Raw Vegan Pizza Rafts

I'll be honest here.  One thing I've missed for years is pizza.  Real pizza.  But due to my food allergies and being vegan I haven't had real pizza in over 13 years.  Oh I've had my fair share of gluten-free vegan pizzas and recently have made some rather yummy raw vegan versions that would give the real deal a run for the money.  But, the raw crust takes some time to prepare and dehydrate before you can put it all together and sometimes I just don't have that much extra time. 

On the flip side, eating raw lets you be very creative when it comes to recipes.  For instance, after watching Megan Elizabeth's Raw Vegan Pizza Bites Bam! video, it inspired me to create my own version: Raw Vegan Pizza Rafts!  My complete recipe is at the end of the post and below are a few pictures with a little info and to tempt you to either create as is or perhaps inspire you to create your own version as well.

First I cut my zucchini rafts using my mandoline slicer then set them aside.  No worries if you don't have mandolin slicer, simply use a sharp knife to slice as you wish.

Next, I prepare my pizza sauce and let it drain from a fine mesh strainer so that it is not a soupy mess when preparing my rafts.

We need cheese for our pizza too.  No, it's not like regular cheese, so don't get over excited.  This version I made is more like cheese crumbles, but goes well with the pizza.

Did you say toppings?  Of course!  Let your imagination roll with this as just about anything goes.  For this pizza I used mushrooms that I marinated to take on a "cooked" texture and appearance.

While there are a few steps here, it pretty much flows quickly.  Plus it is not near as time consuming as when making raw crusts... especially when you are craving pizza in a hurry.

Raw Vegan Pizza Rafts 
makes about 6 or more large slices

Rafts
1 very large zucchini or 2 medium - cut into thick slices with a mandoline or knife
(these could be made last to give the mushrooms time to marinate and sauce to drain)

Marinated Mushrooms
8-10 baby portobellos - on the large side, sliced
1/2 Tbs each: EVO, raw agave, amino acids (braggs, etc.) balsamic vinegar

Combine liquid ingredients in a small bowl then toss in mushrooms to coat.  Don't worry, it may look like there is not enough liquid but the mushrooms will create their own juice as well.  Set in fridge to marinate either for a couple hours or while you're preparing the rest of the ingredients.  The longer you marinate the more "cooked" texture they will have.

Pizza Sauce
1/2 cup full sundried tomatoes, soaked about 15 minutes and drained
1 cup full cherry tomatoes
1/4 cup vidalia onion (or onion of choice)
1 garlic clove
1 small date
1/2 tsp basil
1 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp fennel seed
pinch sea salt

Put all ingredients into a food processor, pulse a couple times and then process until you have a nice thick sauce.  If it looks a little watery, pour the sauce into a fine mesh strainer over a bowl and set aside to drain.

Cheese
1/2 cup raw cashews (preferably soaked and dried, but not necessary)
1 Tbs hemp seed
1 1/2 Tbs Nutritional Yeast
1/4 tsp garlic powder
pinch sea salt

Process all ingredients until it is a crumbly texture.

Now to put together the pizza rafts.  Simply layer each zucchini with sauce, plenty of cheese and top with the marinated mushrooms.  I placed them in the fridge until Mark got home from work and then we ate them cold - along with a gorgeous green salad.  These delicious pizza rafts would also be yummilicious after dehydrated for an hour or two.  I'll do that next time.

Hope I got your creative juices flowing.  If you make your own version I would love to hear it!

Peace,
Raw Rocki