Squash Pizza

Pizza is my husband Paul's specialty. He makes lovely thin crust pizza from scratch. We like to experiment with toppings and combinations. This pizza was inspired by the flavours and colours of my Roasted Pumpkin and Arugula Gnocchi. The sweetness of the squash puree contrasts beautifully with the peppery arugula and spicy chilies. The dressing is reminiscent of a balsamic reduction, except ready in seconds, and brings all the gorgeous flavours together.

 

Makes 2 pizzas.

3 c. flour
2 1/4 tsp./7 g. yeast
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. sugar

2 lbs./1 kg. squash or pumpkin, cut into 1" thick slices
1 tsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, not peeled
1/2 - 1 fresh red chili pepper, finely diced
2 c. mozzarella cheese, grated
2 tbsp. pine nuts
100 g. baby arugula
1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1 tsp. sugar

Combine the yeast, sugar and water in 1 1/3 cups of warm water. Let the mixture sit for 5 minutes to activate the yeast (it will start to bubble). Combine the flour and salt in a large mixing bowl. Form a well in the centre of the flour. Slowly pour the liquid into the well while stirring and integrating the flour. Once all the liquid has been added, kneed the dough for 2-3 minutes to bring it together and create a smooth, elastic ball. Dust the dough with flour as needed to prevent it from sticking to the bowl or your hands. Cover the bowl with cling wrap and set it in a warm place to rise until it doubles in size, about 2 hours.

Preheat the oven to 190 C/ 375 F. Drizzle the whole cloves of garlic with olive oil and wrap in tin foil. Place the garlic parcel and squash, cut side down, on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Cook for 35-45 minutes, until very tender. Scoop out the flesh of the squash, remove the garlic from its skin and place in a mixing bowl. Discard the skins. Puree until smooth, season with salt and pepper and set aside.

Increase the oven temperature to 240 C/ 475 F. In a microwave safe dish, combine the balsamic vinegar and sugar. Microwave for 30 seconds to dissolve the sugar.

Divide the dough into two and roll out on a surface dusted with flour. Move to a pizza pan, preheated pizza stone or baking sheet. Spread each base generously with squash puree. Top with fresh chili, cheese and pine nuts. Bake for 5-7 minutes, until the crust is firm and the top is starting to brown. Remove the pizza from the oven, add the arugula and bake for another minute or two to wilt. Drizzle the hot pizza with balsamic dressing.

Lime & Coconut Squares

Let me start by admitting, I assumed the filling would be lime green in colour! The erroneous assumption probably stems from the fact that a lot of pre-packaged lime-flavoured items tend to be a vibrant, bright green. These lime squares look quite similar to traditional lemon squares, because most of the colour comes from the egg yolks. I've always been a fan of lemon squares. I know they're the kind of treat that people either love or hate, and I fall firmly into the first group. I would consider these an update on an old favourite. Lemon squares 2.0! They are the perfect balance between sweet and tart. The coconut and lime are perfect together. The base is like a cross between a shortbread cookie and a coconut macaroon. Delicious!

Adapted from Green Kitchen Stories.

Coconut Base

50 g. butter, melted

2 tbsp. raw sugar

1 1/2 c. medium or shredded unsweetened coconut

3/4 c. rice flour

pinch salt

2 eggs whites

Lime Filling

3 eggs + 2 yolks

1/3 c. almond meal

1/2 c. sugar (or honey)

1/3 c. lime juice

zest of 1 lime

Preheat the oven to 170 C/350 F. Make a piece of parchment paper pliable by scrunching it into a ball and running it under cold water. Shake it out and use it to line a 8" square baking tin. Combine the sugar, coconut, rice flour and salt in a bowl. Stir in the butter, then the egg whites until well combined. Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking tin, pressing it firmly, especially around the edges and corners, with the back of a spoon or fork. Bake for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare the filling by combining all the ingredients and whisking well. Pour the filling into the partially-baked base and continue cooking for 25-30 minutes until the centre is firm.

