Eggplant Pizza with Tomato Sauce

Eggplant was abundant at my CSA this year.  Lucky for them because with the drought we've had, not much else was hearty enough to withstand it. 

Lucky for them, less lucky for me, since I don't love the stuff.  Ratatouille - meh.  Eggplant Parmesan - can't do bread crumbs.  Babaganoush - looks like a big pile of mush.  I can't just throw the things away and giving them away seemed kind of wasteful also.  Somewhere my brain recalled a video of someone making a Paleo pizza crust from eggplant.  I haven't had pizza in forever.  Pizza is delicious!  Yay brain!  Let's make PIZZA!

I won't try to fool you and say this pizza tastes just like delivery.  But if you have eggplant, this is a pretty good vehicle for using it up.  And eggplant is really healthy and has lots of fiber.   Mmmm... Fiber.  Just kidding.  But we all know we need it, especially after a lot of meat-gorging.

The recipe for the crust is simple, and I used one I found here:

INGREDIENTS

About a pound of eggplant, shredded

2 whole eggs, beaten

1 oz, weight (about 1/4 cup) grated parmesan cheese

1 Tbs golden flax meal

1/4 tsp salt

Coconut oil

Sauce, cheese, and toppings of your choice

Preheat oven to 450

Toss the eggplant shreds with the salt while you prepare the other ingredients. This will help draw out some moisture.

Squeeze out as much moisture as you can from the eggplant (either by hand or using the press method shown below).

Combine the drained eggplant shreds with the other ingredients.
Line a baking sheet or pizza pan with parchment paper. Lightly coat it with coconut oil. Press the eggplant mixture into a round shape about 1/4" thick.

 

  Bake 15 minutes or until golden brown. 

 

Flip the crust half way through baking: coat a second piece of parchment with coconut oil and lay it on top of the pizza crust.  Put a second cookie sheet on top of the parchment and flip the whole works over (please PLEASE do not burn yourself.  If you are clumsy, please wait until the first cookie sheet has slightly cooled before attempting this maneuver).  Remove the first cookie sheet and peel the first piece of parchment off. 

Continue baking another 5 - 10 minutes or until golden brown, then top with pizza sauce, mozzarella cheese, and whatever toppings you like.  I used Applegate Naturals Uncured Pepperoni.  I also highly recommend crumbled homemade sausage.


Pizza Sauce

6 oz. can tomato paste
1 teaspoon coconut sugar (optional)
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 tablespoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

After topping, bake an additional 5 - 7 minutes, until the cheese has melted. 

This re-heats really well in a toaster oven, if you have leftovers.




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Weight Loss Salad

A salad without dressing is just a bowl of leaves.  Joining a CSA taught me to be creative with a salad since I was eating one or two every day through May and June of last year just to keep up with what I was getting in my weekly share.  Grocery store salad dressings are full of chemical nastiness, hidden glutens in the form of Modified Food Starch, and soy.  Read the label some time.

Dressing can be so versatile, tasty, and cheap when you make it yourself.  I keep a variety of small bottles and jars on hand so I can switch up according to my mood of the day.

One salad I turn to when I'm in weight loss mode is the Italian Salad with Garlic Vinaigrette Dressing.  Completely sweet- and fruit-free to keep my sweet tooth from being activated, this salad has satisfying Pepperoni, Genoa Salami, salty olives, spicy Pepperoncini, and tangy, garlicy dressing.

Bitter, hearty greens work much better in this salad than delicate Butter Lettuce.  Try Romaine, red or green curly leaf, or a combination with Arugula (aka Rocket).


Italian Salad with Garlic Vinaigrette Dressing

Greens
Red onion
Red pepper
Cherry tomato
Applegate Farms Genoa Salami and Primo Naturale Uncured Pepperoni or grilled chicken
Kalamata olives or a variety
Pepperoncini (spicy pickled peppers)

Garlic Vinaigrette Dressing:
Red Wine vinegar
Extra Virgin olive oil
Minced garlic (or grushed, roasted garlic is delicious but doesn't seem to stay fresh for long)
I use 2 to 4 Tablespoons or cloves per cup of vinegar.
Dried spices (oregano, basil, marjoram)
Salt & pepper

I re-use an old plastic olive oil bottle and toss in the ingredients without measuring which gives me the freedom to make a little or a lot.  Mix vinegar and oil using a One-to-One ratio (equal amounts of each-- just eyeball it in the jar) then add your other ingredients.  Place the cap on the bottle and shake vigorously.  Keep this dressing in the fridge for a month or more.  Shake vigorously before each use.

Take or leave salad ingredients as your taste buds and produce stock allow.