 2 small tomatoes), sliced thin
1lb bacon, each slice cut in half and pan fried
2 handfuls arugula

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350F.  In a large thin dish towel, take your grated eggplant and squeeze out all the water.  Then place it in a large bowl and mix with flaxseed and almond meal.  Add the egg, basil, and seasonings and mix well (you might need to use your hands here).
2. Line a 12" pizza pan with parchment paper.  Coat with oil.  Press your pizza dough down on the pan until evenly spread about 1/4" thick.
3. Bake in the center of a preheated oven for 30 minutes (this is a good time to fry your bacon).  Remove the pizza, place another sheet of parchment over the top of it and flip it over carefully.  Brush the top side of the pizza with olive oil and bake another 10-15 minutes.
4. Add a thin spread of marinara sauce, sliced tomatoes, arugula and bacon on your pizza.  Place back in the oven for about 7 minutes or until the tomatoes are hot and the arugula starts to wilt.  Cut slices with a pizza cutter and serve hot. 

Cauliflower Pizza

In this primal recipe, I made pizza using a cauliflower crust.  I got the idea while reading some other paleo blogs and thought I would try my own version.  This dish does have cheese in the crust, so if you are going dairy-free it's definitely not for you.  But for those of us with a less restrictive paleo diet, this recipe is still completely grain free.  Oh, and it's delicious!  Enjoy.

Wonderful, creative pizza idea

Crust Ingredients:
2 large eggs, beaten slightly
2c cooked and mashed cauliflower (steam, boil or microwave it)
2c grated mozzarella cheese
1tbs Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp oregano

Topping Ingredients:
3/4c of your favorite pizza or marinara sauce (I used Trader Joe's Pomadoro Sauce)
1/2c sauteed mushrooms
pepperoni slices
black olives
1 tomato, sliced
1/2c fresh shaved parmesan cheese

Directions:
1. Preheat your oven to 450F.  Grease a nonstick pizza pan and cover it with parchment paper (if you have a pizza crisper, use it!)  This recipe makes a 12" pizza.
2. Mix crust ingredients well.  Press evenly onto your pizza pan and bake for 15 minutes, or until light brown.
3. Top with sauce and toppings of your choice.  Return to the oven and continue to bake until the edges brown deeply and the cheese melts (about 10 minutes more).  Serve hot. 
(Note:  If you don't have a crisper, your pizza will be soft in the center so you will have to eat it with a fork and a knife.  It is still delicious, but not crispy throughout.)

Paleo Pizza with Almond Crust

Coming home from a weekend vacation in Florida, Anthony and I were craving some pizza.  Of course, going grain and gluten free meant this was a serious problem.  I decided to give my best shot at a gluten and grain free pizza with (almost) no dairy: Hey, a little fresh shaved parmesan never hurt anybody right?!  The result was amazing:  the crust was thin and crispy and the toppings were rich and hearty.  That final sprinkle of melted parmesan finished the pizza off nicely.  Now is this the best pizza you will ever eat?  No, probably not.  Best Paleo pizza?  Quite possibly.  I know it fixed my pizza craving guilt free.  Look for future posts as I experiment with coconut and vegetables pizza crusts.  This meal definitely inspired me to make more Paleo pizzas!  I hope it does the same for you: Go ahead and put your favorite toppings on yours and let me know how it turns out!

Makes great leftovers for lunch the next day too!

Ingredients:
2c almond flour
2 large eggs, preferably omega-3 enriched
3tbs extra virgin olive oil
1/4tsp baking powder
1tsp garlic powder
1tsp italian seasonings of your choice (or a mix)
1 package Trader Joe's Tomato Basil Chicken Sausage (preservative, hormone and nitrate free!)
1c Trader Joe's Pomodoro Pizza Sauce (or your favorite)
1/2c sliced mushrooms
1c sliced bell peppers and onions (I used frozen)
2c cherry tomatoes, chopped
1c parmesan cheese, finely and freshly shredded (optional)

Directions:
1. Preheat your oven to 350F.  Grease a 12" cookie sheet.  Mix almond flour, eggs, olive oil, baking powder, garlic powder and Italian seasonings in a bowl until a dough forms.  Press onto the pizza pan into a thin even layer.  Bake 20 minutes (will start to brown).
2. Meanwhile, remove your sausage from its casings and cook over medium high in a skillet until cooked through.  Remove to a plate.  Add your veggies except the tomatoes and stir fry in the same pan until almost cooked.
3. Spread 1c of sauce onto your pizza, leaving a 1/2" for the curst.  Top with sausage, then veggies and finally chopped tomatoes.  Place back in the oven and bake for 25 minutes.  During the last 5 minutes, sprinkle with fresh parmesan if desired.  Serve hot.

Gluten Free Pepperoni and Pineapple Pizza

In Omaha, I've had Sam and Louie's gluten free pizza.  I've also had La Casa gluten free pizza.  Both taste like pizza on a cracker... which is okay... but I miss that thick chewy pizza crust loaded with sauce, cheese and toppings.  So while my mother was out here visiting, we embarked on our own pizza making adventure with one goal in mind:  to make the best gluten free pizza around.  I think we succeeded (proof in the fact there wasn't a slice left at the end of the night): 

Pepperoni and pineapple:  our family's favorite toppings!

 Ingredients:
1 package Pamela's Wheat-Free Bread Mix
1/4c oil, plus more for top
2c Italian blend five cheese, shredded
2c mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 jar of your favorite pizza sauce (or make your own with tomato sauce and Italian herbs)
1 can pineapple chunks in their own juice
Sliced pepperoni (I don't know how many I used, I just bought a package and filled up the pizza)
Fresh shaved parmesan and red pepper flakes for serving (optional)

Directions:
1. Follow directions on package for making chewy pizza crust (or look here)
2. After baking the pizza crust.  Add pizza sauce, cheese, and your favorite toppings and put back in the oven at 375F until the crust is done and cheese is melted.  Top with red pepper flakes and fresh shaved parmesan for serving.

I started with 2 slices, but ended up eating 4!!