stromboli

Overview

Time: 45 minutes
Dishes: small pot, medium bowl, baking sheet

Hello, hello Dear Readers!

I watched a popular video on how to roll Stromboli, and I am here to report to you to not make the same mistake I did - when you fill your dough, add the cheese to the bottom and then the Soy Curls. This will make folding the ends up and over the filling and crimping the seam easier. Then you can flip the dough to place the seam on the bottom of the baking pan to make sure it does not open during baking.

However you fold or fill it, when you bake this dish, make sure the cheese portion is on the top not on the bottom to allow the cheese to melt into the filling and prevent the crust from becoming soggy.

While I did prepare it the hard way, it was definitely well-received in the household. In fact, I only got a small piece to taste before they were snapped up.

I used my homemade pizza dough, which is easy and fast, and I used Soy Curls (as prepared HERE on Making Mondays). You could use Gardein or seitan or even cold cuts, if you like. It will still be delicious!

I used fresh spinach, which I just pan-cooked. No seasoning, nothing; I just cooked it to wilt it. If you use frozen spinach, make sure to squeeze it well, else your Stromboli will be too wet. No soggy Stromboli, please.

I added fennel seeds to add sausage flavor, so if you have it, please add it. All in all, very tasty meal that took less than 45 minutes to get to the table. 

If you need inspiration for your weekly menu, check out ours HERE.

Enjoy!

Speedy Cooking Tips:

• Gather your ingredients.
• Cook or microwave the spinach while you roll the dough.
• Press the spinach of excess liquid, if needed. 
• ADD THE CHEESE TO THE BOTTOM of the dough to make folding easier.
• Flip the filled and sealed dough onto the baking sheet, making sure the cheese is at the top.
• Make the sauce while you bake the Stromboli. 

(Printer-friendly doesn't seem to be so friendly. Just select the text between the arrows (including the white space to add margin on the top), right-click, select Print, and now it's printer-friendly. Can also be saved as PDF:  choose Save as PDF in Destination drop-down, instead of a printer.)

Stromboli

www.ZsusVeganPantry.com

Makes 4 servings 

weekday/weekend

2 cups chopped, prepared Soy Curls (as prepared HERE)

5 ounces spinach (cooked, if fresh; thawed and squeezed, if frozen) 

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 teaspoons dried oregano, divided

2 teaspoons dried basil, divided

1/2 teaspoon chili flakes

1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds

1 pound pizza dough (homemade or store-bought)

5 garlic cloves, minced, divided

10 slices vegan cheese

1/4 cup vegan parmesan (optional) 

1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce

1 teaspoon onion granules

Preheat oven to 400F.

1. Protein: Mix the soy curls, oil, 1 teaspoon oregano, 1 teaspoon basil, chili flakes and fennel seeds together. Set aside. 

2. Stromboli: Divide the dough into two. Roll each half into an 8X12 rectangle. Sprinkle each dough half with 2 minced garlic, add half the parmesan, if using, half the slices of cheese and half the reserved Protein, leaving a 2-inch border without any toppings. Fold the dough around the filling, pinch the seam closed and place seam-side down on a baking sheet. Tuck each end under. Brush with oil, add salt. Pierce all over with a fork to allow steam to escape. Bake until golden, 17 to 25 minutes.

3. Sauce: Mix the tomato sauce, onion, 1 teaspoon oregano, 1 teaspoon basil, and garlic in a small pot. Bring to boil and reduce to simmer. Partly cover and cook until flavors meld, about 5 minutes. Add pinch sugar if too tart. Season with salt and pepper. Serve the sauce with the Stromboli. 

 

© 2021 Copyright Zsu Dever. All rights reserved.

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vegan vegetarian meatless plant-based

black bean chili

Meal 4 in the Prep Ahead Week 4 plan is a warm and comforting Black Bean Chili. This chili is packed with wholesome hull-less barley, black beans, bell pepper, onion, tomato, spinach and spices.

