Yes, you read that correctly: I LOVE fast food!
Those who know me are saying, "no way, can't be!" Let me warn you, it is not the type of fast food you can pick up at a drive thru.
I like whole food meals I can whip up quickly. Some days I need to with 2 kids, 4 cats, 1 dog, and my busy health promoting lifestyle.
Last eve I decided I wanted pizza. Getting healthy pizza out is not an easy task, better handled at home. Generally, I plan for this and have the dough rising several hours before dinner prep time.
This conundrum has entered my life before: want pizza now! This is why I created the following whole food, easy pizza. I made last eve's, pictured above, with fresh ground amaranth, millet, and quinoa flour. This made for a grainy textured crust. Very yummy, in my eyes (or should I say mouth?). Any whole grain flours will work. If you are looking for a more traditionally textured crust use 1/2 spelt flour and 1/2 oat flour, whole grain, of course.
The dough is like quick bread. I let it sit for 5 minutes and then decide if I need to add a bit more flour to thicken it up. It needs to be a sturdier dough than say, banana quick bread batter. I then drop it on a floured pizza stone and roll it out with my pie crust rolling pin, dressed in it's 100% cotton tee (purchased locally through Evan's and White Hardware: http://www.evanswhite.com/). The messy dough rolls out easier with a well dressed rolling pin, floured as well.
Easy Pizza Crust
1 cup warm water or organic milk, not hot 2 tbsp. melted butter, preferably from grass fed cows (like the milk mentioned above) 1/2 tsp. unrefined sea salt 2-3 tsp. baking powder 2 1/2 to 3 cups whole grain flour*
-preheat oven to 350F -warm the milk and melt the butter in the milk -add 1/2 the flour amount, sea salt and baking powder -mix well -add more flour until you have a somewhat non-sticky dough
-place the dough into the center of a pizza pan that you have buttered or sprinkled with corn flour (or both) -press dough down and shape into a flat circle -using a rolling pin that is very well floured (I use a cotton sleeve on mine), roll out dough to the edges like a pie crust. Keep pressing the edges into a nice, neat circle to prevent the cracked edges that you see in the above pizza picture! -pre-bake the crust for 15-20 minutes until it is starting to look crispy but not quite cooked, on the stone it does take 20 minutes -remove and add the below sauce, toppings of choice, cheese and return to the oven for 5-10 minutes to finish cooking and melt the cheese.
Avoiding grains? *Dough can be made with bean and/or nut flours, the texture will be different, obviously, but you will get used to it. Be grateful you have created an alternative you can enjoy!
Avoiding Gluten? Skip the spelt flour. Use only gluten free grains. Make certain your oats are certified gluten free, organic too. Glyphosate pesticides used in non-organic farming practices are very destructive to gut health, immune health, whole body-whole earth health.
Pizza Sauce:
1 quart jar of canned tomatoes 1 can tomato paste, I like Muir Glen Organic paste. It is an intensely tomato-y tasting paste Italian herbs: rosemary, thyme, oregano, basil and parsley - local if possible local onions and garlic
-saute' the onion in butter until gently but well cooked -add canned tomatoes, I put tomatoes and paste in the blender and puree as I can my tomatoes with the skins on -pour a generous pile, say 1 tbsp. or so, of each herb into your hand, one at a time. Over the pot, rub your palms together and 'grind' the herbs into the pot of sauce. -slow cook the sauce for an hour or two -peel garlic cloves to your taste, chop or press into the sauce, at this point the heat is off so garlic is gently 'cooked' by the heat of the sauce only -use as much as needed to slather the above pizza crust -use the leftover sauce over your favorite pasta adding meat, cheese, beans, whatever you please
Need a quicker sauce choice? Try Muir Glen Pizza Sauce in the can. It is very yummy right out of the can; meaning it needs zero "doctoring" with spices!
Please check out the article about my book, written by a Central NY journalist - Samantha House. Every step forward with my book is one step closer to finding a publisher interested in publishing the entire series: The Whole Food Kitchen Series! http://auburnpub.com/lifestyles/everything-in-its-natural-state-longtime-cny-nurse-shares-health/article_87363e8b-2f26-5af5-8da6-adabb55846c9.html
Enjoy! Paula