Christine's Low-Carb Parmesan Italian Pizza

Leave it to my wife with Italian ancestors to come up with this

Earlier this week I shared with you about some fantastic new low-carb breads from Francis Simun Bakery. These breads inspired both my wife Christine (who you will recall she started low-carb for the first time one month ago and is doing FANTASTIC!) and I to come up with our own special low-carb recipes to enjoy!

My recipe for Chocolate-Covered Low-Carb Bagels was a big hit the other day, but I think what Christine came up with may just surpass it. Using the low-carb tortillas from Francis Simun Bakery, she made that delicious pizza you see at the top of the post. Even without any tomato sauce whatsoever, this pizza looks, smells, and tastes out of this world!

CHRISTINE'S LOW-CARB PARMESAN ITALIAN PIZZA

1 Francis Simun Bakery Low-Carb Tortilla or Pizza Crust (depending on your size preference)
2 Tbsp Zesty Italian Dressing
Parmesan Cheese (to taste)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Pull frozen tortilla or pizza crust from freezer and place on baking sheet. With a spoon, measure out dressing and spread evenly to coat the entire pizza crust. Sprinkle as much of the Parmesan cheese that you desire for your pizza.

Bake in oven for 20 minutes (the aroma will have you salivating like a savage beast!) and then serve immediately. You won't have trouble doing that, though! :)

Carb counts and servings will vary based on the ingredients, but this gives you a nice low-carb alternative treat to pizza. ENJOY!

Bake Some Low-Carb Cheddar Walnut Crisps

This new recipe book features many low-carb recipes in it

One of the things that attracted me to start livin' la vida low-carb was the fact that you could eat full-fat versions of cheese as part of your weight loss program. When I heard about this for the first time, I thought, "Wow, I must have died and gone to dieting heaven!" Well, it's true, baby and I like to take full advantage of consuming my fair share of healthy and low-carb cheese.

But one of the unique things I have discovered about cheese is that it is so versatile and can be transformed into many different kinds of dishes than most people even think about. Just take a look at the low-carb recipe in this Toronto Star column. It's from a book entitled The 150 Best American Recipes: Indispensable Dishes From Legendary Chefs and Undiscovered Cooks which is edited in part by famous low-carb cookbook author Fran McCullough.

The recipe featured in the story is for cheese crisps. Using cheddar cheese, parmesan cheese and walnuts, they are a great-tasting low-carb snack for just about any occasion. You'll probably be making a lot of this one, I can tell already!

LOW-CARB CHEDDAR WALNUT CRISPS

1 cup old cheddar cheese, shredded
1-1/4 cups parmesan cheese, grated
1/2 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped
2 Tbsp finely chopped thyme leaves

1. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. Put cheeses in medium bowl. Mix lightly with fingers.

3. For first batch, drop cheese mixture by rounded teaspoonfuls on to baking sheet, leaving about 1 inch between each mound. Flatten with back of spoon. Sprinkle top of each cheese circle with bit of nuts and thyme.

4. Bake in center of preheated 400F oven for 5 minutes or until crisps bubble and edges are golden brown. Let stand 2 minutes. Using spatula, slide off paper on to rack to cool completely.

5. You'll have to wait until your baking sheet cools down before you make the next batch, or alternate between two baking sheets. Repeat with next batches, using cool baking sheet each time, until ingredients are used up.

Makes 58 crisps.