A Vegan Obsession

Crispy Kale & Pine Nut Pizza - Cauliflower Crust.

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cauliflower pizza crust

Crispy Kale & Pine Nut Pizza - Cauliflower Crust

With the new website/blog now unwrapped and finally a more user friendly platform, I can once again concentrate on the business of recipes.  I feel like I’ve been lagging behind with trying out my new recipe ideas and bringing you great vegan and gluten free foodie finds from the interweb.  So I need to play catch up before I can thrust on and get up to speed.  I need to tick off some of the items on the ‘recipes to try’ list.  So, here is a recipe that has been knocking around for a few years among some vegan, and gluten free blogs - Cauliflower Pizza Crust. Yes, pizza crust made from cauliflower.  My take on it is Crispy Kale & Pine Nut Pizza - Cauliflower Crust. Gluten free, grain free and vegan. Skeptical?  So was I. But, trusted sources espoused its merits so give it a go I must.  Many peoples favourite things are pizza, many people love kale.  So I decided to marry the two.  Here for your delectation is..

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 cauliflower blender Crispy Kale & Pine Nut Pizza - Cauliflower Crust IMG_5428

 

Crispy Kale & Pine Nut Pizza - Gluten Free Cauliflower Crust

 

Ingredients

1/2 cauliflower

1/2 cup unsweetened coconut milk (or other non-dairy milk of choice)

1/2 cup milk (dairy or non-dairy)

3 tbs ground chia seed (or flax meal) to make a chia egg

4 tbs nutritional yeast

1/4 cup reduced fat almond flour (sorghum works well too if you do not care if it is not grain free. Quinoa would probably work also.)

1/4 cup chickpea flour

pinch of pink Himalayan or sea salt

pinch of black pepper

1 tbs olive oil

 

Method

  • Preheat oven to 450f or as high as your oven allows. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
  • Mix the non-dairy milk and the ground chia or flax seeds and leave to congeal. Just 5 or so mins should do the trick.
  • Roughly chop cauliflower and pop into a food processor or high-speed blender until it breaks down to crumbs.  Pop into a suitable container and microwave for 4 mins or to be healthier steam for 10 mins.  Allow to cool then put the crumbs into cheesecloth and squeeze out as much water as you can.
  • Combine the drained cauliflower, chia ‘egg’, flours, nutritional yeast, and seasonings.  Mix to a dough.  If too wet add more flour.
  • Halve the mixture and then pour the oil into your hands and form two balls. This ensures that the oil is coating the outside of the ‘dough’.  Place onto a tray leaving room for each to be flattened and shaped into a 1/4 inch thick and roughly 7 inch circles.  You may get more depending on size of your cauliflower (Did you know that in France it is called ‘chou-fleur’?…that’s so pretty!)
  • Bake for about 20 mins until turning golden brown, and crispy at the edges. Be beady-eyed about it though as each oven is different and depending on the tides/moon phase/shoe size and your mood it could burn.  Don’t let it burn.
  • Remove from the oven and allow to cool.  Not sure of the science but like baking a cake, with gluten free stuff the resting makes for good bonding time.  I’ve seen many recipes that say the pizza will not stand up to holding aloft but this one does.
  • Whilst your pizza crust is cooling, slice up some vegan cheese (or use slices..Violife are the best IMHO), bust out a can of condensed tomato paste, chop up your curly kale, and mince some garlic.
  • Now it is time to decorate those wonderful, gluten free, vegan pizza crusts!  Take crust numero uno and spoon and spread over 2-3 tbs of tomato paste. Top with the sliced cheese and the garlic.  Pop into the oven until cheese has melted.  Grab out of oven and top with a sprinkling of pine nuts and the chopped kale, grind over some black pepper and a pinch of sea salt.  Then carefully drizzle olive oil over the kale.  Grab your oven mitts and pop the pizzas back under a medium grill until the kale turns crispy but not burnt. Burnt is not good.
  • Remove from the grill (or, if you are American the broiler..still cannot get my head around that though it is more obvious to call it that..darn my English upbringing!) and EAT.
  • Now, I have to be honest, I did not expect the crust to be that great once I’d tasted the raw mix but me-oh-my, once cooked and adorned it is a thing of sheer delight.  Delizioso!

 

*tip.   Gently remove the crusts from the baking parchment BEFORE you add your toppings so that your final product is not stuck to the baking parchment.  If it sticks then wet the parchment with a little water and it will peel off, like those transfer tattoos we had as kids, leaving the crust liberated and intact).

