Pizza is one of those comfort foods that I love. It makes me think of the weekends, family, friends and good thoughts. I also like to play with traditional pizza flavors and mix them up a bit. I had this idea for a Mexican inspired pizza with a grain free plantain crust! You get the hominess and comfort of pizza but with a fiesta of flavors!
Yay, it’s the weekend! Yay it’s still summer! Yay it’s Mexican pizza time. When I am having friends over on the weekends and planning the dinner I like to do something seasonalish. Is that a word? Two of the most popular favs when it comes to food is Mexican and of course pizza. I really enjoy Mexican in the summer, sitting outside sipping on big ol’ glass of an ice-cold margarita! With a salt rim of course. But…I still love a pizza on the weekends, it’s a nostalgia, soul-food, comforting pizza hug. So, the Mexican style pizza was born!! You get the Mexican flavors, but in pizza form. Check and check for the perfect al fresco weekend dining! This is also a light and bright bite, with chili lime shrimp! So, it’s basically guilt free, which means you can have that second…or third marg! It’s the weekend, go nuts!
I also have the perfect summer margarita recipe for you while you eat your Mexican pizza!! I actually saw this on the Kitchen not too long ago and I was sold! It’s a watermelon margarita with chili salt rim. Salty, sweet, heat, all my favorite things! Plus, you need to soak up all the summer that you can here in Chicago, it will soon be cold and our watermelon days are numbered! So, eat up, or rather drink up your watermelon!
Back to this Paco, Mixa, or how about just damn good pizza! I have made plantain tortillas before and plantain enchiladas with great success. So, I thought how about a plantain crust for a new way to enjoy a gluten and grain free pizza crust! Then top the crust off with Mexican and taco flavors. Yum!
Chili spiced shrimp! On top of a roasted garlic chipotle sauce. So good!
Avo crema. Diary free made with coconut yogurt. Mmm, creamy!
Super simple, delicious and nutritious way to enjoy your weekend pizza (don’t forget the watermelon margarita, seriously). Heck, have it for tacoish Tuesday if you wish! Perfect for the weekend but a healthy addition to your weeknight rotation as well. You are so versatile taco pizza, I love you.
XoXo
Diane
- For the Crust:
- 1 green plantain
- 1 large egg
- ⅓ cup arrowroot starch plus more for dusting
- 3 to 4 tbsp. of cassava flour
- ½ tsp. salt
- ½ tsp. garlic powder
- ½ tsp. onion powder
- For the Sauce:
- 7oz. can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
- 1 head of garlic
- ½ cup lite coconut milk from the can
- 1 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
- 1 to 2 tbsp. of honey
- ¼ tsp. of cumin
- ½ tsp. onion powder
- Salt to taste
- For the Shrimp:
- ½ pound raw, peeled and deveined shrimp
- 1 lime
- 1 tbsp. chili powder
- ½ tsp. garlic powder
- ½ tsp. onion powder
- ¼ to ½ tsp. cayenne pepper
- ¼ tsp. of cumin
- ½ tsp. of salt
- For the Avocado Crema:
- 1 ripe avocado
- 1 lime
- 1 to 2 tbsp. honey or coconut nectar
- 1 tbsp. of apple cider vinegar
- 1 5.3 oz. container (I used half) of natural coconut yogurt (I use Coyo)
- 1 tsp. garlic powder
- ½ tsp. onion powder
- Salt to taste
- Toppings:
- Arugula micro greens or cilantro
- Red onion diced (dice as much as you like)
- 1 jalapeno thinly sliced
- Hot sauce (I use yellowbird jalapeno condiment)
- Make the Avocado Crema:
- In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the s-blade, scrape the whole avocado in the bowl with the yogurt and the juice of the lime. Add all of your other ingredients and blend until smooth and creamy. Taste to see if you need more salt or honey. Store in air-tight container in the fridge while you prepare the other ingredients. This can also be made a day in advance.
- Adobo Sauce:
- Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Chop the top off the head of garlic, place in a square of tin-foil, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Loosely wrap the foil up around the garlic head. Roast for 45 to 55 minutes. Allow to cool some so you can touch.
- Once cool enough to touch, squeeze roasted garlic into small bowl, remove any of the paper skins.
- In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the s-blade place three adobo chilis and 3 to 4 tablespoons of the sauce into the processor. Add the roasted garlic and pulse a few times to combine. Add the rest of the sauce ingredients and combine until smooth. Taste and adjust salt. Strain into a bowl. Cover and store in the fridge while you prepare the other ingredients. This can be done a day or two ahead of time.
- For the Crust:
- In a medium saucepan bring salted water to a boil.
- Cut the ends off the plantains and cut into pieces. Place the pieces of plantain into the boiling water and boil for 30 minutes.
- Place the dry ingredients in a medium bowl and whisk to combine. Set aside.
- Strain and rinse with cold water and remove the peel. Run more cold water over the plantains to cool.
- Pre-heat the oven to 475 with pizza stone or pan in the oven.
- Break egg and whisk. Put cooled plantains in a food processor fitted with s-blade. Pulse a few times to start the dough and let any steam release.
- Add the egg and process together until smooth but stop before the dough starts pulling away from the sides of the bowl.
- Add the dry ingredients to the food processor and pulse until a dough ball forms.
- Dust a piece of parchment paper and your hands with the arrowroot starch. Kneed the dough a couple times. Should not stick to your hands. Do not over work.
- Place another piece of parchment paper over the dough and roll out to around 10 to 12 inches in diameter.
- Brush top of dough with avocado oil or olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt.
- Carefully place dough with parchment paper on the pre-heated pizza pan and bake on the middle rack for 10 to 12 minutes. While crust is baking start the shrimp.
- For the Shrimp:
- Add all the spices together in a small bowl. Place the shrimp in a medium bowl and lightly spray with olive or avocado oil. Squeeze lime juice over shrimp, sprinkle the season mix over and stir to combine to make sure all the shrimp is coated.
- In a medium skillet over medium heat, spray with olive oil. Add the shrimp and cook about 2 to 3 minutes depending on size until they start turning pink. Flip and cook an additional 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from pan set on plate.
- Assemble the Pizza:
- Carefully remove the pizza crust from the oven. Spoon the sauce over the crust and evenly spread out with off-set spatula or knife. Place pizza back in oven for an additional 10 to 12 minutes, watch the crust, careful not to over brown.
- Add the shrimp to the top of the pizza and warm for an additional 2 to 3 minutes under the broiler, watch carefully.
- Remove pizza from the oven and add your toppings, and drizzle the avocado crema over the top, either in piping bag or zip lock bag with the corner snipped off. Top with your greens and dot with the hot sauce.
- Dig in!
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