How It All Vegan!: Irresistible Recipes for an Animal-Free Diet (23 page)

PIZZA

Pizza doesn’t have to be about 4 different kinds of cheese or meat. In fact, your pizza doesn’t even need cheese or meat at all! The combination possibilities are endless. Here are some of our favourites:

• tomato sauce, mushrooms, olives, spinach, soy cheese

• tomato sauce, artichoke hearts, garlic cloves, soy cheese

•
tomato pesto
sauce, red onion, pine nuts, soy cheese

• tomato sauce, sun dried tomatoes, fresh herbs, soy cheese

•
pesto
sauce, red, yellow and green peppers, garlic, fresh herbs

• tomato sauce, red onions, black olives, capers, marjoram

YEAST PIZZA CRUST

1½ cups tepid water

¼ oz packet yeast

1 tsp salt

3 cups flour

Preheat oven to 350°F. In a medium ceramic bowl, whisk together the water and yeast until dissolved. Add the salt and whisk again. Stir in the flour and knead dough for about 3 minutes. Set aside and let dough rise for 20 minutes in a warm, draft-free place. Knead again and if dough is too sticky, add a bit more flour. Let dough rise for another 10-20 minutes. Roll out dough onto a pizza pan and prick dough all over with a fork before adding all your goodies! Bake for 30-40 minutes.

YEAST-FREE PIZZA CRUST

2 cups flour

½ cup soy Parmesan cheese

½ tsp salt

1 tbsp dried oregano

1 tbsp dried basil

4 tbsp margarine

5 tbsp olive oil

cup cold water

Preheat oven to 400°F. In a food processor or with your hands, mix the flour, Parmesan, salt, oregano, basil, margarine, and oil until “just mixed.” Spoon the flour mixture into a medium or large bowl and slowly add the water while you knead the dough. Knead only for a few minutes until dough is pliable. Form into a 6-inch disk and let chill in refrigerator for 20 minutes. Roll out dough onto a pizza pan and prick all over with a fork before adding all your goodies. Bake for 20 minutes.

MATZO PIZZA

4 matzos

1 cup
tomato sauce

toppings (e.g., mushrooms, spinach)

seasoning (e.g., garlic, oregano, basil)

soy cheese

Preheat oven to 350°F. Lay matzos on cookie sheet. Add ¼ cup of sauce on each matzo. Add toppings, seasonings, and cheese. Bake 10-12 minutes or until cheese has melted.

TOFURKY (TOFU TURKEY)

For your vegan festivities. Serve topped with
gravy
,
mashed potatoes
,
cranberry sauce
, and assorted steamed veggies.

Marinade:

1½ cups boiling water

½ tbsp dill

½ tsp rosemary

½ tsp thyme

1 lb firm tofu, ¼-inch thick

½ tsp marjoram

½ tsp sage

½ tsp pepper

1-4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

3 tbsp olive oil

In a large bowl, whisk together the water, dill, rosemary, thyme, marjoram, salt, pepper, garlic, and oil. Set aside. Slice the tofu into desired shapes, about ¼-inch thick. (I usually cut the tofu into 10 ¼-inch squares.) Lay each slice down on a cookie sheet or a lasagna pan, cover with marinade, and let sit for 1 hour or more (the longer the better). Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake for 60 minutes, turning slices over after 30 minutes. To serve, fry tofurky cutlets on a non-stick frying pan until both sides are browned. Makes 10 slices.

“ANYTHING GOES” VEGETABLE STIR-FRY

Using seasonal vegetables will change the character of this fast and easy stirfry. Remember to begin with the denser vegetables first (carrots, squash, etc.) and the more delicate vegetables later (bok choy, kale, peas, etc.).

2 medium carrots, chopped

1 head of broccoli, chopped (including stems)

4-6 mushrooms, chopped

1 lb medium
or
firm tofu, cubed

splash of olive oil

2 stalks celery, chopped

2- 4 leaves bok choy, roughly chopped

2 cups “Anything Goes” vegetables (e.g., snap peas, kale, bean sprouts)

Braggs (garnish)

flax oil (garnish)

gomashio
(garnish)

In a large wok or frying pan, sauté the carrots, broccoli stems, mushrooms, and tofu in oil on medium-high heat until carrots are tender. Add the broccoli florets, celery, bok choy, and “Anything Goes” vegetables and simmer on medium high heat until al dente. Serve over rice, noodles, or on its own and garnish with Braggs, flax oil, and gomashio. Makes 2-4 servings.

CORRI’S GAGGLE OF GREEN GOO

My friend Corri is just learning the joys of cooking. This is her latest creation. Try serving it over rice or noodles.