 

 

Kale and Pine Nut Pizza with GF Cauliflower crust

by

cauliflower pizza crust
With the new website/blog now unwrapped and finally a more user friendly platform, I can once again concentrate on the business of recipes. I feel like I’ve been lagging behind with trying out my new recipe ideas and bringing you great vegan and gluten free foodie finds from the interweb. So I need to play catch up before I can thrust on and get up to speed. I need to tick off some of items on the ‘recipes to try’ list. So, here is a recipe that has been knocking around for a few years among some vegan, and gluten free blogs - Cauliflower Pizza Crust. Yes, pizza crust made from cauliflower. Gluten free, grain free and vegan. Sceptical? So was I. But, trusted sources espoused it’s merits so give it a go I must. Many peoples favourite things are pizza, many people love kale. So I decided to marry the two. Here for your delectation is kale and pine nut pizza with a gluten free cauliflower crust. Trust me on this one.

Crispy Kale & Pine Nut Pizza - Gluten Free Cauliflower Crust

Ingredients

1/2 cauliflower

1/2 cup non-sweetened coconut milk (or other non-dairy milk of choice)

1/2 cup milk (dairy or non-dairy)

3 tbs ground chia seed (or flax meal) to make chia egg

4 tbs nutritional yeast

1/4 cup reduced fat almond flour (sorghum works well too if you do not care if it is not grain free. Quinoa would probably work also.)

1/4 cup chickpea flour

a good pinch of pink Himalayan or sea salt

a good pinch of black pepper

1 tbs olive oil

Method

  • Preheat oven to 450f or as high as your oven allows. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
  • Mix the non-dairy milk and the ground chia or flax seeds and leave to congeal. Just 5 or so mins should do the trick.
  • Roughly chop cauliflower and pop into a food processor or high speed blender until it breaks down to crumbs. Pop into a suitable container and microwave for 4 mins or to be healthier steam for 10 mins. Allow to cool then put the crumbs into cheesecloth and squeeze out as much water as you can.
  • Combine the drained cauliflower, chia ‘egg’, flours, nutritional yeast and seasonings. Mix to a dough. If the dough is too wet add more flour.
  • Halve the mixture and then pour the oil into your hands and form two balls. This ensures that the oil is coating the outside of the ‘dough’. Place onto a tray leaving room for each to be flattened and shaped into a 1/4 inch thick and roughly 7 inch circles. You may get more depending on size of your cauliflower (Did you know that in France it is called ‘chou-fleur’?…that’s so pretty!)
  • Bake for about 20 mins until turning golden brown, and crispy at the edges. Be beady eyed about it though as each oven is different and depending on the tides/moon phase/shoe size and your mood it could burn. Don’t let it burn.
  • Remove from the oven and allow to cool. Not sure of the science but like baking a cake, with gluten free stuff the resting makes for good bonding time. I’ve seen many recipes that say the pizza will not stand up to holding aloft but this one does.
  • Whilst your pizza crust is cooling, slice up some vegan cheese (or use slices..Violife are the best IMHO), bust out a can of condensed tomato paste, chop up your curly kale, and mince some garlic.
  • Now it is time to decorate those wonderful, gluten free, vegan pizza crusts! Take crust numero uno and spoon and spread over 2-3 tbs of tomato paste. Top with the sliced cheese and the garlic. Pop into the oven until cheese has melted. Grab out of oven and top with a sprinkling of pine nuts and the chopped kale, grind over some black pepper and a pinch of sea salt. Then carefully drizzle olive oil over the kale. Grab your oven mitts and pop the pizzas back under a medium grill until the kale turns crispy but not burnt. Burnt is not good.
  • Remove from the grill (or, if you are American the broiler..still cannot get my head around that though it is more obvious to call it that..darn my English upbringing!) and EAT.
  • Now, I have to be honest, I did not expect the crust to be that great once I’d tasted the raw mix but me-oh-my, once cooked and adorned it is a thing of sheer delight. Delizioso!

*tip. Gently remove the crusts from the baking parchment BEFORE you add your toppings so that your final product is not stuck to the baking parchment. If it sticks then wet the parchment with a little water and it will peel off, like those transfer tattoos we had as kids, leaving the crust liberated and intact).

cauliflower cauliflower blender cauliflower pizza dough vegan pizza crust kale, basil & pine nut pizza cauliflower pizza crust kale & pine nut topping

What will you top your pizza crust with?

