Anyhow, when one can't sleep, one can blog! I made this Brown Rice Pizza from Vive le Vegan! last week, but I'm just now getting to post the picture (it's that neverending contest... Harmonia, please e-mail me!).This is truly a gluten-free pizza crust, made from short grain brown rice. Since the rice is sticky, it holds together to take a pizza crust form. Of course it does not have the texture or taste of traditional crusts, but that's what I like about it. It's a wholesome brown rice crust that is lightly seasoned with herbs, pictured below.
I veered some from the toppings listed in my recipe (please do the same and use what you like and have in your fridge/pantry), and roasted sliced mushrooms, onions, and zucchini, and then sprinkled on sliced olives, toasted pine nuts, and fresh diced tomatoes. Yes, there is a piece with a lot of 'extras' - artichokes and olives - a special treat for our 4 year old!
15 comments:
Oh, that was one of the first recipes I tried from Vive! I really liked it, but I had to eat it in a bowl, because the crust didn't really hold together. Yummy!
Oh yum - the toppings look especially good. That is a great idea because I've been avoiding yeast at all costs. I also finally got my copy of vive this morning - yay!!
Oh my gosh! This free book thing is starting to get crazy! Harmonia~ You are too nice (in a good way)!
Well, this pizza looks delish. But as Melissa commented--how do you get the crust to stay together? I haven't made it yet...but, I was thinking that might be a problem.
:)
TO die for! Lovely!
Just posted about the books...gave you another plug.
YOU ROCK!
The crust stays together *pretty* well. You know when you leave rice in your pot on the stove and when you try to scoop it out at the end of your meal it is quite stuck together?... well, that's what happens with the pizza. Basically when your rice is cooked you mix in some of the dried herbs and then transfer it to your pizza pan and press it in and around the pan, and form a crust shape. You bake it again for about 10 minutes to set it and then top it with the ingredients and bake again.
It's not hard to do, and while it certainly doesn't stay together like a true pizza crust (yes, it will crumble some when you remove pieces), I have been able to serve up slices that look like a real pizza slice!!! It helps to slice smaller slices since larger pieces will have more tendency to fall apart. Also, short grain brown rice is needed - not long grain brown rice, so be sure that's what you use! If any of you are still concerned about it holding together, you can put it in a casserole dish instead and spoon it out (you can skip the step of baking the rice layer this way). Hope this helps, guys! Sorry it didn't work out for you Melissa, but at least you liked the taste! :)
Harmonia, you are very generous to offer up the book to another... I will randomly pick yet one more winner, and then hopefully the contest will be done!! Thanks also Harmonia for featuring my books on your post today, that's so nice of you!! I hope you like the recipes, and be sure to e-mail or post any q's you might have when you get cookin'! :)
That pizza looks delicious! Do the edges get crispy?
Hi again!
Just bought Bulgur for the first time (Bob's Mills) any suggestions or tips?
Dreena-
I adore you posting these pictures of dishes from Vive--quite an inspiration! I'm totally guilty of owning A LOT of cookbooks but getting stuck in my same rut of dishes I made. Your pictures are going to help me get past that =)
Quick question, perhaps you can enlighten me--what is the general gist of the yeast debate? Are some people allergic to it, and that's why it's avoided? Is it, in general, not wise to consume a lot of yeast? Just wondering. I'm trying to really self-educate myself on a lot of these holistic health issues.
Thanks again!
Oh man! That pizza looks soooo good! One of these days I hope to actually have time to make it.
I have to try this when I receive my copy of the book!
BTW, any suggestion on what kind of immersion blender? I puree soups only once in a while, and I have no clue as to which one to get.
thx.
I LOVE my Braun Multiquick MR 400 hand blender/chopper.
Another pizza! YEA! Pizza is one of my favorite things. This would be way easier than doing a traditional crust. I will have to try this.
I also have a Braun Multi-quick hand-blender. It came with a chopper attachment that is soooo handy for chopping fresh herbs or grinding spices. Very easy to clean as well. I second Dreena's recommendation.
Dreena, it still turned out awesome. And you're right, if I took smaller pieces, it held together better. Still a great recipe, and it will forever be remembered because it was the first one I made from Vive :)
Hi Chava, the crust edge does get a little crispy - basically wherever the rice base isn't covered with some sauce/veggies. However... too crispy with this rice base is not what you want - it just becomes very hard crunchy rice, so you don't want to bake it extra long just to get that crispy crust! :)
Hey Harmonia! Bulgur is quite easy and quick to use (takes just about 15 minutes to cook), but I don't use it that much myself. Just because as I've mentioned in some of the other posts that I try to use wheat alternatives where I can, so for whole grains I use rice, quinoa, millet, wild rice, etc. You won't find bulgur recipes in my cookbooks, but there are lots out there, and one of the most popular bulgur recipes is tabbouleh (spelling may vary). Also, here is a link with Bob's Red Mill for several bulgur recipes (not all are veg, but you can subsitute): http://www.bobsredmill.com/recipe/ingredient.php?pid=95 Good luck with it, Harmonia!
Hi Ms. Mercedes! Thanks, how nice to know I am giving you a little inspiration! Yeast. I"m not against eating bread with yeast, though I do buy some that are yeast-free, just because they are also wheat-free and I like them! But, yeast CAN be a problem for sure. If someone has a yeast sensitivity or allergy, or recurrent yeast infections, or have been on antibiotics (because they wipe out the bad and good bacteria and then a yeast infection can develop), then yeast in foods can wreak havoc. I'm not a naturopath or nutritionist, so I'm not going to step out of my realm here, but essentially these people need to avoid yeast for some length of time to rebalance their system, and they may also need some probiotics to help restore healthy bacteria. Hope that helps some...!
Hi Kaivegan! If you are only using the immersion blender occasionally, and don't need the chopper attachment, then I would go for the lower end Braun model that's about $20. I have one that is a bit pricier, but I use the other attachments a lot and the motor is stronger/bigger(?), since I burned out the less expensive models pureeing choc chips and nuts to chop them. I have put a link in my post to some handblenders with amazon, so look for the "Braun Multiquick Handblender" - I think it's $19.99, and the main thing is that the base detaches so you can pop the blender attachment in the sink/dishwasher - probably the same one Danielle has mentioned here.
Veggiewoman and Carrie - you're right, this crust is far easier than making a traditional pizza crust. I don't have patience for breadmaking at all!! It's even easier I think than buying store bought dough and trying to roll it out and get it to fit to your pizza pan! Easier and much more nutritious!! :)
Hey, thanks Melissa!!! How super that you tried it out again, and thanks for the feedback... I'm in your recipe history book! yay! :)
This looks absolutely fantastic!
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