 

Spaghetti with Fresh Herbs and Ricotta

This meal is perfect for a busy week night or last minute dinner guests! It's quick and easy to put together, but has the presence of a gourmet menu item. The generous quantity of fresh herbs adds a lively vibrant green and lovely fresh flavour to the dish. It seems like a lot of herbs, but it tastes just right - they do not overwhelm the pasta at all!

500 g./1 lb. spaghetti (organic, whole wheat or gluten-free)
bunch of asparagus, cut into 1" pieces

2 c. ricotta (or one batch of homemade)

2 lemons, zest and juice
extra virgin olive oil

1/2 bunch basil, finely chopped

6 springs parsley, finely chopped

2 sprigs rosemary leaves, finely chopped
1 red chilli, seeds removed and finely diced

Add the zest of one lemon to the ricotta. Roll both lemons a few times on the counter using medium pressure to release the juice. Set aside. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add 2 generous pinches of salt and cook the spaghetti according to package directions. Heat a frying pan over medium heat. Cook the asparagus until desired tenderness is reached, anywhere from 4-8 minutes. Once the pasta is cooked, reserve 1 cup of the starchy water and stir it back into the drained noodles. Cut the zested lemon in half and add the juice to the pasta.

Divide the pasta between the plates. Drizzle each with olive oil and top with asparagus, crumbled lemon ricotta, a mixture of the herbs and a pinch of fresh chilli. Serve with a lemon wedge.

Kale & Black Rice with Squash, Tofu and Seeds

I'm one of those people who at the beginning of the week plans out the entire week's menus. I buy all my non-perishable items at once then do a couple fruit and vegetable runs throughout the week. This routine works well for me because I'm fortunate to live around the corner from a nice market with great produce. This was the last meal on the weekly menu, and I was eagerly awaiting it! For good reason... I think I'm I love! This dish is everything I was waiting for and more! Full of flavours and textures, as well as packed with superfoods and gorgeous colours. This dish covers all the best food groups! Nothing but beautiful, healthful, goodness.

Serves 4, with each portion providing 4 servings of vegetables, 11g of fibre and 23g of protein.

350 g. firm tofu
2 tbsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. sugar or honey
1/2 tsp. liquid smoke (optional)
1/4 tsp. smoked paprika
1/2 tsp. salt
hot sauce, to taste

1 kg. pumpkin or squash (about 1/4 of a kent pumpkin or 1/2 a medium butternut or acorn squash)

1 c. black or wild rice
100 g. kale (about 3 large leaves), thick white stock removed
pinch salt

1 pomegranate
20 walnuts
4 tbsp. pepitas

2 tbsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. lemon juice
1/2 tsp. honey
pinch salt, pepper & cayenne powder (optional)

Cut the tofu into 6 slices, about 1/4" thick. Cut each slice diagonally to form 12 triangles. Make the marinade by mixing the lemon juice, sugar or honey, liquid smoke, paprika, salt and hot sauce. Soak the tofu in the marinade in the fridge for 30 minutes to 2 hours.

Preheat the oven to 190 C/ 375 F. Cut the squash into 1" thick slices. Cook on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, until tender, about 30-40 minutes. Turn the squash halfway through cooking.

Measure the rice into a medium pot. Finely chop the kale into 1/2" squares. Add the kale, salt and the recommended amount of water to the pot and cook according to package directions.

Heat 1 teaspoon of canola oil in a large frying pan over medium. When hot, add the tofu and cook for 2-3 minutes per side until dark brown and crisp on the outside.

De-seed the pomegranate by cutting it in half, laying it in your hand, cut side down, over a bowl and whacking the round side with a wooden spoon. The seeds will fall out into the bowl. (If the seeds need a little coaxing, gently put the cut side apart to tear a little and loosen things up.)

Make the lemon vinaigrette by combining the olive oil, lemon juice, honey, salt, pepper and cayenne, if using.

