I made waffles. It’s serious… I’ve made waffles before, but they were never good. They were blah. I knew I could do better, I just didn’t know how. Sue Gregg has entered into my life and I am a changed woman. She has shown me the way. I was kind of skeptical at first. But, blender waffles are the ONLY way to do waffles. They must be done the Sue Gregg way and you will become a believer too!

Yes, what you see above will create waffles, I promise.

Start with dumping 2 cups of brown rice in the blender. Yes, I said brown rice.

Dump in 2.5 cups of vegan kefir yogurt OR 2.5 cups vegan yogurt thinned with vegan milk of your choice OR 2.5 cups of vegan milk with 1 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar (this makes vegan buttermilk).

Add 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract.

Add 2 tablespoons of coconut oil.

Blend. Let everything get all incorporated and then go to bed. Well, you don’t have to go to bed, just leave the waffle batter in the blender covered, on the counter overnight. Sue Gregg explains this as the two step process. I just call it planning ahead. The grains get to soak and get all softened up and break down from the acid in the yogurt OR buttermilk. So in the morning, all you have to do is add some last minute ingredients…

Add 2 tablespoons of flax seeds and blend.

Add a enough milk to open up your vortex. Once that hole is open, dump in 1 teaspoon of salt and 1 teaspoon of baking soda. Quickly turn off blender. You don’t want to overwork the batter once the baking soda has been added.

Make sure you have plugged in your waffle iron and coated it with oil.

You might want to hurry up and make these before she chews off her fingers.

Drool. Moan. Repeat.

It’s more than okay to top these with So Delicious coconut yogurt, maple syrup and nuts or nothing or jelly or berries. It’s up to you.

Even toothless babies can eat these nutritious delicious whole grain waffles.

Awww. She wants to share. Not really.

Disclaimer: I did this in a Vitamix with double the recipe of what Sue Gregg has on her website for blender waffles. She states that a regular Oster with the glass container will do. I have a Vitamix and I have four children. Doubling the recipe was necessary.

The thoughts of Salisbury Steak have been lingering in my mind for a long time. Recently a good friend of mine kicked up my craving.

It started a couple of weeks ago with a conversation with Kevin Porter, BMX pro and co-owner of Delicious Cafe.

We’re both afflicted with the same disease…we constantly want to Veganize some crazy meal we used to devour back in our carnivorous days. This time it’s Salisbury Steak. Our joint memory reference was those rock hard, frozen TV Dinners. You know the ones I’m talking about. Back in the day in the foil trays…the ultimate meal – Salisbury Steak, mashed potatoes and gravy, kernel corn and that brownie! I always wanted the dinners that had the brownies. Looking back, I wonder how we survived such grotesqueness…but, I’m here to tell you I did. Hopefully my veganism has reversed the unseen damage inflicted upon my inner being.

Kev was recently at a vegan joint in LA that offered Salisbury Steak. Imagine his excitement! We were just talking about this stuff and there it was. However, once fork hit mouth, disappointment ensued. Now I knew I had to come up with something. So Kev, this one’s for you. When you get back from riding in Spain, you’re invited to a Salisbury Steak dinner at my house.

For the “steak” patties, I used the vegan Boca burgers. I know a lot of people don’t like these, so feel free to substitute a vegan patty that you may like more.

The veggies used will be in two phases:

First:

1 pound of Crimini mushrooms, sliced (that’s about 15 or so mushrooms)
1 Shallot, sliced

Second:

1/2 red bell pepper, diced
1/4 red onion, diced
1/2 jalapeno, diced
1/2 bulb garlic, diced

Start off by sauteing the shallots in 1 tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil on medium high heat for only a couple of minutes.

Add the Crimini mushrooms and a dash of Kosher salt to your skillet and saute for an additional 5 minutes. You don’t want them to get too mushy, just til the point they release some of their water.

That’s the look your going for.

Line up your burgers in a baking or casserole dish.

Top with the sauteed mushrooms and onions.

