Mexican Polenta Pizza

I'm always looking for ways to incorporate new types of pizza into my life. After all, pizza is my favorite food and it's so easy for a toddler to eat!

Ingredients

Crust
2 1/2 cups water
2 tsp. taco seasoning (make sure it's dairy free)
3/4 cup coarse ground cornmeal, grits, or polenta

Sauce
1 cup vegetarian fat free refried beans
2 Tb. vegan sour cream
2 Tb. hot picante sauce
1/4 cup canned diced tomatoes

Topping
1/2 cup lentil taco meat * (optional, can sub with black beans)
1/2 diced zucchini
1/4 cup diced red onion
1/4 cup diced bell pepper
1/2 cup sliced black olives
1/4 cup vegan cheddar shreds
1 handful crushed tortilla strips

Lentil Taco Meat
1 cup cooked lentils
2 tsp. taco seasoning
1 Tb. ketchup (make sure there is no high fructose corn syrup)
1 tsp. mustard
1 tsp. low sodium soy sauce

Instuctions
Make crust
1. Bring water to boil with taco seasoning
2. Slowly add in polenta while whisking and continue to whisk in boiling water for 5 minutes until thick and creamy
3. Spread mixture evenly into a parchment paper lined rectangle cake pan
4. Let cool at room temperature for 5 minutes and then place in freezer for 20 minutes to cool and set (30 if you prefer the fridge over the freezer)

Make Lentil Taco "Meat"
1. While the crust is cooling cook lentils. Mix 1/2 cups dry rinsed lentils with 1 cup warm water and allow to simmer in a covered pot for about 15 minutes until lentils are tender.
2. Transfer to a food processor or blender and pulse to desired consistency
3. Place in a bowl and toss with other "meat" ingredients. Set aside

Make Sauce
1. While the lentils are cooking, place all sauce ingredients in a food processor and blend together.
2. Pour into a bowl and set aside.

Bring it all together
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Slide crust and parchment paper out of cake pan and onto a cookie sheet, bake for 30 minutes
3. Remove the crust from oven and spread sauce on top evenly ( you will definitely have leftover sauce, use it as bean tip or in a bean enchilada later)
4. Top with remaining toppings and bake for another 15-20 minutes
5. Once out of oven immediately slide the paper and pizza onto a cookie sheet otherwise it builds up moisture underneath and gets soggy
6. Slice and enjoy!

Note: this is a very soft crust, it will not taste like the normal pizza dough you are probably used to. Also feel free to experiment with sauces, toppings, and spices!