Monday, August 5, 2013

Quinoa Pizza Crust (Vegan)

Hello!

If you haven't heard of quinoa (pronounced "keen-wa") you should absolutely check it out! It's a grain that cooks like rice, but boasts more health benefits and a distinctive nutty flavor.

Quinoa is perfect for people who are trying to eat less meat because it is one of the most protein packed foods you can eat! This ancient grain also contains tons of fiber, iron and magnesium.

So, without further ado, let's make a quinoa pizza!



Crust Ingredients:
1 Cup quinoa (uncooked)
2 Cups quinoa flour (can be substituted with rice flour)
1 Egg substitute (flax seed meal and water - more directions later)
3/4 Cup water

Step 1: Cook the Quinoa
(Quinoa cooks the same way as rice.)
Poor one cup of quinoa and 2 cups of water into a pot
Set the heat to medium-high
When the water reaches a rolling boil, turn it down to a simmer
Let simmer about 15 minutes

When cooked, the quinoa will look like this:
 
Step 2: Make You Egg Substitute
(If you prefer, you can just use an egg and skip this step entirely.)

Mix 1 tablespoon of Flax Seed Meal with 3 tablespoons of water.
This will equal one egg in any baking you do!


Step 3: Mix Crust Ingredients
Mix the cooked quinoa, egg substitute/egg, flour and water into a mixing bowl
Mix thoroughly

Step 4: Pre-bake the Crust!
Preheat the oven to 350
Oil the pizza pan/stone/cookie sheet 
(Note: Times for cooking will vary depending on whether you use a pizza stone, a pizza pan or a regular cooking sheet. In this example, I used a pizza stone.)

Roll the dough onto the pizza pan with your hands - I suggest getting your hands wet before doing this. Quinoa dough can be very sticky, but if won't stick to your hands if they are wet.

Bake for approximately 20 minutes, until slightly golden brown around the edges

psssst, I added crushed red pepper to the crust before baking. What can I say, I like spice!

Step 5: Add Toppings!
For the sauce, I simply used Extra Virgin Olive Oil. It's light, flavorful and keeps it all together.


I topped my pizza with Mozzarella-style almond cheese, black olives, red onion, cilantro, tomato slices and mushrooms! Feel free to experiment with your favorite toppings!

Step 6: Bake it All Together
Put the pizza back in the oven with all the toppings for about 5 minutes...just long enough to melt the cheese and heat the veggies!

Yummmm!!!!!!!

I hope you enjoy this recipe!
Please comment or email with any suggestions and/or feedback you have!
Email: skawcook@gmail.com
 
Also, if you try this recipe, let me know how it works for you.

Thanks for reading. I hope you have a wonderful day.

With gratitude,

Keeka

5 comments:

  1. Didn't know how do make an egg substitute. I'm gonna try that thanks! Ps the pizza looks mouthwatering!

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    Replies
    1. So glad to pass that tip along! I works way better than I expected when I first heard about it!

      I hope you try and love this recipe! :)

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  2. Looks so yummy! I'll have to test this out with Keith this weekend. Looking forward to having a slice after my fast is over!

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  3. I'm so excited to try this. Our daughter has allergies to Milk (all), soy, peanuts (avoid all nuts), egg and gluten (wheat, rye, barley) so I'm beyond excited about this recipe!!!

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Feel free to tell me what you think!