Healthy PIZZA?

Everyone is always looking for ways to incorporate healthier foods into their lives. What if I told you that you were eating a slice of pizza that was ACTUALLY HEALTHY because the crust wasn’t made of processed white flour, but instead it was made with quinoa! Skeptical at first, I was happy with the results of this recipe.

Quinoa Crust Precipice

Ingredients:

1. 3/4 cup of dry organic quinoa (I use a the Kirkland Signature organic quinoa– definitely more cost effective then getting it from Whole Foods or Trader Joe’s)
2. 1/2 tsp baking powder
3. 1/2 tsp salt
4. 1 tbs olive oil
5. italian seasoning to taste
6. dry rosemary to taste
7. unsalted garlic powder to taste

The dry quinoa has to be soaked in water for about 6-8 hours. Soak it overnight if you are going to be making the crust in the morning or all day if you are going to be making it for dinner. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Wash the soaked quinoa thoroughly and blend with the baking powder, salt, olive oil and seasoning. The consistency is going to be similar to pancake batter (not pizza dough). Take a 9″ cake pan and line it with parchment paper and coat it with olive oil. Pour the mixture in; the thinner you pour it the more crispy the crust will turn out. Bake it for 12 minutes, then flip the crust and cook for another 15 minutes. You can now either add the toppings or save the crust for later in the day.

Making my pizza crusts in the morning, I was able to use them later that evening for pizza night. I chopped up mushrooms, green peppers and onions and prepared a garlic oil to brush onto the crust before adding the toppings.

garlic oil: freshly minced garlic, olive oil, Italian seasoning and rosemary

I also made a homemade pizza sauce: 1/2 cup chopped onion, 2 tbs minced garlic, 2 tbs oil, 1 cup chopped fresh tomato, 8 ounces tomato sauce, 6 ounces tomato paste, 1 tsp salt, 2 tsp oregano, 2 tsp basil,  and 1 tsp pepper. Saute the onions and garlic in olive oil, once brown add all the remaining ingredients and let the sauce simmer over low heat.

When it was time to assemble the pizza, I brushed the crust with the garlic oil, then added the pizza sauce, vegetables, pepperoni, mozzarella cheese and lastly the Italian blend. Then I baked the pizza for another 10-15 minutes until the cheese was melted.

• 

• 

It tasted as good as it looked. Can’t wait to make it again!