Plantain Pizza Crust ( GF)

This recipe makes a fast and easy homemade pizza crust that you can make from start to finish in 25 minutes. The secret is a little known savory" fruit" called a plantain. Plantains are in the banana family, but when they are green, they are much starchier and not at all sweet. They are rich in vitamins A and C and low in calories ( 90 calories /cup) and low in fat. In their starchy state ( when they are green),plantains are perfect for making gluten free crusts, crackers, flatbreads, etc.

Plantains that are still green enough to make pizza crust

A few months ago, my friend Laura introduced me to a delicious gluten free flatbread that she had made using plantains. Up until that point, I really didn't know what to do with a plantain. I barely even knew what they were. Today, I made my first gluten free pizza crust using a single green plantain that cost me 50 cents.

The pizza crust was so easy to make, it bordered on ridiculous. I just peeled and cut one plantain into chunks and added the chunks, one egg, and a little seasoning into my blender. Two minutes later, my batter was ready. I scooped the batter out of the blender and using a regular spoon, I spread it on a piece on parchment paper in a 10 inch round shape. I then popped it into a pre-heated oven and waited 15 minutes for my crust to bake. DONE!

How did it taste? great
How did it cut?   great
Could you hold a slice ? Yes, it was strong
Great Leftovers: The next day, the cold leftover slices tasted even better. I liked them cold so much, I didn't even bother to attempt to heat them back up.

Where do I find plantains?
A plantain looks just like a banana, but a little bigger, thicker skinned, and usually green.
They are usually kept right near the regular bananas in the supermarket.
You want to buy them when they are green. They will turn yellow and become spotted. When this happens, the natural sweetness starts to come out and the plantains won't be good for pizza crust. Pizza crust calls for green plantains.

If you are looking for an alternative to grains, plantains are an easy and suitable must try substitution.



Author: Judee Algazi
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Bake Time: 15 minutes
Topping Bake Time: 10 minutes
Serves 2

Ingredients: 
1 large plantain, peeled and chopped in medium chunk size pieces
1 large egg
1 Tablespoon toasted sesame seeds ( this really adds to the flavor of the crust)
Salt and Pepper to taste
2 shakes of Trader Joes' 21 Salute ( a salt free herbal blend like Mrs. Dash)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Cover a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
Slice, peel, and chop 1 large plantain
Add the chopped plantain to a blender along with the egg, sesame seeds, and seasoning.
Blend until everything is well blended ( about 1-2 full minutes)
Scrape the batter from blender and using a spoon and spread the batter into a 1/4 inch thick - 10 inch round circle on a piece the piece of parchment paper.

Bake for 15 minutes at 350 degrees-
remove from parchment paper and cool the pizza crust on a wire rack.
Turn up the oven to 425 degrees .
Cover the pizza crust with sauce and or toppings of your choice
Return to the parchment paper, place on the metal rack ( as opposed to a cookie sheet)  and bake another 5-10 minutes until toppings are warm.

Cut the plantain in quarters and peel

Spread batter in 1/4 inch depth and 9-10 inch circle

Bake for 15 minutes

Roast any vegetables of your choice ( I did my favorite- peppers, tomatoes, garlic) and made some kale chips

I topped and spread with 1/2 ricotta cheese and roasted vegetables

Other Toppings: 
I used ricotta cheese , kale chips, and roasted tomato and pepper
or try spaghetti sauce, shredded cheese, and mushrooms
or any roasted veggies and cheese

If you want to know more about why plantains are so good for us, Dr. Axe covers it in his article 7 reasons to add plantains to your diet

photo from Dr. Axe's article

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Food is my passion. I am gluten intolerant, busy. and strive for a healthy balanced lifestyle. It has taken me many years to come up with easy healthy recipes that meet gluten free, vegetarian and real food standards. On my blog I share my journey, my struggles, my discoveries, and my new recipes. I hope you find ideas, resources, and recipes that will be helpful to you. Come Back soon.



Author: Judee Algazi
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