Top picture: The zucchini crust, post-baking and ready for toppings; Under that: A finished picture of the complete taco pizza; Third picture: You can hold it in your hand (like the Godfathers pizza, however, it can be messy); Fourth: OK, who took a slice of my pizza?; bottom: Oh! It was me. And I ate it.
Looking for something new for dinner? Miss Godfather's Taco Pizza? Are you diabetic, gluten intolerant or low-carbing and need something you can enjoy on pizza night? At only 23 carbs for an entire pizza, this could be your answer.
First, why a zucchini crust? I wanted something less pungent for a crust, and one which would take the flavors of the toppings without conflicting. Zucchini is mild, healthy, and easy to prepare. You can use this crust in place of cauliflower for any of the pizza recipes.
Don't panic when you see the calorie and carbohydrate counts. You are getting almost twice the pizza size of the regular cauliflower crust recipe.
Zucchini Crust
2 eggs
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (or pizza cheese*)
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Grease cookie sheet.
Peel and shred a large zucchini. Add egg and cheese, and mix well (I always use my hands). Spread the dough onto the pan evenly (watch the middle of the crust—it can be too thick) and bake for 12-15 minutes, or until the crust is cooked. Let cool.
Makes a large crust (14")
Nutritional Information:
Calories: 785 Carbohydrates: 9 Fiber: 0 Net carbohydrate: 9 Fat: 49 g Protein: 75 g
For the Taco Pizza
Pizza sauce mixed with Picante/Salsa
Seasoned ground beef
Shredded lettuce
Shredded cheddar (you can also add mozzarella and/or colby jack)
Chopped Tomato
Red Onion
Sliced Black Olives
You could also top with guacamole and sour cream if you'd like (change nutritional information if you do).
Do not cook with toppings added. Serve immediately. Refrigerate leftovers.
Makes a large, 14” pizza. Serves 8.
26 comments:
Yummy! Dang, that's a lotta cheese! (Loved your ode to cheese, BTW!)
OYB
My blog: Kimorexia
You're right! It's a moo-load of cheese!
Then I thought about it (after initial panic) and the cauliflower crust is half of the size, so it requires half of the cheese. They're both equivalent then, when all is said and done-- but you're right. It's a shocker initially... you're going to be saving up your cheese allowance for this one!
Thank you for your feedback!
(I love your Kimorexia blog, BTW. Thank you for your consumer activism!)
what a great idea Cleo.
I ran short of mozzarella cheese so I used grated parmegean in the crust and it turned about a little too italian for tacos so i made spaghetti pizza and used pasta sauce instead and we are very happy here figthing over the next pizza experiment.
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Thanks so much for creating all these yummy treats.
My mom and I made the cauliflower pizza for us and my autistic sister and we all loved it!
I'm excited to try the zucchini next.
Just wanted to let you know that you have helped us out because my sister is picky, and she liked the oopsies, too.
I just found your blog last night and am very excited to try both this recipe and a few of the oopsie variations. They sound great!
Cleo, why did you peel the zuchini? Would there be a fiber count if you didn't? Or was it just the green color you didn't want in the crust? Your recipes always look so good!
I tried the cauliflower pizza crust again using the weight of 5-6 ounces per egg and a cup of cheese. It was great tasting again but it was just barely pick-up-able. I doubled the recipe and cooked it(almost over cooked it!)for 17 minutes, then added the toppings and broiled. Maybe I make it too heavy with the toppings. We all wished there was more. Thanks for finding the time for low carb experimenting. I home school my two daughters and I can't find any extra time.
Melinda
cookie-- Thank you! Your name looks so delicious I could eat you, but then I might need a glass of milk.
anonymous-- I thought you were supposed to peel a zucchini.
It looks like a cucumber, and not peeling a cuke makes the vegetable taste bitter.
So I made that logic leap. It could have been wrong. If so, I spent 30 seconds nakifying a vegetable that was then chilly.
