I might be mildly addicted to Pinterest. But at least I actually use my boards and don't just randomly pin things that get left forgotten for months. A while back, I saw this recipe from one of my favorite food blogs, Tartelette, for Heirloom Tomato Galette and I pinned it, knowing I would figure out a way to make a vegan version. Well, that day is here, my friends! Well, it was here...
Saturday was one of the first really chilly nights of the season and, while I love to go walk around the town, I was craving a night in with my guy - snuggling while watching a movie, cooking together, drinking wine - perfect fall night. So below are my chances to Tartelette's recipe for those of us of the vegan persuasion. In the future I'm going to make my own dough. I got super lazy and just bought multi-grain pizza dough from Whole Foods, which is mighty different from the pastry dough called for in the recipe. But even so, it was delicious. My favorite part is folding over the crust. It creates a "stuffed crust" illusion that's really yummy and surprising. With the rest of our pizza dough, J made an awesome Stromboli. It was a yummy, warm, cuddly kind of night!
Veganized Heirloom Tomato Galette
Modified from Tartelette
Dough:
Ok, like I said, I took the easy road and bought ready-made pizza dough. But you can easily modify her recipe by subbing in a stick of Earth Balance.
Ricotta Filling:
Remember those awesome Flatbreads we made from Post Punk Kitchen? We took the creamy spread, sans scallions, red peppers, and with only 1 Tbsp lemon juice, and used that in place of ricotta. J also used it in the Stromboli.
Topping:
4 heirloom tomatoes
Fresh herbs straight from our windowsill: oregano, basil, & cilantro
So we made it according to her directions using our substitutions, and then popped it in the oven, but only for about 30-40 minutes - remember - we were working with pizza dough not pastry!
It was easy-peezey to make and proves, yet again, that any recipe can be turned into a delicious, cruelty-free meal! Try it veganizing your favorite recipes and if you need advice on substitutions, just leave me a comment and I'll try to help you out!
Insights, quips, and queries on the vegan way of life
Showing posts with label Pizza. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Pizza. Show all posts
Monday, September 24, 2012
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Polenta Pizza...you heard me right.
My walk home from work put me in a nasty mood last night because most of the neighborhood hadn't shoveled their sidewalks and my usual 10 minute walk turned into 20 minutes. I walked into the house to find a sink full of dishes and felt defeated. I had NO desire to cook, however, my boyfriend and I have enforced a new rule that we are only allowed to dine out twice a month (take out included) and I didn't want to waste our second dine out pass on my nasty mood. My wonderful boyfriend hiked up his sleeves and got to work on the dishes while I casually flipped through Vegan on the Cheap without much intention of cooking.
I came across Robin's recipe for Polenta Pizza and was intrigued. Polenta is one of the easiest grains to cook. It's super cheap, but very filling and tastes great if seasoned well and paired with veggies. We didn't have all of the ingredients to make Robin's version, but we figured we'd wing it and see what happens!
Results: Not too bad! But I'd like to try my hand at it again. I don't think we seasoned the polenta enough (interestingly Robin's recipe doesn't call for anything other than salt, but that still leaves the polenta tasting fairly bland). Also, although it's called "pizza" you still need to eat it with a fork unless you want to make a crazy mess on your lap. I'm going to experiment with various sauces and toppings next time...but for now, I'll give you the basic recipe so you can try it at home!
Polenta Pizza adapted from Vegan on the Cheap
3 cups water
olive oil
1 cup corn meal (polenta)
salt
herbs....basil, Italian spices, experiment!
Boil the 3 cups of water with some salt and olive oil. Add in the polenta, stirring the whole time. Reduce heat to Medium and cook for about 12-15 minutes. BE CAREFUL! Polenta is a crazy beast that likes to bubble and pop and make a mess on your stove if you aren't keeping a watchful eye on it and stirring constantly.
Once it's finished and seasoned to your likings, spread it out in a thin layer, about 1/4 inch thick, in the bottom of a 9x13 pan (pre-oiled so it doesn't stick when you're all done). Bake at 425 for 12 minutes so that it becomes nice and firm.
After that---add your toppings! We sauteed some veggies (spinach, broccoli, onion sauteed in white wine & olive oil) but you could also do a layer of tomato sauce with veggies on top; roasted veggies; seitan...the possibilities are endless!
Then bake it for another 10-15 minutes....and serve!
I came across Robin's recipe for Polenta Pizza and was intrigued. Polenta is one of the easiest grains to cook. It's super cheap, but very filling and tastes great if seasoned well and paired with veggies. We didn't have all of the ingredients to make Robin's version, but we figured we'd wing it and see what happens!
