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brussels sprout & “bacon” pizza (vegan)

2009-01-01 14.13.33The weather finally is whispering spring. My children actually want to play outside. I wore shoes, not boots, outside for the first time since I can’t remember when (not counting my time in the DR). Today the boys rode their bikes to school. Yet I know we’re not in the clear yet…a spring snow is still a possibility.

And here is a, perhaps unconventional, recipe; a nod to this betwixt and between time of eating winter’s comfort food while looking forward to spring’s fresh raw green. It’s a pizza featuring the warming heat of peppers and topped with raw Brussels sprouts and coconut bacon.

Considering I spent much of my life convinced I did. not. like. Brussels sprouts (I even tried convincing my mum I was allergic to them), I find it humorous that I now try to find ways to work them into a recipe. Though I still am not a fan of a cooked sprout, I do enjoy them in the raw.

If you enjoy the taste and texture of cooked Brussels sprouts, by all means roast away, but I like the contrast of warm pizza with cool greens and knowing that the heat hasn’t killed all their micro-nutrient goodness.

The coconut bacon recipe comes from a recipe pack Angela at Oh She Glows offered with a pre-buy of her cookbook*; I tweaked it slightly. brusselsproutbaconpizza

CLICK HERE TO PRINT A PDF of the brussels sprout & “bacon” pizza recipe

CLICK HERE TO PRINT A PDF of the coconut bacon recipe

Brussels sprout & “bacon” pizza (vegan)

Prep Time: 10-15 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Serving size: 2 adults

 

Ingredients

For the Coconut Bacon (makes more than needed for the pizza – save the extra for other recipes!)

  • 2 cups large, flaked coconut, unsweetened
  • 3 T coconut aminos
  • 2 tsp. liquid smoke
  • ½ tsp. pure maple syrup
  • ¼ tsp salt

For the Pizza

  • Pizza crust (here’s the one I use)
  • Hummus
  • Pizza sauce (the sauce I make for this)
  • Pine nuts (optional)
  • Sliced onion rounds
  • Sliced red peppers, organic are best
  • Sliced Greek pepperoncini
  • Brussels sprouts, roughly chopped
  • Coconut bacon (recipe follows, next page)
  • Garlic powder & dried oregano

Instructions

for the Coconut Bacon

  1. Add all ingredients to a bowl and stir to combine. Mixing by hand can help the liquids coat the coconut.
  2. Let the mixture stand a few minutes while oven preheats to further aid absorption.
  3. Spread coconut onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
  4. Bake 7-8 minutes, remove pan from oven, stir, then return pan oven.
  5. Bake an additional 7-8 minutes, stirring once or twice to help coconut bacon cook evenly.
  6. Remove from oven and let cool.

for the Brussels Sprout & “Bacon” Pizza

  1. If using a homemade crust, pre-bake it for five minutes.
  2. Spread on hummus, then sauce.
  3. Sprinkle garlic powder and dried oregano, then add pine nuts if using.
  4. Add onions, peppers and pepperoncini and bake in over for about 15 minutes or until crust is lightly brown and veggies are tender.
  5. Top with raw Brussels sprouts and sprinkle on coconut bacon. Serve.

Recipe Notes

  • You can use tamari or soy sauce in place of coconut aminos, but you will need to adjust the salt content. I like using coconut aminos because it is free of additives often found in soy sauce and tamari and it has a lower sodium content. Here’s where I order it on vitacost.com.
  • I use Wright’s Hickory Liquid Smoke because it is one of the few liquid smoke brands that is free of sugar and other additives.
  • Although the bacon is soft when it first comes out of the oven, it hardens as it cools.
  • I like using red pepper hummus (especially Sabra’s Red Pepper Hummus) for the extra flavor dimension it offers, but feel free to experiment with your favorite kind. Hummus is key as it mimics the moisture and flavor cheese adds to pizza.
  • I use Jeff’s Naturals brand for my pepperoncini because it doesn’t contain the preservatives found in most brands of pepperoncini found in grocery stores. I get mine a natural foods grocery store.
  • Sprinkling on garlic powder and dried oregano helps boost flavor.
  • To judge quantity, I make my pizza in a 9-inch cake pan and use about ½ onion, one small red pepper, ½ cup of pepperoncini, 4-5 Brussels sprouts and ¼ cup coconut bacon. But feel free to adjust to your personal taste.
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* *I am an Amazon associate. If you purchase the cookbook through this link, it will provide a small credit to my account.

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