Quinoa-Crusted Pizza with Squash and Tahini for One

Get out the extra napkins, because you’re gonna need ‘em. This delightful little gluten-free treat is fun to make, fun to eat, and fun to lick the plate after! You will be doing that. There will be a little extra of the tahini drizzle, so plan to smear that on something later in the day, as you will want a reprise of this pizza again and again.

For the Crust:

½ cup quinoa, thoroughly washed and soaked in water for 8 hours, and drained

A pinch of salt

¼ - 1/3 cup water

For the Sauce:

1/3 small butternut squash, peeled and cut into ¼-inch chunks (about 1 generous cup)

1 teaspoon olive oil

A pinch of sea salt

For the Drizzle:

4 teaspoons tahini

1 TBLSP nutritional yeast

Several shakes of onion powder

Several shakes of garlic powder

1 TBLSP freshly grated horseradish (optional—you could use hot sauce, if you wanted)

2 ½ teaspoons white wine vinegar (or rice vinegar)

A pinch of fine sea salt

4 TBLSP water (more, If needed to make it thin enough to drizzle)

For Toppings:

1/3 cup cooked chickpeas or other bean, rinsed and drained well

1/3 bunch of fresh cilantro, chopped

2 green onions, diced

6 black olives, sliced or diced

Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Line a cookie sheet, pie tin, or baking dish with parchment paper.

Make the Crust:

1. Put the soaked quinoa, salt, and ¼ cup of water into a food processor. Whirl away. The result should be about the consistency of pancake batter. If it’s too thick, add more water. If it’s too thin, let it drip into a strainer for a few minutes.
2. Spread the mixture evenly on the cookie sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes.

Make the Sauce:

1. In a small pot, boil the butternut squash until it’s fork-tender, about 10 minutes. Drain.
2. Put the squash into a food processor or blender with the oil and salt, and process until it’s smooth.

Make the Drizzle:

1. Put the tahini, yeast, onion and garlic powders, grated horseradish, vinegar, salt, and water into a small bowl and whisk until it’s smooth. Or you can use a food processor or blender. It’s your decision.

Assemble the Pizza:

1. When the crust is out of the oven, spread a thick layer of the squash sauce over the top of it and fling chickpeas all over it.
2. Put the crust back into the oven for 3-5 more minutes, until everything is warmed through.
3. Pull the warmed pizza out of the oven and top with cilantro, green onions, and olives. Drizzle with the tahini sauce.

Devour!