Tomato Basil Pizza with Gouda Cheese - From Scratch!

I am a few days late to post this month's Sweet Punch entry but I had to do it, even if it late. Its pizza from scratch, how can I not?!

The first and only time I made pizza from scratch was when I went for cooking classes at Palate Sensations. It was amazing (especially because I didn't partially burn it then) and since then I stopped buying pizza base. What that also meant is, I didn't make pizza at home for ages.

But its super easy. Remember those garlic rolls that all of you loved and tried at home? Trust me when I say this is not even half as hard. With me? Ok here goes.

Pizza Base From Scratch
Recipe source: Pioneer Woman

Ingredients

• 1 tsp Active Dry or Instant Yeast
• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/3 cups extra virgin olive oil

Instructions

1. Sprinkle yeast over 1 1/2 cups warm (not lukewarm) water.
2. In a mixer, combine flour and salt. With the mixer running on low speed (with paddle attachment), drizzle in olive oil until combined with flour. You can definitely do the mixing by hand, just knead gently, no need to waste too much energy.
   
3. Next, pour in yeast-water mixture and mix until just combined.
4. Coat a separate mixing bowl with a light drizzle of olive oil, and form the dough into a ball. Toss to coat dough in olive oil, then cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and store in the fridge until you need it.

Yield: 2 crusts
Prep Time: 00:10 mins
Cook time: 00:20 mins

According to PW, it’s best to make the dough at least 24 hours in advance, and 3 or 4 days is even better. I kept it in the fridge for exactly 25 hours.

Here's how it looks after 24 hours or so. Slightly risen and quite airy.

Transfer half the dough to a floured surface. Lift and rotate the dough into a circle or rectangle, letting gravity do its job extending the dough on all sides. My dough didn't seem too elastic though and I was a bit worried. But it turned out perfect in the end.

Once you have a rough shape, transfer to a greased baking sheet (or use your Silpat - I got mine this time from the US - yay!!) and shape further using your fingertips to the right thickness you desire. I kept it neither too thick nor too thin. 

Oh btw, I decided to make a face at convention and used Gouda cheese in my pizza. You should do it too. Its not as elastic or chewy but has a lovely flavour and gives more depth to the pizza, making it taste gourmet. Or something like that. Try it.

Once you have your base ready, rub some olive oil on the base and you can go crazy with your options. I decided to keep it relatively simple. Some diced tomatoes went on first, followed by thin slices of portobello mushroom. 

This exercise actually make me realise how little you need to make a pizza. I used like half a mushroom to cover up the pizza!

The tomatoes and mushroom were followed by the freshly grated Gouda cheese and lovely, gorgeous, fresh basil leaves from my own herb 'garden'. I was so proud!

Bake in a 500F / 260C oven (or as high as your oven goes) for about 10-15 mins (until the crust turns brown and the cheese bubbles up nicely). I slightly burnt one side of my pizza because I had a guest and was talking to him. That also explains the very hastily taken last pic!

Loved this challenge, love pizza from scratch - actually love anything with cheese.

The end. 

Cajun Mushroom Soup

This recipe caught my eye because in its omnivorous incarnation it was billed as "mock turtle soup." This sounded promising, but I soon learned that since turtles are hard to find outside of Louisiana they had been replaced with veal. There was even a note in the margin saying "no reptile was harmed in the making of this mock turtle soup." Oh, good. So, a calf was taken from its mother, kept in the dark in a confinement pen, feed an iron deficient diet, and slaughtered at a young age; but at last the turtles got a pass! This recipe is an experiment in using seaweed to keep a seafood-like stock, which I think worked very well. The original recipe also called for diced hard boiled eggs which I replaced with some tofu and black salt. Feel free to leave this out and just add more mushrooms.

Seaweed Stock
INGREDIENTS
- 8 cups water
- about 1 cup seaweed (I had dulse on hand , but you could use kombu)
- 2 nori sheets, crumbled

METHOD
1. Bring all ingredient to a boil in a stockpot. Cover and simmer for 30 mins. Remove from heat and strain.

