Whole Food Recipe {Pizza}

One of our favorite recipes in a plant based pizza. We have this once or twice a month. 

We actually crave it!

Great thing also, is you can choose whatever toppings you want! This pizza has a unique taste.
It uses cashews to make a "cheese type" sauce and polenta for the crust!
We always put jalapenos, bell peppers and Vegan meatless pepperoni on ours. PLANT-POWERED POLENTA PIZZABy Moira Nordholt // The Feel Good Guru 
MAKES 2 SMALL PIZZAS

MAKING THE TOMATO SAUCE: 
1 pound heirloom tomatoes
Sea salt
6 to 8 garlic cloves
Fresh herbs, such as basil, chives, oregano or sage

POLENTA CRUST:
4 cups water or unsalted vegetable broth
1 teaspoon sea salt
2 cups organic polenta or cornmeal 

HERBED CASHEW "CHEESE" SAUCE:
1 cup organic oil free cashews
1/2 lemon juiced
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon fresh basil or your favorite herb
1/4 cup water

Choose your toppings of choice!

For the tomato sauce:  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Quarter the heirloom tomatioes and place faceup on a roasting pan.  Sprinkle with sea salt.  Add the whole cloves of garlic and roast for 30 minutes or until lightly caramelized.  Scrape the roasted tomatoes and garlic into a bowl and pulse with an immersion blender.  Chop some of your favorite herbs and stir-in sauce.


For the crust:  Bring the water and sea salt to a boil in a 10 - 12 inch pot or saute' pan.  Whisk in the polenta slowly until all is incorporated.  Stir for about 1 minute, then turn the heat to low, cover the pot, and leave it for 40 minutes.  Turn off the heat and allow to sit for another 10 minutes.

*Tip: The crust is hard to get out of the pot when it's cooked.  We started cooking half the mixture in 2 separate pots.  That way you don't have to attempt to cut it in half later!  

The crust in the photo was cooked in 1 pot and had to be cut in half.  Much easier to just cook half separately!
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Carefully turn the pot upside down dropping the polenta onto a cutting board.  Slice the polenta in half, parallel to the cutting board, into the round pizza crusts.  Place the crusts onto a cookie sheet and bake for about 30 minutes, or until crispy around the edges.

*Tip: The polenta crust does not come out easily.  If you do my above tip you will be thankful!  Instead of having to turn the pot upside down, just cut the crust in half while it's still in the pot.  Then just put it back together when you place it on the cookie sheet.

For the cashew "cheese":   Put all "cheese" ingredients into a food processor and puree, adding water slowly, until they reach a thick, cream-cheese-like consistency.


Assemble the pizza:  Spread the tomato sauce over the polenta crust, then use a teaspoon to form little balls of the cashew "cheese" and arrange them on top.  Then add all your toppings.

Bake the pizza for 10 minutes just to heat the toppings. 


On this pizza we added beansprouts!  Very Yummy!!!!!

ENJOY!
Please visit my WHOLE FOOD PAGE to view all my recipes and read about how easy it is to eat Vegan!