Tag Archives: pizza

Bob’s Red Mill GF Pizza Crust Mix

Posted on April 29, 2012 | 1 Comment

gluten free vegan pizza

last night i had a huge craving for pizza, but as i’ve said before, you can only eat so much pizza luce. and their gluten free pizza’s are ridiculously expensive. but anyways, i grabbed a mix from Bob’s Red Mill because at $3.50 it wasn’t going to break the bank, and i didn’t feel like buying a brick of yeast, and hunting down millet flour- i like to see what’s in a mix, and then scrounge up the ingredients and DIY-ing it. the crust was pretty good and wasn’t as sticky as the mix i tried from another brand. i used an oiled spatula to press it into a ceramic tart pan, and pricked it well before pre-baking it. my only complaint thus far with GF doughs for pizza are that it’s impossible to spread it thin for an extra crispy crust. they always  puff up quite a bit. i did get it as thin as i could manage, and had enough for a second mini pizza.

mini gluten free vegan pizza

i topped mine with my usual favorites; mushrooms, onions, green peppers, kalamata olives, and homemade fennel-pepper veggie burger crumbles. oh, and a nice smattering of pepperjack daiya.

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….When i dip, you dip, we dip!

Posted on January 3, 2012 | Leave a comment

i hope everyone had a wonderful new years eve, i know i did! i had a dip and drinks party with a few of my BFF’s, and (bonus!) was able to re-purpose leftover dip into some killer mini pizzas- hopefully my guests weren’t double dipping!

i made four savory cracker spreads- cashew goat cheese, kalamata tapenade, thick walnut pesto, and garlicky sun-dried tomato. all came together with minimal effort, and paired well with each other for an itallian inspired theme. i made a few extra items for extra substance when i converted them all into pizza toppings the next day, so keep in mind that you don’t have to go to all the trouble to make all of these- but if you do, your taste buds will be greatly rewarded!

pretty dips and whatnot on a pretty vintage plate!

i got the cashew goat cheese recipe from vegetarian times. i doubled the recipe, added 1 tbs each miso and nutritional yeast, and skipped the cheesecloth. i spread my cheese into a shallow casserole and baked @200 for 45 minutes to firm it up.

Kalamata Tapenade

1 c kalamata olives

1/4 c olive oil, or less

2 large cloves garlic

2 tbs red wine vinegar

combine all ingredients in a food processor and pulse into a smooth, grainy paste. taste for salt.

Sun-Dried Garlicky Tomato

1 c dried tomatoes- not oil packed

1-2 chopped roma tomatoes

6 cloves garlic

1 tbs olive oil

1 tbs fresh basil

1/2 tsp or less salt.

place the tomatoes into a glass dish, add enough boiling water to cover and steep for 15 minutes. drain the tomatoes and reserve the liquid, and place all other ingredients into the bowl of your food processor, except for the fresh tomatoes. puree until smooth using as much of the soaking liquid as needed to achieve a smooth consistency. fold in the fresh tomatoes and serve.

Thick Walnut Pesto

4 c loose basil

2 tbs nutritional yeast

3 cloves garlic

1/3 c toasted walnuts

olive oil

1/2 tsp salt, or less

pulse together the basil, walnuts and garlic. stream in enough oil to make a thick, but creamy pesto. add salt to taste. cover in a thin layer of oil before storing.

for the pizza, i preheated my oven to 350 with a cast iron pan on the bottom rack, and a cast iron griddle on the top rack. i also grabbed 1 1/2 sweet onions, like vidallia, and one medium eggplant. i thinly sliced the onion and placed it along with 1 1/2 tbs earth balance in the cast iron skillet, and i covered the pan with a tempered glass lid. with the eggplant, i peeled it, halved it, and cut it into 1/2″ thick moons. i smeared some earth balance on the griddle, laid out the eggplant slices, and sprinkled them liberally with smoked sea salt, and black pepper.  i turned the eggplant after roughly 20 minutes, and cooked them for a total of 40 minutes- long enough to brown them and almost ‘dehydrate’ them a little, but they were by no means soggy at all. i also tend to pick the skinniest eggplants with tight shiny skin, i hear it helps the texture.  i let the onions simmer until soft and golden, about 60 minutes, and then uncovered them to let them turn deep brown. they dont need much attention, so feel free to start the dough while they cook. i also thinned the sun-dried tomatoes with a little white wine to achieve a ‘sauce’.

