Happy Pizza

I often think that happiness is some external thing that's going to come to me, in the form of a new love, a slice of chocolate cream pie, or a vacation.  When I was a senior in high school all I wanted was to go to a small, alternative, liberal arts college- you know, the kind of college where your classroom is in an old barn with 5 other students and your mid-term is to create an interpretive dance about gender politics in Cuba. I thought that going to a school like that was the only thing that would make me happy.  Unfortunately I didn't receive enough financial aid from any of these schools and was forced to take a "year off" to re access my college options.  Surprisingly, that year turned out to be one of the most transcendent years of my life.  It opened up new passions in me that I didn't even know were there, like West African dance and photography.  I began to realize that happiness was already living inside of me, just waiting to be revealed.

Also during that year off, I lived with a woman who was into macrobiotic cooking.  She exposed me to new foods like umeboshi plums and brown rice mochi, which I loved.  I also remember us making this delicious vegetarian pizza topped with caramelized onions and artichokes.  So when I decided to make a w/s/d free pizza for my blog, I thought back to this sweet and savory pizza. Now, don't expect this pizza recipe to taste "just like the real thing." This pizza is it's own thing.  But just because it's different from "regular" pizza, doesn't mean you won't love it!  Even though I ended up going to a big state university- which is nothing like the school I thought I wanted to go to- I had an incredibly enriching experience (and I still got to do interpretive dance!) This pizza will surprise you with it's sweet and hearty toppings and crunchy chewy crust.  This recipe is not as much inspired by the memory of that old pizza, as it is by the miracle of new experiences that open up pockets of pleasure and happiness inside of you.

Veggie Pizza (actually it's vegan and soy-free!)

Pizza Dough:

• 1 1/2 cups of gluten free flour (rice, corn, and buckwheat)
• 1/2 cup of potato starch
• 1 cup of warm rice (or soy) milk at 105-110 degrees F
• 2 packages of yeast
• 1 tbs of agave 
• 3 tsp xanthan gum
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1 tsp of olive oil
• 1 tsp cider vinegar
• 1 tsp salt
• Extra oil and some cornmeal for dusting

Toppings:

• Tomato sauce
• W/S/D free pesto (recipe to come)
• Almond (or soy) cheese
• Vegetables:  portabella mushrooms, zucchini, artichoke hearts, onions, whatever you love...

Directions:
1.  Warm milk to 105/100 degrees F.  Mix in the yeast and agave and let sit for 10 minutes so it gets bubbly and foamy.
2.  Mix together flour, potato starch, xanthan gum, herbs, and salt together in a separate bowl.
3.  When yeast is ready, mix together yeast mixture with the flour mixture.
4.  Add olive oil and cider vinegar.
5.  Roll into a sticky ball.  Add more liquid or flour if necessary.
6.  Place ball of dough into an oiled bowl and cover tightly and let sit for an hour.
7.  After an hour take out dough and kneed onto a floured surface.
8.  Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
9.  Sprinkle a layer of cornmeal onto a baking sheet and gently flatten the ball of dough onto it, spreading the dough into an even, thin round crust.
10.  Bake in the oven for about 20 minutes.
12.  While it's baking, saute chopped onions and mushrooms until they are soft and caramelized.  Add balsamic vinegar if you like (my sister's tip) to make the onions super caramelized.
13.  Cut the zucchini into thin slices and chop up the artichoke hearts.
14.  When pizza crust is golden, remove from oven (make sure it is cooked through, because once you put the toppings on, the middle of the crust doesn't cook much more in the oven.)
15.  Spread pesto onto crust, then the tomato sauce.  Top with vegetables, and shredded almond cheese.
16.  Bake in oven for about 15-20 minutes until cheese is melted.

Cut and enjoy!