Vegan Pizza Night!
Vegan pizza is a rare commodity in Cleveland. Only a few places have it and even fewer do it well. So when it comes to enjoying a pie, you are better off doing it at home.
We were delighted to find pizza dough and a bag of roma tomatoes in our share this week. The tomatoes (plus a few from our garden) were perfect for sauce. A pizza is nothing without cheese and we didn't feel like using the processed stuff, so we made a block of cashew cheese and shredded it. Also, you gotta have pepperoni, so we made a log of seitan pepperoni! Add a bunch of veggies and you have an epic vegan pizza.
Be patient with this recipe. If you can, make the sauce, cheese and pepperoni ahead of time for an easy weeknight dinner. We did this on a Friday night and had a blast putting it together. Enjoy!
Skin and seed the maters (use as much as you want, but make sure it's at least 2 lbs.)
Put the maters in a pot and bring to a boil while mashing them with a potato masher. Keep mashing and low heat to simmer. Cook for an hour or so, longer if you want a thicker sauce. Add fresh herbs, salt and pepper towards the end.
For a quick primer on how to skin and seed tomatoes, click here.
Put the maters in a pot and bring to a boil while mashing them with a potato masher. Keep mashing and low heat to simmer. Cook for an hour or so, longer if you want a thicker sauce. Add fresh herbs, salt and pepper towards the end.
Soak the cashews in filtered water (covering with an extra inch or so) at least 4 hours or overnight. Rinse and drain the cashews.
Bring the water to a boil in a small saucepan and add the agar flakes. Boil for one minute, stirring constantly. Turn down the heat to simmer and cook another 5 minutes, stirring constantly until the agar is dissolved completely.
Put the drained cashews into the blender with all the remaining ingredients. Pour in the agar mixture, put on the lid and hold down the lid with a hot pad or towel. Blend on high until very smooth.
Pour into a glass dish or non-stick pan that has been oiled or sprayed with vegetable oil. Refrigerate until firm. Remove the cheese by running a knife or spatula around the edge and it will pop out of the container. Store in an airtight glass or plastic container in the refrigerator and use within 5 days, like any fresh food.
Grate this cheese using a box grater. It’s soft, so it might not hold up to grating in a food processor.
Preheat oven to 325 F. Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl. Put the cashew butter in a smaller bowl, and slowly mix in the water. Add the remaining wet ingredients to the small bowl and blend well.
Pour the wet mixture into the dry, stirring well (use your hands if necessary). Remove from the bowl and knead for a few minutes, making sure ingredients are distributed well.
Roll into a log shape, about 7 inches long. Place the log on foil and roll it up in the foil, twisting the ends to seal. Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes, turning over after 45 minutes.
Remove from oven and unwrap to cool. Slice as needed and store leftovers wrapped in plastic wrap in the fridge.
Roll out the dough. Place on a pizza stone/pan coated with cornmeal (helps prevent sticking)
Cover the dough with sauce.
Layer on the veggies. We used green pepper, jalapeño, spinach, onion and garlic.
Top with shredded cashew cheese.
Finish with slices of pepperoni.
Bake until crust is crispy. Let cool 5 minutes before slicing.
Ingredients
Directions
Skin and seed the maters (use as much as you want, but make sure it's at least 2 lbs.)
Put the maters in a pot and bring to a boil while mashing them with a potato masher. Keep mashing and low heat to simmer. Cook for an hour or so, longer if you want a thicker sauce. Add fresh herbs, salt and pepper towards the end.
For a quick primer on how to skin and seed tomatoes, click here.
Put the maters in a pot and bring to a boil while mashing them with a potato masher. Keep mashing and low heat to simmer. Cook for an hour or so, longer if you want a thicker sauce. Add fresh herbs, salt and pepper towards the end.
Soak the cashews in filtered water (covering with an extra inch or so) at least 4 hours or overnight. Rinse and drain the cashews.
Bring the water to a boil in a small saucepan and add the agar flakes. Boil for one minute, stirring constantly. Turn down the heat to simmer and cook another 5 minutes, stirring constantly until the agar is dissolved completely.
Put the drained cashews into the blender with all the remaining ingredients. Pour in the agar mixture, put on the lid and hold down the lid with a hot pad or towel. Blend on high until very smooth.
Pour into a glass dish or non-stick pan that has been oiled or sprayed with vegetable oil. Refrigerate until firm. Remove the cheese by running a knife or spatula around the edge and it will pop out of the container. Store in an airtight glass or plastic container in the refrigerator and use within 5 days, like any fresh food.
Grate this cheese using a box grater. It’s soft, so it might not hold up to grating in a food processor.
Preheat oven to 325 F. Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl. Put the cashew butter in a smaller bowl, and slowly mix in the water. Add the remaining wet ingredients to the small bowl and blend well.
Pour the wet mixture into the dry, stirring well (use your hands if necessary). Remove from the bowl and knead for a few minutes, making sure ingredients are distributed well.
Roll into a log shape, about 7 inches long. Place the log on foil and roll it up in the foil, twisting the ends to seal. Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes, turning over after 45 minutes.
Remove from oven and unwrap to cool. Slice as needed and store leftovers wrapped in plastic wrap in the fridge.
Roll out the dough. Place on a pizza stone/pan coated with cornmeal (helps prevent sticking)
Cover the dough with sauce.
Layer on the veggies. We used green pepper, jalapeño, spinach, onion and garlic.
Top with shredded cashew cheese.
Finish with slices of pepperoni.
Bake until crust is crispy. Let cool 5 minutes before slicing.