Monday, October 31, 2011

Vegan Thai Coconut Carrot Pizza

This is a pizza that, when I first had it, completely blew my mind. Derek and I were in Paso Robles for the weekend to celebrate my birthday. In the midst of wine-tasting, we stopped by Thomas Hill Organics (a restaurant) for a quite bite and that's where we stumbled upon this intriguing pizza combination. There was a sweetness of the coconut paired with the spice of the chile and freshness from the cilantro that harmonized in my mouth with every bite. Since then, we have been recreating it at home. Though the crust is never quite the same, the flavors are there - and never cease to impress me. Plus it is vegan - bringing the joy of pizza to those who have given up all things dairy. And you really don't miss the cheese - I promise! This is a must try.


Crust
6 ounces of dough (we used a pre-made dough from Whole Foods)

Sauce
1 lb of carrots
1/2-inch length fresh ginger, sliced
4 cloves of garlic, sliced
1/8 teaspoon allspice
salt (to taste)
pepper (to taste)

Peel and slice carrots into 1-in pieces. Please in large saucepan along with ginger, garlic and allspice. Add just enough water to cover the carrots. Simmer until carrots are soft and water has been (mostly) absorbed. Drain carrots and reserve liquid. Blend to a thickened puree (about the same consistency as a pizza sauce) adding reserved liquid as needed.

Topping
1/2 Anaheim chile, thinly sliced
Handful of cilantro, chopped
4 tablespoons toasted coconut
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
1/4 cup coconut cream
1/4 cup cashew pieces, toasted

 Preheat oven to 500 degrees and heat a baking stone (about 30-45 minutes prior to cooking). Spread carrot sauce on a prepared pizza crust and top with pepper slices. Place on baking stone in oven and cook until crust is lightly browned. Remove from oven and drizzle with coconut cream and top with cilantro, coconut, sesame seeds and cashews. Enjoy!

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