Pizza - Flatbread + Veggies

This photo is from my wonderful new friend,  Carol Brock McGill.  It's a photo of a pizza from her "Hello Fresh" food subscription.  This is what started me on the path of looking a flatbread pizza recipes.

The Dough

🌿  There are tons of ready made crusts (pizza, flatbread, Naan, cauliflower crust) to buy, but if I want to make my dough in my breadmaker -

Place ingredients in bread machine pan in the following order.

• 1 1⁄8 cups warm water
• 1 ½ Tbl olive oil
• 1 ½ tsp salt 
• 3 1⁄3 cups all purpose flour (OR - Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 gluten-free flour)
• 1 ½ tsp sugar 
• 1 ½ tsp yeast - (I *think* omitting this makes it more of a flatbread)

Bread Machine Settings:

Select -   Pizza Dough

Loaf Size -   n/a

Crust Control -   n/a

Press Start.  It takes 55 minutes

When done, place in a bowl greased with olive oil.  At this point you can cover the bowl and refrigerate for later.  When ready to use, move to lightly floured board and shape the dough.  Note - If you use too much flour, the crust will be tough.

Bake crust for 5 minutes in an oven or air fryer before adding toppings. It should start to crisp, even in just 5 minutes.  

BRUSH with olive oil before adding toppings. This will prevent the crust from getting soggy.

🌿  More crust recipes:

• Debra Klein Vegan Flatbread
• No-Yeast Flatbread by A Virtual Vegan - uses baking soda and powder instead
• Cotter Crunch - Grain Free Naan with Cassava Flour - Uses Bob’s Redmill Cassava Flour.  Many cassava products are naturally vegan as well as nut-, grain-, and gluten-free, making them a great choice for those on an “Healing diet” or with food allergies and sensitivities.
• Focaccia Bread - includes herbs and cheese.  Looks really good and prob easy to modify.

Topping Options

Sauce Base

• Ranch Dressing
• tomato or marinara sauce
• hummus

Veggies

• caramelized red onions 
• garlic
• tomatoes
• sautéed mushrooms
• squash & zucchini
• bell pepper
• kale, spinach or arugula
• Brussels sprouts
• artichokes

More

• nutritional yeast or parmesan
• basil!!!
• Italian seasoning
• thyme
• rosemary
• Crushed red pepper
• glaze - date syrup (very low glycemic), Balsamic glaze, 

Put it Together

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Toast flatbread for 5 minutes.

Sauté the Veggies and put preferred toppings on the flatbread.

Bake for 15 minutes.

Pasta - Easy Combo Ideas

avocado, corn, and love all that parsley!...

Start with gluten free pasta of choice.  Then add in your favorites to come up with a tasty combination.  It's easy to put together combos that can be served as a cold salad OR a baked main dish.

Sauce - come up with a combo.  Here are some ideas.

• Dressing - Italian, Ranch 
• 3–4 tbsp olive oil     
• vegan mayo
• sweet relish! - Publix deli style
• mustard
• pesto
• vinegar , lemon, or lime juice

Veggies

• cherry tomatoes
• bell pepper
• broccoli
• onions (red is good) & garlic
• squash and zucchini
• celery
• carrots
• mushrooms
• corn
• cucumber
• avocado - to eat right away

Greens

• Fresh Herbs - basil, parsley, cilantro, dill
• kale
• spinach
• lettuce

Misc

• fruit - pineapple, citrus, berries
• black beans

Xtra Flavor & do-dads

• lemon zest to taste
• red chili flakes
• Italian Seasoning
• McCormick Salad Supreme
• Seeds - sesame, celery seed, hemp seed

Not Vegan

• Parmesan or other cheese
• bacon
• chicken
• shrimp

avocado, looks like a bit of bacon as well...

corn, avocado, red onions...

