Vegan Cooking

INSPIRATION

I used to order pizza without a second thought, as long as I asked for no cheese. Then I learned that some crusts aren’t vegan, so I did my research and ordered accordingly. Then I made my own pizza at home, and I decided I’d never spend fifteen bucks on a pizza again. I’ve tried different variations of my Vegan Pan Pizza, but this is the one I made last night.

INGREDIENTS

1 tblsp. oil
1 clove garlic, minced
29-oz can tomato sauce
¼ c. onion, diced
1 tblsp. basil
1 tblsp. oregano
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. garlic powder
½ tsp. thyme
½ tsp. sugar
1 tblsp. nutritional yeast (optional secret ingredient)
Mushrooms, sliced
Olives, sliced
Pineapple, sliced
Tomatoes, sliced
Vegan pizza dough
½ c. vegetable oil
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. basil

STEPS

1) First I pour the oil in a big pot with the minced garlic. I turn the burner on medium-low and distribute the garlic evenly throughout the oil. You have to be careful not to cook it too long on its own, or the garlic will get brown and possibly burn. So I put my diced onion in pretty quick and sauté it until it’s translucent.

2) In goes the tomato sauce, followed by the basil, oregano, onion powder, garlic powder, thyme and sugar.

3) For a “cheesy” flavor that brings a lot of depth to the sauce, I add the nutritional yeast. If you’ve never cooked with it before, you’ll find yourself adding it to everything, from sauces to stews to vegetables.

4) I like to simmer the sauce on low for about 15 minutes, covered.

5) As for the crust for my Vegan Pan Pizza, I usually use a store-bought vegan version from Trader Joe’s. I don’t have a vegan crust recipe of my own, but here’s a vegan pizza dough recipe to try if you’d rather make it from scratch. I always have a hard time getting the dough to work with me. Just do whatever it takes to get it thin (or thick) enough, without holes, so you can put it in the bottom of a casserole dish. It’s a good idea to spray it with cooking oil first.

6) Next comes the sauce – how much really depends on how thick you’ve made your crust, and your own personal preference.

7) For a special sauce that I add to the mushrooms and tomatoes, I combine ½ c. oil, 1 tsp. garlic powder and 1 tsp. basil. I toss half of this mixture with the sliced mushrooms in a large bowl. I set the other half aside for later.

8) When topping the pizza, I start with the mushrooms first, then the olives, then the pineapple, then the tomatoes. Finally, I liberally brush the tomatoes with the oil-garlic-basil mixture. (If you don’t have a brush, use a spoon).

9) In goes the Vegan Pan Pizza on 350 degrees for about half an hour. Once it’s pretty much done, I turn the oven on broil to slightly blacken the edges of the tomatoes. Keep a close eye on it though – the last thing you want to do is burn the pizza in the last three minutes.

PRESENTATION

This one’s pretty straightforward – cut a piece as big as you like it, put it on a plate and go!

RESULT

The oil-garlic-basil sauce I topped the tomatoes with really made this dish, combined with the broiling and slight blackening of the tomatoes at the end. Scrumptious, especially with that savory sauce!

TWEAKS

I was out of nutmeg and all-spice, but I normally like to add a little of both to my Italian red sauces – about 1/8 to ¼ tsp. each.

RESPONSE

If you try this Vegan Pan Pizza, please let me know what you think in the Comments box. And if this recipe inspired you to go off in a completely different direction, I’d love to know that too.

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