Pizza with potato, onion, and oregano

Again, this is a melding of several tasty-looking recipes, and is recorded here as a reminder: I have not yet made this. Taking Isa's excellent pizza dough from Vegan With a Vengeance, topped with what Saveur calls 'melted onions' - losing the fontina, and adding in its place a drizzle of miso-based white sauce in an attempt to provide the complex and savory bite of fontina, hopefully this combination will delight and warm!

THE DOUGH
copied from this blog, but amended)

1 cup warm water
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
1 (1/4 oz) packet of active dry yeast
2 tablespoons olive oil (and more for drizzling)
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
cornmeal for dusting

My directions for making this in a bread machine:

Add ingredients in order listed: yeast, sugar, oil, water, flour, salt. Set machine to the dough setting. When it's done, add a bit of oil on top so it doesn't dry out, but leave it in the machine to rise.

Let rise for 1 hour, then punch down and knead for another minute, dusting with flour if necessary. Form into a ball again, place back in the bowl, and let it rest for an hour or two.

Form into 1 or 2 crusts by stretching and/rolling.

TOPPINGS:
- Miso-based sauce
- Melted onions
- Potato (1 yukon gold, sliced 1/16" thick - but wait to do this 'til just before assembling the pizza, or else do ahead and immerse in ice water so it doesn't get brown)
- Fresh oregano

THE SAUCE
I think Esme's special sauce would work here. It tastes not a bit like good pecorino or the fontina called for the in the original pizza recipe, but in any case, is rich and creamy with a similar earthy savor, and would add a whole set of notes to this simple pizza.

Esme’s Special Sauce, which I amended here for a lighter touch with the miso and soy sauce (her recipe calls for everything in equal amounts) is so simple:

In a small bowl mix up the following:
2 T tahini
1 T white miso
1 T soy sauce, tamari or Braggs
2 T olive oil
2 T nutritional yeast
2 T lemon Juice or vinegar
A few cloves of garlic, finely minced or pressed.

MELTED ONIONS

4 thinly sliced or minced onions
1/4 c extra virgin olive oil
1 t sea salt*

*Amended from original amount of 1 T - commenters agree that's too much, and I do not like too-salty anything! In any case, the miso & soy sauce have their own salt. I may just leave this salt out altogether.

Directions: Stew on low heat for several hours. The goal is to have the onions break down into an onion jam. Saveur suggests topping your small saucepan with a circle of parchment paper, cut to fit, which will keep the onions moist.


TO ASSEMBLE PIZZA
Preheat oven to 475-500F

1. Lightly spread sauce on pizza base to within 3/4" of edge.
2. Now put on a layer of the onion jam, not too thick!
3. Top with a layer of thinly sliced yukon gold potato (1/16"); brush olive oil over the top of this.
4. Sprinkle fresh oregano and cracked black pepper.
5. If you want, drizzle just a bit more of the sauce over the top (this may make the pizza too wet or heavy, so be very judicious here).
6. Bake 8-10 minutes or until pizza is golden brown.

The best hummus ever!

I've copied this from 101 Cookbooks, a wonderful blog - everything I've made from recipes found there is awesome. By the way, this makes a superb pizza base. I make the pizza crust from Vegan with a Vengeance all the time now, and even though Whole Foods has never bothered to restock the cornmeal crust I used to buy, I don't miss it. But if you spread this on the prepared crust, then top with onion, tomato chunks, green pepper, and bake - then top with cilantro and sprinkle with nutritional yeast - you will be happy, I promise!

Hummus en Fuego

A couple tips before you get started - rub the skins of the walnuts off a bit after you toast them, it's nothing I really pay too much attention to for a recipe like this, but the skins can be a bit bitter and tannic. And again, make the crushed red pepper oil a day or two ahead if possible.

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes

3/4 cup walnuts, toasted
2 cups cooked (or canned) garbanzo beans, drained
1 medium clove garlic
juice of 1/2 a lemon (about 2 tablespoons)
1/2 cup hot water

1/4 cup oil-cured olives, chopped
a bit of chopped cilantro

Make the hot pepper oil a day or so ahead of time by heating the olive oil in a small saucepan for a couple minutes - until it is about as hot as you would need it to saute some onions, but not so hot that it smokes or smells acrid or burned. Turn off the heat and stir in the crushed red pepper flakes. Set aside and let cool, ideally for a day or two - to let the flavor really develop.

To make the hummus, give the walnuts a spin in the food processor, just until they are a sandy texture. Add most of the garbanzos, 1 or 2 tablespoons of the red chile oil (oil only, no flakes), garlic, and lemon juice. Now process until smooth. Drizzle in the water a bit at a time and puree more, until the hummus is creamy and billowy. I tend to let the food processor run for a minute or so at this point, it incorporates air into the puree and makes it a nice texture. Taste, adjust the seasoning - more salt, more lemon juice, etc.

