Pizza, Part III

I meant to follow the pizza cheese post with a post for homemade pizza sauce and some other info, and I got side-tracked (easy to do in this house!).

I originally got this from my brother. I've fiddled with it a little, and he's fiddled with it a little, so now our recipes look different! Making your own pizza sauce is so incredibly easy, assuming you have a blender (and honestly, is there anyone who doesn't have a blender???) and a few simple ingredients.

Pizza Sauce

2 (15 oz) cans diced tomatoes, DRAINED (reserve a little juice)
1 (6 oz) can tomato paste
1 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1/4 to 1/2 tsp black pepper (or red pepper flakes if you want it a little spicy)
Garlic powder
Onion Powder
Oregano
Basil
Thyme
Marjarom
Anything else you like in your sauce....

The above mentioned herbs are only suggestions. Experiement with your favorites and come up with something you like!

In a blender, combine the diced tomatoes (NO juice), tomato paste, sugar, salt, pepper, and a health dose of onion powder, garlic powder, and any herbs you like. I pretty much stick to oregano, basil, thyme, and a little marjarom. Put the lid on the blender and blend on the highest setting for 2 or 3 minutes. You want to make sure it's completely pureed. Pause to scrape down sides occasionally, if needed. If it's too thick for you, add a couple tablespoons of the reserved juice off the canned tomatoes until it's the consistency you like. I like my pizza sauce thick. My brother likes it a bit thinner. Taste it and adjust any seasonings until it's how you like it. Yield: Approximately 2-3 cups sauce (I've never measured!)...enough for 5 or 6 pizzas.

Now...about pizza toppings.

All the veggie and fruit toppings should be completely fine. They're definitely fine assuming you use the fresh fruit or the fresh vegetable. Double check any processed fruit or veggie to make sure it's MSPI safe. Where you have to be concerned with pizza toppings is the MEAT. You got it... the meat!!! I didn't know until I started reading labels that many manufacturer's use either whey or fermented whey, or a derivative of whey or lactose. This can make or break your pizza. Read ALL meat ingredients (sausage, pepperoni, ham, canadian bacon, etc.) carefully to ensure you're choosing one that's MSPI safe. Pile on the toppings, pile on the Daiya cheese, and you're set!

What About Pizza Cheese?

The big question when making pizza for those with MSPI is what to do about the cheese. Some prefer to leave the cheese off completely and just do tomato sauce with various classic pizza toppings. Others use cheese substitutes with varying degrees of success (not all dairy free cheese is created equal). My family uses a fabulous dairy- and soy-free cheese substitute. You must read labels carefully, as many dairy-free cheeses have a soy base, and a popular rice cheese (which appears dairy-free) has casein, a milk protein. Another issue is the melt. Many dairy-free cheeses are a bit 'plastic' and don't melt very well. Luckily, I knew about Daiya Vegan Cheese Shreds, and we love them! Daiya cheese melts and strings like dairy cheese, without the dairy. It doesn't taste exactly like dairy cheese, but it tastes similar, and is one of the best on the market that we've found. Daiya isn't available everywhere yet, but they are constantly expanding. Check out their website to see if a store near you carries their product!