Can you believe it’s been three weeks since my last blog post? In that time span, I’ve worked 65+ hours at Whole Foods (winning), locked down a membership with my favorite workout studio (Studio Three) and finally signed up for Uber. Yes, it took me this long but I did it. This month has been very topsy turvy but I’m back and just in time for summer shenanigans. For starters, I can’t think of a better way to ring in Memorial Day weekend than with a little pop of color and seasonal fruit in the form of good ‘ole pizza.

Before I get into the basics of what this delicious pizza is, I’ll tell you how I used to celebrate my Memorial Day and how I’ll be celebrating now. I’d love to hear if you have any fun plans going on as well!

When I was little, my aunt, mom, brother and I would head down to my aunt’s best friend’s house down the street and wait out front while we watched our neighborhood’s Memorial Day Parade roll down the block. Each float would toss out candy and we always looked forward to it for that reason alone. The candy and nothing else.

Now, everyone spends their weekend in Chicago soaking up the heat, attending brunch and being with their families. Or attending the Beyoncé concert like my roommates. While I wish I could do all of the above, I’ll be working a bit, hitting up my new favorite yoga studio (Yoga Six) and spending time shooting for the blog. Oh and eating slices upon slices of this blackberry basil and ricotta pizza. Duh!

It’s no shock I used my favorite pizza mix in the city for this recipe. *Drum roll* Simple Mills, of course. Since it’s made with almond flour vs. whole wheat, it is naturally gluten-free, paleo and even egg-free! Would ya believe that? All you need to make the crust is apple cider vinegar, olive oil and water. Heck yeah my friends.

I can attest with my honest opinion, I love this pizza crust. so much. I loved it even before I began working with the company so you know this is a non-bias opinion! While my job at Simple Mills now involves creating recipes monthly along with ideas for other influencers we can feature and highlight, I thought of this recipe in my head about a month or so ago. I’ve seen the idea around before but I knew recreating it dairy-free would be the ultimate game changer. So naturally, I did just that. I changed the game 🙂

I’ve been meaning to use this cashew and coconut oil based dairy-free mozzarella cheese from Miyoko’s Kitchen for a few weeks now so I knew this pizza would be the perfect opportunity. I then topped it off with basil sprigs from Gotham Greens – a local rooftop garden located right here in Chicago. Their greens are at all local Whole Foods in the city and since I’m there all the time working, I had to swipe some up!

Next, chopped green onions, blackberries sliced in half that burst open with color after baking up a bit in the oven and then a final touch of my favorite almond milk based “cheese” from Kitehill. I used the almond milk ricotta here and guys… it is TOO DREAMY. It is a must have! I am continuously blown away by Kitehill’s dairy alternatives and how similar they taste to real cheese. It adds phenomenal texture to this pizza so don’t go without it.

Blackberry Basil and Ricotta Pizza

 

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Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

35 mins

Total time

45 mins

 

A simple and fresh pizza bursting with bright blackberries and dairy-free plant-based cheeses for all healthy lifestyles.

Author: Addie Martanovic

Recipe type: Pizza

Serves: 2

Ingredients

• 1 box Simple Mills Pizza Dough Mix
• 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 8 tbsp water (or ½ cup)
• ½ block of vegan mozzarella cheese
• ½ container of dairy-free almond milk ricotta cheese
• 1 container of blackberries
• ½ cup fresh basil leaves
• ¼ cup chopped green onion

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350º.
2. Combine apple cider vinegar, oil and water together; followed by the pizza dough mix. Incorporate well into one large ball of dough and then slice into 2 equal portions.
3. Lay onto a baking sheet or parchment paper and spread out evenly with fingers.
4. Bake dough for 5 minutes to allow it to lightly rise.
5. Cut half of your mozzarella (we used a cashew and coconut oil based one called Miyoko’s Kitchen Fresh VeganMozz) block into tablespoon sized pieces. Place about 3-4 on each pizza crust.
6. Next, thinly slice your green onion and cut your blackberries in halves. Place on top of the mozzarella, followed by a few basil leaves.
7. Cook for 15 minutes.
8. Take your pizzas out and crumble up almond milk ricotta on top for added texture and flavor!
9. Pop back into the oven for 5-10 minutes for extra crispiness.
10. Take out, let cool for about 5 minutes and enjoy!
11. *Makes 2 pizzas with 12 small slices or 8 regular sized slices*

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While I can tolerate dairy cheese here and there, finding non-dairy alternatives that melt, spread and hold together just like regular cheese is so intriguing to me. The last time I tried vegan mozzarella it was my freshman year of college when I thought I practically was turning vegan and all fake, processed vegan foods were healthy. Times have changed. But thankfully, the dairy-free cheeses I use now are nothing but the best (in my humble opinon).

This pizza will wow your guests for Memorial Day and maybe even make them think they’re eating the real deal dairy packed pizza. Since it is a bit on the lighter side, I would personally advise having slices out for an appetizer!

Enjoy, fellow chickpeas 🙂

This post was sponsored by Simple Mills, however, all thoughts, opinions and the recipe are my own. This is non-bias and an honest view of how I feel. I only support/mention brands and products I truly love and wish to promote!