Zucchini Pizza Crust

Disclaimer: A lot of people like to make crusts out of veggies so as to cut down on carbs. This recipe is not carbohydrate free!! I use a rice flour because it helps with the consistency of this crust. You can skip the flour if you are looking for a low carb option, but it will have an effect on the success of your crust.

Ingredients for the crust: 
2 cups grated zucchini
2 large eggs - beaten
1/2 cup rice flour (brown or white)
3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup parmesan or asiago cheese
1 tblsp of EVOO
A pinch of salt, pepper, basil, oregano, rosemary, marjoram - use a little of each, or just the ones you have around!

Method: 

1) Preheat oven to 400F

2) Oil your pan!

3) Rid the grated zucchini of some excess water. You can do this a few different ways but the simplest is with paper towels: lay the zucchini on a plate lined with paper towels and then cover with another. Press firmly into the zucchini to absorb the water. No need to do it more than once.


4) Add everything but the rice flour to a bowl and stir until all of the ingredients are evenly dispersed.

5) Add the flour and continue to mix.

6) Pour the mixture into your preferred baking vessel. This time around, I chose to use my shallow muffin tin to make slightly thicker, but smaller, crusts. You can use practically any metal baking vessel, as long as you grease it first and you don't allow the mixture to be thicker than 1/4 inch before baking. You could also use a regular cookie sheet and line it with parchment paper. The good news about this recipe is that you can accomplish it using what you already own!

7) Baking time will vary slightly based on the dish you use. For these smaller crusts it only took 15 minutes. If you are making one large crust on a metal pie plate expect 15-20 minutes. You will know that it is done when the edges begin to brown.

8) Take the crust out and allow to cool for 15-20 minutes. Add the toppings of your choice and place back in the oven at 300F and cook only as long as it takes to get the toppings where you want them- if you are using vegetables or garlic if is a good idea to sauté them first.

Here are some of the toppings that I like best:

Fresh mozzarella
Tomato sauce, pepperoni and fresh mozzarella
Fresh salsa with tomatoes, garlic, cilantro, red onion and lime juice 

 

Need another idea? 
These crusts are also delicious when topped with a simple balsamic drizzle.  Balsamic drizzle can be easily made by combining one cup of balsamic vinegar with 2 tablespoons of brown sugar. Bring it to a boil over medium high heat and then reduce the heat and let it continue to reduce by about half. This should take about 10 minutes. It is also good to use on any cut of red meat!

How about this? 
You can easily turn this crust recipe into a "zucchini bite" by keeping the water in the zucchini and then using the mixture in a mini muffin tin,  a regular muffin tin, or in a tortilla bowl tin, as pictured below. Using different shapes can create a fun effect and offers different surface areas for other toppings.