To serve, divide the rice onto 4 plates. Top each with one quarter of the squash, tofu, walnuts, pepitas, pomegranate seeds and vinaigrette. Enjoy!

Autumn Root Vegetable Tart

In keeping with my goal of increased vegetable consumption: a lovely seasonal vegetable tart. Between the colours and the flavours, this tart is autumn in a dish! The crust contains a little whole wheat flour and a lot less butter than most. Made of almost entirely vegetables, this bright and cheery tart is wonderfully healthy, hearty and most importantly delicious! The savoury coconut-cashew sauce adds a beautiful creaminess and flavour to the vegetable filling.

Serves 4 or 5, which provides 6.5 and 5 servings of vegetables, respectively.

1 c. organic all-purpose flour

1/4 c. whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 c./50 g. butter or shortening

1 egg

2 tbsp. ice cold water

750 g. squash or pumpkin (about 1/4 of a kent pumpkin or 1/2 a medium butternut or acorn squash)

1 large sweet potato

3 carrots

Coconut-Cashew Sauce

1/3 c. cashews

1/2 c. coconut milk

1 garlic clove

3/4 tsp. smoked paprika

1/4 tsp. salt

freshly ground black pepper

pinch of hot chilli flakes (optional)

Combine the flours and salt in a small mixing bowl. Cut in the butter until it resembles a course crumb. In a separate bowl, mix together the egg, vinegar and water. Add to the flour and combine until the dough just comes together. Add more water if needed, 1 teaspoon at a time. Form the dough into a flattened ball and cover in plastic wrap. Let rest in the fridge for 30 minutes to an hour.

Preheat the oven to 190 C/375 F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Prepare the vegetables by peeling the squash and sweet potato then cutting them into 1/2" cubes. Cut the carrots into 1/4" thick slices. Arrange the squash in a single layer on one of the baking sheets. Place the sweet potato and carrots on the other. Bake for 25 minutes or until tender.

Make the coconut-cashew sauce by blasting all the ingredients in a blender or food processor until smooth. Roll out the dough on a well floured work surface until a few inches larger than your tart or pie pan. Carefully and gently transfer into the form. When the vegetables are tender, combine them on one baking sheet (or in a large mixing bowl), pour the cashew cream over and gently stir a few times to coat. Spread them into the pie shell and bake for 35-40 minutes, until the crust is cooked.

Triple Vegetable Pizza

I recently watched the Jamie Oliver special Eat to Save Your Life. It made me reflect on the quantity of fruits and vegetables I eat in a day. (The average person's diet is severely lacking.) As a vegetarian, who home-cooks most of my meals, I think I eat a better than average diet. But, I'm also a massive grain lover, so I know there's room for improvement! All this has led me to the goal of trying to prepare new dishes that are not only vegetarian, but vegetable-based. In fact, I'm going to take that a step further and try to create a number of meals that are mostly vegetables! These very healthy, very vegetable-rich meals will be categorized "Eat-Your-Vegetables"! 

For my first experiment... vegetable pizza made on a cauliflower crust! Who would have thought!? This perfectly conforming veggie-rich dish is adapted from Green Kitchen Stories. It's a great food blog whose recipes have never let me down. That being said, I have to be honest, I had pretty low expectations for a cauliflower crust. Silly me! After being baked, it looks and feels just like a flour pizza crust - crisp on the outside, soft and chewy on the inside. It also has a very mild, neutral taste (meaning it hardly tastes like cauliflower!).

This is just one way of topping your pizza. Feel free to be creative and use any (and many!) of your favourite vegetables.

I'm a big fan of leftovers for lunch. This recipe makes 2 pizzas, which will serve 6, each containing 8(!) servings of vegetables. 

