I finally bought a juicer! I received it in the mail a few weeks ago…and while I was and am really excited to start juicing, I’ve also kept it on my counter lookin’ all pretty and clean.

When I buy a new appliance, new jeans or a new gadget, I tend to place them on a shelf to sit there for a while…I guess I like admiring my new purchase since I can be pretty frugal with money. Plus, I don’t want to dirty the item…even though that’s why I bought it for that intention in the first place. Does anyone else do this same thing?

My first juicing experience involved apples + carrots + celery (yummy and sweet) while my second was a bit more savory involving cauliflower, carrots and celery. Juicing creates a ton of pulp…while some may throw this away, I wanted to throw it into a recipe for kicks.

For my fourth post during Pizza Week, I made a pizza-inspired lentil “flatbread”.  I had to idea to jazz up my original red lentil flat bread, and I was really happy with the results!  But really, how could I not be when pizza is involved?

As a disclaimer, this lentil “bread” is not a typical bread. It has a socca-like texture that does not bend or spring-back like a normal bread would. This bread serves as a dense crust…it transforms into a “pizza” with the mixture of tomato paste and melted cheese on top…yum!

Pizza-Inspired Lentil Pulp “Bread” (Adapted from my Lentil Bread)

Ingredients

3/4 cup uncooked red lentils (or other lentils)
2/3 cup veggie pulp (from a juicer – I used a combo of cauliflower, carrot and celery)*
2 1/2 Tbsp flaxseed meal
1/2 to 1 tsp sea salt (this makes a huge difference, don’t leave out)
1 tsp garlic powder or 2-3 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/4 tsp italian seasoning
1/4 tsp fennel seed
1/8 to 1/4 crushed red pepper flakes
small pinch of stevia or 1/4 tsp coconut palm sugar, agave or honey
3 Tbsp nutritional yeast (optional but adds a cheesy dimension in the base)
1 ripe Roma tomato, quartered
1/4 cup water + more for blending
1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar
2 Tbsp coconut oil or olive oil

For topping
shredded cheese
4 oz tomato paste mixed with 1/4 tsp honey or pinch of stevia + 1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar OR 2/3 cup marinara sauce

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. In a small blender with grind attachment, food processor or a spice grinder, add lentils and grind to a flour. (I use my Magic Bullet with the flat blade, it’s okay to have a few whole lentils as the red variety are quick cooking).
3. Add the lentil flour along with the ingredients veggie pulp through seasonings, and stir well to combine.
4. Blend the tomato along with 1/4 cup water in a blender or food processor. Next, add enough water to have 1 cup of liquid. Stir in the apple cider vinegar. Add the liquid to the lentil mixture and stir for 30 seconds to a minute to incorporate well. It should resemble a thick but pourable pancake batter after it sits (the flax and lentils will start absorbing the water the longer it sits).
5. Then add the oil to a 9 inch springform pan** and place in the oven to warm (about 2 minutes).
6. Pour batter into the pan and spread with a spatula. Bake for 25-28 minutes until the bread is firm to touch.
7. Let cool slightly, cut and enjoy plain while warm OR spread with tomato paste mixture or marinara and sprinkle with shredded cheese and return to oven until cheese is melted, about 3-4 minutes (my preference).

Makes 8 slices
*If you don’t have veggie pulp, I think you could substitute 1/4 cup almond flour.
** A 8X8 or 9X9 pan can also be used.