Friday, April 26, 2013

Raw Asparagus Pizza with Garlic Zucchini Crust and Melted Mozzarella Cashew Cheese



Have you ever tried raw asparagus? It's nothing like the cooked one. I always thought that a raw asparagus just can't be as delicious as the cooked one, and I didn't even give it a try. When I finally tested it, I was very surprised. The crispy, almost nutty taste is very interesting and I decided to use it in some savory recipe. 


I thought that asparagus pizza could be great idea, and it turned out just great! When I hear the word Italian, I always think of basil and that is why I decided to use fresh basil and combine it with classic marinara sauce and marinated mushrooms. Sun dried tomatoes give the Italian taste to every meal, so I couldn't miss this important ingredient either.


There is one thing I mind about raw pizza recipes. The heavy nutty crust that is too high in fat and doesn't fit into any fitness diet program. Whether you are fitness enthusiast or don't care about sport at all, high fat food is just not good for you. That is why I experiment and try to bring you tasty, healthy and low calorie recipes you can enjoy anytime. So here it comes - low fat, low calorie, absolutely healthy and delicious pizza!


To keep the pizza low in fat I used zucchini as the main ingredient of the crust. If you want this pizza to be even lower in calories, just skip the cashew cheese or substitute it with avocado. I hope you will enjoy this recipe as much as I did!


Raw Asparagus Pizza with Garlic Zucchini Crust and Melted Mozzarella Cashew Cheese

Makes 2 medium pizzas

Crusts
4 medium zucchini, peeled and chopped
1/2 cup ground flaxseed 
1 garlic clove
1/3 cup fresh basil

Topping
1 cup asparagus, chopped
1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes, chopped
1 cup fresh basil, chopped
1/5 cup portabello mushroom, chopped
1/5 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp tamari
squeeze of lime juice

1 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced

Marinara Sauce 
2 cups fresh tomatoes, chopped
1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes
1 Tbsp dried pizza spice (oregano, basil, marjoram)
1 garlic clove
1 Tbsp agave syrup (or other sweetener)

Cashew Cheese
1 cup cashew nuts, soaked for 4 hours
juice of 1/5 lime
1/3 cup water

To make the crusts: Put all ingredients in the food processor and pulse until smooth. Spread the mixture onto teflex sheets, creating rounds, but not too thin. Dehydrate for 8 hours and flip. Dehydrate again for 8 hours until crispy. 

To make the topping: Combine all ingredients except the cherry tomatoes in a bowl and place in the fridge.

To make the marinara sauce: Put all ingredients in the food processor and process until smooth.

To make the cashew cheese: Blend all ingredients in a high speed blender until creamy and smooth.

Assembly: Spread the marinara sauce onto pizza crusts and top with the marinated veggies. Top with sliced cherry tomatoes and spoon the cashew cheese on top. Serve and enjoy!


















1 comment:

  1. Wow, looks and sounds devine! I'll be making this asap :) Thanks for sharing :)

    ReplyDelete