Nifty Pizza #14 - Indiana!

 

Even though it is known as the "Crossroads of America," Indiana tends to get overlooked.  At least in the Food Universe (aka - our universe), it's hard to pinpoint what exactly this lovely land is known for.  Since you can't really put a hoosier on a pizza, we had to hit the books and do some research.

 

We learned that The Indiana Foodways Alliance is currently seeking to brand Indiana foods the way Southern foods have been.  This way, people from other areas of the U.S.A. (like us), can become aware of the traditional Indiana fare that we have been missing.  These specific foods include Onion Pie, a pie of sweet onions, bacon, eggs, and cheese.  With this in mind, a delicious breakfast pizza was born!!

 

Nifty Pizza #14 - INDIANA!

Pizza dough for one crust
"Cheesy" Sauce (You can find the recipe here)
Your favorite Tofu Scramble recipe (You can find the recipe we use here)
Browned Vegan Bacon
Caramalized sweet onion
Vegan "Cheese" Shreds (we used a mix of mozzarella and cheddar Daiya)
A sprinkling of Vegan Parmesean
Ranch Dressing (recipe below)

 

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

2. Assemble by spreading the "cheesy" sauce on your pizza crust.  Cover with tofu scramble.  Scatter the browned vegan bacon and vegan cheddar/mozzarella shreds.  Sprinkle with just a little parmesean. 

3. Bake at 425 degrees for 20 minutes.

4. Remove from oven, and let sit for 5 minutes (try to restrain yourself) before slicing, plating, and drizzling with ranch dressing.

5. Enjoy a slice any hour of the day.  It is totally acceptable for any meal or snack!



Vegan Ranch Dressing

1 Cup Vegan Mayonnaise

1/2 Cup Vegan Sour Cream

1 Tbsp Fresh Parsley, chopped

1/2 Tbsp Fresh Thyme, chopped

1/4 tsp Garlic Powder

1/4 tsp Onion Powder

1/4 tsp Ground Cumin

Salt and Pepper to taste

 

1. Mix all ingredients together!  Drizzle over your delicious slice of Indiana Branded Pizza!!

 

Peace, Love, and Hoosiers!
Pam and KT

Nifty Pizza #13 - Illinois!

I can't believe we've made it all the way to lucky number 13 (and that is with us living in two different states no less)!!  Of course when we got to Illinois on our list of pizzas, we knew we had to go big or go home...deep dish style!

We decided to wait until we were together to create these monster pies, so on Pam's latest visit to Minnesota (this time with Beth in tow), we had a deep dish extravaganza!  The great city of Chicago is known for these doughey masterpieces, overflowing with delicious ingredients.  These over the top slices were the perfect thing to fill our bellies after a day full of summer fun. 

Nifty Pizza #13 - Illinois
Chicago-Style Deep Dish: This recipe makes two 8 inch pizzas.

Pizza Dough (We used about 1 and 1/3the amount of dough we would use for 2 traditional pies)
Vegan Shortening and Cornmeal (To grease the cake pans)
Deep Dish Tomato Sauce (Recipe below!)
2 cups Daiya Mozzarella Cheese
1 and 1/2 cups Vegan Sausage, crumbled and browned (in a skillet) OR Vegan Pepperoni
Baby Spinach
1/4 cup Vegan Parmesean Cheese

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Grease cake pans and sprinkle cornmeal into each.  Divide the pizza dough in half and roll out two portions to fit the pans. 
3. Sprinkle some Vegan Parm and Daiya Mozzarella onto the crusts. Follow with the sausage/pepperoni, spinach, and tomato sauce.

4. Sprinkle the remaining Daiya on top and finish off with some more Vegan Parmesean.
5. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until crusts are nicely browned (not charred).

