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Low Carb Chicken Pesto Cast Iron Meatza {Keto, Grain-free w/ easy options for Paleo, Whole30, Dairy-free}
This delicious Low Carb Chicken Pesto Cast Iron Meatza is a really simple recipe that comes together in no time. It brings all the pizza vibes without all the grains and heaviness that some of us can experience as a result of traditional pizza. You can use the base crust recipe for other pizza variations and get creative with your toppings! This recipe is low-carb and keto-friendly and it’s great for those who eat gluten-free or grain-free and easily adaptable to be dairy-free or nut-free.
I remember the first time I hear the word “meatza”, I remember thinking – “Um… that’s weird”. Then I thought about it, people eat meatloafs and meatballs, we make meat patties for burgers – why can’t we make a pizza crust from meat? It’s brilliant. I’d love to take credit for the idea, but I can’t. But I can take credit for making it in a cast iron and dressing it up with a tasty pesto sauce. This meatza crust holds up so well to lots of toppings, you can actually pick it up with one hand or go all in with a fork – that’s up to you and your style. It’s loaded with flavor, it is super satisfying, filling and a breeze to make.
You can certainly shape your crust and make it on a sheet pan or any other baking dish that has sides (since you will have a little grease), if you prefer, but I find making this delicious low carb pizza in a seasoned cast iron skillet makes for a really nice crispy crust. Since cast iron skillets get pretty dang hot and stay hot, it’s just perfect for even cooking and a nice high heat sear. I use a 12-inch cast iron skillet but it would work in any size cast iron pan. Obviously the bigger the pan the thinner the crust, the smaller the pan, the thicker.
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BBQ Kalua Pork Hawaiian Pizza {grain-free, gluten-free with paleo and keto options}
This delicious BBQ Kalua Pork Hawaiian Pizza was inspired by our anniversary trip to Maui and it was love at first bite. depending on which crust you select and how you dress it, this grain-free pizza can be paleo or keto/low carb, too. Topped with tender, smoky shredded kalua pork, flavorful BBQ sauce and the red onions, it’s a perfect combo.
I know that Hawaii is known for so much more than kalua pork and Hawaiian pizzas – there’s so much beautiful tropical fruit, mangoes, pineapples, lychee and don’t forget about shaved ice, acai bowls, coconuts, poi – but you guys know, I am forever a savory girl. Savory food is my true north, this is what I want when I visit a new place. I live for the savory.
Our time on Maui was one I will never forget. From beautiful beaches with epic views and gorgeous black sand, to swirling black lava rocks with the contrast of the most vibrant colors I have ever seen, tropical plants and flowers and aromatic fruit – pure beauty as far as my eyes could peer. It was unlike any place I have ever been, too. Every bit of Maui was magical and the vibe was truly energetic.
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Cauliflower Pizza Crust {Gluten-free, Dairy-free, Paleo} + Video
I’d like to introduce you to your new favorite pizza crust!!! Unlike most Cauliflower Pizza Crusts, this one doesn’t rely on dairy for binding. With a just 5 ingredients, this crust is dairy-free and nut-free, with the perfect and a golden brown, lightly crisped bottom. Choose your favorite toppings to customize this pizza, using a dairy-free alternative cheese, if you cannot tolerate dairy. Choose pesto instead of red sauce, add mushrooms, caramelized onions or shallots, veggies, etc.
Things to Note with this Cauliflower Pizza Crust:- This crust is naturally dairy-free, grain-free and nut-free. If you cannot do dairy at all, simply leave it off with your toppings or go with your favorite alternative.
- The crust can be made with either fresh cauliflower that has been riced quickly in the food processor or to make it even easier, buy already riced cauliflower (fresh or frozen) – give it a quick steam on the stove top or microwave and voila. So stinken’ fast and easy.
- Coconut flour is a unique flour that is highly absorbent, so there really isn’t a simple swap if you cannot have coconut flour. You can experiment with another grain-free altnerative flour like almond flour or cassava flour, but please note it will not be 1 to 1 with the coconut flour, you will definitely need more. Feel free to play around and report back if you find a good alternative.
