Pizza at the Beach...Our "Farewell to Vacation" Dinner

Well, vacation time has essentially come to a close now...we leave in the morning. This has been a long awaited and much needed break from the "real world". For the record, my vacation has been awesome...even without consuming any wheat or grains and I didn't feel like I missed out on anything. We have eaten well and enjoyed all the other activities one does when on a beach vacation...many long walks on the beach, swimming in the ocean and pool and long walks in the evenings under the palm trees. As a matter of fact, we just returned from our last one hour walk this evening after dinner. We even had dinner out one night. To celebrate the fact that it's Friday and the wrap up of the culmination of our vacation...I decided that pizza was the best way to end our week here (topped with sauce, fresh mozzarella, shredded Parmesan, Italian chicken sausage, red bell pepper, mushrooms, onions and spinach...phew - I snapped the layers as I built the mega-pizza)! I snapped a few photos of our "pizza al fresco" from one of the rooftop decks in the beautiful house we stayed at. Enjoy!

It's a Wonderful Life...

Almond-Flax-Parmesan Herb Pizza Crust

Makes 1 10-inch round pizza (approximately 2 servings)

Dry Ingredients:

1/4 cup  almond flour
1/4 cup  golden flax seed meal (organic golden flax is milder in taste than brown)

2/3 teaspoon baking powder (aluminum free)

1/2 - 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder 
Dash cayenne pepper, optional

1/4 teaspoon sea salt, or to taste (decrease salt if using saltier cheeses and toppings)

Few grinds of freshly ground black pepper

4 - 5 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, finely grated

Wet Ingredients:

1 egg (or 1/4 cup egg substitute such as Egg Beaters)

1 tablespoon olive oil (a little more, if desired)

1 to 2 tablespoons water (start with 1 tablespoon of water and add the second, if necessary)

Toppings (Optional):  
Pizza sauce, pesto sauce, etc.
Cheese: shredded mozzarella cheese, sliced or diced fresh mozzarella, etc.
**Pre-cooked vegetables of choice: onions, green peppers, mushrooms, spinach, etc. 
**Pre-cooked meat of choice: sausage, ground beef topping, etc.
Other: artichokes, olives, pepperoni, etc.

**Tip: Fresh vegetable and meat toppings should be pre-cooked and drained to prevent crust from becoming soggy

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Mix dry ingredients together; add wet ingredients and mix well. Let the dough sit for approximately 5 minutes to thicken. 

Spread dough on a lightly oiled large pizza pan or cookie sheet lined with greased parchment paper (you can also use Reynolds non-stick foil, lightly brushed with olive oil).  Using a lightly oiled rubber spatula, press the dough out to desired shape and thickness (I usually make it about 1/4" thick -- *see note below).  Bake for 15-20 minutes or until cooked through (check crust after 15 minutes and remove from oven when it looks and feels done).  Spread with a thin layer of sauce, cheese and desired toppings (fresh vegetable and meat toppings should be pre-cooked to prevent soggy crust); place back into the oven to bake an additional 5-10 minutes to melt cheese.  If desired, run under the broiler for a few minutes to lightly brown the toppings and make the cheese bubbly (be careful not to burn it).

*Note:  For a crust that is flat, smooth and even in thickness, lightly spray a 2nd sheet of parchment paper with olive oil spray and place it on top (oiled side down) of the ball of pizza dough that is centered in the middle of your prepared pizza pan or baking sheet.  Using either your hands or the flat edge of an object (I use a big container of black pepper) press the dough smooth by swiping it the direction you want the pizza crust to go.  When it is the desired thickness and shape, carefully peel off the top layer of parchment paper...and "Voila"...perfectly flat, smooth, thin pizza crust! If you don't have parchment paper, pressing the dough out with a lightly oiled rubber spatula works just fine, too.