smoky eggplant slices

to assemble the pizza, i started with one ball of dough (sans pepper flakes), my leftover dips, the roasted veggies, and some scraps of bell pepper and seitan that were hanging in the fridge. i cranked the oven to 450, and kept the griddle on the top rack, and swapped the skillet for a pizza stone. i rolled the dough into 4 individual pizzas, and par baked them for 2 minutes. i removed the dough to my counter, poked the air bubbles, flipped them over and topped them in this order:

cashew cheese

sun dried tomato ‘sauce’

caramelized onion

eggplant and seitan slices

teaspoon sized blobs of tapenade and pesto.

i returned them to the oven and baked for another 12 minutes- just until the crust was deep golden brown along the edges.

dippity do-dah pizza! smoky, toasty, deliciousness.

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The Donut Co-op and other tasty adventures

Posted on November 6, 2011 | 1 Comment

i just had my first donut since i went vegan, and that was about ten years ago. if you haven’t heard of the donut co-op yet, i will assume that you’ve been living under a rock. but now that you’ve emerged ill fill you in. a couple people from minneapolis who liked making donuts utilized kickstarter to raise 12k, and proceeded (after a few set-backs) to occupy the old cake eater space where they offer both conventional, and vegan donutty goodness. today was their 3rd or 4th day in operation and the line i found at 9:15am was intense. when i wandered in i was a little nervous; the bakery case had 3 donuts sitting on a tray- i was afraid they had sold out again. nope, turns out that their little gems are so in demand that owner Dawn and her assistant baker were feverishly pumping out a dozen at a time to try keep up with the demand. granted, that kind of practice will most likely burn you out, and burn out the already grumbling patrons i encountered, but as i said before, considering that this is barely one week in for them, i’ll let the 15 minute wait slide. besides, since i got the last 3 vegan pumpkin donuts and had another 3 coming my way, I got to pick the next flavor (apple cinnamon sugar)! it was entertaining to witness the dynamic behind the counter as i’m fairly certain the barrista had never made an espresso before, but his cheery demeanor and eagerness to give out free samples of coffee won me over instantly, and my americano was better than (but smaller than) i had expected. dawn and her fellow baker consistently notified the hungry line of people of what flavors were coming up next, and i noticed that the vegan selections were the first to clear out each time they popped up. i’ve perused their flavor varieties on facebook, and i feel as though i’m going to put on 8 pounds in the next few months.

so, you’re probably wondering how they were.

they were awesome.

my first donut was thoroughly enjoyed in the car before i left. it was a pumpkin spice topped, cinnamon sugared donut. it was like a crispy, warm, pillow. i loved that even though the donut was encased in cinnamon sugar, it wasn’t overly sweet at all. the texture of the dough was amazing, very soft and not too airy. i remember donuts of my youth being a little chewy, most likely due to being a day or so old before landing in my stomach, but these were delightful- more like the fresh mini donuts you could get at the state fair, but far superior. i think for the pumpkin to really shine it would have been better paired with some sort of faux cream cheese icing. my second donut was  cinnamon apple pie- it was definitely my favorite of the two. the donut itself was the same with the exception of the topping, but it’s a tried and true flavor combination, and it was heavenly. by the time i got to eat it, it had cooled almost completely, leaving the exterior perfectly crispy. i could have eaten the entire tray. i also have to note that even sitting warm, in a bag, the cinnamon sugar did not turn to slimy, greasy icing goo at the bottom of the bag.

random- i saw a tray of vegan bahn mi sandwiches, and a few other savory lunch-ish items so i got one of those as well. i appreciated the unconventional use of cashew spread on the sandwich, but pastries are obviously this cafe’s forte.

i think the only real criticism i can give beyond the coffee snafu is that the co-op didn’t have any carry out boxes on hand- to go to so much effort to ice, sugar, and decorate donuts with little dollops of filling only to have each one smashed down in a bag seems so defeating. and getting them out of the bag without dumping what filling was left was tricky as well. but regardless, they still tasted delicious.

vegan coffee and offerings from the donut cooperative!