Results: Not too bad! But I'd like to try my hand at it again. I don't think we seasoned the polenta enough (interestingly Robin's recipe doesn't call for anything other than salt, but that still leaves the polenta tasting fairly bland). Also, although it's called "pizza" you still need to eat it with a fork unless you want to make a crazy mess on your lap. I'm going to experiment with various sauces and toppings next time...but for now, I'll give you the basic recipe so you can try it at home!
Polenta Pizza adapted from Vegan on the Cheap
3 cups water
olive oil
1 cup corn meal (polenta)
salt
herbs....basil, Italian spices, experiment!
Boil the 3 cups of water with some salt and olive oil. Add in the polenta, stirring the whole time. Reduce heat to Medium and cook for about 12-15 minutes. BE CAREFUL! Polenta is a crazy beast that likes to bubble and pop and make a mess on your stove if you aren't keeping a watchful eye on it and stirring constantly.
Once it's finished and seasoned to your likings, spread it out in a thin layer, about 1/4 inch thick, in the bottom of a 9x13 pan (pre-oiled so it doesn't stick when you're all done). Bake at 425 for 12 minutes so that it becomes nice and firm.
After that---add your toppings! We sauteed some veggies (spinach, broccoli, onion sauteed in white wine & olive oil) but you could also do a layer of tomato sauce with veggies on top; roasted veggies; seitan...the possibilities are endless!
Then bake it for another 10-15 minutes....and serve!
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Pizza! Pizza!
There are two major reasons I decided to start this blog:
1. To hold myself accountable to my new vegan lifestyle and my goal to lose 60 pounds in a year. I will be gloriously honest with all of you over the course of this year and hope to think of you as a source of encouragement- my cheerleaders, if you will.
2. To de-mystify the vegan lifestyle. Although the city I live in is primarily liberal and open-minded, I keep running into individuals who look at me as though I'm an alien when I tell them I don't eat meat. Is it really that strange to you? Some of the things I hear around the water-cooler at work are mildly offensive and just proposterous and, moreover, indicate to me that many people don't even know what it means to be vegan and jump to their own conclusions. I am not a hippie. I'm not a free-spirited-Berkinstock-wearing-fairy-loving-spiritualist. I am a young professional working in corporate America who wears suits to work and drives a Chevy Impala. You don't have to be a "type" of person to be vegan. Yet, people who don't understand lump us into a category and treat us as "different." I get frustrated and angry, but what's the point! This blog is to help educate so that I can turn that anger into something positive.
Ok- so are you ready for yesterday's menu? It was wicked good, I promise! And I must tell you, I hopped on the WiiFit last night and found that I've lost 2.5 lbs in 3 days- horrah! Clearly eliminating cheese from my diet is doing some good.
Breakfast: Oatmeal with Fruit Compote
1/2 cup quick cooking oats
1 cup of water
pinch of salt
The left over fruit salad from last night's dessert
1/2 cup Almond Milk
Cook the oats, water, & milk in the microwave for 1 minute. Stir in the fruit salad from last night's dessert (never let anything go to waste!) and microwave for 30 seconds. Pour the almond milk on top and eat!
Lunch: Left-over rice with broccoli and snap peas
Left over rice from previous night's dinner, about 1 cup
1/3 cup homemade veggie stock
Handful of broccoli
Handful of snap peas
You can use whatever veggies you have on hand!
Pinch of sea salt
Put it all in a bowl and microwave for 2-3 mins. Yum!
Dinner: Pizza! Pizza! Night
1 lb pizza crust--- we got ours at the food store and used Portland Pie Wheat Dough (this may not be a completely vegan dough, but we were in a hurry; you could make your own vegan dough)
Stuff for pizza!
We made 2 pizzas- one with a sauce made from a diced tomato, pesto, and garlic then topped with vegetarian sausage and orange bell pepper and the other made with a base of pesto then topped with sauteed onion, tomato slices and fresh spinach. Bake them in the oven on a pizza stone for about 20 mins at 400 degress---Belissimo!
Dessert: Chocolate Surprise Brownies (From Vegan on the Cheap, with my modifications in red)
Makes 16 brownies
1 cup cooked or canned black beans, drained & rinsed
1/2 cup sugar
3 Tbsp canola or other neutral oil
4 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1 ripe banana
2 Tbsp instant coffee (we didn't have instant so we just very finely ground 2 Tbsp of Coffee by Design's Ethiopian coffee)
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp salt
1/4 cup vegan semisweet chocolate chips (we didn't have vegan chips, but had a ton of regular since I run a baking service)
1/2 cup walnut pieces (optional) (we did not use these- the boyfriend HATES walnuts!)
