December 1, 2011

By The Slice

Most people get their pizza at the local pizza joint. Or from the pizza guy. Or from the pizza counter that offers up hearty pieces of pie by the slice.

I got mine in the mail.

A few months ago, the lovely couple Tom and Sue of GalloLea Organics sent me an email to ask if I wouldn’t mind trying their low-sodium pizza and new low-sodium pizza sauces. It was like asking me if I wanted chocolate for dinner for the rest of my life.

Obviously the answer was a resounding yes, and a few weeks later a little paper bag, that held big promises, arrived on my door.

Now, if you’ve been eating low-sodium for a while, you have already experienced the pain (and pangs) of pizza. If you buy it fast food style, one slice can cost you upwards of 800mg of sodium due to the dough, the sauce, and all the toppings.

Cheese, olives, sausage–it’s all so good, but also salty.

If a pizza craving hits, that means you have to make it all from scratch. Which is quite easy to do, especially if you have some yeast and time. And let’s face it, homemade pizza always tastes best. But sometimes you want it to be quick.

That’s where Tom and Sue come in.

That little paper bag they sent my way contained ready-to-go dough.

Just add oil and water and mix. Barely any rising or waiting necessary.

Then there were the sauces. Two kinds, in fact, for me to blindly test. One made from no-sodium organic canned tomatoes. One from fresh organic tomatoes. Or was it fresh organic tomatoes and organic canned tomatoes?

And then there was the fun of giving the pie some toppings.

I chose mushrooms with shredded carrots and zucchini (to give it a stringy, cheesy texture). Doesn’t it look like it is covered with cheddar cheese?

I topped that with some fresh, sliced jalapenos, cause I love spice. And of course, if I wanted to, I could have even made my own sausage from ground pork, chicken, or beef. Just saying.

After that, just a few minutes in the oven, and you’ve got a low-sodium pizza pie (63mg per serving) at the snap of your low-sodium fingers.

Perfect crust. Perfectly convenient. Super low-sodium.

As for which sauce won my approval, let me say this: Both were delicious. Both had a nice texture. Both had interesting hints of cinnamon and spice, which really wakes the sauce up.

So whichever ends up in your brown baggy, it will surely be a winner. And remember that you can always enhance the sauce (or any sauce) to fit your tastes with spices of your own.

There you have it. Pizza by the slice, ready to go when you are.

Chow on (and special thank you to Tom and Sue).

Mels December 1, 2011 at 1:23 pm

OMG THAT’S AMAZING

jessg23 December 1, 2011 at 1:32 pm

Right? I knew the time would come, but I can’t believe it’s here. Prepared pizza. Ready in 30.

Karsha December 1, 2011 at 4:04 pm

Love this! And also love your heart-shaped measuring spoons! =)

Amber December 1, 2011 at 4:32 pm

My husband is totally excited. Pizza is (or was) his most favorite food, and we have tried making it, but it hasn’t turned out too great. And as the primary chef I love the quick factor here! Thanks for sharing.

Ellen December 2, 2011 at 11:27 am

The pizza looks quite yummy! I’m sure you must already know this, but there are sources for salt-free cheese that could be used on pizza. But maybe you can’t eat cheese for other reasons?

jessg23 December 2, 2011 at 11:31 am

HI Ellen, great point! Yes, there are some sources of low-sodium cheese you can purchase online or in stores (Alpine Lace Swiss). Which are your favorites? Heluva Good Cheddar is my go-to! http://www.heluvagood.com/products/proddetail.aspx?id=418
But I hear from Sue and Tom that they are developing some low-sodium cheese for their pizza as well! So my taste-buds are on high alert waiting for that!

Penelope December 6, 2011 at 9:35 am

Jess, I suspected they might have a gluten-free line, and I was right. Made my first one last night. Yum! Thanks for the tip off 🙂

jessg23 December 13, 2011 at 4:31 pm

Yum! Isn’t the sauce good?

v January 12, 2012 at 12:17 pm

so you didn’t put any cheese at all?

jessg23 January 17, 2012 at 10:21 am

no cheese! just grated carrot!

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