Basil Pesto Green Pizza

So remember that pesto I made the other day? We had some leftovers, so I decided to use it as an alternative to tomato sauce on a homemade veggie pizza.

Well, we planned on making it vegan. But then we started thinking about how good some fresh mozzarella would be on it, all melty and hot out of the oven. I caved and bought a ball of the delicious cheese from Stew Leonard's. And oh, was it worth it. Still, this pizza is easily made vegan by leaving out the cheese!

To the right,  after I let them brown a bit with a touch of olive oil. You want to make sure the onions are cooked as much as you really want them to be, because the pizza won't be in the oven long enough to fully cook the onions. I like onions on my pizza soft and slightly caramelized. If you want to fully caramelize the onions, keep browning them past thestage you see in the photo until the onions are golden brown. 

Above, you can see all the ingredients I added to the pizza before cooking. After rolling out the dough on a cookie sheet (make sure you grease!!!!) I spread a layer of basil pesto, broccoli florets, some chopped garlic, the browned onions, and some sliced fresh mozzarella. I also like to add some fresh cracked pepper on top of the cheese, it tastes good and looks pretty.

 Then I popped this sucker into the oven and baked for about 15 minutes according to the directions on the pizza dough I used. When it was done, we let it cool for a few minutes and sprinkled it with fresh basil chiffonade (basically, basil strips). Easy as, well, pizza pie.

 Basil Pesto Green Pizza (Serves 8)
1/2 recipe Vegan Basil Pesto
1 Pizza dough
1 onion, cut in half and sliced
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 head broccoli
1 ball fresh mozzarella
pepper, to taste
fresh basil leaves

In a medium sized pan, heat olive oil and cook onions until lightly browned. Cool. Cut small pieces of broccoli from head and set aside. Slice fresh mozzarella and cut into halves.

Preheat oven and prepare cookie sheet (or pizza stone). Prepare the pizza dough for topping as per manufacturer's directions. Spread pesto in a thin layer evenly on the prepared pizza dough. Then top with garlic, onions, and small pieces of broccoli. Top with slices of mozzarella and sprinkle with fresh cracked pepper.

Bake according to pizza dough directions, being sure to add a few minutes if necessary to ensure crust cooks through at the center. When done, remove from oven and let cool for a few minutes. Meanwhile, stack 6-8 large basil leaves on top of each other and roll them up. Slice through basil roll to create chiffonade cut basil. Sprinkle basil evenly across pizza before serving.

Nutrition Estimates (1 slice)
Calories: 384 Carbs: 32g Fat: 22g Protein: 17g

Nutrition Estimates without Mozzarella (1 slice)
Calories: 224 Carbs: 32g Fat: 10g Protein: 7g

Vegan Basil Pesto Sauce

Summertime has three distinct meanings for me. First, it means that I have a three month break from reading dull textbooks, writing dull papers, and sleeping on average less than 5 hours a night. Second, it means scorching heat, painful sunburns, and distressing humidity. Aside from these extreme exaggerations,  summer means fresh vegetables and aromatic herbs. And this year, I'm growing my own basil plant.

Okay, so my basil plant isn't very big yet, and I can't really cook anything of substance with it. But it is growing!!! And I'll buy huge basil bunches from the grocery store so my little plant can aspire to one day become something. Like pesto.

I still remember the first time I tried pesto. I was hooked instantly. My mom had gone out to dinner for work, but when she got home, she woke me up and told me to try some of the pasta she had brought home. It was like nothing I'd ever tasted: peppery and garlicky, but so fresh tasting. It was a lot of familiar flavors presented in a new way. It was just a pesto sauce coating tortellini, but it was delicious.

 And now, I make my own pesto. An even fresher pesto, sans cheese. A lighter pesto too, with less olive oil but still tons of great basil flavor. You could even make this with cilantro or mint, if you prefer. If you're really daring, you could even do a combination of herbs. Basil mint pesto would be an extremely refreshing sauce for a hot summer's day. Also, feel free to play around with the nuts used. I would venture to guess that a mint walnut pesto (without garlic) would make a delicious topping for desserts.