On the prep ahead menu the vegetables are cooked before hand, the barley soaked the night before and the whole dish is assembled and cooked in the slow cooker. It takes about 6 hours to cook on low (you can set the delay function).

Add some chopped canned tomatoes and a bunch of spinach during the last five minutes of cooking, and your chili is ready for the tables.

I topped mine with some finely grated vegan cheese, cilantro and chopped onions, but you can serve it as you like.

The chili is a welcome meal on a long cold day and there is wonderful chew that comes from the whole grain barley.

Black Bean Chili
Serves 4 to 6 

The night before:
3/4 cup hull-less barley
4 cups vegetable broth

1 medium onion, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped
1 jalapeno, seeded and minced (use gloves, if needed)
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard

1 1/2  tablespoons chili powder
2 cups cooked black beans (1 can)

1 (15-ounce) can whole tomatoes
1 bunch spinach

For serving:
1/2 cup cilantro (1/2 bunch), minced
1/4 cup chopped onions
1 cup vegan shredded cheese
Vegan sour cream (optional)
Tortilla chips (optional)

1. Soak the barley in the vegetable broth the night before. 
2. Add the onion to a large skillet or pot (on the Instant Pot insert). Cover and cook until softened, about 2 minutes. Add the bell pepper, jalapeno, garlic, oregano, cumin, bay leaf and
the mustard. Cover and cook until the onions are golden, about 5 to 8 minutes. 
3. Add chili powder and the black beans and move to a slow cooker, if needed. Add the soaked barley with the broth and cook on low for 6 hours, until the barley is tender. 
4. When the chili is ready, chop the tomatoes and add to the chili. Add the spinach and cook 5 more minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
5. Serve the chili with the cilantro, onions, cheese, sour cream, and tortillas, if using.




© 2017 Copyright Zsu Dever. All rights reserved.

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curried chickpea soup

The final meal of Prep Ahead Week 3 menu plan is Curried Chickpea Soup with Seasoned Pita. This soup is packed with nutrition and flavor, but it doesn't require a ton of exotic ingredients. A curry powder (preferably homemade), a cinnamon stick, fresh ginger and garlic supply all the interesting flavors needed.

The heft of the soup is made up of brown rice, chickpeas, spinach and carrots. Because the rice is cooked in the soup, it takes a shorter time to cook than regular brown rice is typically cooked. (See my Fast and Easy Brown Rice for cooking brown rice as an accompaniment.)

The pita bread is simply brushed with vegetable broth, seasoned with salt and pepper and toasted or broiled until crisp. The soup is perfect for a cold night and is ready fast.

Curried Chickpea Soup
Serves 4 to 6 

2 celery ribs, cut thin
1 medium onion, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1-inch knob ginger, finely grated
1 jalapeno pepper, minced
2 teaspoons curry powder, Zsu's Curry Powder or store-bought
1 cinnamon stick
1 cup brown rice
1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas (2 cups cooked), rinsed and drained
8 cups water

1 bunch spinach, chopped

4 pita breads
1 tablespoon vegetable broth

1. Heat a large pot over medium heat. Add  the celery, onions and carrots. Cover the pot and cook until golden. Stir often and add a splash of water, if needed. Add the garlic, ginger, jalapeno, curry powder, cinnamon stick and the rice. Toast, stirring, until the rice is aromatic.
2. Add the chickpeas and water. Cover, bring to boil and reduce to a strong simmer. Cook uncovered until the rice is tender, about 25 minutes. Add the spinach. Cook until wilted, about 1 minute. Remove the cinnamon stick. Taste and add salt and pepper.
3. Brush the pita with vegetable broth and season with salt and pepper.  Toast until crisp. Serve the pita with the soup.


© 2017 Copyright Zsu Dever. All rights reserved.

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warm spinach salad with barley bacon

Barley Bacon. Why not? Barley is nice and chewy when cooked and lightly crispy when cooked in some oil; it's actually a delicious bacon!

