There’s no denying that the smell of pizza is nice, tempting and mouth-watering. For those who need to go gluten-free for life, it can be hard to imagine you simply can’t have certain things anymore. But the good news is, there’s always a way round menu restrictions (as long as you are willing to experiment in the kitchen!). So here’s my favourite gluten-free recipe for pizza. It is adaptable and it allows variations with different ‘flours’. In fact, I’ve given you 2 different versions below to get you started. They both work well. The only thing you cannot miss out is (well greased) parchment paper for baking (or your base will not come out in one piece from the baking tray). Here’s the recipe:
Ingredients for Base 1:
250g ground almond flour
1 aubergine peeled and grated
25-50g parmesan cheese (grated) (or flaxseed meal if you are avoiding dairy)
3 eggs
Oregano, salt and pepper to season
Butter for greasing and parchment paper for baking
Preparation
Grate the peeled aubergine and mix it well with all other ingredients. Cover an oven tray with parchment paper and grease it (very) well with butter. Then spread the mixture on top, simulating the thickness of the pizza base you want. Bake in pre-heated oven (170C) for about 35 minutes (check before as cooking time will vary according to thickness). Remove from the oven and leave it to stand for 15 minutes (while you chop and prepare the toppings). When cooled, turn the base and carefully pull the paper back. Place it back on the tray (this time without the need for paper or greasing) and cover with your favourite toppings, making sure you start with tomato paste or better even, your own homemade tomato-based sauce. I like to add sliced onions, peppers, crumbly boiled egg, olives, organic matture cheddar and chilli flakes for my toppings. Put it back in the oven and cook for further 15 minutes or until cheese is melted. It is nice to serve it hot or cold (and very good for picnics too!)
Ingredients for Base 2:
1 big cauliflower (raw)
1 aubergine (raw – peeled and grated)
2 eggs
100g gram flour (=chickpea flour) or rice flour
25-50g parmesan cheese
oregano, salt and pepper to season
Butter for greasing and parchment paper for baking
Preparation
Roughly chop the cauliflower and mince it in a food processor. Transfer it to a saucepan, add a little bit of water to create vapour, cover and leave it to cook on minimum heat for about 10 minutes (keep checking, especially to make sure it doesn’t dry up and burn at the bottom. If necessary, add a little more water as you go along). Once cooked, turn off the heat and leave it covered whilst it cools down. Meanwhile, peel and grate the aubergine in a big bowl. Add all other ingredients leaving the cauliflower for last. When the cauliflower is cool, drain through a fine sieve, pressing down well with a spoon to remove excess liquid. Add it to the bowl with the rest of the ingredients and mix well. Spread the mixture on a baking tray covered with greased parchment paper. Bake in pre-heated oven (170C) for about 35 minutes (check before as cooking time will vary according to thickness). Remove from the oven and leave it to stand for 15 minutes (while you chop and prepare the toppings). When cooled, turn the base and carefully pull the paper back. Place it back on the tray (this time without the need for paper or greasing) and cover with your favourite toppings after spreading tomato paste/sauce on the base.
Put it back in the oven and cook for further 15 minutes or until cheese is melted.
Bom Apetite! 🙂