Serve in a shallow bowl, drizzled with plenty of the remaining oil and red pepper flakes. I like to add any remaining garbanzo beans at this point as well as some olives and a bit of chopped cilantro for the final touch.

Makes roughly 2 1/2 cups..

Mexican Pizza

This was probably the best pizza we have made!

preheat oven to 425F

1/2 recipe Isa Pizza dough(from veganomicon) I of course make the full recipe, but then we like to put a different bunch of toppings on each one. This time we made one Mexican pizza, and one with basil/walnut pesto.

1/2 recipe vegan refried beans I really only used about 1/3 cup of this, so I now have a ton of leftovers, which I am not complaining about! - it will make fantastic calzone filling, methinks, perhaps with some chopped onion and greens added)
1/4 c Toffuti sour cream

1/3 c good salsa What we like is Pace 3-pepper salsa, but choose whatever you like, for this
1 diced onion
1/2 to 3/4 diced green pepper
5 sun dried tomatoes, reconstituted by microwaving for 2 1/2 minutes in water to cover, then diced

2 T minced pickled jalapenos
2 T minced fresh cilantro
1-2 T nutritional yeast
1 diced avocado which we left off because the damned thing was hard as a rock - call it an optional add


1. mix vegan refried beans with about 1/4 c. tofutti sour cream - what you're going for is to make the bean mix light and spreadable this would be a very wonderful sandwich spread, by the way.
2. spread about 3/4 c. bean mix on your unbaked pizza crust - you want about a 1/4" thick layer, or less, otherwise it can make the whole pizza soggy.
3. top with a thin layer of salsa, then sprinkle on onion, green pepper, and sun dried tomatoes.
4. brush the crust rim with olive oil (we used some chili-pepper infused olive oil)
5. bake for around 20 minutes or 'til the crust is browned nicely.
6. you'll want to leave this sit for about 10 minutes so the toppings firm up a bit.
7. top with a sprinkling of nutritional yeast, minced fresh cilantro, and minced pickled jalapeno peppers!

Walnut-basil (and spinach) pesto

This is an adaptation of an adaptation of an adaptation, so at this point I think I'll just call it my invention! We used it as the base for a pizza, with tofu ricotta, sauteed mushrooms and onions, and some minced roasted red pepper.

makes about 1 1/2 cups

3 cups fresh spinach (I used a full package of baby spinach)
3 cloves garlic (2 might be better)
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/2 cup walnut pieces or more
½ c fresh basil
1 tsp dried basil
2 tbsp ground flax seed
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil or walnut oil

Wilt the spinach and fresh basil over boiling water for 1 minute, or in a covered bowl in the microwave for about 3 minutes. Mince the garlic with the salt in a food processor. Squeeze any moisture from the spinach and basil, and add to the food processor along with the dried basil, flax seeds and walnuts. Puree until smooth. Add the olive oil gradually and process to a smooth paste.

Veganomicon ricotta

I finally got it right. The baking stone I ordered from Cooking.com arrived, and I was anxious to christen it with a pizza, so I used the V'con recipe for 'Isa Pizza'. This is wonderous, yeast-risen stuff, to which I added a handful of fresh herbs: sage, basil, chives), topping it with scads of slow-carmelized onions (nearly an hour!), lots of garlic, my chipotle-mayo base, heirloom tomatoes, and for the first time, the ricotta recipe from the same cookbook.

Starting from a base of pressed, mushed-up tofu, lots of good things are added, including more garlic (never enough!), fresh basil, and lemon juice - the result is a light, bland mixture that still misses by just a hair what it might be, if eaten alone. However, when added in small lumps to a pizza with lots of other stuff going on, the blandness works very well, adding a sort of unctuous savory (hey, I don't know how else to describe it!)

Having some leftover (about a cup), last night I used it up and was pretty pleased with the results. I blended it with leftover cooked collards (which had a bit of quinoa, so this is a very healthy mix!), then rolled the mixture up in filo. Baked (at 350F for about 20 minutes) and topped with a light and spicy tomato sauce, these were really wonderful! The sauce:

1 large onion, cut in chunks and chopped very fine
1 T olive oil
3 or 4 l. garlic cloves, chopped very fine
1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
10 large basil leaves, chopped
1 tsp or more oregano
1 tsp (or to taste) hot pepper flakes
2 tsp lemon juice

Heat onion in olive oil, stirring whenever you think of it, for longer than you think it should take to get it sweet and lightly browned, cooking off nearly all the liquid.

Add garlic, sautee for longer (lower heat and pay attention here - garlic turns bitter, fast.

Add all other ingredients except lemon juice; simmer on low heat for at least 1/2 hour.

Before serving, stir in lemon juice.

