Friday, February 15, 2013

Quinoa Pizza Crusts

We are now firmly into
the Year of the black water snake.
Happy New Year!

2013 is the year of the black Snake and began on February 10th shortly after the New moon in Aquarius, the humanitarian of the zodiac.

This 2013 year of Snake is meant for steady progress and attention to detail. Focus and discipline will be necessary for you to achieve what you set out to create. The Snake is the sixth sign of the Chinese Zodiac, which consists of 12 Animal Signs.

It is the enigmatic, intuitive, introspective, refined and collected of the Animals Signs. Ancient Chinese wisdom says a Snake in the house is a good omen because it means that your family will not starve.
More...Sounds good to me!

Onto the pizza-


I grew up in Chicago-land, where pizza is considered a separate food group by many of my friends and family.
There are many successful pizzarias in every neighborhood there and it is one food I miss living in the South. I had been experimenting with using different grains before I really knew how the grains affected my body. Now that I know, I am avoiding.

Quinoa (keen wa) however, is a seed. Hmmm... I tried using it ground, but was very dense by itself. It was very fun to grind it in the NutriBullet! Then
I found this recipe and tweaked it a bit. Fresh tasting, very crisp, perfect size for personal pizzas, easy, and so good!


Quinoa Pizza Crusts
1 1/2 Cups Quinoa
(soak in good water at least 8 hours, rinse completely, and drain)
1/2 Cup of water
2 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 Tbsp Coconut Oil
1 tsp sea salt
1 large clove of garlic

Makes 4, 8-9” crusts.

Heat the oven to 450.

Put all the ingredients except the oils into the blender and process until it is the consistency of pancake batter. Add more water if too thick.

Add 1/2 tbsp of the Olive Oil and 1/2 tbsp of the Coconut oil to each 8 or 9” cake pan (or similar), and heat in the oven about 90 seconds. Avoid overheating and making the oil smoke.


CAREFULLY take the pan with the oil out of the oven and put 1/4 of the batter directly in the center of the pan like a large pancake. Use a spoon to push the batter to the edges and return to the oven for 20 minutes. CAREFULLY take out of the oven and flip over the crust. Return to the oven for 10 more minutes. Cool on racks.

Add your favorite ingredients and return to the 450 oven for 10-15 minutes.

Fun and easy... just be careful with that super-hot oil.

So try it out and let me know what you think. I like this recipe - the light, green flavor- Enjoy!


Quinoa Nutrition:

One of the best reasons to enjoy quinoa is because it has a high-protein content, which makes it a great cholesterol-free and low-fat source of protein. According to the USDA nutrient database, 1 cup of cooked quinoa (185 g) contains 8.14 grams of protein. To put that in reference, the recommended daily protein intake is about 56 grams for most men and 46 for most women.

Quinoa is naturally low in fat, but as a seed, it does have a small amount. One cup of cooked quinoa provides 3.4 grams of fat. By comparison, 185 grams cooked lean ground beef provides 33 grams of fat. Quinoa is relatively low in calories. One cup of cooked quinoa provides 222 calories.


Quinoa is a great source of iron and fiber. One cup of cooked quinoa (185 grams) provides 15% of the recommended daily intake of iron, and 5 grams of fiber, which is 21% the recommended amount. Quinoa is also an excellent source of magnesium, with 118 mg per cup, cooked. According to the USDA nutrient database, one cup of cooked quinoa provides:

39.41 mg carbohydrates

31 mg calcium
2.76 mg iron 
318 mg potassium
13 mg sodium
2.02 mg zinc


Quinoa is a great food not just for vegetarians and vegans, but for anyone looking to lower their cholesterol or add fiber to their diet.

from: vegetarian.about.com

Enjoy eating healthy,
Resplendence happens




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