Deep Dish Tomato Sauce (Enough for two 8-inch pies)
1 28 oz. can Italian Plum Tomatoes
1 Tbsp Fresh Basil, finely chopped
1/2 tsp Dried Parsley
1/2 tsp Dried Oregano
Pinch of Fennel Seeds
Pinch of Red Pepper Flakes
2 - 4 Cloves of Garlic, grated
1/4 tsp Salt
Pinch of Black Pepper

1. Put the tomatoes into a medium sized pot and break them up with a spoon or spatula.  Add in all the other ingredients and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat.  Reduce the heat and let it continue to simmer until thickened, about 30 minutes. Let cool a bit before putting on the pizzas. 

DIG IN!

Peace, Love, and the Chicago Cubs!!

Pam and KT

A VegBerger Friendly Cupcake!

As vegans, we know what it's like to have limited options.  Even though we whole-heartedly believe that cruelty free is the way to be, sometimes you just need a cupcake! Luckily we are the cupcake queens, so that has never really been an issue...but can you imagine living in a world where you can't?!  That's exactly the situation that KT's Aunt Sally, who is gluten intolerant, believed she was in...before we got a hold of her!!

Chocolatey and Gluten Free!!

Uncle Eric and Aunt Sally visited our humble abode all the way from New Mexico, and on their visit they feasted on Isa's Gluten Freedom Chocolate Cupcakes.  To the tasty cakes, Pam added 1/2 cup of chocolate chunks and Uncle Eric frosted them with chocolate buttercream frosting.  Because what does our family love more than anything else? That's right...CHOCOLATE!

Aunt Sally, Uncle Eric, Andy, and Beth

These cupcakes were a dessert that everyone could enjoy.  Vegan, gluten free, and just the right amount of chocolate (even though if KT where here, she would probably want a little more thrown in for good measure.  She was the one who ate chocolate donuts for lunch the last time we visited the New Mexico clan...).

Aunt Sally - Back in dessert action!

Peace, Love, and Freedom!
Pam and KT

A Work of Rhub-ART

Before KT moved up north, she had never had rhubarb pie.  Little did she know that at the height of rhubarb season, the town she now resides in hosts a festival dedicated to all things RHUBARB!!  Thankfully, before the festival was underway, she had a very special person teach her the ways of this tart, stalky fruit.  Here's the story...take it away KT!





This is my friend Stef, aka one of the coolest people ever, aka The Queen of Rhubarb Pie.  When I came to the theatre, she was assigned as my mentor, and little did I know that she would also be teaching me The Ways of the Rhubarb.  She makes the perfect pie...so one sunny afternoon we dedicated the day to my new favorite dessert! 

Stef's Perfect Rhubarb Pie

For the Crust:

2 cups Flour

1 tsp. Salt

2/3 cup Vegan Shortening

5 to 7 Tbsp cold Water

For the Filling:

4 cups Rhubarb

1 and 2/3 cups Sugar

1/3 cup Flour

Dash of Salt

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees

2. Mix together the Flour and Salt, then cut in the Shortening

3. Sprinkle in Water and toss with fork.

4. Roll out two crusts -- one for the bottom, one for the top! Place bottom crust in pie pan.

5. Mix together the filling and let it sit for at least 15 minutes. Spoon mixture into the pie crust. Top with the remaining dough.

6. Bake for 50 minutes.

7. Let cool (it's difficult), keep the kitties from eating your masterpiece (even MORE difficult), and try to only eat one slice (the MOST difficult).

Pie Toppers: "S" for Stef and "K" for KT!!



Our perfect Stef and KT pie!!  A true work of Rhub-art.



Who would have thought that when I moved to MN, I would not only gain theatrical experience, I would also gain a new favorite pie.  I have successfully had pie every night for about the past 3 weeks...I just keep making more!  Stef and I have made pie together twice. My friend Carla and I have even started making Cup-Pies (think a cupcake, but a pie!) as well as a few delicious Pear Rhubarb Crumbles (yep, that's plural. We've made at least 3). We might be addicted. All I know is that Rhubarb Pie is amazing, and I'm going to eat as much of it as I can until Rhubarb season is over...and then there's always that stash in the freezer....