My husband asked me to make him a warm spinach salad and the other week we had a dish with barley. The chew of the barley gave me the idea to make it into bacon - as long as I could achieve a crunch on them.

I loved how these turned out! They were smoky, salty and just crunchy enough to make passing by the bowl without snagging a few a near impossibility.

A pressure cooker is really the best appliance to cook barley and barley that is whole grain is the best grain for this. Pearled barley cooks faster but isn't a whole grain and might not give that distinctive texture.

The black cardamom is the smoke (but you can use liquid smoke) and the sun-dried tomatoes offer a complexity. Once they are done cooking in the pot, it's time to cook them in a pan. I add porcini mushrooms to the pan, which brings its own set of texture and flavors. Working together, these ingredients are perfect to offer that bacon-y experience.

Of course, I had to add some other veggies to the mix! I sauteed leeks and zucchini, but cauliflower or kale would be equally delicious.

To clean your leeks, cut them in half lengthwise and slice them into 1/2-inch pieces. Fill a large bowl with water and add the leeks. Swoosh them around, breaking up the clumps, and set them aside for a few minutes. The dirt will fall to the bottom of the bowl and you can scoop out the leeks with your fingers. Water your plants with the water.

Keep the vegetables warm while you heat up your dressing and toss all the hot ingredients with the spinach.

Serve immediately with the barley and pepitas. Pepitas are extremely high in protein, are delicious and offer another satisfying crunch.

Warm Spinach Salad with Barley Bacon 

Makes 4 servings

1/2 cup hull-less barley, rinsed

2 small black cardamom or 1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke

2 sun-dried tomato halves

1 bay leaf

1 1/2 cups water

2 tablespoons reduced-sodium tamari

1/3 cup dried porcini mushrooms

3 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1 teaspoon sugar

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 large leek, white part, sliced in half and cut into 1/4-inch slices 

1 medium zucchini, cut into 1/4-inch slices

Sea salt and black pepper

2 bunches (about 8 cups) fresh spinach

1/4 cup toasted pepitas

1. Combine the barley, cardamom, tomato, bay leaf, water and tamari in a pressure cooker. Cook on high pressure for 25 minutes. Remove and discard the cardamom and bay. Drain the barley, reserving the tomato and the broth. Set aside.

2. Combine the mushrooms and the reserved broth from the barley in a small saucepan. Bring to boil, reduce to simmer and cook for 5 minutes. Set aside to rehydrate, about 10 more minutes. Drain the mushrooms, reserving the broth, and rinse the mushrooms lightly. Strain the mushroom/barley broth through a coffee filter or reusable tea bag. You should have about 1/4 cup. Rinse the pot and add the broth. Bring to boil and reduce by half. Add the vinegar, sugar and plenty of black pepper. 

3. Heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the barley. Chop the porcini mushrooms and sun-dried tomatoes and add to the barley. Cook until the barley is slightly crunchy, but don’t over cook. Remove, leaving as much oil as possible in the skillet, and set aside. 

4. Add the leeks and cook until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the zucchini and cook until golden, about 5 more minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Keep warm.

5. Warm the dressing if it has cooled. Add the spinach to an extra large bowl and top with the vegetables and dressing. Toss well. If it isn’t wilting, warm the bowl slightly (stainless steel only!) on the stove while tossing the spinach. When lightly wilted, divide among 4 bowls and top equally with the barley and pepitas.  Serve.

 

© 2016 Copyright Zsu Dever. All rights reserved.

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dinner to bento: vegetable au gratin casserole

Before I get into today's post, I have to announce the winner of Superfoods 24/7 (Amazon, B&N)! The winner is: Sue Hegle! Congratulations! Contact me at zsusveganpantry dot com so I can get your mailing address.

Today's post features another Dinner to Bento meal. That makes 2, so it means that I'm on a roll. If you had seen my first Dinner to Bento meal HERE, you might have noticed that I changed it from Dinner to Lunchbox to Diner to Bento. Why? Because I like it better. I love the term bento, which means meals packed in a lunch container, meant to be taken to school or work. 

