A Vegan Kitchen With Jordan Of Berlin By The Bay {Polenta Mexican Pizza}

Hello there! I am so excited to be guest posting today for Drea and sharing one of our favorite family (and toddler approved) meals. Our family (similar to Drea’s) is obsessed with all foods Mexican, I swear my husband and I could eat Mexican food on a daily basis and it seems our daughter was born a fan as well. She surprisingly has no issue eating spicy foods, and loves dipping anything she can into a bowl of salsa (she really is my daughter!). Similar to most toddlers, my daughter loves a good pizza, I mean who doesn’t!? So I figured, why not combine the two and make a Mexican Pizza-win, win! So onto the recipe…

Optional: avocado, salsa, green chilies…

First prepare the seasoning in a small bowl by mixing together all the spices

Next make the polenta crust by either heating the polenta on the stove top in a small sauce pan or heating in the microwave. I like to heat on the stove and slowly add the water, mashing the polenta until a mashed potato like consistency is formed. I find this method much easier than cooking polenta from scratch, but of course that is an option as well. Then once the polenta is mashed, add half of the spice mixture to the polenta and then spoon into round pie pans (lined with parchment paper); this recipe makes enough for two 8″ pans or one 10″ pan and a toddler sized 5″ pan. Spread the polenta evenly in the dishes and place in the fridge to set, approx 30 minutes-1 hour. I personally like to make the crust the night before and keep it in the fridge overnight.

While the polenta is setting, make the bean puree by sautéing the onion and garlic in olive oil for approx 5 minutes on medium heat. Then place onion mixture, can of drained black beans and the remainder of the spice mixture into a food processor and pulse until smooth. You may need to add up to a tablespoon of water to get a smooth consistency.Then prepare the toppings for the pizza by first heating the meat in the same skillet for about 5 minutes, remove from the pan, and sauté the bell peppers and corn for 5-7 minutes, then add the kale for about 1 minute.

Once the polenta is set, remove the crust from the parchment paper and place on an oiled baking sheet, bake at 425 degrees for approx 20 minutes, flipping the crust over midway. Then layer on the enchilada sauce, black bean puree, faux meat, and veggies and stick back in the oven for another 5-7 minutes.

Then add additional toppings as you like, avocado is a great compliment and I love adding green chilies to just about anything.

As a side note, this recipe can always be altered for nights when you have less time by simply using canned beans of choice, rather than making the puree. We love the making batches of the puree around our home and using the extras as a dip for tortilla chips. Of course, you can always buy pre-packaged crust as well to save on time.

Here are some of Berlin’s other favorites: