I can't believe it's already Day 6 of my 7 day Vegan Challenge! Today I had to satisfy my pizza craving - after all it was Friday night! Here's my rendition of taking something inherently very not vegan and transforming it to something that satisfies my urges.
Lunch: Remember how on Day 1 I made those Vegan Bean Burgers and thought they were just OK. Well I didn't want to waste any food so I made a few changes and boy oh boy were they yummy! First, I toasted my hamburger bun. Because the burger is a bit 'soft' due to the beans the added crunch from the toasting really added a lot! Second, I reheated the burgers in the microwave for about 30 seconds and then crisped them up on a fry pan with vegetable spray until they were crispy on each side. That made all the difference in the world. SOO much better! In fact, it was DELICIOUS!
Dinner: I was REALLY craving pizza- it's friday night after all and to be honest, the hubs and I almost always order pizza once a week... yeah I know, not the healthiest but I LOVE pizza. So, Pizza usually has cheese, lots of cheese, which is a problem so I got to thinking - what about a flat bread pizza? And what about some caramelized onions... and whatever else I can think to put on it. That could be delicious. And so our Friday night dinner came to be! I ended up putting some leftover zucchini slices on it in addition to the caramelized onions and it was DELICIOUS! Go me! Here's the recipe and my end of day comments!
Vegan Flatbread 'Pizza' with Caramelized Onions and Zucchini
(adapted from Food Network and Simply Recipes)
Makes 2 large flatbread "pizzas"
(adapted from Food Network and Simply Recipes)
Makes 2 large flatbread "pizzas"
Ingredients for Flatbread
1 package active yeast ( or 2 1/4 tsp from a jar)
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
3/4 cup water (might need more)
1 teaspoon oil
Ingredients for Toppings
2 Tsp. Butter
2 Tsp. Olive Oil
2 Large Red Onions (thinly sliced, I used a mandolin)
1 medium zucchini sliced (again, I used a mandolin)
Salt
pepper
Red Pepper flakes (optional)
- In the bowl of a food processor combine the yeast, sugar, flour, salt and thyme. Pulse to combine. Add the water in a steady stream until the dough begins to form a ball, turn it on to a board and knead with the heel of your hand until the dough is smooth and elastic.
- Coat a bowl with oil. Place dough in bowl, and cover with a damp cloth. Put in a warm spot to rise until double in size, about 1 hour. (I didn't have anywhere warm so I put the oven on "warm" and left the door ajar)
- Meanwhile, heat a large skillet with the butter and oil on medium high heat until the oil is shimmering. Add the onion slices and stir to coat the onions with the oil. Spread the onions out evenly over the pan and let cook, stirring occasionally. Depending on how strong your stovetop burner is you may need to reduce the heat to medium or medium low to prevent the onions from burning or drying out. After 10 minutes, sprinkle some salt over the onions. Continue to cook for 30 minutes to an hour more, stirring every few minutes. As soon as the onions start sticking to the pan, let them stick a little and brown, but then stir them before they burn. The trick is to leave them alone enough to brown (if you stir them too often, they won't brown), but not so long so that they burn. After the first 20 to 30 minutes you may want to lower the stove temperature a little, and add a little more oil, if you find the onions are verging on burning. As the onions cook down, you may find you need to scrape the pan every minute, instead of every few minutes. Continue to cook and scrape, cook and scrape, until the onions are a rich, browned color.
- Preheat oven on 'Broil' with pizza stone if you have one
- When the dough has doubled in size, punch the dough, scrape it onto the counter and knead it lightly into a smooth ball. Cut into 2 pieces and with a rolling pin roll out to form very flat circles.
- Preheat a stove top grill pan (I used large frying pan) over medium high. Do not oil. Place bread on hot grill and cook without touching it until you see bubbles on the surface, about 1 to 2 minutes. Turn and continue to cook 1 to 2 minutes more or until bread has puffed up.
- Place flatbreads on Pizza stone (or cookie sheet), and top evenly with caramelized onions, Next, spread the zucchini. Finally, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper (if desired).
- Place in broiler for 2-4 minutes (watch carefully, it will burn quickly)!
- Enjoy!
Holy crap - this was amazing. It totally satisfied my craving and I didn't miss the pepperoni or cheese! Day 6 - I owned you.
*knowgirl Scarlett
*knowgirl Scarlett