March 2010 Monthly Challenge.."anything except dough"

[Irish Daveyboy]

Hi All,
I was invited to host this months challenge.

Your criteria is to create a pizza 'WITHOUT DOUGH' any other medium is exceptable.

So lets see how creative you are ?

Suggested mediums are:

Potato

Pasta

Vegetable

Rice

Ground Nuts/Seeds


Here's an example of a Rice Crust Type Pizza.


Best Regards,
David H

[DKM]

I like this one.

[Bill/SFNM]

This was a hard one since pizza for me is always about the dough. So this isn't a pizza. Not sure what to call it, but it is a Southeast Asian something.

The crust is made from sticks of sweet potato that have been soaked in slaked lime (calcium hydroxide). A batter/binder was made from rice flour and tapioca flour and combined with the sweet potato sticks. The mixture was poured into hot peanut oil and fried into a disk until golden. Topped with:
- shrimp
- fresh mint
- toasted peanuts
- cilantro
- red onion

drizzled with sauce of:
- lime juice
- fish sauce
- sugar
- garlic

Eaten wrapped in a lettuce leaf. NOT pizza but a great combination of flavors, textures, and temperatures.

[Irish Daveyboy]

This was a hard one since pizza for me is always about the dough. So this isn't a pizza. Not sure what to call it, but it is a Southeast Asian something.

The crust is made from sticks of sweet potato that have been soaked in slaked lime (calcium hydroxide). A batter/binder was made from rice flour and tapioca flour and combined with the sweet potato sticks. The mixture was poured into hot peanut oil and fried into a disk until golden. Topped with:
- shrimp
- fresh mint
- toasted peanuts
- cilantro
- red onion

drizzled with sauce of:
- lime juice
- fish sauce
- sugar
- garlic

NOT pizza but a great combination of flavors, textures, and temperatures.

Hi Bill,
It looks really tasty and I would have no problem sampling it.

I've looked on the Internet and found Bases (crusts) made with sliced Zuchinni in a 9" cake tin and one made with ground Almonds, seeds egg and cheese and then baked.

Best Regards,
David

[norma427]

Rainy Day Breakfast

This challenge was interesting to me.  I decided to do a pizza crust with potato starch and tapioca flour with added Betty Crocker Seasoned Skillet Hash Browns.  Since the Hash Browns have added onion, I thought that would add to the taste of the crust.  I could have grated my own potatoes, but have used these Betty Crocker Seasoned Skillet Hash Browns for breakfast many times and like them.

The ingredients I used were:

1/3 cup Tapioca Flour
1 cup Potato Starch
1/4 tsp. Baking Powder
1/4 cup milk ( I added ½ tsp. Baking Soda and ½ tsp. Apple Cider Vinegar to the milk) this makes the mixture foam and creates something like buttermilk
½ tsp. IDY
½ tsp. Sea Salt
1 egg beaten well
½ cup water
1 package of Betty Crocker Seasoned Skillet Hash Browns

I mix the crust together and refrigerated it overnight.  When I checked on the mixture in the morning it was hard. I guess the potatoes absorbed the water. I then added another ½ cup warm water.  This seems to make the mixture better.

Aluminum foil was first put on the pan with olive oil The crust has some extra olive oil drizzled on before baking and then was baked without the topping until it was almost finished.  It was then dressed with red caramelized onions, eggs scrambled, bacon, cooked sausage links, White American Cheese, Parmesan cheese Asiago Cheese and a drizzles Texas Pete’s Buffalo Style Chicken Wing Barbecue Sauce mixed with butter.  A few pieces of Italian Parsley were used for the garnished.

Norma

[norma427]

rest of pictures..sorry I posted the pictures in the wrong order.  The last picture was before the pie was baked.

Norma

[Pete-zza]

Norma,

Your breakfast "pizza" looks mighty tasty. How did you like it?

I wondered whether your pizza was entirely gluten-free, especially since you used some ingredients like tapioca flour and potato starch. I believe that most baking powders are now gluten-free, including the Calumet's. However, when I looked at the ingredients list for the Betty Crocker Seasoned Skillet Hash Browns, at http://www.generalmills.com/corporate/brands/product_image.aspx?catID=23343&itemID=3647, I see that there is some wheat flour in the product. Of course, that is easily remedied if one wants to avoid the wheat flour, as by grating your own potatoes, etc., as you mentioned. A latkes "base", but without using any wheat flour to make the latkes, would also make a very nice breakfast dish with the eggs and other toppings you used.

