Who doesn't love pizza? If you are trying to keep your carbs low, you can still enjoy pizza and today I am going to show you how. All you need is a little adventurous spirit.
Here are some facts about pizza:
Pizza was created in 1830 and the pizzas were cooked in an oven lined with lava from Mount Vesuvius, a volcano located on the Bay of Naples.
Pizza (yeasted bread and cheese) was considered a peasant meal until the margarita pizza was created for royalty. The colors of the Italian flag were presented on the pizza and it then became a staple in restaurants.
https://mobile-cuisine.com/did-you-know/pizza-fun-facts/
Let's dig in. First let's start with a low carb sauce.
LOW CARB PIZZA SAUCE
Most packaged pizza sauce contains sugar. To keep the carbs low, try this recipe that is sugar-free. Muir Glen pizza sauce is a good packaged brand. There are 3g of sugar per serving, but that is coming from the natural sugars in the tomato.
8 oz can tomato sauce 6 oz can tomato paste 1/2 tsp dried oregano 1/2 tsp dried basil 1/2 tsp dried parsley 1/2 tsp minced onion flakes 1/2 tsp onion powder 1/4 tsp garlic powder 1/4 tsp sea salt In a medium sauce pan, over low heat, combine all ingredients and simmer for 10 minutes.
https://peaceloveandlowcarb.com/pizza-sauce-low-carb-paleo-gluten-free/
DEEP DISH PIZZA This looks like the real thing. Have it for breakfast. Add more greens to get a good start to the day.
CRUST:
6 eggs, separated ½ tsp cream of tartar ½ cup Jay Robb unflavored egg white or whey protein 3 oz cream cheese, softened (OR reserved yolks if dairy free) Spices (if desired)
OPTIONAL TOPPINGS:
Low-Sugar Marinara (Mario Batali Brand = no soybean oil and no sugar) Italian Sausage Pepperoni Mushrooms Onions Peppers Bacon 8 ounces Mozzarella Cheese/Goat Cheese/Feta Olives
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Separate the eggs and whip the whites and cream of tartar until very stiff (I use a stand mixer and let it go for 5 minutes). Slowly sift in the protein powder to the whites. Using a spatula, gently fold the cream cheese (or reserved yolks if dairy free) into the whites. Spray a lasagna pan or cast-iron skillet with coconut oil spray and spoon the mixture into it. Bake for 18 minutes.
Remove from oven and top with your favorite toppings (eliminate cheese if dairy free). Return to oven and bake until cheese melts and starts to brown.
http://mariamindbodyhealth.com/deep-dish-pizza/
PEPPERONI PIZZA PINWHEELS
How cute are these? They will be a big hit with your family.
1/4 cup almond flour (get it here) 3 tbsp coconut flour (get it here) 1 tsp onion powder 1 tsp garlic powder 1 tsp Italian Seasoning 1/2 tsp sea salt 1/4 tsp black pepper 1 1/2 cup low-moisture, part skim mozzarella cheese, shredded 4 tbsp salted butter 2 tbsp cream cheese 1 large pastured egg For the filling 3/4 cup Pizza Sauce 1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded 4 oz pepperoni slices 1 tsp Italian seasoning
Preheat oven to 400° In a small mixing bowl, combine almond flour, coconut flour, onion powder, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, sea salt and black pepper. In a separate mixing bowl, combine mozzarella cheese, butter, and cream cheese. Microwave for 1 minute and 30 seconds to soften. Mix together until everything is well combined. If it gets stringy or is not quite melted enough, put it back in for another 30 seconds. To the cheese mixture, add the dry ingredients and the egg. Mix until all ingredients are well incorporated. If you are having a hard time mixing it, put it back in the microwave for another 20-30 seconds. Once the ingredients are combined, spread the dough out on parchment paper or a silpat in a thin and even layer - about 9" by 13". If it starts to get sticky, wet your hands a little bit to prevent it from sticking to you. Once you have the dough in a nice, even rectangle, spread the sauce over top, covering all of the dough. Next, layer on the mozzarella cheese. Top the cheese with pepperoni slices. Sprinkle Parmesan and Italian seasoning over top. Roll the dough up tightly widthwise. (Alternately you can roll lengthwise and get 12 smaller rolls. Turn so that the seam is facing down Cut the ends off each side of the roll-up to even it out. Then cut it into 1" slices. Place your individual roll-ups in a baking dish. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until they are fluffy and golden brown. https://healthylivinginbodyandmind.com/cheesy-pepperoni-pizza-roll-ups/
PIZZACHILADAS
I love the name! There is a bit of prep involved here, but you won't be dissapointed.
