♥ Dinner for my Sweetheart

As part of my Valentine's gift to my sweetheart was a heart-shaped dinner with the theme of ... you guessed it, love!  All of his favourites (well, minus the salad perhaps) pizza, apple crumble and wine.

I did my best to make most of the dinner vegan, about 85% at least (cheese was the exception).  This salad was simple, mixed greens, baby tomatoes and heart-shaped carrots and zucchini.

How to: Simply slice the carrot and zucchini in rounds and using a hear-shaped cookie cutter that will fit the size cut out the hearts and add to the top of the salad.

The pizza again was mostly vegan except for the cheese, which he loves (can't really take that away from hi m).  The Pizza: tomato sauce, vegan pepperoni "hearts," broccoli pieces and cheddar cheese "hearts."

The heart-shaped cheese and pepperoni was done in the same fashion as the carrots and zucchini.

For dessert - his favourite - apple crumble (vegan).

I found the recipe online and tweaked it a bit for our liking.  It was the best vegan apple crumble I've made yet and of course, baked in a heart-shaped dish.

Vegan Oatmeal Apple Crumble

Note: I made half of what each ingredient called for, to make just enough for two of us.

• 4 medium baking apples, chopped (skin left on)
• 3 tbsp organic cane sugar
• 1 tbsp maple syrup
• 3 - 4 tbsp filtered water
• 3 tbsp orange zest
• 1/3 cup organic cane sugar
• 1 1/2 cups oatmeal
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup vegan butter, at room temperature

1. Preheat oven to 350F. 

2. Lightly grease your baking pan of choice.

3. In a large skillet, cook the apples with 3 tablespoons of sugar, maple syrup and water over medium heat for a few minutes or until the water is gone.

4. Add the orange zest, mix it in and set aside.

5. Combine 1/3 cup of sugar, oatmeal, baking soda, and salt in a bowl, mixing together well.

6.  Add the the vegan butter and stir well to combine.

7. Spread half of the oatmeal mixture to form a thin layer on the bottom of the baking pan.  Add the cooked apples, then add the rest of the oatmeal mixture on top, being sure to cover all the apples.

8.  Bake for about 30-35 minutes, depending on your dish.*

 *Darker dishes take less time to cook, the lighter the dish the more time it needs to cook.

♥         ♥         ♥         ♥         ♥         ♥         ♥

A Girl's Mini Weekend Vacation

I really love having family over for a weekend.  I rarely have company for an overnight stay so it was a nice treat - a good excuse for them and myself to relax, which is exactly what my sister, niece and I did a couple of weekends ago in Toronto.

Sorry sis, just had to post this one, it's too funny! Love your face and Bela looks beautiful.

Since this is a food blog after all I share with you dinner: pizza!  Not just any pizza though, a pizza split down the middle and quartered on one side.  This is what happens when you have three people, one vegan, one kid and different food preferences.

My niece was simple - sauce, cheese, pepperoni, zucchini and green onion.  My sister's side and mine were similar with just a meat difference; hers prosciutto and mine, vegan "chicken" - mmm, good.

 Lunch the next day, a nice stir-fry over rice, loaded with warm veggies and dressing.

Downtown, at Yonge and Dundas Square for the Lighting Ceremony, Circus Orange, mall wondering, and hot cocoa.

When the Moon Hits Your Eye ...

Like a big pizza pie ... party! Having friends over for make-your-own pizza night, some beers and board games, who could ask for anything better on a cool November night.

I am breaking my rule in showing off my cupcake pizza here - that is, a sweet, candy and chocolate filled pizza made out of vegan vanilla cupcakes.

 

The cupcakes are vegan but most of the toppings are not, the icing is white fluffy icing (which technically is vegan but also store-bought so who knows); covered in white chocolate "cheese", green licorice "peppers," red fondant "pepperoni" and  toffee pieces as "bacon bits."

As for the pizzas themselves ... the base choices were: potato, wheat pita or white dough with many more topping options to go around.