SWEET AND SPICY LO MEIN WITH TOASTED SESAME MUSHROOMS AND BROCCOLI
By @leeksnbeets on Instagram

Pesto Pasta Salad
by @janetsmunchmeals on Instagram 

Roast Vegetables with Red Onion & Dukkah

Recipe Inspiration Source:  @thrivingonplants on Instagram

 

Roast Veggies

• 2 small red onions, peeled 
• 1 wedge pumpkin
• 2 medium red potatoes
• 1 small bunch Dutch carrots
• 1 zucchini
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 
• 3 sprigs fresh thyme 
• 1 tsp dried oregano 
• 1 tsp smoked paprika 
• Salt & freshly ground black pepper 

Almond Pistachio Dukkah

🌿  Dukkah is a fragrant, roasted spice and nut blend. Traditionally served with olive oil and fresh bread, it is also an aromatic coating for fish, chicken or lamb before grilling.

• ¼ cup almonds 
• ¼ cup pistachios, shelled 
• 2 tbsp raw white sesame seeds
• 2 tbsp black sesame seeds
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• ½ tsp sea salt 
• ¼ tsp cracked black pepper 

Method: 

1. Preheat your oven to 200°C. Line a baking tray with baking paper and set aside. 

2. Cut up all of your veg into even sized chunks and place into a large mixing bowl. 

3. Add in the olive oil, thyme, oregano, paprika, salt and pepper. Toss well to coat.

4. Pour the vegetables onto your baking tray and spread into one even layer. Bake or airfry for 45 minutes or until golden brown and tender (once the potatoes have softened).

5. In the meantime, add the almonds, pistachios and sesame seeds onto a dry frypan. Toast until sesame seeds become golden. Remove from pan and add into a blender along with the remaining ingredients. 

Pulse and blitz until you reach a broken down yet coarse texture. 

6. Once the veggies have cooked, remove from the oven and transfer into a bowl. Sprinkle with a generous amount of the dukkah on top to serve. Serve with your favourite plant-based protein and side salad for a satisfying and delicious meal. Enjoy immediately while warm! 

Sausage (Vegan) & Sprouts Sheet Pan Dinner

Recipe Inspiration Source:  Kroger

This came in one of their coupon flyers.  It looked interesting.  I subbed vegan sausage for regular.  Oil can be omitted.  It turned out pretty good. 

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
• Sausage - Vegan Smoked, sliced into ¾” segments - Field Roast is a good brand!
• Potatoes - petite, halved
• Brussels sprouts, ends and outer leaves removed, halved
• 1/2 red onion, chopped

OPTIONAL:

• sliced apples, pistachios, craisins

Because of this recipe, I did a little research on vegan sausages.  

This one was rated well and it tasted pretty close to the real thing.  

It's best in recipes rather than alone.

We got the smoked apple sage flavor.

Preheat oven to 400°F.

In small bowl, whisk together oil, garlic, thyme, salt and pepper. Set aside.

On sheet pan, arrange sausage, potatoes, Brussels sprouts and onion. 

Drizzle with oil mixture; toss to coat.

Bake 30 minutes, tossing halfway through, until vegetables are tender.

Pasta - Spaghetti - BAKED!

I'm not sure why, but I like baked spaghetti better than spaghetti cooked totally stovetop.  Do the flavors set in more?  I don't know.  But it's good.  Also, it's less messy to eat.

Recipe Inspiration Sources:  

Rabbit and Wolves (vegan)

Build Your Bite (a vegetarian version)

Note:  Most of the recipes I found use real cheese or a cheese substitute, tofu, meat substitutes, and very few vegetables other than mushrooms.  I have skipped meat and used cut up veggies in my spaghetti for ages, even before I was full-on vegan.  Some people might prefer a recipe that is more similar to the traditional version.  If so, the sources above will have better options than my version.  I was unable to find a source with a recipe more like my preferences, so I used bits and pieces from tons of recipes and created a recipe of my own.

The one pictured here is not a vegan recipe, 

but I love seeing it in an iron skillet.  

Cook spaghetti noodles according to package directions, drain and set aside

• spaghetti noodles

You can use regular noodles, grain-free noodles or even spaghetti squash!

Sauté Veggies (any combo) -

NOTE - If you use a large oven-proof skillet, you can use it for the baking step as well!  It's pretty in an iron skillet.

• onion
• garlic
• mushrooms
• peppers
• squash
• zucchini
• carrots

Add pasta sauce to veggie mixture and stir to combine.  

