grilled pizza

The weather has been so lovely here, in the seventies, no humidity, thinking-about-wearing-a-sweater-in-the-morning type of weather, that I am fearing it is the end of summer and we haven't grilled a pizza, yet! Yikes!

So, tonight, in honor of the ebbing summer days, we grilled pizza. Pizza night is always a cause for great rejoicing in our home, and tonight was no exception.

Grilling pizza is so easy! It is actually easier than baking them in the oven and can even be done indoor on a grill without having to heat up the house. Just because summer is ebbing does not mean it has ebbed.

The key to grilling pizza is to grill one side first, flip and then add your toppings. To help melt our non-dairy cheese, I inverted a metal bowl over the pizza to keep the heat in.

The kids had their usual toppings - pepper-NOT!-i and Daiya cheese-sub, but I wanted something with a little heat.

I made a quick (really) tomato sauce using Bionaturae Organic Strained Tomatoes in a glass bottle because I found out that while Eden Foods does not add BPA to the lining of their beans, there is trace amounts in the lining of tomatoes. I added chipotle peppers to the sauce because I have such an affinity for those smoked little jalapenos. My pizza sang with the melody of sweetness, spiciness, crunch and the grill. Music to my mouth.

Cost Breakdown:

dough: $3

Daiya: $5

tomato: $2

Yves Pepperoni: $3

onion, garlic: $1

herbs, spices, chipotle: $1

Total to make 6 pizzas:

$15.00

bbq tempeh on focaccia

African-Inspired Night

This was another recipe from Vegan Soul Kitchen by Bryant Terry, 'Open-Faced BBQ Sandwich on Foccacia with Cayenne Coleslaw.' Tempeh is what is being barbecued. I don't know if I've blogged before that my hubby has a few culinary dislikes, tempeh being one of them.

I haven't been able to convince him to give tempeh a try after he had it in a few times in restaurants, but I know that he just hadn't had it prepared the right way. He had the same dislike of Brussels sprouts until I made them and thereby convinced him that Brussels sprouts are not supposed to be bitter balls of blues.

Same deal with tempeh. If you've had bland tempeh, you need to cook it differently. Terry and I concur.

For flavorful tempeh, choose one:

(1) simmer on the stove in a flavorful broth

(2) bake in a marinade or sauce

(3) fry in fat and sprinkle with salt

Most people steam tempeh, to make the it more ready to absorb marinade or to reduce the bitterness. However, if you will be cooking it using method (1) or (2) for at least 20 minutes, steaming it is not necessary - in fact, it's overkill. Save your time!

Since this recipe called for focaccia, I was on the hunt for a whole wheat version. I found it! Super easy to make, especially in the bread maker. Not super low in fat, though; it can't really be focaccia without the 1/4-1/2 c of olive oil. Of course, if you'd like to omit most of the olive oil, I would omit it from the dough completely and drizzle a half teaspoon on a slice just before eating . Maximize the flavor.

This was a great meal, both men in the house loved the tempeh and the focaccia was an all around hit.

Cost Breakdown:

focaccia: $2

tempeh: $6

lime, tomato paste: $1

cabbage: $2

tamari, Dijon, maple syrup: $1

Total to make 7 sandwiches:

$12.00

Focaccia, Whole Wheat Recipe

(coming)