Beetroot as you all know has to be one of my favourite vegetables. So this week I incorporated it into my zucchini base pizza, for extra colour, fibre and flavour.
I topped it with a delicious creamy, cheesy, zucchini basil olive pesto sauce! Phew that sounds long. It's a nice change from traditional tomato based pizza sauces, that wouldn't compliment this pizza well. Plus by using zucchini as the base of the sauce, you get a nice creamy sauce that goes far, without the added calories of using standard pesto. It also makes it nut free! Nutritional yeast as always adds the cheesy flavour.
I added psyllium husk to my pizza base for extra binding and fibre, but you can exclude it, and just add more flour until the right consistency. Leaving it in makes the dough more flexible, whereas leaving it out will make the base more crusty.
You need to squeeze out the zucchini to ensure you remove as much moisture as possible. You'll be amazed how much comes out. It's worth the effort though, to avoid your base being sloppy.
Once the dough is mixed, I put it out on to a round pizza tray lined with baking paper, and spray the paper with coconut oil. The tray then acts as a guide while I use my fingers to press the dough out to the desired shape and thickness.
Always cook the pizza base first, and then add your toppings.
After taking my initial photo, I added a load more toppings, as I'm prone to doing, especially basil leaves, which I adore, and then cut it up.
Here's the final view before I ate it!
I hope you give it a try.
As always adjust the herbs and spices to suit your own tastes.
Jo xx
Beetroot Zucchini Pizza
(Serves 1)
Base
2 zucchinis grated
3 baby beetroots grated
1 flax egg (1 Tbsp ground flaxseed mixed with 2 Tbsp water. Mix and leave for 15mins)
1 tsp dried Italian Herbs
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
2 Tbsp nutritional yeast
1 Tbsp psyllium husk powder (optional)
1/4 brown rice flour (or buckwheat or AP flour of choice)
Place the grated zucchini and beetroot in a sieve and sprinkle with a little salt.
Leave for 15 minutes to help draw out moisture.
Place contents in the centre of a clean tea towel (that you don't mind getting stained) or a thick Chux dishcloth, and bring the ends together and twist. Squeeze the ball of veggies until the juice runs through the cloth. Keep squeezing out as much liquid as you can.
For a smooth base, add the zucchini and beetroot, the flax egg, herbs and nutritional yeast to a high speed blender and blend until smooth. Keep pushing down the ingredients into the blades as required.
Empty into a bowl and stir through the psyllium and flour until it makes a nice dough consistency. Add more of less flour as required.
Place dough on a baking sheet lined with baking paper, and lightly sprayed with coconut oil.
Press into desired shape with your fingers, approx 0.5 to 1 cm thick.
Place in the oven for 15 minutes at 180C/350F until lightly browned.
Basil Zucchini Olive Sauce
1/4 cup packed fresh basil
1 zucchini grated
1 clove garlic crushed
1 Tbsp nutritional yeast
5 green olives
Salt & pepper as required
Place the grated zucchini in a cloth as previous, and squeeze out the liquid
Add all ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth. Season to your taste if required.
Spread the sauce on the pizza base, plus any other toppings you want cooked, and place back in the oven for another 10 minutes.
Top with any additional toppings - I added avocado, cherry tomatoes and rocket leaves