Quinoa pizza crust

Everyone has their own running idol. It could be Prefontaine, Usain Bolt, or Dennis Doyle from “Run, Fatboy, Run”. Regardless who it is, they are who you admire and strive to embody the characteristics they embody. There are many Canadian runners who fit this bill, more than would be reasonable to name.

Two individuals have inspired this week’s blog. First: Kara Goucher. I had the honour of meeting her after we raced “together” at the University of Washington. I use the term “together” quite loosely. She crushed my sorry, collegiate butt in a 5,000m, but with some perfectly timed pictures, there was a moment it looked like I was ahead of her. I was fortunate enough to speak with her after that race and she signed an autograph for me. Not only does she inspire me through her athletic success, but her support of healthy eating. Her recipes are delicious and provide a great option when your creative juices aren’t flowing!

The next inspiring individual is my wonderful friend and teammate Lissa Zimmer. She raced in Boston last weekend and absolutely crushed the race. She was the 18th woman overall, and the first woman to cross the finish line in the Open Women category in a stellar time of 2:44:56. I have no doubt she’ll be able to reach her goals of making it to the US Olympic Trials next year. She’s a determined and resilient individual.

Now how are these two ladies related? Other than being fabulous people, I felt that Lissa would like this particular recipe from the blog of Kara’s friend Lottie. This week’s menu item is quinoa pizza crust. Super easy, once the quinoa has soaked overnight, and a new rendition of the traditional pizza crust. Mix things up for the toppings; I used chicken, sun-dried tomatoes, spinach, bell peppers and mushrooms, but anything goes.

Quinoa Pizza Crust

Recipe courtesy of Running on Veggies

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of quinoa, uncooked, soaked for at least six hours or overnight
• ¼ cup water
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• 3 tablespoons of unsweetened fire cider vinegar
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon nutritional yeast (optional)
• 2 cloves roasted garlic (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 425F.
2. Once quinoa has soaked, rinse the quinoa in a strainer really well.
3. Place all the ingredients into a blender, and blend for a couple minutes until smooth and creamy.
4. Place parchment paper on a 10-12” pizza pan or baking dish, Spray with non-stick spray, and spread out batter on to the dish.
5. Cook for 15 minutes, then flip and cook an additional 10-12 minutes until crisp and brown.
6. Get creative with your toppings.