 

in other news, pizza luce has a new seasonal pizza! coconut curry butternut squash! pizza is one of the few instances that i consume daiya, and it worked perfectly with the new flavor. i didn’t really taste the coconut and i felt that the curry could have been stronger, and hotter, but i liked where it was going.

vegan coconut curry butternut squash pizza

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Posted in baked goods ect, breakfast, pizza!, restaurant, shopping, snacks

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Vegan Mofo Theme Week!

Posted on November 14, 2010 | Leave a comment

i have decided that this weeks theme will be sourcing recipes, vegan or not, from epicurious.com.

although i have a pretty big cookbook selection, i make dinners out of them so frequently (enough so that some are barely holding together) that a cookbook challenge type week wouldnt have been, well, challenging. most recipes, like tonights, will be slightly ad-libbed depending on what we could find at the coop, or seasonal cooking methods. tonight, we will have butternut squash pizza, with pumpkin substituted for the butternut, and with tofu ricotta and cashew bechamel subbing in for the cheeses. i decided to go with pumpkin at the last minute because i’ve never baked one before, and honestly, butternut squash is kinda played out. dont you think? use the crust recipe found here, or any other 14-16 inch crust that you’d like.

sweet pumpkin pizza

prepared pizza dough-unbaked

1 1-lb sweet/small pumpkin, or winter squash

1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced

2 tbs olive oil

1 1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/2 c raw cashew pieces, ground

1 lb tofu

1 tbs lemon juice

1 tbs nutritional yeast

1/2 c almond milk

1 tsp cashew butter

1 tsp nutritional yeast

1/4 tsp each onion and garlic powder

1 tbs flour

preheat oven to 425. halve your pumpkin/squash and scoop out the seeds. wrap each half in aluminum foil, and place cut side down on a baking tray. bake for about one hour, or until soft and caramelized around the edges. unwrap and mash with the nutmeg, and a pinch of salt when cool.

meanwhile,  saute the onions in the olive oil over low heat until caramelized. about 30 minutes.

grind the raw cashew pieces in a food processor until powdery. add the lemon juice, tofu, and a pinch of salt and process until smooth. portion into 2 containers (save half for another use), and pop into the fridge.

in a saucepan, combine the flour with enough oil to make a roux, and cook until bubbling for about a minute. whisk in the cashew butter, followed slowly by the almond milk, and whisk until thick and smooth. add the garlic and onion powder and a pinch of salt.

by now, the pumpkin should be done, and your oven will already be preheated! roll out the crust to 16 inches or so, maybe around 1/4 inch thick? slide onto your pizza stone if you are as so fortunate to own one, and pre-bake your crust for 3 minutes. if not, pop the pizza on a baking tray, and pre bake for 4 minutes. pull it back out, and spread with the pumpkin. sprinkle on the onions, and dot with blobs of ricotta. re-warm the bechamel if needed, and drizzle over the top of the pizza, bake for 10-13 minutes, or until the cheezes are browned, and the crust is golden.

pumpkin pizza

pumpkin pizza

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Tag Team Dinners: BBQ Tempeh Pizza w/a Confetti Peppered Crust & Creamy Chickpea and Sweet Corn Soup

Posted on September 21, 2009 | 3 Comments

the weather was cool enough tonight to allow me to do one of my favorite things: heating up the house with delicious smells! i made a large pot of soup to work as lunches for a few days this week and a super un-traditional pizza for dinner. i tried to be efficient as possible by tag teaming my cooking and had both the pizza and soup done in about and hour and a half. take that rachael ray! to do the same, make your crust first, and while it rises prep your toppings and get the soup into the pot. by the time the pizza is baked, your soup will be ready to cool for portioning. you could also start the soup first, and serve it as a starter with the pizza to follow. if only i had squeezed in a dessert! maybe next time ;)

Confetti Peppered Pizza Crust

makes one medium (12-14 inch) crust

serves 3-4

1 1/2 tsp active dry yeast

3/4 c warm water

1 c whole wheat all purpose flour (or use all white flour to really see the speckles!)