Mushroom Soup
INGREDIENTS
- 1/4 cup oil
- 1 large yellow onion, small dice
- 2 celery stalks, small dice
- 3 bay leaves
- 1 tbsp minced fresh thyme
- 1 tsp paprika
- cayenne pepper to taste
- 1/2 lb oyster mushrooms, washed and roughly chopped
- 1/2 lb shitake mushrooms, sliced
- 1/3 cup all purpose flour
- 2 clove garlic, chopped
- 2 cup minced fresh tomatoes (chop as finely as you can)
- 6 cups seaweed stock
- 1 tbsp vegan Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tbsp vegan oyster sauce
- 1 cup tofu, small dice
- black salt (or regular) and pepper to taste
- juice of 1 lemon
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
- 1/2 cup chopped green onions
- 1/2 cup dry sherry

METHOD
1. Heat the oil in a stock pot over med-hi heat. Add the onion, celery, bay leaves, thyme, paprika, and cayenne and cook, stirring frequently, until tender and golden brown (about 10 mins). Add mushrooms and cook until just beginning to release their water. Add flour, mix well, and cook for 5 mins (add a splash more oil, if needed).
2. Add garlic, tomatoes, seaweed stock, sauces, and tofu. Mix well, bring to a boil, then reduce heat and let simmer for about an hour.
3. If the soup is too thick, add more stock. If too thin, add some tomato paste. Taste and adjust all seasonings as you see fit.
4. Add lemon juice, parsley, and green onions and simmer for 30 mins. Remove bay leaves, stir in sherry, adjust seasonings one last time and serve with crusty bread.

Golden Onion Mushroom Quiche Recipe

This month's 'A Sweet Punch', although not sweet, came out fantastic! This is another one of those why-on-earth-did-I-ever-think-of-making-these kinda recipes.

I would highly recommend this golden onion mushroom quiche recipe to beginner bakers. You know why? Its going to make you feel awesome and so much more confident because its practically no-fail.

Golden Onion Mushroom Quiche Recipe
Makes 8 generous wedges and 4 mini quiches

Ingredients

For the pastry:
1 cup + 2tbsp flour (200gm)
100gm unsalted butter, frozen
1/4 tsp baking powder
1 beaten egg
A generous pinch of salt

For the filling:
2 cups chopped mushrooms (I used button mushrooms)
1 large onion, chopped
1/2 cup milk
3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 beaten eggs
Freshly ground pepper
Salt to taste
1 tbsp oil


How I Made It:

For the pastry:



Mix flour, salt and baking powder together. Ideally, you should sieve this. Ideally. Grate the frozen butter and mix it well with fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse sand.

Sidenote: I would recommend grating the butter only if you have someone to outsource the washing of the said grater. If not, just cut the butter into cubes and follow this process.



Add the egg and bring the dough together. You can add a few drops of ice cold water if needed at this stage, but I didn't have to. Transfer the dough to a floured surface.



Roll it out about 1/2" thick. Its fine even if its not an even circle or whatever. Just make sure the thickness is more or less even all around.



Next step is to gently transfer this to a greased pie dish. Here's what I used. I bought this pie dish ages ago anticipating this exact moment! Well, not really, but atleast it was put to good use after 7 months of buying it.



Gently lift the rolled out dough and lay it over the dish. Press it down lightly at the bottom and along the sides. If there's a gap somewhere, just take the overhanging dough fromt he sides and patch it up. Go on, nobody needs to know. I did it along the top and left hand side, can you tell? Of course you can, but, it doesn't matter. That's the beauty of a quiche.

Refrigerate this crust while you put together the filling.

Pre-heat the oven to 350F / 180C.

To prepare the filling:


Heat the oil in a pan and fry the onions until golden brown. Add the mushrooms and saute until soft and all the water has evaporated from the pan. Top off with ground pepper and salt and mix well. Cool completely.



Break 2 eggs into a bowl and beat lightly. I know there are three in there but I ended up with a lot of extra filling and I really don't want you to waste good ingredients. So stay with me here, ok? Only 2 eggs needed.



Add 1/2 a cup milk to the eggs.



And top off with about 3/4 cup of shredded cheddar cheese. Mix well.

To assemble and bake:



Bring out the prepared crust from the fridge.



Lay the onion mushroom mixture evenly on it.



And top off with the milk-egg-cheese mixture until it reaches almost up to the top of the crust.



Bake until the top turns golden brown and patchy in parts and the crust turns golden - about 25 to 30 mins.



Cut into wedges and serve warm.