Peter

[norma427]

Peter,

The pizza was tasty..just the edges of the crust was baked a little to long.  The bottom of the crust did have crunch.  No, I don't think my pizza was entirely gluten-free, because I also looked at the ingredients on the Betty Crocker Skillet Hash Browns and saw there was wheat flour in them.  If I would have made the potatoes by grating them myself, I guess the pizza would have been gluten-free.  I never tried any latkes, so I really don't know they taste.  Maybe the latkes is something I will have to look into to. 
Was this challenge supposed to be all gluten-free? 

Norma

[Pete-zza]

Was this challenge supposed to be all gluten-free? 

Norma,

Since nothing was said on this point, I would have to say that the answer is no. However, since Irish Daveyboy is hosting the Challenge this month, I thought that if I were to participate in this Challenge, I would try to come up with something that is completely gluten-free that those with celiac disease might possibly enjoy. I have thought a lot about this month's Challenge, as I do with the other Challenges, and it is a tough one.

Peter

[Irish Daveyboy]

Peter,

The pizza was tasty..just the edges of the crust was baked a little to long.  The bottom of the crust did have crunch.  No, I don't think my pizza was entirely gluten-free, because I also looked at the ingredients on the Betty Crocker Skillet Hash Browns and saw there was wheat flour in them.  If I would have made the potatoes by grating them myself, I guess the pizza would have been gluten-free.  I never tried any latkes, so I really don't know they taste.  Maybe the latkes is something I will have to look into to. 
Was this challenge supposed to be all gluten-free? 

Norma

Norma,
Well done, It looks good and I imagine it also tastes good.
On the point of being Gluten Free, as I'm a Coeliac I'd think that leaving out the hash brown would help,
I'd have reservations about the sausages (Breakfast links) as they probably would contain breadcrumbs or rusk.

Well done.

Best Regards,
David

[Irish Daveyboy]

Norma,

Since nothing was said on this point, I would have to say that the answer is no. However, since Irish Daveyboy is hosting the Challenge this month, I thought that if I were to participate in this Challenge, I would try to come up with something that is completely gluten-free that those with celiac disease might possibly enjoy. I have thought a lot about this month's Challenge, as I do with the other Challenges, and it is a tough one.

Peter

Hi Peter,
No it wasn't designed to be a Gluten Free Challenge.

I just thought it would be interesting to see how seasoned pizza makers
would cope without a dough crust.

Best Regards,
David

[norma427]

David,

Thanks for saying the pie looks good.  I was also thinking about how to go about making a gluten-free pie and the choices are a lot more limited, in my opinion.  I am sure since you know much more about this being Coeliac, you are the best person to advise on what might have ingredients in that can’t be used.  As I said I had thought about using raw potatoes and grating them, but decided to go the easy way.  I never even thought about sausage having breadcrumbs in them.  I went the easy way with the sausage, also.  I used Banquet Turkey Brown’N Serve Sausage.  I just looked on the box and I can’t see that any breadcrumbs are used.  The ingredients say turkey, water, soy protein, citric acid, corn syrup, dextrose, natural flavorings, salt, soy lecithin, spices, sugar.  Are any of this ingredients something you can’t eat?
Since you have said it wasn’t meant to be a Gluten-Free Challenge I now have something else in mind to try.

Thanks,

Norma

Peter,

I have an idea for you.  Maybe it isn’t something you want to try, but I have made Mexican Potato Pancakes and they use fresh grated potatoes, salt, pepper, hot pepper sauce, onions, eggs, jalapenos and you could use one of the flours that people that are Coeliac can use.

Norma

[Pete-zza]

Peter,

I have an idea for you.  Maybe it isn’t something you want to try, but I have made Mexican Potato Pancakes and they use fresh grated potatoes, salt, pepper, hot pepper sauce, onions, eggs, jalapenos and you could use one of the flours that people that are Coeliac can use.

Norma,

Thank you for the idea. Because of David, Canadave and others, I have been looking for the types of gluten-free ingredients that they have mentioned and used but, where I am, there are very few of them sold in the supermarkets. I will have to await my next trip into Dallas to see whether the stores there carry such items.

Peter

[Irish Daveyboy]

David,

I never even thought about sausage having breadcrumbs in them.  I went the easy way with the sausage, also.  I used Banquet Turkey Brown’N Serve Sausage.  I just looked on the box and I can’t see that any breadcrumbs are used.  The ingredients say turkey, water, soy protein, citric acid, corn syrup, dextrose, natural flavorings, salt, soy lecithin, spices, sugar.  Are any of this ingredients something you can’t eat?
Since you have said it wasn’t meant to be a Gluten-Free Challenge I now have something else in mind to try.

