Portobella Pizzas

We tried this recipe that I found on Pinterest. They were good - not super filling, a nice light meal.  The highlight of this recipe for me was the Vegan Cashew Basil Cheese Sauce.  I could have just eaten the sauce all night with a spoon.  I've been dreaming of other ways to use the cashew sauce, so be on the lookout for future posts that feature it. 

Prep time: 20 minutes Cook time: 10-12 minutes.

Ingredients:

• 8 Portabella mushrooms

• 2 cups pizza sauce

• Vegan Cashew Basil Cheese Sauce (see recipe below)

• 1/3 cup of each: red, green, orange pepper, diced

• 1/3 cup sweet onion, diced

• 2-3 large basil leaves, finely diced

• 1 tsp red pepper flakes

Directions: Preheat oven by setting the broiler on low. Take a baking sheet and cover with a silicone non-stick baking mat or parchment paper for easy clean up. Make your Vegan Cashew Basil cheese sauce by using the recipe below. Set aside. Remove stems of Portabellas and gently rub Portabellas with a wet cloth to clean. Place Portabellas ‘belly’ side up on the baking sheet. Spoon about 2 tablespoons of pizza sauce into each Portabella. Now spoon about 2 teaspoons of Vegan Cashew basil Cheese Sauce on top of the pizza sauce (see recipe below). Grab a cutting board and knife and chop the onion and pepper and then sprinkle onto Portabellas. Finally, shake on some red pepper flakes and sprinkle finely diced basil on top. Broil in the oven on the lowest temperature setting on the middle rack for about 10-12 minutes, watching closely as broiler temperatures vary. Serve immediately and enjoy! Serves 3-4.

Vegan Cashew Basil Cheese Sauce

Ingredients:

• 1 cup raw cashews

• 1/3-1/2 tsp Himalayan sea salt, to taste

• 1/2 tsp cold-pressed sunflower oil

• 1 fresh basil leaf

• 1 small clove garlic

• 1.5 tbsp nutritional yeast

• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice

Directions: Place 1 cup of raw cashews in a bowl of water, cover, and soak overnight in the fridge. When cashews are ready, drain and place all ingredients (cashews, Himalayan sea salt, cold-pressed sunflower oil, basil, garlic, nutritional yeast, and lemon juice) into a food processor and process until smooth, stopping to scrape sides of processor as necessary. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary. Place any leftover cheese in a container in the fridge and enjoy with chopped vegetables, crackers, bread, and chips!

Thanks to Oh She Glows for this Vegan, Gluten-Free recipe!

http://ohsheglows.com/2010/08/31/mushroom-masters-a-tournament-of-taste/