Oh, Poppycock! - Life. Adventures. Merriment
  • Home
  • Parenthood
  • Travel
  • Food and Drink
  • Decor and DIY
  • Music
  • Poppycock
  • Heel Clicking

Food and Drink

Tales and Recipes from my Culinary Adventures

Alternatives to Pizza Crust

1/22/2015

Comments

 
Let's face it, most of us LOVE pizza. There may be times when you want to enjoy some delicious pizza but perhaps have a gluten intolerance, feel the need to watch your carbs, or simply don't have the ingredients or time to prepare pizza dough.  These are some of my tried and tested go to alternatives to pizza dough that have allowed me to devour one of my favorite foods at times when I did not think it was possible!

1. Zuchini/Corguette Pizza Slices
Picture
This vegetable that is part of the squash family is extremely versatile. It can be used in muffins, in cakes, as pasta and now as a pizza base!? You betcha! As many of you know, I like to be creative when it comes to food. This was something I was inspired to make while I was trying to lose weight for my wedding and craving pizza. It definitely satisfied those cravings! This is a gluten free option (for those that have an intolerance). Check out the easy recipe with photos and steps here.

2. Pita Bread Mini Pizzas

Picture
Pita bread was my best friend when I moved out of my parents' house! It didn't take long to start using it as a pizza base and I was instantly hooked! To this day, I still use pita bread as a pizza base as it is very inexpensive (ie. 89 cents for a pack of 6 pitas), you can store the pitas in the freezer and always have them on hand for when those pizza cravings arise, it is very quick and easy to make the pizza, and it simply tastes delicious. These are also a fantastic activity for kids or for a party (especially since not everyone will like the same toppings). Prepare all the toppings beforehand and allow the kids or party guests to make their own individual pizzas by placing their favorite toppings on the base. Big hit! To make this recipe, simply follow from Step 3 of the Zucchini/Courgette Pizza Slices recipe, although it is pretty self explanatory: you can easily just place some sauce on the pita along with your favorite toppings and that's basically it! Bon Appetit!

3. Cauliflower Pizza Crust
Picture
I know what you're thinking: "Cauliflower as a pizza base?!! That's just poppycock!" and that is what I also thought when a friend of mine told me about this recipe. But I just HAD to try it because, as mentioned,  I love creative and weird recipes. This was a little bit more time consuming but I loved the results. This is also another gluten free option for those that need it. I followed the Cauliflower Pizza Crust recipe from the Lucky Penny Blog or just do a Google search for "cauliflower pizza crust" and you will find a variety of recipes to choose from. 
4. Baguette Pizza Bread
Picture
Just like the Pita Bread Mini Pizzas (above), you can also use a sliced loaf of bread or a sliced baguette or some kind of French bread as a base....or any kind of bread, really! I'm a lover of carbs so anything goes and when I made pizza out of a fresh loaf that we had on hand, I was in heaven! If you have a gluten intolerance, try using gluten free bread! Simple and delicious!
There really are endless possibilities when it comes to making pizza and now there also seem to be endless possibilities for the pizza crust as well. There are plenty more alternatives out there than the ones I have listed but these are just some of my favorites. What are some of your favorites and some that I should try out?! I'd love to hear your suggestions and also let me know if you try any of the above out!

I leave you with some more photos of my pizza crust alternative adventures. Click on the photos for a description. Bon Appetit!
Comments

Healthy Zucchini/Courgette Pizza Slices

6/14/2013

Comments

 
Pizza is one of my favorite foods. However, I seem to constantly try and eat healthy and pizza definitely does not help with the weight loss. I have tried the cauliflower pizza base and as much as I love it, I find it to be quite time consuming to prepare. I saw a photo of sliced zucchini with Parmesan cheese on top of it one day and thought, "hey, that looks like it could be used as a pizza base". So I gave it a try, as I do like to be inventive with food, and fell in love- not just with the taste, but also with the ease and minimum preparation time. Of course, the photos went up on Facebook and all the questions of how I made it came in so here we go folks:. Ask and you shall receive. When necessary, click on the photos for descriptions.
Things you will need:

-Zucchini/Courgette (the amount depends on how many you want to feed and how big the zucchini is. If it is a big fat one, for lack of better description, I tend to use half of the whole zucchini per person. If it is relatively small, then one whole one per person should do.)

