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

Rock Me Amadeus!

We are lovers of all things Austrian. When KT was a mere 5 years old, we packed up everything, promised her a kitten on our return, and flew across the Atlantic to live there. While there we fell in love. Yes, we loved the culture, but we really loved the desserts.

We also fell in love with a certain Austrian composer...and his balls. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, one of the greatest composers of all time, inspired another important Austrian tradition - Mozartkugeln (Mozart Balls, in English). These bonbons consist of a ball of pistachio marzipan, covered in hazelnut nougat, dipped in creamy dark chocolate. They might be the best candy of all time, but unfortunately they are not vegan! So what do we do? Make our own version...Veg-Berger style!

Musical Mozartkugeln Cupcakes

Inspired by Salzburg, Candy, and the greatest Composer of the Classical Era
For the Hazelnut Cupcake:
1 cup plus 2 Tbsp All-Purpose Flour
1/3 cup Hazelnuts, very finely ground
1 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp Baking Soda
1/2 tsp Cinnamon
1/4 tsp Nutmeg
2/3 cup Hazelnut Milk
1 Tbsp Ground Flaxseeds
1/3 cup Canola Oil
1/4 cup Maple Syrup
1/2 cup Brown Sugar
1 and 1/2 tsp Hazelnut Extract
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
1/2 cup Mini Chocolate Chips or Chunks

1. Line cupcake pan and preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the hazelnut milk and ground flaxseeds. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Add in the finely ground hazelnuts and stir.
4. To the milk mixture, add the canola oil, maple syrup, brown sugar, hazelnut extract, and vanilla extract. Beat well with a mixer to incorporate.
5. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients in two additions.
6. Stir in the chocolate chips.
7. Spoon into liners, bake for 22-24 minutes, and let cool while preparing the filling!
For the Pistachio Cream Filling:
1/4 cup Vegan Margarine, softened
2 Tbsp Shortening
1/3 cup Pistachio Butter
1 and 1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract
1 and 1/4 cup Powdered Sugar
1 to 2 Tbsp Rice Milk or other Non-dairy Milk

1. With an electric mixer, cream together the margarine and shortening until smooth.
2. Add pistachio butter and vanilla, beat until smooth.
3. Beat in powdered sugar and milk until mixture is a good frosting consistency. Put the mixture into a piping bag and fill the cupcakes once they are cooled.

For the Chocolate Ganache:
1/4 cup Non-dairy Milk
1/2 cup Vegan Chocolate Chips
2 Tbsp Maple Syrup

1. In a small saucepan, bring the milk to a gentle boil. Immediately remove it from the heat, adding the chocolate chips and maple syrup. Whisk gently until the chocolate is fully melted and smooth.
2. Let cool slightly, then spread over the cupcakes. Garnish with chopped pistachios or hazelnuts!
3. Put on Don Giovanni, Fugue in G Minor, or even Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, and enjoy a taste of Osterreich!

We really do love our Austrian treats. From Almdudler (seen above), to Strudel, to Pombears -- these things are all near and dear to our hearts. You may even remember our Sachertorte Cupcakes back in May! Who knows, next we might veganize Schnitzel!!

Peace, Love, and Balls,

Pam and KT

Nifty Pizza #9 - Florida

You are my sunshine, my only sunshine...STATE!Our All-American journey continues with our special Floridian Pizza...in honor of the Sunshine State! Home to beautiful beaches, the magical world of Disney, and old people! But don't worry. This pizza doesn't taste like any of those things. It tastes like pure sunshine, thanks to juicy orange wedges and sun-dried tomatoes. This pie also has a "fish-y" twist, brought to you by crispy tofu-filets!

Nifty Pizza #9 - Florida

For the Filets o' Tofu:
1 and 1/2 cup unbleached all purpose Flour
1/2 cup coarse Cornmeal (polenta)
1 tsp dried Thyme
1 tsp dried Basil
1 tsp dried Oregano
1 tsp Paprika
1/2 tsp ground Pepper
1 cup Non-dairy Milk
2 Tbsp Dijon Mustard
1 package Extra Firm Tofu
Canola Oil (for frying)

1. Heat Canola oil in a pan. In a bowl, mix together the flour, cornmeal, and spices. In a separate bowl, whisk together the non-dairy milk and mustard.
2. Drain and slightly press the tofu, but don't suck out ALL the moisture. Cut into 1/2 inch slices and then cut into triangles (this size is perfect for tofu sandwiches or tofu and chips! We love leftovers). Cut each triangle into 3 mini triangles.
3. Dip the triangles into the milk mixture, then dredge in flour mixture. Add tofu pieces to hot oil and brown on each side.

