RECIPE OF THE WEEK: Raw Vegan Pizza

When I first implemented a plant based diet into my lifestyle, I thought I'd never eat pizza again. Being a Chicago native...this was sacrilegious! If you know anyone from Chicago, you know we take our pizza VERY seriously. I've played around with quite a few experimental recipes and (for me) I've come up with and mastered the ultimate Raw Vegan Pizza. It mimics what is (in my mind) the best version of a Chicago Style thin crust pizza...except in Raw Vegan form...Enjoy!

My Raw Vegan Pizza Slice!

INGREDIENTS

Basil Tomato Pizza Crust

• 1 1/4 cups organic brown or golden flax seeds (I used brown)
• 2 apples (peeled and shredded/use any sweet apple)
• 1 pint of sweet mexican cherry tomatoes
• 1/2 tsp celtic sea salt
• 1/4 cup coconut oil
• 2 1/2 tbsp dried basil
• 1 tbsp dried onions
• 1 tbsp garlic powder
• 1/2 cup water 
• nutritional yeast (optional to sprinkle on top)

Savory Tomato Pizza Sauce

• 7 oz sundried tomatoes
• 3 tomatoes
• 1 green pepper
• 1/2 red pepper
• 1/4 red onion
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 tsp celtic sea salt
• 1 tsp pepper
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp oregano
• 2 tbsp basil
• 1/2 tsp thyme
• 1/2 tsp sage
• pinch of morgoram
• 1/4 cup nutritional yeast

Pizza Cheese

• 1 cup raw organic cashews (soak for at least 8 hours-it doubles to 2 cups)
• Juice from 1 lemon
• 2 large garlic cloves
• 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
• 1/2 tsp celtic sea salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp parsely
• 1/2 cup water

Pizza Topping

• 1 cup Braggs liquid aminos
• 1 package Portabella mushrooms thinly sliced
• 1.5 bell peppers
• 1/4 sweet red onion
• 15 oz pitted black olives 
• 1 tomato
• 10 mexican cherry tomatoes

MAKING THE TOMATO BASIL CRUST

If you want a lighter crust use golden flax seeds.

Put the flaxseeds in your dry Vitamix blender. Blend on high. It will turn into a powdery substance. Please Note: This is how you make flax flour. 

Add your dry spices. Blend a little more. (I do this to make sure the spices go to every ounce of the crust). 

Add your wet ingredients (i.e., the water, apple and the coconut oil). Blend until it turns into a thick batter. It should be thick, not quite as thick as dough, but not watery like cake batter. You should be able to maneuver and work with it.

Take it out of the vitamix and fold in your chopped and diced mexican cherry tomatoes. Then put it on your dehydrator and mold it into a circle or square. Make it look how you want your pizza to look.

Sprinkle a little nutritional yeast and dried basil on top. Dehydrate it on 110 degrees (time may vary depending on your dehydrator). Be sure to turn the pizza crust over dehydrate it on the other side.

MAKING THE SAVORY TOMATO SAUCE

Put everything into your vitamix and blend. Take out then place it in a bowl. Refrigerate it for 24 hours so the flavors can savor. 

MAKING THE PIZZA CHEESE

Put everything into your vitamix and blend. Take out then place it in a bowl. Refrigerate it for 24 hours so the flavors can savor. 

MAKING THE PIZZA TOPPINGS

Slice your mushrooms and black olives thinly. Dice and finely chop your onion and bell pepper. Put your chopped veggies into a bowl with 1 cup of Braggs liquid aminos and 1/4 cup olive oil. Fill the rest of the bowl up with water until all ingredients are covered. Let it marinade in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours. 

Take out of the refrigerator and add chopped tomato. Let it marinade in the mixture for at least 2 hours at room temperature. This is also good to soften up the oil that has solidified.

TIP: Everything that is sitting and marinading for 24 hours while your crust is in the dehydrator. The Cheese will thicken. The Tomato Sauce will be savory and your raw veggies will be tender and robust. You won't even notice it wasn't oven baked!


Drain your marinated veggies.

MAKING THE PIZZA

The whole pizza before dehydrating it.

When your crust is ready...Spread the tomato sauce on it...

Then spread your cheese on top of the tomato sauce.  I tend to like more cheese...so I have a lot loaded here...but you add as little as you like...

Place your toppings on top of it...(I'm a bit heavy handed...LOL)

If you like add more cheese on top. (this is optional)

Dehydrate it for another 30 to 60 minutes (this will help to hold it all together a bit...and it warms everything up) and...VOILA!

The whole pizza!

This is a close up of the dehydrated pizza...see how the cheese is a little darker? It un-cooked and solidified on the pizza, just like animal cheese does! Isn't Raw Vegan living grand?

I had more than 1 slice! ha ha ha ha

Now I am back in the Veg Lab trying to work some magic for a deep dish version...stay tuned!!!

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