It wouldn't have had fiber regardless (fitday), apparently. I guess the zucchini is our flavorless, fiberless filler friend.
Still low in carbs, but not due to fiber.
Melinda-- thank you for your feedback! I know sometimes the crust needs longer to cook.
I've also found that not all cauliflower is created equal. I bought a bag of frozen cauliflower last week that was just saturated in water and made the dough more wet. I had to bake it longer.
If you end up with a wet dough, it's probably not a bad idea to turn down the temp and bake longer, or when you add the toppings, leave the oven at 450 degrees.
I will be fondling my bags of cauliflower from now on looking for large versus small chunks (large are best!)
Luckily, my teenage son works well when he's schooling through his online charter school (we use K-12) (I only threaten him with looks occasionally). I only home school one child at a time anymore. And only as they need it.
I have a lot of respect for folks who home school all at once. I did that. Once.
"Thanks so much for creating all these yummy treats.
My mom and I made the cauliflower pizza for us and my autistic sister and we all loved it!
I'm excited to try the zucchini next.
Just wanted to let you know that you have helped us out because my sister is picky, and she liked the oopsies, too."
Thank you so much for letting me know how these worked for you and your mom and sister! It is also so nice to know what your sister felt about these since autistic folks tend sometimes react negatively to textures in foods.
Thank you so much for letting me know how these have been received!
Thank you so much for this recipe!! I love this crust. One of the things I missed was veggie pizza and this crust is a perfect substitution for the crescent roll crust.
I mixed 8 oz cream cheese, 1 c sour cream and a package of ranch dressing mix and spread it over the crust. Then I sprinkled grated carrots, finely chopped broccoli and cauliflower and about 1 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese on it. That's a ton of cheese but one piece fills you up!
I will be doing plenty of experimenting with this crust - I've never really liked the deep dish pizza crust on Linda Sue's website but this one is fantastic. It's bland enough to take on pretty much any flavor - incredibly versatile - I never would have thought of it - I'm glad you did!
Hi! I found you from here:
http://tinyurl.com/ysh6x3
That Taco Pizza looks fantastic.
I was looking at your weight loss, wow so much so fast, how did you do that? And do you feel alright?
Do you still have less cravings from doing low and no carb? I know at first no carbing takes away your appetite, but does that continue?
All this and you can write too. Gee I must bookmark you and come back again and again...
I have used Spaghetti Squash in place of pasta when making my Italian meat sauce... but that was the only trick I ever thought of and finally gave up low carbing.
But you are an inspiration for me to try again.
Thank you for sharing yourself.
Blue,
BlueStarMom at gmail dot com
Thank you so much, both for the ideas (shredded carrots and chopped broccoli sound so delicious and colorful!) and for your feedback!
I am going to have to try that pizza. I also wonder if some roasted squash might also be a pretty decent addition.
Thank you for making me drool.
Hi, blue! I love sparkpeople and am a member there in an Atkins group. I know of some of the ladies in your group, too (CindySue being one of them)!
I lost so much so quickly by following the 2002 Dr tkins New Diet Revolutiuon and exercising most days of the week on the treadmill. I'm also a larger girl, so I lose weight more quickly than you thinnie minnies at your board!
I feel really well, and my doctor gives me his blessings. The last time I saw him, he told me to go and lose weight. I told him what I planned to do and he said, "Get out there and do it." I love that man!
I have no apetitie whatsoever and have to force myself to eat most days. Even when I have things to eat like delicious pizzas, gyros, and oopsie rolls, I'm just not hungry. It drives me nuts. You wouldn't look at me and think I'm someone who doesn't eat that much.
In order to make this plan mine, I have had to finally come up with recipes for things I like to eat. This includes lasagnas, pizza, gyros, you name it! I'm working on a cheesecake now. I have the crust perfected but am not 100% happy with the flavor of the filling yet.
