Pizzaaaaa…. when I realised that it was possible to make pizza base with quinoa, I though…what? Raw quinoa, nonetheless! But is true, is possible and is delicious! And double bonus, gluten free and full of protein- quinoa is one of the plant foods that has a complete array of essential amino acids. Simple steps to follow too, just plan a little bit in advance as quinoa has to soak for a few hours before its cooked.
Type: main/ snack
Time: 9h
Serves: 1 pizza (about 6 slices)
Ingredients:
1 cup quinoa rinsed and drained
1/4 cup + 3 tbsp water
1 tsp baking powder
sprinkle of salt
olive oil
Utensils:
1 bowl
sieve
blender
baking tray
spatula
Directions:
Rinse quinoa under running water; place in a bowl, cover with fresh water and let it soak for about 8h;
Using a sieve, remove soaking water, rinse again with fresh water and transfer quinoa into a blender;
Add 1/4 cup + 3 tbsp of water, baking powder and a sprinkle of salt- blend all in high speed until it presents a smooth creamy consistency (you might notice a very peculiar smell, a bit like yeast- normal!);
Line a large baking tray with parchment paper and brush a little olive oil on top of the parchment paper;
Pour quinoa mix in the tray and bake for about 15 minutes at 200 degrees Celsius;
After 15 minutes, turn the crust to the other side with a spatula carefully and bake for another 10 minutes (you might need to remove dough briefly from tray to be able to flip to the other side) ;
Remove from the oven, top it up with your choice of toppings and bake again for as long as needed (usually another 10-15 minutes).
Note: the larger your tray, the thinner the crust will be; a length of about 30cm is good.
Plant Based Portuguese 