Recipe of The Week

OK fellow Truth Seekers...you asked for it and here it is:  

The debut of Recipe Wednesday!

Recipe Wednesday is...

The perfect antidote for sailing through mid-week doldrums

The entree, side-dish, or dessert you just may devour for dinner this weekend

The beginning of realizing the eye-opening possibilities of eating gluten, wheat, and dairy free, deliciously. 

Bon Appetit My Friends!

XO

Stacey

Gluten and Dairy-Free Pizza

Did the title of this recipe just induce a major buzz kill?  I admit, it would have cooled my jets a little too, had I not eaten this very dish last night for dinner.  And might I say my Lotus Love clients were DAZZLED.  Now I can't take all the credit, a major part of it goes to Namaste Foods, LLC. They make pizza, cake, cookie mixes and other delights in a dedicated allergen-free facility and everything they make is wheat, gluten, corn, dairy, soy, potato, peanut, and tree nut-free.  Talk about purity!  But I've heard through the food-allergy grapevine that their stuff is also outstanding and it has proved to be true. Not only was texture and flavor a winner, I was stunned that the only effort required was adding water to the mix and applying a little wire whisk action.  No rolling, punching or kneading.

My advice is if you're gonna do it, do it right.  I've tried other GF pizza crust mixes and let's just say the results were sandy, grainy, and crumbly-dry disappointments.  Seek out Namaste pizza crust mix.  If you can't find it at your local store, visit their site and place an order:  www.namastefoods.com .

Below is the recipe I made last night...one based on ingredients in the freezer and cupboards.  Pizza topping combinations can be as individual as the fingerprint, but whether you make it vegetable or meat-laden, USE A GOOD CRUST!

My other secret for great pizza - great sauce. That means healthy sauce, not one messed up with corn syrup or canola oil.  Have cans of tomato sauce or crushed tomatoes on hand for just such an occasion.  Add extra virgin olive oil, salt, sugar, or Agave according to your preferences.


1 bag Namaste Pizza Crust Mix
2 medium onions
Light olive oil for sauteeing
1 32 ounce can tomato sauce (no sugar or oil added)
4-6 ounces of Peccorino (a sheep's milk cheese similar to Romano and Parmasan)
4 large sausage links
salt
Agave nectar


Prepare pizza crust according to instructions and set aside in mixing bowl. Namaste has two servings per bag, I made a big Sicilian style pizza so used the whole bag.

Empty tomato sauce into medium sauce pan and add 1 TBS. Agave nectar and teaspoon of salt.  Simmer uncovered on low heat (this allows some of the water in the sauce to reduce and makes a thicker, more flavorful sauce).

Preheat oven to 450

Spray a large square baking sheet (like a cookie sheet with a rim) with cooking spray and pour pizza batter into pan. Bake for 20 minutes.

In large skillet, heat enough olive oil to cover the bottom of the pan (medium heat). Slice onions in thin rings and sautee until carmelized. In a seperate skillet, cook sausage until done, about 15-20 minutes.  Let sausage cool and cut into slices if links. You can also use ground sausage. Add sausage to the onions and mix well. Turn off heat.

When pizza crust has baked for 20 minutes, remove from oven. Spread tomato sauce over the crust, followed by sausage and onion mixture.  Finish by grating Peccorino with a cheese grater over the pizza until it's well covered.  When you get down to the last third of your cheese block, switch from finely grated to large shreds (amps up the cheese flavor and the presentation).

Place pizza back in oven and bake for another 15 minutes.  Prepare to be dazzled!