Winter is starting to rear it’s not ugly but certainly unwelcome face.  There’s a deep chill creeping into the evening hours and a heavy grey tinge in the increasingly early dusks.   There is a temptation to run to the comfort of warm, hearty soups, but for me there’s no greater comfort food than pizza.  Hawaiian pizza really has no culinary relationship to the tropical American state.  Even the staple pineapple topping, though extensively cultivated in Hawaii, is actually a foreign fruit, which is reflected in the Hawaiian name for this delicious fruit, halakahiki.  Pineapple is indigenous to South America, and Hawaiian Pizza originated, of all places, in Chatham Ontario.  Nevertheless, hopefully this vegan variation will remind you of somewhere lush and make you feel a sultry tropical heat

Ingredients

For the Sauce:

6 Roma Tomatoes
¼ cup Olive Oil+1 tsp of olive oil
¼ cup of pine nuts
tsp of salt
3 to 4 garlic cloves
2 tbsp of fresh oregano

For the Pizza

Vegan Pizza Crust (I used Organic 365 Rustic White, Thin and Crispy from a Whole Foods)
5 to 6 slices of Daiya Provolone
½ block of tofu (I used Soyganic Smoked Tofu chopped up into ½ inch chunks)
½ cup of pineapple (chopped into ½ inch chunks)
2 tbsp of imitation bacon bits
Edible flowers (optional)

Directions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees
2. Thoroughly wash the tomatoes and chop into small chunks.
3. In a small mixing bowl crush the tomato chunks with a fork or potato masher.  Stir in ¼ cup of olive oil and continue to mash tomatoes.
4. In a medium size pan, heat 1 tsp of olive oil.  Add the garlic and cook on low heat until soft.
5. Add the pine nuts and cooking for another 4 or 5 minutes, turning often, until the nuts are slightly toasted.
6. Stir in the crushed tomatoes, the salt and oregano.   Cook for another 15 minutes, stirring frequently.
7. Layer the cheese on the pizza crust. Spread the sauce evenly over top the cheese.  Top with the pineapple, tofu, bacon pits.
8. Cook at 350 degree for 10-15 minutes depending on how crispy you prefer your crust.
9. Top with edible flowers if you’re feeling particularly lavish.