Thanks,

Norma

Hi Norma,
sometimes spices have a flour added to keeping them free-flowing (thought not necessarily Wheat)
Also they could be produced on a line that produces gluten laden foods (breaded) and therfore could be Cross Contaminated with Gluten.

I presume you've looked at my Gluten Free Pizza Crust in the Gluten Free Section ?

Best Regards,
David

[Irish Daveyboy]

Norma,

Thank you for the idea. Because of David, Canadave and others, I have been looking for the types of gluten-free ingredients that they have mentioned and used but, where I am, there are very few of them sold in the supermarkets. I will have to await my next trip into Dallas to see whether the stores there carry such items.

Peter

Hi Peter,
These are the ingredients I use in my GF Pizza Crust.

1 sachet of dried yeast 7g or 2.25 tsp (bakery section of any supermarket)
100g of brown rice flour (Asian Food store)
70g of tapioca starch/flour  (Asian food store Cassava or Manioc)
2 Tbls of dried milk powder  (cadbury's Marvel)
2 tsp of xanthan gum (health food store or Asian market)
1/2 tsp of salt
1 tsp of dried gelatin powder (bakery section used to make homemade Jellies)
1 Tbls of mixed Italian herbs  (Supermarket McCormicks Herb stand)
160ml of warm water (105 deg) (Think baby's bottle on back of wrist)
1/2 tsp of caster sugar/superfine
1 tsp of olive oil
1 tsp of apple cider/red wine vinegar (Supermarket)

Not all that hard to find if you have the stores closeby.

Best Regards,
David

[norma427]

David,

Your formula and pie look fantastic.    I couldn’t imagine what it would be like to have to look at all the ingredients to make sure a grocery item doesn’t contain something I couldn’t eat.  Looks like you are doing a great job in making your own food. 
When I was at our local Country Store yesterday, I saw they have two aisles full of all kinds of Gluten-Free items.  The one item that interested me the most was the Gluten-Free pizza crust by Bob’s Red Mill.  Did you ever try that mix to see how the pizza tastes?  http://www.bobsredmill.com/gf_pizza-crust-mix.html  The mix in our local Country Store was 3.49 for a one crust mix.

I also know the owner of that store and she showed me the many frozen items in their freezers.  I couldn’t believe how expensive those items were, but she told me many people buy them.  I think I would try to make my own food items.

Norma

[ERASMO]

Bill
Can you tell me more about the soaked sweet pot.  What does that soaking do to them.  My wife and I really like sweet potato french fries but can never figure out the trick to getting them crispy.
Thanks

[norma427]

Second submission for this months challenge.

Funnel Cake Pizza with Dried Apples and Ice Cream

With an origin dating back to Germany in 1879, sweet funnel cakes have not only stood the test of time, but have also evolved into the fun finger food that we still crave today: Doughnuts, Fritters and Funnel Cakes. Appropriately named, funnel cakes have a donut-like taste and texture, but have been drizzled into hot oil with a funnel to create a lacy shape that's easily pulled apart and devoured. Once you discover how easy it is to make a batch on your own, funnel cake may just become your dessert and snack or pizza recipe

The funnel cake pizza I made is not gluten-free, but here are some recipes for gluten-free funnel cakes.

http://allergyfreedelights.com/funnel-cakes-for-new-years-eve/

http://www.recipezaar.com/Gluten-Free-Funnel-Cake-187546

I think the dressings for this Funnel Cake Pizza would be okay for people that can’t eat wheat, but am not sure. 

I used a funnel cake mix, added 1 egg, and 1 cup of water.  Put batter into a funnel, drizzled in and then deep-fried.

The Funnel Cake Pizza was dressed with powdered sugar, vanilla ice cream, dried apples which were cooked and then these ingredients were added: (sugar, juice of ½ lemon, cinnamon, and dash of salt) After mixing this, the mixture was put back on the stove with added corn starch to thicken the mixture.

I like the nice and airy crumb, always! 

Norma

[Aldo]

Norma, thank you!  You bring a smile to my face seeing your latest post -- and always you bring a good word!  Many happy posts ahead!

[norma427]

Norma, thank you!  You bring a smile to my face seeing your latest post -- and always you bring a good word!  Many happy posts ahead!

Aldo,

Thanks for the kind words.    My guess is you like funnel cakes. 

Many posts ahead for you, also 

Norma