Zucchini Pizza

       This is one of my all-time favourite pizzas. It’s a classic in our house and is a great way to use all those zucchinis. It you grow zucchinis at home, you know what I mean. Once they start, you’re eating zucchini 24/7.

        This type of zucchini pizza is rift off of a traditional Italian pizza, but you know, veganized. We add sesame seeds and bread crumbs for a little bit of crunch to an otherwise deliciously soft zucchini filling.

Look at all those zucchinis Rye's HomeGrown is selling at the market!

Serves: 2-4

Ingredients

• 1/3 pizza dough recipe, rested
• 1 medium-large zucchini (large in grocery store varieties, otherwise medium from the garden)
• Scant ½ tsp salt
• ½ cup vegan shredded cheese, such as Daiya
• 3 green onions, chopped thinly
• ¼ cup fresh basil, sliced into ribbons
• ½ tsp dried oregano
• 2 cloves garlic, sliced paper thin or minced
• Fresh cracked pepper to taste
• 2-3 Tbsp sesame seeds
• 1/8 cup bread crumbs

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 550°F, with the pizza stone positioned on the center rack. If not using a pizza stone, see my recipe for the pizza dough recipe for how to prepare this recipe using a metal baking tray.
2. Use a food processor with a grater attachment or a box grater to grate the zucchini (large grate).
3. Toss grated zucchini in a bowl with salt. I know it seems like a lot of salt, but most of it will be lost in the liquid! Let stand for approximately 20 minutes, until the zucchini has released a good amount of water.
4. Transfer zucchini to a colander. Discard any remaining liquid. In small batches, squeeze out the zucchini and then transfer back to the bowl.
5. Loosen up the zucchini with a fork. Mix in cheese, green onion, basil, dried oregano, garlic and black pepper. Taste and season if needed.
6. On a floured surface, stretch out the dough and transfer to a floured pizza peel with cornmeal.
7. Depending on how wet your dough is, you can choose to make the pizza on the pizza peel or directly on the pizza stone. We make ours on the pizza stone after we had to turn our pizza into an extra-large calzone one too many times. But it’s up to you! Either way, you want to slowly slide the pizza/dough onto the stone.
8. Bake at 550°F for approximately 10 minutes, then switch to broil and broil for 2 additional minutes. These times are based off of an electric oven, if using gas, less time will be needed, so adjust accordingly.
9. When the crust and the bread crumbs are golden brown, remove from the oven and transfer to a wire rack or cutting board. Let cool for 5-10 minutes before cutting and serving.

Black Quinoa and Cremini Collard Rolls with Tahina Dipping Sauce

     While I was at my parents house over the holidays, I had quite a few opportunities to experiment in the kitchen. I pretty much spent my entire two week vacation in the kitchen, which is exactly what I like to do on my time off. I had been thinking up this recipe for quite some time and knew it would be perfect for hors d'oeuvre for either Christmas eve or New Years eve. More an hors d'oeuvre than an appetizer, these finger sized rolls can be eaten with your fingers with a glass of wine in your other hand while chatting with friends and family. 

     This is a two part recipe, first the rolls and then the dipping sauce. When conceptualizing the rolls, I wanted something that would be fresh but nutty. For the freshness I used lemon. There's lemon everywhere in this dish: in the rolls, on top of the rolls and in the sauce, without being too lemony. As for the nuttyness, I chose a dark quinoa. I chose black quinoa, but any quinoa would work in this dish. Collard greens are a great vessel for these small rolls. Unlike cabbage rolls, collard greens are easy to manipulate when rolling and tend to stick to themselves after they are blanched. All of this results in a sturdy roll that can be dipped in tahina for a tasty treat.

     Tahina (salatit tahina) is a Middle eastern sauce of tahini (sesame seed paste), lemon and water, and sometimes garlic (though not included in my recipe below). If tahini is new to you, you can usually locate it in the ethnic food sections of larger grocery stores and even in the canned goods section of some dollarstores. Tahina complements these rolls perfectly, so don't neglect it. The rolls really aren't the same by themselves. If you take a look at the measurements for the dip below, you'll notice they aren't that exact. Truth behold, every brand of tahini is different, it might be thicker or oilier, and depending on these properties you may need more or less water, and the proportion of salt and lemon juice will need to be adjusted accordingly. Just taste as you go, and once it is a good consistency, adjust to your tastes. This dip is very versatile, and can be further watered down to create a tasty salad dressing.

Serves: 8-12 (2 servings each) to 16-24 (1 serving each)

Ingredients

Quinoa and Cremini Collard Rolls

• 1 medium bunch of collard greens (large leafs) (alternatively, use swiss chard if you cannot find collards)
• 1/2 cup black quinoa, or red if black is not available
• 8 oz cremini or white mushrooms* 
• 1 large white onion
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 lemon
• 1/2 juiced, about 1 1/2 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1/2 sliced, put aside for later
• 1/4 tsp cumin
• 1/4 tsp coriander
• 1/2 tsp dried parsley or 1/2 tbsp fresh parsley
• 1/8 tsp each of salt and pepper

*Try and use as many cremini mushrooms as possibly as they have a more robust flavour than the white button mushrooms, I only used white buttons when I photographed the recipe because we had run out of our creminis.