Cauliflower Crust

1 head of cauliflower, cut into small florets
3/4 c. almond meal or almonds, finely ground
3/4 c. rice flour
2 tbsp. dried oregano

1 garlic clove, minced
2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. black pepper
6 eggs, beaten

Chunky Eggplant Tomato Sauce
2 tsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 large eggplant, roughly chopped into 1-2" pieces
1 onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 red chilli, finely diced (remove the seeds to reduce heat)
1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
400 g. tin organic whole tomatoes, no salt added
10 olives, pits removed and halved
1/4 tsp. salt
freshly ground pepper
pinch of sugar
10 basil leaves, chopped

2 zucchinis
2 c. old cheddar cheese, grated
150g. arugula/spinach mix (or arugula only)

Lemon Vinaigrette
1 tbsp. lemon juice
1 tbsp. olive oil
1/2 tsp. honey
pinch salt

Preheat the oven to 200 C/400 F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Using a food processor or blender, blast the raw cauliflower until finely chopped (it will resemble rice). Measure 6 cups of cauliflower and place it in a large mixing bowl. Add all the dry ingredients and stir together. Pour in the eggs and combine. Place half the mixture on each baking sheet and press into a large circle, just less than half an inch thick. Bake for 20 minutes, until it holds together and starts to brown.

During that time, prepare the eggplant & tomato sauce. Heat a teaspoon of olive oil in a large frying pan with a lid over medium heat. Add the eggplant, cover and cook for 7-10 minutes, stirring frequently, until tender. Add the other teaspoon of olive oil to a small pot over medium-low heat,  cook the onion for 5 minutes until softened. Add the garlic and chilli. Let cook for another minute or two then pour in the balsamic vinegar, followed 30 seconds later by the tin of tomatoes. Stir in a quarter of a tin of water, the olives, salt, pepper and sugar. Transfer the tomato sauce to the eggplant pan, reduce the heat to low and let simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until all the vegetables are very soft and the sauce has thickened. Stir in the basil and remove from the heat.

Top each pre-cooked pizza base with half the eggplant tomato sauce. Thinly slice the zucchinis using a vegetable peeler and arrange the slices in an even layer on the sauce. Sprinkle each with one cup of cheese. Bake for 15 minutes until the zucchini has softened and the cheese is melted. Combine the lemon juice, olive oil, honey and salt in a small dish. Add the greens to the pizzas and bake for another 2-3 minutes until wilted. Remove from the oven and drizzle with lemon vinaigrette.

Paneer & Cauliflower Tikka Masala

This is another healthy and wonderful Indian dish. It's great to have a handful of flavourful, delicious go-to recipes to brighten a dull day or impress guests! Like with the Shahi Paneer with Eggplant, I have added a vegetable to the traditional dish to make it a meal in a bowl. This one works really well with cauliflower and has a spicy tomato-based sauce.

This dish has lots of spices, but its heat is up to you. To adjust the hotness, include or remove the seeds of the red chili, which is where most of the heat comes from. Remove, it's much easier to add heat than remove it! I often test the puree before deciding whether to add more seeds or chilli.

Adapted from Manjula's Kitchen.

1/2 cauliflower, cut into small florets
1 tsp. canola oil
2 c. paneer, cut into 1" pieces

400 g. tin diced tomatoes, no salt added
1 1/2 tsp. ginger
1 garlic clove
1 - 2 red chillies, remove seeds to reduce heat

1 tsp. canola oil
1 tsp. cumin seeds
2 bay leaves
1 tbsp. ground coriander
1/2 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp. curry
1/2 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. corn starch, dissolved in 1/4 c. water
1/4 tsp. garam masala
2 tbsp. fresh cilantro, chopped

In a medium pot, bring 4 cups of water to a boil. Add the paneer and cook for 3-5 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and allow to drain. Add the cauliflower florets to the pot and cook until tender, about 10 minutes.

In a large frying pan, heat 1 teaspoon of canola oil over medium-high heat. Fry the paneer, stirring gently a few times, until brown, about 5 minutes. Set aside on a plate covered with paper towels to drain.

In the blender, puree the diced tomatoes, ginger, garlic and red chilli(es) until smooth.