Put to the side and work on your vegan beef gravy.

Saute the remaining vegetables in 2 Tablespoons EVOO and 1 Tablespoon Sesame Oil.

While the veggies are sauteing, get your spice mixture together:

1 & 1/2 Tablespoons Brewer’s Yeast
1/2 Teaspoon cumin
1 Teaspoon Paprika
1 Teaspoon Kosher salt

After about 7 minutes of sauteing, push your veggies to the edge of the skillet and add 1/2 cup all purpose flour and the dry mixture.

Lower the heat to medium low and mix everything together. Continue toasting the roux for about 3 minutes. At this point, slowly add water and continue mixing. You want to add 1/2 cup of water at a time. Slowly stirring and building your gravy.

After you have added two cups of water, add 1/4 cup of Soy Sauce. Mix.

Add another cup of water, mix. Then, using a micro-plane, add 1/4 clove of fresh nutmeg, mix.

The end result of the gravy should not be too thick. Just thick enough to lightly coat a spoon.

Add your finished gravy to the casserole dish. Cover all of the patties well.

Place the dish in a 400 degree preheated oven and bake for about 15 minutes.

Take out and serve!

Who doesn’t love lasagna? Who doesn’t love Mac-n-Cheese? Put the two together….can you say Vegan Heaven? Or as the famous food connoisseur, Homer Simpson, puts it “Aaaarrrrrrhhhh!”

I made this special for my oldest daughter, the diva extraordinaire. She lives with her mother in Cleveland and she’s always complaining about the extravagant meals we make and she doesn’t get to share. Then she proceeds to complain I don’t put any pictures of her on our website. So, now I’m making food and trying to take pictures of her.

And, as any typical teenager…she complains about no pictures, but doesn’t want to take pictures. Never satisfied. True Diva! But you know what, this recipe made her and it’ll make you very happy!

The assembly of this is a cinch, but you’ll need to do some prep work first. You’ll need the following recipes:

Creamy Soy Cheese – 1 and 1/2 times the recipe. Add an additional 1/2 tablespoon of Sea Salt. You want the cheese salty because it will be flavoring the bland pasta.
Tofu Ricotta – 1 recipe
Ste Martaen Marinara Sauce – 1/2 recipe

Our Veggies:

1 red pepper, diced
1/2 red onion, diced
1 bulb garlic, diced
12 oz sundried tomatoes (the kind packed in olive oil), diced
1/2 lb fresh spinach, washed

You’ll also need one package of Tofurky Italian Sausage links. Slice them up and put to the side.

All prep work is done, time to start cookin! Cook 1 pound of elbow macaroni until just before al dente. You want it a little firmer because it will finish cooking while in the oven. Other than that, it’ll get all mushy. Also, preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

In a large pot saute your veggies (all but spinach) on medium high with 1 and 1/2 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

After 5 minutes, add your Tofurky slices and saute and additional 5 minutes.

Add the cooked pasta to your saute veggies and mix.

Add Creamy Soy Cheese to the mix until everything is real creamy and moist. At this point you have Sundried Tomato Mac-n-Cheese. You can cook this by itself for 30 minutes at 350 degrees for a great tasting Mac-n-Cheese dish. But we’re taking this a few steps further.

Time to turn up the yumminess!

Ladle some Ste Martaen Marinara sauce in the bottom of a 11″ x 15″ casserole dish. Cover the bottom of the dish completely.

Add a layer of the Sundried Tomato Mac-n-cheese.

Add a layer of fresh spinach.

Next, add a layer of the Tofu Ricotta.

Top with some more Marinara sauce.

And, another layer of the Sundried Tomato Mac-n-Cheese.

Finish it up by covering the top with the rest of the Creamy Soy Cheese.

Put in your 350 degree preheated oven and bake for 40 minutes.

Wow, that looks awesome! Let the Lasagna glory sit for about 7 minutes then dig in!

Layers of comforty goodness!

Our parting shot. Time to eat. My taste buds are happy…very happy .