Tahina Dip (Salatit Tahina)

• 1/3 cup tahini
• ~1/3 cup water
• 1-2 Tbsp lemon juice, or to taste
• ~1/4 tsp salt or to taste
• A quick grind of black pepper to garnish

Preparation

1. Put a large pot of water on the stove top, cover, and bring to a boil. While its heating up, wash your collards. Once the water is boiling, put the collard greens (stem still in) in the boiling water, and blanch for about 3 minutes or until the leaves are a rich green. 
2. Meanwhile, prepare a large metal or plastic mixing bowl with cold water, you can add ice to make it colder if you can't get the temperature down enough. After 3 minutes remove the collards and submerge in the ice bath to cool them down so that they are cool enough to handle. Lay out the leaves in a single layer between two tea towels to dry.
3. In a large microwaveable soup bowl combine 1/2 cup quinoa with 1 cup of water. Seal closed the bowl with plastic wrap and then microwave at 60% for 8 minutes, then stir, then microwave for another 5 minutes, this time at 100%. Remove from the microwave, if any water remains, microwave for additional minutes, one at a time at 100%, until all the water is absorbed. Alternatively you can cook your quinoa on the stove top as per manufacturers instructions. Let cool.
4. While your quinoa is in the microwave, wash you mushrooms with a damp cloth. Cut the stems off your mushrooms and discard the waste from your onion. The mushrooms and onion can then be given a fine chop, or rough mince. You can do this by hand or you can do this in a food processor (so much easier, I love my food processor), on a medium speed in pulses. 
5. Heat up a large pan with olive oil and sauté the onion and mushrooms, until the water has been released and evaporated, about 10-15 minutes.
6. Mix quinoa, mushroom and onion mixture, lemon juice, and spices. This will be your filling. 
7. Cut the vein out of the collard greens, cutting the large leaves in half so that you have two leaf-segments to use for the collard rolls.
8. Place one heaping tablespoon in the center of the leaf, fold in the two sides and roll like a burrito, making sure to keep it all tight.
9. Place the rolls in a 9" x 9" pyrex dish, pack tightly, seam down so that the rolls don't unroll, until they are cooked (they are still a bit fragile).
10. Place the sliced lemons on top of the rolls (if you are refrigerating, wait till you are about to put the dish in the oven to put the lemons on) and bake in a preheated oven at 350°F for 25 minutes or until the rolls are hot and steamy. 
11. Meanwhile prepare the tahina, by shaking (or whisking vigorously) together the tahini and the water, start with only 1/4 cup water and add more as you go. If your tahini is loose, you may not need to add all the water. Mix in the lemon and salt, add more to your liking. 
12. Serve the rolls warm next to a bowl of tahina and enjoy with friends or family.

Toasted Walnut and Beet Salad

     Beets are one of those vegetables that I don't often get to cook at home (mostly because I'm too lazy to clean them) but that I commonly eat when I am visiting my parents'. I've been in North Bay for just over a week and I think that we've had beetroots five times. So needless to say, we all love beets. 

     Beets are a carb-loaded winter vegetable that can be enjoyed boiled or roasted, hot or cold, plain or dressed. This salad isn't too sweet, and has a lot of zing! and crunch, walnuts are great for crunch.This salad can be made with roasted or boiled beets, it's completely up to you. If you are making a big batch of beets, you can also use plain leftover beets to make this salad.

Serves: 4-8

Ingredients

• 6-8 medium beets, stems and ends removed
• 3/4-1 cup (3 oz) walnuts, roughly chopped
• 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
• 3 Tbsp red or white wine vinegar

• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1 Tbsp white wine vinegar
• 1 Tbsp dijon mustard, coarse or smooth
• 1/4 tsp thyme
• 1/4 tsp oregano
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Preparation

1. Cook beetroot; while cooking you can prepare steps 3 and 5.
• Roasted: wrap in tinfoil and bake at 400°F for about 60 minutes or until tender.
• Boiled: cook beets in boiling water for about 60 minutes.
2. Let the beets cool, then peel and cut into thick slices.
3. Toast walnuts in the oven at 400°F for about 8 minutes on a baking sheet (or in a pan on low heat for 5 minutes).
4. Slice onions and place in a small bowl to marinate for 10 minutes in the 3 Tbsp red or white wine vinegar.
5. To prepare the dressing, whisk together all other ingredients in a small bowl. 
6. When all ingredients are prepared, mixed together the beets, walnuts, onions (you can also add the leftover vinegar), and the dressing. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
7. Serve cool or at room temperature along side your favourite main, I served mine with veggie pot pie. 