Be strategic when choosing a pasta for your pesto sauce, if that's the route you're taking. I like to choose a pasta that has ample spaces to fill with sauce. Penne, tortellini, and rotini are all great choices in my book. But then again, I have been known to even mix in a spoonful of pesto with a bowl of rice.

Vegan Basil Pesto Sauce (Serves 4)
2 cups loosely packed basil leaves
1/2 cup toasted pine nuts
2 cloves fresh garlic
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
salt, to taste

Combine basil, pine nuts, garlic, and lemon juice in a blender of food processor. Begin to pulse, adding in olive oil to help the mixture come together. Continue to process until the sauce comes together. It should be a smooth paste. Cover and refrigerate for about an hour to let flavors blend.

Nutrition Estimates (one serving):
Calories: 164 Carbs: 3g Fat: 17g Protein: 3g

Vegan Lemon Curd

The word "curd" is a little off-putting. I always end up thinking of cottage cheese or the great state of Wisconsin. But in reality, lemon curd is a delicious and versatile treat. Surprisingly creamy and delightfully tart, you can spread lemon curd on just about anything: ice cream, toast, scones, or you could even use it to fill a cupcake. Sure, you could buy a jar, or you could make your own in less than 15 minutes.

The great thing about curd recipes is that you can tweak it to however you'd like it to be. Want it sweeter? Add more sugar. Rather have lime or orange curd? Go right ahead. I'm not the kitchen police. Mix it up and have a little fun.

Further, a citrus curd makes a great present. Just wrap them up in little jars with a cute little tag describing the contents and you could give this away as a birthday or even Christmas present. I even think this would make a really great party favor!

This lemon curd recipe is adapted from Kim's recipe at C'est La Vegan . I prefer more lemon juice and more lemon zest for a more tart, lemony impact. Also, many recipes call for turmeric just for the color. I didn't want to muddle the flavor at all, so I left that out and still got a beautiful creamy yellow hue. While the curd smells like an ambrosial blend of coconut and lemon (I wish I could turn it into a candle, in fact), it has a great tangy lemon punch with a twinge of creamy coconut on the finish. Delicious.

Lemon Curd 
3/4 cup light coconut milk
3/4 cup lemon juice (about 3 large lemons)
4 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
lemon zest (I used zest from 3 lemons)
Zest lemons, then juice. Add lemon juice, coconut milk, cornstarch, and sugar to saucepan. Whisk until completely combined. Cook/whisk on high heat until mixture is hot, but not boiling. Reduce heat to medium, and continue to whisk until mixture thickens. Remove from heat and add vanilla and lemon zest. Remove from pan immediately and allow to cool before covering and refrigerating. 

Butternut Squash Pasta Sauce

I'll admit that I've spent a lot of time in the kitchen this summer. And as much as I'd like to pretend I've been slaving over a hot stove and whisking sauces until my arms are ready to fall off, it hasn't been like that. I've enjoyed every single minute of food preparation, and I've challenged myself to make new dishes and try new things.

Well, this is one of those new things I've tried. I'd seen recipes for this popping up on FoodGawker every now and again, some comparing it to my beloved macaroni and cheese. I didn't believe that a pasta with Butternut Squash Sauce would be such an amazing comfort food, but it truly did parallel my favorite cheesy pasta dishes and definitely won a place in my go-to recipe box.

This recipe is a simplified version of other recipes I found online. Mostly, I didn't have celery or tomato paste on hand and really didn't feel like going to the grocery store. But as a result, this pasta sauce is full of butternut flavor and because of the combination with thyme, tastes like fall. Even better, it's incredibly simple.

 First, I boiled a 20 oz package of butternut squash until it was soft. Usually I don't mind deconstructing fresh vegetables, but this is actually a bit out of season right now, so I could only find it in chunks. But, it was a great time-saver!

