Gluten-free shredded potato pizza crust recipe

Desperate Dinner was one of the highlights of my first couple of years in grad school.  It started a couple of months before I moved to Michigan, and I quickly joined in once I got here.  A group of students in my program would gather every Sunday night, eat dinner together (there was a rotating schedule for cooking), and watch Desperate Housewives.  About ten people showed up each week, so it wasn't too overwhelming to cook for everyone... that is, until the group grew exponentially.  At some point things got out of control and we had 25 people showing up each week.  And cooking for people's dietary needs/desires was quite a challenge (we had vegans, vegetarians, and carnivores, along with people who wouldn't eat sugar, eggs, mushrooms, tomatoes... and the list goes on).  Plus, even if you managed to avoid all of those things, transporting that much food was quite a feat.  On one dreadful occasion, I was trying to carry too many things at once and ended up dropping a huge dish of spinach and artichoke dip in the hall outside of my apartment. (It baked into the carpet and, 3 years later, I still get a kick out of hearing visitors ask whether it's vomit.) We quickly switched to a pot-luck style.

Even then, we couldn't sustain the gathering.  It was overwhelming and, understandably, nobody wanted to host that many people every week (and most of us didn't have nearly enough room).  I was sad to see it go, but it also came at a time when I could easily occupy my Sunday night with other things, either research or softball.  Recently, a different group has initiated Sunday night gatherings (minus the "desperate").  I've only been able to go once, and it's hard to tell if it will last.  For now, I'll enjoy it while I can.

Last week's theme was pizza.  The host made a bunch of dough and pizza sauce, and everyone else brought a pizza topping.  I was excited because it was the perfect opportunity to make a gluten-free crust.  But then life got in the way, and I ran out of time and energy to make a real dough.  Luckily, I remembered a recipe for a potato crust, and I got to work.

I loved this crust.  It was simple, and was a crispy base for my favorite pizza toppings.  I highly recommend this crust even if you can eat gluten, and I saw several of my friends eying my pizza as they waited for theirs to cook.  (Don't worry, they were in good hands because our host made my former favorite whole wheat pizza dough from 101 Cookbooks.)  I still want to make a crust with gluten-free flours, but this was a fabulous alternative and I didn't miss out on anything that night.  This is a great way to use potatoes, so I'm submitting this to Weekend Herb Blogging, which is organized by Haalo from Cook (almost) Anything At Least Once, and is hosted by Cinzia from Cindystar this week.

Shredded potato pizza crust (adapted from Gluten Hates Me But I'm Surviving)
(Printable version)

1 2/3 cups shredded russett potatoes (I used 2 1/2 small, unpeeeled potatoes)
pinch of salt
1 egg, beaten
1/2 red onion, grated

Put the potatoes in a colander, sprinkle with salt, and let sit for 10 min.  Then press as much moisture as possible out of the potatoes.  Combine the potatoes, egg, and onion in a small bowl.  Lightly oil a pie pan, and press the mixture into the bottom.  Bake at 400 for 20 min, then spritz with olive oil and bake an additional 10-15 min (until crust is nicely browned).  Makes 1 individual pizza.

Potato pizza

**This is not a gluten-free recipe and was posted before I eliminated gluten from my diet. Use your favorite gluten-free pizza crust for a great pizza.**

It's been almost two months since I last made pizza, and that should never happen. I still had one ball of dough left in my freezer, and I finally decided to get it out and put it to good use.

Potato pizza (adapted from Mark Bittman's "How to Cook Everything")

1 ball (6 oz.) of 100% whole white wheat pizza dough (originally from 101 Cookbooks)

1/2 lb. small potatoes (I used gold, but red would work great too), sliced thinly

1/4 cup cornmeal

2 Tbsp olive oil

1/2 tsp dried rosemary

If your dough is frozen, let it thaw in the refrigerator overnight, then let it sit out at room temp for several hours. Bring medium pot of salted water to a boil, and cook potato slices until they begin to get tender (5-7 min). Drain potatoes and set aside. Sprinkle baking sheet with cornmeal, and then pull dough out into a 12" circle and place on baking sheet. Spread potatoes out on dough, drizzle with oil, and sprinkle with rosemary. Bake at 500 until dough browns and is thoroughly cooked (8-10 min). Serves 2.

I love the simplicity of this pizza, and it really allows you to taste the amazing whole wheat crust. I don't know that this beats out my barbecue chicken and caramelized onion pizza or my eggplant pizza (it's hard to compare things that are so different), but it's definitely worth making again. And now that my dough is gone, I definitely need to stock my freezer with more because there are endless pizza toppings to try. Any favorites out there?

Eggplant pizza with tomatoes and fresh mozzarella

**This is not a gluten-free recipe and was posted before I eliminated gluten from my diet. Use your favorite gluten-free crust instead.**

While Mom was visiting me this weekend, she mentioned that she wanted us to make pizza. After stumbling upon my favorite pizza last week, I was up for the challenge of making another delicious version. We didn't make this decision until after we had returned home from the store, so it was time to get creative with what we already had in the kitchen. For some odd reason I suggested an eggplant pizza, and we went with it (luckily Mom is always up for anything).

