Gluten Free Pizza

Last year I learned how to make a fantastic pizza crust that was easy and cheap. This year, it's a challenge to learn how to make wheat-free bread products in an allergy household.

I am so happy to discover Bob's Red Mill products. I read Bob Moore's biography last year and discovered he has stellar character and he's magnanimous to boot. I feel good about buying his products, especially since I can either buy his products at the local Kroger (where I earn reward points) or our local Amish Market.

The downside to this pizza is that the dough is a little sticky, but if you buy rice flour, you can add it to your hands when removing it from the bowl. If you do that, I will spread beautifully onto a 16" pizza pan. This recipe calls for store bought dough for a square tart, but I found that it lasts longer (for those of you who save money with leftovers) if you make the larger pie.

I have not yet made a crust pizza with tomato sauce--and I've made 4 within the last year, at least. You don't even have to make white sauce or any sauce. If you mix your topping with olive oil and spices, the pie tastes great. I have learned that you can add kale or potatoes or even almonds to pizza to make it more healthy and unique.



Ingredients
   

    1 pint(s) grape tomatoes, halved
    1/2 jar(s) (12-oz) roasted red peppers, cut into ½-in. pieces
    3 scallions, finely chopped
    2 clove(s) garlic, finely chopped
    1 tablespoon(s) olive oil
    Kosher salt and pepper
    1 (sheet) frozen puff pastry, thawed
    3 ounce(s) Asiago or provolone cheese, finely shredded
    Green salad, for serving

Directions

1. Heat oven to 400°F. In a large bowl, combine the tomatoes, roasted peppers, scallions, garlic, oil, ½ tsp salt and ¼ tsp pepper.
2. Unfold the pastry onto a piece of parchment paper. Using a rolling pin, roll pastry ½ in. bigger on all sides. Slide the parchment (and pastry) onto a baking sheet. Sprinkle the entire pastry with ⅓ of the cheese.
3. Top with the tomato mixture, leaving a 1-in. border all the way around. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese and bake until the pastry has puffed and is golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Serve with a salad, if desired.

I added fresh Parmesan squares around the crust. 

Once you commit to cooking, things get better. I am quicker washing the dishes, and being prepared to prep food and think ahead for shopping to buy local and get fresh produce. Also, since I've become a member of www.fitday.com I've been more mindful of my portions, plus you get a better idea of how much fat, calories, and nutrition in general are in a portion of food. 

This extra large pizza lasted both of us for 4 days, through lunches and breakfast. It's approximately $14 per pie.