- While many cauliflower pizza crust recipes claim to be quicker by skipping the pre-cook of the cauliflower or the squeezing of the water, I say meh – you are almost always left with a soggy pizza crust that doesn’t hold up super well to toppings. What makes this particular crust so delicious, is the very delicate, light crisp on the outside with a perfect chew and best part yet, it’s strong and not flimsy. It’s the lack of water. Don’t skip this step. You guys, it literally takes like 2 minutes.
- This recipe makes one 8 to 9-inch pizza, but you can very easily double the recipe for a larger pizza.
- Baked on a pre-heated pizza stone instead of the baking sheet, the bottom of the crust gets an even nicer light crisp to it.
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Gluten-free Mediterranean Flatbread
Did you know that May is Celiac Awareness Month? I shared the following over on my Instagram account but I thought it was worth mentioning here, as well.
While I discovered my own severe gluten intolerance over 11 years ago, I was actually never properly tested for Celiac (until it was too late) and now as many years later, as additional health issues have shown up to the party, many of which you guys have read about right here on the website – I now certainly suspect Celiac to be the underlying cause. (Though I denied this truth for many years)
That said, frankly speaking, my 11 year journey of eating 100% gluten-free and guiding others on their path, no matter the need, it has always been about celebrating food, exploring ingredients and hopefully encouraging others to get excited to be in the kitchen and create. Fresh, seasonal, nutrient-dense whole foods – to me it’s all about the amazing things that are naturally gluten-free, rather than supplementing with overly processed substitutes.
That said, given the nature of my work and the fact that not everyone has the ability to work from home, cook all three meals a day completely from scratch and that many of you have a whole family to feed – I am also always on the look out for gluten-free products that will make life easier, while not being loaded with terrifying ingredients. Read the rest of this entry »
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How-to Make Chickpea Flour and Socca Pizza
{Have you entered the Blendtec Giveaway yet? It ends this Friday}
I know by now, I really don’t have to tell you guys how much I enjoy making things from scratch! I would say that is quite apparent after over 4 years of blogging. Mostly I choose this way of living because I would always prefer to know what exactly is in everything I am eating. I love knowing that things are safely gluten-free and not processed or filled with weird, scary junk.
Until I received The Homemade Flour Cookbook from Erin Alderson, the thought had never really occurred to me to try making my own flours at home. I know what you are thinking – ‘flour? you are gluten-free, what do you want with a book all about how to make homemade flour?’ (or something along those lines, am I right?) I too honestly thought that there may be a recipe or two for me in here, but there are several chapters filled with wonderful tutorials and tips on making flour from gluten-free grains to legumes, seeds, nuts and so on.
This wonderful book is an in-depth guide to a variety of nutritious flours, milled right in your own kitchen plus a wide range of tasty recipes to create with your homemade flours. The possibilities are endless and the delicious dishes are a testament to the amazing things you can do with homemade flour.
It is no secret I love soccas! I have previously shared recipes here and here. Soccas are just amazing. They are a pancake or crêpe of sorts, made of chickpea flour. Served hot and crispy, this chickpea pancake is a quintessential street food found in Nice, France. Many times it is browned or even blackened around the edges, and it has an almost custard like, soft and tender inside. Serving one as a pizza is quite brilliant and although the texture is slightly different from a traditional dough, it is delicious in it’s own right and it’s a totally unique way to shove pizza toppings into your face!
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Grain-free Flatbread with Figs, Caramelized Shallots, Goat Cheese and Arugula (Gluten-free with vegan options)
The fig tree is slowing down a bit, but my love for figs is definitely not. I am still “gettin’ figgy wit it”, over here. You would think with all the figs we picked, that I would be over them, but I am definitely not. I made this flatbread a couple weeks ago, when Mark was out of town. I was headed to a friend’s house, since her hubby was away, too. A little yummy girls night of hanging! Besides the amazing company, it was a good thing I had someone to share this with, I seriously think I could have sat down and devoured the entire thing myself!
