Portobello Pizzas with Pan-fried Eggplant and

These pizzas are built on a marinated Portobello mushroom. They feature an enhanced sauce, a pan-fried eggplant layer, a layer of roasted peppers and topped with a "parmesan cheese" made from almonds. These pizzas are colorful, packed with flavor, elegant and a crowd-pleaser

Portobello Pizzas:
Soaking Eggplants
1-2 eggplants (depending on the size)
Slice eggplants into 1/2 inch slices.  (You’ll need one slice per pizza.) Place sliced eggplant in a bowl of warm water with one teaspoon of salt dissolved in it.  (Eggplants are ready to use when the soaking water turns brown.  This usually takes about 15-20 minutes.) Set aside.

Marinating Mushrooms:
4-6 Portabello Mushrooms
De-spore mushrooms with a spoon.  Whisk together marinade:
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup brown rice vinegar
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1 teaspoon oregano
Pour 3/4 of the mixture into the mushrooms.  Marinate mushrooms for 15 minutes on baking sheet.
Roasting Vegetables: Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Cut into long strips:
Yellow pepper, green pepper, red pepper and yellow onion.

Place vegetables on baking sheet.  Drizzle the remaining marinade, and salt.. Bake mushrooms and peppers for 20 minutes at 400 degrees. 

Enhanced Sauce:
1/2 cup green olives
1/2 cup black olives
Slice olives and add to your favorite Italian red sauce.  (Suggestion: Classico Tomato and Basil sauce.)

Eggplant:
In a bowl, mix:
1/2 cup of water
1 tablespoon of arrowroot
In a separate bowl, mix:
1/4 cup amaranth flour
1/4 cup sorghum flour
1/2 teaspoon marjoram
1/2 teaspoon basil
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt

Drain the eggplant from the soaking water.  Dry it.  Dip it into the bowl of arrowroot and water and dredge it in the bowl of herbed flours. Heat a frying pan with 2 tablespoons of olive oil.  Place the dredged eggplants in the pan and cook on medium heat until eggplants are soft and the flour is browned. 

Assembly:

Press enhanced sauce inside the baked mushrooms.  Place an eggplant round on top of sauce.  Place baked peppers on top of the eggplant and sprinkle with “parmesan” nut topping. 

*"Parmesan" Topping
1 cup of almond meal (if you want to make this yourself, please refer to the instructional video)
1 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. basil
1 tsp. garlic salt
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. onion powder
2 T nutritional yeast

Place all ingredients in a zipper lock bag. Mix together. Store in the freezer for future use.
*Note: I make this in big batches and always have it on hand to add to tuna patties, bean patties, on top of fish, etc. For me, it's a "go to" ingredient!