I had some leftover dough and filling so I made 4 of these adorable mini quiches with it in these tart moulds that came with my old oven. These only need to be baked for about 20 mins and are fantastic single-serving portions for parties or potlucks.

This was a great "Sweet Punch" for September. Will link to the roundup as soon as its done. Thanks ladies!

Mushroom Biryani / Biriyani Recipe

With all that talk of non vegetarian biryanis yesterday, I simply had to share the Mushroom Biryani I tried a couple of weekends back. I usually follow a pretty standard recipe when I make biryani but I opted to make this one a bit more spicy and tomato-ey than usual. We loved it and I am making some more for a potluck tomorrow.



Mushroom Biryani
Serves: 2-4

Ingredients:
2 cups cooked basmati rice
1 cup chopped button mushrooms
1 large onion, sliced long
2 large tomatoes, pureed
1 tsp tomato paste (or tomato ketchup)
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp red chilli powder (or to taste)
1 tsp garam masala / biryani masala
1 tbsp oil
1 tbsp butter / ghee (or another tbsp of oil)
Salt to taste

To Grind Together:
1 onion
5 green chillies
1" piece of ginger
4-5 garlic cloves
1" piece of cinnamon

3 cloves

3 cardamom pods

A few stalks of coriander leaves (optional)

For Garnish:
1 large onion, sliced long and fried golden brown
A handful of tasted cashewnuts
Chopped coriander leaves

How I Made It:

1. Heat oil and ghee and throw in the onions. When they are golden brown, add the ground masala paste. Don't worry if some of the spices are not ground fine. Mix well until nicely fried, for about 2-3 mins. Then add the chopped mushrooms.

2. The mushrooms will give out some water, so cook until the mushrooms are soft and the water has all evaporated. Then add the chilli powder, turmeric, garam / biryani masala and fry for a minute. After this, add the pureed tomato and tomato paste / ketchup. Stir well and cook well until all the ingredients come together. No need to add water at any stage. Add salt.

3. Gently mix in the cooked basmati rice and garnish with the fried onions, cashewnuts and coriander leaves.



Serve hot with raita.

Thai Mushroom Soup

I made this soup a while ago (i.e. before the heat wave) but never got around to blogging it. It is actually quite good at room temp, so it is a good summer soup. It is based on a seafood soup recipe in a cookbook I have and I had every intention of using oyster mushrooms but there were none at the store. Turns out, plain ol' white mushrooms work really well, too. I also threw in some lobster mushrooms for colour and texture, but they are totally optional. So, once the heat breaks wherever you are, give this recipe a try.

INGREDIENTS
- 2 1/2 cups veggie stock, or water
- 1" piece fresh ginger, cut into thin slices
- 3 limes leaves, sliced if fresh, crumbled if dried
- 2 stalks lemon grass, chopped
- 5 stalks cilantro
- 1 tbsp oil
- 4 shallots, chopped
- 16 oz mushrooms, chopped (white, oyster, etc., or a mix)
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- green curry paste, to taste
- 1 14 oz can light coconut milk
- juice of 1/3 lime
- salt and pepper to taste

METHOD
1. Put stock, ginger, lemon grass, and lime leaves into a pot. Strip leaves from cilantro and add the stalks as well. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer on a low heat for 20 mins. Strain and set aside.
2. Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat, the saute shallots for 5-7 mins, until lightly browned. Add mushrooms and saute until the mushrooms are just releasing their water. Add strained stock to the pot, then add soy sauce and curry paste.
3. Add coconut milk and lime juice and mix well. Season to taste. Chop cilantro leaves and mix in. You can heat this up as much as you want before serving.

Chow Noodles

One of my favourite blogs is Chow Vegan, a site with great recipes and beautiful pictures. The other night I really wanted to make the Cantonese Style Chow Mein but did not have all the ingredients. So, I tweaked here and there and dubbed the dish Chow Noodles. The thing that really makes this dish is Chow's baked and crispy noodles. Delicious. Actually, you're probably just better off making the original recipe.

INGREDIENTS
The amount of each ingredient is up to you, depending on how many you are serving
- chow mein noodles, baked as per this recipe
- dried shitake mushrooms
- boiling water
- oil
- crushed garlic and ginger
- water chestnuts
- edamame
- sliced romaine lettuce leave (or some other green)
- soy sauce
- splash of sesame oil

METHOD
1. While noodles are baking, soak mushrooms for about 20 mins, until soft. Drain and reserve water, then slice mushrooms.
2. Heat oil in a wok, the briefly fry ginger and garlic until fragrant. Add water chesnuts and edamame and fry for a few mins. Add greens and fry until soft but still vibrant.
3. Add noodles to the pan along with as much of the reserved mushroom soaking water as you want to make a sauce. Season to taste with soy sauce, then stir in the sesame oil. Serve.

