If you are looking for a bit of a break from the summer grills and want something different, healthy and delicious- then give the below pizza recipe a try.
Photo taken by my friend Anne-Ly
I took the inspiration of this recipe from Simply Quinoa and this has been a pizza we have made in our family for a few times already.
Quinoa is a complete protein, containing all 9 amino acids, that our bodies can't make on our own. As you know quinoa is naturally gluten-free, is rich in antioxidants- and has more protein and fibre than white rice. So definitely a healthy choice.
Artichoke is actually not really a vegetable, but a type of thistle. It helps to lower blood sugar, improves digestion, is great for your heart and liver health. Artichoke is a great prebiotic and probiotic food and contains apart from fibre, protein, carbs, vitamin B1, B2, B3, B6, B9, C, K and minerals like calcium, zinc, magnesium, iron, phosphorus and potassium. Artichoke is considered one of the most antioxidant-rich of all vegetables.
I made the below recipe lactose free, but you can easily use parmesan cheese in the pesto instead of nutritional yeast and also top the pizza with some chunks of buffalo mozzarella or some shavings of goat's cheese
Ingredients
4 persons
For the pizza crust:
1,5 cups of quinoa- soaked for 6-8 hours in water
2 cups of fresh spinach
1 tsp of baking powder
2 tbsp of olive oil
1 tsp of Himalayan salt
1/2 of water
For the pesto:
2 pots of basil leaves
150g of pine nuts
a squeeze of lemon
2 tbsp of nutritional yeast
0.5 tsp of truffle oil
1 clove of garlic
a pinch of salt and pepper
Blend it all up with the hand blender
Additional toppings:
1-2 cans of cooked artichoke hearts (I used canned, either in olive oil or in water)
2-3 tbsp of nutritional yeast
Microgreens, like broccoli
Instructions
Heat the oven to 215C (425F). Line your baking pan with parchment paper and slightly oil it with olive oil.
Rinse the quinoa properly after it has been soaking in the water. Add all the pizza crust ingredients into the high-speed blender and blend until creamy.
Pour the batter into the pan and bake in the oven for 16 minutes.
Now is the perfect time to make the pesto and drain the artichokes.
Then take the pizza out from the oven, put a new piece of parchment paper on top of the pizza and flip it over. Remove the parchment paper that was under the pizza in the oven when you baked it. Then put pizza back in the oven for another 8 minutes.
Top the pizza with artichoke and nutritional yeast and put it back into the oven for 2 minutes.
Remove the pizza from the oven, top it with micro greens and serve immediately.