pizza

Pesto Prosciutto Pizza with Cauliflower Crust

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I have a samurai living inside me. 

This is what I tell people when I say I have Hashimoto’s Disease. “I have a samurai living inside me.” Making a joke sounds better than when I say I have an autoimmune disease that it attacking my thyroid & causes many other health side effects.

Apparently the only way to cure it (maybe) is by going gluten free. Supposedly after 6 months to 2 yrs of being gluten free, my antibodies will go back down to a normal level. I have yet to do this. Why haven’t I? Well, it’s complicated.

For one, I have most of my symptoms under control. I feel much better than I did before. My hands only feel somewhat cold. I am not constantly fatigued. My headaches are under control. The list goes on.

Another reason is that I really don’t want to go gluten free. It is really hard. Gluten is everywhere. There are so many hidden sources of gluten it isn’t even funny. People with celiac’s disease will tell you a gluten free diet is no joke. Sure, it is easier today than it was 10 years ago with gluten free menu options or new & interesting food ideas, but it is still no walk in the park. I have done a massive gluten reduction but am by no means “gluten free”. For now my reduction plan is working for most of my symptoms.

I also love baking. I will not give that up. I don’t think I could afford to bake gluten free right now anyhow. And baking regular for the heck of it and gluten free for myself does not appeal to me. Maybe one day I will get there. Maybe one day I will have to. Until then I try to do the best I can and make better choices so that I feel well.

One thing I tried was a cauliflower crust for pizza. Cauliflower is on the internet everywhere in the food world as a healthy alternative to breads & pastas. This pizza is amazing and healthy. Give it a try for something different or maybe for your own health reasons.

 

Pesto Prosciutto Pizza with Cauliflower Crust (serves 1-2)

  • small bag cauliflower florets (or half head cauliflower)
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 cup shredded asiago cheese
  • 1/4 tsp each oregano & basil
  • few dashes onion powder
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • pinch salt & pepper
  • olive oil (for brushing parchment paper)
  • 1/2 to 3/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese
  • 1/4 cup homemade or store bought pesto
  • 1.5 oz prosciutto, sliced into bite sized pieces

 

Preheat a pizza stone or clean baking sheet in an oven to 450 degrees F.

Add the cauliflower to a food processor and pulse until finely ground.

Transfer the cauliflower to a medium bowl. Add the Asiago, egg, garlic, and seasonings. Combine until the mixture holds together when pinched. Pour onto a cheesecloth and wring out as much moisture as you can.

Line a pizza peel with parchment paper & brush with some olive oil. Spread the cauliflower mixture into a circle about 1/4in thick. Slide the parchment onto the preheated pizza stone and bake until barely golden and darker at the edges, about 17-20 minutes.

Remove the crust from the oven, sprinkle with the mozzarella and spread the pesto over the top. Scatter the prosciutto on the pizza. Slide back onto the pizza stone and bake until bubbly with browned spots, about 4-6 minutes.

Serves one as an entree or serves two when paired with a side.

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Multiple Meals: Pizza, Lasagna, & Gravy

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There is no story behind this post. I simply had too much food that needed to be eaten so it wouldn’t go to waste. Seeing as how I only like to eat the same thing a handful of times, I decided to split it into 3 meals (this also took care of a lot of meal planning for me for the week). Each can serve 2 & you get spare lasagna as well!

Prep for all 3:

  • Brown 1lb ground beef & 1lb hot Italian sausage together. Set aside 1 cup browned meat for gravy.
  • Sauté 2 yellow squash, 2 zucchini & 2 onions together
  • Prepare pizza sauce (mix all together)
    • (1) 6oz can tomato paste
    • 1/3-2/3 cup water (depends on consistency you want for pizza sauce)
    • ¼ olive oil
    • Dash Salt & pepper
    • 2tsp each Basil & oregano
  • Prepare pizza dough (makes 2 – 1 for pizza & 1 for another use within 1 week in the fridge covered loosely):
    • Mix in a large bowl: 1.5 cups warm water, 2 ¼ tsp yeast, 1tsp salt, 2 tsp sugar, ¼ cup olive oil
    • Add 3 cups bread flour using wet hands if needed to incorporate all the flour
    • Cover loosely and let rise for 2-2.5 hrs

 

Pizza

  • Browned meat
  • Sautéed veggies
  • Pizza sauce
  • Half the dough
  • Mozzarella cheese
    • Preheat oven with pizza stone lightly coated with cornmeal at 450F for 30minutes. Roll out dough on a lightly floured pizza peel to be 1/8in thick.
    • Spoon half the sauce on the dough. Top with light sprinkling of cheese. You should still see the sauce through the cheese
    • Top with browned meat & veggies. Again, be light with toppings.
    • Slide onto stone & bake for 20-25minutes until crust is cooked through.

sausage pizza

 