- Olive oil

- Crushed tomatoes (aka Tomato Passata, pureed or sieved tomatoes in the UK ), or plain 'ol pizza sauce

- Dried or fresh mixed herbs or oregano (this ingredient is key to giving it a pizza flavor)

- Your favorite pizza toppings (tomatoes, onions, mushrooms, peppers, onions, feta, cheese, olives, pineapple etc)


Steps (see photos for assistance):

1. Cut the zucchini in half. This makes it easier to slice as you will have a flat surface to stand it on for slicing. Also, it is easier to serve half a slice of zucchini as if the slices are the length of a whole large zucchini, they may end up being longer than the plate. If you have long/oval platter style plates, then feel free to leave it long.

2. Slice the zucchini in strips, roughly a 5mm thickness. Try and make all the slices the same thickness. When getting near the end of the zucchini, it may be easier (and safer) to place it down on the cutting surface and slice it that way (see photos)
3. Place zucchini slices in a lightly greased ovenproof dish/pan. Place about a teaspoon size amount of the tomato/pizza sauce on each slice. The amount of sauce depends on the area of the slice that needs covering and how much you really like tomato sauce. Use the curved bottom of the spoon to spread the sauce on the slice of zucchini.

4. Sprinkle dried or fresh mixed herbs or oregano on top of the sauce. I like to use a lot of this as I find it gives it a real pizza flavor.

5. Add cheese on top of the sauce. I find that adding cheese allows for the pizza toppings to stick to it so that they don't all fall off when eating. I have tried this recipe with both cheddar cheese AND mozzarella and both are good. Mozzarella tends to be a little bit lighter than cheddar cheese and also more authentic. You can easily find mozzarella balls in a grocery store and just slice them into small pieces to place on the zucchini slices (or just use grate mozzarella as well). The mozzarella melts quite nicely. I have also tried it with adding the cheese on top of the pizza toppings but the toppings don't stay on so well then.
6. Now, on top of the cheese, place your toppings. The surface area is not very large so you may want to put a couple toppings on each slice, or cut your toppings very small if you want a lot of flavors on there. You could also do one topping per slice and have a different topping on each slice. This is entirely up to you and your personal preference. Drizzle a little bit of olive oil on top of each slice.

7. Place in a preheated oven. About 350 degrees Fahrenheit (or 170 degrees Celsius in a fan assisted oven). Allow to cook for about 15-20 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the toppings are cooked to your liking. You don't really need to worry about overcooking. Check back after about 10 minutes to see how it is coming along and if the toppings are cooked to your liking.

8. When it looks like it is done to your liking, take the dish out of the oven and use a flat spatula to transfer the zucchini slices onto a plate. Now you are ready to devour this relatively healthy and gluten free alternative to pizza! Bon Appetit!

Notes:
- Cooking it in this way makes the zucchini just slightly cooked and crunchy. If you prefer it to be more well done and crispy, then grill the zucchini slices to your liking prior to placing the sauce and toppings on top.
- I find the easiest way to enjoy this dish is to eat it with a fork and knife. It doesn't have the ease that pizza does of eating it with your hands.
- Zucchini and Courgette are two of my least favorite words to spell correctly. Why do both terms for this vegetable need to be so foreign and complicated?!
Hope you enjoyed this recipe. If you try it out, let me know how you like it! Feel free to contact me with any comments or questions.

Happy Cooking and Enjoy!
Comments

    Food Categories

    All
    Beer
    Breakfast
    Chick Peas
    Dessert
    Dinner Party
    Fruit
    Fun For Kids
    Gluten Free
    Guilt Free
    Healthy
    Lactose Intolerant
    Party Food
    Pizza
    Quinoa
    Restaurant Reviews
    Simple
    Slow Cooker
    Thanksgiving
    Vegetarian

    Archives

    November 2016
    December 2015
    January 2015
    November 2014
    August 2013
    June 2013

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.
  • Home
  • Parenthood
  • Travel
  • Food and Drink
  • Decor and DIY
  • Music
  • Poppycock
  • Heel Clicking