Speedy chia pizza crust

I've think i've eased my self back into the post-holiday daily routine now, although my routine is a little different now having left me job last year so it is taking a little longer to get into the 'flow'. I originally tested this recipe a few months ago, and have since then reproduced it using numerous flour combinations, so it is pretty versatile.

buckwheat flour

The photos below show all the options (they look pretty similar!) We have buckwheat, teff and almond and spelt options. The key ingredient that all these recipes have in common is the chia seeds, they give the pizza base a really great crispness. The recipe itself is based on a spin off of my ever faithful this flatbread recipe...I love the simple use of vegan yoghurt to bind everything together and the fact there is no yeast and therefore no need for rising time. A beautifully quick and simple recipe.

I made the buckwheat version just before New Year so it was a case of using up leftover veg in the fridge to make way for another big food shop! You can use whichever toppings you like. I also enjoyed the last of my mulled 'wine'  (a cranberry and grape juice version). I do love a glass of warming spiced fruit juice.

The recipe below gives the ingredients for the buckwheat version but to make a spelt pizza simply sub the buckwheat and tapioca for spelt (i.e 200g wholemeal spelt)

buckwheat flour

Recipe: Chia pizza

Serves 2-3

Ingredients

150g buckwheat flour

50g tapioca flour

1 tsp baking powder

2 tbs whole chia seeds

2 tsp seasoning of choice (I used a mixed Cajun seasoning)

½ tsp salt to taste

150g vegan yoghurt (I used soy)

Up to 50ml water

Pizza toppings: I used a tomato puree and hummus mix for the base and topped it with thinly sliced veggies.

Method

Mix the dry ingredients together in a medium bowl and then add the wet ingredients, adding the water last to achieve a lightly stickly dough consistency.

With floured hands gently flatten the dough onto a floured and lined baking sheet pressing the dough into a large  thin circle (or two smaller circles) approx. 5mm thick. 

Bake at 180 for 5 mins to seal the surface. Add pizza toppings of choice and continue to bake for approx.10mins until the toppings are cooked and the edge of the crust is golden. 

Note: you can freeze the part baked crusts for future use.

teff and almond crust

spelt crust

For further guidance on making gluten free choices please see this post.
For tips and info on recipe measurement conversions, ingredients, substitutions and the methods behind how I do things.... check out my 'baking tips' tab at the top of the page.

DAY THIRTY ONE: Halloweeeeeen

It's Halloween!  Also the last day of Vegan Mofo….alas I don’t have any oaty goodnesss to share…my Halloween inspired treats were simply not of the oaty variety today.  I do think I’ve done pretty well this month with so many oaty concoctions! It's been a fun challenge.

So, back to Halloween, how have you been celebrating?....fancy food, fancy dress, trick-or-treating, bonfires (ok that last one is not till next week!)

This year I haven't been to any parties, and I don't generally get many visits from 'trick-or-treaters' but I have made food...of the pumpkin inspired variety!

We had a Halloween lunch at work, well it was more of a team lunch that happened to fall on Halloween so I decided to get into the holiday spirit a little. Pumpkin risotto and another spin off of these Halloween Graveyard cakes...this time a pumpkin muffin with a gingerbread cookie! Lots of fun to makes two cakes in one.

I will admit the gingerbread ended up being a little puffier than I would have liked- note to self: use less baking powder! The risotto had a great flavour but I think the texture needed a little more work before I can share it with you.

I also made a soy-free cheezy stuffed crust pizza... this is a new super-food chia crust with a cheesy (soy-free) stuffed crust edge...but i'm a tease and you'll have to wait a little longer for the stuffed recipe as I feel it still it needs a few more tweaks and trials before its ready to share! I’ll be sharing the regular chia crust with you very soon.

All in all it went down well, me being a perfectionist felt it could have been that little bit better (although I was in a mega rush last night to get it all cooked!), but I know I will always be my own worst critic!! I had lots of positive pizza comments with a lot of love for the substantial and filling chia crust.

In other news, this was another little experiment a week or so ago at around the same time as the Graveyard Cakes... I think he looks so cute!

(Hint: you can make these monsters using these smoosh bars to form a head, arms and legs, then fix to an orange with toothpicks and add some sunflower seeds for the face!)

What Vegan MOFO means to me.

For further guidance on making gluten free choices please see this post.
For tips and info on recipe measurement conversions, ingredients, substitutions and the methods behind how I do things.... check out my 'baking tips' tab at the top of the page.

Ten minute pizza (gluten free)

On weekday evenings, when I go straight to a gym class after work, I often get in quite late.  On these days a super speedy dinner is in order.

I have to admit, I often resort to a big bowl of oats with their endless variations of toppings. Other times I might opt for a defrosted portion of one of my soups, (this one is my current favourite), or a bowl of cous-cous and veg.

Earlier this week I made pizza…the fasted pizza I’ve ever made! 10 minutes from first having the idea the pizza was on my plate ready to eat (ok, I had to allow for a 5 minutes photo shoot first!)

The pizza base is also gluten free as it is made using my flatbread dough, I simple made a larger flatbread to act as a pizza base. The original recipe made 4 small flatbreads but I doubled them up to make 2 larger pizza bases (in actual fact I halved the recipe to make a single serving).

I obviously haven’t used ‘cheese’ here, as I really don’t think it needs it. The tomato-hummous base is full of flavoursome. You could add some cheese/vegan cheese if you fancied when you pile the veg on top of the bases.

Recipe: Ten minute pizza (gluten free)

Serves 2 

Ingredients:

1 batch of flatbread dough (formed into two large rounds)

2 tbs tomato puree

2 tbs hummous

Mix of vegetables for roasting (chopped small)- I used peppers, tomatoes, courgette, onion

1 tsp olive oil plus ½ tsp seasonings of choice

Handful of sweetcorn and/or canned beans (defrost sweetcorn if frozen)

Method: 

Prepare the pizza base dough according to the flatbread recipe- form into two larger pizza sized rounds.

Place the pizza bases on a lightly floured baking sheet under a pre-heated grill.  Grill for 3-4 mins each side until lightly golden.

Prepare the vegetable for roasting and coat in the oil and seasoning mix. Spread it n a baking sheet and place in the oven for 5- 10  minutes (depending on size of pieces) and roast until just cooked.

Briefly remove the pizza bases from the grill and spread with 1 tbs each of the tomato puree and hummous. Top with the roasted veg and add the sweetcorn/beans. Place back under the grill for 2-3 minutes to finish cooking.

Serve with a salad if you like.

Did that take 10 mins?....ok well maybe 15 tops!

For tips and info on recipe measurement conversions, ingredients, substitutions and the methods behind how I do things.... check out my 'baking tips' tab at the top of the page.