1 1/4 c unbleached white all purpose flour

1 tbs Penzeys California Blend Seasoning*

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp sugar

1 tbs oil

place yeast in a small bowl, add the warm water and stir. let sit for 10 minutes. combine the flour, salt, sugar and the pepper blend. once 10 minutes has elapsed, add the oil to the water, and add to the dry ingredients and mix until a dough forms. knead the dough on a floured counter top until smooth and elastic. place in a lightly oiled, non reactive (glass, ceramic, not metal) bowl. cover with plastic wrap and place somewhere warm to rise for one hour.

*if not available try mixing 1 tsp black pepper with 1/4 tsp each garlic and onion powder. you will miss the red and green bell pepper speckles though;(

Pizza Toppings

1/2 c barbecue sauce. i used Organic Ville tangy.

1/4 c sweet corn, fresh or frozen

1/4 diced red onion

6 crimini mushrooms, sliced

1 recipe smoky tempeh (below)

Smoky Tempeh

1 8 oz package tempeh, sliced or cubed

1 c water or stock

1 tsp smoked spanish paprika

1 tsp cider vinegar

1/2 tsp liquid smoke

1/2 tbs Braggs

preheat the oven to 425

combine the water, Braggs, smoke, paprika and vinegar and mix well. place the tempeh in a non stick pan with the water mixture and bring to a simmer. keep simmering until all the liquid has been absorbed. add 1-2 tbs oil to the pan and brown the tempeh on all sides, proceed with your pizza!

lightly dust a pizza peel or wooden cutting board with cornmeal. punch down your dough. place dough onto the board and roll out to about 14 inches round. using your fingers, dimple the dough allover to help “hold” more sauce. spread the sauce to 1/2 inch from the edge of the crust. sprinkle the crust with the onions and corn, and layer with the tempeh and mushrooms. using a long spatula, slide the pizza onto a pizza pan, or heated pizza stone carefully. i find the best technique for me is to slide the spatula under the lip of the pizza farthest from me, and line that up with the back of the stone/pan and then drag the board out from underneath with the spatula guiding the pizza onto the stone/pan. bake the pizza for 25 minutes, or until the edges are a deep golden brown. if desired, drizzle more bbq sauce on the pizza before serving.

p.s. i didn’t use soy cheese but that doesn’t mean you cant!

dimple your dough!

dimple your dough!

before.....

before.....

after!

after!

sexay sexay pizza

sexay sexay pizza

Creamy Chickpea and Sweet Corn Soup

serves 4-8

5 cups vegetable stock, divided

1 cup diced yukon gold potato, about 1 medium

1 15oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1 medium yellow onion, diced

1 c bell pepper, any color combination, thin 1″ slices

1 serrano or jalapeno, thinly sliced

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 medium carrots, peeled, 1/4″ slices

3 cups sweet corn, if possible, grill or roast for extra flavor! (450 for 15 minutes)

1 tsp each, chives and parsley. use dried if necessary

salt and pepper to taste

*this soup is awesome because it gets its creaminess from pureed potatoes and chickpeas rather than a milk substitute, which can sometimes separate or curdle when brought to a boil*

in a dutch oven or large soup pot, saute the potatoes in 2 tbs oil. once lightly browned, add the chickpeas and one cup of the stock, and bring to a simmer. cook covered for 5 minutes to soften the chickpeas. remove from the heat and carefully place into the bowl of a food processor or your blender. puree until smooth and set aside.

to the same pot, add 2 tbs oil and cook the onion and garlic until softened, about 8 minutes. add the carrot and saute for 5 minutes more. now add the peppers (and the corn if it wasn’t grilled) and cook until slightly softened, about 15 minutes. add corn now if it was previously grilled. add your reserved chickpea paste, and stir in the stock until all lumps have dissolved. bring to a low boil and season with salt and pepper to taste. simmer on medium-low until the flavors have combined, about 20 minutes. remove from the heat and add the fresh herbs. serve immediately, or cool and portion for later use!

wish you were here

wish you were here

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