Pizza Primavera

Spring has sprung, the sun is shining and tons of great veggies are in season.  To celebrate the abundance of springtime, we’ve been mixing it up in the kitchen with this Pizza Primavera.  A bright, fragrant, healthy pizza rich in all the flavors of the season.  This recipe calls for store-bought, gluten free crust and all the veggies go on fresh, so there’s minimal prep work.  And, the fruit of your labor is downright exquisite, folks!

PIZZA PRIMAVERA

Vegan, gluten free, dairy free

Recipe by Jentry Lee Hull inspired by Fine Cooking

Yields 2, 8 inch pizzas

PIZZA PRIMAVERA INGREDIENTS

• 2 pizza crusts (I used Vicolo’s GF Cornmeal Pizza Crust)
• Fresh Mozz (I used Miyoko’s Kitchen Fresh VeganMozz, available at Whole Foods), torn into small pieces*
• Basil Kale Pesto, see recipe below
• ¼ cup fresh or frozen corn (thawed)
• 1 medium ripe tomato, sliced, or half cup cherry/Roma tomatoes, sliced in half
• ½ bell pepper, sliced into thin spears
• 2 carrots (I used purple and orange), peeled into thin ribbons (using vegetable peeler)
• 1 yellow summer squash, peeled into thin ribbons (using vegetable peeler)
• 1 zucchini, peeled into thin ribbons (using vegetable peeler)
• 3-4 asparagus, bottom ends trimmed then sliced into thin spears

BASIL & BABY GREENS PESTO SAUCE INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup packed basil leaves
• 1 cup packed baby greens (kale, chard, collard greens)
• ½ cup cashews, pine nuts or walnuts
• ¼ to ½ tsp. pink Himalayan salt
• 1 Tbsp. fresh squeezed lemon juice
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil

PIZZA PRIMAVERA DIRECTIONS

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
• Make pesto, see directions below.
• Remove crusts from packaging and top with the following:
  • spread 1 large spoonful of pesto onto each crust
  • place small pieces VeganMozz on top of pesto
  • corn
  • tomato slices
  • bell pepper spears
  • carrot ribbons
  • yellow squash ribbons
  • zucchini ribbons
  • asparagus spears
• Place pizzas directly onto oven rack or baking pans and bake for 12-15 minutes, or until toppings are golden brown.
• Remove from oven, let cool for a few minutes before cutting and enjoy!

BASIL & BABY GREENS PESTO SAUCE DIRECTIONS

• Combine basil, greens, nuts, garlic, salt, and lemon juice in a food processor. Pulse until mixture is finely chopped.
• Slowly add olive oil while blending the mixture until the texture becomes creamy and smooth, scraping down side of processor as you go.
• Adjust seasonings to taste.
• Store leftovers in airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week.

NOTES

• Miyoko’s Kitchen VeganMozz is not the easiest to cut (it tends to stick to the knife), so it’s best to pull apart using clean hands. Don’t let the “vegan” part scare you.  This dairy free mozz is far better tasting than you’d expect and it’s cholesterol free.  Yay!
• Preparing your veggies by thinly slicing and peeling is going to allow the veggies to cook more evenly and slightly brown on the top, adding a superior texture and flavor to your pizza.

Thrive on and happy cooking!

Coach Jentry

Gumsaba Outdoor Fitness Class schedule Saturday 4/2/16

8:30 AM Saturday Co-Ed Boot Camp – Coach Jentry – Split Sets

9:30AM Sunshine Orinda Sleepy Hollow Co Ed PRIVATE Class – Coach Piper – Split Sets