Kale and Pine Nut Pizza with GF Cauliflower crust
 
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Crispy Kale & Pine Nut Pizza - Gluten Free Cauliflower Crust
Author:
Recipe type: Pizza
Cuisine: Pizza
Serves: 2
Ingredients
  • ½ cauliflower
  • ½ cup non-sweetened coconut milk (or other non-dairy milk of choice)
  • ½ cup milk (dairy or non-dairy)
  • 3 tbs ground chia seed (or flax meal) to make chia egg
  • 4 tbs nutritional yeast
  • ¼ cup reduced fat almond flour (sorghum works well too if you do not care if it is not grain free. Quinoa would probably work also.)
  • ¼ cup chickpea flour
  • a good pinch of pink Himalayan or sea salt
  • a good pinch of black pepper
  • 1 tbs olive oil
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 450f or as high as your oven allows. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
  2. Mix the non-dairy milk and the ground chia or flax seeds and leave to congeal. Just 5 or so mins should do the trick.
  3. Roughly chop cauliflower and pop into a food processor or high speed blender until it breaks down to crumbs. Pop into a suitable container and microwave for 4 mins or to be healthier steam for 10 mins. Allow to cool then put the crumbs into cheesecloth and squeeze out as much water as you can.
  4. Combine the drained cauliflower, chia 'egg', flours, nutritional yeast and seasonings. Mix to a dough. If the dough is too wet add more flour.
  5. Halve the mixture and then pour the oil into your hands and form two balls. This ensures that the oil is coating the outside of the 'dough'. Place onto a tray leaving room for each to be flattened and shaped into a ¼ inch thick and roughly 7 inch circles. You may get more depending on size of your cauliflower (Did you know that in France it is called 'chou-fleur'?...that's so pretty!)
  6. Bake for about 20 mins until turning golden brown, and crispy at the edges. Be beady eyed about it though as each oven is different and depending on the tides/moon phase/shoe size and your mood it could burn. Don't let it burn.
  7. Remove from the oven and allow to cool. Not sure of the science but like baking a cake, with gluten free stuff the resting makes for good bonding time. I've seen many recipes that say the pizza will not stand up to holding aloft but this one does.
  8. Whilst your pizza crust is cooling, slice up some vegan cheese (or use slices..Violife are the best IMHO), bust out a can of condensed tomato paste, chop up your curly kale, and mince some garlic.
  9. Now it is time to decorate those wonderful, gluten free, vegan pizza crusts! Take crust numero uno and spoon and spread over 2-3 tbs of tomato paste. Top with the sliced cheese and the garlic. Pop into the oven until cheese has melted. Grab out of oven and top with a sprinkling of pine nuts and the chopped kale, grind over some black pepper and a pinch of sea salt. Then carefully drizzle olive oil over the kale. Grab your oven mitts and pop the pizzas back under a medium grill until the kale turns crispy but not burnt. Burnt is not good.
  10. Remove from the grill (or, if you are American the broiler..still cannot get my head around that though it is more obvious to call it that..darn my English upbringing!) and EAT.
  11. Now, I have to be honest, I did not expect the crust to be that great once I'd tasted the raw mix but me-oh-my, once cooked and adorned it is a thing of sheer delight. Delizioso!
  12. *tip. Gently remove the crusts from the baking parchment BEFORE you add your toppings so that your final product is not stuck to the baking parchment. If it sticks then wet the parchment with a little water and it will peel off, like those transfer tattoos we had as kids, leaving the crust liberated and intact).
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M.O.B In Brooklyn. Avant-garde Pizza. A Tale Of Two Cities.

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MOB Brooklyn. Avant-garde pizza. A tale of two cites
 
I flew to New York last year.  It was a long held dream of mine to visit the Big Apple.  The iconic city definitely did not disappoint.  I wrote about all my food adventures in NYC, but I left out this one.  I wanted to visit Paris and see the other MOB and bring you both of them. This is the tale of MOB Brooklyn Avant-garde pizza. A tale of two cities.
 
M.O.B. was born in the mind of Cyril Aouizerate, over a 20 year period, while he was studying the works of Maimonides, a Spanish born Jewish philosopher, on the health benefits of various combinations of vegetables, fruits and spices. At that time he tells himself that someday he will try to make this philosophical text an ambitious project in bringing men together, regardless of their beliefs. And for their desire to, and belief of eating together.  After finding the appropriate place for him to build his restaurant, Cyril founded M.O.B (Maimonides of Brooklyn).  
It is set away from the hipster areas of Williamsburg and up and coming Bushwick. It gave me a good excuse to further explore Brooklyn. The neighbourhood circles a huge greenspace.  Prospect Park may not have the fame of Central Park in Manhattan, but I actually preferred it as a place to get away from the craziness of the city.
 
