There’s only one thing I don’t like about these grilled pizza pockets: they’re too difficult to photograph! The problem is, they don’t look all that special on the outside, but on the inside they’re full of melty, gooey, stretchy deliciousness.
This was my first time grilling pizza, but it worked out really well, and overall, I have to say it’s a great way to cook pizza dough. I simply turned my heat up all the way, let the grill get as hot as possible, and then tossed the pockets on it for a few minutes. Bada bing, bada boom.
This was yet another recipe that I tried out on my parents. They’re diehard meat and cheese eaters, especially my dad. So what did they think of these vegan pizza pockets? Well, my dad ate four in a row! He actually said it’s the best thing I’ve made him. I’m still not sure if he realized they were vegan. My mom really liked them too, but she’s a much less fussy eater than my dad and easier to please.
Ironically, I think what made my dad like these so much was the vegan cheese that I made from raw cashews and tapioca starch. It turned out so realistic! When it’s inside the pockets with all the other ingredients, it’s practically impossible to tell it’s not dairy cheese. Maybe if you compared the two side-by-side, it would be more obvious, but again, my dad ate four pockets and didn’t say one word about the cheese; he just said, “that was delicious!” right after he finished his last bite. I hope you give this recipe a try, and maybe see if you can fool some of your friends and family, too!
Fresh pizza dough stuffed with gooey dairy-free cheese, sautéed veggies, and marinara sauce, grilled over an open flame and served with a ranch dressing dip.
Ingredients
- 4 cups flour
- 2 cup warm water
- 4 tsp active yeast
- 2 tsp sea salt
- 2 cups water
- 7 tbsp tapioca starch (1/2 cup + 1 tbsp)
- 1/2 cup raw cashews soaked overnight or boiled 15 min
- 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp sea salt, or salt to taste
- 2 tsp Italian seasoning
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 cup marinara sauce
- 1/2 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 onion, sliced
- 1/2 green bell pepper, sliced
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1/4 cup kalamata olives, sliced
- Extra olive oil for brushing
- 2 tbsp parsley
- 1 tsp dill
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp basil
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1 cup vegan mayo
- 1 1/2 tbsp lemon juice
Instructions
- Add yeast and water to a mixing bowl, stir, and let stand for 10 min. Add flour and salt, and mix together. Kneed dough with your hands until it has a a good elasticity. If the dough is too sticky, add more flour. If too dry, add more water. Cover and set aside in a warm place.
- Sauté the onion and bell pepper in a pan over medium-high heat with the olive oil for about 10 minutes until onion is translucent.
- Add garlic and sauté another few minutes until fragrant. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Once the pizza dough has risen for about 30 minutes, punch it down and allow it to rise for another 30 minutes.
- After the pizza dough has risen twice and your filling is ready, pull off a small, golf ball sized, piece of dough and roll into a ball.
- Flatten the ball of dough into a disk about 1/3 inch thick and layer your filling on one half of the disk in the following order: marinara sauce, cheese, veggies, olives.
- Fold the dough in half over the filling and use a fork to pinch the edges together.
- Brush the pizza pocket with olive oil and grill on the upper rack of a hot grill for 2 minutes on each side with the lid closed.
- Add all ingredients to a food processor and blend on high until smooth.
- Pour mixture through a strainer into a sauce pan.
- Simmer on medium heat for about 5 to 10 minutes while frequently stirring. At first, clumps will form, but eventually the mixture will break down and gel. When it looks like melted cheese, it's done.
- Combine all ingredients in a bowl and stir until evenly mixed.
Notes
I adapted the recipe for the cheese from this recipe by It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken.
I made a double batch of pizza dough since I was making this for four people, and I assumed everyone would have at least two. They started going fast, so I began to lose count, but all together, I think I ended up making about 13 or 14. If you're just making this for a couple people, you might want to halve the recipe.
If you do make extra – I had three leftover – you can store them in the fridge for a few days or freeze them, and then reheat them in the oven whenever you like.
Special thanks to Gourmet Nuts and Dried Fruit for providing the cashews for this recipe!