Raw Pizza Night!
I always love experimenting with ingredients. Lately, I have been on a buckwheat binge. Buckwheat is gluten free and a great alternative to wheat. Did you know that buckwheat is not a grain? It is actually a seed that is related to rhubarb.
I have an affinity with buckwheat. When I was a little girl, my dad, ever the nutrition conscious chef, used to make us buckwheat pancakes for Sunday morning breakfast. I loved it when my dad cooked. Everything seemed more special, probably because he didn’t do it that often. Mom made beautiful, delicious dinners every night but turn Dad lose in the kitchen and somehow magic was born.
Buckwheat has amazing health benefits. First of all, it’s a great source of Manganese. Why is that important? Manganese helps your body in many ways. It helps keep your bones healthy, and maintain healthy blood sugar levels. It supports thyroid function and protects your cells from free radical damage. If that isn’t enough, it also helps maintain healthy nerves.
Buckwheat is also great for your cardio vascular system. What more can you ask for?
Today’s raw pizza recipe takes advantage of that wonderful seed in it’s crust. I have had many requests for pizza so I finally dug in and made one for you. I must admit, this recipe is a complete winner. The recipe looks long but it you make the crust and mushrooms ahead and it is easy to throw together.
Raw Pizza with Buckwheat Crust
Buckwheat Crust
- 1 cup buckwheat, sprouted
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/2 cup walnuts, soaked 6 hours, drained
- 3 carrots, diced very fine
- 1 teaspoon Italian spices
- Sprout buckwheat: Soak 1 cup buckwheat in water overnight. Drain (the water will be slimy so drain and rinse a couple of times). Rinse 3 times a day until little tails sprout. Use when tails are the same length as the seed. This will take 1-2 days.
- Place buckwheat and olive oil in the food process and pulse until a mash is achieved.
- Add walnuts and pulse until well blended.
- Add carrots and italian spices, blend well.
- Form into 6, 4-inch squares on a non-stick dehydrator sheet. Dehydrate at 140 for 45 minutes. Turn down heat to 115 and dehydrate until the tops are dry. Remove from non-stick sheet to screen and continue to dehydrate until mostly dry. You want these a little soft, not brittle.
Marinated Mushrooms and Onions
- 1 cup mushrooms, sliced
- 1 cup onions, sliced thin
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup Nama Shoyu
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- Toss together mushroons and onions. Place in glass container.
- Whisk together, olive oil, Nama Shoyu and maple syrup.
- Pour over mushroom, onion mix. Stir to coat. Place in refrigerator for at least 4 hours to marinate.
- Remove mixture, drain. Place on non-stick dehydrator sheets and dehydrate at 115 for 4-5 hours.
Marinara Sauce
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 cup sun-dried tomatoes, softened
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/2 lemon, juice from
- 1/4 cup raisins, soaked
- 1/2 cup soaking water from raisins
- 1 teaspoon italian spices
- With food processor running, drop garlic in and chop fine.
- Add remaining ingredients. Process until smooth.
Spinach Walnut Pesto
- 2 cloves garlic
- 3 cups spinach
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 1/2 cup walnuts, soaked, drained and dried
- 1/2 lemon, juice from
- With food processor running, drop in garlic.
- Add remaining ingredients and process until a paste is formed.
Cashew Cheese:
- 3/4 cups cashews, soaked overnight, drained
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- pinch Himalayan Salt and pepper
- Place all ingredients in food processor. Pulse until a cottage cheese texture is achieved. Add a little water if necessary.
Assembly
- Place crust on plate. Spread a layer of the marinara sauce, then a layer of the spinach walnut pesto, some of the cashew cheese, the mushroom onion mixture and then top with more cheese and onions.
For more great recipes, check the recipe list here: Recipes
jamie hayworth-chin wrote on February 22, 2011
Is there anything I can use for the crust other than buckwheat?
Mindy wrote on February 21, 2011
This post is perfect! My husband and I were in a pizza mood last night, so we picked up some Pizza Luce (and didn’t opt for the gluten free crust) with their home-made vegan cheese. It was very tasty, but later that night, my wedding ring got stuck on my swollen little finger! That happens when I eat too much gluten. I had to use soap to get it off. I am going to get sproutin tonight… Thanks for the inspiration, Susan!
Elizabeth wrote on February 20, 2011
Absolutely beautiful. I just made a big batch of sprouted buckwheat crispies, I wonder if they would work ok in your recipe. I’d probably have to add a little more moisture.
Peace & Raw Health,
Elizabeth
Laura-Jane wrote on February 19, 2011
Ummmmmm yummy!!! I have never made raw pizza, because I tend to gravitate to the simple dishes. But this looks to live for!
Faith Lubitz wrote on February 19, 2011
wow, when I first saw the photo I could swear you had cooked those onions! Looks great…I once had a dream that I think was telling me to eat sprouted buckwheat….I saw what looked like a little pyramid, and then something popped out of the top! I decided that was about the pyramid-shaped buckwheat seed , sprouting! the fact that they are shaped like pyramids seems like an obvious indicator that buckwheat is very very special… but then I ran into lots of slime trying to sprout them….kind of discouraged me.
Susan wrote on February 19, 2011
Faith…you just need to get past the first soaking. 🙂
Peneleapai wrote on February 8, 2015
hey, with buckwheat it’s ready even after like 10 / 15 minutes of a soak. 20 minutes if you want to be good 🙂
Tho you probably figured this out by now 🙂
Debbie Hartley wrote on February 19, 2011
Are those raw buckwheat groats or buckwheat seeds?
Susan wrote on February 19, 2011
They are groats, but the point being that the groat is actually the seed, not a grain.
Gayle wrote on February 19, 2011
That looks amazing! My family will be having this soon.
pure2raw twins wrote on February 18, 2011
YUM YUM
Now I am craving a raw pizza 🙂