almost vegan pizza

What could be better than starting off Vegetarian Awareness month with a meat-free pizza party?! Pizza is one of those wonderful, easy, versatile meals that I can never get sick of. Seriously, you could put anything on a pizza and it would be delicious.

Last week, me and the roommate opened opened some wine, watched Project Runway, and made ourselves some fantastic homemade pizzas!

Stuff you need: 1. Pre-made pizza crusts- we like the ones from Whole Foods- you get 2 per pack 2. Any toppings your heart desires!

Once again, anything on a pizza will taste amazing. Here were our concoctions:

Molly's Pizza!

Side 1: Brie, chopped garlic, carmelized onions, & arugula

Side 2: Tomato sauce, broccoli, zucchini, green bell pepper, & mozzarella cheese

My pizza!

Side 1: Tomato Sauce, zucchini, red bell pepper, yellow bell pepper, & onion

Side 2: Tomato sauce, tomato slices, fresh basil, & almond cheese

While Molly's pizza was very cheesy, I decided to go with an almost vegan version. My favorite non-cheese cheese is the almond or rice cheese made by Lisanatti Foods. I completely fell in love with it a few years ago, while looking for vegan options to my favorite foods. The texture is impeccable- melts alright, and can be shredded- it's not slimy like a lot of soy cheeses, and best of all the flavor is great. UNFORTUNATELY, it's made with casein, so after all my searching, my favorite vegan cheese isn't vegan at all *sad trombone* If you're looking for a healthy alternative to cheese, I highly recommend this stuff. However, if you're morally opposed to any and all dairy products, this one isn't for you :(

Anyway, it was a delicious pizza party. Both versions were super tasty, and made plenty of food for our lunches the next few days. For next time, Molly recommends getting good quality brie (instead of the cheap-o stuff) so it melts better, and I recommend sautéing the veggies before applying them to the crust, for more flavor, and delicious pizza cohesion. Great night. Great food.

ALSO! Don't forget to check out VeganMoFo when you get the chance! I was too nervous to join in this year, but they're only 3 days in, and there's already TONS of amazing looking dishes! Maybe next year I'll grow a pair and join in the fun :)

spinach stuffed shells

One of my favorite things in the world is making dinner with friends. There's nothing like getting together on a beautiful evening to drink wine, gossip, and create something simply delicious as a group. I honestly think the meal tastes better when the effort is shared through hard work, and lots of laughter. Tonight happened to be one of those evenings when Michael, Jenna, and I got together to watch the newest episode of True Blood, and make spinach stuffed shells over a few bottles of cheap white wine. Nothing could possibly make me happier :)

Here's Michael & Jenna slaving away over my stuffed shells. You can tell they're good cooks 'cause of the pouffy hats and curly mustaches.

Stuff you need: 1. Pasta shells 2. Ricotta cheese- 1 15 oz tub 3. Parmesan cheese 4. Fresh spinach 5. Fresh basil 6. 2 jars red pasta sauce of your choice 7. Garlic

First and foremost, put a large pot of water on the stove to boil, preheat your oven to 350 degrees, and crack open that first bottle of wine- making stuffed shells is a slightly long and tedious task, but trust me, it's totally worth it in the end. When the water comes to a rolling boil, throw in your shells with some salt, and cook them until they're al dente.

While you're waiting for your noodles to soften, sauté the spinach and diced garlic in a little bit of olive oil, until the leaves are nice and wilted. Combine the spinach, ricotta, parmesan, and chopped basil in a bowl, and mix it all up with some fresh ground black pepper. We kept things simple with spinach and cheese, but other veggies or faux sausage might also be a nice addition to the stuffing mixture as well.

When the noodles are softened, drain them, and rinse them under cold water. Be warned. If you skip the cold water step, you will burn your hands off. TRUE STORY.

Take the shells, stuff them with the cheese mixture, and place them into a baking dish that has a layer of the pasta sauce on the bottom. Keep filling up the shells until you're out of supplies, and then cover the whole dish with another layer of pasta sauce. Pop the pan into the oven for around 20-30 minutes, or until it's warmed through and bubbly. Pull out the pasta, give it a good sprinkle of parmesan, and put it back into the oven for a final 5 minutes. When you can stand it no longer, serve up those shells and dig in!

Oh my, look how delicious those little cheese pockets look before and after getting baked into gooey deliciousness. For time management and calorie intake, it's definitely not a meal I would make all the time, but if you'd like to show off a bit, or celebrate a special occasion, this is just the dish! And let's be honest, anything cooked in mass amounts of pasta sauce and cheese has to be outrageously delicious, right? RIGHT.

