Thin Crust Paleo Low Carb Pizza with Pesto

Thin Crust Paleo Low Carb Pizza, guest post by Martina From Ketodietapp

This week I am very happy to introduce Martina, the writer and creator of one of the very best Keto and low carb blogs out there: Ketodietapp.

Ketodietapp is the only other blog I know which concentrates on the overlap of Paleo and Keto and promotes healthy, local, organic ingredients.

In short: we have a lot in common!

I hope you will enjoy this wonderful recipe and don’t forget to visit Ketodietapp for more great tools and information!

Recipe

Recently, I have been experimenting with different paleo and low carb pizza crusts. A few days ago, I posted my Low-Carb Thin Crust White Pizza, which was a great success in my house. Many people asked me for a dairy-free version, so I was determined to make an equally delicious dairy-free pizza crust and topping.

My first attempt wasn’t good enough. I used almond flour, coconut flour, egg white protein and only one egg. The crust was very hard and dry, almost impossible to eat without breaking your teeth. I probably also too much coconut flour and the crust had an unusual “coconutty” taste, which I didn’t particularly like.

After a few attempts, I found a recipe that worked. I used protein powder to get the top crispy and psyllium to keep the inside soft. This crust doesn’t get fluffy like in my Mini pizza Margarita (found in my apps and book) but I actually like the thin crust even more.

Here are a few tips to help you avoid the mistakes I’ve made while making the pizza:

• Use kitchen scales. It’s very easy to get the amounts wrong if you just rely on cups, which are not the same in all countries.
• Do not add any water into the dough. I thought the dough was too dry, so I added a few tablespoons of water. However, that was a mistake and I ended up adding more almond flour. Otherwise, it was too moist and impossible to roll out.
• Placing the pastry in the freezer and using a parchment paper or foil will prevent the dough from sticking.
• Make sure you don’t overcook or burn the crust. Keep an eye on it – almond flour burns easily.
• Do not skip seasoning the eggplant with salt. This will help remove any excess water and prevent the eggplant from being mushy.
• To enhance the flavor of the base, you can add 1-2 teaspoons of dried herbs such as basil and oregano.

This recipe makes one large pizza, which is enough for eight snacks or four regular servings.

Recipe details:

Hands-on time: 20 minutes

Overall time: 1 hour

Servings: 8

Nutrition facts (per serving):

Total carbs: 10.7 g

Fiber: 6.3 g

Net carbs: 4.4 g

Protein: 23.1 g

Fat: 23.1 g

Energy: 330 kcal

Magnesium: 81mg (20% RDA)

Potassium: 630mg (32% EMR)

Ingredients (crust):

• 1 ½ cup almond flour (150 g / 5.3 oz)
• ¼ cup fine coconut flour (16 g / 0.6 oz)
• ¼ cup psyllium husk powder (30 g / 1.1 oz)
• ¼ cup unflavored whey protein (or egg white protein for dairy-free), high-quality such as Jay Robb (25 g / 0.9 oz)
• ½ tsp pink Himalayan or sea salt
• 2 large organic eggs

Ingredients (topping):

• ½ cup pesto sauce – you can try my Paleo Avocado Pesto (dairy-free) or Red Pesto (includes dairy) (125g / 4.4 oz)
• 4 medium chicken breasts, skinless and boneless (500 g / 1.1 lb / 17.6 oz)
• 1 small eggplant (250 g / 8.8 oz)
• 1 ½ cup cherry tomatoes (225 g / 7.9 oz)
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 tbsp ghee
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• ½ tsp pink Himalayan or sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• ¼ cup fresh basil leaves for garnish

Instructions:

• 1.Preheat the oven to 400 F / 200 C. Start by cooking the chicken breast. Cut the chicken into small-medium sized pieces and place in a pot filled with water. Bring to boil and cook for 15-20 minutes.2. When done, drain through a sieve into a bowl and let it cool down. You can use regular green pesto or try my Paleo Avocado Pesto. It only takes 5 minutes to make.
  3. Wash andhalve the tomatoes and cut the eggplant into ½ inch / 1 cm slices. Spread the eggplant over a cutting board and season with ½ tsp salt. Let it sit for 20-30 minutes. Place the tomatoes in a small baking dish and set aside.
  4. Meanwhile, prepare the pizza crust. Mix the almond flour, coconut flour, psyllium husk powder, whey protein (or egg white protein) and ½ tsp salt. Make sure you use psyllium husk powder, not whole husks. Use a blender or coffee grinder to “powder” the husks if needed.
  5. Add the eggs and process well using your hands. Do not add any water.
  6. Flatten the dough using your hands and place in the freezer for 10 minutes. This will make it easier to roll it out.
  7. Meanwhile, pat-dry the eggplant using a paper tissue to remove any excess water.8. Chop into 1-inch pieces and place in a baking tray together with the halved tomatoes and mashed garlic. Drizzle with a tablespoon of ghee or olive oil and place in the oven. Cook for 5-6 minutes under a grill mixing once or twice to prevent burning. When done, set aside.

  
  9. Remove the dough from the freezer and place on a baking paper or a foil. Put another layer of foil on top.
  

  10. oll the dough out until thin (1/4 inch or less). Place on a baking tray and place in the oven for 10 minutes.
  

  11. When done, remove from the oven and spread the pesto all over the base. Add the cooked chicken.

  

  12. Top with the grilled vegetables and return into the oven. Cook for another 5-7 minutes. When done, remove from the oven, garnish with fresh basil leaves and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil.
  
  13. Cut into 8 pieces, place on a serving plate and enjoy!

About Martina

Hi everybody! My name is Martina and I live in the UK. I love food, science, photography and creating new recipes. I am a firm believer of low-carb living and regular exercise. As a science geek, I base my views on valid research and I have first-hand experience of what it is to be on a low-carb diet. Both are reflected on my blog, in my apps and book.

I started eating low-carb in 2011, shortly after I was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s hypothyroidism. Since then, I‘ve been trying to figure out what works best for me and discovered some of the great benefits of low-carb eating. Following a ketogenic, paleo-friendly diet plan helps me maintain a healthy weight while eating real food. I believe that true paleo is great, however if your goal is to lose weight, paleo is often not enough.

My mission is to help you reach your goals, whether it’s your dream weight or simply eating healthy food. Come and say hi on my blog!

About my apps and book: www.KetoDietApp.com

KetoDiet Blog: www.KetoDietApp.com/blog

Facebook: www.facebook.com/KetodietApp

Pinterest: www.Pinterest.com/KetodietApp/

Google+: www.plus.google.com/+MartinaSlajerova

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