Strawberry Pizza With Balsamic Strawberry Sauce
Spring cleaning, this year, turned out to be one of the best decisions ever. At the back of the pantry, I found an almost-forgotten jar of organic strawberry jam. My children love pizza and fresh strawberry juice during season, so I thought to myself, “I could give them the foods they most love … all rolled into one!” I used tofu, rather than chicken, so the entire dish was vegetarian. It has become our favorite pizza and a great alternative to pizza delivery, and the kids can’t stop talking about it.
Tip: Do not put too much topping on your pizza crust because chances are you will end up with a soggy middle.
Nelson Mwanza has two passions in life, writing and food. He has been coming up with his own recipes or adding interesting twists to traditional ones and making them uniquely his. You may also like: Plantains Cooked in Thick Rich Creamy Coconut Sauce. Try out a meat-free meal once a week to change up your family’s same-old routine! Check out the Vegetarian Times magazine (also at www.vegetariantimes.com); A great website www.vegkitchen.com for tons of recipes; as well as many meat-free meals posted on sites like Pinterest and my favorite vegan blog, ohsheglows.com.
Ingredients
2 1/2 tsp active dry yeast (or instant yeast)
tsp sugar
500g all purpose flour
2 cups warm water
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbsp of corn flour
2 cups sliced strawberries
1/2 cup chopped strawberries
Coriander leaves
1 large white onion
1 cup shredded cheese
1/4 cup coarsely chopped cashew nuts
1 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup strawberry jam
1/4 cup crumbled tofu (optional)
Instructions
1
If you are using active dry yeast, dissolve it in a mixing bowl with the sugar and three tablespoons of warm water. Stir and set aside for about 10 minutes at room temperature for the yeast to activate and begin to foam. If you are using instant yeast, skip this step and move to the next one.
2
Mix the dissolved yeast or dry yeast with the salt, flour and olive oil. Add half the warm water and mix on medium speed until the dough just comes together. From this point on, add water in small quantities (about a tablespoon) at a time until you have a soft, smooth and pliable dough.
3
Remove from the bowl and place on a lightly floured work surface. Knead for about ten minutes. Lightly oil a bowl, place the dough inside and roll it around to coat it. Cover with a damp kitchen cloth that is clean or plastic wrap. Place in a warm place for about an hour or until it doubles in size.
4
Put all the ingredients in a double boiler and stir occasionally until it reduces to half its original volume. The strawberries will breakdown and add to the thickness of the sauce. You can add some sugar but be careful because the strawberries and the jam are sweet on their own.
5
Punch all the air out and divide into two balls. You can wrap one tightly in plastic wrap and freeze for later use. Lightly dust the work surface with some flour and roll out the pizza dough to required size.
6
Place the dough on a lightly oiled pizza pan and build the edges up slightly. Brush some oil on top and bake in a 250C-preheated oven for about five minutes. The top will firm up and become slightly crispy because of the oil.
7
Apply about a tablespoon of the balsamic sauce on the pizza crust up to about an inch from the edge.
8
Toss the tofu in half of the remaining balsamic sauce and sprinkle on the pizza crust. Add all the remaining toppings apart from the coriander leaves and lastly sprinkle the cheese.
9
Bake for about 10 minutes for the crust to become crispy and brown and the cheese to turn golden.
10
Remove from oven, garnish with coriander, more strawberries (it is strawberry pizza after all!) and drizzle some balsamic-strawberry sauce.
Categories:Treats & Desserts
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