One of our favorite pizza toppings is the humble banana pepper. They are packed full of tart and pungent flavors (and yes, loaded with sodium). For me tomatoes and spinach are another favorite topping, but Nick isn’t a fan of whole tomatoes on pizza, so we typically just stick with spinach. On this particular day, we added pureed butternut squash too, because, why not?! What’s your favorite pizza topping?
Whole Grain Butternut Squash Pizza
Serves ~10
Ingredients
3 cups brown rice flour
1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
2 T extra virgin olive oil
1 t oil (for your fingers when spreading the dough)
1 t salt
1.5 T sugar
1 cup warm water
~ 1 cup pureed butternut squash
~ 1 cup pizza sauce
~ 2 cups cheese of your choice
(I added 1 t. cinnamon, 1 t. basil, and 1/4 t. cayenne to my sauce. Then I added some banana peppers and spinach as pizza toppings. For the cheese I used cheddar and freshly grated parmesan.)
Possible Modifications
- Use whole wheat flour, or all purpose flour (less nutritious if you use the latter)
- Use canola oil or just regular olive oil instead of EVOO
Directions
1) Preheat oven to 375 degrees
2) Combine and mix the flour, salt, sugar, and the yeast in a medium sized bowl. Next, add the EVOO and water.
3) Coat your hands with some oil, or non-stick spray. Use your hands to spread the dough evenly on a large pizza pan, the larger the better (you want the crust to be nice and thin).
4) Evenly coat the dough with pizza sauce and pureed butternut squash. Add toppings and spices as desired. Cook for 45-50 minutes minutes (depending on your oven and how crispy you like your pizza!)
ENJOY!
The great thing about brown rice flour is that it’s 100% whole grain, yet it mimics white flour in terms of texture (so it doesn’t get hard and chewy like whole wheat flour can)..
And now for this week’s news;
Can Supplements Increase a Women’s Chances of Dying?
(I hate to say “I told you so”, but “I told you so!”. Countless times I have told friends and family that taking too many supplements, especially certain minerals like Zinc and vitamins like Folic Acid, can be dangerous. You can get too much of a good thing, and there is a reason we have Upper Limits).
Vitamin E Pills May Raise, Not Lower, Prostate Risk
(I hate to say “I told you so” but for years I’ve been telling people to stay away from antioxidant supplements. The best place to get vitamin E, and any antioxidant, is from food. It’s safe, and effective).
Artists Cereal Box Stunt Makes a Real Point About Sugary Cereals
(This is pretty funny, I have to say. However, I do think cereal companies are doing a better job at reducing sugar. In fact, many of the cereals in this photo have 12 grams of less sugar, per serving, which isn’t bad in my opinion. The real problem, in my opinion, is the cereal’s lack of whole grains, fiber, and protein, all three important components in breakfast).
