Tuesday 6 September 2011

Grain Free Pizza GF SCD


The haricot beans in this pizza's base give it a lovely almost scone-like texture and although it could never ever be compared to a real pizza, it's a perfect alternative to the real thing for followers of the Specific Carbohydrate Diet. If there's any left, it tastes equally good without heating it up. In fact I've packed slices of this into a huge number of lunch boxes.

Grain Free Pizza GF SCD
230g cooked organic haricot (Navy) beans or 390g carton organic haricot beans
230g ground almonds (almond flour)
1 medium egg
2 tblsps almond milk (or filtered water)
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
½ tsp sea salt
extra virgin olive oil
100g grated cheddar cheese
dried oregano
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Set the oven to 180°C. Rinse the cooked beans well and leave to drain.


Take several layers of paper towel and squeeze the water out of the beans.


They should look like this.


Tip the ground almonds into a food processor bowl fitted with the s blade. Add the beans, salt and bicarbonate of soda and process together then beat the egg and add this to the bowl with the almond milk or water. Pulse until combined.


The mixture is quite wet and sticky. Brush a baking pan with extra virgin olive oil.  Spread the mixture over a baking sheet with a fork or spoon. I used an enamel sheet measuring 30cm x 21cm and the pizza lifts quite easily when cut.


Bake in the oven for 15 minutes.


Brush with a little more oil then spread the tomato sauce over the base. Top with grated cheddar cheese, a pinch or two of sea salt, freshly ground black pepper then generously sprinkle the dried oregano over the pizza. Cook in the oven for about 20 to 25 minutes or until the cheese starts to brown.