Today’s recipe comes from Carla who blogs at Full of Beans. I met Carla when she attended a blogging course I was teaching earlier this year. Carla has a background in nutrition and health psychology which has helped her use the healing nature of food to help her family deal with autism, allergies and dietary restrictions.
It is this that she shares on her blog to help others in similar situations. Some posts you might like to check out on Full of Beans are:
- Eating with Autism: Texture and other sensory issues
- Catering for dietary restrictions at kids’ parties: 10 hot tips.
- Eggs on Toast (without the toast)
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So I have to say I’m excited by my new pizza discovery. With the wide range of allergies and intolerances in our household, it can sometimes be tricky to find yummy yet nutritious alternatives to typically unhealthy foods. I’m always trying to find sneaky ways to add vegetables into meals for my family, whilst providing enough protein, and avoiding refined junk. This time I think I struck gold.
One day I decided to do an experiment. I’d heard of people making pizza bases using cauliflower, but I just can’t get my head around that (I’m not a huge cauliflower fan). I figured that broccoli was a similar texture and to my mind a tastier and more nutritious option. And it worked.
I have to say that I’ve made this recipe a few times now and never used the same measurements twice. Whilst I have provided you with what I think works best, in reality so long as it sticks together you’ll probably be just fine.
Suitable for:
Gluten free, grain free, dairy free, soy free, sugar free, low fructose, nut free, vegetarian and carb conscious eaters.
Serves:
This recipe is for one pizza and is enough for one person. If you are cooking for more than one, you can either use multiple pans simultaneously or cook each base one at a time.
So long as you put them all in the oven together, they will be ready to eat at the same time. And whilst each one is cooking, you can be preparing the toppings. I have tried making one large one, which is fine, but you will need to grill the top of the base instead of turning it over due to it’s size.
And you will all have to agree on the toppings, and whether or not to use dairy or vegan cheese. In our house, with all our unique dietary requirements, individual pizzas are definitely the way to go!
- ¾ cup of finely chopped broccoli head.
- 2 eggs
- ¾ cup of grated cheese, not packed down, plus extra for topping. I use Vegusto mild-aromatic vegan cheese (delicious, but be warned it contains nuts), although it works just as well with normal cheese.
- Approximately 3 tbs of tomato paste (I use Global Organics, which is 100% tomato, no salt or other unnecessary extras).
- Toppings. My favourites are finely sliced mushroom, zucchini, tomato (fresh or sundried), herbs and spring onion, but use your imagination.
- 1-2 tsp Coconut oil for cooking the base.
- Finely chop the head of the broccoli (you know, the bit that looks like the trees leaves), leaving the stalks for other recipes.
- Grate the cheese.
- Combine the broccoli with the eggs and cheese.
- Heat the coconut oil in a small frying pan (16cm diameter).
- Pour the mixture into the pan and flatten until it reaches the edge all around the pan.
- Cook on medium heat until it is firm enough to flip over, as you would a pancake - a lid helps. If for some reason it is too soft to turn over you can put it under the grill for a minute or two and then flip it (or just grill, especially for larger pans or if you experience fear of flipping).
- Once it is cooked on both sides remove it from the frying pan and place on a baking tray lined with baking paper.
- Spread tomato paste on top as you would any pizza.
- Add toppings and then finish it off with some extra grated cheese.
- Grill until the cheese is beginning to brown.
- Enjoy!
May you be full of beans and brocizza,
Carla.
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Our Family Menu Plan For This Week
I am just going week by week with the menu planning for the next few weeks as we are not running to our usual routine.
Day | Week Commencing 29th Dec |
|
|---|---|---|
| Mon |  | Spaghetti and Zucchini Bolognese |
| Tue |  | Fried rice |
| Wed (New Year's Eve) |    | Sushi Chicken rice paper rolls Homemade spring rolls |
| Thu |   | Slow cooker shredded beef and rocket salad Green veggies |
| Fri |  | Homemade tacos |
| Sat |  | Pan fried chicken and salad |
| Sun |  | Chicken Wings, Baked Potatoes and Corn |
| Shopping List | Weekly menu plan shopping list 29th Dec |
|
Menu Planning App
If you are looking for further recipe inspiration, check out my complete list of Family Friendly Recipes. You might like to also check out the Planning With Kids Menu Planning App.
If you have the app, be sure to check out all the new recipes that have been loaded over the last week. You should now be able to find all of this year’s recipes added.
The kid friendly menu planning app allows you to:
- Create weekly menu plans quickly, choosing as many meals per day as you would like to plan for.
- Generate the shopping list for all the meals selected.
- Modify the shopping list to check off items you already have at home.
- Email the shopping list to yourself and/or others.
The most popular recipes from the blog have been included and more will be added on a regular basis. The app will notify you when new recipes have been added, so you will be able to deliver plenty of variety in your family’s menu plans. Each recipe lists the ingredients required, easy to follow instructions and a photo from the blog.
Do you menu plan over the holiday period or like me do you do a modified version?