Squeezing in one last recipe for 2015!
What a great year it has been. Even though I didn't start this website until May of 2015, I still managed to bring you 48 (yes, FORTY EIGHT) recipes this year. Oh man! Since I started off this blog with my BBQ Chicken Pizza with Cauliflower Crust, it seemed fitting to close out the year with another cauliflower crust pizza.
Recently, I figured out the sad truth that I'm allergic to nightshade vegetables. What is a nightshade? It is a plant family (Solanaceae) including tomatoes, peppers (bell pepper, chili peppers, tomatillos, cayenne, etc), white potatoes, eggplant and goji berries. The term “nightshade” may have been coined because some of these plants prefer to grow in shady areas, and some flower at night.
I've narrowed it down that when I eat tomatoes and peppers (two of my most favorite things) my face begins to itch where my psoriasis is located and I begin to turn red. I'm not 100% sure this is what causes that, but there is a strong correlation and I don't want to chance it by continuing to eat them.
That being said, eating traditional pizza presents a dilemma. The base of most pizzas, after all, is tomato sauce.
My mom recently saw a jar of Spinach Artichoke Pizza Sauce in Williams-Sonoma. I loved the idea of using that as the base of my pizza! So yes - this isn't an original idea to use spinach and artichoke as the pizza sauce - gasp!
My mom always used to make (and still does) her spinach artichoke dip using canned artichokes, spinach, Miracle Whip and Kraft Parmesan Cheese. I tweaked this formula just a bit and made my spinach artichoke base using garlic, spinach, artichokes, nonfat Greek yogurt and freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Seriously, you could eat this stuff by the spoonful.
I spread that all over the top of my perfected Cauliflower Crust and finished things off with some turkey bacon and fresh mozzarella. The result is a super creamy pizza that tastes so decadent but is much better for you than eating traditional spinach artichoke dip, which can be loaded with fat. If you loved my BBQ Chicken Pizza then you must try this Spinach Artichoke Pizza today!
Spinach Artichoke Pizza
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 15-25 minutes
Servings: 4 slices
Ingredients:
- 1 Cauliflower Crust (see this post on how to make!)
- 1/2 tbsp grass-fed butter
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 5 oz baby spinach, roughly 4.5 cups or one small package of spinach
- 1/2 cup artichokes hearts, chopped (75 g)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup nonfat Greek yogurt (2 oz)
- 1/4 cup shaved Parmesan cheese (1 oz)
- 1.5 oz fresh mozzarella
- 2 slices turkey bacon, cooked and chopped into small pieces
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 450°F. Prepare Cauliflower Crust per instructions, baking at 450°F for 10-15 minutes, until golden brown.
- While Cauliflower Crust is baking, melt butter in a nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add garlic and brown for 1 minute. Next, add baby spinach and salt and allow to wilt, about 2-3 minutes. Once wilted add the artichoke hearts, stir to combine and cook for 1 minute to warm through.
- Transfer spinach and artichokes to a mixing bowl, along with the Greek yogurt and Parmesan cheese. Mix until well incorporated.
- Once the Cauliflower Crust has finished baking, spread spinach artichoke mixture evenly over top the crust. Finish with a sprinkle of the turkey bacon and slices of fresh mozzarella. Bake at 450°F for 5-10 minutes, until cheese has melted. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes before slicing.
Nutritional Information (1 slice, 4 total slices in pizza):
163 calories - 16 g Protein, 9 g Carbohydrates (3.8 g Fiber), 7 g Fat