On Vegan Gluten-Free Pizza and a Grandmother from Romania

As the hungry grandson of a talented cook who came all the way from Romania to Jaffa, I have a special place in my heart for Mamaliga (and for my late grandmother).

In case you didn't know, Mamaliga is a simple and wonderful "poor man's dish" made from cornmeal and boiling water, containing all the warmth and love of Romanian grandmothers.

I recommend cornmeal because it is affordable, tasty, gluten-free, very easy to find in any supermarket, and most importantly—very nutritious.

Cornmeal is rich in minerals such as calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, and potassium, and is also rich in an important antioxidant called beta-carotene.

It has a low glycemic index and therefore helps maintain a feeling of fullness over time.

Unlike sweet canned corn, cornmeal can contain between 8 to 10 percent grams of protein and about 4 percent grams of fat.

Besides Romanian grandmother's Mamaliga porridge (or decadent polenta), you can use cornmeal to make breads, cakes, or in this case—pizza.

A post shared by Haggai Leffler Vegan Athlete (@haggai_leffler) on Jul 5, 2018 at 2:17am PDT

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How to eat it?

2 slices of pizza (assuming the pizza is divided into 8 triangles) can be a great solution for a nutritious and satisfying lunch. The high amount of carbohydrates and fiber content will create a feeling of satiety and lasting energy, which will ensure an efficient and effective workout a few hours after lunch.

Combining tomato sauce on top of the pizza dough will provide the body with an important antioxidant called lycopene.

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Nutritional Values:

One slice of pizza (out of 8 slices) with cashew cheese, tomato sauce, olives, and button mushrooms:

• 260 kcal
• 10g Carbohydrates
• 6g Protein
• 17g Fat
• 45mg Calcium
• 2.5mcg Iron

Does it get any better than this?

So, what do you need?

Ingredients for one 24 cm diameter pizza:

1. 24 cm diameter springform cake pan
2. 1 cup cornmeal
3. 1 tsp turmeric
4. 1 crushed garlic clove
5. 3 tbsp olive oil
6. 1 cup sugar-free soy milk
7. 2 cups cashew nuts (for the cheese), soaked in 2 cups of water for at least 5 hours
8. Canned tomato pizza sauce – no added sugar
9. A handful of olives
10. A handful of basil leaves
11. 3 button mushrooms

 

What to do?

• Preheat the oven to a high heat (200 degrees Celsius) on the upper grill setting.
• Pour the soy milk into a small pot with the turmeric, garlic, and 2 tablespoons of olive oil, and bring to a boil.
• When the liquid is boiling, slowly pour in the cornmeal while stirring constantly until a sticky porridge forms and pulls away from the sides of the pot. Remove from heat.

• Transfer the dough to the springform baking pan and flatten it across the pan.
• Place in the oven, as close to the top as possible, and bake for about 7 minutes.
• Prepare the cashew cheese:

1. Blend the cashews with the soaking water in a blender until a smooth, liquid paste of cashews and water is formed.
2. Transfer to a small pot.
3. At this stage, you can enhance the flavor by adding crushed garlic and a tablespoon of nutritional yeast, but it's optional.
4. Bring to a boil while stirring and then lower the heat.
5. Continue stirring until the mixture thickens and bonds.
6. Remove from heat and let it cool (the cheese will thicken more as it cools).

Let's get back to the pizza:

• Add the tomato paste, cashew cheese, and your favorite toppings onto the pizza and drizzle with a tablespoon of olive oil.
• Increase the oven temperature to 250 degrees Celsius and bake the pizza for 10-15 minutes until it browns.
• Make sure to place the baking pan in the upper part of the oven so it comes out crispy, golden, and perfect.
• Carefully remove from the baking pan and enjoy!

Seriously, what else does a person need?

 

Want more gluten-free pizza? How about chickpea flour?