How could it be junk food week without pizza? Pizza is the ultimate junk food. You ask any little kid what their favorite food is and what will they say? And the one day a week at school that a kid, who usually brings a sack lunch, buys lunch?... Pizza day! And you can bet he knows what day it is. You ask him what he learned at school today and he has no clue, but he knows what day is pizza day!
Pizza day at our house was every friday. Pizza and a movie. We kept little cesars in business! Now that I'm married I make our pizza for pizza night. We prefer "califonia style" with a thin crispy crust. I've also found this supurb pizza seasoning that makes any pizza! Here are two pizza recipes. The first is a delicious vegetable pizza. I actually served this to carnivore friends that came for dinner and they ate all the vegan pizza before they started on the meat pizzas that were made just for them. These are really versatile. I like to have pre-made crusts in the freezer to pull out and make up quick!
The Second recipe I've actually stolen and veganized it. I realize that doing this to a recipe which came from a Texan is a sin but it was so good I had to have it again. While on my mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints I served in Graham Texas. This town is truly unique. On the main square there is a pizza joint that is in the old city jail. I could just picture barny fife there in the good old day. The place is called The Last Pizza Show. If you're ever in Graham (first of all, why would you ever be there?) you've got to check this place out. The owners still come out and talk to you. If you sit at the bar they'll chat with you as they make the pizza. This is where I was introduced to Hamburger Pizza. I'm sure you're saying, ya, whats the big deal. We'll this pizza is made with Mustard as the sauce.
Here is one of my dirty little secrets. I ADORE mustard. I'll take it any way I can get it. This comes from a mutated gene from my grandmother who, no joke, at one time had over 30 different kinds of mustard in her fridge at one time. Did you even know there were that many different kinds of mustard?
Anyway, back to the pizza. For this meat lovers pizza the sauce is made from regular yellow mustard. Try it and see if it's not FANTASTIC!
Vegetable Pizza
1 pizza crust (this recipe makes two crusts)
1 tomato sliced
spinach
vegan cheese
pizza seasoning
bottled spagetti sauce
Layer your pizza crust with sauce, spinach, tomatoes, seasoning, and cheese. Add whatever you like, be creative! Try peppers and artichoke hearts, mushrooms and olives....I better stop. I find drizzling the cheese on last helps hold everything on. Bake at 350 till spinach is wilted.
Hamburger Pizza
1 pizza crust
1 1/2 c meat crumbles
yellow mustard
vegan cheese
pizza seasoning
Layer mustard, "meat," seasoning, and cheese. Bake at 350 for about 15 minutes.
Alright carnivore, stop right there - move along - there is nothing to see here. Just go back to your happy little life with your cheese and your sour cream and pretend that everything is okay...keep moving. This post is for vegans ONLY! Ya, it's a private club. Now beat it.
If you're vegan you understand. Vegan cheese is an "acquired" taste. If you're not committed, don't even try. I've heard that there are some great new vegan cheeses that have come on the market back in the states but being out here in never never land with the lost boys I haven't had the pleasure of experimenting for myself. As for now, I am stuck with what the local corner market can supply; but, after much research I've developed something that seems to work. In my research I have come across two types of cheese -
1. tofu/soy
2. non tofu/soy (usually made with nutritional yeast and cornstarch)
I try to avoid soy whenever possible.....hormonal reasons, don't ask........I said don't ask alright? sheesh....Anyway, since soy is not an option we had to try something else.
Well, I tried the cornstarch variety and while it tasted ok my brain couldn't quite swallow it. So, mine is more of a rice cheese.
Now, this is not my first attempt at cheese making. When Matthew and I were first married we were gifted some Kefir grains. We Loved Kefir....that is until I neglected the poor dears and we got a sour batch. Well, not wanting it to go to waste, I came up with the brilliant idea of making cheese out of it. I researched it online and found I was well on my way to a perfectly delight cheesy substance. I watched it like a hawk for days, if only I had given it this kind of attention when the grains were still good. Finally, I summoned Matthew into the kitchen to try my first of what I hoped to be many batches of Kefir cheese. I sliced off a delicate morsel of a ball that was the consistency of soft cream cheese. We both took a bite and realized.....I had made alcoholic cheese. It fizzled like rootbeer and smelled like a drunk on new years eve. Okay, so not my best.
So Kefir didn't work, that's alright. I then got into sprouting and heard that you could make cheese out of rejuvilac left over from soaking wheat. Now what could go wrong with wheat? It's not alive...so to speak, no way to kill it. This one was sure to work. After several days of anticipation I called Matthew into the kitchen again to taste my new cheese. I guess the memory of the last experience was still a little too fresh in his mind, or maybe it was the mold that was growing on the outside of the cheese; whatever, it was, I was able to convince him that mold was part of the cheese making process....like blue cheese, this was just a sign of my success. Unfortunately, he wouldn't agree to be the guinea pig this time so we agreed to try it together. We then concluded that no, this was not the right kind of mold.
As I'm re-reading this I realize this is not the best intro to get you to try my vegan cheese but look at it this way, with all this experience behind me I now know what NOT to do. That's got to count for something. So, try it if you dare. I tried it on the vegan pizza for an upcoming post and it is heavenly! So, if nothing else, try it on the pizza.
Vegan Cheese
1/4 c cashews
2 potatoes
4-5 carrots
1 onion
1-2 c celery
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 C nurtitional yeast
1 c water
In a pressure cooker cook potatoes, carrots, celery, water, and onion for 10 minutes. When finished add all the ingredients to a blender to make it creamy. Use while its hot. You can also use it cold as a cheese spread.
Add ins: for nacho cheese add bottled salsa and a hit of Tabasco
or, add broccoli and vegetable stock and serve over potatoes
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