Here it is…Tortilla chips, Avocado, Tomato, Cilantro…Nacho cheese sauce. The tasty glue that brings all of the aforementioned together. Look at it! Drippy, mouth watering fabulousness! Forget the runway, give me a seat and some nachos!

My oldest daughter came to spend the winter break with me and this is the first meal/snack we had. It was midnight, but the glory of these nachos lit the sky.

I could blab on and on about these, but let’s get to the recipe so you can start blabbing (where did that word come anyway…blab?).

Veggies:
8 cloves garlic, slice thin or minced
1 jalapeno (2 if you aren’t scared), diced
2 green onions, diced

Cheese:
No other than our Ste Martaen Colby and Olive (8 oz of each). However, you can pick whatever combination you desire

Spices:
1/2 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon salt and more to taste

And:
2 cups of unsweetened soy milk

Let’s start the madness!

Heat 1/2 tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil on medium. Add veggies and saute for 5 minutes.

Add one cup of milk and heat to near boil.

While the milk is heating. Get the vegan cheeses ready. As seen above, we are using the Colby and Olive styles.

Rough chop the cheeses.

Add one half of the chopped cheese.

Whisk until smooth. Add the second cup of milk, heat, add the last half of cheese and whisk again until smooth.

Add the spices.

Whisk again.

This is the type of whisk I am using. I don’t know if it has a technical name, but the bottom is flat versus the traditional rounded bottom. This helps act as a masher. When the cheese is added, I mash the cheese in order to help break up the chunks. If you’re using a different kind of whisk, work it out.

There it is, creamy cheesy goodness. Now, stop admiring your nacho sauce and get some chips together. I emptied a whole bag on a pastry board. And let the magic begin…

Pour your sauce all over the chips. Don’t be stingy.

Yeeeeaaaah. Nice and covered.

Top off with some diced tomatoes and avocado. Maybe a little chopped fresh cilantro and your in there.

Right at ya!

How did the crowd react?

Deep concentration…

And happiness (that’s my daughter on the right…isn’t she lovely?) The elated guy on the left you ask…my friend, the Soul Veg East juice bar extraordinaire.

After 5 minutes…the remnants still being gobbled up!

OK, one more beauty shot.

Creamy Vegan Soy Cheese Tutorial

For the vegan soy cheese you will need a good blender. I prefer a Vita-Mix (who doesn’t), but any good blender will do.

Add 2 cups of soy milk

Next, get your ducks in a row:

What we have:

• 3/4 cup nutritional yeast flakes
• 1 tablespoon granulated garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon mustard powder
• 1 teaspoon vinegar
• 1/4 of a lemon
• To take the cheese to another taste dimension & you like a little spice in your life like me, add 1 jalapeno

Add these ingredients into the blender with 1/2 tsp of sea salt:

Now, the fun part…pour 1 cup of vegetable oil in a separate cup and keep at the ready. As you blend the milk and ingredients together, you will slowly pour the oil in. Watch, as I demonstrate…

Get Ready!

Start blending milk and ingredients. Start on a low speed and increase to high. Note: For this demonstration, the lid is off the blender. I do not recommend this for you…I’d hate to see all this yummy cheese on your cabinets and your finest kitchen outfit! Most blenders have a two part lid. Start with your complete lid on and then remove the center piece before you add the oil.

Two part blender lid

Center piece removed

You will pour oil through this center opening

I started my blending with the lid on and took off for this demonstration.

Ingredients mixed, all in harmony

Now that the milk, nutritional yeast and others are all happily liquefied, let’s add the 1 cup of vegetable oil. Begin pouring the oil SLOWLY in the center funnel.

Remember, pour the oil slowly, slowly, slowly and watch the magic…

Looking good...keep going

Almost there...keep on target

Center is closing...little bit longer

Yes, victory is ours!

Great job, the center funnel has closed and voilah! You have creamy soy cheese!!

You can use this style of cheese as a dip, mixed w/ noodles for great mac & cheese, or pour on top of your homemade pizza.

