Low Carb “Veggie Crusts and Shells”

I love breads, cereals, rice, grains of any kind– I am not a carb hater.  But I find my body is happiest when eating those things in moderation.   When a friend of mine announced she was going “breadless” for awhile, I started thinking of all the yummy things she could eat in place of bread.

I’ve used shredded zucchini in the past as a base of a pizza crust during Passover.

Another versatile vegetable is cauliflower.  Pureed with a bit of cooking water, butter, cream, and salt, it makes a great substitute for mashed potatoes.  Processed in a food processor until crumbly and then steamed for four minutes, it is also a great substitute for rice (though for me, I would not use it in place of Japanese rice).

You can process it until it has the consistency of rice.

I’ve eaten it as a sort of pilaf/couscous with butter, salt, toasted almonds and dried cranberries:

I’ve also seen it various places used in a pizza crust.  I’ve fiddled with the recipe and came up with one I use all the time as a single serving sans all the cheese.  I mix my steamed cauliflower (I nuke it for four minutes without water, just covered with saran) with 2 tablespoons egg white (about one), 1 teaspoon grated parmesan, 1 tablespoon any kind of flour (wheat, soy, almond, chickpea, coconut, etc.) or matzo meal, and seasonings.

It has a texture similar to polenta.

Shape into a crust. I like to do it  on parchment so it doesn’t stick.

Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.  Place another piece of parchment on top, flip over onto baking sheet, then peel the top piece of parchment off the browned side.  Bake another 5-10 minutes.

Top with whatever you like.  I’ve used it as a pizza crust, as mentioned before:

Cauliflower pizza with sausage and caramelized onions and mozzarella.

And I’ve also used it as a tostada “shell”:

With refried beans, cheese, lettuce, salsa, and plain Greek yogurt.

Recently, I tried shredded butternut squash (because I discovered I was out of zucchini) and it was fantastic!

Raw

Cooked

The texture was not as crunchy or crispy as the zucchini, but perhaps this could change if I used a bit less egg white and matzo meal instead of soy flour. I’m still experimenting.  The flavor was great though!  Now I’m also thinking of other combinations — shredded carrot and zucchini might be good… I’d love to hear if you try any of these, or come up with your own creations!

Butternut squash used as a tostada “shell” with refried beans, grilled veggies, lettuce, cheese, and Green yogurt.

Individual Veggie Crust

1 cup of shredded vegetable of choice (if using cauliflower, process  and steam for 4 minutes)

1 tablespoon any kind of flour or matzo meal

1 teaspoon or so of parmesan or more if you like

2-3 tablespoons liquid egg whites or 1 egg white (depending on how crunchy you want the crust to be)

1.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees (I use a toaster oven).

2.  Mix ingredients together in bowl.

3.  Shape crust into a 1/4 inch layer on parchment paper on baking sheet.

4.  Bake for 20 minutes.  Place another piece of parchment on top, flip crust, and peel top sheet off of browned side.

5.  Bake for another 5-10 minutes until desired browning is achieved.

6.  Use as a pizza crust or tostada shell and top with toppings of your choice.

Passover Pizza

Passover ends Friday at sundown, but this dish is so good, you can serve it all year round (which I plan to do)!  It’s also a great way to incorporate more veggies into your diet.  Even my son loves it.

I’d seen similar versions in the blogsphere and liked this one by Mollie Katzen.  I adapted it for Passover, substituting matzo meal for the flour.  I also omitted the 2 tablespoons of olive oil (admittedly by accident!) and did not miss it.   Instead of a greased pizza pan, I used a piece of parchment on a hot pizza stone which I heated in the oven while said oven was preheating.  Our toppings were homemade tomato sauce (sautéed garlic in olive oil simmered with a can of puréed tomatoes, dried basil, oregano, salt and a pinch of sugar), leftover grilled eggplant, chopped artichoke hearts, smoky and plain mozzarella, and turkey sausage.  Obviously you can top with anything you want!

Although the crust gets crispy but we found it easiest to eat with a fork and knife.

Passover Pizza adapted from Mollie Katzen

2 medium zucchini, shredded (about 2-3 cups, packed)

1 egg and 1 egg white (or 2 eggs), beaten

1/4 cup matzo meal (or flour if it’s not for Passover)

1/2 cup grated parmesan

1/2 cup shredded mozzarella

dash of dried basil and dried oregano

kosher salt

non-stick spray

1.  Place pizza stone in oven.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Alternatively, if you’re using a pan, generously grease it with olive oil and set aside until oven is ready.

2.  Remove as much moisture out of grated zucchini as possible by wrapping with a clean towel or several paper towels and squeezing.

3.  Mix zucchini, beaten eggs, matzo meal, parmesan, mozzarella, and herbs in a large bowl until zucchini is completely coated.

4.  When oven is 400 degrees, lay parchment on heated pizza stone and spread mixture into a large round.  Alternatively, make a large round on a greased pizza pan and place in oven.  Spray top with non-stick spray.

5.  Bake for 20 minutes.  Spray top again and bake for another 15 minutes.

6.  Remove from oven and allow to cool for about 5 minutes.  Loosen crust from parchment with a spatula.

7.  Top with your favorite toppings.  Return to oven and bake for about 8-10 minutes until heated through.

8.  Cut into slices and serve.

9.  Eat!!