I visited in the afternoon.  Hungry from sightseeing and map reading.  A cute Irish guy offered me a warm welcome, sat me down and brought me a tray of oven baked kale chips whilst I read the menu.  Whilst it was a bit quiet inside, the lunch rush not yet taken hold, I thought the atmosphere was easy.  I chose an MOB. Well, I couldn’t visit and not imbibe their namesake.  The Iron Man. A generous topping of kale, shiitake mushrooms and a gorgeous horseradish aioli.  All vegan.  All gluten free.  The base is made mostly of chickpea flour.
 
 
 
MOB Brooklyn. Avant-garde pizza. A tale of two cites

 

 

MOB Brooklyn. Avant-garde pizza. A tale of two cites

 

 

The MOB is baked in ovenware formed to the shape of the Brooklyn Bridge (nice touch).  It was delicious.  Generously topped and the base, though not like pizza, it had an almost cakey texture but it was good and it soaked up the aioli and the juices from the sauté perfectly.  Filling too!  I would definitely recommend eating at MOB when you visit Brooklyn.  If you come to NYC, Brooklyn is a must.   It has a totally different feel.  Less frenetic than its island neighbour.  I felt I could breathe here.

MOB Brooklyn. Avant-garde pizza. A tale of two cites

 

MOB Brooklyn
525 Atlantic Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11217, United States
 
Paris!!  I was lucky enough to be in Paris a few weeks ago. I found MOB located in a great little spot right beside the Seine, in a building dedicated to design.  However, not all things are created equal and when I asked for a gluten free MOB I was told, ‘this is Paris’, we do not do the same as Brooklyn. Disappointing.  
However I was made to feel a little better by their eye catching ‘plastic animals in nightshade’. Yes, I am at times, easily pleased. 
I had to go elsewhere to find vegan AND gluten-free food.
 

 

MOB Cite De La Mode
34 Quai d’Austerlitz
Paris, France

Gluten Free Pizza Bases & Flatbreads - Allergy Friendly

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Chewy bread with oh so satisfying pullapartedness and a oily, crunchy outer layer…I’ve salivated over the memory of it, enjoyed on a Friday night after work, alongside a pizza, way, way back in my butter and wheat eating days.  When the after effects of ‘pizza night’ made it loose it’s appeal, I surrendered myself to the reality that I’d just have to go without.  Of course, I could have made it myself but, to be honest, back then, I didn’t believe it would come up to scratch so I didn’t bother.  Also, back then, I didn’t cook.  I was a microwave queen.
A couple of weeks ago, I went to a Free From food show, and spotted one of the stands handing out small round pizzas to a very excited crowd. The fragrance of caramelised garlic and dough was blowing my mind.  I grabbed a slice. I encountered that familiar tug of war between teeth and bread.  It was chewy, with a gorgeously flaky crust, infused with garlic and sweet tomato sauce.  I was in HEAVEN!  

Just who were making this product…and how?! Please take a bow - Venice Bakery UK

The folks from this bakery have recently partnered with the, family owned, original bakery, founded in California back in the 50’s. They made the outstanding decision to share their Coeliac (celiac) UK approved flatbreads and pizzas over here in Blighty.  And I am mighty pleased about that.

Gluten free
Wheat free
Soy free
Dairy free
Egg free
Corn free

VEGETARIAN & VEGAN friendly

Their products are also trans fats free, non-GMO, and are free from culinary gums and E numbers.  Are you falling in love yet?  I am!

They have a long shelf life. If you travel a whole bunch and, like me, pack a little pantry of food in your suitcase to tide you over until you track down the whole foods store, then these are perfect, too.  They are vacuum packed and last for 2 months.  And longer, if chilled or frozen.  

I smothered my pizza base in tomato concentrate, a grinding of black pepper and a few basil leaves. Nothing else.  The base is so nicely seasoned and flavoured, it is gorgeous as is, or with minimal adornment.  The flatbread I just drizzled in extra virgin olive oil, scrubbed over with a garlic clove, and topped with fresh rosemary.


Ingredients: Rice flour, tapioca flour, potato flakes, potato start, water, evaporated cane sugar, olive oil, fresh yeast & salt.