1 cup frozen mixed berries, thawed in the microwave
Preheat oven to 350. Grease an 8-inch square baking pan and set aside. In a blender or food processor, combine blackbeans, sugar, & oil and blend until smooth. Add the banana, coffee, cocoa, and vanilla, and blend until smooth. Scrape the mixture into a large mixing bowl. Add flour, baking powder, and salt and mix until smooth. Stir in the chocolate chips and walnut pieces, if using. Fold in mixed berries.
Scrape the batter into the prepared pan. Bake until toothpick comes out clean, about 25-30 mins.
1. To hold myself accountable to my new vegan lifestyle and my goal to lose 60 pounds in a year. I will be gloriously honest with all of you over the course of this year and hope to think of you as a source of encouragement- my cheerleaders, if you will.
2. To de-mystify the vegan lifestyle. Although the city I live in is primarily liberal and open-minded, I keep running into individuals who look at me as though I'm an alien when I tell them I don't eat meat. Is it really that strange to you? Some of the things I hear around the water-cooler at work are mildly offensive and just proposterous and, moreover, indicate to me that many people don't even know what it means to be vegan and jump to their own conclusions. I am not a hippie. I'm not a free-spirited-Berkinstock-wearing-fairy-loving-spiritualist. I am a young professional working in corporate America who wears suits to work and drives a Chevy Impala. You don't have to be a "type" of person to be vegan. Yet, people who don't understand lump us into a category and treat us as "different." I get frustrated and angry, but what's the point! This blog is to help educate so that I can turn that anger into something positive.
Ok- so are you ready for yesterday's menu? It was wicked good, I promise! And I must tell you, I hopped on the WiiFit last night and found that I've lost 2.5 lbs in 3 days- horrah! Clearly eliminating cheese from my diet is doing some good.
Breakfast: Oatmeal with Fruit Compote
1/2 cup quick cooking oats
1 cup of water
pinch of salt
The left over fruit salad from last night's dessert
1/2 cup Almond Milk
Cook the oats, water, & milk in the microwave for 1 minute. Stir in the fruit salad from last night's dessert (never let anything go to waste!) and microwave for 30 seconds. Pour the almond milk on top and eat!
Lunch: Left-over rice with broccoli and snap peas
Left over rice from previous night's dinner, about 1 cup
1/3 cup homemade veggie stock
Handful of broccoli
Handful of snap peas
You can use whatever veggies you have on hand!
Pinch of sea salt
Put it all in a bowl and microwave for 2-3 mins. Yum!
Dinner: Pizza! Pizza! Night
1 lb pizza crust--- we got ours at the food store and used Portland Pie Wheat Dough (this may not be a completely vegan dough, but we were in a hurry; you could make your own vegan dough)
Stuff for pizza!
We made 2 pizzas- one with a sauce made from a diced tomato, pesto, and garlic then topped with vegetarian sausage and orange bell pepper and the other made with a base of pesto then topped with sauteed onion, tomato slices and fresh spinach. Bake them in the oven on a pizza stone for about 20 mins at 400 degress---Belissimo!
Dessert: Chocolate Surprise Brownies (From Vegan on the Cheap, with my modifications in red)
Makes 16 brownies
1 cup cooked or canned black beans, drained & rinsed
1/2 cup sugar
3 Tbsp canola or other neutral oil
4 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1 ripe banana
2 Tbsp instant coffee (we didn't have instant so we just very finely ground 2 Tbsp of Coffee by Design's Ethiopian coffee)
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp salt
1/4 cup vegan semisweet chocolate chips (we didn't have vegan chips, but had a ton of regular since I run a baking service)
1/2 cup walnut pieces (optional) (we did not use these- the boyfriend HATES walnuts!)
1 cup frozen mixed berries, thawed in the microwave
Preheat oven to 350. Grease an 8-inch square baking pan and set aside. In a blender or food processor, combine blackbeans, sugar, & oil and blend until smooth. Add the banana, coffee, cocoa, and vanilla, and blend until smooth. Scrape the mixture into a large mixing bowl. Add flour, baking powder, and salt and mix until smooth. Stir in the chocolate chips and walnut pieces, if using. Fold in mixed berries.
Scrape the batter into the prepared pan. Bake until toothpick comes out clean, about 25-30 mins.
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