Portabello Pizza

Since changing our diet a few months ago, Christopher and I have had to get pretty creative with our meals.  In January, after doing some research on the causes of inflammation and disease, Christopher dove head-first into the Paleolithic diet--which is, in a nutshell, grain-free, dairy-free & sugar-free.  I, on the other hand, chose to participate only in part, at first--what I called "Half-Paleo"--but now I'm all in, eating just like a caveman.

This "pizza" recipe is a creative way of getting around the two "essential" ingredients of crust and cheese.  The crust?  A portabello mushroom.  The cheese?  Well, there is none.  But what it lacks in cheese, it makes up for in delicious meats and veggies.


Portabello Pizza
(serves 2-4 people, depending)

4 large portabello mushrooms
4 oz. no-sugar (or low-sugar) marinara sauce
1 red bell pepper
1 onion
6 oz. lean Sausage
6 oz. Turkey Pepperoni (or any other pepperoni with no additives)
1 handful of Basil leaves (chopped)
2 cloves Garlic (minced)
1 handful of Spinach
Pepper

Directions: Remove stems from mushrooms (save for other use).  With a spoon, scrape out the underside of the mushroom caps to remove the "ribs" (black scales).  Saute the Sausage until nearly-cooked and remove from the pan.  Saute the onions and red pepper until desired.  On a greased baking sheet, lay out the portabello "crusts" with undersides facing upwards.  Spread with marinara sauce.  Top the mushroom "crust" with the rest of the ingredients.  Add any other topping or herbs you'd like.  Bake at 350• for 15-18 minutes.


I mean, seriously.  I know that's not the best photo I could have taken (we were hungry!) but look at how stacked those things are.  They're falling apart all over the place.  It's definitely a fork-and-knife type of dish, not finger food.  But whoa.  Yum!