One of the things that I thought I would miss went I became a vegan was pizza. I used to love cheese – blue, cheddar, Swiss, processed, melted... I wasn't fussy. But here's the thing, I hate vegan cheese. I've tried to like it, honestly I have, but it tastes like a combination of armpits and the tennis shoes of a teenage boy. And plus, I'm not big on food substitutes. Cheese and eggs are from a long-gone part of life's journey and I don't want to eat facsimiles that undoubtedly taste inferior. I'd rather just let them go and move on.
This is why I like this vegan, pumpkin pizza. It's pizza but it's so different from the pizza of my past that I don't miss the cheese. You could put cheese on it, but it's probably redundant.
We use gluten free, pre-made bases but you can use regular bases if you're not a celiac. You could also make your own dough which I have done lots in the past. I love bread dough, every single time it seems like a miracle. You make it and it rises, smells amazing and tastes even better. Every time I make it I show it to the kids and try to get them to join in my marveling. They humour me but I don't think they really get my excitement at the wonder and mystery of bread.
This is why I like this vegan, pumpkin pizza. It's pizza but it's so different from the pizza of my past that I don't miss the cheese. You could put cheese on it, but it's probably redundant.
We use gluten free, pre-made bases but you can use regular bases if you're not a celiac. You could also make your own dough which I have done lots in the past. I love bread dough, every single time it seems like a miracle. You make it and it rises, smells amazing and tastes even better. Every time I make it I show it to the kids and try to get them to join in my marveling. They humour me but I don't think they really get my excitement at the wonder and mystery of bread.
To make two pizzas you'll need the bases and about three cups of roasted pumpkin. Mash the pumpkin with a couple of cloves of smashed garlic, salt, pepper and some finely chopped fresh sage. Go easy on the sage or your pizza could end up tasting a little bit like one of those floral scented liners that people put in their underwear drawers. Taste it and adjust the seasonings as you go.
Spread the pumpkin onto the bases and top it with finely sliced rings of purple onion and thinly sliced florets of brocollini. Rinse and drain a can of chickpeas and sprinkle them over the top. You might not need a full can but you can just eat them the next day in a salad or by the handful while you're cooking, whatever works.
Bake your pizzas at 180 degrees for about 25 minutes but check them often because ovens are weird and temperamental creatures and what works one day is disastrous the next. You're going for a crispy crust and softened broccolini with some darkening of the pumpkin underneath. You're trying to avoid dough with a jellyfish consistency (put that one back in the oven) or a pizza that looks like it's been cremated.
While the pizza is cooking to perfection put two big handfuls of cashews (or maybe three big handfuls if you're hungry) into a food processor with a heaped tablespoon of nutritional yeast, a pinch of salt and a big pinch of smoked paprika. Grind until it looks like coarse sand. Nutritional yeast can be bought in the health food section of many supermarkets or health food shops. It's tasty and contains B12 – which makes it great for vegans. Don't get it confused with brewers yeast, which is also full of nutrients but tastes like dust.
When the pizza is cooked, sprinkle over the cashew mix before serving. You could serve this with a big green salad or sit on the couch with a beer and eat a whole one on your own. The choice is yours.
Spread the pumpkin onto the bases and top it with finely sliced rings of purple onion and thinly sliced florets of brocollini. Rinse and drain a can of chickpeas and sprinkle them over the top. You might not need a full can but you can just eat them the next day in a salad or by the handful while you're cooking, whatever works.
Bake your pizzas at 180 degrees for about 25 minutes but check them often because ovens are weird and temperamental creatures and what works one day is disastrous the next. You're going for a crispy crust and softened broccolini with some darkening of the pumpkin underneath. You're trying to avoid dough with a jellyfish consistency (put that one back in the oven) or a pizza that looks like it's been cremated.
While the pizza is cooking to perfection put two big handfuls of cashews (or maybe three big handfuls if you're hungry) into a food processor with a heaped tablespoon of nutritional yeast, a pinch of salt and a big pinch of smoked paprika. Grind until it looks like coarse sand. Nutritional yeast can be bought in the health food section of many supermarkets or health food shops. It's tasty and contains B12 – which makes it great for vegans. Don't get it confused with brewers yeast, which is also full of nutrients but tastes like dust.
When the pizza is cooked, sprinkle over the cashew mix before serving. You could serve this with a big green salad or sit on the couch with a beer and eat a whole one on your own. The choice is yours.
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