PIzza with Courgette and Almond base
PIzza with Courgette and Almond Base
PIzza with Courgette and Almond Base

Serves 2

Preparation: About ten minutes
Cooking Time: 16 - 18 minutes

A recent publication called the Diabetes Weight Loss Cook Book, written by Giancarlo Caldesi and his wife, Katie  with GP Dr David Unwin and his wife Dr Jen Unwin, a clinical health psychologist has some fabulous recipes some of which are free to download.   So we are now trying some of these - and the beauty of this quick to prepare Pizza is that it has no flour or yeast and you can add any toppings of your choice to ring the changes.   It is unbelievably good.


Ingredients

For the base

    Extra-virgin olive oil, to grease

    25g (1oz) Parmesan

    2 medium eggs

    1tsp salt

    150g (5½oz) ground almonds

    1 medium courgette (about 175-220g/6-8oz), peeled and coarsely grated

For the tomato sauce

    125g (4½oz) tinned whole Italian plum tomatoes

    1tsp dried oregano

    1tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

    ¼tsp salt

    Freshly ground black pepper

For the topping

    75g (2¾oz) mozzarella cheese, drained, and a selection of the following:

    A handful of olives

    8-10 slices of salami (FOR NON VEGETARIAN OPTION)

    8-10 slices of spicy chorizo (FOR NON VEGETARIAN OPTION)

    8 anchovies, drained from the oil

    Thin strips of red pepper

    2 spring onions, finely sliced

    A pinch of chilli flakes

    Extra-virgin olive oil, to finish

    A few basil leaves, to finish




AND THIS IS WHAT YOU DO.....

  1. Preheat the oven to 200°C/fan 180°C/gas 6. Line 2 baking trays with parchment and brush with oil. Put all the ingredients for the base together in a bowl and mix with a large metal spoon.

  2. It will form a fairly thick dough. Divide the dough into 2 and put a mound onto each tray. Pressand shape each with wet hands into a circle 1cm deep and 18- 20cm in diameter.

  3. Bake for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, blend the ingredients for the tomato sauce together in a mixing bowl. Remove the trays from the oven and slide the parchment onto the worktop.

  4. At this stage, the bases can also be cooled, wrapped tightly in clingfilm and kept in the fridge for 3 days or frozen for 3 months. Defrost before use.

  5. Put the oven trays back into the oven upside down to form a very hot, flat surface to cook the pizzas on. Increase the oven temperature as hot as it will go.

  6. When you are ready to cook the pizzas, top each with half of the tomato sauce, leaving a fingerwidth border around the edge.

  7. Tear the mozzarella over and add your chosen toppings. If you have a large cake slice, flat baking tray or flat wooden pizza shovel, use this to move the pizzas onto the upturned trays.

  8. Bake for 6-8 minutes, until the mozzarella is bubbling and the crust becomes crisp and browned. Remove from the oven and serve with a drizzle of oil and some basil leaves.
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