Then after removing the squash from the pot and draining the water, I heated some olive oil and added a chopped onion and two cloves of garlic. I let the onions turn translucent, and then added the vegetable stock. Again, cook the onion until very soft.

 After adding the squash back into the pot and letting it cook for a few more minutes, I took the pot off the heat and let it cool for about 10 minutes. Then, I blended the squash and onions until smooth (I had to do this in batches because my blender is pretty small). Then, I poured the squash puree back into the pot.

To season, I added a teaspoon of dried thyme (you could use a tablespoon of fresh thyme if you have it on hand) and a bit of salt and pepper to taste. I also added some plain unsweetened almond milk to make it creamy. I set the sauce aside while the pasta cooked and threw it back on the stove for just a minute to reheat before serving (I like my pasta sauce steaming hot).

 A little bit of extra cracked pepper on top....and oh, I suppose you might like a close-up.

Butternut Squash Pasta Sauce (Serves 4)

20 oz butternut squash pieces

1 large onion, roughly chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup low sodium vegetable stock

1/2 cup unsweetened plain almond milk (or other plain milk)

1 teaspoon dried thyme

Salt and pepper, to taste

Boil squash in medium pot on stove until soft. Drain and set aside. In the same pot, heat olive oil and add onion and garlic. Cook on medium heat until onions are translucent. Add 1/2 cup of the vegetable stock and let simmer until onions are soft. Add squash pieces back in and let cook until all vegetables are soft. Remove from heat and let mixture cool about 10 minutes. Blend mixture until smooth, then put back in the pot. Add remaining vegetable stock, almond milk, and thyme. Add salt and pepper to taste. Heat through and serve.

Nutrition Estimates (for one serving of sauce)

Calories: 142 Carbs: 20g Fat: 7g Protein: 4g

Cold Quinoa Tacos

I knew when I stumbled across a recipe for a quinoa, black bean, and corn salad from Girl Cooks World that it would be a dish that I would absolutely have to try. Not to mention I felt inspired by the beautiful pictures on her blog of Cuzco, so I set out to make a bright meal that would please the palette.

But I made a few changes. And those change, while not necessary, made a salad into a meal. Instead of the balsamic vinaigrette, I used a Southwestern Vinaigrette adapted from CDKitchen. The combination of cumin, cilantro, garlic, and oregano gave the salad a warm flavor, and a dash of cayenne pepper probably helped too. Also, it was blazing hot outside when I made these, so the cool food was quite light and refreshing (but really filling).

I mixed up the salad earlier in the day, and let it marinate in the Vinaigrette for a few hours before dinner. I plated a huge serving of the salad (guiltlessly: it's quinoa, after all) alongside half of a sliced avocado and a few corn tortillas heated in a pan on the stove. Trust me, take the extra few minutes and heat your tortillas this way: they turn crispy and warm in a way that is much more pleasing than warming them in the microwave.

Cold Quinoa Tacos (Makes 8 Servings)
1 cup uncooked quinoa
2 cups water
1 15 oz can black beans (rinsed)
1 cup frozen corn (I used fire roasted corn from Trader Joe's)
1 red bell pepper, cut into bite size pieces
1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup white vinegar or rice wine vinegar
1 teaspoon dried mustard powder
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon cumin
black pepper (to taste)
garlic powder (to taste)

Rinse quinoa in a fine sieve if not pre-washed. Bring quinoa and water to a boil in a medium covered saucepan, then reduce to a simmer for 15-20 minutes or until water is completely absorbed. Remove from heat, uncover, fluff with fork, and let cool slightly.

In another bowl, whisk together olive oil, vinegar, mustard powder, oregano, cumin, black pepper, and garlic powder. Adjust seasonings to your own preferences.

In large bowl, combine quinoa, black beans, corn, red bell pepper, and cilantro. Toss with vinaigrette. Serve immediately or chill for a few hours to marinate. Serve with heated corn tortillas and sliced avocado or guacamole.

