Fennel & Pesto Pizza! GF, V, SCD, BED & Paleo!

Hey Happy Tummies!

Can we just hit the pause button real quick and talk about the fact that we're already halfway through September!? Umm...what?! Time is flying by at warp speed!! 

Well this is going to be a great week becaaaaaause....fall TV is starting!! DWTS is tonight, The Mindy Project premieres on Tuesday...who's excited!? :) I don't know how I feel about James Franco's appearance on the show though...

Any who! As I mentioned before, I was home this past weekend and I had a blast. Not only was I there for some birthday celebrations, (the monster cookies were a hit!) but we also got our family photos taken since we have a new addition! Anna from Anna May Photography is seriously amazing. Anna is a good friend of my brother and his wife. She has a beautifully artistic eye. I thought I'd share some favorites:)

OK, now on to some FOOD! For dinner one evening, I made a delicious cauliflower crust pizza!

One of the beauties about pizza is that you can make it ahead of time and have it all ready to go at the drop of a hat!

Soo, I made a Fennel and Pesto Pizza!!

And it's gluten free, Specific Carb Diet & Body Ecology Diet friendly, & Paleo w/ a Vegan Option!

Here's what you need: (serves 1)

Crust:
1 cup cauliflower, riced
2 egg whites (Vegan option: 1 flax/chia egg)
1/4 cup almond flour
1/4 tsp salt

Pesto:
1 cup broccoli, steamed
3/4 cup green peas, steamed
1 cup fresh basil
2 Tbsp pine nuts
juice 1/2 lemon
1 garlic clove
1 Tbsp EVOO
healthy pinch of salt and pepper

1 tomato, sliced (BED omit)
4 mushrooms, sliced
1 bell pepper chopped (BED use red) 
1 bulb of fennel, shaved
1/4 tsp dried oregano and basil

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Put your raw cauliflower florets in the food processor and process until it resembles rice. Then, place the rice in a clean kitchen towel (or several paper towels) and wring out all the liquid. This is a really important step.  Combine it thoroughly with your almond flour, salt, and egg whites. Cut 2 sheets of parchment paper the size of a baking sheet. Put your batter onto one sheet of parchment, and place the other sheet on top. “Smoosh” it out fairly thin. Spritz the top with EVOO. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until golden brown.

Meanwhile, brown your mushrooms in a skillet with 1 tsp EVOO. Do this by placing them in a single layer and then don't touch them for about 3-4 minutes, so that they can brown. Then, flip, and let sit untouched for another 3 minutes. Add your bell peppers to the pan and let them cook for another 3 minutes. Sprinkle them with about 1/4 tsp dried basil and oregano.  Take off the stove and hit with salt and pepper. 

Next, carefully shave your fennel on a mandolin. (I've learned from experience that it is very important to use the safety hand guard!) Also, slice your tomato into about 1/4 inch slices.

Finally, make your pesto. First, steam your broccoli and peas either in the microwave or in a steamer basket. Then, place all your pesto ingredients in the food processor and process until smooth. You'll need to scrape the sides several times. 

To assemble, spread a thin layer of the pesto on your flatbread. Leave about a 1/2 inch boarder. Then, place your tomato slices on top. Top those with your peppers and mushrooms. Finally, sprinkle the top with the raw fennel.

Mmm mmmm mmmm this was so tasty!

Lets be honest: Fennel can be kind of an intimidating vegetable. It's this big white bulb that has these freakish and fuzzy stalks protruding up like Edward Scissor Hands.  (dramatic much??) BUT, it really is delicious. It adds a wonderfully delicate crunch to a dish and has an unmistakably lovely licorice flavor, unlike anything else. I had some extra fennel left over, and my family (who had never had it before) put it on their salads and LOVED it! #fennelconverts :)

I loved the addition of the juicy tomatoes to this dish too. They were sweet and fresh and complimented the bright pesto wonderfully.  Finally, the mushrooms were perfectly chewy and earthy.

Finally, it goes without saying, but I love my cauliflower crusts. They're one of my "staples." I always keep the ingredients on hand: frozen cauliflower and almond flour! It has this wonderfully nutty and delicate flavor. You honestly don't taste the cauliflower AT ALL! It's a miracle food, seriously!!

And you can pick it up like a piece of pizza. Sounds like a winner to me!

And lastly, this dish was absolutely beautiful too with all the colors. It just begs to be eaten and enjoyed. And that's just what I did!



What fall TV show are you looking forward to?



Want more GFHT?  You can now get my e-cookbook, The Best of GlutenFreeHappyTummy for only $2.99 on Amazon!