Monday, July 30, 2007

PIZZA - Wheat/Yeast/Dairy/Tomato Free


My latest successful creation is Wheat, Yeast, Dairy, Tomato-Free PIZZA! I never thought pizza could be done given these restrictions, but I couldn't give up trying.

Crust:
1 cup oat flour
1 cup brown rice flour
2 t baking powder
1/2 t kosher salt
2/3 c water
1/4 c safflower oil

Toppings:
Sauce: Basil Pesto - puree basil leaves, extra-virgin olive oil, garlic, and pinenuts
Cheese: Soy Cheese (I will have to find the brand name I used, this one actually melted and shredded like real cheese)
Green & Red Pepper
Artichoke Hearts
Black Olives
Onions
Nitrate-Free Deli Sliced Ham
Zucchini

Bake 450 degrees for about 20 minutes. Worked well on the Pampered Chef Pizza Stone.

Allergy-Free Cooking and Baking

Since my husband discovered several food allergies/sensitivities nearly 2 years ago, I have been attempting to cook and bake without wheat, yeast, cheese, tomatoes, dairy, beef, chicken, turkey, refined sugar and eggs. A recent discovery is that our 2 1/2 year old also is sensitive to soy, cinnamon and nuts. Cybele Pascal's Whole Foods Allergy Cookbook has been our saving grace, but I have had to modify many of her recipes to fit with my family's requirements.

I learned to cook with my grandmother, who always made 3 balanced meals per day with at least "one green and one yellow vegetable." We baked pies, cookies, and desserts, though nearly all of our creations were made with butter, milk, eggs, and white flour and sugar.

My ultimate goal is to cook nutritious whole-foods recipes that my whole family can enjoy, while also preserving the sense of home that my grandmother created for me through cooking and baking those traditional home-cooked meals.

I needed a space to write down my successes and failures for myself, and also in the hope that others who are on restricted diets can gain some ideas from them!