Taco Pizza

When I think of tacos it makes me immediately salivate, pizza also has the same effect, so why not combine forces and make an all time favorite of mine: TACO PIZZA.  If you have never tasted taco pizza you are missing out an experience that is quite possibly unmatched by any other combination of foods.
  Imagine all the great flavor possibilities atop a perfectly golden crust: a pizza that tastes great with salsa, a taco where the ingredients do not fall out while eating, and a shell that doesn't get soggy and start to wear thin.  This is the greatness that is taco pizza.
  This recipe, unlike others, takes a little bit more time and preparation to make.  The reason for this is that I am a fan of making my own dough but it doesn't mean that you are not welcome to go buy pre-made dough yourself, I just have a preference.
  You will want to set about 2 1/2 to 3 hours aside depending on your experience in the dough making area. Usually when I make dough I make a triple to quadruple batch and portion the rest out and freeze it.  Whatever is most convenient for you is probably the best way to go.  Also, I use dry black beans so I let them soak all day without salt because the salt is really unnecessary to the soaking process.
The rest of the recipe is simple and a lot less time consuming.

Pizza Dough

1 Cup Warm Water
1 1/2 Tbsp Sugar (make sure it is unbleached)
1 (1/4 ounce Package) Dry Yeast
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
3 Cups Unbleached All Purpose Flour
1 Tspn Salt
DO NOT USE RAPID RISE YEAST

1. Combine water, sugar and oil.  Add yeast let sit until you see the yeast foam.
2. Add flour and salt and mix together.  I prefer to mix with my hands but if you have a nice stand mixer go ahead and use that.
3. When ingredients are well combined lightly flour the counter top and knead dough until dough is smooth and slightly pliable.  Roll into a ball.

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4. Take a little olive oil and lightly cover the dough and place in large bowl covered with a cloth.
5. Let rise for about 45 minutes to an hour until it is doubled in size.  I like to stick my dough in the sun to rise because it helps speed up the process.
  (This is when I usually start the beans by boiling them on the stove with about double the water)
6. After dough is risen lightly flour counter again and place dough on counter and push out extra air.  Let sit for another 10-15 minutes.
7. Preheat overn to 500 degrees
 
Black Bean Pizza Sauce

1 Cup Black Beans
1 Tbsp Minced Garlic
Water
Tapatio
Sea Salt and Pepper

1. Boil beans until soft and combine all ingredients in blender or food processor until smooth.  Use water to thin out the sauce if needed.
When beans are finished roll out dough and place either on a pizza stone or cookie sheet, make
sure to oil pan lightly. 

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Spread out black bean sauce evenly.  I like to then saute up some soy chorizo with 1/2 a white onion
and place on top.  Bake for approximately 10-15 minutes until crust is lightly brown.  Right after I pull it out of the oven I sprinkle vegan cheese (Daiya cheddar) over the top.  I then add all my favorite ingredients: chopped up white onions, jalapenos, chopped up lettuce, diced tomatoes, sliced olives, and avocado.  You can also add crushed up tortilla chips if you like.
                       Invite your friends and family over and enjoy this delectable treat.

Chunky Vegetable Marinara

I am a lover of pasta and all things carbohydrate.  I think that it's a natural state for many people to feel drawn to items they can put sauce on  and dip items into.  While on my quest to make healthy dishes I have to watch the amount of bread like items I put in my body, not because I'm a calorie counter,  because I love balanced meals and nutrition.  On this most virtuous adventure I make a lot of items with more than enough vegetables to cancel out the amount of carbs, here is one of my favorite of those recipes.



