The Most Generous Veg of All

Zucchini. I told you that I have a whole post for it. Isn’t it funny that the veggie I dreaded most awfully when I was a child is now one that I crave all year? I used to gag over it, back when my mom cooked it in rounds dredged in flour and fried in butter. In fact, back then I thought the only palatable way to prepare it was in something baked, like cake or bread. Sure, that is a very delicious preparation, but not the best.

My favorite way to eat it is a simple sauté in olive oil with sweet onion, pepper slices and a dash of Nature’s Seasons. I eat that nearly every day for lunch, because you know, with zucchini you have to eat it every day! Even then, I can’t keep up with the generosity of the plants. So here is what I did with one really large squash:

Yup, that is pizza. I got to thinking one day of a way to replace the crust on traditional pizza, since that is really the worst part of the pizza anyway, health wise. I have made quiche with zucchini in the crust, so it was only an experiment away from this dish. In this photo, you can see rounds of yellow summer squash in the corner, which works just as well. My children struggle to eat squash, but they give this a thumbs up, and you can’t get more picky critics than children.

Here is what you do:

• 4 cups of zucchini or summer squash, shredded or sliced thin, then gently tossed with
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
• pinch of black pepper
• 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 cup flour (I use low carb options, such as almond meal or flax meal. You just need something to hold it together when you serve it.)

Butter a large oven proof frying pan or a cookie sheet and spread the zucchini  mixture onto it. Sometimes I start the cooking process on the stove top to give the crust more of a crust, if you get what I mean, but you can do this totally in the oven. Just use the bottom rack. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes.

Remove from the oven and layer on just a smear of pizza sauce, cheese, pepperoni… whatever makes you happy on pizza. In the photo I used bacon because I happened to have some already fried. You could use Ranch dressing, chicken and cheddar or tomatoes and fresh mozzarella with basil leaves. I kind of go with whatever happens to be floating in the fridge.

Return to the oven for another 10 minutes until the toppings are all hot and melty. Enjoy your zucchini  pizza! If you don’t tell the family, they might not even notice. 😉