CREPES:
1/2 cup ricotta cheese, whole milk 4 large whole eggs, beaten pinch of salt 2 tbsp unsalted butter Add the ricotta, eggs, sugar equivalent and salt into a blender. Blend, until combined and smooth. Set aside. Heat a lightly buttered crepe or Teflon pan over medium-low heat. Depending on the size of the pan, add just short of ¼ cup of batter to the pan, and spread it evenly. If necessary, pick up the pan and deliberately tilt the pan in a variety of directions, directing the flow of the batter around the base of the pan, until it completely covers the base of the pan, like a very thin pancake. Once the edges start to brown and curl, loosen the crepe with a spatula and flip it, to brown the other side. Repeat this process, placing each completed crepe on a paper towel. Serve hot, or layer between paper towels and refrigerate or freeze for later use.
PIZZACHILADAS: 1/2 lb raw Italian sausage (sweet or spicy) 1/2 lb pepperoni slices, divided 2 cups low carb pasta sauce, divided 1/2 lb ham, cubed 1/2 cup real bacon bits (optional) 1/2 tsp crushed red chili flakes 3/4 lb. whole milk, low moisture mozzarella, grated and divided 2 cups parmesan cheese, grated and divided 12 each all-purpose crepes (recipe) salt and fresh cracked pepper, to taste
Pre-heat oven to 400 F. If your Italian sausage is in casings, remove it. In a sauté pan over medium-high heat, sauté it, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, as if it were ground beef. When it is cooked, set aside to cool. Chop half of your pepperoni. In a mixing bowl, combine the chopped pepperoni, cooked sausage, ham, bacon bits, 1/2 cup of tomato sauce and half of each of the two cheeses. Mix well. Spread about 1/2 cup of tomato sauce on the bottom of a 9'x13' baking pan. On a counter top, lay out your crepes. Evenly divide your filling mixture between each of the 12 crepes, making a straight line in the center of each crepe. Roll each crepe into a tube and then place it in the baking pan, tightly packed next to the preceding one. Repeat this process until each pizzachillada is in the baking pan. You may need to move things around to make them all fit, but they will fit. Top the pan with the remaining tomato sauce and spread it evenly. Place a layer of pepperoni slices over the top of the crepes. Sprinkle the remaining cheeses over the top of the pan. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until the cheese is golden and crispy! Allow it to settle for about 10 minutes before slicing. Slice and serve! http://www.djfoodie.com/All-Purpose-Crepes http://www.djfoodie.com/Pizza-Enchiladas
PIZZA POCKETS
Here is a healthy hot pocket! Zucchini works great for breads and crusts.
ZUCCHINI CRUST
1 small to medium zucchini, cut into thirds 1 each garlic clove, peeled (optional) 1 large whole egg 1 tbsp coconut flour 2 tsp golden flaxseed meal 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning 1/4 tsp sea salt (optional 1/4 cup whole milk, low moisture mozzarella, grated (optional) 2 tsp butter, melted 1 tbsp parmesan cheese, grated
PIZZA SAUCE 2 tbsp tomato puree (or tomato-only sauce) 1/4 tsp Italian seasoning 1/4 tsp garlic powder 1/4 tsp oregano, ground
TOPPINGS 8 thin slices pepperoni or salami (nitrate free) 1/4 cup cheese of choice, grated Veggies of choice
Preheat oven to 400 F, and line a baking sheet with one sheet of parchment paper. Add zucchini squash and garlic clove to blender or processor, and process until finely ground. Place ground zucchini garlic mixture in a cheese cloth (fine woven towel) or layered paper towels, and squeeze and drain out as much liquid as you can into the sink. Add the zucchini and garlic from the towel to a mixing bowl and add: egg, coconut flour, flax meal, Italian Seasonings, grated mozzarella cheese, and sea salt. Stir and mix well until a pasty dough forms, if it is too runny, then add a little more flax (if you wait a few moments it will thicken up as flour absorbs the liquid). Place two mounds of your crust mixture on parchment paper, and spread into two circles (use the back of spoon to spread, and try not to spread too thin. Also slide the back of a spoon around the edges of the circles to smooth edges). Bake crust in oven for 11 minutes. While crust is baking, mix all sauce ingredients, and set aside. When your crust is a little browned on top, remove from oven. Put second sheet of parchment over top of crust, and use pot holders to flip baking sheet over onto new baking sheet. Slowly peel off top sheet of parchment paper from crusts. Put crusts back into oven and bake for 6 minutes. Slowly peel off top sheet of parchment paper from crusts. Remove from oven, and cover each with layer of pizza sauce. Add pizza toppings to half of each crust circle. Fold one half of each crust over the bottom half with the toppings (like an omelet). Press open side of crust closed with spoon or fingers (don't worry if not sealed well, it will seal when cheese melts). Brush the tops of pocket crust with melted butter, and sprinkle with parmesan. Bake in oven again for 8 minutes or until crust is slightly browned. Remove, cool, and serve.