Lasagna (Makes 2 lasagnas. Each lasagna serves 2)

  • Browned meat
  • Sautéed veggies
  • Pizza sauce & 15oz can tomato sauce
  • 6-12 cooked lasagna noodles (depending on preference)
  • 1 container part-skim ricotta cheese
  • 1 egg
  • Mozzarella cheese
  • Basil & oregano
    • Mix pizza sauce & tomato sauce together. Add more basil & oregano to taste.
    • Mix egg & ricotta cheese. Add ¼ cup mozzarella cheese to this mixture.
    • Put ~1/4 cup sauce on bottoms of two loaf pans.
    • Cut noodles as necessary to fit pan (about 1-2 noodles per layer & 3 layers total).
    • Add a few tbsp ricotta mixture & spread over noodles. Top with browned meat & veggies. Top with more sauce. Repeat layer again & add some mozzarella cheese over the ricotta blend. For the final layer, use ricotta, mozzarella & sauce only. Cover with foil. Repeat for second lasagna. Bake immediately, after 24hrs in fridge, or within a week in the freezer.
    • If baking immediately, bake for 30 minutes with foil & 15-20 without foil. If baking after storing in the fridge for a day, bake for 40minutes with foil & 15-20 without. If baking from the freezer, bake for 60 minutes with the foil, & 15-20 without.

sausage lasagna

 

Gravy

  • 1 cup Browned meat
  • 1 cup Milk
  • 1 tbsp Flour
  • Pepper to taste
    • Put browned meat in skillet or pot. Reheat for a few minutes.
    • Add 1 tbsp flour to meat & sauté for 1-2minutes.
    • Add 1 cup milk & cook over medium heat until thickened & bubbly. Add pepper to taste.
    • Serve over biscuits or toasted baguette slices (if all else fails, serve over a slice of toast like I did)

 

sausage gravy

Spring or Not Spring

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According to the calendar it is currently Spring. For many people in Minnesota it does not feel like spring though. The winter has been long & has rolled into spring like it frequently has in the past. This year as I gaze out into my backyard, this is what spring looks like:

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What a beautiful December, I mean March Day. I never understood when people said they loved spring. Spring has always been my least favorite season. Generally, it keeps snowing, or it begins to melt and everything looks gross, brown, grey, and wet.

Spring does mean different produce though. Asparagus in the grocery store means spring has arrived. Asparagus in my grocery store means I hit the jackpot since my store has nothing. I bought the asparagus and decided to use it to make a Chicken, Asparagus, & White Sauce Pizza. No matter what season it is or feels like, this pizza is exquisite.

Pizza Dough from Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day (makes 4 1lb dough balls)

  • 2 ¾ cup lukewarm water
  • 1 ½ tbsp granulated  yeast or two packets
  • 1 ½ tbsp kosher salt
  • 1 tbsp sugar
  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • 6 ½ cup unbleached all purpose flour or 6-6 ¼ cup bread flour
  1. Mix all ingredients except the flour.
  2. Add the flour without kneading. Use wet hands to incorporate the last bit of flour.
  3. Cover the container (not airtight) for 2 hrs.
  4. Use immediately or place in the fridge until ready. Use within 12 days.

White Pizza Sauce 

  • 2 tbsp. butter
  • 2 tbsp. flour
  • 1 cup milk
  • dash cayenne
  • dash nutmeg
  • 1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
  1. Melt butter over medium heat in a skillet
  2. Stir in flour and cook for 1-2 minutes
  3. Stir in milk and whisk until thick & bubbly.
  4. Add seasonings and cheese. Stir until combined.

Chicken & Asparagus Toppings

  • 1-2 chicken breast or 3 thighs cut into 1in pieces
  • 1/2lb bunch asparagus
  • olive oil
  1. In a skillet heat olive oil over medium to medium-high heat.
  2. Add cut-up chicken and sauté until just cooked through. Remove from heat & set aside
  3. Meanwhile, in large pot, bring salted water to a boil.
  4. Chop asparagus into 1in pieces and blanch for a minute.
  5. Drain & run under cool water until the asparagus are cool to the touch

Assembly & Baking

  • 1/4 cup parmesan cheese
  • 1/3 cup mozzarella cheese
  • cornmeal
  • flour
  1. Preheat the oven to 450F with a heat stone inside the oven. Do this 20minutes before baking.
  2. Sprinkle cornmeal on the pizza stone and flour on the counter.
  3. Take a 1lb portion of the dough and place on the floured surface and roll into a circle that is 1/8in thick (or some sort of shape that looks like pizza).
  4. Spread sauce on the surface leaving a 1in border. Place more parmesan cheese on the sauce (roughly 1/4cup).
  5. Top with chicken & asparagus.
  6. Top with mozzarella cheese lightly (roughly 1/3 cup).
  7. Bake for 15-20 minutes until the crust is cooked through & cheese is melted & bubbly.

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