Eggplant pizza with tomatoes and fresh mozzarella

1 ball (6 oz.) 100% whole wheat pizza dough (see recipe, originally from 101 Cookbooks)

2 Tbsp olive oil, divided

1 large yellow onion, sliced thinly

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 medium eggplant, cubed

salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

3 Tbsp cornmeal

1 large tomato, sliced thinly

4 oz. fresh mozzarella, sliced thinly

If using frozen dough, let it thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Remove from refrigerator and let sit at room temp for at least 2 hours (I've found that 3 or 4 is better). Heat 1/2 Tbsp olive oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and cook until tender (about 5 min). Add garlic, eggplant, and remaining oil, stirring well to make sure that all of the eggplant pieces are coated in oil. Cook until eggplant is tender (about 10 min), and add salt and pepper to taste.

Sprinkle baking sheet with cornmeal. Spread dough out into 12" circle, place on baking sheet, and bake for 3 min at 450. Remove dough from oven and top with eggplant, tomatoes, and mozzarella. Continue to bake until dough is cooked and lightly brown (8-10 more min). Serves 2.

This definitely rivals the pizza that I made last week. Mom and I couldn't stop talking about how good it was. It was very filling but not heavy, and was a perfect lunch. I'm glad I somehow thought of this combination, and it was fun to get more creative with eggplant. Speaking of eggplant, I never bother to peel or salt mine. I know that some people find eggplant bitter, but I never have this problem (which is weird, because I'm extremely sensitive to other bitter foods). So, peel or salt it if you want, but I save time and get right to the cooking.

I'm going to submit this to Weekend Herb Blogging because I was so happy with my new eggplant creation. This weekly food blogging event was started by Kalyn from Kalyn's Kitchen and is now run by Haalo from Cook (almost) Anything At Least Once. This week Prof. Kitty from the Cabinet of Prof. Kitty is hosting, and once again I'm excited to have something to contribute!

Barbecue chicken and caramelized onion pizza

**This is not a gluten-free recipe and was posted before I eliminated gluten from my diet. Use your favorite gluten-free crust instead, and make sure to buy or make gluten-free barbecue sauce.**

I still have pizza dough in the freezer, and I started to get pizza cravings last week. But of course I kept forgetting to thaw the dough and my cravings had to wait. I finally got around to it, and was inspired to include some caramelized onions from the cookbook of the month.

Barbecue chicken and caramelized onion pizza (inspired by "Moosewood Restaurant New Classics")

6 oz. whole wheat pizza dough (my recipe - from 101 cookbooks)

1 Tbsp olive oil

2 yellow onions, sliced thinly

cornmeal

2 Tbsp barbecue sauce (I used store-bought sauce that I'm trying to use up, but homemade would be even better)

1/2 cup cooked chicken, shredded

If using frozen dough, let it thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Let dough stand at room temperature for 2-3 hours. Heat oil in skillet over medium heat. Add onions and saute, stirring frequently, until they are brown (about 20 min). If onions start to burn, turn down to medium-low. Sprinkle cornmeal onto baking sheet. Work dough into 12" circle and put onto baking sheet. Bake dough at 450 for 2 min. Spread barbecue sauce on crust, then add chicken and onions. Bake for another 6-8 min, until dough is lightly browned. Serves 1-2.

I originally planned to eat half of this. Twenty minutes later it was gone. I LOVE caramelized onions, and they work great on pizza. The chicken was tasty, too, but it would have been good even without it. This is my favorite pizza so far, and it won't be long before I make it again. Perhaps next time I should make 2 of these... as long as I can keep myself from eating both at once.

Butternut squash and onion pizza

**This is not a gluten-free recipe and was posted before I eliminated gluten from my diet. Use your favorite gluten-free pizza crust instead.**

It's pizza time again! When I first made the pizza dough I was imagining that I would use it to make more traditional pizzas, but lately I've happened upon a number of new and different recipes. So, here's another pizza that will keep your pizza taste buds on their toes (if only we really had pizza taste buds...).

Butternut squash and onion pizza (Adapted from "Vegetarian Planet" by Didi Emmons)

1/3 butternut squash, peeled and sliced very thinly

1 medium onion, sliced

1 Tbsp olive oil

1/2 tsp dried sage

1 ball (6 oz.) whole wheat pizza dough

1/4 cup cornmeal

1 Tbsp parmesan cheese

Take the pizza dough out of the refrigerator at least an hour before you plan to use it (preferably more like 2-3 hours). If using frozen dough, let it thaw in the refrigerator overnight before taking it out to come to room temp.