Cheese   Most recipes call for adding lots of cheese.  You can keep the recipe a bit cleaner by not adding any. It's still very good.   If you are Vegetarian, you probably don't worry about cheese, but do you really need that mess?  If you do, you can cheat a little by mixing in just a bit of parmesan, but cheese is addictive and the only way to break the habit is to stop eating it altogether. You could use a Vegan cheese substitute.  I haven't yet tried it with any of those, but Rabbit and Wolves uses:

• ¼  cup nutritional yeast 
• 1 cup of Follow Your Heart vegan mozzarella.  

Violife brand cheeses are a new one on the market and are getting great reviews.  Kroger carries those. 

Toppings

• parsley
• basil

If making it for company...  Put in a 9 X 13 baking dish.

If it's just a normal home dinner...  keep it in the oven-proof skillet.

Bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes.  Oven temps varied for different recipes.  Some were as low as 350, some as high as 450.  It doesn't matter that much, especially if you aren't using cheese or tofu.

Stir Fry - and Easy Sauce I Love

This is one of my go-to meals.  It's so easy!!!

Note: This one is an easy compromise if you have a confirmed meat eater in the house.  Just cook some shrimp on the side and add their poor little carcasses over the serving for the unfortunate soul.

Sautéed VEGGIES
Use whatever combination is on hand -

• onion
• bell pepper (red, orange or yellow - never green)
• squash
• zucchini
• handful of spinach or kale
• broccoli or broccolini
• cauliflower
• corn - reg or baby corns
• mushrooms
• carrots
• sugar snap peas
• English peas
• green beans

Fruit -

• pineapple bits

Nuts -

• peanuts
• pistachios
• cashews

Meat-ish -

• Seaweed / Nori
• Gardein Mandarin Orange Chicken

SAUCE - I also have this recipe on a separate post on this blog.

Just mix and add to the veggies the last few minutes of cooking

My Easy SAUCE -

• Dijon mustard
• maple syrup
• Tamari or Coconut Aminos
• BBQ sauce adds a nice tang
• Kung Pao Sauce - like sweet and sour with a kick

Serve over RICE

• Click here to see a number of easy ways to make rice.  My fav is in the instant pot.
• Can also serve over noodles, but that's not as healthy, and definitely not helpful for weight loss.

Rice - Jambaya-ish Spicy Rice and Veggies

"This simple vegan jambalaya is a super tasty, satisfying and nutritious dish. It’s a delicious dinner recipe, which is also oil-free and very low in fat."


Inspiration Source: Simple Vegan Blog

The veggies were cooked separate from the beans and rice which made for a more colorful presentation.
In this photo, the beans had just been added.  Also, the beans were cooked with a bit of tahini, which was in the original recipe.  Lots of reviewers loved that addition.  I wasn't a fan of it and it's been dropped from my recipe.

VEGGIES

• garlic 
• onion, - sweet, red, spring, whatever 
• bell pepper - red, yellow, purple or orange 
• 1 carrot 
• fresh tomatoes (could also use canned) 
• squash and zucchini (optional) 
• finely chopped kale or spinach (optional) 

* Rotels or canned fire-roasted tomatoes could also work, but the amount of spices would need to be adjusted.

HERBS SPICES

• 2 tbsp tamari or soy sauce - Add salt instead of the tamari or soy sauce if you want. 
• 2 tsp dried oregano 
• 1 tsp dried thyme 
• 1 tsp garlic powder 
• 1 tsp onion powder 
• 1 tsp cumin powder 
• 1 tsp paprika 
• 1/8 tsp ground black pepper 
• 1/8 tsp cayenne powder - Maybe more! 

RICE

• 1 cup uncooked rice - cook in Instant Pot   - Might as well cook extra and freeze the leftovers!

BEANS - Use any legumes you like.

• 1 cup canned or cooked beans - black beans, chickpeas, whatever - drained and rinsed!

