*Fanfare blast* You know I don't usually blow my own trumpet but I just created the BEST pizza base ever!  

This is my gift for you, dear @heart-to-heart, in celebration of your dedication to encouraging healthy choices & attitudes, dedication to your #veganwednesday contest, and because you're one of the reasons I've just taken my final step and become vegan!  (A story for another day).

You may have seen I posted a recipe for Golden Carrot Bread recently, which I likened to naan bread for its beautifully soft crumb.  But tonight I discovered this same recipe makes the perfect pizza base; but also a paradox - softly-crunchy, or do I mean crunchily-soft?!!!  

It's the "Goldilocks" of pizza bases  -  not too soft, not too hard, but just right...

I guess the moistness of the carrot prevents the dough from drying out too much.  You know how it goes; most of the time if you overcook a pizza then it's ruined and guaranteed to injure your mouth with its hardness.  But not this one!  Even over-cooked it doesn't result in injury!  And yet it's not 'damp' in the middle either like some deep-pan bases can be (yuk, I hate that).  

Perfect right through from edge to center!

Ingredients (organic recommended) - Makes TWO 9" pizzas:

3-4 large carrots 

500g wholewheat flour 

4 tblsp olive oil 

1 tsp baking soda 

1 sachet yeast 

1/2 tsp unrefined salt 

1 tsp black pepper 

1/2 tsp turmeric 

2 tsp dried oregano

Tomato puree

1 red onion

2 cups grated vegan cheese

Directions:

In a large bowl add the olive oil to the flour and rub in using your fingertips.

Add the baking soda, yeast, salt, pepper, turmeric and oregano, and mix in.

Puree the carrots in a blender/food processor, adding a cup of warm water (warm for the yeast in the dough).

Pour the pureed carrots into the bowl and mix thoroughly to form the dough.

Knead on a well-floured surface, adding more flour if needed (the dough can be quite sticky) until you have a soft and smooth dough (it feels soooo beautiful at this stage, like kneading a big soft belly haha!!!)

Cut the dough in half, shape into balls, and roll each half out on a floured surface.  

Spread tomato puree evenly onto the base, and sprinkle with oregano & black pepper.

Slice your onion and/or veggies of your choice, and arrange onto the base (I always put the veg under the cheese to stop bits falling off when you're eating it).

Sprinkle grated cheese evenly, and then sprinkle with extra oregano.  I got this chedder-style vegan cheese to try out, as my local supermarket has recently brought in a new range of vegan products.  It's coconut based, melts nicely, and pretty tasty!  

Pop into a preheated oven at 210 degrees Celsius for 15 minutes, then carefully transfer from the baking tray straight onto the oven rack and bake for a further 8-10 minutes... this ensures the middle is cooked through and not undercooked!  Serve hot or cold.  Yum yum yum.

If you have any healthy suggestions or recipes that would make great snacks, please tag your post with  #makeithealthy and they will feature in the new curation series "Make It Healthy LUNCHBOX".  Let's get our children eating healthy NOW so they don't have to learn how to heal later on in life!

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