We low carbers have made every imaginable combination trying for a decent substitute. There are quite a few out there to experiment on. Cauliflower crusts a la Cleochatra are popular, although I never quite got the hang of those. I need easy. I wanted a skillet pizza, and I was not necessarily needing it to be hand held. That seems to be a big concern. Fork and plate was fine for today. I had seen in an old Somersize cookbook I picked up while out thrifting, a crust made from zucchini and cheese. Interesting, but probably too much like the cauliflower version. So, running out of time to get the hubster fed, I just headed into the kitchen to play around like I often do. Yes, lots of my playing around never makes it to the blog, just in case you wondered. I really like this result though. You cannot even figure out that there is an entire yellow squash in there! Much better than the bell pepper and sunflower seed based crust I failed at last week.
The crust is soft, but the very edges are crisped. Because it is baked in a skillet, the bottom layer crisps, giving it that nice, browned taste. The crust batter is fairly deep in the skillet. It may be that if it was spread over a cookie sheet, it would be crisp enough to forget about the fork. I may try that one. But this is just perfect for my brunch type meal, plus no parchment paper, no trying to flip a crust without getting burned, and no sticking to the pan.
Skillet Squash Pizza
2 1/2 cups grated yellow squash (1 large)
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
2/3 cup Parmesan cheese (canned)
1/3 cup unflavored whey protein powder
1 egg
1 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper
Topping of choice
Grate the squash on the large holes of a grater. Use paper towels to squeeze out excess moisture. In a large bowl, combine squash, mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses, whey protein powder and the egg. On a high stovetop burner, heat the oil in an ovenproof skillet. When it begins to smoke, sprinkle salt and pepper into the base of the skillet. This helps prevent sticking. Immediately spread the crust dough into the skillet. Remove from heat. Place into a preheated 425 degree oven for 15 minutes, or until lightly browned on top. Remove from the oven and cover with the toppings of choice. Return the pizza to the oven for an additional 5 minutes. Let the pizza cool for 5 minutes before cutting.
Before toppings, this crust has approximately 212 calories and 2.5 carbs. The protein powder may vary the carb count.
What I love most about the crust is the flavor. It has a great taste all on its own. You certainly don't need to add extra cheese to the top of this pizza. It is super delicious just with some green peppers, a little onion and some pepperoni. Sausage would be great too.
It is Spring Break here, so I am looking forward to seeing more of my boys. Pearson is on his way home from college as we speak. I miss spending time with him, and it will be great to get to hug his neck any time I want. I always get a little sad when I watch him drive away to go back to school after break. After this week, life will be a whirlwind again. He heads back to prepare his senior portfolio show. He is quite a talented graphic artist, so I guess all that money I spent in the early years on finger paints, colored pencils and art supplies were not wasted. I am such a proud mom. I get to go see him graduate in May, with honors. I can't believe they grow up so quickly!
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Looks Great Lisa! We can never come up with too many pizza crust recipes, ha ha.
ReplyDeleteThis looks so good! And I pretty much love any excuse to get out my cast-iron skillet. Thanks for the recipe.
ReplyDeleteHi Lisa...This is a really cool recipe! Thanks...I will be trying it soon!. ♥♥♥
ReplyDeleteHow many carbs is it? trying to find out what phase this is for according to Atkins.
ReplyDeleteAccording to the recipe: Before toppings, this crust has approximately 212 calories and 2.5 carbs. The protein powder may vary the carb count.
ReplyDeleteI can't wait to make this, sounds and looks yummae!
ReplyDeleteThis looks good, but I have some questions. What is whey protein powder and what does it do? Can I leave it out?
ReplyDeleteAnd I also don't have a cast iron skillet, is there something else I could do? Thank you.
Whey protein powder will firm it up a bit. You could sub some low carb flour (just not coconut flour alone). A non stick skillet should work well also.
ReplyDelete