GARNISH

• Chopped fresh parsley for garnish

Instructions:

Note: This method messes up 3 pans, but it's worth it to keep the meal more colorful. (see photo below)

1. Cook rice - in the Instant Pot.
   
2. Cook beans - in separate pan.
   
3. Sauté onions in a skillet - once the onions are well on their way, add in carrots, and bell pepper.
   
4. Add faster cooking veggies - squash, zucchini, greens and tomatoes and herbs and spices to skillet and cook for a bit more. Careful! Don't overcook and turn it all to mush!
   
5. Stir in beans just before serving.
   
6. Rice can be stirred in or kept separate.
   
7. Serve with some chopped fresh parsley on top (optional). 

READER COMMENT - Cooking Everything Together in Pressure Cooker:

• This was great. I cooked everything together in a pressure cooker.  I set the cook time to how I normally pressure cook rice I am using. 

The original recipe calls for the beans and rice to be cooked together.  Then it's all added to the veggies.  Everything ended up this brownish color and it looks like mush.  It was still good, but I made changes in the recipe to keep the color.  On the other hand, if I were making it just for me and nobody else would see it, I'd probably throw everything in the Instant Pot and cook it together.  

NOTE ABOUT RICE:

My first time with this recipe, I had a box of Zatarains Jambalaya Rice on hand so I skipped making the spicy rice myself. I'll make my own from now on.  Some of those ingredients are not nice!

Here are the ingredients in Zatarains:
Enriched Long Grain Parboiled Rice (Iron Phosphate, Niacin, Thiamine Mononitrate and Folic Acid), Dehydrated Vegetables (Onion, Bell Pepper), Salt, Yeast Extract] Soy Sauce (100%, Soybean), Dextrose, Thiamine Hydrochloride, Soybean Oil (Tbhq Added As A Preservative), Paprika, Garlic, Spices, Monosodium Glutamate (MSG), Chili Powder, Caramel Color, Silicon Dioxide (Flow Agent).

Beans - Roasted Garbanzos, Tomatoes, and More

Inspiration Source:  AllRecipes

This was from my first try.  It was declared a keeper.

SAUCE

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• salt
• black pepper
• juice from 1 lime - can use lemon instead

SAUCE SEASONING IDEAS:

Balsamic vinegar, rosemary, curry powder, cumin,  Montreal Steak Seasoning, a few TB honey (to help it caramelize),

MAIN INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups cherry or regular tomatoes
• 1 (15 ounce) can garbanzo beans, drained - could also use another bean - like cannelini

ADDED VEGGIES - Choose 1 or more

• cauliflower (this is what the original recipe called for)
• Brussels sprouts
• broccoli florets
• onion or scallions (Some reviewers suggested red onions)
• bell pepper - red, yellow, or orange

GARNISH

• chopped fresh cilantro
• REVIEW SUGGESTIONS:  Top with avocado wedges, sprinkle with lime juice

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. 

Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and grease with cooking spray.

Combine olive oil, garlic, and other sauce ingredients in a bowl. 

Add garbanzo beans first and mix to coat - the beans need a little more of the oil so they won't dry out while cooking.

Add tomatoes and and other veggies; toss until well coated.  You can let it all marinate for a bit if time permits.

Spread in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet. 

Roast in the preheated oven until vegetables are caramelized, about 25 minutes. 

Remove lime wedges and top with fresh cilantro.

SUGGESTIONS from REVIEWS:  

• Serve over rice, couscous, quinoa, barley...

Shepherdess Pie

This version is similar to Shepherd's Pie, but leaves out meat and dairy.

Veggie Base:

• onions and garlic 
• bell peppers 
• Green beans 
• Carrots 
• 16 oz tomato sauce - many prefer 1/2 c vegetable broth!!! 
• More Veggies - onions, garlic, corn, broccoli, mushrooms, peas, celery, 
• Spices & Sauces - Coconut Aminos, vegetable broth 

Mashed Potatoes

• 2 cups potatoes 
• Liquid Options - some of the starchy liquid from boiled potatoes, nut milk, cashew cream
• Flavor Options - garlic, spices 
• Toppers: paprika, chives 

Garnish

• paprika
• chives

* Tip 

Instead of using a baking dish, keep the filling in the (ovenproof) sauté pan in which you cook it, top with the crust, and bake it all in the oven for a skillet version that won't dirty another dish. An IRON SKILLET would be perfect!!!

