The great thing about this recipe is that you can make it with your kids. The bbq adds another layer of flavor to your pie, and it means you can be outside with the family while it cooks. The pesto has broccoli hidden in it for an extra helping of vitamins, minerals, and protein (yes, broccoli has protein—who knew?) Pizza is one of those great things that you can really personalize. Put whatever toppings on it that you like. We like to make individual sizes and even smaller ones for appetizers.
Pizza Crust
This is a great kid helper part of the meal.
This is made with quinoa (pronounced keen-wa) flour. Quinoa is 17 % protein and contains amino acids. It has a distinctive taste, but the pesto controls it. Due to high fat content, quinoa flour needs to be kept in the refrigerator or freezer as it can go rancid.
Flour mixture
1 ¼ c organic white rice flour
1 c organic quinoa flour
1 c organic tapioca flour
½ c organic garbanzo bean flour
I use a fork to mix the flours together.
Pizza dough
3 ½ c flour mixture
1 ½ t xanthan gum
1 egg
1 egg white
2 T rapid-rise yeast
1 c plus a little more warm water
3 T organic olive oil
1 T sugar
½ t salt
Heat your bbq to hot—remember pizza is baked at extremely high temperatures—leaving one burner area, or side if you’re using charcoal, at a medium temperature.
Fill a 1 cup measure with warm water. Add the yeast and sugar. In a large bowl, mix the flours and xanthan gum. Add the egg, egg white, olive oil and salt. Mix with a fork. Add yeast and water mixture. Add more flour or water as needed. It will be sticky, but it will hold together.
With oiled hands, place the dough on a greased cookie sheet and flatten it with your palms. Bake on the medium area of your bbq for 8-10 minutes with the lid closed.
Par-cooked pizza shells can be wrapped in parchment and frozen for later use.
Pesto
1 large bunch fresh organic basil (about 4 oz)
2 c organic broccoli florets
Large handful of raw organic macadamia nuts (or walnuts or pine nuts)
6 cloves organic garlic (or more or less depending on your preference)
Good handful of organic grated parmesan reggiano (omit if you need dairy free)
1c organic olive oil
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Remove leaves from stems of basil. Wash and dry (a salad spinner works best)
Steam the broccoli for about four minutes.
Place all ingredients except for oil in bowl of processor. Turn on the processor and begin to drizzle the olive oil into the basil mixture. You may not use all of the oil. Process until the pesto is the desired thickness. (You want your pesto to be the consistency of a paste to spread on your pizza crust.) Taste; adjust salt and pepper.
I use the leftovers as sandwich spread and dip.
Chicken
2 organic chicken breasts (you can use any part of the bird that you like, I’m just partial to breast meat)
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Organic olive oil
Wash and dry the chicken. (You don’t have to do this, it doesn’t make the chicken have any less salmonella; it’s just that I find raw chicken slimy and gross without this step!)
Season the chicken liberally with salt and pepper. Chicken breast can be bland, so really season it. Drizzle olive oil over the meat. Take a paper towel folded into a square and pour some olive oil on it. You’re going to place this in a pair of tongs and rub the medium heat area of your grill with it. Place the chicken on the grill and cook about four minutes on each side. The meat should be 160° when a meat thermometer is inserted into the thickest part of the breast. Remove from grill and let rest for about five minutes, then slice thinly across the grain.
Assembling the Pizza
Here’s another kid helper time.
Spread your pesto topping all over the crust, leaving about a 1 inch edge all around. Add your sliced, grilled chicken. Put the pizza back into the bbq and cook until the crust is golden and the toppings are hot, about 7 minutes.
Remove the pizza. I like to take a block of organic parmesan reggiano and a vegetable peeler and shave strips of cheese directly onto the hot pie. (Omit if you need dairy free.)
Cut, serve and enjoy!
by Kelly Polston
Author and Chef
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