Thin crust pizza dough

Heidi notes: Peter's recipe says the olive (or vegetable oil) is optional. I use it every time - always olive oil, not vegetable oil. I love the moisture and suppleness it adds to the dough, and it makes your hands soft too.

4 1/2 cups (20.25 ounces) unbleached high-gluten, bread, or all-purpose flour, chilled
1 3/4 (.44 ounce) teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon (.11 ounce) instant yeast
1/4 cup (2 ounces) olive oil (optional)
1 3/4 cups (14 ounces) water, ice cold (40°F)
Semolina flour or cornmeal for dusting

1. Stir together the flour, salt, and instant yeast in a 4-quart bowl (or in the bowl of an electric mixer). With a large metal spoon, stir in the oil and the cold water until the flour is all absorbed (or mix on low speed with the paddle attachment), If you are mixing by hand, repeatedly dip one of your hands or the metal spoon into cold water and use it, much like a dough hook, to work the dough vigorously into a smooth mass while rotating the bowl in a circular motion with the other hand. Reverse the circular motion a few times to develop the gluten further. Do this for 5 to 7 minutes, or until the dough is smooth and the ingredients are evenly distributed. If you are using an electric mixer, switch to the dough hook and mix on medium speed for 5 to 7 minutes, or as long as it takes to create a smooth, sticky dough. The dough should clear the sides of the bowl but stick to the bottom of the bowl. If the dough is too wet and doesn't come off the sides of the bowl, sprinkle in some more flour just until it clears the sides. If it clears the bottom of the bowl, dribble in a tea- spoon or two of cold water. The finished dough will be springy, elastic, and sticky, not just tacky, and register 50 to 55F.

2. Sprinkle flour on the counter and transfer the dough to the counter. Prepare a sheet pan by lining it with baking parchment and misting the parchment with spray oil (or lightly oil the parchment). Using a metal dough scraper, cut the dough into 6 equal pieces (or larger if you are comfortable shaping large pizzas), You can dip the scraper into the water between cuts to keep the dough from sticking to it, Sprinkle flour over the dough. Make sure your hands are dry and then flour them. Lift each piece and gently round it into a ball. If the dough sticks to your hands, dip your hands into the flour again. Transfer the dough balls to the sheet pan, Mist the dough generously with spray oil and slip the pan into a food-grade plastic bag.

3. Put the pan into the refrigerator overnight to rest the dough, or keep for up to 3 days. (Note: If you want to save some of the dough for future baking, you can store the dough balls in a zippered freezer bag. Dip each dough ball into a bowl that has a few tablespoons of oil in it, rolling the dough in the oil, and then put each ball into a separate bag. You can place the bags into the freezer for up to 3 months. Transfer them to the refrigerator the day before you plan to make pizza.)

4. On the day you plan to make the pizza, remove the desired number of dough balls from the refrigerator 2 hours before making the pizza. Dust the counter with flour, and then mist the counter with spray oil. Place the dough balls on top of the floured counter and sprinkle them with flour; dust your hands with flour. Gently press the dough into flat disks about 1/2 inch thick and 5 inches in diameter. Sprinkle the dough with flour, mist it again with spray oil, and cover the dough loosely with plastic wrap or a food-grade plastic bag. Let rest for 2 hours.

5. At least 45 minutes before making the pizza, place a baking stone either on the floor of the oven (for gas ovens), or on a rack in the lower third of the oven. Preheat the oven as hot as possible, up to 800F (most home ovens will go only to 500 to 550F, but some will go higher). If you do not have a baking stone, you can use the back of a sheet pan, but do not preheat the pan.

6. Generously dust a peel or the back of a sheet pan with semolina flour or cornmeal. Make the pizzas one at a time. Dip your hands, including the backs of your hands and knuckles, in flour and lift I piece of dough by getting under it with a pastry scraper. Very gently lay the dough across your fists and carefully stretch it by bouncing the dough in a circular motion on your hands, carefully giving it a little stretch with each bounce. If it begins to stick to your hands, lay it down on the floured counter and reflour your hands, then continue shaping it. Once the dough has expanded outward, move to a full toss as shown on page 208. If you have trouble tossing the dough, or if the dough keeps springing back, let it rest for 5 to 20 minutes so the gluten can relax, and try again. You can also resort to using a rolling pin, though this isn't as effective as the toss method.

7. When the dough is stretched out to your satisfaction (about 9 to 12 inches in diameter for a 6-ounce piece of dough), lay it on the peel or pan, making sure there is enough semolina flour or cornmeal to allow it to slide. Lightly top it with sauce and then with your other top- pings, remembering that the best pizzas are topped with a less-is-more philosophy. The American "kitchen sink" approach is counterproductive, as it makes the crust more difficult to bake. A few, usually no more than 3 or 4 toppings, including sauce and cheese is sufficient.

