Even when I was a vegetarian I was never a real fan of the traditional pizza with its doughy base, tomato sauce and melted cheese but I like the concept of this healthier vegan version using a sweet potato crust. Nutritionists at the Centre for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) ranked sweet potato the most nutritious of all vegetables so that’s a good incentive to include more of this vegetable in our diet. It’s high in dietary fibre, has naturally occurring sugars and is an excellent source of beta-carotene as well as many other nutrients. As this pizza involves a few elements I would personally make it more for a special occasion rather than for every day eating.
SWEET POTATO CRUST PIZZA
Makes: 1 x small pizza (approx. 20 cm diameter)
Base Ingredients
- 1 cup mashed sweet potato
- 1 TB flaxseed + 3TB water
- 1/4 cup quinoa flakes
- 1/4 cup chickpea (besan) flour
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/2 tsp salt
Method
- Mix flaxseed with water and set aside to thicken
- Steam and mash sweet potato
- Combine all ingredients and mix thoroughly
- Spoon out mixture onto pizza tray lined with baking paper ( approx. 1 cm thick and 20 cm diameter)
- Bake approx.. 30 min at 180 degrees until the crust is set firmly
- Allow to cool slightly before adding toppings
Topping
- Arrange whatever pizza toppings you desire on top (as thick or as thin as you like!)
- I used thinly sliced tomatoes, red onion, zucchini, capsicum, olives and baby spinach leaves
- Spread approx. 1 cup CASHEW SAUCE over the top. (Alternately you could also use a homemade tomato sauce if you preferred)
- You could put the cashew sauce on first and then add your toppings. (There are no real rules when it comes to constructing a pizza!!)
- Bake 180 degrees until the toppings have cooked through to your desire and its nicely browned.
NB. ( Inspired by a recipe from the the website Blissful Basil. )