Two potato pizzas: (left) pesto, spinach, spices and vegan "chicken"; (right) BBQ sauce, black olives, carrot, sundried tomato and spices.

Sonya's personal pizza: white dough, cheese, green onion, black olives, sundried tomato and prosciutto.

Sasa and Karin brought their own amaizng pizza, looked and smelled amazing - very cheesy and meaty - I didn't eat any.

More potato pizzas!

Mike's left over pizza ... pepperoni and bread crumbs gallore.

A few toppings here sprawled out on the table with  labels and all - everyone loved the setup.  The walls were covered with pictures of famous people eating pizza, the living area a pizza buffet and the sitting area for eating and games.

Anyone craving pizza now?

Cheers!

Pizza is Usually my Favorite Comfort Food

I've realised this week that eating vegan hasn't really been a stretch from my usual diet.  Granted, there have been a lot more carbs then I would normally like to eat but that's mostly on my part and I know with time I'll figure out a good protein to carb ratio for me.

The biggest challenge this week, you know, besides trying too cook and bake after my bike accident, was attending a work BBQ and smelling all the meat cooking on the grill and being strong enough to resist eating any of it, which I was! :)  The veggies burger was actually so good that I didn't feel I was missing anything.

Today I made this "pizza" if you can call it that.  The crust was amazing but already made and the veggies well, I love mushrooms but I, until now, have never actually tried radicchio.

The Lesson: If cooking with something new, taste it first before you start cooking with it, surprise, you might not like it.

The pizza came out great, I didn't have truffle oil but I used truffle infused olive oil (VERY expensive though, I think regular olive oil is fine enough) and overall it cooked well and came together but the major downfall, I did NOT like the radicchio - hello, bitter much!?

Not my first choice a vegetable to go on a pizza that's for sure lol!

The Lesson: You can't win them all - some things you'll love and some things will just taste awful.  That's the amazing thing about being a self-taught baker and cook, you learn through experience and trial-and-error, that's how you improve and learn what tastes great or not.

I still share this recipe with you because perhaps you'll have better luck then I, perhaps you'll love radicchio as much as I love kale (another vegetable with an acquired taste).  My only suggestion for next time: I would probably buy some soy or rice based feta cheese to sprinkle on top.

Vegan Radicchio Pizza with Truffle Oil
This recipe has been altered, the original recipe is from The Kind Diet by Alicia Silverstone

Serves 2 to 4

1 large head radicchio
Truffle infused olive oil
Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 fresh healthy whole wheat crust (I used an already cooked crust)
5 large mushrooms chopped

1. Cut the radicchio in half, then slice each half crosswise into thin ribbons (as thin as possible).

2. Dress the radicchio and mushrooms with enough truffle infused oil, salt, and pepper, to taste.

3. Preheat the oven to 415 degrees F.

4. Toast the pizza crust in the oven for 7 minutes or until it is heated through and slightly golden but not crunchy.

5. Scatter the dressed vegetables over the pizza crust and return to the oven for another 3 to 5 minutes, until the radicchio is warm and just starting to wilt. Serve immediately.

Best, Gluten-Free, Pizza Crust, Ever!

Sweet Potato Pizza Crust
I got the original recipe from fatfree.com but made my own alternations of course.

3 cups cubed sweet potatoes
1 cup gluten-free flour
Herbs of choice

My pizza toppings, like to keep them simple:

- Olive oil (base)
- Spinach
- Red peppers
- Chicken
- 1/2 tbsp Parmesan cheese
- 2 tbsp Honey garlic BBQ Sauce

  


1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Boil potatoes until done and then mash. Slowly add flour. Mix together.
3. Add herbs of choice. Spread out over a lightly sprayed cookie sheet or pizza pan. Bake for 15 minutes.
4. Take out and top with sauce and toppings of choice. Bake another 20 minutes until done.

Just three ingredients for the pizza dough.

Pressing out the pizza dough - my tray was way too big!

 

'Oh, I can't wait to get me a feller and make me some pie!'
- Elaine from Seinfeld