Foodie Friday: Quinoa Pizza (Vegan / Gluten-Free / Deliciously Ella recipe) #Veganuary

Pizza is one of my all-time favourite foods - I could honestly eat it every day! However, it's usually pretty calorific, so if you're looking for a much healthier version to make at home that's also gluten-free, why not try this Quinoa Pizza for a change?

The supermarkets are full of ready-made, gluten-free pizza bases these days, but if you check the label, you might be shocked to find a bunch of hidden sugars, excess salt and artificial preservatives, so what's a gal to do? Make your own of course! 

Thankfully, there are lots of healthy, gluten-free pizza recipes online and I've been trying out various ones over the past couple of months with differing results. The best by far has been Deliciously Ella's Quinoa Pizza recipe from her self-titled debut cookbook, and it's a fun way to try something new with quinoa!

Quinoa is a brilliant pseudocereal that's naturally gluten-free, and unlike most other plant-based foods, it contains all nine of the essential amino acids which makes it an excellent source of complete protein for vegetarians and vegans. If you've only eaten quinoa in salads or as a side before, you must try this pizza recipe! It only contains five ingredients and is ready in under 20 minutes.

Ingredients:- (makes one 20cm size pizza):-

• 195g Quinoa (the plain white colour)
• 1 tsp Apple Cider Vinegar
• 2 tsp of Herbs de Provence
• Olive Oil (for greasing)
• Pinch of Sea Salt
• Sprinkling of Chili Flakes (optional)
• Your favourite Pizza Toppings

Method:-

• Prep the night before: Place the Quinoa in a large bowl, pour over cold water, making sure that it's properly covered by a good few centimetres, and leave to soak overnight.
• Preheat the oven to 210C / fan 190C.
• Drain any excess water from the Quinoa and then transfer to a food processor. Add the Apple Cider Vinegar, Herbs de Provence, Salt and Chili Flakes if using. Blend for a couple of minutes until you have you something that looks like a greyish pancake mix.
• Grease a 20cm cake tin with Olive Oil and pour the mixture in, smoothing it out, and bake for around 15 minutes or until the pizza base is firm. 
• Remove from the cake tin, transfer to a baking tray and add your Toppings. Pop back into the oven for a few minutes. Cut into slices and enjoy!

Cooking tip: For a crispier base, try cooking the pizza on a terracotta pizza stone in the oven. If you're a pizza fiend, it's definitely worth the one-off investment! 

What's your favourite gluten-free pizza base?

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