Friday, March 1, 2013

Gluten Free Pizza and Spring Breakin' it down!

Happy Friday! I got a tad bit lazy this week on the blog front. I'm trying to keep consistent and post a few days a week, but somehow it's already Spring Break!

I leave for a cruise tomorrow....not just any cruise, but THIS cruise. I'm beyond excited to learn, eat, tan, and relax. I'll be without Internet for a week, but I'll have my phone so I can document the festivities.

To celebrate the beginning of SPRING BREAK and this weekend I want to have a pizza party with you! I came across this recipe last week and was waiting for the right time to make it (the only alteration I made was adding one teaspoon of dried oregano and one teaspoon basil to the crust). I woke up Monday morning and decided that I would brighten the beginning of my week up with a little pizza pie! Despite the fact that this pizza was gluten and dairy free, it did not disappoint. It was crispy and the flavor was superb. 

I was even nice enough to give my boyfriend a crumb bite and he requested I make it again....boyfriend approved**. This recipe makes two crusts so I was able to freeze one and make a few different variations throughout the week.


I made my own "tomato" sauce to dress the pizza in the appropriate attire. Recipe Below. I wanted to share an alternative to pizza sauce for people following a nightshade-free diet. The flavor is very close to tomatoes; my boyfriend had no idea it wasn't tomato sauce (and he claims he HATES beets).

I made a recipe similar to this in cooking school. I couldn't find the recipe so I recreated it from memory.

Nightshade-Free "Tomato" Sauce

Yields about 3 cup of sauce
2 carrots
1 medium beet
1 cup of water or stock
2 teaspoons mellow miso (I used Miso Man)
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
¼ teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon basil
1 teaspoon oregano

Chop carrots and beets into 1/2 inch size pieces, place in a pot with one cup water or stock. Bring to a boil and then down to a simmer for 10 minutes or until tender. Drain the water into a cup and set aside. Place the carrots, beets, and half the cooking liquid (about half a cup) into a Vitamix blender and begin to puree on medium-low. Add miso, apple cider vinegar, salt, and spices to the mixture. Add additional liquid if necessary to bring to the desired consistency. You want the sauce to be thin enough that it mixes together in the Vitamix, but thick enough to spread like a pizza sauce. This recipe made enough sauce for two medium size pizzas. 

             

             After pre-baking the crusts I spread my sauce onto the crust and topped it with....

  Sweet potato, spinach, heirloom tomato, green onions, garlic, and an egg.

Before Baking.
After baking!



                              







                                                     
The egg was delicious on this pizza, but I'm starting to think that my egg allergy has come back!...or never really went away. After this pizza I decided to lay low on the egg front this week and my skin has been clearing up nicely. I'm always up for a self-experiment so I'll keep you posted on how it turns out.
           The colors were so vibrant, this pizza was such a nice treat!

 I froze the other crust and a few days later I had this variation with roasted sliced zucchini, spinach, green onions, and some nutritional yeast sprinkled on top for a cheese flavor.
Sliced and ready to eat.

 Then came the strange but good topping- I topped the sauce with some sliced thin zucchini and sauteed some tofu, curry dressing, and kale to go over it.
The tofu kind of reminded me of cheese, which can be nice when you're transitioning to a plant based diet.
I've received a few requests via my mom's friends to do some healthy treats for kids. This pizza recipe would be perfect for children. You could pre-bake the crust and then have the kids top the pizza with whatever toppings they fancy. When children feel like they are creating their own food they are much more likely to try new foods when introducing healthier options. 

And no blog post is complete without a few selfies from last weekend.

                                                    
So I'll leave you with this. ALSO, when commenting below remember if you don't select the right option it won't let you post. I guess some people are having issues with this. If you can't tell I really want some comments. So humor me?

I think I may also post a smoothie recipe later to keep everyone refreshed during spring break!

**When I say it's boyfriend approved-this means that someone who eats the Standard American Diet (SAD) most of the time will enjoy it. I emphasize this because it means a parent who is trying to eat healthy themselves won't have to make two different meals, one for them and one for their family. I strive to make all my recipes in this fashion because healthy food tastes good, if you cook it correctly.

*Also special thanks to Brittany from Real Sustenance for sharing her amazing pizza crust recipe on her blog. If you haven't checked it out she has a plethora of amazing sweet treats and more!

6 comments:

  1. I like your recipes & luv your "selfless!"

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  2. Oh why thank you! Please share with your friends. xoxo!

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  3. Yum !! Thanks Cammie ! Enjoy your blog.

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  4. My husband loves pizza, so I should try to make him this. I'm vegan, he's vegetarian...

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  5. This recipe won't disappoint! Let me know how it turns out:)

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  6. Very nice Cammie. I usually go with Sami's brand, but I will have to try your crust! Love your explanation for 'boyfriend approved' / SAD.

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