What if we told you that there was a way to continue indulging in delicious comfort food, but in a healthier manner? Try this recipe for Pizza Perfect from The Banting Baker by Catherine Speedie!

During lockdown, the highlight of most of our days is reaching for our favourite snacks to cheer ourselves up. People tend to seek high-calorie, high-fat foods during periods of stress. It’s understandable that the number on the scale is going up. We are moving less but eating more. Let’s face it – with nothing to do, nowhere to go, and no jeans to fit into, it’s easy to pile on the kilos.

But giving in to your craving and sticking to healthier goals can go hand in hand.

With this in mind, Jacana Media has shared a recipe for a delicious pizza from The Banting Baker.

The Banting diet is one of the most popular food trends of the decade. The Banting Baker makes low-carb living accessible to everyone and shows that this lifestyle is definitely not about deprivation.

• For more recipes from The Banting Baker, click here!

Instead of ordering in tonight, treat the family to this:

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Pizza Perfect

Makes 2 pizzas

Ingredients

Pizza base

• 1 cup almond meal
• 1 cup coconut flour
• ½ cup arrowroot powder
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• Grinding of black pepper
• 1 teaspoon fresh or dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon fresh or dried basil
• 1 teaspoon fresh or dried marjoram
• 1 teaspoon fresh garlic, finely chopped
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 2 free-range or pastured eggs

Toppings

• Homemade tomato ‘sugo’/chopped tinned tomato
• Fresh herbs and leaves (fresh basil/fresh rosemary/rocket/baby spinach)
• Pitted olives/artichokes/roasted peppers/caramelised onion/pan-fried mushrooms/grilled zucchini/roasted aubergine chunks
• Crispy bacon/pancetta/chorizo/cubed roast chicken
• Grated mozzarella/Parmesan/pecorino/chèvre/gorgonzola, etc
• Seasonings (fresh or dried chilli/paprika/a dash of Tabasco/extra olive oil/roasted garlic cloves)

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C. If you have a pizza stone use this, otherwise a terracotta tile works well too. Alternatively grease two large baking trays.
• In a large mixing bowl, combine all of the pizza base ingredients and mix thoroughly until a dough forms. Roll into two balls, then place each on a baking tray.
• Flatten the dough to a consistent thickness of just over half a centimetre, forming it into a rectangle or circle, depending on your preference.
• Bake the dough for 20 minutes until it becomes a firm crust.
• While the crust is baking, prepare your toppings. Get the kids/your other half/your gang involved with making lots of options, so everyone can create their own personalised pizza.
• Put a small portion of the chopped tomato or sugo on the pizza, spreading it across the entire surface. Experiment – less sauce will yield a crispier pizza, more sauce will yield a softer pizza. À chacun son goût.
• Add the toppings on top of the sauce, sprinkling the cheese and then goodies like chopped chilli on last so the colour pops out on top of the cheese.
• Turn up the oven by another 50°F/20°C and bake the pizza again for around 15 minutes or until the cheese has melted nicely. Toss on some fresh rocket or baby spinach, slice into wedges if you intend to share, and serve!

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Categories Non-fiction South Africa

Tags Catherine Speedie Jacana Media Recipes The Banting Baker