Potato and Oyster Mushroom Curry

Tonight's recipe is the part two of my trio of posts on the new Indian dishes I made to branch out beyond my old favourites. It is based on a recipe that calls for shrimp, but uses oyster mushrooms instead. You could just use white or cremini mushrooms, but oyster mushrooms really are a treat because of their delicate texture and taste. This is also a quick and simple meal that can be on the table in about 30 mins. You will also note the naan sneaking into the picture (and in my last post). I use this recipe which is hands down the best I have ever made and is pretty close to the stuff actually baked in a tandoor oven.

INGREDIENTS
Serves 4
- 2 tbsp oil
- 1 onion, halved and sliced
- 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
- 8 oz oyster mushrooms, cut into large pieces
- salt to taste
- 1/2 tsp tumeric
- 1 tsp garam masala
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1/2 lb potatoes, cut into small chunks
- 2 large tomatoes, small dice
- 1/2 cup water, more if needed
- 1 tsp lemon juice

METHOD
1. Heat oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Fry onions and cilantro for 5-7 mins, until soft and translucent. Add mushrooms, salt, and spices. Fry for about 5 mins, until mushrooms release their water. Add a splash of water if spices stick too much.
2. Add potatoes, tomatoes, and water and mix well. Bring to bubbling, then cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 15-20 mins, until potatoes are cooked. Add more water if it gets too dry, then stir in lemon juice and serve.

Mushrooms Stuffed with Brie : Recipe

I think I am very smart so what I do occasionally is, read a recipe and if I like it, I read the ingredients again and fool myself into thinking I can remember them all when I go shopping. Here's what happened the last time I did that.

Mini Portobello Mushrooms

I saw this recipe on Pioneer Woman and instantly knew I'll be making it. I read through the ingredients list and thought they were easy, especially since I had some brie left over after making this salad. Turns out that's the only ingredient that's common between her version and mine.

Brie

She used button mushrooms - I used portobello mushrooms
She used parsley and green onions - I used cilantro (coriander leaves) and totally forgot the green onions
She used brie - I used very little brie and then some mozarella
She didn't use onions - I did

But the bottom line is, this turned out super yummy! Its a quick appetizer and sure to win over any mushroom-lover. You can also make big batches in one go, so its awesome when you are entertaining.

Here's my version.

Mushrooms Stuffed with Brie
Serves 2

What I Used:

12 mini portobello mushrooms
1 small onion, chopped fine
1 small block of brie cheese
3 tbsp grated mozarella
1/4 - 1/2 cup lightly packed fresh coriander leaves
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp butter
Salt to taste

How I Made It:

1. Wash and remove the stems from the mushrooms. Pat dry with a dry kitchen napkin.

2. Melt butter in a skillet and add the mushrooms. Sprinkle with some salt and toss them around until well coated with the butter.

3. Arrange these on an oven-proof dish stem side up and set aside.

4. In the same skillet, add minced garlic and onion and fry lightly for 30 seconds. Then add the chopped coriander leaves and sprinkle some salt. Toss around for a minute until the leaves soften. Take care not to fry or burn it.

5. Cut the brie into small squares and lightly press into the mushrooms, where the stems were removed from. Top off each mushroom then with grated mozarella. Finally sprinkle the coriander leaves mixture evenly.

6. Bake in a 180C/350F oven for 15 minutes/until the cheese is melted and soft.

This is one good-tasting appetizer. Its very forgiving so you can use pretty much any meltable cheese and any herb that takes your fancy. And yeah, apparently any kind of mushroom too :)

Oyster Mushroom Scampi

Last week I got an email from a faithful reader wondering what to do with with some veggie-based shrimp she had picked up. At first, I was jealous about the shrimp. I had some once at a Chinese restaurant in Philly and it was great. If memory serves, it is actually a type of mushroom. It was with shrimp on my mind that I sat down to come up with a special meal for Vegan Mom and I (you really have to try and keep a date night when you have four kids!). I settled on Oyster Mushroom Scampi. The dish is lemony and garlicky, and the mushrooms are wonderfully delicate. I made a thin fettucine noodle (rolled out to number 6) but you could use linguine as well.

