I've been a vegan now for two years, almost to the day. It is always a wonder to me that I am still discovering new vegan foods. Recently, a friend of mine hipped me to the vegan, pre-made pizza dough that Trader Joe's sells. Even BEFORE I was a vegan, I had never made pizza. Oh, I had slapped a little pizzaesque something together once or twice using a tortilla, but never a proper pizza using proper dough. And now I'm obsessed. It all began the other night with a white pizza from the April 2010 issue of Vegetarian times. I veganized it by subbing soy milk, Vegan (parmesan) Topping (by Galaxy Foods) and Daiya mozzarella instead of the dairy versions. I added zucchini, too, as I was pretty low on broccoli.
My pizza turned out so great that I went on an accidental pizza binge that continued with me buying a Tofurkey pizza for lunch the next day (and eating it all in one sitting -- I'm not proud) and culminated in another pizza creation tonight. This time it was BBQ "Chicken" Pizza . I started with a basic (carnivorous) recipe from Allrecipes.com, but spruced it up with with carmelized onions and roasted red pepper. I dialed down the animal cruelty factor by using plant-based mozzarella and "chicken" . This pizza was equally as amazing as my first attempt and now I find myself daydreaming about my next pizza adventure. Will it be something Hawaiian -- maybe fried, vegan Canadian "bacon" and pineapple with a spicy soy glaze? Or perhaps tempeh sausage and sun-dried tomatoes with faux feta? Or something crazy like roasted garlic and fried hotdogs? The possibilities are quite endless. I am just grateful to have discovered the TJ's dough and look forward to a long love affair with homemade pizzas.
White Pizza with Broccoli and Mushrooms and Zucchini - modified from Vegetarian Times
2 Tbs. vegan margarine (Earth Balance), divided
6 oz. mushrooms, thinly sliced
2 cups small broccoli florets
1 cup zucchini, sliced thinly in half rounds
1 Tbs. flour
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 c. plain soy milk
1/4 tsp. salt
1 c. shredded vegan mozzarella (Daiya), divided
1/8 c. Vegan (parmesan) Topping (Galaxy Foods)
1 16-oz. bag of vegan Trader Joe's refrigerated pizza dough
1. Preheat over to 425.
2. Melt 1 tbs of margarine in skillet over medium-high heat. Saute mushrooms for about 5 minutes. Add broccoli and zucchini and saute for a couple of minutes. Add 1/3 cup water, cover tightly, and simmer for 3-5 minutes until veggies are tender.
3. Melt remaining margarine in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add flour and cook 2 minutes. Whisk in milk, garlic, and salt. Cook for 3-7 minutes until mixture starts to boil and thicken. Add 1/2 the vegan mozzarella and the parmesan. Stir until cheese melts and the mixture thickens to a sauce-like consistency.
4. Prepare the pizza a dough according to package directions and place on a greased cookie sheet, pizza pan, or pizza stone.
5. Spread the white sauce over the dough to within a half inch of the edge. Top with the veggie mixture. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top. Bake for 18-20 minutes.
6. Cool slightly before serving.
7. Devour.
BBQ Chicken Pizza
1 16-oz. bag of vegan Trader Joe's refrigerated pizza dough
3/4 cup spicy barbeque sauce (I recommend Stubb's Spicy)
2 Gardein fillets, pan-fried and cut into cubes or strips
1/2 cup sliced peperoncini peppers
1 thinly sliced red onion
1 Tbs. olive oil
1 Tbs. vegan margarine
1 tsp. brown sugar
1 Tbs. balsamic vinegar
1/2 roasted red pepper, skinned and diced
1 c. shredded vegan mozzarella (Daiya), divided
1/8 c. Vegan (parmesan) Topping (Galaxy Foods)
1. Preheat over to 425.
2. Melt margarine and olive oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Saute onions for about 5 minutes until translucent. Lower heat, add sugar and vinegar, and continue stirring onions about 20-30 minutes until soft and carmelized.
3. Prepare the pizza a dough according to package directions and place on a greased cookie sheet, pizza pan, or pizza stone.
4. Spread the BBQ sauce over the dough to within a half inch of the edge. Top with the "chicken", then peppers, then red pepper, then onions. Top with the mozzarella cheese. Bake for 18-20 minutes.
5. Cool slightly before serving. Sprinkle with faux parmesan.
6. Devour.
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