Divine Corn Crust Pizza
Recipe created by Aine McAteer
Try Aine McAteer's tasty meat-less pizza.
Ingredients
Crust:
- 1 1/2 cups cornmeal
- 1 1/2 cups white spelt flour
- 1 cup corn kernels
- 2 tsp. baking powder
- 1/2 tsp. olive oil
"No-Mato Sauce":
- 1/2 onion , diced
- 3 carrots , scrubbed and diced
- 1/2 beet (or one if small)
- Sea salt
- 1 Tbsp. olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic , minced
- 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
- 1 shallot , minced and Black pepper
Toppings (to choose from):
- Shiitake or crimini mushrooms
- Olives
- Red, yellow and green peppers
- Zucchini
- Red onion
- Broccoli (blanched)
- Veggie or tofu sausage (thinly sliced)
- Fresh basil
- Crumbled tofu
- 1 Tbsp. olive oil
- 1 Tbsp. tamari
Directions
To make crust: Combine the cornmeal, spelt flour and corn kernels (I like to put them in a food processor or blender first and break them up), baking powder and salt in a bowl and add 1/2 cup water and olive oil. Mix well so that it comes together and forms a dough, and transfer to a floured work surface. Knead for at least 5 minutes, until the dough is smooth and stretchy. Cover and set the dough aside as you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
To make "no-mato sauce": Combine the onion, carrots and beets in a saucepan and add enough water to just cover the veggies and a big pinch of sea salt. Bring to a boil, cover the pot, reduce heat and simmer for about 15 minutes. While the veggies are cooking, heat olive oil in a sauté pan and add the garlic and shallot and a big pinch of sea salt. Sauté for a minute or so, then add the oregano and continue to sauté until the veggies are soft and translucent.
When the carrots and beet are done, puree them in a blender, adding enough of the cooking water to get a thick sauce consistency. Add the blended mixture to the shallot and stir it in. Add black pepper to taste.
Preheat oven to 375° and oil a pizza pan or baking sheet.
Divide the pizza dough in half and roll out each half into a big circle and transfer it to a pizza pan. You can decoratively crimp the edges. I usually just roll it out a bit and then transfer it to the pan and continue to press it into the desired shape—circle or rectangle.
Prick the dough all over with a fork and bake for about 5 minutes.
Remove from the oven and top with sauce and your choice of toppings. I like to make two different pizzas so there's a choice. Return to oven for about 10 minutes, then slice and serve.
Variations:
To make "no-mato sauce": Combine the onion, carrots and beets in a saucepan and add enough water to just cover the veggies and a big pinch of sea salt. Bring to a boil, cover the pot, reduce heat and simmer for about 15 minutes. While the veggies are cooking, heat olive oil in a sauté pan and add the garlic and shallot and a big pinch of sea salt. Sauté for a minute or so, then add the oregano and continue to sauté until the veggies are soft and translucent.
When the carrots and beet are done, puree them in a blender, adding enough of the cooking water to get a thick sauce consistency. Add the blended mixture to the shallot and stir it in. Add black pepper to taste.
Preheat oven to 375° and oil a pizza pan or baking sheet.
Divide the pizza dough in half and roll out each half into a big circle and transfer it to a pizza pan. You can decoratively crimp the edges. I usually just roll it out a bit and then transfer it to the pan and continue to press it into the desired shape—circle or rectangle.
Prick the dough all over with a fork and bake for about 5 minutes.
Remove from the oven and top with sauce and your choice of toppings. I like to make two different pizzas so there's a choice. Return to oven for about 10 minutes, then slice and serve.
Variations:
- You can use other flour such as whole wheat pastry flour or, for a gluten-free version, rice or oat flour in place of the spelt.
- Instead of "no-mato sauce," you can top with pesto and veggies— this is one of my favorite variations. I make my own pesto with 2 cups fresh basil, 1 cup parsley, 1/3 cup pine nuts or almonds, 6 tablespoons olive oil, 1 clove garlic and sea salt to taste, all buzzed in a blender or food processor.
- I like to have a little goat cheese occasionally, so you could use that instead of the tofu, or if you do like a little dairy once in a while, you can use grated mozzarella.
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