vegetarian pizza | goodmotherdiet

Two of America’s favorite foods are barbecue and pizza. Now imagine them together for the ultimate in delicious comfort food. This version is vegetarian, using tofu, crumbled and browned with barbecue sauce, in place of more traditional chicken with pretty great results. The barbecue sauce, smoked cheddar, mozzarella, purple onion and fresh tomatoes all melted together into quite a tasty pizza. My guests actually didn’t believe that it was tofu at first but they quickly became believers…

I used a very spicy barbecue sauce that has a slightly smoky flavor, so I used it sparingly. I didn’t want the pizza to be so hot that people couldn’t eat it. I may have used a layer of tomato sauce if I had it but used fresh tomatoes instead. Next time I will do both or use a milder barbecue sauce. I also doubled down on the smoky flavor by using a combination of mozzarella and smoked cheddar. Vegans can easily swap out the cheeses for any combination of vegan cheeses. There are many good ones available now.

http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/a-tasty-whole-grain-pizza-crust-recipe

TIPS: A good shortcut is to use a ready made pizza dough, preferably whole grain (that’s just my preference). If you are interested in making your own, click on the link above for a good recipe for pizza crust using white whole wheat flour. Just keep in mind that once you roll out the dough into a circle or rectangle, the longer you allow it to sit, the more it will rise and thicken. So for a thinner crust, don’t let it sit more than an hour.

Your barbecue sauce will determine how well your pizza turns out, so choose one that is tried and true or make your own. Some of the store bought sauces are truly awful and some are delicious. Taste first…

BBQ TOFU PIZZA

1 ball pizza dough (see link above)
1/2 cup olive oil (divided)
1 block extra firm tofu
1 cup barbecue sauce
1 cup tomato sauce or barbecue sauce
2 cups shredded mozzarella
1 cup smoked cheddar
2 ripe tomatoes
1/2 purple onion
1/4 cup cilantro or parsley
olive oil spray (optional)

http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/a-tasty-whole-grain-pizza-crust-recipe

Place the ball of pizza dough on a floured surface and roll out into desired shape. (Will be determined by your pan). Place on parchment paper and transfer to baking sheet. Put it in a warm place and let sit covered with a kitchen towel.

Drain tofu and cut into small cubes. Lay cubes on double paper towels, cover with another double layer and set something heavy on top. Let sit for about 10 minutes.

Heat 1/4 cup olive oil in a skillet on medium high and cook tofu until lightly browned. Using the spoon break the tofu up into large crumbles. Reduce heat and stir in 1 cup barbecue sauce. Cook another couple of minutes and remove from heat.

Chop tomatoes and cilantro and mince red onion.

Spray or brush pizza dough with olive oil, especially the edges. Spread 1 cup of tomato or barbecue sauce evenly over top (optional). Sprinkle cheeses over the top.

Top with tofu mixture, red onion and tomatoes. Spray with olive oil (optional)

Cook at 425 degrees for about 20 minutes, or until the cheeses are browned and bubbling and the crust is golden. Remove from oven and sprinkle with cilantro.

Slide pizza off of parchment paper onto serving platter or cutting board and cut into wedges or squares. Serve hot or room temperature.

Barbecue Tofu Pizza

Servings: 6-8
Time: 40-60 minutes
Difficulty: easy
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20160707_115923 1 ball pizza dough
1/2 cup olive oil (divided)
1 block extra firm tofu
1 cup barbecue sauce
1 cup tomato sauce or barbecue sauce
2 cups shredded mozzarella
1 cup smoked cheddar
2 ripe tomatoes
1/2 purple onion
1/4 cup cilantro or parsley
olive oil spray (optional)

Place the ball of pizza dough on a floured surface and roll out into desired shape. (Will be determined by your pan). Place the dough onto parchment paper on baking sheet. Put it in a warm place and let sit covered with a kitchen towel.
Drain tofu and cut into small cubes. Lay cubes on double paper towels, cover with another double layer and set something heavy on top. Let sit for about 10 minutes.
Heat 1/4 cup olive oil in a skillet and add tofu. Stir and cook until lightly browned, breaking up the cubes into large crumbles with the spoon. Add a cup barbecue sauce and cook another couple of minutes.
Remove tofu and sauce into a small bowl and set aside. (don’t wash pan)
Chop tomatoes and cilantro and mince red onion.
Spray or brush pizza dough with olive oil, especially the edges. Spread 1 cup of tomato or barbecue sauce evenly over top.
Sprinkle cheeses over the top.
Top with tofu mixture, red onion and tomatoes. Spray with olive oil (optional)
Cook at 425 degrees for about 20 minutes, or until the cheeses are browned and bubbling and the crust is golden. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with cilantro.
Slide pizza off of parchment paper onto serving platter or cutting board and cut into wedges or squares. Serve hot or room temperature