http://www.djfoodie.com/Pizza-Pockets
SPAGHETTI SQUASH CRUST PIZZA
Spaghetti squash can grow large. You'll have enough for this crust, fritters and veggie noodles.
1 medium spaghetti squash 2 tbsp coconut flour 1 egg 1 tsp dried oregano 1/2 tsp garlic powder 1/2 tsp salt Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste Pizza toppings: tomato sauce, cheese, pepperoni, mushrooms, etc.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Cut the spaghetti squash in half and place cut side down on a baking sheet. Bake for 30-35 minutes until the squash is cooked through and the skin is soft when you press on it. Remove the seeds and use a fork to loosen the spaghetti squash threads. Rest until cool enough to handle.
Once the squash has cooled, remove the threads and wrap them in a kitchen towel, paper towel, or a cheesecloth. Squeeze out as much water as possible. This may take some time and muscle. Make sure to leave the least bit of moisture to ensure a crispy crust. Place the threads in a large bowl, and add coconut flour, egg, oregano, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Mix well with your hands. Place a parchment on a baking sheet. Pour the dough mixture on the parchment paper and press it into a thin even layer, about 1/4 inch thick. Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes until the edges start to brown. Remove from oven and top with tomato sauce and your favorite pizza toppings. Bake for additional 10 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes before slicing and enjoying!
https://whatgreatgrandmaate.com/spaghetti-squash-pizza-crust/
MEATZA MEATZA
Choose any meat source for your "crust." Chicken, beef, pork, Italian sausage all work well. If you'd use it as a topping, it will work on the bottom as well.
2 eggs 1/2 cup parmesan cheese grated 2 teaspoons Italian seasonings 1 teaspoon garlic powder 1 teaspoon salt 2 pounds ground beef 2 tomatoes 9 ounces frozen chopped spinach cooked and drained 2 cups mozzarella cheese shredded Beat the eggs with the parmesan cheese and all seasonings. Add the ground beef and mix until well combined. Spread the mixture onto a large baking sheet with sides (a jelly roll pan works well). The mix doesn’t have to fill the bottom of the pan, I made rounded ends. Bake for about 20 minutes in a 450 degree F oven. Remove from oven and drain off any grease. Place sliced tomatoes and spinach on top then sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Return to oven on a high rack near broiler. Broil until cheese is melted and brown. https://lowcarbyum.com/spinach-tomato-meatza-pizza/
OTHER PIZZA CRUST IDEAS:
Almond and Coconut Oil - https://www.wholesomeyum.com/recipes/paleo-pizza-crust/ Cauliflower Crust - https://detoxinista.com/the-secret-to-perfect-cauliflower-pizza-crust/ Sweet Potato Crust - https://pinchofyum.com/sweet-potato-pizza-crust Butternut Squash Crust - http://www.wholeheartedeats.com/2013/12/iincredible-squash-pizza-htmlm1/ Green Plantain Crust - https://physicalkitchness.com/paleo-plantain-pizza-crust/ Coconut Flour - http://www.wholeheartedeats.com/2013/12/iincredible-squash-pizza-htmlm1/
You can enjoy your pizza any time with these recipes. Be sure to add a lot of veggies to your toppings. All kinds of greens and herbs work well. If you are not doing dairy, use Nutritional Yeast as a substitute. It has a good cheesy, nutty flavor. You don't have to sacrifice to be healthy. Change a couple of ingredients and you are set.
Here's to your health! Happy Cooking!
Lori
Commenti