Roasted Wild Mushroom Pizza Blanco

I never got my oven fixed last week but when I turned it on the other night it worked perfectly.  I'm sure eventually I'll need to call in the repair guy, or get a new one, but until then it's nice not having to spend the $100 plus!  I'd rather spend the money on quality ingredients to make delicious food!

For this pizza I used a gluten free cornmeal crust.  I really didn't like the crust that much...it was chewy and didn't brown properly and I much prefer an extra-thin crispy crust for my pizza.  I do like using gluten free pizza crusts, but this was not one of them.  However, the toppings were amazing! Here's what I did:

  
I pan roasted both cremini and oyster mushrooms in olive oil, fresh thyme and salt and pepper until lightly golden brown.  While the mushrooms were roasting, I caramelized sliced red onions in olive oil and set aside.  I then sliced baby creamer potatoes about 1/8" thick and sauteed them in olive oil until golden brown.  

To assemble the pizza, I brushed the dough with extra virgin olive oil and then spooned about 1/3 cup of my homemade creamy pasta alfredo sauce on the bottom.  I topped the sauce with one cup of shredded Daiya Harvarti Style Cheese Wedge, followed by the roasted mushrooms and then the onions.  After baking the pizza I topped it with fresh arugula tossed in a little evoo, s&p, and finished with a sprinkle of crushed red pepper flakes.

If you make the alfredo sauce the day before and purchase a pre-made pizza crust, then this is an easy Friday night dinner after a long week at work!  And it was delicious!  Now I've got to figure out what I'm making for tonight...stay tuned...will post this weekend! 

Happy Friday! 

Sun-Dried Tomato & Cashew-Basil Ricotta Pizza

I recently checked out a book from the library called Everyday Raw by Matthew Kenney and decided to make his recipe for Tomato, Basil and Ricotta Pizza.  I really liked the flavor and freshness of the pizza, but I felt the crust became a little soft once the toppings were added.  This could be my fault because I rolled out the dough to a 1/4" thickness when the recipe recommended 1/2", or maybe it's because I don't have a dehydrator and I baked my crust at a really low oven temperature instead of dehydrating for 24-36 hours.  Anyway, applying "raw" principles to food is still really new for me, but I'm starting to get the hang of it.

Also, instead of making a Macadamia/Ricotta with nutritional yeast, I used cashew nuts with a mild miso paste and omitted the nutritional yeast entirely.  I also added fresh basil as an added flavor component.  For the sun-dried tomato spread, I added minced capers and dried Italian seasonings.

I might try making the crust again or experiment with a baked gluten-free pizza crust and then add the raw toppings afterwards.  Also the sun-dried tomato spread and the cashew ricotta would be great served on toasted bruschetta or crostini.  Again, the flavors were great.  It's really amazing how fresh ingredients taste when they are eaten raw and minimally processed.  You can definitely taste the difference!

Cashew-Basil Ricotta:

1 cup raw cashews, soaked for 4 hours
1 tsp lemon zest
1/4 cup filtered water
1/2 tsp minced shallot
1/2 tsp minced garlic clove
1 tbsp organic mild miso paste
3/4 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1-2 tbsp minced fresh basil leaves

Method:

• Drain the cashews and place in a food processor along with all the other ingredients, except for the minced basil.
• Process until smooth and then place in a bowl and stir in minced basil.

Sun-Dried Tomato Spread:

1 1/3 cups Roma tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1 1/3 cups sun-dried tomatoes, soaked in filtered water for 20 minutes
1/3 cup soaking liquid from sun-dried tomatoes
2 tbsp minced capers (optional)
1 tbsp dried Italian seasoning
1 tsp raw agave syrup
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp black pepper

Method:

• Blend all ingredients together in a food processor until smooth.

Other Ingredients:

2 cups organic wild arugula
1 pint organic cherry tomatoes (slow roasted in the oven for about an hour while baking crust)
1/4 cup minced fresh basil leaves
Juice of 1 lemon
First cold pressed extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt and black pepper





 

Veggie Calzone with Roasted Garlic Cream

If you like garlic then this calzone is for you!  This recipe contains two whole bulbs of garlic!  And if you're tired of using a standard red sauce for calzone's or pizza, then I really think that you'll love my Roasted Garlic Cream.

 
Roasted Garlic Cream Sauce:

1 cup raw cashews, soaked for at least four hours or overnight
1 1/2 cups filtered water
1 bulb garlic
1/2 yellow onion, sliced
4 cloves garlic minced
1 tbsp minced fresh thyme leaves
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and black pepper to taste

Method:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Slice top off garlic bulb, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper and wrap in aluminum foil.
• Roast in the oven for about 40-50 minutes until tender.  Set aside to let cool.
• Drain soaking water from cashews and place cashews in a blender.  Add filtered water and blend for about 3-4 minutes on high until smooth.
• Heat a sauce pan on medium heat and saute onions, garlic and thyme until onions are soft.  
• Add cashew cream, salt and pepper to taste and cook on low for about 15 minutes until sauce becomes thick, stirring frequently to prevent burning.  Set aside.

Tomato Concasse:

8 large Roma tomatoes, peeled, seeds removed and diced
2 tbsp finely minced garlic
2 tbsp minced fresh basil
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and black pepper to taste
Note:  You can use diced canned tomatoes, but since tomatoes are in season, it really makes a difference using fresh.