INGREDIENTS
Serves 2 for a romantic dinner
- 1/2 pound fresh pasta (linguine or thin fettucine)
- 3 cups large oyster mushroom pieces
- 2 tbsp margarine, plus additional tbsp
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 shallots, small dice
- 5 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- juice of 1 lemon
- 1/4 cup chopped parsley

METHOD
1. Prepare pasta. While waiting for the water to boil, rinse the mushrooms and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Set aside.
2. Heat margarine and oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add shallots and garlic and saute for 5 mins, until soft and translucent. Add mushrooms to the pan and saute for another 5 mins, until soft.
3. Add wine and lemon juice to the pan with the additional tbsp of butter and parsley. Bring to bubbling, and when maragrine has melted, add cooked pasta to the pan. Stir well and cook until most of the liquid is absorbed. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve immediately.

Creamy Red Pepper Polenta with Roasted Mushrooms

The weather around here, in a word, has been crappy. And you can only eat so much soup before you get a hankering for something different but still warm and comforting. Creamy polenta fills the belly and has a hearty texture that satisfies. The dish is really easy to make, and it's amazing the depth of flavour you can get by chucking a few extra things into a blender.

INGREDIENTS
- 4 oz cremini mushrooms, sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, unpeeled
- 1 tbsp oil
- 1/4 tsp salt
- freshly ground pepper
- 3 cups water
- 1 large red pepper, cored, seeded and chopped
- 1 leek, white and light green section, sliced
- 1/2 cup plain soy milk, or creamer (more, if needed)
- 1 cup polenta
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1/2 tsp sage
- salt and pepper to taste
- parsley, fresh or dried

INGREDIENTS
Preheat oven to 400 degrees
1. Toss sliced mushrooms and garlic in olive oil. Spread out on a baking sheet and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast for 20 mins, turning a few times to keep from burning. Remove from oven, let cool, then peel and mince garlic.
2. While mushrooms roast, place water, red pepper, and leeks in food processor or blender and blend until relatively smooth. Bring to bubbling in a sauce pan, then whisk in polenta. Lower heat and stir in soy milk/creamer. Loosely cover and cook for about 15-20 mins, until thick and creamy and soft. Stir regularly to keep from cooking to the bottom, and add more soy milk if it gets too thick. Stir in spices and minced garlic, then season to taste with salt and pepper.
3. Pour polenta into a large serving dish, then place mushrooms in the centre. Garnish with parsley and serve.

Oyster Mushroom Sushi

Back when I posted my recipe for Grilled King Oyster Mushrooms, Shohga suggested grilling the mushrooms brushed with ponzu and then using them in sushi. I thought that sounded like a great idea, so I filed it away in my brain to try later. The other day I went on the hunt for some ponzu, but couldn't find any without bonito (a type of fish). So, I decided to use some mirin instead. Since my grill was out of propane, I tossed the shrooms into a pan over medium heat and kept splashing them with mirin until cooked. I put them in the sushi roll with some chopped bok choy that I briefly pan fried in a little light soy sauce. The shrooms were slightly sweet and the bok choy added a light crunch. Dipped in some soy and wasabi, it was some mighty good sushi.

Mushroom Peas Curry / Matar Khumb Curry Recipe

I love those small recipe booklets by Neeta Mehta. They are nicely themed and mostly have traditional and easy recipes. This particular one where I got this Matar Khumb recipe has Punjabi recipes that are extremely popular yet I've never tried before, except maybe the Paneer Butter Masala recipe.

I've already tried two recipes from the book and loved them both. Here's the first one.

