Category Archives: Pizza

Yeah – it gets its own category. That’s how important it is!

Coach Gin’s Pizza Dough

A popular low carb version of pizza dough is called “Fathead Dough.” I revised it to be plan compliant here. As you can see from the disproportionate amount of pizza recipes on my site, I just love pizza and cannot see living my life without it. I’m so thrilled that I finally found a way to have a REAL tasting pizza as part of my health plan.

Not only that, but you can use this dough to make calzones & other concoctions (like the Shakshuka Pizza, shown below).

On top of it, this recipe is super EASY! Which I love the most.

1 3/4 c low fat shredded cheese (I used mozzarella here)
1/2 c blanched almond flour
2 tbsp cream cheese (I like whipped)
1/2 tsp optional seasonings for crust, like oregano, rosemary or garlic powder
3 egg whites or 3 tbsp egg whites from the carton (I prefer egg whites as it tastes lighter and less “eggy”)

This dough makes 6 servings with 1/3 a lean each and 3 condiments.

Mix the shredded cheese, almond flour and cream cheese together in a microwave safe bowl. Zap for 1 min. It should all melt and you should be able to use a flexible spatula to blend it into a ball. Add the egg or egg whites in. Use your hands if you need to incorporate everything together.

Once it’s in a ball, you’re ready to “roll.” For pizza, roll out to the desired shape. Bake at 400 degrees for approx. 10-12 mins until golden brown. Add toppings and bake until cheese fully melts.

Stromboli

I woke up to a picture of a Stromboli on Instagram, and I said “oh I can do that!” Appearing again here is a modified Fathead dough on plan. Flatten it like a long oval pizza crust with your hands, fill in with fillings, and fold over the sides. Pinch together in the middle. If the dough gets holey, just pinch the dough back together. I baked this for about 20 mins at 375 degrees. Keep an eye on it! Inside here, I sautéed multicolored peppers in olive oil with garlic, and sprinkled some extra cheese inside the crust. I used 2 servings of the modified recipe for a whole Stromboli, and ate half a Stromboli for one serving.



Make the fillings the other fraction of your lean, or have just 1/3 a lean inside and have a spare lean for a Greek yogurt later, it’s up to you. I mention this for those of you who haven’t had to deal with fractions since elementary school !

The recipe will therefore make 3 Strombolis which are 6 servings (split in half – You can eat the whole thing but you’d be over on condiments… unless you go ahead and count them as your optional snack 😉 As always, follow your own health plan with your health coach.)

The possibilities are endless with what you can fill these babies with. I also adored my creamed spinach recipe in here! Just sauté a can of spinach or fresh spinach with some leeks; be sure to drain out excess water. Turn off the heat and add in 2 tbsp. whipped cream cheese (count as a condiment or healthy fat) and permit it to melt. Instant creamed spinach.

Delicious creamed spinach

Add the spinach as a calzone or as a topping to your pizza.

The possibilities are endless. This is Shakshuka Pizza. Just shape and form the pizza with a deep well. At the end, crack an egg on top of some sauce and peppers and bake just until cooked.

Cauliflower Pan Pizza

I’m always trying to make my recipes easier to prepare, and I’m really excited about this new version of Cauliflower Pizza. The extra bonus is that it is something that you can actually pick up and eat with your hands.  Just like the old-fashioned classic pizza!

What makes this recipe possible is buying FRESH cauliflower crumbles from the produce section of the supermarket. Green Giant makes a fresh version of its cauliflower crumble that works great with this recipe. Their package is 16 oz by weight, which yields a little less than 6 green servings per package.  If you add a tomato sauce serving of green as your topping plus a few vegetables, you have a perfect lean & green.

Serves 3

You NEED:

A cookie tray or deep dish with a rim to bake  your pizza crust.

Tin foil

Ingredients for the Crust

One package fresh cauliflower crumbles (Green Giant has one that is 16 ounces or 1 1/2 cups raw)

1/2 c Egg beaters from the carton (1/4 a lean)

1/2 cup shredded low fat cheese (1/2 a lean)

1/4 tsp garlic powder (2 condiments)

4 tbsp reduced fat powdered Parmesean cheese (2 condiments)

Topping

2 Tomato sauce servings that are 5g of carbs or less

Shredded low fat cheese

Directions

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Line the cookie pan or tray with parchment paper. Mix the crust ingredients all together, and simply pour them into your pan. No need to pat everything down… just let it bake like a very thin casserole. Bake for about 45 minutes until the crust appears slightly charred on the edges. Top with sauce, cheese and vegetable toppings,  and bake again for 5 minutes or enough to melt the cheese.

