Home Grown Tomatoes presents...Pizza, My Way

Tortilla Pizza with White Bean Paste, Tomato Chutney and Balsamic Glaze

Home Grown Tomatoes is a weekly Vegan/Vegetarian column by Giovanina Bucci

So I wish I had an awesome story about how I gathered with lots of great friends last night to enjoy the Superbowl...about how I relished in a smorgasbord of delicious food and beverage to help get through each quarter of the much anticipated game. Well, not so much. I was reading. And reading. And reading. Is that all I talk about? I'm sorry, my life at the moment is not full of all things cute and snuggly, like babies named Charlotte, but instead full of literature about the Black Atlantic and Feminism.

Trust me, I'd take cute and snuggly any day (particularly when adorned in fishing gear). Not to totally disappoint you though, I did eat like I was at a party. I made it through my whole day by going back and forth between fresh, homemade guacamole and Purely Decadent's Turtle Trail ice cream. Sweet, then savory, sweet, then savory. I felt like a pile of crap by the end of the day, but damn it was all so good while I was inhaling it!

This week's Tortilla Pizza idea was inspired by the Vegetarian Times January 2010 issue (pg. 60). There was a bruschetta recipe that called for all of these yummy ingredients, which I tweaked a bit and went further to create a pizza instead, as french bread does go over real well in our mostly gluten-free house. For the tortilla pizzas (which are a staple in our house, by the way), I use Ezekiel sprouted tortilla shells. They make for a super quick, tasty snack that doesn't sit overly heavy in the belly. Not to mention, the possibilities are endless!

The mastermind behind this creation is Joshua James Ogrodowski (Johnson & Whales University).

Serving Size: Cuts nicely into 6 pieces - great meal for 2 or a fun appetizer for 2+

Balsamic Glaze:

1 C. balsamic vinegar

2 Tbs. raw cane sugar

White Bean Paste:

1 15 oz. cannellini beans (drained)

2-3 Tbs. nutritional yeast (which I substituted for 2 oz. Parmesan)

1/4 C. fresh squeezed orange juice

2 Tbs. olive oil

1 clove of garlic

1 Tbs. Bragg's Liquid Aminos (which you may not have to add if you are using the Parmesan)

Chutney:

3 Roma tomatoes (chopped)

1/4 of a whole purple onion (chopped)*

3 scallions (chopped)

1/4 - 1/2 of fresh jalapeno (optional, depending on your love for heat, chopped)*

2 Tbs. fresh chopped basil

1/2 tsp. minced onion*

1/2 tsp. garlic powder*

black pepper to taste*

dash of lemon pepper*

1-2 Tbs. lime juice or apple cider vinegar

* ingredients I added (original recipe also calls for 1 Fresno chile, chopped)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Begin making the balsamic glaze by combining the vinegar and sugar and letting it simmer on medium-low heat for 20 minutes, until it becomes syrup like. Blend or food process the white bean paste ingredients, until the consistency is smooth, but not runny. Finally, combine all of the chopped ingredients to create the chutney. You can use this recipe or any recipe you may have for chutney, feel free to be creative. On your tortilla (bruschetta, pizza dough, whatever you are using) spread a healthy layer of paste and drizzle with glaze, as seen below. Finally top with the chutney and cheese if you'd like - I used Follow Your Heart vegan cheddar cheese. Bake the pizza for about 12 minutes, until the sides are a bit crispy and the cheese has melted (or in the case of vegan cheese, kind of melted!).

Slice it up and serve! The combination of ingredients is incredibly flavorful, offering sweet, spicy, salty, and savory all in one. Plus, you can do all kinds of culinary projects with these ingredients separately! The paste is a great basis for dips and spreads. The glaze can be used for rubs, salads, or caprese. And the chutney recipe is so malleable that you can use it to compliment a fish dish or to top off a Mexican feast!

Normally, I make pizzas with traditional pasta sauce, a layer of veggies and possibly some buffalo wing style tempeh, topped with cheese and usually a little side of aioli (consisting of Vegenaise, garlic powder, a dash of lemon pepper, red pepper flakes, and apple cider vinegar) for dipping. Seriously fun and addictive. Enjoy!