It started last week with our middle son…then momma…then the baby boy…then our oldest son…then me. The FLU!!! Swine flu? I don’t know? But whatever it was, our whole family was affected. Laviyah had it worst. She was bed ridden for 3 straight days. When I say bed ridden, I mean comatose, under the covers, barely able to wobble herself to the bathroom to go tinkle. I was down one full day with the internal body aches and another day with a small headache…like that dehydrated because I was out way too late the night before hungover feeling. (You Chicago VOT’ers know what I mean ) The only one who didn’t fall prey to Porky Pig’s revenge…baby girl.

Our 8-month old Super-Immuno Baby. This girl is laying directly down wind from 5 icky people coughing in her face and nursing from a zombie mother. We’re all dragging ourselves around the house and she’s smiling, bopping up and down and yapping enthusiastically at us. The CDC needs to take a vile of her blood and develop a proper flu antidote. You know what? I’m tired of all that laughing and carrying on you did last week. That’s why I’m gonna stuff my face with pasta and you get some Joe’s O’s and So Delicious coconut yogurt…so Nah!!! Who’s laughing now?!! OK, you still are…love ya baby girl – super immune system vegan creature.

So everyone’s back on their stride and it’s time to celebrate. And how do you think we should do it? With starch, of course! So what, we were all mucous filled for a week. Let’s show this cursed, hoofed-footed beast of a flu we ain’t afraid. Our taste buds deserve a flavor extravaganza.

First, let’s make the sauce:

We have and our using:
1/8 cup Sesame oil
1/8 cup Hot Sesame oil
1/8 cup Bragg Liquid Aminos (not pictured)
1/8 cup Aged Soy Sauce
2 green onions, finely chopped
1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
6 cloves freshly minced garlic

Add the liquids to a small sauce bowl.

Using a microplane…grate the fresh ginger into the sauce bowl…roughly 1 tablespoon.

Add your freshly minced garlic and finely chopped green onions and all ingredients together.

Doesn’t that look good? Put your mix to the side while you cook your starch and prep some more veggies.

I used this Barilla whole grain linguine. Of the whole grain pastas I have tried, this is quite good and goes very well with Asian flavors. You could also use a rice type noodle, but I like the wheat the best.

Put your pasta on boil and prep the topping vegetables.

We are going to top the dish with:
1 red pepper, cut into thin strips
1/2 bunch cilantro, roughly chopped
1 hefty handful of mung bean sprouts (not pictured yet)

After the pasta is cooked, strain, add to a large mixing bowl and pour in your sauce.

Add the fresh red pepper and cilantro.

Mix everything together making sure to coat all the noodles well with the sauce mixture.

Finally, add the mung bean sprouts, mix and time to serve up.

Aahhh, welcome back to the world of great eating. I enjoyed my week of soups, water and juice. We may have gotten a little roughed up but we were victorious. And nothing says victory like a mouth watering plate of pasta drenched in the flavors of the Orient!

The erratic weather here in Chicago has been a welcome reprieve from the imminent winter doom that lingers but now my family is feeling the sick blues. It started with the middle boy, worked it’s way to the little prince and now Momma is down for the count. And I mean down…she hasn’t moved out of bed all day So, looks like a nice batch of a warm and spicy soup to zap the ickies away and tantalize the taste buds as well. What soup can handle this responsibility?…well, the Thai Curry Orange Lentil Soup has answered the challenge. This soup is velvety smooth & nutrient packed with a hint of citrus and a bite of heat. The perfect man for the job.

I use a gallon sized crock pot for this soup. You do all your prep in the morning and let it simmer all day, filling the house with the aroma of good feelings. Let’s start with the veggies:

1 Thai chili (not pictured)
1/2 Bulb Garlic
1/2 medium red onion
1 Cubanelle pepper
2 limes
1 12oz can coconut milk – not the ‘lite’ version or watered down
5 medium red potatoes

Turn your slow cooker on high and add 1 tablespoon of Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

Dice the onion, peppers and garlic and add to the crock pot.

