Zucchini-Crusted Pizza

Everyone likes pizza, right? In my book, pizza ranks right up there with ice cream. Zucchini pizza is a little different than your typical soft and puffy crusted pizza. But some claim that is just as tasty. Try it and decide for yourself!

4-5 cups shredded zucchini

1/3 cup quinoa flour (all-purpose flour may be substituted)

1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/3 cup shredded cheese (pepper jack, mozzarella, cheddar - your choice)
2 eggs
1-3 finely diced jalapenos (if desired)
1 1/2 teaspoons herbs (oregano, thyme, rosemary, Italian seasoning)
1/2 teaspoon paprika
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 425F. Put a pizza stone in the oven to heat as it comes up to temp.
Squeeze as much moisture out of the zucchini as you can. Don't stress if there's still moisture left - if needed, a little more flour can be added. Mix in the remaining ingredients. Take pizza stone out of oven and cover with parchment paper. Spread zucchini mixture onto prepared pizza stone. Bake for 18-20 minutes until lightly brown. Remove from oven and top with your favorite pizza toppings. Return to oven until cheese is melted. I have found that allowing 5-10 minutes for the pizza to sit after removing from the oven makes cutting and serving the pizza much easier.

Some of our family's favorite pizza toppings include:

Sausage
Pepperoni
Bacon
Ham
Grilled Chicken

Onions
Peppers
Tomatoes
Mushrooms
Pineapple
Broccoli

And don't forget plenty of cheese! Enjoy!

Pumpkin Cranberry Spelt Muffins

In anticipation of a lot of guests in the next month or two, I've been baking a lot of muffins and tossing in them in the freezer. Pumpkin and cranberry are foods typically eaten in the autumn, but I found a bag of cranberries in the freezer and we have a lot of canned pumpkin on our shelves, so I went ahead with it. The muffins are moist, not overly sweet, and I received a thumbs-up from one of my sisters for flavor! 

2 cups spelt flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup pumpkin puree

2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries (leave whole or coarsely chop)

1/2 cup coconut oil (or oil of choice)

1/4 cup milk

1/4 cup molasses

1/2 cup honey

1 egg, lightly beaten

Combine flour, baking soda, spices, and salt in a medium mixing bowl. Combine remaining ingredients except for cranberries in a separate mixing bowl. Add wet ingredients to dry, mixing just until the dry ingredients are moist. Fold in cranberries. Do not overmix. Grease a 12-muffin tin or line with paper muffin cups. Fill muffin cups about 2/3-full with batter. Bake muffins in preheated 350° oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until nicely browned. Remove pumpkin muffins from tins to wire rack to cool. 

Makes 1 dozen