Writing fiction is a profession that brings me great joy but very little exercise. Combine that with pandemic isolation, Hubs’ illness and surgery, moving from WA to NV (so homesick!), and stress eating to soothe same, and it’s no big surprise my most recent physical exam delivered a diagnosis of pre-diabetes. Ugh!
That diagnosis was a scary wake-up call. Since my number one Clifton Strength is Input, my first reaction was to read up on treatments for pre-diabetes. What’s the advice all sources agree on? Say it with me now—Lose weight! Ugh redux.
After much thought, I decided to give the Keto diet a go. No diet works for everyone, but this low-carb, high-fat plan works for me. I’m surprised how little I miss my beloved crackers, chips, and other salty, starchy crunchies. “Sandwiches” on romaine lettuce are satisfying, and this plan allows me to dip my veggie snacks in decadent blue cheese dressing or almond butter, so I don’t often feel deprived. I’ve even come to love spaghetti squash instead of pasta. But…what about pizza?
Guess what holds most store-bought cauliflower pizza crusts together? Corn starch! They might be gluten free, but they’re not low carb. Bummer. So I perused many, many recipes and came up with this modification.
Tasty, toasty keto pizza crust ready for toppings
- Nuke one package of frozen riced cauliflower according to package directions. (They’re all about the same size. I used Costco’s.) Let it cool a few minutes, then dump the cauliflower into a clean kitchen towel. As you squeeze all the water out, imagine someone you’d like to throttle. So satisfying!
- Dump the cauliflower into a bowl and add
* 2 large eggs
* ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese. Use the good stuff, not that sawdust that comes in a green plastic jar. Many recipes call for more cheese, but I found this amount sufficient. Suit yourself.
* ½ cup almond flour
* 1 tsp each garlic powder, onion powder, and Italian seasoning—I like Penzeys’ Tuscan Sunset.
* Salt and pepper to taste—but remember, the cheese is salty too.
- Stir until well-combined. Line a baking tray with parchment paper and spray with your favorite oil spray. Dump the dough onto the paper and pat it into an oblong, about ¼ inch thick.
- Bake at 425 F for about 20 minutes until golden. Remove from the oven and let it cool for about ten minutes while you prepare the toppings.
- Top with tomato sauce. Careful, most prepared sauces have a lot of sugar, so check the label. I used Rao’s, which has only 6 total carbs per ½ cup and no added sugar. Add mozzarella cheese and your favorite pizza toppings.
Behold Mount Pizza!
* Here’s a tip from Hubs & me: we like to pile our pizza high with veggies, which can lead to a soggy crust. So I slice up mushrooms, red onion, bell peppers, zucchini and fresh spinach, then sauté in olive oil for a few minutes before adding to the pizza. For this pizza, I also added black olives, some leftover deli ham, and pepper salami before sprinkling with a bit more mozzarella cheese. Supremo deluxe!
- Bake another ten minutes or so until the cheese melts.
- Enjoy your toasty, veggie, spicy, cheesy pizza!
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Buon appetito!
PS: All my romance stories contain flirting over decadent food, especially my latest release, Delicious Heat: Bangers Tavern Romance 3.
Bangers Tavern chef Diego meets a woman who makes his heart sing. Trouble is, she’s pregnant with another man’s child. To win her, he’ll have to convince her and both their interfering families that he’s in it for keeps.
Get your copy from your favorite online bookseller: https://books2read.com/deliciousheat
