Vegetarian Spelt Crust Pizza with Pesto

Pizza is always a favourite menu item at the Ashram and somehow during the winter months of the Yoga Development Course there’s warmth and comfort in a hearty pizza made with seasonal vegetables.

Spelt Crust

• 2 cups warm water
• 2 tablespoons yeast
• 3 1/2 cups of fine spelt flour
• 1 1/4 cups of stone ground spelt flour
• Pinch of salt
• 1/8 cup olive oil

Cooking Instruction

• Preheat oven to 350°F
• Combine water, yeast and flour in a large bowl. Mix well.
• Add the flours, oil and salt. Work together until dough holds shape. (You may need a bit less flour so add the flour gradually).
• Knead the dough on a floured surface until elastic (5 minutes). Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl; cover and let rise until it has doubled (1 hour).
• When dough has risen, divide into two pieces, leave for 15 – 20 minutes then shape, add toppings and bake.

Makes two medium size pizza crusts.

Add Pesto Sauce and toppings, then bake at 350°F for 15 – 20 minutes, until the edges of the crust are a golden brown.

Pesto Sauce

• 2 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice and zest
• 6 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 cup fresh basil/parsley/cilantro, arugula, mint, spinach
• Sea salt to taste
• 2 teaspoons of garlic, sautéed lightly
• 1/3 cup toasted walnuts, sunflower seeds or almonds, etc.
• 2 1/2 tablespoons parmesan cheese

Cooking Instruction

• Mince garlic and sauté lightly in olive oil.
• Juice and zest lemon.
• Toast walnuts or seeds and grind them fine.
• Gather herbs.

Assembly:

• Add to blender: lemon juice and zest, herbs (whole leaves are fine), garlic and nuts/seeds. Do not place all the nuts at the bottom of the blender as this could impede the blending process.
• Slowly start to drizzle the olive oil into the blender. The mix will begin to liquefy as the oil flows into the mix. Continue to add the oil slowly.
• Once all the oil has been added, add parmesan cheese, adjust salt, and thin with water if necessary to a sauce consistency.
• Spread pesto sauce onto unbaked pizza crust, add toppings and bake (see baking instructions above).

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