My only gripe is that the products contain sugar (for those of you who have not yet quit sugar then no need to worry) but according to Rachel of Freshly Baked sugar is not necessary to make bread, it just makes it prove more quickly but she thinks the flavour develops the longer the yeast gets to hang out.  I rarely eat sugar. It can knock me off balance. The way I see it is this, on occasion (keep it special) it is ok.  The fact that I have found a pizza base that is gluten free, trans fat free and vegan, is a bloody dream come true!  Also,  now I know it can be done.  I will try and replicate it when I get time.  But right now I don’t have to as someone has done it for me.  This isn’t your typical, ‘make allowances because it’s gluten free’ product.  It is top notch.
It is sold to the UK online from Venice Bakery   3 x 5inch bases are £3.39.  They have an offer for a sampler pack for £10, saving of just under £5.  If you are in the US then you can order it from their Venice Bakery USA store online.


Have you come across any vegan and gluten free products lately, you want to tell us about?  Please let us know and click on the post a comment tab below.

Sunny London and Sagar - an unexpected South Indian find, a stones throw from Covent Garden

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As readers of my blog will know..I am currently obsessed with London.  It is so ALIVE right now and the sun is joyfully playing ball.  I think there must be something in the water as now TWO of my friends, who previously shunned the capital like the plague, have turned around and said..as easy as they’d been coming up there with me for years..’yes, lets have a day out in London!  Yay!  Just goes to show…you’ve gotta give people room to change (though in a more speedier manner would be helpful!).

There was a VINTAGE festival on at the South Bank Centre, which overlooks the Thames.  Reams of  loral retro dresses and spike vintage heels clicking around the place.  The girls looked so gorgeous and the men all sharp, www.brylcreemed.com and fine, wearing winkle-pickers so pointed I’m surprised Health & Safety have not clapped a ban on them as ‘unsafe sharp objects’.  I have no idea why (didn’t want to get caught) but I’ve no pictures of any of them in their finery.  Not even the girl in the black basque and satin pencil skirt with an incredibly small waist..couldn’t have been more than 20′, seriously…she obviously hadn’t just eaten a huge meal like I had and now was having to carry around like a growing foetus in my belly.  I looked marsupial!  Not a good look…for a very celibate and unpregnant girl.

What had filled me up?  An off the charts Indian restuarant steps away from Covent Garden.  Before catching the train,  I had done my usual (and far too involved) planning for the outing.  Where to meet, what time, where to go, what to see and VERY importantly…where to dine.  I had mapped the whole day around the food stops (oh dear, is that sad?..hmm, but true).  An optomistic planner, I usually have to cross off at least three items from my list. Of course I allow it all to go to pot when reality kicks in.  It seems my mind does things a lot quicker than actuality.  We did get to go to one place I wanted and I stumbled across a new street van I want to check out in the future..but whilst dragging my friend around, filling up his head with all my excitement and chatter, I spotted Sagar..three blocks from all the doings at Covent Garden.  Upon entry I was greeted with a friendly smile and a VEGAN MENU.  Sagar is a South Indian, vegetarian joint, and they have a whole menu just for vegans.  Nice.  My friend and I (he had no choice really but to give in to me) ditched our (my) plans and took a table by the window so we could people watch.  After agonising between the marsala dosa and the pizza (Indian pizza?  i know, this is London..this is fusion..this is progress).  I chose the pizza, (Uthapam) out of curiosity (my, this girl is a reckless risk taker!).

The pizza came, along with my friends dosa and idli (steamed rice sponge) (not vegan…how selfish of him..or wise as I would have nabbed half!).  The ‘pizza’ was a rice and lentil flour base (on my list to recreate) topped with delicious  potatoes, onions & coriander (ciltrano) with gun powder chili.  Amazing flavours.  The sambal and coconut chutneys were..in a word..PERFECT.  My friend allowed me to nick a very small (God! I told him it was for research purposes!) tearing of his dosa and man oh man, it was good, with a whiff of heat.  I was stuffed.  No room for (or energy after my marathon sightseeing programme) to go hunt down a cupcake or slice of something sweet.  Sagar are excellent and the service and attention exceptional.  The 2 entrees, 1 starter and a round of poppadoms under £19, right by the West End..this is incredible.  If you know better..hey, tell me.  At time of writing their www.gosagar.com was undergoing a rejig.

Other than eating we also went to the Glamour of the Gods photography exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery which has excellent portraits of Hollywood legends from the 1920’s to the 1960.  I swooned unashamedly at a shot of Clark Gabel…’oh Ashley’, embracing some wilting starlet.  I took a chance of a second viewing (I’d been week before) of the BP portrait awards..incredible talent..honestly, I’d love to watch one of the artists at work.  Our outing also spotted a rave on the beach (thank God for low tide).  London was dancing in the sun.  Now you don’t get to read THAT very often.

street car I desired!

a retro roving cinema…there is a projector in the bulbous glass front deck

raving on the banks of the Thames river
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