Next up, wash your red potatoes.

Dice your potatoes into small chunks and add to the pot. Stir the veggies around to lightly coat with the EV Olive Oil.

Add two dried Bay Leaves.

Then juice your two limes right into the pot. Don’t worry if some pulp falls in; it just adds to the flavor. However, you may want to watch for stray seeds.

Add two cups of orange lentils.

Time to get wet! Add your can of coconut milk.

Add a quart and a half of water.

Cover and let slow cook all day (approx. 6 hours). Take note: (1) Do not add salt right now…got it? No Salt. (2) Do not stir the pot right now. The soup ingredients are layered right now…veggies on bottom and lentils on top. You can stir everything up after and hour. Why? Cause I said so and you need to learn patience. Some cooking techniques just work…and I really don’t know why I do this, but it makes a difference. Trust me, it does

Fast forward. It’s 6 hours later, get our your hand blender.

Blend up all the yumminess until creamy.

Add 2 tablespoons curry powder and 1/2 tablespoon Kosher Salt. I prefer hot curry powder. If you choose not to add the more hot…that’s cool. But please get your curry powder from your local Middle Eastern or Indian market and please don’t use the kind from your local mega-grocery store. The quality is far better and your taste buds will thank you so much more. Mix in with your hand blender. Taste…if you think it needs more salt…well, add some more til your tongue says…yes! Garnish with some cilantro and serve with some cornbread.

Soup’s ON!!!

Now Eat.

Yeah!!!! That makes me feel better already!

Back in the recesses of my mind is a memory of a Broccoli Burger served by Whole World Natural Bakery & Restaurant that I can still taste. I haven’t been there since the early 90′s when I was a much darker haired, newly turned vegan, college student. However, unlike my brown hair, the taste has stayed with me all these years. Since I’m not going to be in Columbus, OH anytime soon, I decided to tap into my creative side and see if I could concoct a recipe of my own. And you know what? I think I nailed it! This 3-Grain Veggie Burger has a light, fresh taste yet very filling…just like I remember. So let’s give this a whirl and let me know how they turn out for you.

The Grains: Basmati Rice, Quinoa and Hard Red Wheat Berries

Start of by cooking each of the grains separately and according to your packaging directions. I have included a link for the general cooking time for each grain in the parenthesis after the quantities. However, I often find the packaging may call for a different ratio to cooking time.
This recipe calls for:
1 1/2 cup Basmati Rice (see eHow)
1 cup Quinoa (see savvy vegetarian)
1 cup Hard Red Wheat Berries (see Purcell Mountain Farms) – Yes, it takes a long time for these, so start early.

After you have cooked each grain, dump into large mixing bowl and let cool.

The veggie potpourri:
2 Carrots
1/2 Red Onion
1 cubanelle pepper
1/2 bulb of Garlic
3 stems of Broccoli (not pictured)

Rough chop all the veggies and add to a food processor. If you do not own a food processor, then finely dice all your veggies.

Process the veggies on high for a few seconds until you are left with small diced pieces.

Warm a cast iron skillet with 1 Tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil on medium heat.

Add the veggies to the skillet w/ 1 Teaspoon of Kosher Salt and saute for 7 minutes or until tender.

After sauteing, dump the veggies into the bowl with your grains and get ready for your spices.

The spices:
2 Teaspoons Kosher Salt
1 Tablespoon Mexican Oregano
1/2 Tablespoon Granulated Garlic
1 Teaspoon Poultry Seasoning
1 Teaspoon Coriander
1 Teaspoon Paprika
1/2 Teaspoon Cumin
1 1/2 Tablespoon Vegan Worcestershire Sauce
1 Teaspoon Mustard Powder
1 Cup bread crumbs

I don’t have a pic of the dry ingredients but I did snap one of the Vegan Worcestershire Sauce in case any of you didn’t believe there was such a thing. See…no Anchovies!
Add all the spices to the mixing bowl and let those hands get to workin’. Mix all the ingredients well. Give your mix a taste and add salt if you deem necessary.

