holy three cheese pizza

my girl friend and i decided it should be illegal, or it's distribution at least regulated; for this pizza is dangerous.

these pictures aren't that great. sorry. we were not concerned with photography at this point - only devouring this work of cruelty- and dairy-free art. i could seriously have eaten the entire pizza, but we were civil and split it halfway.

the recipe is gonna be a little tricky to recreate because i used a bunch of leftovers, but if i give you a general outline you should be able to do it. trust in yourself. all it takes is some vegan cheese, veggies and love...

then again, doesn't everything? 

if you use a gluten free crust and only daiya cheese - this is soy-free, gluten-free and obviously dairy-free. hurray! if you wanna leave out the cheese and keep it totally whole foods, it'll still be delicious.

three cheese pizza with grilled veggies, black rice, and sweet & sour mustard sauce: 

pizza crust:
buy one pre-made (easy to be gluten free) OR use this gluten free recipe, OR:
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons olive oil
3/4 to 1 cup warm water
1 packet yeast
2 teaspoons sea salt & pepper
dried herbs of your choosing (i like basil, oregano, rosemary and thyme)

sauce:
1 tablespoon olive oil (or use pine nuts and water)
1 tablespoon tamari
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar (or apple cider vinegar)
2 tablespoons mustard
a few drops of liquid smoke
handful fresh basil leaves
1/2 teaspoon chili flakes
2-5 garlic cloves
3 tablespoons sun-dried tomatoes
1 1/2 tablespoons honey/agave 
water as needed

toppings:
2 grilled bell peppers
grilled eggplant slices
1 cup cooked black rice mix (like we used leftovers from a stir-fry)
handful basil leaves
1/3 cup shredded soya cheddar cheese (or use shredded daiya cheddar cheese)
1/3 daiya mozzarella shredded cheese
pepper and/or fave dried herb mixes
fave hot sauce
parma cheese!

make the crust: combine the yeast and warm water in a warm mixing bowl. sprinkle on a tinsy bit of sugar to feed the yeast. let it rise for about 10 minutes. add the other ingredients and kneed the dough or mix in your mixer (we have a kitchen-aid) until it's soft and elastic; 8-10 minutes. let it rise for an hour or until it doubles in size. then roll it out into a pizza crust! partially bake it for 8-10 minutes at 425 degrees.

to make the sauce: blend all ingredients until smooth. duh. if it's too thick, add more water. spread onto your par-baked pizza crust. theeeeennn... load on the toppings, with the cheese last, sealing in all the goodness. leave the pepper, hot sauce and parma off until it's out of the oven. bake for 8 minutes at 425 or until it looks done. slice it up and ENJOY the heck out of it.

Lemon-Kissed Blondie Bites (sugar-free, soy-free, gluten-free option)

1/2 cup raw cashews
3/4 cup rolled oats (use certified gluten-free for that option)
1 cup pitted dates (I use honey dates)
1 1/2 - 2 tsp lemon zest (can reserve some for coating, if using)
1 1/2 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
seeds scraped from one vanilla bean (see note; or 1/4 - 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract)
couple pinches sea salt (about 1/8 tsp, wee scant)
2 - 3 tbsp unsweetened shredded coconut (as desired)

Optional coating:
Extra lemon zest (about 1/2 tsp; optional)
few teaspoons (each) coconut and oats

In a food processor, add the cashews, oats, dates, zest, lemon juice, vanilla seeds, and salt and process.  At first it will appear as if nothing is happening, and the mixture is just whirring around crumbly, but soon it will start to become sticky (patience my pretties)!  When you see it start to become a little sticky, add the coconut and process again.  Continue to process until it forms a ball on the blade.  Stop, and then remove the dough.   Take small scoops of the dough (about 1 - 1 1/2 tbsp in size) and roll in your hand.  Repeat until you have used all of the dough.  If using coating, mix ingredients in a small bowl. Toss or roll the balls in the coating if using, and refrigerate.  Eat and repeat often. :)

Makes 14-16 dough balls.

Notes:
1) To remove the vanilla seeds from the bean pod, slice the bean down the outer side using a sharp tip knife, to open up lengthwise.  Press open the sides, and using a blunt (butter) knife, scrape out all the tiny seeds from the bean on both sides, and then add seeds to processor.  The pod can be discarded or kept to infuse flavor in other dishes.
2) The texture of these bites is somewhat soft, but firms with chilling.  For a firmer texture, add another 2 tbsp of rolled oats.
3) These are excellent to pack in school lunches (where nuts are permitted).

"Vegveeta" Cheese Dip

From Let Them Eat Vegan wheat-free, gluten-free, soy-free, oil-free option

This warm ‘cheesy’ dip has a mild flavor that can be used to accompany many foods… and also combines very well with salsa to mimic the velveeta/salsa dip from years ago. I make this without nutritional yeast, but if you like it, feel free to add in the nooch!

1/2 cup raw cashews
1 tbsp tahini (or 1/8 cup pine nuts)
1 1/2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 cup + 1-3 tbsp plain unsweetened non-dairy milk (see note)
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp prepared yellow mustard
1 tbsp arrowroot powder
1/2 tsp (little scant) paprika
1/8 – 1/4 tsp turmeric (for color)
1 tbsp neutral-flavored oil (optional, see note)
optional: 1 ½ -2 tbsp nutritional yeast

Combine all ingredients in a blender and puree until very, very smooth (start with 1 cup + 1 tbsp milk). Transfer mixture to a small/medium saucepan, and heat over low/low-medium heat for 5-8 minutes, until mixture is starting to slowly bubble and thicken (stir frequently through heating). To thin sauce slightly, stir in another 1-2 tbsp of milk. Avoid thickening sauce over high heat (or increasing heat too quickly), since this sauce can scorch easily. Once sauce has thickened, transfer to a serving dish… and get dipping!

Notes:
1) I prefer to use plain unsweetened almond milk (by Blue Diamond) in this cheese dip. It has a neutral flavor, and isn’t sweet-tasting as rice and hemp milks can be. Try using the almond milk if you can.

2) Be sure to use a neutral oil (not extra-virgin olive oil) so that the mild cheese flavor is not overtaken by any particular oil essence.  Or, omit altogether for an oil-free version.

3) The color of this dip will deepen with heating. When first blended, it is quite light without much color, but with heating, more yellow/orange color develops.

Options:
1) For a nacho “Vegveeta”-style dip, try stirring about 1/3 – ½ cup of your fave salsa into the heated sauce.

2) Other add-in’s to consider (add after blending/warming sauce):
- a handful of sliced green onions
- chopped sun-dried tomatoes (oil-packed, drained) or fresh chopped tomatoes
- sliced olives
- chopped parsley or cilantro.
- for heat-lovers, a few tablespoons of chopped jalapeno peppers or a few dashes of hot sauce.