While it might seem that is all there is to it, bento also means that the meal is healthy, balanced, thoughtful and appetizing. It means more than just throwing a few things into a container and calling it a bento. It is the art of thoughtfully organizing a lunchbox. Now, don't you like Dinner to Bento better, as well?

This dinner is vegetable-centered and is an easy vegetable casserole in a bechamel sauce. After sauteing some garlic and oregano and cooking the flour, you mix in some non-dairy milk and bring to a simmer.

Thinly slice your vegetables (use a mandolin for the fastest, most accurate way) and layer the veggies in the bechamel sauce, starting with the potatoes. Cook the potatoes in the sauce for about 5 minutes to give them a jump-start.

Then stir in the spinach until it wilts (this happens fast as the sauce is hot), add the onions and then the squash. Press down on the squash until some of the sauce bubbles up. Don't add more liquid, otherwise you'll wind up with soup.

Cover and bake until tender. Add some optional fresh bread crumbs (leave 1/6 of the dish uncovered with bread crumbs; this will be transformed into your bento later), bake until the bread is crisp and serve with a green salad. Here I served it with Creamy Garlic Tahini Dressing.

For the bento portion, you will be creating a Oregano Bean Puree Crostini. Sautee fresh oregano, garlic and lima beans until the beans are fragrant with the herb, about 5 minutes. You can do this while the casserole is baking.

Blend the beans with 1/6 of the vegetable casserole (scrape the bread crumbs off, if you added it) and season to taste. Chill before packing. 

Let's talk bento. 

Above I wrote of the thoughtfulness of packing a bento vs. packing a lunchbox. There are a few things to keep in mind that will make the lunch be healthy, nutritious, balanced and appetizing.

The traditional bento relies on proportions:

4 parts carbohydrates
3 parts protein
2 parts vegetables
1 part treat

As vegans, you will find that your carbs and proteins might fall into the same categories: beans are both carbs and protein. Same with nuts and seeds. There are a few high-protein exceptions: soy and seitan, but typically don't go crazy adhering to the above traditional proportions. 

Instead, especially if you are using whole grains as your carbs, your proportions will more likely look like:

6 parts carbohydrates (whole grains, legumes, seeds, nuts)
2 parts protein (whole grains, legumes, seeds, nuts, soy, seitan)
2 parts vegetables
1 part treat (sweets, fruit)

Bentos also require color. As we now know, color doesn't just make food look appealing, but it is a great way to ensure you get your proper balance of nutrients; if you eat the color of the rainbow, you are maximizing variety, and therefore gaining your nutrition from a variety of plants. 

Rule of thumb for color? Make sure you have one of each of the following categories covered:

Red/Yellow/Orange
Green
White
Brown/Black/Purple

A note on the White color: if it is typically a white grain you are thinking of (such as rice), consider using whole grain instead. In the example, use brown rice instead of white rice and call it a win. 

There you have it: cover the proportions and the color spectrum and you will have built a bento.

My bento for today is:

Oregano Bean Puree [yellow, carb, protein] served with 
Pickles [the beans need the acid - use pickled onions or jalapenos instead, if you like (green, vegetable)]
Crostini [thin slices of toasted bread (white/brown, carb)]
Salad [green, vegetable]
Carrot curls [orange, vegetable]
Chocolate Chip Banana Muffin Bite [from Everyday Vegan Eats (brown, treat)]

A tip before we get to the recipe: pack your box tightly to avoid shifting of the food. Nothing worse than lovingly and carefully packing the container only to have everything mix up and mash together when the box is moved. Use containers to separate ingredients or vegetable or grain pieces to hold the sections separate. More tips next time!