Great food, great True Blood, great friends, great night.♥

a quick fix picnic

For those of you who survived the Colorado monsoon of 2011, congrats! This last week primarily consisted of working, gymming, and trying to stay dry through the daily, torrential downpour. Luckily, Colorado weather is as sporadic as it is fabulous, and there was still plenty of sunshine to go around- there was just enough blue sky to fit in some kayaking today, and a lovely picnic yesterday.

Since finding a little dry weather was rare, the picnic was planned, prepared, and devoured quickly. Regardless of the time crunch, the food was fantastic, and the company was even better.

Here is the menu for some speedy picnic prep in under 30 minutes or less:

• Appetizer: Raw vegetables and pita chips with hummus

• Main: Pesto bowties with cherry tomatoes and feta

• Side: Watermelon slices

• Dessert: Strawberries and whipped cream over angel food cake

Everything was very semi-homemade, but I'm most proud of the pesto bowtie dish. It was inspired by one my friend's mom who made it for a party, and it was to die for! The flavors are outstanding, it looks elegant, and if you use all pre-prepared ingredients, it comes together crazy fast.

Stuff you need: 1. Bow-tie pasta 2. Pesto- homemade or store bought 3. Cherry tomatoes 4. Feta cheese

While the bowtie pasta is boiling, chop up all the veggies and fruits for the rest of the meal- carrots, celery and red bell pepper for hummus dipping, little cherry tomatoes for the pasta, watermelon for the side, and strawberries for dessert.

When the pasta is al dente, drain it, rinse it, and then toss it with the pesto, tomatoes, and feta in a large bowl. Pop the dish into the fridge and let all the flavors mix up to one hour. Once you have everything else prepped, packed, and ready to go, grab your pasta, your picnic blanket, and head to the park!
It would taste even better with homemade pesto, but I was in a time crunch, and this worked out perfectly. For a vegan version, all you'd have to do, is use a pesto without parmesan, and substitute dairy feta, for tofu feta crumbles.

It was brief, but delicious. Just as we were digging into some strawberries and angel food cake, the storm rolled in, and we all scarfed down our desserts. It was quickly made, and quickly consumed, but the memories will last much longer- no? Too cheesy? Yeah, I know. Anyway. Great pasta! Great picnic! :)

tostada pizzas

This is the first time in my life that I've ever lived on my own, and grocery shopping for one is definitely interesting. I'm finding out that food sticks around a lot longer when it's just me, which means when I make a big pot of soup, I eat soup for 12 straight meals. Hm. I need to 1. learn to utilize the freezer and 2. get more creative with my leftovers and large quantity ingredients.

This is the situation I have found myself in with pasta sauce. I have some Newman's Own hanging out in my fridge, and a person can eat only so much pasta. Thus! Tostada pizzas.

Stuff you need: 1. Corn tortillas 2. Pasta sauce 3. Cheese 4. Toppings 5. Italian Seasoning 6. Olive oil

Turn your oven to broil, and while it's warming up, fry up your corn tortillas in a skillet with a splash of olive oil so they're a little crispy. Slice up your toppings, and shred your cheese, and when everything is ready, assemble your wee pizzas. Top the tortillas with sauce, then shredded cheese (I had monterey jack), then your veggie toppings (I used tomatoes), then more cheese (I used parmesan), and finally some Italian seasoning sprinkled over the whole deal.

Pop it under the broiler for 5-10 minutes until the cheese is melty and devour!

I think the corn tortilla was a really nice flavor for the pizza, and it was perfectly crispy and easy to just pop in your mouth! It also came together super fast and totally hit the spot for my gin hangover. Double score.

I will definitely be thinking more creatively towards my ingredients. In fact, Food Network has 50 fun ideas for your pasta sauce. I personally like it over polenta, over steamed broccoli and white beans, and now on creative pizzas too! Lotsa pasta sauce? No problem :)

enchilada lasagna

I've been meaning to try this recipe out for a while now, but life keeps taking me out to dinner or requesting a movie night with friends, so finally, after much ado, I had a chance to try out my ingenious enchilada lasagna. I've seen tons recipes for enchilada casserole, and I love the concept. So, tonight I winged this one, and made up my very own version.