Chunky Vegetable Marinara


1 Zucchini
1/2 White Onion
1 Green Bell Pepper
2 Cloves Garlic
24 Ounces Stewed Tomatoes
1 Tbsp Red Wine Vinegar
1 Tbsp Oregano
1-2 Tsp Garlic Powder
Dash of Cayenne
1 Tbsp Olive Oil (Preferably Cold Pressed)
1/4 Package Gimme Lean ( you can use any fake meat or none if you like)
Noodles of your choice
Vegan Parmesan (I use Parm which is a raw food mix of nutritional yeast, walnuts and sea salt ground up together)
Salt and Pepper to Taste

1.Place water on stove to boil the noodles and cook noodles for approximately 11 minutes.  Place olive oil in saute pan on medium heat.
2.Chop zucchini, bell pepper and onion and place in a pan to lightly  brown.
3. While vegetables are browning add Gimme Lean by breaking up and placing it around the pan.  Let brown.
4.Add garlic stir lightly until you see the garlic turn a nice bright yellow add red wine vinegar and let cook off.
5. Add tomatoes and spices and let simmer until extra water is cooked, it should seem almost stew like.
6. Place on Noodles and add vegan parmesan and enjoy.


I also enjoy using eggplant, spinach, squash and any assortment of vegetables in this dish.

Donnie Mac's Helps Make a Vegan Friendly Boise Possible

Sometimes I dream about a restaurant and finding something off of the menu that I don't have to modify; Donnie Mac's is that restaurant.  They are not completely vegan but they definitely serve up some fantastic vegan fare that is not all salads and portabello sandwiches.  Don't get me wrong, I do love both those items and what they encompass but I also love looking at a menu or speaking to waitstaff to pleasantly find out what other great options that I have available right at my fingertips.
  This is what occurred on Monday, what I would like to call my Re-experience of Donnie Mac's.
   We sat down with my family and soon to be relations for a birthday dinner for myself.  I would usually order the Taco Salad with no chicken or cheese and I found vegan Corn Dogs and a vegan BLT present, neither of those you could really pass up .
   The Corn Dogs came out perfectly golden with a side of  fries.  They had that perfect crispy outside and a nice soft inside.  If you didn't know they were vegan you would decidedly agree that they taste amazingly like the corn dogs you remember when you were young.  The next item that we tried was the BLT made with marinated tofu, a perfectly sliced piece of tomato, Vegenaise and iceburg lettuce.  I chose to add avocado to the sandwich because it is one of my favorite foods but it would taste awesome without as well.  The marinade of the tofu makes you second guess the origin of the "meat" on the sandwich in the best way possible.  All in all I am incredibly surprised at what items Donnie Mac's has been adding to the menu to help support the more alternative eating styles.

  Also on their menu available for vegans is the Worst Burger (Remember to order without Cheese), Chili, and many other items that can be made vegan.  I definitely recommend Donnie Mac's as a wonderful eating experience with a dish for everyone in the family.

Pizza Burgers

When I was growing up I ate a lot of interesting things but one off the more "American" type dishes that I tried was a dish by my Step-mom, Dawn, they were called pizza burgers. I am not the type to look for a recipe on the internet to sooth me through my craving for nostalgia so I created this new recipe myself. Enjoy!


Pizza Burgers

1 1/2 Cup TVP
1 Can Olives
Marinara Sauce
1/2 White Onion
1 Clove Garlic
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
Vegan Cheddar Cheese (I prefer Daiya)
Bread of Your Choice
Salt and Pepper to Taste

Preheat Oven to 375

1. Hydrate TVP by running it under cold water until somewhat moist.
2.Add Olive Oil to the pan let heat for a moment and add onion. When onion is slightly translucent add garlic. When you see the garlic get a little yellow and smell really sharp add tvp and saute until browned.
3.Add Marinara sauce until tvp seems well hydrated, almost squishy.
4.Dice half the can of olives and place in with tvp mixture. Add salt and pepper to taste.
5. Spray baking sheet with olive oil and place bread on it. Put TVP mixture on top of bread. Add vegan cheese to the top and sliced olives.
6.Bake for about 15 minutes.
7. Serve and enjoy.

Thank you for trying this recipe and please leave feedback whenever you like.