To form your patties, you can free hand it or, like me, use a canister lid wrapped in saran wrap to make nice even patties. I used a 4 inch diameter lid that is approximately 3/4 of an inch deep. This yielded me 11 veggie burgers.

You have a couple of options here. You can directly cook the burgers in a skillet on medium high heat until brown on both sides. I did a two step process. First, I placed the patties on a lightly oiled baking sheet.

Lightly brush the top of each patty with some veggie oil. Bake the patties for 20 minutes at 350 degrees. Your patties will be “pre-cooked” so you can freeze some for a later date.

For the ones you are going to eat now, cook in a lightly oiled skillet until browned on both sides. For the ones you stick in the freezer, let them thaw before you brown them.

Assemble your 3-Grain Veggie Burgers and eat up. I think they go perfect on a Kaiser bun that is lightly toasted. Nothing like that thin crispy crust and warm soft delicate interior as the perfect chamber for your burger. Slather some Vegenaise and ketchup on the bun, add the burger trinity of lettuce, tomatoes and onions and you are good to go.

Man, I’m getting hungry all over again!

Yea, they enjoyed it too. Knocked out…nothing like the power of a full stomach.

So comforting, so delicious. Don’t you just love potato salad? I guess I was supposed to share this recipe with you before the 4th? Oh well, I’m not really a holiday kind of girl. My eldest was six by the time I decided to make a big deal out of his birthday. Oh, and what a bash it was. So glad that I opted not to have that event at home!

Anyway, you want to know how to make potato salad that will have even your momma asking for the recipe? Yes, my momma happened to drop by and thought that my potato salad was that delicious.

Get a 5 pound bag of red potatoes and boil them in their skins. (I used a little less than a five pound bag.)  Make sure the water is well salted.

Drain the potatoes.

Cube the potatoes. I find that the potatoes are easier to work with if you let them cool off a bit. After cubing, if potatoes are still very warm let them chill in the freezer. That way, they won’t break apart too much when you stir everything together. I don’t know about you, but I like my potato salad chunky, instead of mushy.

Let’s get down to business. Fresh dill, a rib of celery, relish ( I used sweet) and mustard ( I used Horseradish because there was no more yellow).

On top of your cubed chilled potatoes. Add diced celery, onion, 1/4 cup relish and 1 tablespoon mustard.

Grab a handful of dill, chop finely and throw that in.

Spoon in about 2 cups of vegan mayo. Vegenaise will work or you can make your own as I have shared in the eggless salad recipe. Add salt to taste, mix well and serve.

Throw this on a plate with some freshly grilled vegetables and boca burgers and there you have it. Summer on a plate!

No Animals Were Harmed in the Creation of this Dish!
With Love,
Laviyah

Vegan pizza w/ creamy soy cheese and 3 pepper tomato sauce

You heard right…PIZZA!  I became Vegan about 16 years ago and I can still remember my last non-vegan meal…delicious, heavenly, there-is-nothing-quite like-it pizza!  At the time I was basically vegetarian and ate a little bit of fish.  I had spent the better part of the year before waning myself off of meat…first pork and beef, then chicken, then fish.  I came to the conclusion that veganism was the next step for me.  Mind you, I was still in college and like most college students, living off of pocket change.  Pocket change was good when your diet consisted of beer and ’25 cent hamburger thursdays’ at a local McDonald’s.  Yes, 25 cent hamburgers…with $5, I could eat for the week.

It wasn’t a difficult decision for me to quit meat, but I the realization that eating only veggies was more expensive than eating meat was (and still is) shocking.  So, as a financially challenged college student, trying to eat healthier was going to be difficult at best.  However, I have never been scared of a challenge and jumping in creek without a paddle (as many of my friends know) seems to be my forte.