Heat the other teaspoon of oil in the frying pan over medium heat. When hot, add the cumin seeds and bay leaves. Allow to cook for about 30 seconds to brown, then add the tomato puree. Stir in the coriander, paprika, and curry and cook for 1 minute. Add the sugar, salt, and cornstarch slurry. Stir frequently. Once the mixture starts to boil, add the paneer and cauliflower, and reduce the heat to low. Continue stirring occasionally and simmer for 5-10 minutes, until desired thickness is reached. Remove from the heat and stir in the garam masala and fresh cilantro leaves.

Serve with brown basmati rice or whole wheat paratha (which are available ready-to-cook in the freezer section of some supermarkets).

Oatmeal & Apple Breakfast Muffins

These are exactly what a breakfast muffin should be: portable and healthy! They're like a bowl of oatmeal disguised as a muffin! Low-fat, low-sugar and gluten-free, yet still remarkably moist and tasty! These really stood the test of time, too! I was pleasantly surprised at how soft and chewy they remained, even days later. There are lots of fresh ingredients in here, so store them in the fridge and freeze any that won't be eaten within 4 or 5 days.

Adapted from this cornmeal muffin recipe.

1 c. large flake oats
1/4 c. unsweetened shredded or medium coconut
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 c. plain yogurt
2 eggs, beaten
1 apple, roughly sliced
1/4 c. sugar
12 walnuts, chopped

Preheat the oven to 170 C/350 F. Lightly grease or line 8 or 9 holes of a 12 muffin tin. In a blender or food processor, blast half a cup of the oats until very fine to make oat flour. Transfer to a large mixing bowl. Pulse the remaining oats 5-10 times to reduce them to about a quarter of their original size. Add to the oat flour. Finally, pulse the coconut 5-10 times to break up, before adding it and the baking powder, soda, cinnamon and salt to the oats.

Finely chop the apple slices (skin on is fine) in the food processor. In a small mixing bowl, combine the yogurt, eggs, apple and sugar.

Pour the wet mixture over the dry ingredients and stir until just incorporated. Fold in the walnut pieces and divide the batter evenly between the prepared muffin holes. Fill the unused spaces with half an inch of water. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the centre of a muffin comes out clean. (If your oven cooks as unevenly as mine, rotate the tin after 15 minutes!)

Chocolate Mousse Tart

My husband's new favourite dessert! Impress any guest with this delicious and dangerously easy to make mousse tart. The main ingredient might surprise you - it's silken tofu! - but don't let it dissuade you! This tart tastes of only smooth and rich dark chocolate. The tofu gives it a gorgeous silky texture that, after being refrigerated, holds its shape perfectly. It also allows for a tart that is both gluten and dairy-free, if you select your oats and chocolate carefully.

Don't have time to assemble the base? Skip it and pour the chocolate/tofu mixture into small ramekins or cups for a delicious treat that's whipped up in 5 minutes!

Keeps for 5 days in the fridge.

Adapted from Trupps' Wholefood Kitchen.

Base
1 c. large flake oats
1/2 c. unsweetened medium or shredded coconut
2 tbsp. dark Dutch cocoa powder
1/4 c. canola oil
1/4 c. honey

Mousse
600 g. silken tofu
400 g. dark chocolate, roughly chopped
4 tbsp. your favourite jam

Preheat the oven to 170 C/350 F. In a blender or food processor, pulse the oats 5 to 10 times to reduce to about a quarter their original size. Transfer to a small mixing bowl. Stir in the coconut and cocoa powder. In a small saucepan over medium heat, bring the oil and honey to a bowl and cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly. Pour the hot liquid over the oat mixture and combine well. Press the crumble into a tart or pie pan and bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes, rotating midway.

Melt the chocolate in a heat-proof bowl set over a small pot filled with a couple inches of simmering water. (Ensure the bowl does not touch the hot water.)

In the blender, blast the tofu and jam until smooth. Stir into the melted chocolate and pour into the tart pan, over the base. Chill for a couple hours in the fridge before serving.

Serves 12.