Vegetable Au Gratin Casserole/ Oregano Bean Puree
Prep time: 30 minutes    Cook time: 60 minutes
Serves 4 to 5


Casserole:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
6 garlic cloves, minced
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 1/2  teaspoons sea salt
1/2  teaspoon black pepper
4 1/2 cups non-dairy milk
Fresh ground nutmeg
2 pounds Russet potatoes, thinly sliced (⅛-inch)
8 ounces fresh spinach, chopped
1 small onion, thinly sliced
1 pound butternut squash, peeled, seeded and thinly sliced
4 slices whole grain bread

Dressing:
4 tablespoons vegan sour cream
4 tablespoons vegetable broth
1 tablespoon seasoned rice vinegar
2 teaspoons tahini
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2  teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon dry mustard

Oregano Bean Puree:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup lima beans
4 garlic cloves, minced
3 sprigs fresh oregano
1/6 vegetable casserole (without bread crumb topping)


1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Heat the oil in a 12-inch oven-safe skillet. Add the flour garlic, bay, oregano, salt and black pepper. Cook until fragrant. Slowly add the milk, whisking constantly to avoid lumps. Add about 8 grates of fresh nutmeg. Bring to a simmer and add the potatoes. Stir the potatoes around in the sauce to ensure all slices of potatoes are coated. Simmer the potatoes for about 4 minutes.
2. Add the spinach and stir to wilt. Add the onions in a single layer. Add the squash slices as the last layer. Gently press on the squash to bubble up the sauce over the slices. Cover the skillet tightly with a lid or foil and bake for 40 minutes.
3. Add the bread to a food processor and process into crumbs. Add to the casserole, spray with oil and continue to bake, uncovered, until golden, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside for 15 minutes. Serve, reserving ⅙ of the casserole.
4. For the Dressing: While the casserole is baking, combine the sour cream broth, vinegar, tahini, garlic, paprika and salt in a small blender. Process until smooth. Serve with green salad.
5. For the puree: Heat the oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the beans, garlic and oregano. Saute until the beans are fragrant, about 5 minutes. Transfer the bean mixture to a food processor. Add the casserole mixture and process until as smooth as you like. Taste and adjust seasoning. Serve with crostini (toasted slices of French or Italian bread.

 © 2016 Copyright Zsu Dever. All rights reserved.

veganmofo - seasonal + spinach salad + giveaway

#vgnmf15 Day 22 is all about seasonal produce and making such seasonal offerings into a dish.

I offer up my Spinach Salad Bowl with Fennel, Quinoa and Warm Pecan Dressing.

The seasonal produce for this dish is spinach, fennel and oranges (and pecans. Pecans count, right?). It also happens to be another recipe from my new cookbook, Vegan Bowls (Amazon, B&N), and I got permission to share the recipe with you!

Speaking of which, Vegan Bowls is celebrating its FIRST WEEK ANNIVERSARY! I think that means party time - don't you?! Yup, that means a blog tour and giveaways!


Vegan Street  and Here September 25
It's Got Vegan In It  September 22
Veg Kitchen  September 23
Healthy Slow Cooking  September 24
Dianne's Vegan Kitchen  September 25
Chic Vegan  September 28
Global Vegan Kitchen  September 29  (giveaway - ends October 5)
Good Good Things  October 1
Kelli's Vegan Kitchen  October 2  (giveaway - ends October 11)
The Taste Space October 6  (giveaway - ends October 20)
Glue and Glitter  October 6
The Food Duo  October 7  (giveaway - ends October 29)
Vegan Eats and Treats  October 8 (giveaway - ends October 15)
Vegan Crunk October 8
Julie Hasson  October 9  (giveaway - ends October 15) 
Heather Nicholds  October 9 (giveaway - ends October 14)

Since I am sharing a salad bowl recipe with you, why not look at the Salad Chapter of Vegan Bowls? 

You can see the entire recipe list for Vegan Bowls HERE.

Let's start with a giveaway on this blog, since I am probably the most excited! The winner will be chosen next Monday night at midnight, September 28.  Enter below for your chance to win a copy! To be eligible to win you must be following this blog via email or RSS feed (link). Contest is open to US residents only. Good luck!

