Pizza!

So I LOVE pizza! My husband hates tomato sauce and so I have always liked the idea of pesto on pizza.. so here is a recipe with a cashew pesto - typically pesto is made with pine nuts, but they were being recalled on the East Coast. Even though I am in the midwest, it made me nervous.. so cashews are nice becuase you just add the same amount, as if you were using pine nuts.

Ingredients:

• 1 - 12 inch- pizza crust (I bought one at my local health food store)
• 2 large tomatoes, sliced
• Vegan mozzarella
• A handful of olives, diced (I liked kalamata and/or black olives)
• 1 cup seeded and diced bell peppers - you pick the colors!

For the pesto, put all of the following ingredients in a food processer:

* 1 1/2 cups tightly packed fresh basil

* A heaping 1/4 cup cashews - raw

* 1/2 cup olive oil

* 2 tablesp lemon juice

* 2-3 cloves of garlic - depending on size

* sea salt to taste - about 1/2 teasp

* black pepper to taste.... a pinch

* 2 teasp nutritional yeast (this is option but if you are vegan this is a GREAT source of B-12)

* a pinch of cayenne

Blend these ingredients until smooth and set aside!

Okay back to the pizza:  Preheat the oven to 400F. Place the pizza crust on a baking sheet and put in the oven for about 5 minutes. Be careful, I found out the hard way that these crusts are VERY fragile before they are cooked. Remove crust from oven and spread the pesto evenly, leaving about an inch from the edges.. or however large you like your crust. Next add the tomatoes and then cheese - I grate "Follow Your Heart" brand of mozzarella.. this is my favorite.. but I do love "Daiya" and this comes already grated-  Sprinkles with olives and bell peppers, and whatever other toppings you decide to add! If I am feeding this to my daughter, I will add what I feel she is lacking - I added spinach one time and it was great - just pan fry it a little with a SMALL amount of olive oil until it shrivles and then put it on the pizza... Return and bake for about 10 more minutes or until the cheese is melted!!! Voila!

The choices for pizza toppings are endless - so make it your own!