pesto

I’ve just realised that this is my third pizza recipe. I must really love pizza! I think what entices me the most is how adaptable it is, you don’t really need to have much in the cupboards to whip up a pizza. I always end  up chopping up more veggies than I need for toppings.

I had a craving for a green pizza this week, a herby, summery, savoury affair but with a crisp base that tastes like the real deal. This is honestly so delicious I will be making more houmous at the weekend just so I can have it again next week for lunch. The fennel seeds work really well with the garlic infused pesto. Pesto houmous is also my new favourite thing- SO GOOD.  I thoroughly recommend using marinated artichokes on top, because they are just the most delicious vegetable in the world and every pizza tastes better with more artichokes. A good thing about being vegan and asking for a pizza with no cheese when I eat out is that I get to ask for more artichokes instead. I’m all about the artichokes.

Recipe

Chia and fennel seed pizza crust

• 1 cup gram(chickpea) flour
• 1 cup water
• 2 tbsp chia seeds
• 5 tbsp water
• 1 tbsp fennel seeds
• Salt and pepper

Kale pesto

• 5 large handfuls of kale
• 2 lemons, juiced
• 1 bunch of basil (large handful)
• 4 garlic cloves
• 1 cup of walnuts
• 2 tsp Organic Burst wheatgrass (optional)
• 1/4 cup good quality extra virgin olive oil
• Salt

Houmous

• 1 tin of organic chickpeas
• 1 tbsp tahini
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
• 1/4 cup of water/liquid from the can of chickpeas

Kale pesto –

1. Start by blending your garlic cloves in a food processor until finely minced.
2. Add all other ingredients and blend until smooth.
3. Store your kale pesto in a jar for up to four weeks in the fridge, covering with a thin layer of olive oil to keep it fresh.

Houmous –

1. Blend garlic in a food processor until fine.
2. Add all other ingredients and mix until smooth and creamy, adding more water/chickpea liquid a little at a time if you need to.
3. If you want to make kale pesto houmous, simply mix equal parts houmous and kale pesto.

Chia and fennel seed crust-

1. Preheat your oven to 180°c and line a baking tray with greaseproof paper.
2. To make the pizza crust, mix the chia seeds with 4tbsp of water and leave to form a gel. This should take around 5 minutes.
3. Add all dry ingredients to a medium sized mixing bowl and stir to incorporate. Now add the cup of water and the chia seed gel. Mix until it’s smooth but still quite thick, you want it to slowly drop of the spoon, like a thick paste.
4. Spread the base over your prepared baking tray and cook for 20 minutes, until firm.
5. Allow to cool and then top with kale pesto houmous, courgette ribbons, red onion, fresh oregano, fresh basil, marinated artichokes and sesame seeds.