Nutrition Estimates (for taco filling without tortillas or avocado)
Calories: 230 Carbs: 31g Fat: 9g Protein: 6g

Banana Oat Muffins

Those who know me know that I love breakfast foods. And there's two breakfast foods that I favor the most: pancakes and muffins. But this post, I will limit the fangirling to the topic of muffins.

The morning is a time for sipping large cups of coffee while reading the paper or watching the television and eating sweet carbohydrates. But of course, not everyone has time to lounge about with their mug. But I insist on at least having the muffins.

I should probably mention that I have a habit of buying cutesy muffin tin liners. Polka dots, stripes, and plaid call to me. I don't like fancy decorations on my breakfast cupcakes, but pretty muffin tin liners are completely acceptable and in fact are necessary. You know, because of the cute.

These muffins, while made to use up some blackening bananas, are deliciously moist (almost gooey) and chock full of banana flavor while surprisingly healthy (and vegan). I highly suggest smearing these with your favorite peanut butter alongside a steaming mug of strong coffee.

Banana Oat Muffins (Makes 12 muffins)
1 1/4 cups wheat flour
1 cup rolled or quick oats
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 mashed bananas (overly ripe are best)
1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Mix wet and dry ingredients separately, then mix together until just combined. Spoon 1/4 cup batter into each well of a lined muffin pan and sprinkle tops with decorative sugar or a few extra oats. Bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

Nutrition Estimates:
Calories: 150 Carbs: 27g Fat: 4g Protein: 3g

Broccoli and Tofu With Vegan Garlic Sauce

I'm a new vegan. As in, I've been a vegan for about three weeks now. But I have to say, I love it.

I don't miss cheese. I don't miss meat. I feel crazy good and I've been much more adventurous with cooking techniques and ingredients. Although it's not new for me, I absolutely adore making stir fry. Whether it's a Thai inspired peanut sauce, sweet and sour, or a sticky sweet sesame sauce, I will never tire of making and eating stir fry.

Since my sister and I decided to buy a giant bag of broccoli at Costco last weekend, I decided we should really get crackin' on eating it.  So, the most logical choice was to make broccoli with garlic sauce, one of my favorite take-out foods.  But because I wanted to make the meal a bit more substantial, I also made a baked sesame tofu to be thrown in the mix.

After scouring the internet for recipes, I finally ended up blending together multiple recipes to form my own concoction. And this was the result:

It turned out salty, saucy, spicy, and just a touch sweet. Marinating the tofu cubes in toasted sesame oil and garlic before baking is not essential, but I love the texture of baked tofu and the sesame flavor was a nice contrast to the snappy garlic sauce. The tofu can easily serve 4, but my sister and I were hungry, so we ate all of it ourselves!


Sesame Garlic Baked Tofu (Serves 2)
1 block extra firm tofu, pressed and cubed
2 Tbs toasted sesame oil
2 Tbs low-sodium soy sauce
1/4 tsp ground dried ginger
2 cloves minced garlic
A dash of cayenne powder

Whisk the marinade ingredients together and mix with cubed tofu and put in the fridge for at least an hour. Bake for 25-30 minutes at 450 degrees. Stir at least once halfway through baking.



Nutrition Estimates:
Calories: 393 Carbs: 6g Fat: 27g Protein: 30g


Broccoli with Vegan Garlic Sauce (Serves 2)
4 cups broccoli pieces
A drizzle of olive oil
2 cups vegetable stock
1/2 cup soy sauce
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 Tbs cornstarch
Sesame seeds (for garnish)

Bring vegetable broth and soy sauce to a boil in a medium sized saucepan. Add garlic, ginger, red pepper flakes, and sugar and reduce heat. Whisk until sugar is dissolved and ingredients are fully incorporated. In a large frying pan, heat olive oil and add broccoli. Stir often until broccoli is bright green and hot (but not overcooked). At this point, add cornstarch to garlic sauce and stir. As it begins to thicken, add sauce to broccoli mixture and stir until thickened and hot. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve as is or over rice.


Nutrition Estimates:
Calories: 269 Carbs: 56g Fat: 1g Protein: 7g