Category Archives: Main Courses

Chicago-Style Deep Dish Pizza

Main Courses, Vegan, , , , , ,

Is there anything more delicious and decadent than deep dish pizza?  This pizza is a bit of work, but definitely worth it.  This pizza is an adaptation of the America’s Test Kitchen recipe.  You make the dough, the sauce, and add plenty of delicious fresh veggies.  I sometimes also add veggie pepperoni slices.  It’s a great Saturday or Sunday night dinner and leftovers make a great Monday lunch.

 deep dish pizza

cut deep dish pizza

pizza in progress
 

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Vegetarian Deep Dish Pizza

The ultimate deep dish pizza: a buttery crust loaded with veggies and tomato sauce. This can be made vegan by omitting the cheese or substituting a vegan cheese.
Servings: 4

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups flour
  • 1/4 cup fine cornmeal like masa harina
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 1 tsp active dry yeast
  • 1/2 cup warm water
  • 1 TBSP melted margarine or butter
  • 2 TBSP softened margarine or butter
  • 2/3 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
  • 1 3/4 cups homemade tomato sauce or jarred pasta sauce.
  • 2 cups assorted vegetable toppings such as: thinly sliced zucchini thinly sliced red onion, thinly sliced bell pepper, fresh spinach, sauteed mushrooms, artichoke hearts, kalamata olives, roasted peppers, pickled hot peppers, fresh basil, etc.
  • salt and pepper

Instructions

  • Combine flour, cornmeal, yeast and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer or food processor fitted with dough attachment. Pulse to combine ingredients.
  • Add water and melted margarine and process until a ball of dough is formed, scraping down the sides of the bowl when necessary.
  • Remove ball of dough from mixer or processor and knead for 1 minute by hand, then place dough in an oiled bowl, cover and set in a warm place to rise for 40 minutes to 1 hour.
  • If making your own tomato sauce, prepare that while the dough is rising.
  • For any raw vegetables that you are using in the pizza (for example, zucchinni, fresh tomato, onions), place them in a large strainer and sprinkle generously with with salt. Place the strainer over a bowl and set aside so that vegetables can release some of their liquid.*
  • When dough has risen, roll it out into a rectangle and spread with softened butter.
  • Fold rectangle of dough into thirds like a business letter, and fold in thirds again. Shape dough into a ball and return to oiled bowl to let rise again for 40 minutes to an hour.
  • While dough is rising for the second time, preheat oven to 425.
  • When dough has risen, roll out into circle large enough to line a cast iron skillet or 9 inch round cake pan.
  • Press dough into bottom of pan and up the sides of the pan to form a deep crust.
  • Sprinkle dough with shredded cheese (if using) and top with 3/4 cup of tomato sauce.
  • Arrange vegetables on top of sauce in layers, sprinkling with pepper and salt (omitting salt on the layers of raw vegetables that have already been salted).
  • Top pizza with remaining tomato sauce.
  • Place in oven and cook for 30 minutes until crust is firm and sauce is bubbling.
  • Let sit for 10-15 minutes before cutting and serving.

Notes

*This step will go a long way toward keeping your pizza from being too watery.
Adapted from America's Test Kitchen

Miso Butter Noodles with Shitakes and Baby Bok Choy

Easy Weeknight Meals, Main Courses, Vegan, , , , , , , , ,

I was excited to try a new restaurant this week: TanakaSan.  Overall the meal (which included shrimp fritters, a coconut beet salad, and a hamachi sashimi with apple) was a little disappointing, with the exception of an amazing noodle dish with miso butter.  I decided to try making my own miso butter noodles with some beautiful baby bok choy and shitakes that came in my Full Circle Farms delivery.  

misobutternoodles

 

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Miso Butter Noodles with Shitakes and Baby Bok Choy

Miso butter makes this super fast and healthy noodle stir fry interesting and special.
Servings: 3

Ingredients

  • 8 oz Chinese egg noodles or spaghetti
  • 1- 2 cups shitake mushrooms sliced
  • 1 1/2 cups baby bok choy or broccoli or a combination of both, coarsely chopped
  • 1 handful haricort verts frenched (OPTIONAL)
  • 1 TBSP canola oil
  • 1 shallot thinly sliced
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 3 TBSP miso paste I like Westbrae Naturals Mellow White Miso
  • 2 TBSP margarine or butter I like Earth Balance
  • 1 TBSP tamari or soy sauce
  • 2 scallions chopped on the bias (green parts only)

Instructions

  • Combine miso, butter, and tamari in a small bowl and mask together with fork to combine.
  • Prepare noodles according to package directions.
  • Drain noodles, reserving 1/2 cup cooking liquid.
  • Add reserved cooking liquid to miso mixture and stir to combine.
  • Heat canola oil in large skillet on medium high heat.
  • Add shallots to pan and stir fry for 1-2 minutes.
  • Add shitakes and stir fry for another minute.
  • Add bok choy and haricort verts and cook for 2 more minutes.
  • Add miso mixture and noodles and toss to combine.
  • Garnish with scallions and serve immediately.

