Pizza and Cranberry Yogurt for Dessert

This evening I decided to make pizza for dinner. I thought about waiting and having it tomorrow night, but was in the mood for it tonight. Since I still have half of my pizza left...that means I can have pizza for Friday night's dinner, too! So...I see that as a win/win! I love being able to enjoy a wheat free pizza that's so good that even the wheat eaters like it. This recipe was one of those pivotal recipes for me early on in my elimination of wheat and grains. Once I created this recipe that restored a sense of "normalcy" to my meals...I had hope and comfort that this might just be doable...and not just for a few weeks or months...but for the long haul. Anyone can modify their way of eating for a period of time., that's nothing special. The real problem lies when we return to our previous way of eating that created or contributed to many of our health problems in the first place...whether it be weight gain, diabetes, insulin resistance, inflammation and a host of other maladies. This pizza recipe is what helped me see the forest for the trees so to speak. I realized that it wasn't about what I "couldn't have any more"...it was more about learning how to find ways to still enjoy some old favorites like pizza, but in ways that wouldn't be detrimental to my health. It also helped rediscover the beauty and simplicity of eating a simple piece of meat and fresh vegetables with butter; single ingredient foods not tainted and contaminated with additives like wheat, sugars, starches and other appetite inducing ingredients and fillers put there for one purpose -- to make you crave more. Additives that had no business being there in the first place. It was an awakening of sorts! This recipe has a lot of significance for me -- and not just because I like it. It was a turning point for me and when I realized that I could just sit back, relax and enjoy the "wheat-free ride". For the last 16 months, I have sought to make every day a new adventure and new challenge and to defy the odds stacked against us in navigating how to eat in a world where we are continuously bombarded with food choices that are detrimental to our health and well being. I look at every meal I prepare and each recipe I create as a challenge and a triumph in defying those odds. I haven't just adopted a wheat-free lifestyle; I have embraced it. What a truly liberating feeling that is!!!  Below I snapped a quick photo of my pizza (topped with onions, red peppers, mushrooms, fresh baby spinach and fresh mozzarella cheese) as well as the recipe for my pizza crust. I've also posted a photo of the simple dessert I had this evening -- a cup of Fage Greek yogurt with a spoon of my Cranberry Orange Walnut Sauce swirled in it -- it was awesome. Enjoy!

Almond-Flax-Parmesan Herb Pizza Crust
Makes 1 10-inch round pizza (approximately 2 servings)

Dry Ingredients:

1/4 cup blanched 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.