Our New Homemade Pizza

This is the pizza we eat at least twice a month. It consists of fresh, natural ingredients and a tasty gluten-free crust from a mix. Easy and delicious! (This is not a low-FODMAP recipe.)

I'll admit that I haven't been excited about blogging and photography lately. I've been so into my diet that my blog and camera have taken a backseat. That's not exactly a bad thing since I've lost 18 pounds so far. I went to the mall this past weekend and was thrilled to discover that I now wear a size 8 (down from a size 12)! I haven't been this small since before my surgeries. Most importantly, I feel great. So you can see why cooking and baking just aren't as all-consuming anymore. A friend of mine recently asked what I was cooking up for my blog and I drew a complete blank. I have a one-track mind and right now my mind is on diet and nutrition. I was lamenting this to my husband one evening and he said I should write about what we've been eating, whether it's innovative or not. So I decided to write this blog about our new homemade pizza. 

Trying to find a pizza that is wheat-free and delicious was tough. I first tried a crust made out of almond flour. I did not like that. My husband said it was OK, but I thought the flavor of the almonds completely overpowered the rest of the pizza. I couldn't even taste the sauce and cheese. I decided to try a gluten-free pizza crust mix that we sell at the store. It's called Chebe and we love it! Most pizza crust mixes have brown rice flour, which I'm unable to eat due to my fructose malabsorption. Not Chebe! All it is is tapioca flour and seasonings. You mix it with eggs, oil and water and it makes a nice thin crust, not unlike a lot of wheat crusts. The whole Chebe line is great for FructMal because tapioca is well-tolerated.

Care for some pizza with your mushrooms?

The Chebe crust is not low-carb or low-calorie, but that's OK since we only eat it a couple times a month. (It's important to not deprive yourself!) I found Rustic Crust pizza sauce works great. It comes in packets of three, one of which is perfect for one Chebe pizza crust. I've also learned other tricks to make the pizza lower in calories overall. I pile the mushrooms on. I use a whole eight ounces of mushrooms for a 12-inch pizza! This uses the principle of the Volumetrics diet: fill up on lots low-cal veggies. I also use only 1 cup of cheese. We have a nice large salad on the side, and it makes a very satisfying pizza dinner.



Dianne's Chebe Pizza
Gluten-Free, Not Low-FODMAP
serves 4

Ingredients

1 Chebe pizza crust mix
2 eggs
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup water

1 packet Rustic Crust pizza sauce
1/2 package Hormel Natural Pepperoni
8 oz. sliced mushrooms
Any other topping you like such as green pepper, sausage, etc.
1 cup shredded mozzarella or Italian blend cheese

Directions

1. Heat oven to 425 degrees F. In a medium bowl, lightly beat the eggs and oil together (I skip the shredded cheese recommended on the package to save calories). Stir in the Chebe crust mix. Slowly stir in the water. Knead dough with hands until it comes together into a ball. Spread out on an ungreased pizza pan and bake for 3 minutes (I find that pre-baking makes the crust a little less soggy and chewy).
2. Spread sauce evenly over crust. Top with pepperoni, sliced mushrooms and then the cheese. Bake for about 12 minutes, or until cheese just starts to brown on top. Slice and enjoy. (This feeds the two of us for two nights.)