Combine squash, onion, oil, and sage and spread onto baking dish. Cook at 400 until squash is tender and onion begins to brown (about 25 min), stirring occasionally. Spread the cornmeal out onto a baking sheet. Pull the dough out into a circle (about 12" in diameter) and put onto cornmeal. When squash is done, increase oven temp to 450 and cook dough by itself for 3 min. Then put squash and onion mixture on top of dough and bake for 8-10 more min, until dough is done and begins to brown. Grate/shred parmesan cheese on top. Serves 2.

The frozen dough worked great, but I did things a little differently with it this time. First off, I let it sit at room temp for 2.5 hours, and that gave it more time to rise and gave me a thicker crust. Also, instead of oiling the back of a baking sheet, I used the cornmeal method on the correct side of the sheet to keep the dough from sticking. This worked a lot better and was easier to clean. And I liked cooking the dough for a few minutes before adding the toppings. In this case I wasn't dealing with juicy toppings, but I think it still helped the crust have more life to it.

I really liked this combo. After eating a ton of cabbage salad yesterday afternoon, I wasn't too hungry when dinner time rolled around, but I was determined to eat a little piece of this pizza. Before I knew it, half of it was gone. I'm having fun trying out new pizza creations, and I'm very excited that there are 4 more balls of dough in the freezer!

Mexican Black Bean and Spinach Pizza

**This is not a gluten-free recipe and was posted before I eliminated gluten from my diet. Substitute your favorite gluten-free pizza dough for a fabulous pizza.**

I never make pizza because I always think that it's going to take all day. I'm not really sure why I had this in my head, because this pizza took less time than most of the other things that I've made lately. I spent about 15 min making the dough last night, and 20 min making the pizza (including cooking time). I'm glad this recipe caught my eye and got me over my pizza drought.

Mexican Black Bean and Spinach Pizza (adapted from Culinary in the Desert)

1 6-oz ball whole wheat pizza dough (see recipe below)

1 tsp olive oil

1 small onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

2/3 can black beans (a little over a cup)

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp chili powder

1/4 cup salsa

5 oz spinach

a few dashes of tabasco sauce

1/4 cup grated cheese (I used Havarti because I had some in the freezer, but anything will work)

Take dough out of refrigerator at least an hour before you want to make the pizza. Before you assemble the pizza, preheat oven to 450. Oil the bottom of a baking sheet (but see below for info on baking stone). Pull dough into a very thin circle (about 12" in diameter) and put on baking sheet. Heat oil over medium heat, and saute onion until tender. Add garlic to onion, and saute for 1 min. Combine onion and garlic, beans, cumin, and chili powder and spread on top of dough. Spread salsa evenly over beans. Quickly saute spinach (just until it starts to wilt), and let drain to remove moisture. Spread spinach over salsa. Sprinkle with tabasco, and then sprinkle cheese on top. Bake until dough is nicely browned, about 8-10 min. Serves 2.

You could also use a baking stone, if you happen to have one. In this case, preheat the baking stone and assemble the pizza on the back of a baking sheet or a pizza peel that's been sprinkled with cornmeal (don't oil it). Slide the pizza onto the baking stone once it's assembled.

White Whole Wheat Pizza Dough (from 101 Cookbooks)

4 1/2 cups whole white wheat flour

1 3/4 tsp salt

1 tsp instant yeast

1/4 cup olive oil

1 3/4 cups ice cold water

Combine flour, salt and yeast in large bowl. Stir in oil and water, and mix with spoon until all of the flour is incorporated. Knead by hand for 5-7 min until dough is sticky and elastic (I've noticed that it's a lot easier if your hands are wet before you start kneading). You could also use a mixer with a bread hook, if you're lucky enough to have one of those lying around. Put dough on a floured surface and cut into 6 equal pieces. Form each piece into a ball and rub with olive oil. Put each ball in a separate ziploc bag and put in refrigerator overnight. Before you use dough, let it sit at room temp for at least an hour. If you're not planning on using dough in the next few days, throw the bags in the freezer instead of the refrigerator (I froze 5 and kept one out for tonight). To thaw dough, put in refrigerator the day before you're planning to use it.

This pizza was very good, and I'm happy that I have more dough in the freezer. The crust was good - definitely a thin crust style with a good simple flavor. What I like most is that the toppings were great and weren't overpowered by cheese. Don't get me wrong - cheese has it's place in some pizza (especially if you're talking about fresh mozzarella on a good Margherita pizza), but it shouldn't overpower the other toppings. Perhaps I would feel differently if massive amounts of cheese didn't make me sick, but who knows.

The only potential problem is that the crust got a little moist from the toppings. To avoid this, I bet that you could use raw spinach and put that down on the dough first to protect the crust from the moisture of everything else. It might also help to cook the dough for a couple of minutes before adding the toppings. I would hate for those with wet bread phobias to avoid this pizza just because of the moisture :).

You can look forward to several more posts about pizza. In fact, I may make it a weekly event, so feel free to tell me about your favorite toppings. I already have several things in mind, but I might as well start making a list!