Decision made…time for my last meal.  Beef, pork, chicken, fish…all easy for me to give up.  Cheese, oooh, that gooey, salty, so deliciously diverse wonder dairy product.  Now that is a lot to ask for.  But to be vegan…no dairy products…no cheese…sadness… sweet, sweet sadness.  I planned my last meal.  It was a Thursday night, I ordered a veggie pizza on whole wheat crust from Gumby’s Pizza.  Let me tell you, I can still recall sitting on my couch, pizza on the coffee table, and slowly, lovingly eating a whole pie.  Cheese was the bomb.

OK, back to the present.  Over the years, I have tried several recipes for pizza.  There is no vegan cheese that will replace the meltability of dairy cheese (Did I just say ‘meltability’ – Merriam Webster, you can add that, no charge).  Many have tried…Follow Your Heart, Teese and new kid on the block Daiya…but it will never be the same.  Plus, in order to replicate the high fat content of dairy cheese the vegan knock offs tend to be very oily once heated/melted.  The closest you can get is taste and texture, where I feel our Ste Martaen line has excelled.

With that being said, I’ll get to the point and share this recipe with you.  In this recipe we’ll use a creamy soy cheese and a 3 pepper & vegan sausage tomato sauce. This homemade soy cheese is a blended/whipped cheese that I feel works best for vegan pizza because it stays moist and packs flavor.  So first or second, follow the Creamy Soy Cheese link and get that together (make one recipe).

Now (or first), put your sauce together. You can buy pre-made sauce from the store, I guess but you’ll be much happier if you make our 3 Pepper & Vegan Sausage tomato sauce. Follow the link, you won’t be disappointed (make one recipe). Let’s get started…

Cheese is done & the sauce is simmering: pre-heat your oven to 425 degrees…Let’s assemble this Pizza!

VEGAN PIZZA  w/ Creamy Soy Cheese & 3 Pepper Sausage Tomato Sauce

For the crust, I use the god-send of all pre-made crusts.

I get this 20″ flatbread from Al Khayyam grocery and bakery on the North side of Chicago (They don’t have a website, so I linked their Yelp profile).  I call it flatbread, but it is really like a hybrid between Middle Eastern pita and Greek flatbread.  All I know, they bake it fresh daily and it makes the perfect pizza crust.  I think it is was better than the pre-made crusts you can get anywhere and way easier than trying to make dough yourself (although I am determined to master it one day).  If you are not in the Chicago area, it’s worth the trip to get some.  But, I would suggest researching your local Middle Eastern bakeries to see if they produce something similar…you will not be disappointed.  Now, if push comes to shove and you can’t find something similar, buy some pre-made dough…the pizza will still be dynamic!

To the crust, add a tablespoon of olive oil and sprinkle with granulated garlic powder.  Rub the entire crust to thoroughly cover with oil and garlic.

Next, add about 3 ladles of sauce (that’s about 12 ounces) to coat generously.  Remember, this is your pizza, you can always add more or less.  I divide the 3 Pepper sauce recipe evenly between two 20″ crusts.

That’s looking good.  Now heavily dollop the Soy Cheese all over the pizza.

A lot of dollop’ll do ya!!  Now, use a rubber spatula or the back of a wooden spoon to spread the cheese evenly around the pizza.

Your show now.  Top with whatever your heart contents.  Today, I’m going simple…some diced plum tomatoes and pickled jalapeno slices.

Now, place on a pizza stone (for you pizza aficionados) or on a large baking sheet (like me).  Bake as follows:

• 5 min – soft crust
• 7 min – soft inner crust, crispy outer crust (my favorite)
• 10 min – crispy crust

Remove from oven and place on your hard stone or ceramic counter top or on a large baking board.

Now slice 4 times into 8 slices and EAT!!!  By now, everyone is hovering around so feed your family and enjoy!

Get started, enjoy!

Vegan dreams do come true!

Your first bite will be a welcome reward for all you work.  And the family will love you that much more…

We love you!! More pizza?

Buon Appetito!!!  Enjoy your Vegan Pizza!!!

Mmmmmm, now that's good pizza!

Nahum St. Martin