Mushroom Peas Curry / Matar Khumb Curry

Adapted from Neeta Mehta's Punjabi Recipes

Serves 4

What I Used:

200gm/about 4 cups mushrooms, washed and chopped into 6 (I used white button mushrooms)

1 cup green peas

2 cardamoms/elaichi/elakka

2 cloves/laung/grampoo

1 tbsp dhania powder / malli podi

1 tsp red chilli powder

2 tsp garam masala

A pinch of turmeric powder

4tbsp oil

Grind together to a puree

2 large tomatoes

1 green chilli

Grind together to a paste

1 large onion

6-8 flakes garlic

1" piece ginger

How I Made It:

1. Heat oil. Add the cardamom and cloves. Fry for 1 min.

3. To this, add the onion-garlic-ginger paste. Cook stirring continuously until light brown. Remove from fire.

4. Add the masalas now - dhania powder, red chilli powder, garam masala and haldi with some salt.

5. Return to low heat and cook for a few seconds. Add 1 tbsp water.

6. Add the tomato-green chilli puree. Cook till dry and oil separates from the gravy (about 10 mins)

7. Next, add the mushrooms and peas. Stir fry for 5 min.

8. Add 2 cups water. Cook on low medium heat for about 15 min till peas turn soft and oil separates. Adjust salt.

Serve curry with rice or chappatis. I served mine with some jeera rice.

Grilled Oyster Mushrooms

When Isa posted about grilled oyster mushrooms from her trip to NYC I figured I would take a stab at them. Oyster mushrooms have a delicate texture but are still tough enough to stand up on the grill. At first I wasn't sure how to season the shrooms, but eventually settled on a garlic and herb infused oil. This was a good call. These are absolutely delicious with plenty of BBQ flavour with subtle flavours from the oil. I also like them because they can be enjoyed for what they are instead of trying to masquerade as a vegan version of a meat dish.

INGREDIENTS
Garlic and Herb Infused Oil
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 6 large cloves of garlic, chopped
- 1 tbsp dried basil
- 6 sun dried tomatoes (in oil), chopped
- oyster mushrooms (get the large bunches, like you see here); as many as you want to grill
- salt and pepper to taste

METHOD
1. Heat oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic and reduce heat to med-lo. Add basil and tomatoes and let simmer for 20 mins. Strain thought a fine sieve into a glass container. Obviously, this makes more than you will need here, so just keep the extra for another time.
2. Cut the mushroom bunched in half both vertically and horizontally (so the bunch is not too thick and as much of the mushroom can touch the grill as possible). Brush generously on all sides with the oil, then season with salt and pepper.
3. Heat grill on high. Grill mushrooms 4-5 mins per side. Resist the urge to flip over--just let them sit there and get some good grill marks.
4. Serve. You can trim off the tough end, or just cut off the more tender parts as you eat.

Roasted Vegetable Alfredo Lasagna

Vegan Mom gave me a beautiful extra deep, enamel-coated, cast iron lasagna pan for my birthday. Armed with my new fresh pasta recipe and a fridge full of veggies, I put together this lasagna. I'm not going to post an actual recipe since it did not come out perfectly, but I'll tell you what I did. The idea was to use this alfredo recipe combined with roasted veggies. I did not cook the alfredo sauce ahead of time, figuring that it would cook in the oven. The end result tasted amazing but the sauce did separate, giving it a curdled look. I wonder if cooking the sauce first would be a good idea. I also think the sauce should be a little thinner and that the arrowroot powder is not needed. Anyway, here is an idea you can play around with.

On the BBQ I roasted:
- 1 large eggplant (roast until soft and squishy, about 20 min), then skin
- 1 head of garlic (roast the whole head, skins on, for about 15 mins)
- cremini mushrooms (tossed in olive oil)
- zucchini, sliced lengthwise, tossed in olive oil
- red, yellow, and orange peppers
- red onion, roasted with skin on for about 15 min

- fresh lasagna noodles, dried for 30 mins
- 1 recipe alfredo sauce

I put some sauce on the bottom of the pan, then layered sauce and veggies, and topped the final layer of noodles with a thick layer of sauce. I baked it for 1 hour, covered, in a 350 degree oven. Then I baked for 15 mins, uncovered, to firm up the top.

Let me just say that Son#1 absolutely hated this lasagna. In fact, I think it is the only meal he has refused to eat. I suppose the combo of onions, eggplant, zucchini, and mushrooms was just too much for him. He never actually took a bite but he was convinced that it was gross. To make it up to him I made a more traditional lasagna with veggie ground round, tofu ricotta, and vegan cheese on top.

Grilled Portabello and Onion Sandwich

The only thing better than sourdough bread is toasted sourdough bread. The crispy and crunchy outside contrasting with the soft inside just makes for a perfect sandwich. Tonight's recipe is nothing special, but it sure is tasty. And, it is a meal you can make on the BBQ on one of those hot summer days when you want to stay out of the kitchen.

