Gluten-free Quinoa Pizza Crust

A new pizza crust for this Gluten-free Girl. Quinoa Pizza Crust.

We have done away with Meatless Mondays in our house. We do tend to eat vegetarian at least twice a week, but our ritual has been forgotten. Tonight we had chicken. Grilled chicken pizza.

Pizza has been one of my most missed foods. I miss the thin, crunching crusts. The crispy and oily toppings. The gooey cheese and spicy hot peppers. My mouth is watering just thinking about that perfect slice of pizza. Since we're wandering down memory lane, I'm going to describe my epic slice. Thin crust, thin layer of fresh tomato sauce, loads of veggies (hopefully broiled and browned), well-done mozzarella cheese, topped with fresh grated Pecorino Romano and hot chili flakes. Buono appetito!

Alas, that is not me anymore and I no longer indulge in those foods that hurt my belly. Ever since going gluten-free I have been trying to find that perfect crust. I started with Udi's Gluten-free Pizza Crust which was just so-so. They're very starchy and kind of fake tasting. Nothing like normal pizza.

My next adventure was with Gluten-free Goddess. As always, she steered my in the right direction and we cooked the best pizza crust I have ever tasted. It was light, fluffy, perfectly crispy and truly delicious. Problem is there's yeast and sugar, both of which I've been trying to eliminate because of the Clean Program.

So it was off to experiment again. I've tried socca a few times, which hasn't turned out so great. It's flat and oily. Really, not that great. I'd like to try to real thing, but I'd have to travel over to Italy for that one, so I'm guessing that won't be happening anytime soon! But hey, a gluten-free girl can dream, right?


Gluten-free Quinoa Pizza Crust

Grilled chicken pizza with Vegan Avocado Pesto

Surprise, surprise I turned to quinoa to save the day. I found a super yummy looking Quinoa Pizza Crust from Tasty Eats at Home and we tried it. It turned out great! Really easy to make, crispy and great flavor. The crust is a bit dense, but carries the nuttiness of quinoa. Might be my go-to recipe from now on!

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cups dry quinoa
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1/4 cup filtered water
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper
• 2 tsp dried oregano
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• Toppings of your choice

Quinoa Pizza Crust
a new favorite on the weeknight menu

Soak your quinoa for 8 hours. Place it in a bowl and fill the bowl with enough water to cover all the grains. Set out on your counter and cover with plastic wrap.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Coat a cast-iron skillet with the olive oil and place in the warming oven so that it gets hot.

Thoroughly rinse and drain the quinoa and transfer it to your food processor. Add the water and seasonings and pulse until the mixture is smooth (almost like a pancake batter).

Take the cast-iron skillet out of the oven and pour the quinoa batter into the pan. Spread it out evenly with a spatula and cook for 10 minutes. Remove it from the oven and if it doesn't look cooked, as in the dough is not crispy and starting to brown, flip it over and cook for another 5 - 10 minutes.

Avocado Vegan Pesto

Creamy, delicious, vegan and allergen-free pesto

This recipe is not only vegan, but it is nut and gluten free as well. The avocado adds a creaminess that is unmatched by any other ingredient. There is no oil so the fat content is reduced significantly. It has protein and is packed with Italian flavors, but the twist of lemon proves to be the star. The combination of citrus and basil is outstanding.

Ingredients:

• 1 small avocado
• Juice from 1 lemon
• 1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped basil
• 2 tsp dried oregano
• Salt & pepper to taste

To prepare, simply toss all your ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth. 

Back to the pizza, spread your pesto over the warm and crispy crust and top with your choice of ingredients. Ours was grilled chicken with sautéed zucchini and mushrooms. Garnish with salt and pepper and a pinch of red pepper flakes. Enjoy!

Makes 1 ten-inch crust