Sweet Potatoes and Black Beans Two Ways

Low Calorie, Main Courses, Vegan, , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

I use the words “sweet potato” and “yam” interchangeably.  I prefer yams though.  Garnet yams to be precise.  I love the combination of slightly sweet garnet yams and earthy black beans.  Here are two ways that I like to serve this vitamin-rich combination.  

I like to make these dishes at the same time, have the tacos for a Saturday night dinner or Sunday lunch and refrigerate or freeze the enchiladas for an easy weeknight meal in the future.  I make the cilantro pesto in my mini food processor, transfer it to containers, then use the unwashed processor bowl to make the black bean dip.  The black bean dip benefits from the bit of pesto remaining in the bowl.  

I went a little crazy with the pickled onions in the picture, but I do love them.  

sweet potato tacos

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Sweet Potato and Black Bean Tacos with Cilantro Pesto

These tacos are vegan, but adored by meat-eaters as well.

Ingredients

  • 1/4 red onion thinly sliced
  • 3 TBSP rice vinegar I use seasoned vinegar, but unseasoned will work fine too.
  • 1 medium or large yam or sweet potato l like garnet yams, cut into 1-2 inch pieces
  • 1 TBSP canola or olive oil
  • 1 1/2 tsp cumin
  • 1 1/2 tsp ancho chile or chipotle
  • salt and pepper
  • 1 recipe Black Bean Dip
  • 1 recipe Cilantro Pesto
  • 6 corn tortillas

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  • Combine sliced red onion and rice vinegar in small bowl and allow onions to marinate and pickle while you cook the potatoes.
  • Toss potato pieces with oil, spices, and salt and pepper.
  • Arrange potato pieces on a silpat or parchment-lined baking sheet. Make sure that potatoes are spaced and not touching each other so that they will roast and brown instead of steaming.
  • Roast potatoes for 15-20 minutes until softened and browned.
  • When potatoes are done, lightly grill tortillas on a cast iron grill pan until softened. (If you don't have a grill pan, you can put them in a skillet on medium heat until softened.)
  • Top tortillas with bean dip, potatoes, cilantro pesto and pickled red onions.
  • Serve immediately.

Notes

All of the components of these tacos are great as leftovers, so you can keep the leftover components in the fridge and make the tacos for lunches and snacks until you have used up the leftovers.
Avocado slices are great on these tacos as well.

balck bean enchiladas

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Sweet Potato and Black Bean Enchiladas with Mole

If you're feeling motivated and want to make your own mole, I recommend an ancho and pepita or sesame based mole. However, Rick Bayless has a prepared mole that works great in this dish.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup mole sauce
  • 1 batch Black Bean Dip
  • 1 large sweet potato cut into 1-2 inch pieces
  • 1 1/2 tsp cumin
  • 1 1/2 tsp ancho
  • 1 pinch chipotle
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 8 corn tortillas

Optional Ingredients

  • 1 small bunch kale or chard tough stems removed, chopped and sauteed in olive oil with garlic
  • 1/2 to 1 cup shredded pepper jack cheese
  • Cilantro Pesto
  • Cliantro Lime Crema
  • sliced avacado
  • chopped cilantro or scallions

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  • Toss potato pieces with oil, spices, and salt and pepper.
  • Arrange potato pieces on a silpat or parchment-lined baking sheet. Make sure that potatoes are spaced and not touching each other so that they will roast and brown instead of steaming.
  • Roast potato for 15-20 minutes until softened and browned.
  • When potatoes are done, assemble enchiladas by pouring a thin layer of mole into the bottom of a 9x12 baking dish.
  • Spread a few tablespoons of bean dip in the center of the tortilla and top with ~6 potato pieces. (If using kale or chard, add a few tablespoons of the greens to the tortilla as well.)
  • Roll tortilla into a tube shape and place it seam side down in baking dish.
  • Continue rolling process until pan is full.
  • Cover enchiladas with remaining mole.
  • If using cheese, sprinkle on top of the dish.

To Bake

  • Preheat oven to 350 and bake covered with lid or foil for 15 minutes.
  • Remove foil and bake for 10 more minutes.
  • Serve garnished with cilantro pesto or crema, avacado, and chopped fresh cilantro or scallions.

Notes

Prepared enchiladas can be covered with plastic wrap for foil and refrigerated or frozen for future use. Defrost on the counter before baking.