INGREDIENTS
Makes 4 sandwiches
- 4 large portabello mushrooms
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1/3 cup marsala, or red, wine
- salt and pepper
- 1 large sweet onion, skin on
- 8 slices sourdough bread, lightly brushed with olive oil on one side

METHOD
1. Remove stem and wash mushrooms. Mix together oil, garlic, and wine in a small bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Place mushrooms in a shallow dish, cap down. Toss mushrooms in marinade, and spoon excess into the mushroom's gills.
2. Heat BBQ to med-hi. Place whole onion on the grill and cook for about 15 mins, turning regularly.
3. Grill mushrooms, cap down, for about 10 mins, until softened. I grill mine cap down until marinade cooks down inside then gills (8 mins, or so). Then I flip and grill for about 2 mins.
4. When mushrooms are done, thickly slice. Peel onion using tongs, and thickly slice.
5. Grill sourdough, oiled side down, for a min or so over high heat, until nicely toasted. Assembly sandwiches (I added some Vidalia relish and a splash of Vegenaise).

Italian Sub, Veggie Style

I decided to make some submarine buns today (or hoagie rolls, whatever you want to call them) but wanted to steer away from the rather obvious seitan route when filling them. Instead I went with a "bruschetta meets grilled veggies" route for a different spin on an Italian sub. If you have leftover sandwiches, wrap them up tightly in waxed paper and refrigerate--the flavours will meld together and the veggies really do taste great cold. Perfect for lunch at work.

INGREDIENTS
Makes 2 foot long sub sandwiches
- 2 foot long submarine buns
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 red onion, diced
- 6 cloves garlic, chopped
- 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 tomato, diced
- 1 tsp basil
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 small eggplant, sliced lengthwise into 1/8" slices
- 2 small zucchini, sliced lengthwise into 1/8" slices
- 1 red pepper, roasted
- 10 cremini mushrooms
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- sliced tomato
- shredded lettuce

METHOD
1. Heat oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Saute onions and garlic for 5-7 mins until softened. Add vinegar and tomatoes and stor well. Cook until liquid has cooked off. Season with basil and salt and pepper. Set aside.
2. While tomato mixture is cooking, toss eggplant and zucchini in some olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill on a BBQ over medium heat until soft, turning regularly. Roast the pepper at the same time. Skin, seed, and slice when done.
3. Toss mushrooms in olive oil and season with salt and pepper. BBQ cap side down until water has been released. Remove from grill, thickly slice, and mix with smoked paprika.
4. Assemble sandwiches. Spread a thick layer of the tomato mixture on the bottom bun. Top with red pepper, then eggplant, then zucchini, then mushrooms. Top that with tomato slices and lettuce. Top with bun and enjoy!

ON SUBMARINE BUNS
The buns are Peter Reinhart's Italian bread recipe (p. 172). I subbed the biga with 180z of sourdough starter, then reduced the liquid by about 2 tbsp (add slowly until dough forms). I brushed the final buns with soy milk and baked for 15 mins at 450 degrees.

Fire Roasted Pepper and Mushroom Salad

This is a pretty easy dish to make if you already have the BBQ on. Fresh thyme really is a must here so you get those wonderful bursts of flavour when you bite down. I didn't even try to get the kids to eat this one, what with Son #1's professed hatred of both peppers and mushrooms.

INGREDIENTS

Serves 4

- 1 red pepper

- 1 yellow pepper

- 1 orange pepper

- 10 large white or cremini mushrooms

- juice of 1/2 lemon

- olive oil

- salt and pepper to taste

- fresh thyme sprigs

METHOD

1. Roast peppers on the BBQ over med-hi heat for 12-15 mins, turning regularly, until skin is blistered and wrinkled. Place in a large bowl, cover with a plate, and steam for 10 mins.

2. While peppers are roasting, toss whole mushrooms in a bit of olive oil and place cap side down on the grill. Roast for about 10 mins, until mushrooms release most of their water.

3. Skin and seed peppers when they have cooled enough to touch. Dab off excess water and cut into chunks. Thickly slice mushrooms. Place peppers and mushrooms in a bowl, drizzle with a little olive oil, add lemon juice, and season to taste with salt and pepper.

4. Place in serving bowl and top with fresh thyme. Serve.