8. Slide the topped pizza onto the stone (or bake directly on the sheet pan) and close the door. Wait 2 minutes, then take a peek. If it needs to be rotated 180 degrees for even baking, do so. The pizza should take about 5 to 8 minutes to bake. If the top gets done before the bottom, you will need to move the stone to a lower self before the next round. if the bottom crisps before the cheese caramelizes, then you will need to raise the stone for subsequent bakes.

9. Remove the pizza from the oven and transfer to a cutting board. Wait 3 to 5 minutes before slicing and serving, to allow the cheese to set slightly.

Makes six 6-ounce pizza crusts.

from The Bread Baker's Apprentice by Peter Reinhart (Ten Speed Press) - reprinted with permission

and copied from the 101 bakers' site. I already have Peter Reinhart's Whole Grain Breads: New Techniques, Extraordinary Flavor, though not the Breadmaker's Apprentice or one he apparently did on pizzas - I can highly recommend his work.

Spelt/Cornmeal Crust Pizza

1 3/4-2 1/4 cups spelt flour (if none is available, all purpose flour is fine)
1 1/2 tablespoon active dry yeast
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup warm water (120-130 degrees F)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1 tablespoon sugar

In a large bowl, dissolve yeast and sugar with 1 cup warm water. Add ½ cup flour. Set aside for 5 minutes.

Add 2 tablespoons olive oil, salt, 1 more cup flour into yeasted water, blend, and then add another half cup. Mix. Add cornmeal, and begin to knead dough until elastic, adding extra flour to ensure that the dough is not overly sticky. Knead for about 4 minutes.

Set dough aside to rest for about 10 minutes. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Separate dough into two lumps, and make flat disks, about ½ inch thick. Form a slightly raised crust around the edges.

Arrange toppings, then cook for about 10 -12 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown on the edges.

Pizza topping ideas

(picture is also from the original poster, jordanpattern at the ppk)

Pizza's a great use-up-what's-been-in-the-fridge-nearly-too-long meal, and also, a great thing to do and freeze, so that when you're out of ideas and time or energy, it's there to heat up with a cup of soup or a aalad. but I can never think of the best combinations when I make it - quite often, I do pizza toppings with not much prior thought - so cannot recreate them, later. That probably won't change. That's how it is with me and pizza. but I'd like to collect some sorta general ideas that can be inspirational, as a go-to when time is short and veg are long.

from PPK:
"thin crust with hummus, red onions, roasted garlic, kalamatas, red pepper, and kind of a pesto-ish thing made with parsley"

I'm pretty into cornmeal crust because it's incredible stuff. but whole foods HAD this great crust, which I could sometimes get - emphasis on the sometimes. I thought, then, that I should find my own recipe. what's so difficult, right? right. no dice so far. the whole foods crust was thickish, packed with cornmeal, and impossible to overload with toppings - I've never ever had a bad one.the recipes I've found are good, but they are more conventional crust, with cornmeal added, then they are cornmeal crust. I'm also kind of picky about pesto, so curious about this one. afternote: I have found it! - the best homemade cornmeal pizza crust.

we tried a lovely caramelized onion, walnut & sage pizza topping the other day, though of course I'd like to tweak it next time. recipe here, amended by me, is originally from recipezaar:

1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more
olive oil, for brushing pizza dough
2 large sweet onions, thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon salt
ground black pepper
4 garlic clove, minced
spelt-cornmeal pizza dough
1/2 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped
1 T dried sage
1/3 c roasted red peppers, diced
1-2 tablespoons water or veg broth, as needed
1/2 recipe bechamel sauce*

Directions

1.Warm 1 tbsp olive oil in a medium skillet.
2.Add onion slices, salt and pepper.
3. Sauté over medium heat, gently scraping the pan to keep the onions from sticking as they caramelize.
4.After about 30-35 minutes the onion should be golden and very sweet.
5.Add garlic and sauté another 5 minutes until fragrant.
6.Add a splash or two of water or broth if the pan gets too dry as the onion/garlic mixture caramelizes.
7.Set onions aside to cool a bit.
8.Preheat oven to 450°F.
9.spread the bechamel on the prepared pizza crust (not too much, you want a creamy taste and texture here).
10.Spread onions evenly over the dough and sprinkle on the chopped, roasted red pepper, sage leaves and chopped walnuts.
11.Bake pizza for 10-15 minutes, until the crust is golden.


* BECHAMEL
1/4 c vegetable oil
1/4 c flour
2 c soy milk
salt and pepper to taste

Heat oil in a saucepan over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add flour and mix well for one or two minutes. Don’t let it burn. Then, slowly add soymilk, stirring constantly with a whisk to prevent lumps, until the desired consistency. You can add more soymilk if you find the sauce too thick. Then add the seasonings and let simmer on low heat. Thicken as needed with a T or so of nutritional yeast (desired consistency is yogurt).