Spaghetti Squash Pizza

Spaghetti Squash Pizza
2 green, one lean, one condiment (the oregano).
Enough room for 1/2 c more vegetables on top!

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This was an absolute hit! You can also use the crust as a soft taco wrap. I like this better than the Cauliflower Pizza crust recipe, just because it’s less messy to make, and just tastes starchier to me.

Ingredients
one spaghetti squash
1/4 c egg beaters
1/4 cup shredded cheese
1/2 tsp dried oregano
Dash of Pepper & salt

Microwave the squash for 5 mins. Wait for it to cool so that you can handle it. Cut it in half lengthwise, then put it face down with one inch of water in a pan. No need to de-seed. Bake at 350 for about an hour, or until the skin starts to brown.

Take out and permit to cool. This can be done on a separate day and put back into the fridge for the next step, done later. Scoop out the seeds, collect the squash strands by scraping with a fork into the bowl. Collect the squash in small batches and vigorously squeeze all of the water out of it.

Mix 1 cup pulp with the egg beaters, cheese, and other ingredients for one pie. Or, as a practice tip, make two smaller mini-pies so that you can easily flip them over. Pat down the mixture into the shape of a pizza crust on a parchment paper on a tray that is covered liberally with Pam. Make it thick enough that you cannot see the parchment under the layer of squash.

Bake at 350 for 15 mins, then flip them. Bake another 10 mins and remove to cool.

Crusts can be frozen and defrost well.

Top with 1/2 cup cheese and remaining toppings. I was lazy above and there aren’t any toppings. We usually eat them too fast to even take a picture!

You can also make the crusts mini-sized! Use them as soft tacos or wraps!

**I created these recipes as a compliment to my comprehensive healthy weight loss & maintenance plan. Please contact me at gininthekitchen@gmail.com if you’re interested in health coaching! I’m happy to give you a free Health Assessment and explore whether my program might be right for you.

Cauliflower Pizza

Cauliflower Pizza
Inspired by the Pizza Crust #2 on Sandy’s Kitchen Adventures

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Ingredients:

Crust:
1 cup raw Cauliflower processed in food processor, or premade fresh crumbles from the store  (2 Greens)
1/4 cup Eggbeaters from the carton (1/8 Lean)
1/2 cup or 2 oz part skim cheese blend (4/8 Lean)
1/8 tsp garlic powder – optional (1/4 Condiment)
1/8 tsp basil – optional (1/8 Condiment)

Toppings:
1/4 cup + 2 tbsp or 1.5 oz 2% reduced fat Mozzarella cheese (3/8 Lean)
1/2 cup Tomato sauce that is less than 5 g of carbs per serving such as Garlic Paesana or 1/4 cup tomato sauce that is 10g carbs per serving (1 Green)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees (I just don’t like cooking at higher temps than that – which is different from the original recipe). Place parchment paper on a cookie sheet and spray lightly with cooking spray.

Take cauliflower and microwave it for 30 sec-1 min. Take a towel and squeeze the water as much as you can out of the cauliflower (another important additional instruction).

Combine grated cauliflower, egg beaters, cheese, garlic powder and basil until mixed completely. Spoon mixture on prepared pan. Use the back of a spoon to thin out mixture (or your hands) and form a circle about the size of a dinner plate without the rim. (Hint: if you make two smaller pizzas, they are easier to flip!)

The thinner the crust the less chance of it being soggy. Bake for 25 minutes. Carefully flip the pizza crust over using a spatula to lift all edges of the crust off the parchment first. Bake an additional 10 to 15 minutes until edges are crisp. Let cool.

You can freeze the crusts individually and save for another day. A whole cauliflower can yield 4-5 large crusts, if you choose to make the whole head of cauliflower.

Make mini-crusts if you are challenged with flipping with a spatula. I am!

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Add tomato sauce and cheese on top. You can broil until cheese is melted, or just let it bake (I like my cheese gooey).

1 Complete Lean and Green Meal, the spices are not even 1 condiment, with no Healthy Fat required.

You can also use the crusts as soft shell tacos or wraps!

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**I created these recipes as a compliment to my comprehensive healthy weight loss & maintenance plan. Please contact me at gininthekitchen@gmail.com if you’re interested in health coaching! I’m happy to give you a free Health Assessment and explore whether my program might be right for you.