Spinach Salad Bowl with Warm Pecan Dressing
SERVES 4 
This is a spin on spinach salad with warm bacon dressing. This salad is filled with shaved fennel, perfectly cooked quinoa, and candied pecans. The warm orange-pecan dressing ties all the flavors together and delivers a delicious, filling salad. (Recipe from Vegan Bowls, copyright © 2015 by Zsu Dever. Used by permission from Vegan Heritage Press, LLC.)


QUINOA
1 cup quinoa, rinsed well
1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
1 garlic clove, crushed
1/4 teaspoon sea salt

DRESSING
1 cup raw pecan pieces
5 tablespoons fresh orange juice, divided
2 teaspoons pure maple syrup, divided
3 tablespoons grapeseed oil
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon vegetable broth

SALAD
8 cups coarsely chopped fresh spinach (about 2 bunches, tough stems removed)
1 cup shaved fennel (about 1 small bulb) 

QUINOA: Combine the quinoa, broth, garlic, and salt in a small saucepan. Cover, bring to boil over high heat, reduce to medium- low heat, and cook for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside for 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork before serving.

DRESSING: Toast the nuts in a small skillet over medium heat, stirring frequently, until golden, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat and transfer half of the nuts to a small blender. Add 2 tablespoons juice and 1 teaspoon maple syrup to the nuts in the skillet. Cook until the liquid evaporates, about 3 minutes. Transfer the glazed nuts to a parchment paper and set aside to cool. Add the remaining 3 tablespoons of juice, 1 teaspoon maple syrup, oil, vinegar, and broth to the blender. Blend until smooth. Season with salt and black pepper. When ready to serve, warm the dressing in the small skillet and add about half of the warm dressing to a large bowl.

SALAD: Add the spinach and fennel and toss. To serve, divide the salad and quinoa among wide bowls and serve with the remaining dressing. Alternatively, toss the salad with the quinoa and serve with the remaining dressing.



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veganmofo - weird combo + artichoke dip pizza

Day 4 of #vgnmf15! We are asked to share a weird food combo.

To me, "weird" food combo is very relative and what might be weird for me, might not be for you. So, at the risk of not following the rules, I will first list a few combos that I think are a little odd, and then I'll get down to business.

Seaweed and Coconut Ice Cream
Nutritional yeast and Chocolate
Pickles with Vanilla Frosting
Almond Butter and Vegenaise Sandwich
Applesauce on Pizza
Caramel Sauce and Ketchup
...you get the idea.

Now for the story behind what turned out to be my actual post.

My daughters and I were brainstorming together for the prompts for VeganMoFo. When the prompt for Day 4 popped up, my youngest teen offered her opinion of what a "weird" food combo is:

Artichoke dip and Pizza

At that point her older sister googled "artichoke dip + pizza," switched the results to "images" and turned the computer to face her sister. No words were needed, as the entire screen lit up with images of pizza with artichoke dip on them. Not as "weird" as she had thought!

[I advocate using Goodsearch instead of Google, though, since you can donate to a good cause each time you search, such as for Farm Sanctuary.]

Although we had a good laugh, it did offer a good opportunity to share this Artichoke Dip Pizza with you, which appears in Everyday Vegan Eats (Amazon, B&N) and first appeared on my publisher's site, Vegan Heritage Press.

The absolute "weirdest" part of this story is that the pizza below is her FAVORITE pizza and we make at least once a month on Pizza Night, but, more often, twice a month! I'm thinking the name threw her; the book has it as Spinach-Artichoke Pizza, which is how she has come to know it.

For this special mofo, I went ahead and renamed it to keep with the theme ;)

Artichoke Dip Pizza
Makes 2 (9-Inch) pizzas
From Everyday Vegan Eats by Zsu Dever. ©2014 Zsu Dever. Used by permission from 
Vegan Heritage Press.