This flatbread crust is super simple to make and it is perfectly thin and crisp. But not too crisp and cracker-like, which I am not exactly a fan of. The figs are perfectly soft and sweet, which compliment the creamy goat cheese wonderfully and the caramelized shallots are rich, subtly sweet and have a little smokey, earthy flavor. Do not, I repeat DO NOT skip out on the caramelized shallots. You will forever regret it. That I can promise you. I will leave the drizzle of balsamic vinegar over top up to you. I love it and I think it’s a great finishing move, but I also don’t necessarily think it needs it. I say serve it with the balsamic bottle on the side, decided on a piece by piece basis.
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Gluten-Free Whole Grain Spring Pizza with Asparagus, Parmesan and Eggs
I’ve been using the same gluten-free pizza dough recipe for sometime now and though I do like it, I wanted to try something a little different and without the gums. I came across this recipe on Gluten Free Girl and The Chef a while back and when I saw that it contained no gums and it was flexible with the flours you can use, I was very intrigued. Shauna has a formula she created to make your own gluten-free all-purpose flour without gums and by weight instead of volume, plus it is very easy to make it a whole-grain mix by using different flours. Here is the original post about their pizza recipe that they changed a bit since their book came out. There are a few different flours you can choose from if you have sensitivities to things like corn or potato. I used their whole grain flour mixture that they featured in their post for whole grain muffins. I don’t have a ton of experience with baking, it is something I have only learned to love in the last year or so, but with the little bit I have done, I find that weighing your dry ingredients as opposed to measuring really gives you a consistent result, time and time again.
I decided a nice way to try out this new pizza dough recipe was to really let it shine, by not loading it with ingredients and sauces. I wanted a simple, tasty spring pizza that featured asparagus and eggs. The only thing I may change next time would be to use some mozzarella in addition to the parmesan to give it a bit more melty of a cheese base since the parmesan tends to not get super melty, however the dough was so delicious it honestly didn’t need it. Overall it was full of flavor from the asparagus and the fresh chives and the eggs were a wonderful compliment on top. The runny yolk was perfect for dipping the delicious crust into. You’ll be so surprised when you taste this crust at how it tastes just like real pizza crust – you’ll never know it’s gluten-free.
I know this post is large and contains a lot of info – but I promise it is all worth reading through. I am happy to finally have a good all-purpose flour mix to have on hand for different things and an even better pizza dough recipe. Play around with different toppings and flour combinations and please feel free share, I’d love to hear what you come up with.
GLUTEN-FREE GIRL’S ALL-PURPOSE FLOUR MIX
Here is the original information on the all-purpose flour mix (all content and info contained in both the flour mix and the pizza recipes is copyright of Gluten Free Girl and The Chef)
Want to make a whole grain AP mix in your kitchen? Here’s how.
We’re working with 70% whole grains/30% starches. We might someday go to all whole grains for some baked goods, but this blend works well for us now.
If you want to make a big batch for all the baking in your kitchen?
Choose 700 grams of any combination of the following flours:
Almond
Amaranth
Brown Rice
Buckwheat
Corn
Millet
Oat
Quinoa
Sorghum
Sweet Brown Rice
Teff
Almond is not a grain, but it is a whole flour, so I’ve thrown it in there. You might notice that I have not put in garbanzo (I don’t like it) or coconut (I don’t like the way it tastes or the way it sucks all the moisture out of a baked good) or soy (I’m having a hard time finding a good gluten-free one). You might like those. Substitute if you want.
This means that you can make your own blend. If you are allergic to corn, and you know you can’t eat the certified gluten-free oats, blend up 100 grams each of almond, brown rice, buckwheat, corn, millet, sorghum, and teff. (I want to write more about this later, but the flavor you find by blending all these different taste is fascinating. It’s amazing how boring regular AP flour seems after you use this.) Find your own favorite combination.
And then throw in 300 grams of any combination of the following:
Arrowroot
Cornstarch
Potato Starch
Tapioca Flour
White Rice Flour
We like using 150 grams each of arrowroot and potato starch, at the moment.
Combine the 700 grams of whole-grain flours with the 300 grams of starches in a big container. Shake it all up. You have whole-grain flour mix.
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For my AP mix I went with 175 grams each of Almond, Millet, Sorhum and Teff flours and 150 grams each of potato starch and tapioca flour. It was super simple to mix up and it made 1000 grams of all-purpose flour so I have enough to make pizza again.