1. Boil potatoes. Reserve some of the cooking water. 
2. Saute onion, garlic & peppers in LARGE *skillet. (IRON SKILLET) Drain. 
3. Add vegetables (not the potatoes). 
4. Simmer. 
5. * Spoon veggie mixture into baking dish (or follow tip and bake in iron skillet!). 
6. Make mashed potatoes - blend potatoes with other ingredients like nut milk, vegan butter, roasted garlic, salt and pepper. Check out this recipe for mashed potatoes! It uses cashew cream. I need to try that! 
7. Cover vegetables with potato mixture. 
8. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. 
9. Garnish with paprika, chives... 

Interesting - The Differences Between the Different Shepherd-Like Pies:

Shepherd’s Pie  - refers to the pie when it’s made with lamb.
Cottage Pie -  made with beef.
St. Sephen’s Day Pie - made with ham and turkey.
Fish Pie - is made with, you guessed it, fish.
Shepherdess Pie - vegetarian or vegan.

Ratatouille - Slow Cooker Version

Inspiration:  Eating Bird Food

This is before cooking.  I didn't have eggplant, but look forward to including it next time!

• 1 large onion, chopped 
• 6 cloves garlic, minced 
• 1 large eggplant, chopped 
• 1 orange bell pepper, chopped 
• 4 summer squash/zucchini squash 
• 1 cup chopped grape tomatoes 
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano or Herbs de Provence 
• salt and pepper 
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper (optional) 
• 1 cup fresh basil, chopped

Add all ingredients except basil into a large slow-cooker, cover and cook.

Cook for 3-4 hours on high or 5-6 hours on low.
*IMPORTANT - Don’t overcook! It’ll turn to mush.

The ratatouille is ready when the vegetables have softened, but aren’t mushy.

If the ratatouille seems too watery, remove the slow cooker lid and cook on high for the last hour.

Just before serving, gently stir in fresh basil.

Serve over a whole grain like rice or quinoa as a main entree.

Special note about eggplants:

If you are worried that the eggplant might be bitter, peel and cut it in whatever size and shape pieces the recipe calls for. Place it in a colander, sprinkle generously with salt. Let the salted eggplant sit for at least 1/2 hour or up to 1 1/2 hours. You'll see beads of moisture start to form on the surface of the eggplant as it sits. Some of the pieces may start to look a little shriveled; this is fine. When you're ready to cook, rinse the eggplant under cold water to remove the excess salt and pat it dry.  Pressing the eggplant also collapses some of the eggplant’s air cells, so it absorbs less oil if it’s sautéed.

When eggplant slices are fried, their spongy texture absorbs a surprising amount of liquid. As air pockets collapse, some of that is released. 

There are plenty of ways to cook eggplant.  Roasted, baked, or grilled eggplant is also delicious.

- Source: Science of Cooking

Pasta - Bruschetta

Salad and Bruschetta

• Bruschetta Seasoning Mix - basil, oregano, red pepper, tomato, garlic, onion, sea salt 
• 1/3 cup veggie broth 
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar 
• 2 pounds (about 10) plum tomatoes, quartered - Truly need lots of these! 
• 8 ounces pasta, cooked 

Misc VEGGIES to add:

• Squash and zucchini 
• mushrooms 
• onions 
• garlic 
• bell pepper 
• handful of spinach 

MORE POSSIBILITIES:

• eggplant 
• asparagus 
• parsley 

1. Preheat oven to 425°F.
   
2. Saute garlic, onions and bell pepper in a skillet that goes from stovetop to oven (no plastic handles). Avoid oil - sauté in water or broth.
   
3. Mix seasoning, broth and vinegar in large bowl. Add tomatoes and misc other veggies to the sautéed veggies; toss to coat.
   
4. Bake 30 minutes.
   
5. Toss all with pasta in large bowl. 

NOTE:
I used to do the whole thing stovetop, but not anymore! When baked in the oven, the tomatoes were much better and they didn't get lost like they seem to do when only working stovetop. Everything seemed to have more flavor.

Another option - serve on bread instead of using noodles