1/2 (10-ounce) bag frozen chopped spinach, thawed
1/4 cup vegan cream cheese
2 scallions, coarsely chopped
1/2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper
1 (6-ounce) jar artichoke hearts, rinsed and drained
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided

4 garlic cloves, very thinly sliced
1 pound pizza dough
1/2 cup shredded vegan cheese (optional)


1. Preheat the oven 450°F. Place the oven rack in the middle of the oven.
2. Squeeze the excess moisture from the thawed spinach and transfer it to a food processor. Add the cream cheese, scallions, lemon juice, 1/4 teaspoon of salt, and black pepper, to taste. Process into a paste, scrapping down the sides of the bowl, as needed. Taste and adjust seasoning and set aside.
3. Squeeze the excess moisture from the artichokes, chop them and transfer to a medium bowl. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil, garlic, and salt and pepper, to taste. Mix well and set aside.
4. Divide the dough into 2 equal pieces. On parchment paper or a lightly floured, clean dry surface roll out one of the dough pieces into a 9-inch circle. Spread 1 tablespoon of oil on a baking sheet. Transfer the pizza dough to the baking sheet.
5. Spread half of the spinach mixture over the dough using an off-set spatula or the back of a spoon. If using, sprinkle half of the cheese over the spinach. Add half of the artichoke mixture.
6. Bake the pizza for 12 to 15 minutes, until the crust is golden brown and crisp. Slice and serve hot. Repeat with the other pizza dough.

mexican-flare quinoa bowl

With my new cookbook, Vegan Bowls (Amazon, B&N) coming out in a few short months, I'm again craving more bowl foods. As you can imagine, after months of bowls for breakfast, lunch and dinner during recipe development and testing, we needed a bit of a break from the bowl foods, but that didn't last too long.

Bowls are convenient, easy and balanced, which is part of their appeal when dinner rolls around. Who wants to think about what to serve with a protein to make it a complete meal, when that is exactly what bowl food is all about?

Since I cooked up a batch of black beans earlier in the week, the next most obvious application for the legume was a Tex-Mex meal.

This bowl is full of Mexican flare, including roasted corn, fajita vegetables, avocado and a salsa sauce. The quinoa is dotted with spinach, adding more nutrition and flavor. Serve this bowl with tortilla chips and dig in.

Mexican-flare Quinoa Bowl

Serves 4

Quinoa:

2 ¼ vegetable broth

1 ½ cups quinoa, rinsed well

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 (10-ounce) package frozen spinach, thawed

Vegetables:

3 cups corn kernels, thawed if frozen

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 large red bell pepper, thinly sliced

1 large onion, thinly sliced

1 teaspoon garlic powder

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Beans:

3 cups black beans
1 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon ground cumin

½ teaspoon dried oregano

Sauce:

¾ cups salsa

¼ cup vegan mayonnaise

1 teaspoon fresh lime juice

Garnish:

Avocado, slices

Cilantro leaves

Tortilla chips

1. Quinoa: Heat the broth in a medium pan over high heat. Bring to boil, add the quinoa and salt, cover with a lid, reduce the heat to low and cook for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and steam for 10 minutes. Fluff with fork and stir in the chopped spinach. Return to medium heat and cook until the spinach is heated through.

2. Vegetables: Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the corn and cook until golden, about 7 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season with salt and black pepper and set aside in a bowl. Add the oil to the skillet and stir in the bell pepper and onion. Season with the garlic powder, salt and black pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender and the onion is lightly caramelized, about 10 minutes. Remove from the skillet and set aside in the bowl.

3. Beans: Add the beans to the skillet. Season with the chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt and black pepper, to taste, and cook until the beans are heated through, about 3 minutes. Set aside.

4. Sauce: Combine the salsa, mayo and lime juice in a small blender. Blend until smooth and transfer to a small pan. Heat over medium heat until warmed through, about 3 minutes.

5. Assembly: Layer the quinoa in the bottom of the bowl, topping with roasted corn, sauteed vegetables, beans and avocado and cilantro. Serve with the sauce and tortilla chips.

© 2015 Copyright Zsu Dever. All rights reserved.