The good stuff.



Peace, Love, and Rhubarb Divas

Pam and KT (and special guest star, STEF!!)

Nifty Pizza #11 - Hawaii

It's that time of year again.  Temperatures are rising, kids are getting out of school, and people everywhere are dreaming about their summer vacation destination.  Some lucky individuals will be packing up their bikinis and flying to the beautiful, pristine beaches of Hawaii.  But what about the rest of us?!  Well don't worry...Nifty Pizza #11 should hit the spot!

We took the traditional "Hawaiian Pizza", made it completely vegan, and added a few extra ingredients to take this tropical pie to the next level!

Nifty Pizza #11 - HAWAII!

Dough for 1 Pizza Crust
1/2 cup Pizza Sauce
1/2 Green Bell Pepper, sliced
6-8 Pepperocini, sliced
5 slices Vegan Ham, quartered
1/2 cup Pineapple Chunks
1 cup Vegan Mozarella Cheese
1/4 cup Vegan Parmesean Cheese
Sprinkling of Dried Marjoram and Dried Basil

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Assemble the pizza by layering the sauce, peppers, pepperocini, vegan ham, and pineapple.
3. Cover the toppings with vegan mozarella and parmesean cheeses.  Sprinkle with marjoram and basil.

4. Bake for 15 - 20 minutes.
5. Turn on some ukelele music, put on a flowered shirt, and slip on some flip flops before serving yourself up a few slices of Hawaiian Heaven!!

Looking for other Pizza vacation destinations?!  We highly recommend taking your tastebuds to either sunny Florida or California!  If beaches aren't your thing, why not try a gastronomical getaway in Arizona? No matter where you decide to travel this summer, we hope you have a good one...full of pizza!

Peace, Love, and Surf's up dudes!!
Pam and KT

A Tale of Two Sammies

Once upon a time there were two crazy vegans who happened to be mother and daughter.  After 21 years of never living more than an hour and a half away from eachother, the littler of the two packed up her things and drove 700 miles to a new adventure.  Although they were very far away, nothing could stop them from swapping recipes with eachother:  2 delicious sandwiches...one from each of us!

First, from KT: this sandwich was inspired by the BBQ Chicken Panini at the Oneota Community Food Co-op in Decorah, Iowa.  The awesome Co-op employees are happy to make any of their Paninis completely vegan!  This sandwich comes complete with BBQ tofu, vegan cheese, red onion, and cilantro mayo.  This is by far the best sandwich I've ever eaten.

BBQ Tofu Panini
1 container Firm Tofu, drained, cut into 1/2" slices, and pressed for 20 minutes
1 cup BBQ sauce
1/2 Red Onion, sliced thin
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
1/2 cup Veganaise
Generous handful of Cilantro, stems removed
Slices of Vegan Pepperjack and Cheddar style slices
Sourdough Bread

1. Marinate tofu in about 3/4 cup of BBQ sauce for at least 2 hours.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Remove tofu from sauce and place on an oiled baking sheet. Bake until tofu is browned and very firm, turning once about halfway through (about 1 hour total).

2. While the tofu is baking, combine the veganaise with the cilantro in a food processor and pulse to blend well.
3. Heat the olive oil over medium high heat.  Add the sliced red onion and saute until it begins to caramelize.

4. Assemble the sandwiches by spreading the Cilantro Mayo on one slice of bread, and BBQ sauce on the other.  Layer on the vegan cheeses, 2 - 3 slices of tofu, and a smattering of red onion. Put the sides together and grill on a panini press or a grill pan. 

Second, from Pam: This sandwich is a Chicken-less Salad Sandwich!  After hearing dozens of people raving about a certain store-bought brand of Chicken Salad, I decided that I could make something that was not only better, but completely cruelty free!

