Soaked-Quinoa Pizza Crust
This recipe is a beautiful work in progress with each subsequent trial a tastier version of the last. My most recent installment occurred today. This was the closest I have come to tasting "real" pizza since the last time I tasted "real" pizza.
The nice thing about this recipe is it is relatively fast. There is no long rise time. You do not have to deal with yeast. It only requires a very few simple ingredients. And, most of the cook time carries over into topping prep time. The only potential issue with this recipe is it requires planning. You have to soak the quinoa for about 8 hours. I have left it soaking for 24 with a water change around 12 hours when I realized that I wasn't going to be able to make the pizza that day. So, you can get up in the morning and start the soaking process for pizza in the evening, or you can do it the night before and be able to make pizza anytime the next day.
The process is simple. Rinse 1 cup of uncooked quinoa in a fine mesh colander to remove the soapy taste. I like to do this in batches and actually rub the quinoa against the side of the colendar. [If you forget this step, don't worry too much as you will be rinsing the quinoa later. This initial rinse is really important if you are wanting to feed this to non-quinoa people. The funky quinoa taste isn't particularly pleasant for those of us that like it, much less those who think they don't even want to try it. :)] Soak the quinoa in enough water to cover it. Place in fridge for 8+ hours. Drain and rinse. Place in a blender along with a Tbsp olive oil, 3-4 sun-dried tomatoes, 1-2 cloves fresh garlic, 1/4-1/2 tsp salt, and about a half teaspoon of the herbs of your choice. I used some fresh thyme, rosemary, and sage and some dried oregano. The herbs are to your taste, but 1/2 tsp of italian seasoning is a good starting place. Add about 1/2 cup filtered water. Blend until it is relatively smooth and looks like pancake batter. You might need to add water during this process. Meanwhile, you have a 450F oven with a 12" (or so) pan heated up in it. Add enough coconut oil to the screaming hot pan to cover it well. Put it back in the oven for a bit, and then pour in the pizza crust batter. Smooth out evenly, almost to the edges. Cook for about 12 minutes, and carefully flip it over. I used a big metal spatula and ran it under the crust until I was sure it was free before flipping it. Then, cook the crust for 10 more minutes. Remove from oven, prick with a fork, and lightly top with your favorite toppings. I don't use a tomato sauce to avoid sogginess, but get the tomato flavor instead from the sun-dried tomato crust and adding a few strips of sun-dried tomato under the cheese. Return to the oven until the toppings look like you want them to. Let rest for a few minutes. Cut and enjoy!
Things I still want to try with this recipe:
-Using a food processor instead of a blender 5/26/2013 update: My basic food processor works better than my basic blender.
- Using cooked quinoa and slightly less water
Recipe inspiration came from Tasty Eats at Home.
Ingredients:
The nice thing about this recipe is it is relatively fast. There is no long rise time. You do not have to deal with yeast. It only requires a very few simple ingredients. And, most of the cook time carries over into topping prep time. The only potential issue with this recipe is it requires planning. You have to soak the quinoa for about 8 hours. I have left it soaking for 24 with a water change around 12 hours when I realized that I wasn't going to be able to make the pizza that day. So, you can get up in the morning and start the soaking process for pizza in the evening, or you can do it the night before and be able to make pizza anytime the next day.
The process is simple. Rinse 1 cup of uncooked quinoa in a fine mesh colander to remove the soapy taste. I like to do this in batches and actually rub the quinoa against the side of the colendar. [If you forget this step, don't worry too much as you will be rinsing the quinoa later. This initial rinse is really important if you are wanting to feed this to non-quinoa people. The funky quinoa taste isn't particularly pleasant for those of us that like it, much less those who think they don't even want to try it. :)] Soak the quinoa in enough water to cover it. Place in fridge for 8+ hours. Drain and rinse. Place in a blender along with a Tbsp olive oil, 3-4 sun-dried tomatoes, 1-2 cloves fresh garlic, 1/4-1/2 tsp salt, and about a half teaspoon of the herbs of your choice. I used some fresh thyme, rosemary, and sage and some dried oregano. The herbs are to your taste, but 1/2 tsp of italian seasoning is a good starting place. Add about 1/2 cup filtered water. Blend until it is relatively smooth and looks like pancake batter. You might need to add water during this process. Meanwhile, you have a 450F oven with a 12" (or so) pan heated up in it. Add enough coconut oil to the screaming hot pan to cover it well. Put it back in the oven for a bit, and then pour in the pizza crust batter. Smooth out evenly, almost to the edges. Cook for about 12 minutes, and carefully flip it over. I used a big metal spatula and ran it under the crust until I was sure it was free before flipping it. Then, cook the crust for 10 more minutes. Remove from oven, prick with a fork, and lightly top with your favorite toppings. I don't use a tomato sauce to avoid sogginess, but get the tomato flavor instead from the sun-dried tomato crust and adding a few strips of sun-dried tomato under the cheese. Return to the oven until the toppings look like you want them to. Let rest for a few minutes. Cut and enjoy!
Things I still want to try with this recipe:
-
- Using cooked quinoa and slightly less water
Recipe inspiration came from Tasty Eats at Home.
Ingredients:
1 c quinoa plus enough water to cover
for soaking
about 1/2 c filtered water
1/2 t salt
1-2 cloves of garlic
1/2 t Italian seasoning
3-4 sun-dried tomatoes
1 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 Tbsp + Coconut oil to coat pan
Rinse quinoa well. Place the quinoa in a bowl and pour in
enough water to cover the quinoa. Let it sit for about 8 hours to soak. The longer it soaks, the easier it will be to blend. (It is best if you change the water every 8-12 hours, though. If you have to wait to make your pizza, be sure to drain, rinse, and resoak your quinoa!)
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Use a
large, 12-inch skillet, and place in oven to preheat. Add coconut oil when crust is almost ready.
Drain the quinoa, rinse thoroughly, and
place the quinoa in a blender or food processor. Add most of the water and the seasonings and
blend. Add more water as needed, until the batter resembles a thick
pancake-style batter.
Once the oven is heated to temperature,
pour the batter into the skillet and quickly spread it out evenly across the
bottom. Place in the oven and bake for about 10-12 minutes, or until the underside
is well-browned and starting to crisp. Use a large spatula and carefully flip
the crust. Bake for an additional 10 minutes.
Add toppings, avoid adding too many so
pizza doesn’t get soggy. Return to oven for 5-7 minutes.
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