Baba Ghanoush

     As a vegan people are ALWAYS asking me what exactly I eat. And of course, whenever they ask me I always say the most boring things....pasta (although, I seriously eat a lot of pasta)...pizza....vegetables....and then, as I fail at saying anything inspiring, I might just refer them over to my blog. And then normally I get a response something along the lines of "Oh my gosh! that's vegan?! but it looks so tasty!" At this I usually laugh. Why would I eat something that doesn't taste good? Anyhoo, a couple weeks ago, I was at dinner at my friends' house and they asked what my favourite dip was. My answer: Baba ghanoush.

     Baba ghanoush, as it is most commonly known in the Americas, or mutabbal, is a deliciously rich and creamy dip made of roasted eggplant and garlic, tahini, lemon juice, olive oil, cumin and salt. This dip is usually served as an appetizer with pita bread or chips.

     I made some the other night for dinner, and ate about half the batch. I felt guilty for about one second and then remembered that it's pretty much all eggplant.
Might seem like a difficult dip to make, but most of the time you aren't active. So give it a try, I'm sure you'll love it!

Serves: 6-12 (appetizer servings)

Ingredients

• 2 medium eggplants (about 3 pounds)
• 1 head of garlic (trust me, it's not too much)
• 1/3 cup tahini (sesame seed paste)
• 2 lemons, juiced or 5 Tbsp lemon juice
• 2 Tbsp olive oil + more for garnish
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• Scant 1/2 tsp table salt, or to taste
• Paprika (original or smoked), to garnish, about 1/4 tsp
• Chopped parsley, to garnish

Preparation

1. As your oven is preheating to 450°F (broiler), cut your eggplants in half lengthwise, sprinkle generously with salt, and let them sit for 20 to 30 minutes. This will reduce the natural bitterness of the eggplant, and although it is not necessary, sometimes you can get a particularly bitter fruit, especially off season, so I find it best to cover all my bases. 
2. After about 25 minutes, you should see water droplets on the surface of your eggplant. Wipe the water off with a pepper towel, and place the eggplant face down on a baking sheet. Place your whole head of garlic next to the eggplant, and bake for 15-30 minutes under the broiler.
3. When the eggplant is ready you should see the flesh pulling away from the skin (it will look wrinkly), and possibly some charring on the skin. The flesh should be soft and caramelized. If it looks light-coloured, pop it back in the oven. As for the garlic,when the oven smells garlicky, and the head of garlic collapses slightly when squeezed with tongues, it's ready to be taken out of the oven. 
4. Place your eggplants in a bowl, and let sit for about 10 minutes or until they are cool enough to handle. A dark liquid will collect at the bottom, taste it, if it is bitter, you may want to remove some of it so that your baba ghanoush is not bitter (although, I have never had this problem).
5. Deflesh you eggplants. My favourite tool for this job is a grapefruit spoon (yes, it has more than one use!), but a fork also works. Just hold your eggplant from the top and scrape the flesh down into the bowl. 
6. Now squeeze the garlic cloves out of their casings and toss into the bowl of eggplant. 
7. To your bowl of eggplant and garlic, add the tahini, lemon juice, olive oil, cumin and salt.
8. Purée with an immersion blender until smooth (or transfer to a food processor). 
9. Let cool in the fridge for at least 10 minutes before garnishing. Garnish with a generous sprinkle of paprika (I particularly like smoked paprika in this dip), a drizzle of olive oil (the good stuff) and a bit of parsley (optional).
10. Serve with pita bread, falafel, dippers or your favourite crackers.

Enjoy friends!

Vegan Spinach Dip

     The first spinach dip I don't feel guilty (or sick) after eating! Yippee to one of my favourite holiday dips! I used a firmer tofu the first time I made it, however, a softer tofu, like medium, is ideal for a silkier, more traditional spinach dip. Pumpernickel is an obvious accompaniment but crackers, chips or veg also pair well. 

     And in case you're wondering, meat-eaters love this dip too.

Ingredients

• 1 Package medium or softtofu
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1 tbsp vegetable bouillon powder, low sodium
• 2 tsp basil, dried
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 2 Tbsp nutritional yeast
• 1 Tbsp soy sauce
• 2 1/2 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1/2 large or 1 small onion, finely minced
• 15 kalamata olives, pitted and chopped (about 1/4 cup)
• 1 can water chestnuts, chopped
• 1 package (10 oz) frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and drained 

Preparation

1. Drain tofu of all excess liquid and place in large bowl with oil. Use a hand mixer on high or an immersion blender to combine until creamy.
2. Add pepper, bouillon, basil, garlic powder, nutritional yeast, soy sauce, and lemon juice. Mix for 1 minute.
3. Add onion, olives, water chestnuts and mix with a hand mixer or fork (do NOT use immersion blender) until combined.
4. Adjust seasoning as desired.
5. Let cool for at least 2 hours, but the longer, the better.