My son and his significant other have been visiting from Los Angeles. They are both vegans, and have been enjoying some of the vegan restaurants in our area. We were talking about the pizza I posted on this blog and whether I could make a tasty vegan version. My son asked me if I would use fake cheese, and I said, “no way!” I just can’t get into the fake cheese and gravy thing that you find in so many vegan restaurants.
Anyway, the challenge was set to make a tasty vegan pizza without added fake cheese. The plus for me was that I could use up some of the farm share vegies that are suddenly spiraling out of control. I did it, and it was absolutely delicious – loved by vegans and meat eaters alike. Here is the result:
As I look at it now, it doesn’t look particularly appetizing. Don’t let the picture fool you, it was wonderful! The secret here is that there are lots of layers of flavor, so don’t short-change or skimp on the recipe. You can vary the vegies, just make sure you roast some and saute others for the added flavor. And the pesto is the key ingredient.
Ingredients
1/2 recipe pizza dough
1/2 recipe vegan pesto
1 recipe roasted tomatoes
1 large zucchini, sliced 1/4 inch thick
1 clove garlic, minced
1 bunch chard, chopped
2-3 cups sliced mushrooms
Method
Toss the zucchini with about 1 TBL olive, some salt, and pepper. Roast in a 350 degree oven for about 30 minutes, turning the pieces after about 15 minutes. You can roast the tomatoes simultaneously. Saute the garlic, chard, and mushrooms in some olive oil until soft. Salt and pepper to taste. If you want, you can add a pinch of red pepper flakes to this mixture while it is cooking.
Prepare the dough as directed in the pizza dough recipe. Spread the dough with the vegan pesto. Place the roasted tomatoes and zucchini on top of the dough in a pattern, if you like. Then, spread the garlic, chard, and mushroom mixture over all.
Bake in a 450 degree oven for 20-30 minutes, checking the bottom regularly, until the crust turns a nice golden color. Let rest for 5 minutes before cutting into wedges.
