I have a confession. I love Pizza! I really do. I always scoffed at those who would answer the question of “what’s your favorite good?” and they would say pizza. Well, pizza isn’t my favorite food, but it’s up there. Of course my pizzas are not the typical cheese and sauce on a doughy gluten-filled crust, but that’s not the definition of pizza anyway. Dictionary.com told me the definition was this: “a flat, open-faced baked pie of Italian origin, consisting of a thin layer of bread dough topped with spiced tomato sauce and cheese, often garnished with anchovies, sausage slices, mushrooms, etc.”
Okay, so maybe it is close to what I said isn’t the definition, but it doesn’t specify what the dough or cheese has to be made from! The pizza I have to share with you today, is the closest to fitting this definition of pizza that I have made yet. It has the “dough”, sauce, and even cheese (or cheeze in my case)! The definition for a margherita pizza says: “a type of pizza made with tomato, sliced mozzarella, basil, and extra virgin olive oil.“ I hit all those except the EVOO. But that’s okay…I made up for it with a few other extras 😉
One this I did take to a new level with how it was “cooked” and in this case it was grilled! Two great loves combined in one meal! Grilling and pizza, can you get any better? There is something about grilling that just leaves you feeling super accomplished in your culinary feats. It takes a bit of extra gusto to grill than it does to bake. And I am so happy I started using the big bad grill this summer. It was intimidating at first, but now I like to call it my best friend 😉 It hasn’t let me down yet or screwed up a recipe. I think it likes me too 🙂
What I loved about grilling the pizza was the nice smoky taste it gave. It also nicely and lightly cooked the delicate topping with the grill cover closed. Each flavor was able to burst through and hold its own when you took a bite. The colors all stayed vibrant and really made the pizza a feast for the eyes (as well as the stomach!)
Grilled Vegan Margherita Pizza
For the Cashew Cheeze:
+ 1/4 C Raw Unsalted Cashews (soaked in 1 cup of water overnight)
+ 1/8 Tsp Onion Powder
+ 2 Shakes of White Pepper
+ 1 TB Water
For the Pizza:
+ 1 Large Brown Rice Tortilla (I use Food For Life)
+ 1 Handful of Arugula
+ 5 Leaves of Fresh Basil
+ A Few Slices of Sweet Onion
+ 3 or 4 Slices of Tomato
+ 2 TB Salt-Free Tomato Paste
+ 2 TB Sliced Black Olives (rinsed)
+ Sprinkle of Garlic Powder
Directions:
+ To make the cashew cheeze, combine the soaked cashews, pepper, onion powder, and water in a food processor. Pulse until you get a relatively smooth but crumbly texture. Set aside.
+ To assemble the pizza, spread the tomato paste, layer the tomatoes and onions down, next the arugula and basil, sprinkle on the olives, then make 3 “blobs” with the cashew cheeze, and finally sprinkle on a bit of garlic powder.
+ On a medium heated grill, place you pizza on an oiled piece of foil down on the grill. Close the cover and grill for about 6-8 minutes.
Pretty simple! Of course you can make a few of these a feed the fam, but I am usually alone so one grilled pizza will suffice 😉 In conclusion, this pizza elevated my love for pizza that much more! Plus it was the first time I made cashew cheeze and I loved it! It really does taste like cheese, plus cashews are so buttery and sweet anyway, it was just fabulous. (Rivaling the nutritional yeast cheese!). I was also able to get my fix of tomato paste. I love the stuff! It’s so concentrated and tangy; so much better than tomato sauce! Since I never use a whole jar at once, I freeze a few tables spoons in plastic baggies to whenever I need it. Then I just thaw it out in the microwave and I have tomato paste ready to go!
So tell me:
+ What is your definition of pizza?
+ Have you ever grilled a pizza? Do it before the summer is over!
*Recipe linking up for the week! WIAW, Allergy Free Wednesdays, #RecipeFridays, #RecipeOfTheWeek, #StrangeButGood, Gluten-Free Wednesdays, Real Food Friday, Gluten-Free Fridays, Tasty Tuesdays, Savoring Saturdays, Healthy Vegan Fridays, #Foodie Friday, Real Food Recipe Roundup, Gluten-Free Tuesdays, Tasty Tuesdays!*
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