Stuff you need: Corn tortillas- although, I 'spose wheat would work too 2. 1 can enchilada sauce 3. 1 onion 4. 1 can black beans 5. cheese of some sort (optional) 6. Your fave spices

Start by preheating your oven to around 350. My ghetto oven doesn't have an "I'm preheated alarm", so I turn on the oven while I prep, and then throw everything in and hope for the best. While the oven is preheating, open and drain your can of beans. Chop up your onion, and add that and the beans to a good sized bowl for mixing. Add your favorite spices (I like garlic salt and cumin) and mix everything together.

Pull out a small baking dish, and pour a little enchilada sauce in the bottom of the pan- just enough to cover the entire base. Then cut 2 tortillas in half so they fit flush against all 4 sides of the dish. You will put each half on one side of the pan, and then one whole tortilla goes in the middle. Thus, each layer of the casserole will use 3 tortillas total.

On top of the tortilla layer, put more enchilada sauce. Then top that with the bean/onion mixture, and cheese if you're using it- I only had a little cheese, but more cheese and tomatoes would have both been a fine addition :)

Keep layering your casserole in this fashion until the pan is full or you're out of ingredients. Sauce. Tortillas. Sauce. Filler. Sauce. Tortillas. Sauce... etc. etc. etc.

Finally, throw everything in the oven for about 15-20 minutes, or until warmed through. Cut your portions, and serve it up with some chopped lettuce and your favorite salsa on the side.

For my first attempt, this was a total success. The flavors were great, and it was just what I had been hoping for. Next time, I think I'll definitely add more cheese, sauté my onions before assembly, add fresh tomatoes to the filler, and cook it with foil on top, instead of just bare. Try your own alterations to make this dish your own too! After a few more tweaks, this will definitely be a winning recipe :)

spinach pesto

Oh ho, what's that you say? Pesto is made with basil not spinach? Well let me rock your world. I still have an excessive amount of spinach from the soup party a few weekends ago, and tonight I wanted to make sure it got used before it went bad. Enter Vegan on the Cheap by Robin Robertson (omg my vegan idol). I've had this cookbook for a while, but life got busy, and tonight I decided to try my first recipe from it! The dish is traditional pesto, but she suggests replacing the basil and pine nuts with spinach and walnuts. Holy shit, I may never eat regular pesto again.

This was the first time that me or my roommate had ever had alternative pesto, and let me tell you, we're obsessed. It was so creamy and fresh, with the perfect amount of lemon and garlic flavors. It was also way cheaper and healthier than the normal pine nuts and basil. I just wish that I would've made more for lunch tomorrow! Seriously, if every recipe in the cookbook is this good, I may have to try making EVERYTHING!

Oh, and on another creative thought. Have you ever tried putting fruit preserves or jam in your oatmeal? Try it. It may change your life :)

mushroom spinach lasagna

So this one time in college, my roommates had some kind of dinner function to attend. Unfortunately, they decided to excessively day-drink, and when the time came to prepare said meal, they all looked to me (who was not totally sober herself). In a panic, I called my mom and said I'm have to make lasagna! How do I do it?! Mom said that there was no way I could pull off a complicated meal like that in such a short period of time, especially since I had never made lasagna before in my life. Let me tell you. Not only was it DELICIOUS, but it was easy, and ever since then, it has totally become a staple in my household.

Since one of my favorite people in the world was in town today from NYC, I thought it only appropriate to make some veggie lasagna, open up a bottle of wine, and catch up on life. I love this recipe because people always think you went to all this effort to make a fancy meal, when it's actually crazy easy.

Stuff you need: 1. No-boil lasagna noodles 2. Lotsa sauce (always get more than you think you need) 3.Mozzarella or Italian style shredded cheese 3. Ricotta cheese 4. Veggies for the inside

While your oven is preheating, sauté your vegetables, boca crumbles, or whatever else you'd like for filling in a skillet with some olive oil and seasoning- I used mushrooms and fresh spinach for this particular version.

When the filling is browned up and looking good, you can start assembling your lasagna in a nice big casserole dish-

Layer 1: sauce.

Layer 2: noodles

Layer 3: more sauce!

Layer 4: shredded cheese, big plops of ricotta, and all those yummy sautéed veggies

Now rinse wash and repeat. Go back to layer 1 of sauce and keep stacking up everything until your casserole dish is full! On the top most part, just do sauce, noodles, sauce, shredded cheese. Cover with foil, pop in the oven, and in about an hour you have yourself a saucy, cheesy, gooey, TASTY meal.

Now crack open that second bottle of wine and dig in!