Chickenless Salad Sammie
1 can of Chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup Celery, finely chopped
1-2 Scallions, finely sliced
1 Tbsp Parsely, minced
1/2 cup Dried Cranberries, roughly chopped
2 Tbsp Slivered Almonds, roughly chopped
1/2 cup Veganaise
1 Tbsp Soy Sauce or Tamari
1 Tbsp Lemon Juice
1 tsp Paprika
Freshly ground Black Pepper, to taste
Slices of Vegan Provolone style Cheese
Whole Wheat Bread

1. Put chickpeas in a bowl and mash about half of them with a fork or potato masher. Add celery, scallions, parsley, dried cranberries, and almonds. 
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the veganaise, soy sauce, lemon juice, paprika, and pepper. Pour over chickpea mixture and stir to combine.  Refrigerate for 1 hour or longer for flavors to marinate. 

3. Assemble sandwiches by toasting whole wheat bread, spread a generous amount of the chickenless salad on one slice, top with the vegan cheese, and second slice of toasted bread. 

No matter where you are or what you pair with it, nothing satisfies quite like a delicious sandwich. We hope you try one or both of these delicious sandwiches and continue to live happily ever after. 

Peace, Love, and Diagonally cut please!
Pam and KT

A (new) Family Dinner!

As many of you know, KT made the big move to Minnesota this March.  It was a tough transition for the mother/daughter cooking duo, but luckily Pam was able to come visit KT in April!  It was an amazing visit - full of theatre, iced coffee, and exploring (what more do you need, really?!).  Pam was also introduced to KT's new Minnesota theatre family.

We're not related or anything...nope...not us!

KT was pretty busy on the last full day of Pam's visit doing 2 shows with a rehearsal in between, but we still found time to have an amazing Friday night Family Dinner with her roomies before the evening show.  We love cooking and sharing with family, so we decided to make a SUPER special meal of SUPER Gyros complete with homemade Tatziki Sauce for our new family members!

First to be made was the sauce so that the flavors could marinate for a while.  We prepared this in between the matinee and the rehearsal (aaah the life of an actress...).

1 Medium Cucumber, peeled and shredded
8 oz. Vegan Souc Cream
1 Clove or 1 tsp Garlic, grated
1 Tbsp Fresh Lemon Juice
2 tsp Red Wine Vinegar
1 Tbsp Fresh Mint, finely chopped
Salt and Pepper, to taste

Add all ingredients into a bowl and stir to combine.  Refrigerate.
*Make sure to squeeze the shredded cucumber out in a paper towel or clean kitchen towel  before adding in order to remove excess moisture*

Next up was the Gyro "Meat."

2 8 oz. packages of Seitan strips.  Feel free to cut the larger strips in half!
1 Small Red Onion, thinly sliced
2-3 Tbsp Olive Oil
2 Cloves of Garlic, minced
1 and 1/2 tsp Oregano
1 tsp Cumin
1/2 tsp Cayenne Pepper
1/2 tsp Cinnamon
1/2 tsp Nutmeg

Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium high heat.  Saute the onion until it begins to slump, and then add the minced garlic. Stir and let cook for an additional minute. Add the seitan and let cook until it begins to brown.  Combine the seasonings and sprinkle over the cooking seitan. Continue to cook for an additional 3-4 minutes.

We don't like to toot our own horns, but we put together quite the SUPER spread!!  We served the Super Gyros in warm pita bread with fresh lettuce, tomato, pepperocinis, and of course the delicious Tatziki sauce!

On the side we had chips and kalamata olive hummus for dipping!  It was a meal fit for a Super Hero...or just 3 starving artists....

Carolyn, Gary, and KT!  The Southside Family!

The Super Gyros were a huge hit!  But the even huger hit was dessert...we served the newest family members our famous Mozart Ball Cupcakes.  We think they liked them.

Thanks for an awesome visit, Mama!!  Until next time!

Peace, Love, and Pillars,

Pam and KT