This week Nutritionist Eve Kalinik shows us how to transform a calorie laden pizza into a pure veggie delight
This week, expert Nutritionist Eve Kalinik tackles an absolute takeaway titan - pizza. Typically laden with calorific toppings and dripping with grease, each sinful slice can wreak havoc on the health and wealth of our bodies. Here however, Eve has once again applied her magic skills of healthy switch-ups to craft a delicious and nutritious alternative - and it might just be enough to delete the delivery man off our speed dial...
“This is a tried and tested supper favourite among my friends and family because, let's be honest, everyone loves a good pizza,” says Eve. “Using cashew cheese instead of the usual mozzarella, and a base of cauliflower and almond meal this is a vegan take on an absolute classic that doesn’t compromise on taste. Not to mention, it’s also paleo so those following a grain free diet can enjoy this as well!”
Ingredients
1⁄2 medium-large cauliflower cut into florets
3 tablespoons ground flax seeds
6 tablespoons water
1⁄2 cup ground almonds
1⁄4 teaspoon Himalayan (or sea) salt
1⁄4 teaspoon garlic powder
1⁄2 teaspoon oregano
For the cashew cheese (makes one generous cup)
1⁄2 cup cashews
1⁄2 cup water
4 tablespoons nutritional yeast flakes
Generous pinch Himalayan salt
Juice of 1⁄2 lemon
For the topping
1 red onion thinly sliced
10-12 cherry tomatoes sliced in half
1 clove garlic crushed
1 tablespoon ghee or organic unsalted butter
Basil leaves roughly torn
Method
Preheat oven to 200°C and line a baking sheet with paper. Place the cauliflower florets into the bowl of a large food processor and pulse until you get a rice texture.
In a large bowl mix together the ground flax with the water and mix to get a sticky texture.
Add in all of the other base ingredients as well as the cauliflower and mix together with your hands to create a “dough”. Spread this evenly across the baking sheet and place in the oven for 30 minutes. Then turn carefully and cook for a further 15 mins.
Remove from the oven and set aside to cool and crisp. For the cashew cheese place all ingredients into a food processor until you have a smooth-ish texture.
For the topping, heat the ghee (or butter) and sauté the onions until soft, add the tomatoes and then the garlic.
Remove from the heat and stir through the basil leaves. To assemble, add a generous spread of the cashew cheese onto the pizza base and then add the tomato and basil topping. Serve with a herb and green leaf salad with toasted seeds.