Pesto Pitzas

Pesto Pitzas Recipe

By Veegs

Ingredients

FOR CHEESE

non-stick cooking spray

1 cup (235 ml) unsweetened coconut cream

½ cup (120 g) drained firm silken tofu

1 or 2 cloves garlic, to taste

¾ teaspoon smoked sea salt

½ to 1 teaspoon liquid smoke, to taste

½ teaspoon ground white pepper, to taste

½ teaspoon onion powder

1 tablespoon (15 ml) fresh lemon juice

1 to 2 tablespoons (8 to 15 g) nutritional yeast, to taste

1 tablespoon (16 g) almond or cashew butter

FOR PESTO

1½ cups (36 g) fresh basil leaves

1 or 2 cloves garlic, to taste, pressed

Salt and ground black pepper, to taste

1½ tablespoons (25 ml) fresh lemon juice

¼ to ½ cup (60 to 120 ml) extra-virgin olive oil, as needed

FOR PITZAS

Four 8-inch (20-cm) pita breads

2 tablespoons (16 g) drained capers

¼ cup (28 g) chopped oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes

Instructions

1TO MAKE THE CHEESE: Lightly coat a 21/2-inch (6.4-cm)-deep 16-ounce (454-g) round dish with spray. Combine all the ingredients in a blender and process until smooth.

2Transfer to a medium-size saucepan and cook over medium-high heat for 5 minutes, whisking constantly. The mixture will thicken slightly and become more cohesive; it will thicken more as it cools.

3Pour into the prepared dish, cover, and chill overnight in the fridge. It will keep for up to 1 week, stored in an airtight container. To use, finely grate 1 cup (75 g) for the sandwiches and save the rest for another use.

4TO MAKE THE PESTO: Place the basil and garlic in a food processor. Pulse a few times to chop the basil. Add salt and pepper to taste, then add the lemon juice.

5Slowly drizzle in the oil through the hole in the lid while the machine is running, until a paste form.

6TO ASSEMBLE THE PITZAS: Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C, or gas mark 5). Spread pesto on each pita bread to cover the surface.

7Sprinkle 1/4 cup (19 g) cheese on top, then add 1/2 tablespoon (4 g) capers and 1 tablespoon (7 g) sun-dried tomatoes. Bake for 15 minutes, or until golden brown and crispy.

8You will have an easier time grating the cheese if you wrap it well and freeze it for a few hours, so it becomes firmer.

9These pitzas taste great eaten cold too, kind of like crackers, and can therefore be taken on the road if you let them cool completely before wrapping them tightly.

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Earth of Maria

Earth of Maria

I’ve never been good at introductions because when they’re needed, I seem to forget every single interesting thing about myself. But I guess we’ll start with the basics. My name is Maria, and I am a twenty year old student from England. I study history at the University of Oxford and live in Brighton, but I was born in Russia and moved to the UK around ten years ago. I’m a vegan foodie (as you can probably tell by this blog), a lover of long walks and somewhere awkwardly between extrovert and introvert. Veganism and healthy eating are a huge part of my life, given that both have helped me overcome an unhealthy relationship with food. Finding balance took a lot of time and patience. But, as with many things in life, hard work proved 110% worth it! Whenever I’m not in the kitchen or working in my room, you’ll often find me at the gym, or at the grocery store looking for inspo for my next recipe.