The flours brought so much flavor to the crust and it was perfectly crispy on the outside and soft and chewy inside. This was by far the best crust I have ever made at home and it was simple. I’ve noticed that some gluten-free crusts get abnormally puffy and airy and don’t taste like usual pizza, others are so thin and crusty that it’s almost like eating a large cracker. I also really love
GLUTEN-FREE GIRL’S WHOLE GRAIN PIZZA CRUST
1 tablespoon ground flaxseed or ground chia seeds
500 grams whole-grain gluten-free flour mix
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
15 grams (4 teaspoons) active-dry yeast
50 grams (1/4 cup) extra-virgin olive oil
85 to 190 grams (1/2 to 1 cup) warm water, about 110º
olive oil for brushing on top of the crust
Making the flaxseed or chia slurry. Mix the flaxseed (or chia seed) into a bowl. Pour 2 tablespoons of boiling-hot water over the seeds. Whisk immediately and quickly until you have a thick paste. Let this set aside and cool down.
Combining the dry ingredients. Put the gluten-free flours and the salt into the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix them up together.
Activating the yeast. Put the yeast, olive oil, and half the warm water into a small bowl. Stir gently. Let them sit for a moment to activate the yeast.
Making the dough. Add the slurry to the dry ingredients and mix for a moment. Pour the yeasty water into the dry ingredients. With the mixer on medium, whirl for a few moments, until the dough comes together into a soft ball around the paddle of the stand mixer and feels soft and pliable. If the dough feels too dry, add more of the warm water in small amounts until the dough feels right. (You might not need all the water. You might need more. Yeast doughs can differ from kitchen to kitchen.) Set the dough aside in a warm place and let it rise for 1 hour.
Preparing to bake. Preheat the oven to 450°. (If you feel comfortable with heat, take it up to 550°. Just watch the dough in the oven, carefully.) If you have a pizza stone, make sure it is in the oven. If not, sprinkle a pizza tray or baking sheet with gluten-free cornmeal.
Rolling out the dough. Grab 1/2 of the dough and put it between 2 pieces of parchment paper. Through the paper, roll out the dough to your desired thickness. (We like super-thin crust around here. You might like it thicker.)
Pre-baking the dough. Take the parchment paper off the dough, then transfer the dough to the pizza stone or prepared pizza tray. Brush the top with olive oil. Bake until the dough has started to crisp up and browned at the edges, about 8 to 10 minutes. (And less if you have the oven cranked up to 550°!)
Take the crust out of the oven. You now have a pre-baked pizza crust. Top with anything you fancy and continue baking until the cheese is bubbly and melty.
Makes 2 – 8-inch pizza crusts or 1 – 16-inch pizza crust. I went with 1 large round pizza. Don’t worry too much about the shape, enjoy the rustic wonkiness of handmade pizza dough.
SPRING PIZZA WITH ASPARAGUS, PARMESAN AND EGGS
Makes 1 large pizza or 2 small pizzasGluten-free Girl’s Whole Grain Pizza Dough Recipe (above)
Olive oil
Kosher flake salt
Black pepper
10 asparagus stalks
1 clove garlic, minced
1 – 1 1/2 cups freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or mozzarella (or both)
1 bunch of fresh chives, chopped
2-4 local farm fresh brown eggs (I put 2 eggs on one large pizza, but you could certainly put 2 eggs each on 2 small pizzas)Prepare dough according to above instructions (or whatever instructions come with your dough recipe). Preheat oven to 450ºF.
Rinse the asparagus, snap off the tough ends and cut in half or thirds depending on how long they are. You want to end up with 20-30 3-inch pieces. Take each 3-inch piece, cut in half on the long side, and then again to quarter. Heat a tablespoon of oil over medium-high heat , saute the asparagus slivers and the minced garlic with black pepper and a large pinch of kosher salt until tender and still bright green. Remove the asparagus from the heat and set aside.