Method:

• Fill a sauce pan with water and bring it to a boil.  Slice an X on the top of each tomato and immerse in the boiling water until skins start to peel, about 30 seconds.  Remove tomatoes and place in ice water to cool, or rinse under cool water.  Peel tomatoes, slice in quarters, remove seeds and then dice.
• Add olive oil to a sauce pan, add diced tomatoes, garlic, basil, salt and pepper to taste and cook until liquid is absorbed and tomato sauce is thick.  Set aside.

Calzone Ingredients/Assembly:

1 lb whole wheat/grain pizza dough (I used Trader Joe's), divided into 4 portions
1 head broccoli, sectioned into florets and steamed until crisp-tender
12 oz baby spinach leaves
4 cloves minced garlic
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus more to brush top of calzone
1/2 package Daiya Mozzarella Cheese Shreds
Kosher salt and black pepper
Cornmeal for dusting pizza peel

Method:

• Preheat oven to 500 degrees and preheat pizza stone for about one hour before using.
• Let pizza dough come to room temperature for 30 minutes and then divide into 4 equal portions, roll into balls on a floured surface and cover and let sit for another 30 minutes for gluten to relax before rolling out.
• Place broccoli florets in a steamer and steam for about 1-2 minutes until crisp-tender.  Cool and then chop into 1/2" pieces.  Set aside.
• Heat a large saute pan on medium-low, add olive oil, garlic, spinach, salt and pepper to taste and cook until wilted.  Place spinach in a strainer and press with the back of a spoon to remove most liquid, set aside.
• Roll out pizza dough to about an 8" circle, or to desired thickness and then transfer dough to pizza peel dusted with cornmeal to prevent sticking.
• Place about 2-3 tbsp roasted garlic cream sauce on the bottom half of the circle.  Top with chopped broccoli, sauteed spinach, 2-3 tbsp tomato concasse and 1/4 cup Daiya cheese.  Fold over top and seal edges tightly.  Brush with a little olive oil and sprinkle with kosher salt and black pepper.
• Bake for about 7-10 minutes (depending on your oven) until puffy, bubbly and golden brown. 

Very Veggie Pizza

I love eating pizza and who doesn't, especially a pizza that is healthy and delicious!  Pizza is very easy to make at home.  You can either purchase a pre-made pizza sauce or follow my recipe below.  For the crust, I used Trader Joe's whole wheat pizza dough.  The instructions on the package says to let the dough sit for 20 minutes before rolling, but this is not enough time for the gluten to relax and it is difficult to roll out.  And if you like a thin crust, like I do, then you need to let the dough rest for about an hour before rolling.  The dough makes enough for two medium size pizzas and one pizza serves two people.  

 

Homemade Pizza Sauce:

1 28 oz can plum tomatoes or tomato puree (I purchase whole plum tomatoes without salt and then blend them myself into a puree)

1/2 medium onion, finely diced

4 garlic cloves, finely minced

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

2 cups filtered water

1 tsp dried oregano flakes, crumbled

1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp crushed red pepper

1 bay leaf

1/2-1 tsp salt (more or less to taste)

1/4 tsp black pepper

Note:  This makes enough sauce for two pizzas.  The sauce can be frozen and used for another time.)

Method: 

• In a 3qt sauce pan, add olive oil, a little salt and pepper and saute onions and garlic on low until soft, about 5-7 minutes.
• Add tomato puree, water and remaining spices.
• Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer, stirring frequently and cook for about an hour until most liquid is absorbed and the sauce is thick.
• Remove bay leaf, taste again for seasonings and add more salt if needed.
• Set aside until ready to use.

Other Ingredients:
(Serving Size:  1 Pizza)

1/2 package whole wheat pizza dough (Trader Joe's, or your favorite brand)
1/2 yellow onion, thinly sliced
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
1/2 red bell pepper, seeds removed, thinly sliced
1/2 yellow bell pepper, seeds removed, thinly sliced
1/2 orange bell pepper, seeds removed, thinly sliced
1 cup chopped artichoke hearts
1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, thinly sliced
2 tbsp capers, drained
1/4 cup black olives, cut into quarters or chopped
1/2 cup Daiya Vegan Cheese, Mozzarella Style
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced
2 tbsp cornmeal or bread crumbs for the pizza peel
Note:  These are my favorite vegges to use on pizza, but you can add mushrooms, broccoli rabe, asparagus, etc.  Also, I saute my onions and peppers until slightly soft before adding them to the pizza.

Method:

• Preheat oven to 475-500 degrees and place pizza stone on the bottom rack in the oven.  Preheat the pizza stone for at least an hour before using.
• On a floured surface, roll out pizza dough to desired thinness.
• Sprinkle cornmeal or bread crumbs on pizza peel so that the dough doesn't stick when you're transferring the pizza to the pizza stone in the oven.
• Place dough on pizza peel and lightly brush dough with olive oil and add a good amount of pizza sauce and spread evenly on the dough.
• Layer pizza with sauteed onions and peppers, artichokes, capers, olives and sprinkle with cheese.
• Transfer pizza to pizza stone and bake for 10-12 minutes until crust is crispy and cheese is bubbling.
• Remove from oven and sprinkle with a little sea salt and shredded basil leaves.  You can also drizzle with a little more olive oil if you prefer.
• Cut into slices and enjoy!!!