Gluten Free Crunchy Quinoa Thin Crust Pizza Base

Pizza is ideally considered as a junk food considering the ingredients that go into its making. However, modern day homemakers know exactly how to work around the ingredients and still enjoy this Italian hot favorite without compromising on the taste or the crunch. Today's pizza base is a good news for all who crave for a pizza but are either too lazy to knead the dough (like me) or too concsious about the calories (again like me). I am head-over-heels in love with Quinoa and today I got a little more crazy about this wonder grain. It is the simplest pizza base you would have ever made!! Trust me!

Ingredients

3/4 cup quinoa

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp oregano

1 tsp basil

1 tsp parsley (you can use any spice mix as per your taste)

1 tsp garlic powder

Salt and pepper to taste (be careful while adding salt as the pizza sauce will also have some in it)

Direction

Wash and rinse the quinoa thoroughly 3-4 times. This is important to have a bitterless base as quinoa can sometimes turn quite bitter. Now soak the quinoa in sufficient water either overnight or at least for 5-6 hours. I soaked it in the morning for preparing in the night. 

Now again wash and rinse the soaked quinoa 3-4 times and drain the water. Transfer the quinoa into a grinder and add all other ingredients. Grind to a smooth paste and add water only as required to get it smooth. Excess water might prove difficult to get a crunchy base. 

Pre-heat the oven at 200 degree celsius on toast mode (both rods). Line a pizza pan with parchment paper and gently spray cooking oil or grease it with your hands. Now pour the batter into the prepared plate and spread out evenly to cover the entire plate. The more thinly you spread the thinner base you will get and more crunchier. However take care not to leave any gaps in between. The batter consistency will be the same as South Indian Vada batter. 

Bake in the pre-heated oven for 10-15 minutes till crunchy and golden on top. Remove from oven. You should be able to see that it is starting to curl up from the sides. Now carefully flip it without breaking and bake for another 5-10 minutes on the other side. If you feel that the base is still quite soft at the time of flipping, bake for another 5 minutes till firm and then flip. Also, adjust the temperature of the oven if you see quick browning. 

Once you pizza base is ready and baked on both the sides, spread your favorite pizza sauce and toppings as desired and bake in the oven for another 5-10 minutes till the cheese starts melting or toppings are done. Enjoy your yummy healthy pizza!

Gluten Free Flourless Delicious Quinoa Chocolate Cupcakes

Quinoa is ruling my mind and my kitchen these days. I am loving every bit of it and thoroughly enjoying my experiments with this wonder grain. After a very Indian Breakfast staple dish, Upma, and a western Veggie Bake, it's time for something sweet. What better than a cup cake to enjoy your tea/coffee with and in fact, as a dessert too with some ice cream! As I write this post, my cupcakes are already over and I am looking forward to making them soon again. 

                                 

Ingredients (Makes 8 Cupcakes)

1 cup cooked quinoa

3 tbsp butter softened (you can reduce it to 2 1/2)

2 tbsp oil (I used olive oil)

2 eggs

1/2 cup cocoa powder

3/4 cup brown sugar (add more if you like it more sweet; I like it a bit bitter sweet)

2 tbsp milk

1 tsp vanila essence

1/4 tsp baking soda

3/4 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt (skip if using salted butter)

Direction

Cook 3/4 cup quinoa in 1 1/2 cup boiling water on a medium flame till all the water is absorbed and the quinoa is transparent with a whitish tail. Cool the quinoa. Measure out 1 cup and keep aside. You can keep leftover quinoa in the refrigerator, covered, for later use. 

In a bowl, beat the eggs, milk, softened butter, and oil till smooth and creamy. Add the sugar and beat further. Now add the cooked and cooled quinoa and mix. Add the essence, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, salt (if using) and beat further. 

Pre heat the oven at 180 degree celsius. Now line a muffin tray with 8 paper liners and spoon out the batter upto 3/4 level of each cup. Bake in the pre heated oven for 20-25 minutes until a toothpick inserted comes out clean and the cupcakes look set. Cool on wire rack and store in air tight container, either at room temperature or in the refrigerator.

                                     

                                     

Pistachio Almond Biscuit Cake

The credit for my love for baking goes to Facebook to a great extent. The food forums that I have joined there puts forth such interesting and exciting recipes that even a non-baker would be eager to give it a try. Today's recipe is a part of one of these forum's Masterchef Monday. The original recipe was a date and walnut cake (with 80 gms date and 120 gms walnut). However, I do not have a great liking for both and so decided to alter these ingredients with almond and pistachios. I had a pack of cream crackers lying on the shelf from time immemorial and I was so glad I could use it now. This recipe is definitely a keeper and once you make the basic one, you are sure to come up with some more interesting variations. I already have a few ideas floating on my mind. The best part is this cake is butter free as well as flourless. So you won't be going on a guilt trip after you finish off two or three slices at one go, or may be more! So now enjoy your afternoon tea.

Ingredients

10-12 cream cracker/ marie biscuits (approx 50 gms)

3 large eggs, separated

3/4 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup pistachios, ground to a coarse powder

1/4 cup ground almonds (soak the almonds and then peel off the skin and let them dry completely before grinding)

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp vanilla essence

A pinch of cream of tartar (optional)

A pinch of salt (I did not add as my crackers were already salted)

A handful of almond silvers

Direction

In a food processor or grinder, put the biscuits and the sugar and pulse till the biscuits are of a gritty texture (coarse to fine). Now add the ground nuts and pulse 2-3 times. Keep aside. In a bowl, beat the egg whites with a pinch of cream of tartar. You need not bring it to a stiff peaky state, if you are using your hands. However, you can do so if using a electric beater. Both ways the cake will have almost the same effect. Now beat the egg yolks, vanilla essence, and baking powder. Add the biscuit mixture and mix well. It will be like wet sand. Finally, fold in the egg whites gently without over mixing. Garnish the top with a few almond silvers. 

Pre-heat the oven at 180 degree celsius. Line a 8" baking dish with parchment paper and pour the batter onto the dish. Tap the bottom and bake in the pre heated oven for 20 minutes until toothpick inserted comes out clean. Take out from oven and let it cool on the dish for 5 minutes. Before transferring to a wire rack, pull out the sheet and cool completely.