½ pkg firm tofu, cubed

½ medium green pepper, chopped

1-2 stalks celery, chopped

½ cup mushrooms, chopped

1 tbsp olive oil

1-2 tbsp coriander chutney (
or
other green chutney)

3 cups bok choy, chopped

In a large saucepan or wok, sauté the tofu, peppers, celery, and mushrooms in oil on medium-high heat until the celery turns tender. Stir in the chutney, then add the bok choy (but don’t stir it in), cover with a lid, and cook on medium heat for 10-15 minutes. Stir once and then cook for another five minutes without a lid to blend the flavours. Makes 2 servings.

CORRI’S EASY GREEN CHOP SUEY

Corri thinks her recipe tastes like good chop suey. Try it and see! Serve over rice or noodles, and garnish with
gomashio
.

½ pkg firm tofu, cubed

2 stalks celery, chopped

4-8 mushrooms, chopped

1 tbsp olive oil

3 cups bok choy, chopped

2 tbsp miso

2 tbsp water

1 tsp fresh ginger, finely grated

2 tbsp Braggs

3 stalks green onion, chopped

2 cups fresh spinach, roughly chopped

dash of salt

In a large saucepan or wok, sauté the tofu, celery, and mushrooms in oil on medium-high heat until tofu starts to turn golden. Add the bok choy (but don’t stir it in), cover with a lid, and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes. In a small bowl, whisk together the miso, water, ginger, and Braggs. Pour over the vegetables and stir together. Add the onions and spinach, but again don’t stir them in. Add salt and cover for another 5 minutes. Stir it all together before serving. Makes 2 servings.

Vegan Breads
& Muffins

In the How It All Vegan kitchen, we don’t like to use baking yeast in our bread or biscuit recipes. To make our loaves light and fluffy, we regularly use sour dough starter, baking powder, baking soda, and vinegar. With a delicate combination of these ingredients, we are able to produce results that we are most happy with.

We believe unyeasted bread is a more holistic and traditional approach to eating. In terms of health benefits, unyeasted bread is easier for the body to digest and also helps to keep disorders like candida away.

It’s best if you’re able to find/buy/borrow a “bread only” bowl. Try to find a beautiful ceramic or wooden bowl, as they make the best bread palette. A word of caution: never use metal bowls for making bread, as they may deactivate the rising ability of the bread mixture.

An important thing to remember when baking vegan is that you are not using any of the usual things that help to bind your ingredients and make your baked goods fluffy and light. Here are some tips to make your baking work:

SIFT

Using a sifter or a whisk to mix all your dry ingredients together helps to keep things light. Always mix your dry ingredients together before you add any wet!

DON’T OVERMIX

When mixing, use a wooden spoon or your hands to gently mix the dry and wet ingredients together. You want to mix “just” enough to blend all the ingredients together. But avoid mixing too vigorously, as your baking will end up flat and heavy.

KEEP IT MOIST

Place a small pan of cold water in the oven while baking. This will help to keep your baking moist.

DON’T EXPECT STORE-BOUGHT GOODIES

Remember that you’re baking vegan now, so your breads, muffins, and treats won’t look exactly like those from the local bakery. But don’t forget, taste is everything! So before you dismiss your creations, take a bite!

CHECK FOR READINESS

Poke your breads and muffins with a clean knife or fork before taking them out of the oven. If it comes out clean, it’s ready; if it’s still gooey, wait another 5 minutes, then test again.

OATMEAL BREAD

Due to the wonderful nature of oat flour, this bread is deliciously moist and sweet.

3 cups flour

1 cup oatmeal flour (to make oatmeal flour, put 1¼ cups of oatmeal in food processor

and blend well)

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

2 tbsp sweetener

egg replacer (to equal 1 egg)

2 cups soy milk

1 tsp vinegar

Preheat oven to 375°F. In a large bowl, sift together the flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sweetener. In a separate smaller bowl, whisk together the egg replacer with the milk and vinegar and add to the flour mixture. Mix together carefully until “just mixed.” Place in a lightly oiled loaf pan or shape into an oval loaf and place on a lightly oiled cookie sheet.

Dust top of loaf with oatmeal flakes and bake for 35-45 minutes. Test with a knife to see if done. Makes 1 loaf.

SODA BREAD

This stout, dense loaf is a knockout.

2 cups flour

2 cups pastry flour

2 tbsp arrowroot powder or corn starch

2 tsp baking powder

1½ tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

2 tbsp egg replacer

1½ cups water

3-4 tbsp sweetener

3- 4 tbsp oil

2 tbsp vinegar

¼ cup ground almonds (optional)

Preheat oven to 375°F. In a large bowl, sift together the flours, arrowroot powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add the egg replacer, water, sweetener, oil, vinegar, and optional nuts, and mix together until “just mixed.” Spoon into a lightly-oiled loaf pan and brush the top with oil. Bake for 55-60 minutes. Test with a knife to see if done. Makes 1 loaf.

THE ART OF SOURDOUGH BREAD

There is a definite art to making sourdough bread; it requires patience and time. So if your loaves don’t turn out the way you feel they should, don’t get discouraged, just try again. Here are a few tips if your loaves aren’t turning out they way you want them to: