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Sunday, June 14, 2015

Plantain Pizza Crust ( GF)



Plantain pizza with roasted vegetables



This recipe makes a fast and easy homemade pizza crust that you can make from start to finish in 25 minutes. The secret is a little known savory" fruit" called a plantain. Plantains are in the banana family, but when they are green, they are much starchier and not at all sweet. They are rich in vitamins A and C and low in calories ( 90 calories /cup) and low in fat. In their starchy state ( when they are green),plantains are perfect for making gluten free crusts, crackers, flatbreads, etc.

plantains on a napkin
Plantains that are still green enough to make pizza crust

A few months ago, my friend Laura introduced me to a delicious gluten free flatbread that she had made using plantains. Up until that point, I really didn't know what to do with a plantain. I barely even knew what they were. Today, I made my first gluten free pizza crust using a single green plantain that cost me 50 cents.

The pizza crust was so easy to make, it bordered on ridiculous. I just peeled and cut one plantain into chunks and added the chunks, one egg, and a little seasoning into my blender. Two minutes later, my batter was ready. I scooped the batter out of the blender and using a regular spoon, I spread it on a piece on parchment paper in a 10 inch round shape. I then popped it into a pre-heated oven and waited 15 minutes for my crust to bake. DONE!

How did it taste? great
How did it cut?   great
Could you hold a slice ? Yes, it was strong
Great Leftovers: The next day, the cold leftover slices tasted even better. I liked them cold so much, I didn't even bother to attempt to heat them back up.

Where do I find plantains?
A plantain looks just like a banana, but a little bigger, thicker skinned, and usually green.
They are usually kept right near the regular bananas in the supermarket.
You want to buy them when they are green. They will turn yellow and become spotted. When this happens, the natural sweetness starts to come out and the plantains won't be good for pizza crust. Pizza crust calls for green plantains.

If you are looking for an alternative to grains, plantains are an easy and suitable must try substitution.



Author: Judee Algazi
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Bake Time: 15 minutes
Topping Bake Time: 10 minutes
Serves 2

Ingredients: 
1 large plantain, peeled and chopped in medium chunk size pieces
1 large egg
1 Tablespoon toasted sesame seeds ( this really adds to the flavor of the crust)
Salt and Pepper to taste
2 shakes of Trader Joes' 21 Salute ( a salt free herbal blend like Mrs. Dash)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Cover a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
Slice, peel, and chop 1 large plantain
Add the chopped plantain to a blender along with the egg, sesame seeds, and seasoning.
Blend until everything is well blended ( about 1-2 full minutes)
Scrape the batter from blender and using a spoon and spread the batter into a 1/4 inch thick - 10 inch round circle on a piece the piece of parchment paper.

Bake for 15 minutes at 350 degrees-
remove from parchment paper and cool the pizza crust on a wire rack.
Turn up the oven to 425 degrees .
Cover the pizza crust with sauce and or toppings of your choice
Return to the parchment paper, place on the metal rack ( as opposed to a cookie sheet)  and bake another 5-10 minutes until toppings are warm.

Cut the plantain in quarters and peel


batter spread on parchment paper
Spread batter in 1/4 inch depth and 9-10 inch circle

Bake for 15 minutes

roasted vegetables and kale
Roast any vegetables of your choice ( I did my favorite- peppers, tomatoes, garlic) and made some kale chips

Roasted vegetables on a plantain pizza crust
I topped and spread with 1/2 ricotta cheese and roasted vegetables

Other Toppings: 
I used ricotta cheese , kale chips, and roasted tomato and pepper
or try spaghetti sauce, shredded cheese, and mushrooms
or any roasted veggies and cheese

If you want to know more about why plantains are so good for us, Dr. Axe covers it in his article 7 reasons to add plantains to your diet
photo from Dr. Axe's article








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Food is my passion. I am gluten intolerant, busy. and strive for a healthy balanced lifestyle. It has taken me many years to come up with easy healthy recipes that meet gluten free, vegetarian and real food standards. On my blog I share my journey, my struggles, my discoveries, and my new recipes. I hope you find ideas, resources, and recipes that will be helpful to you. Come Back soon.



Author: Judee Algazi
Pin It Please leave a comment so I know you stopped by. Scroll down to the end of the post and click on comments.

Pin It Please leave a comment so I know you stopped by. Scroll down to the end of the post and click on comments.

44 comments:

  1. Yum!!! I've made plantain flatbread but haven't tried pizza yet, because I was worried about it getting soggy. Thanks for the tips can't wait to try! Pinning :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The pizza was not soggy when I took it from the oven. The leftovers got a little wet-ish for the 2nd day, but for some reason they tasted great- as I said cold!

      Delete
  2. I never would have believed the crust would look like that and I love the colorful topping. Thanks for sharing this healthy recipe with us at #AnythingGoes link up

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The crust really was easy to make and did hold up too. Interesting how many bases we can use for pizza and get away from grain

      Delete
  3. Yum - I'm always looking for good gluten free recipes!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It doesn't get much easier than this one and it really tastes good!

      Delete
  4. This looks so tasty Judee, sound a real treat!

    Thanks for sharing at Creative Mondays

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It is certainly different and a great grain free alternative.

      Delete
  5. I can't wait to try this!! I think you saved my husband's life and love for pizza!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It is interesting using plantains! I hope you like it!

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  6. AHH I have to try this!!!! Thanks so much for sharing! Man you can do anything with plantains

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Lindsay,
      Plantains are amazing how they are so versatile

      Delete
  7. This sounds really good and how clever! Thanks for sharing your recipe at the #AnythingGoes Link Party.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sandy,
      They are clever aren't they. It was my first time making them and I was happy with them.

      Delete
  8. I had a boarder from Panama many years ago. She made dinner for friends one evening; that is the only time I have had plantains. I saw another recipe recently using plantains in a GF recipe. I love the idea of this one, 'cause I LOVE pizza.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Plantains are very popular in South American countries, but new to us here.

      Delete
  9. I love finding a new and interesting recipe to try. Your Plantain Pizza crust sounds interesting, can't wait to try it. Thank you for sharing with the Clever Chicks Blog Hop! I hope you’ll join us again next week!

    Cheers,
    Kathy Shea Mormino
    The Chicken Chick
    http://www.The-Chicken-Chick.com

    ReplyDelete
  10. Bake for 15 minutes, remove, peel parchment and bake again for how long before removing and putting on the toppings?

    Sounds interesting. Thanks,

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Karen, Thank you for asking . I did make a typo.. it should have said cool, not cook..
      Here is the corrected version.Bake for 15 minutes at 350 degrees-
      remove from parchment paper and COOL ( corrected from cook) the pizza crust on a wire rack.
      Turn up the oven to 425 degrees .
      Cover the pizza crust with sauce and or toppings of your choice
      Return to the parchment paper, place on the metal rack ( as opposed to a cookie sheet) and bake another 5-10 minutes until toppings are warm.

      Delete
  11. I haven't heard of Plantains but this looks really delicious. Thanks for sharing with us at #AnythingGoes

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Sue,
      Plantains are sold in all supermarkets near the regular bananas. They are fun to make things with. Hope you will try this easy recipe.

      Delete
  12. Visiting from the Recipe Swap. I love that you made the crust with plantains. I will be making this for my Haitian daughter. I am sure she will love it.

    ReplyDelete
  13. I need to test plantains in my diet. They're a great source of pre-biotics. I cannot eat fruit, but I feel like these might be far less sugary (I cannot eat a lot of fructose) than other fruits. Must try!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Plantains do have carbs but they are not sweet. They have a lower glycemic index than rice. Hope that helps Gigi..

      Delete
  14. I'm so intrigued by this pizza crust, Judee! I've been served fried plantain but I didn't realise it could be used in this way. It looks really delicious and it's nutritious too! Pinned and will tweet. Thank you so much for being a part of the Hearth and Soul hop.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. April,
      I know.. making things with plantains is really different, but very helpful for those of us who need to eat gluten free

      Delete
  15. This is a cool pizza crust. I need to buy some plantains so I can make it

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. go for it Tara. The pizza crust is fast and easy and delicious!

      Delete
  16. Thanks so much for sharing your recipe at the #sundaysdownunder linky party! What a great alternative to grain based pizza bases. Pinned!

    I really appreciate you and your support!

    Best wishes,
    Natasha in Oz

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Good luck with your new linky party. When I stopped by this week , you had lots of participants!

      Delete
  17. Interesting. After the initial baking time, what kind of wire rack do you put it on to finish baking? I have not heard of putting a wire rack in the oven before.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Peggy,
    Sorry for the confusion. I just baked it on my oven rack and didn't put it on a cookie sheet. This allowed the pizza to brown up instead of get soggy on the cookie sheet.

    ReplyDelete
  19. That looks so amazing and healthy! Never would have thought of using plantains. Thanks for sharing at the Manic Mondays blog hop!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I was surprised the first time I heard about them too. Plantains can be used in crackers, flat breads, etc. Usually the green plantains only

      Delete
  20. I've never seen plantains used for pizza crust. I will have to try it. Thanks for sharing on the Healthy Living Link Party. We appreciate it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Plantains are a nice alternative for those of us who need to find more ways to eat without using grain. Plantains hold up great for pizza crust! Who knew?

      Delete
  21. Hi Judee,
    Yummy!I love to include healthy, delicious vegetables in my diet and gluten-free pizza has always been a favorite of mine--so I am delighted that you shared your wonderful Plantain Pizza Crust with us on the Healthy Happy Green and Natural Party Blog Hop. I'm pinning and sharing.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Deborah,
      Thanks for the opportunity to post on your weekly plant based linky. Thanks so much for hosting and taking the time to comment. See you next week.

      Delete
  22. Delicious, I love this plantains this plantain crusted pizza is really thanks for sharing with Hearth and soul blog hop. pinning, tweeting.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Swathi,
      I love Hearth and Soul Blog hop! Always so many great recipes each week. Thanks for hosting and taking the time to comment on my blog post!

      Delete
  23. The plantain crust sounds so interesting! Thanks for sharing the recipe with SYC.
    hugs,
    Jann

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Jann,
      Thanks for commenting about the plantain crust! It is a winner in my book. See you next week at SYC

      Delete
  24. This is such a great recipe! I had no idea you could make a plantain crust! So cool! I am definitely trying this. #sundaysdownunder

    ReplyDelete
  25. Judee,
    What an interesting crust, I can't wait to try this one. Thank you so much for sharing with Full Plate Thursday and have a great day!
    Come Back Soon,
    Miz Helen

    ReplyDelete

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