BRUSSELS AND BEETS PIZZA- gluten-free, vegan, delicious (+ an update on Oliver)

I never could have imagined when I posted my last blog entry, that literally minutes later Oliver would be on his way back to the hospital. Nor could I have imagined that it would take yet another trip to the hospital on top of that to discover that his appendix had ruptured. As I type these words he is recovering well post-surgery, and remains separated from other patients and would-be visitors (including me), as dictated by the current Covid-19 protocol at the hospital (Nya Karolinska). As difficult as this has all been, I am accepting the ‘no visitation’ circumstances as they are – believing them to be for the greater good – and thus I am all the more baffled when I hear some are blatantly disregarding the advice to practice social distancing at this time. This is a strange way to begin a post that features a favourite recipe of mine, I suppose. But these are strange times.

I have had countless moments over the past few days when I have felt at a loss, to the point of being slightly numb, and not really knowing what to do with myself. I clean, I cook, I eat, I organise, I homeschool Louie and Lillian, I eat some more. It is a seemingly endless loop of domestic normalities, all taking place within the confinement of a few very familiar walls. Except Oliver is not here. And that is far from normal.

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I have received some comfort from the little messages and comments wishing Oliver well. One thing that has touched me deeply is that people, without prompting, have told me where they are from. I have noticed that more and more people are doing this in their interactions online lately. I have a theory as to why. In any case, it has made me personally feel (albeit momentarily) connected to the world outside and the world in general*.

I have been in contact with family too, including my brother who is in quarantine in LA (and raising funds to feed hospital staff in NYC), my cousin who works in the medical field (and is therefore both vigilant and concerned right now), and my dad, whose up-coming surgery was just postponed as a result of the Coronavirus situation. I don’t always love social media, but at times like these, its place in our lives can be a gift. 

Speaking of gifts, I don’t know how I can thank all of you who have supported us with kindness at this time, all of you who read my posts or those of you who just popped by randomly to visit this little patch of the internet and decided to stick around. And so I’ll aim to just share more with you; more recipes, more things that I genuinely feel could be of use. 

And I will start by sharing this much-requested recipe that I created for Glutenfri Matlust magazine a couple of years ago. 

It’s an earthy veggie combo meets perfect pizza base and the salty, savoury deliciousness of pesto and olives. It that sounds appealing to you then give this a go, treat yourself, and get your veggies in too! This pizza is a vibrant yet hearty brunch or lunch option, a delicious alternative to a veggie toasted sandwich and a satisfying, veg-packed dinner idea. If you have access to asparagus right now, try using it in place of the Brussels sprouts. I use pre-cooked beets and readymade basil pesto to make this, but you can opt for homemade pesto too (I have a great basil pesto recipe if you want it, and a red pesto recipe here on this blog). You could also use a store-bought gluten-free pizza base (or dough), for a super easy and even more time-saving version.

But if you have a bit of time to spare (as many of us do right now), you may want to cook from scratch, get in a dose of domestic dough-making therapy, and end up with a delicious meal.

Best wishes from Stockholm… and keep well.
♥ Marisa

 

BRUSSELS AND BEETS PIZZA

Gluten-free, vegan, veg-packed and vibrant

PIZZA TOPPINGS

Basil pesto (around 4 tbsp for spreading over the base + extra for topping)
250 g (8.8 oz) Brussels sprouts
2 small-medium peeled and pre-cooked beetroots
3-4 tbsp pine nuts
Around 18 pitted green olives (more if you like)
Around 400 ml (1 2/3 cups) of kale, chopped and rinsed
Olive oil for cooking
Salt and pepper to taste 

GLUTEN-FREE PIZZA BASE INGREDIENTS

225g (7.95 oz) gluten-free all-purpose flour
20 g (3 1/2 tbsp) almond meal
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp xanthan gum
1 1/2 tsp instant yeast
1 tbsp maple syrup
120 ml (1/2 cup) warm water
100 ml (1/3 cup + 4 tsp) warm almond milk 
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
2 tsp olive oil (for the dough)
1 tbsp olive oil (for the pan)

DIRECTIONS

Start by lining a baking tray with baking parchment and preheating your oven to 200°C (390°F). Clean the Brussels sprouts and slice them in half. Chop the beetroots into chunks or wedges.

Place the beetroot pieces and Brussels sprouts onto the tray and drizzle over a little olive oil.

Season with salt and pepper and pop the tray in the oven to roast the vegetables for around 20 minutes.

Sauté the kale in a little olive oil for around 2-3 minutes and set it to the side.

When the oven roasted veggies are tender and starting to turn golden brown, remove them from the oven and set them aside.

To make the pizza base, place the dry ingredients (except the yeast and maple syrup) into a large mixing bowl- the bowl of your stand mixer is perfect. Mix until thoroughly blended.

Place the maple syrup, warm water, almond milk, olive oil, yeast, and about 240 ml (1 cup) of the dry mixture into a small bowl. Stir to combine. Set this mix aside for 30 minutes or so, until the mixture is bubbly and puffy.

Add this mixture to the dry ingredients and, using a dough hook on your stand mixer, knead the dough on medium-high speed for 5 minutes. The mixture will be thick and sticky. Cover the bowl, and let the dough proof for 30-60 minutes or until puffy and springy to the touch.

Preheat the oven to 220°C (425°F).

Line a baking tray with baking parchment and drizzle 1 tablespoon of olive oil onto the centre of a baking sheet. Scrape the dough from the bowl onto the oil.

Dip your fingertips lightly in the oil in the tray and start at the centre of the dough to work it outwards, pressing it into a 20 x 40 cm (8 x 16 inch) rectangle.

Let the dough rest, uncovered, for 15 minutes.

Bake the crust for around 8 minutes, until it is “set” and turning golden.

Remove from the oven and top with pesto, the pre-cooked veggies and the olives. Return the pizza to the oven to finish baking, for around 5-8 minutes, keeping an eye on it to make sure it doesn’t burn or over-bake.

Remove pizza from the oven, drizzle over a little extra pesto, sprinkle over pine nuts, slice and serve warm.

*These are just a few of the lovely DMs that landed in my inbox from different corners of the world at around the same time (thank you so much if you wrote to me ♥, and I hope you don’t mind me sharing):

“Sending him the best wishes for a safe surgery and speedy recovery from India ❤️“

“I hope Oliver is doing well. It’s such a stressful time for you all. Love from my 9 yr old son to Oliver too. He sends a big hug from Ireland. Xx”

“We are sending love and light from Oxford ❤️“

“Sending Ollie and you well wishes from Toronto, Canada. I love following you and your children’s culinary creations ❤️❤️❤️“

“So happy to see he doing better! Yey! Prayers were answered! Sending you guys lots of love from Ålesund, Norway!💕♥️“

Current update: Ollie is moving around (gently), playing in the hospital playroom (on his own), happily drinking apple juice and water now that he is not being given fluids intravenously, drawing lots of pictures of home and the family, and video chatting with us throughout the day. Doctors say he is recovering well and responding to medication as expected. We are hopeful to have him home soon! ♥