If you would like some recipe ideas, check along the right side of the blog under the blog roll and you're going to see a lot of recipes I swear by, from soups, to salsas, to waffles, to pizzas to bread sticks---and all perfect for a low-carb lifestyle!
I have finally decided that I'm going to touch my food, eat my food and enjoy my food. That's probably been the biggest change I've made, in addition to the exercise. If you'd like to email me, you are welcome to! My email is cleochatra@gmail.com.
warmly,
Jamie
lots of the zuchinni micro nutriants are in the peel like the vit K and stuff so if the green crust doesn't gross you out leave it on.
Cool! I always was worried the skin would be bitter like cukes. Now I know to leave it!
Thanks, 2big! You rock!
Oh my I love your blog here. I think I will try the low carb thing again. I'm no spring chicken anymore, and weight loss is tougher then ever. But I think with your recipes, this time I won't get bored with eggs, eggs, eggs!
My SP is here:
http://tinyurl.com/yuwc5b
and since you're a member you know they don't allow HTML, so I just put a link to you on my page, without the HTML, I just have to copy and paste to find you here again.
I quit smoking 3 weeks ago, and have put on 5 pounds, so I really need to go forward full force with the strict induction (I smoked for 40 years, quitting is tough and still is)
So now that I can breathe better, I will do more of my "Walk Away The Pounds."
Gee I never know if the 'period' goes inside or outside of the quotation marks, sheesh!
Thank you Cleo, you are my muse and inspiration.
Blue step away from the computer, and go walk away the pounds.
LOL! You are so cute!
Way to go on stopping the smoking. That's tough! If you can do that, you bet your sweet bippee you can eat pizza and lasagna and lose weight.
Chicken ova is ok, but I don't like eating it! I prefer to have it in other items, and they are so versatile in that way.
Way to go on your exercise, too! You're doing the right things! I have no doubt you're going to hit those goals before you know it! My very first goal is borrowed from Weight Watchers: shoot for 10% of your total weight. It's usually a smaller number and what a sense of accomplishment!
If you need any cheering or support, let me know! I am always so excited to see other people doing well. I don't like to think about me because I have to think about exercise. LOL
Your picture is so pretty! and I love a woman who knows why the chicken crossed the road. I mean, there are so many reasons.
Jamie
PS.
I remembered (too late to add) that you said you have to find this page again. You can subscribe to new entries by putting your email address to the right of the page. I'm sorry you have to link... but it's cute.
Great recipe! Very yummy for sure. I was thinking that after shredding the zucchini that you could put a teaspoon of salt on it and let it sit for about 15-30 mins. This would draw out the extra water. Then you could wrap it up in a towel and squeeze the remaining out. This would probably lead to a crispier crust and more even bake. Just a thought.
Thanks for all you do cleo!!
Great idea! I usually squeeze the veggies out in my fists. I look like the Hulk--with style. LOL
Your way has more finesse.
Cleo!
I've found you! Dave posted alink at AusLowCarb. Gald you're doing well.
I've restarted as of yesterday, crept up from 103 back to 119.6 - Aaack!
And my sister iscoming to visit. Taking the needed drastic action now.
I'll be back to visit you again.
Cheers, Odille (Analog6 from the boards)
Hi Cleo, LOVE your blog. What do you use for the sauce? I am on induction, is there anything to use that is induction friendly? or a substitute that would be? Or can i just not have the pizza at all haha
Hey calijk!
I use pizza sauce from WalMart. Nothing sexy. Just the Great Value brand. At only 4 carbs per quarter cup, I would say you are going to be fine! I usually use about 1/2 cup for the whole pizza.
The ingredients: Tomato puree, soybean oil, salt, spices, parsley and natural flavors.
I use the stuff and don't have any problems.
The pizza is induction friendly! You want to make certain to not go over your 4 ounces of cheese limit, so stick to less than half of the pizza a day to be on the safe side.
I hope this helps!
Thanks so much for your kind words!
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