Brush the pre-baked pizza crust (pre-bake according to above directions) with olive oil. Sprinkle the crust with the cheese, reserving a small amount for sprinkling on top. Arrange the asparagus in a single layer over the cheese. Crack two eggs into the center of the pizza, sprinkle fresh chopped chives over everything and top with another light sprinkle of cheese. (If you are making two small pizzas, divide all the ingredients in half over the two crusts and arrange in the same order)
Bake for about 10-15 minutes, or until the egg whites are cooked and the pizza is golden brown. Allow to cool slightly for a few minutes, then cut and serve while still warm.
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Sun-Dried Tomato, Mozzarella, Fontina & Arugula Pizza (Gluten-Free)
I am a big fan of homemade pizza, my Mom always made it when we were kids, with homemade pizza dough and all. I love how much fun you could have with toppings. This pizza turned out perfectly, it had so many lovely subtle flavors and the arugula finished it off nicely with a little bite. I used the same pizza dough recipe from my Caramelized Onion & Goat Cheese Pizza, but I am going to include it again here so you don’t have to look it up. Since I made this recipe up on the fly and also was making a second non-gluten-free pizza for Mark, my measurements may not be exact, so feel free to just improvise and go with what you think on the toppings. The only thing I would like to find a way to change is, some of the sun-dried tomatoes started to really blacken up as the pizza baked, it seemed to only be the ones not covered by cheese, so maybe I just need to add more cheese next time (oh darn!).
I took one leftover piece of this pizza this morning, toasted it up in the toaster oven and topped it with one fried egg. Oh my gosh was that amazing. The perfect breakfast to start a very busy day.
Sun-Dried Tomato, Mozzarella, Fontina & Arugula Pizza (Gluten-Free)
serves 2-3Gluten-free Pizza Crust
1 tsp sugar
1 1/2 tsp quick-rising yeast
3/4 cup warm water (about 110° F)
3/4 cup brown rice flour
1/4 cup garbanzo bean flour
1/4 cup tapioca flour
1/4 cup potato starch
1 1/2 tsp xanthan gum
1 tsp salt
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 eggs
1/2 tsp balsamic vinegar
2 tsp fresh rosemary, basil or oregano (I went with basil and oregano)Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly grease.
In a small bowl, combine warm water, sugar and yeast. Stir until just dissolved. Cover with a kitchen towel and set aside in warm are for 10 minutes. Mixture will form a foam head of about 3/4″.
Using your food processor (which is how I did it and it worked surprisingly well), add all dry ingredients: flours, potato starch, xanthan gum and salt, directly into the processor bowl. Blend in the processor, about 1 minute. If using a mixing bowl, combine dry ingredients, and whisk together until well combined.
In another small bowl, whisk olive oil, eggs, and vinegar until blended. Add egg mixture and yeast mixture to dry ingredients, mix until combined.
Blend dough in the food processor for 2-3 minutes. Dough will be sticky and soft, it doesn’t seem much like dough at all. Add in the herbs and gently pulse or mix to combine.
Transfer the dough to the prepared baking sheet. Dip your hands in water or olive oil and shape the dough into a round shape about 1/4″ thick. Place in a warm, draft-free area and let rise 40 minutes. Dough should double in size.
Brush top with olive oil and sprinkle with a pinch of course salt.
This recipe can also be used to make gluten-free focaccia if you spread it to 1″ instead of 1/4″.Toppings
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon of chopped fresh herbs, I went with basil and oregano from my garden
2 ounces of sun-dried tomatoes, sliced very thin
1/2 cup of shredded mozzarella (I used organic)
1/2 cup of shredded fontina
red pepper flakes
2 cups of fresh baby arugula
fresh parmigiano-reggianoPreheat the oven to 400° F
After you have brushed a bit of olive oil on the crust and sprinkled with a bit of salt (see above), sprinkle the minced garlic all over the crust. Next, evenly sprinkle the fresh herbs and sun-dried tomatoes all over the crust. Add both cheeses and a pinch of red pepper flakes. Bake the pizza. Place the baking sheet in the middle of the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes until the crust is a golden brown and the cheese is melted. After you pull the pizza out, top the entire pizza with the baby arugula. Lightly grate fresh parmigiano-reggiano on top. Cut pizza into wedges, serve immediately.