For the Sunny Pizza:
Pizza Dough for one crust
1/2 Cup of Pizza Sauce mixed with a few red pepper flakes for some sunny heat!
Mini Tofu Filets
Artichoke Hearts
Sun-dried Tomatoes
Orange slices
Vegan Parmesean "Cheese"
Fresh Thyme
Fresh Arugula (For garnish)

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

2. Spread sauce over the pizza dough. Top with mini tofu filets, artichoke hearts, sun-dried tomatoes, and orange slices. Sprikle generously with vegan parmesean, and scatter with about 1/2 tsp of fresh chopped thyme.

3. Bake for 10 minutes on the center rack and 10 minutes on the bottom rack.

4. Slice, plate, and garnish with fresh arugula. LET THE SUNSHINE IN...to my belly.

We hope you're enjoying the Nifty Pizza Project so far! This is our second seafood inspired pie, our first being the Crabby Delaware Pizza !

Peace, Love, and SPF,

Pam and KT

Comfort Pie

Everyone needs a good helping of comfort food now and then. Especially when your best friend has moved 12 hours away to go be an actress. Yes, we're mother and daughter, but we're also besties. The littlest Veg-Berger has flown the nest to go work at a theatre company (but don't worry, the blog is clearly alive and kickin'!!).

Therefore, Pam needed some serious comfort food to help with the separation anxiety. And nothing says comfort like Chicken Pot Pie...VEGANIZED, of course! Pam got creative and topped the pot pies with a biscuit topping as opposed to the traditional piecrust. Now we just need to figure out how to ship them....

Comfort Pie -- For when you're feeling a bit BLUE

For the filling:

1 package (6 ounces) of Lightlife Chick'n Style Strips
1 medium Onion, diced

1-2 Celery stalks, diced

1 clove of Garlic, grated or finely minced

1 large or 2 small White Potatoes, diced

1 small Sweet Potato, diced

1 cup of frozen Mixed Vegetables

1/4 cup Chickpea Flour

2/3 cup White Wine

1 and 1/2 cups Vegetable Broth

1 tsp Dried Thyme

1 tsp Mustard Powder

1/2 tsp Ground Sage

Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees and spray 4-6 individual ramekins or a 2 quart casserole dish with cooking spray.

2. Heat a large skillet or soup pot over medium-high heat and add 2 Tbsp olive oil. Cut the Chik'n strips into smaller pieces and saute them until lightly browned. Remove from skillet.

3. Add another 2 Tbsp of oil and heat to medium. Saute the onion and celery until soft and translucent. Add the garlic and potatoes and stir. Cook for about 8-10 minutes, stirring frequently.

4. Scoot the veggies to the side of the pan, add one more Tbsp of oil and stir in the chickpea flour. Stir until it turns a mustardy color. Pour in the white wine and stir. Cook for 2 minutes to reduce.

5. Pour in half of the vegetable broth, add the mixed veggies, thyme, mustard powder, and sage. Stir in the remaining broth and bring to a simmer. Cook for a few more minutes until slightly reduced and thickened. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat.

For the Biscuit Topping:

1 and 2/3 cup All-Purpose Flour

1 Tbsp Baking Powder

1/2 tsp Salt

2/3 cup Non-dairy Milk

1/3 cup Canola Oil

1. Place flour, baking powder, and salt in a mixing bowl and stir together. Pour in non-dairy milk and canola oil and stir just until dry ingredients are moist. The dough should be sticky and slightly lumpy.

To Assemble the Pies:

1. Spoon the filling into ramekins or casserole dish.

2. Drop the dough by spoonfuls over the filling, carefully spreading it with the back of your spoon for maximum coverage.

3. Bake at 425 degrees until the crust is golden and the filling is bubbling. This should take about 15 to 18 minutes.

As sad or blue as you may be feeling before digging in, eating one of these pies will fill you with happiness and warmth. They will leave your belly full and your mouth smiling. Comfort, accomplished.

(If you prefer sweets when eating your feelings, try our Holy Trinity Pie!!)

Peace, Love, and Taters,

Pam and KT

Springtime Citrus Cream Cheese Spread

SPRING IS HERE!!!
Spring is a season of transitions. We're shaking off the winter blues and watching with wonder as the new green leaves peek through. Daffodils are beginning to bloom, the weather is getting warmer, and our palates are starting to crave something other than the tastes of winter. As much as it pains us to put away the pumpkin until next year, it is inevitably time to move on to berries and leafy greens.

To celebrate the changing of the seasons, we created a delectable cream cheese spread that marries the wintery tartness of cranberries with the summery zing of orange. A taste of what has passed, and a taste of what's to come! Enjoy!

Cranberry Orange Cream Cheese Spread

1 Container Vegan Cream Cheese

1/3 cup Walnuts, chopped and toasted

1/3 cup dried Cranberries

1 Tbsp Orange Zest

1. Toast the Walnuts, set aside to cool, then chop.

2. Mix together all ingredients. Could it get any easier?

Top your favorite bagel, bread, or crackers with this springy spread!

(If you're looking for a more savory spread with your morning bagel, try our Olive-Nut Cream Cheese!! It's equally delicious!)

Peace, Love, and Bunnies

Pam and KT