QUINOA CRUST PIZZA – YOU HAD ME AT PIZZA! Those that have been following GMD, know that I am in constant search of great pizza recipes, especially those whose ingredients stretch conventional thinking (read not white flour). My Meyer Lemon tree outside is still loaded with lemons and I now have two pounds of freshly made goat cheese (click HERE to learn how to make goat cheese which is surprisingly easy), so when I saw this recipe from Cafe Johnsonia using quinoa instead of white flour for the crust, I knew we had a new Wheatless Wednesday contender. The quinoa crust is fantastic! I really like it and will make it again and again. Its less heavy than a cornmeal crust and has a great consistency. In fact, I experimented with thick vs thin crust and think this recipe would also make a great cracker, so you may be seeing Quinoa Crackers in a post coming soon.

You could top this pizza crust with your favorite toppings if lemon and goat cheese are not your thing. It will hold up well, even with wet toppings like tomato sauce or heavy cheeses. The combination of tangy goat cheese and tart meyer lemon, topped with fresh basil and shallots is a wonderful explosion of flavors. If you want the same flavor combination but a less intense version, substitute strips of lemon zest in place of the lemons. My favorite variation includes thinly sliced zucchini circles, garlic and lemon zest cooked with the lemon goat cheese, then topped with fresh basil, shallots (or scallions) and a handful of arugula. Delish!

Quinoa is one of the reigning superfoods, but do you know why? According to Forbes, quinoa is one of the most protein rich foods available and has twice as much fiber as other grains. It is rich in vitamins and minerals, including iron and vitamin B2 and gluten free. Making a crust out of quinoa is not only way more nutritious than one out of white flour, it is easier as it doesn’t have to rise or be handled in any way. The quinoa does have to soak for 8 hours or overnight but other than that, it only takes about 45 minutes and the prep is easy. For those that also like alternative pizzas, check out some others I have done in the past with good results:

Cauliflower Crust Pizza

Margherita and Pesto Chicken Pizzas on White Whole Wheat Crust

Zucchini Crust Pizza with Gri lled Eggplant and Roasted Red Pepper

Quinoa Crust Pizza with Goat Cheese, Meyer Lemon and Basil

Servings: 4
Time: 8 hours soaking, plus 45 minutes
Difficulty: easy
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1 cup quinoa
water, for soaking and blending
1 clove garlic
½ teaspoon salt
2 Tablespoons avocado oil (or another high-heat oil)
5-6 ounces fresh goat cheese (chèvre)
1 Meyer lemon, very thinly sliced (seeds removed)
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 shallot, thinly sliced
small handful fresh basil leaves, cut into ribbons
2 Tablespoons pine nuts ( toasted)
coarse ground black pepper
coarse sea salt
olive oil, for drizzling(optional)

Place quinoa in a medium bowl and cover with water by several inches. Let stand at room temperature for 8 hours or overnight.
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Drain the pre-soaked quinoa in a fine mesh sieve and rinse well to remove the bitter saponins (a naturally occurring residue). Place in a food processor or blender with a little water (about ¼ cup), garlic clove, and salt. Puree until smooth. Add more water if needed. The mixture should be the consistency of thick pancake batter but still pourable.
Place a 10-inch cast iron skillet into the hot oven. Allow to heat for 5-10 minutes. Carefully add the 2 Tablespoons of oil to the skillet and heat for another 3 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven carefully. Tilt the pan to evenly distribute the hot oil. Make sure pan and oil are hot or quinoa will stick.

Pour the batter into the center of the pan and tilt it to create an even layer on the bottom. Place back into the oven. Bake for 20 minutes, then remove pan from oven, turn crust over, and place back in oven for another 10. Remove from oven and transfer the crust to a pizza pan, if desired. (At this point you can also place it on a cooling rack and let it cool completely, then prepare the pizza at a later time.)
Mix the goat cheese with the lemon juice. If the cheese is very crumbly, add a little milk or water to make it spreadable.

Spread the cheese evenly over the crust. Layer the Meyer lemons evenly over the cheese.
Place in the 450 degree oven and let bake for 10-15 minutes, or until the cheese has melted and turned golden, and the lemons are tender. (For a crispy top, place under the broiler for a few minutes.)
Remove from oven and top with the remaining toppings. Cut into wedges and serve warm or at room temperature.

MY FAVORITE VARIATION: For a less lemon intense pizza, replace lemon slices with lemon zest, thin zucchini circles, and add a clove or two of garlic, that has been thinly sliced. After cooking add a handful of arugula on top of the other ingredients. Yum!