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Caramelized Onion & Goat Cheese Pizza (Gluten-Free)
It has been hard to find good pizza crust since I have gone gluten-free, I have found a couple that come close, but most are thin and end up very crispy. I don’t mind that style of crust, but I have just missed a good thick and hearty crust. This was the first time I have ever made gluten-free pizza crust, completely from scratch. This crust was just that, thick, doughy and airy. So good. I came across this recipe in a book called The Gluten-Free Italian Cookbook by Mary Capone. I picked it up at this adorable, locally owned shop in Loveland, Colorado called Granny’s Gluten-Free Zone, I strolled in their randomly looking for this book after my friend Jane told me about it. I wish the crust had a bit more crisp to it, but I also think I probably could have left it in the oven just a few minutes longer, I was just way too excited and didn’t want to over bake it.
This toppings for the Caramelized Onion and Goat Cheese Pizza are perfect, I have made this so many times. I don’t like a lot of stringy, melty cheese on my pizza, which is how this pizza came about in the first place. The goat cheese gives the perfect the tang, the caramelized onions and shallots add an almost sweet element and of course the tomatoes and basil are a classic combo.
Caramelized Onion & Goat Cheese Pizza (Gluten-Free)
Serves 2-3Gluten-free Pizza Crust
1 tsp sugar
1 1/2 tsp quick-rising yeast
3/4 cup warm water (about 110° F)
3/4 cup brown rice flour
1/4 cup garbanzo bean flour
1/4 cup tapioca flour
1/4 cup potato starch
1 1/2 tsp xanthan gum
1 tsp salt
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 eggs
1/2 tsp balsamic vinegar
2 tsp fresh rosemary, basil or oregano (I went with basil and oregano)Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly grease.
In a small bowl, combine warm water, sugar and yeast. Stir until just dissolved. Cover with a kitchen towel and set aside in warm are for 10 minutes. Mixture will form a foam head of about 3/4″.
Using your food processor (which is how I did it and it worked surprisingly well), add all dry ingredients: flours, potato starch, xanthan gum and salt, directly into the processor bowl. Blend in the processor, about 1 minute. If using a mixing bowl, combine dry ingredients, and whisk together until well combined.
In another small bowl, whisk olive oil, eggs, and vinegar until blended. Add egg mixture and yeast mixture to dry ingredients, mix until combined.
Blend dough in the food processor for 2-3 minutes. Dough will be sticky and soft, it doesn’t seem much like dough at all. Add in the herbs and gently pulse or mix to combine.
Transfer the dough to the prepared baking sheet. Dip your hands in water or olive oil and shape the dough into a round shape about 1/4″ thick. Place in a warm, draft-free area and let rise 40 minutes. Dough should double in size.
Brush top with olive oil and sprinkle with a pinch of course salt.
This recipe can also be used to make gluten-free focaccia if you spread it to 1″ instead of 1/4″.Toppings
2 teaspoons olive oil
salt
1 small onion, sliced
1 shallot, sliced
1 small clove garlic, minced
2 tomatoes, sliced thinly
1/2 cup fresh basil, sliced
2 oz goat cheese, crumbled
2 oz mozzarella, shredded
red pepper flakes
fresh parmigiano-reggianoPreheat the oven to 400° F
Caramelize the onions and shallots. Heat olive oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat, add the thinly sliced onion and shallots, stir to coat them with oil. Spread the onions and shallots out evenly in the pan, stirring occasionally. After 10 minutes, sprinkle salt over the onions. Let cook for 20-30 minutes. Stirring as they stick, being careful to not let them burn. If you stir them too often, they will not brown. When they are caramelized, remove the pan from the heat.
Build your pizza. Sprinkle the minced garlic over the oiled pizza crust. Place a thin later of tomatoes on top of the crust, then lay a thin layer of the caramelized onions and shallots down. Sprinkle the fresh basil evenly over the top of that and then evenly sprinkle the shredded mozzarella, you just want a very light layer. Crumble the 2oz of goat cheese evenly over the top and sprinkle on faa pinch or two of dried red pepper flakes.
Bake the pizza. Place the baking sheet in the middle of the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes until the crust is a golden brown and the cheese is melted. Cut into 8 wedges. Lightly grate fresh parmigiano-reggiano on top, garnish with fresh basil.
