A pizza (almost) everyone can eat

However, over Thanksgiving break, pizza was reintroduced into my life. While it’s absolutely nothing like the greasy, cheesy, oh-so-delicious New York pizza I grew up with, it was a satisfying meal and not half-bad. So I decided to share the recipe and my experience with making it in the hopes that it helps other people who have dietary restrictions similar to mine or people who could dig a somewhat (key word: somewhat) healthier version of the popular mix of dough, cheese and tomato sauce.

The recipe for the dough comes from a website called allrecipes.com, and it’s called Almond Flour Pizza Crust. I’m sorry to say that, obviously, this recipe is not nut-free. It is, however, gluten-free and conforms to the paleo lifestyle, if you’re into that sort of thing.

It calls for two and a quarter cups of almond flour (you can use any brand or make your own by grinding up almonds), two tablespoons of coconut flour, one half teaspoon of baking powder, one optional teaspoon of dried Italian herbs, one-half a teaspoon of sea salt, one-half a teaspoon of ground black pepper, three large eggs and two tablespoons of olive oil.

You’ll want to preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Then, combine the dry ingredients in one bowl and the wet ingredients in another, then combine those together. Get out a baking sheet and place wax paper on it, roll the dough into a ball and then place it on the pan and flatten it out. Perhaps you can use a rolling pin or another pan to do so.

Next, place it in the oven for 10 to 12 minutes or until the bottom and edges begin to brown. Take it out and add your sauce of choice and then cheese or whatever toppings you want. I used goat cheese because for some reason cheese made from cow’s milk is out of the picture for me, but for other people that might not be the case. When that’s done, place the pizza back into the oven for another 10 to 15 minutes.

My mom, sister and I discovered that this recipe works better the thinner you make the crust, and if you don’t overcook it. Also, don’t be afraid to really season the crust. Add all the Italian seasoning you want; don’t be “afraid of flavor,” as my sister told me when I protested the amount of oregano that was going into the dough. At the very least, this could be a fun experiment for you and a couple friends on a weekend or something.

As a side note, I apologize that many of the foods and ingredients I suggest are not the cheapest — ‘tis the life of someone with health problems such as I. It’s not easy for me to afford all of this stuff, but I’m lucky to have access to it at all. The key is to not mind monotony on your menu. Recipes like the one in this article are simply good for when you’re looking to switch things up a bit. If you’re in the same boat as I am, hopefully at least some of my suggestions work for you.