Red Skin Potato Pie

Last year when my mom and I went to Asheville on ~~an eating-binge~~ vacation I popped into the Mellow Mushroom on my last day, right before heading to the airport. At the time I didn’t realize it was a chain, and I’m glad I didn’t because if I had I would’ve skipped it… and I would’ve missed out. The funny part is there’s a Mellow Mushroom here in Denver and I never realized it. In fact, it’s just a free shuttle ride down the 16th street mall from my office, so I could’ve been eating lunch there all the time! Sheesh!

I still haven’t been to the Denver location, but I have looked at their menu about a billion times, and there was this one (non-vegan) pizza that really stood out- called (obvs) the Red Skin Potato Pie. Their menu describes it as:

“Olive oil and garlic base with sliced roasted red potatoes, applewood smoked bacon, caramelized onions, cheddar and mozzarella cheeses. Garnished with chives then drizzled with sour cream and spicy ranch dressing.”

Sounds intriguing, right? And you guys know I’m always down for a pizza that stretches (ha ha, get it?) the boundaries of “what a pizza should be” (as evidenced here, here, here, and here.) So, I veganized it, and here’s a close up shot.

Vegan Red Skin Potato Pie

It’s got all the toppings: roasted red potatoes, tempeh bacon (cooked in applewood smoked sea salt), and olive oil and garlic base, caramelized onions, mozzarella… and I even topped it with a spicy sour cream and ranch mix!

It’s an unusual flavor profile, but it’s really delicious. The smoky, salty tempeh bacon and the sweet onions play very nicely together, and you can make the sour cream/ranch mix as spicy as you like, which adds a little oomph.

Mmmm, you know what this would be good for? Stuffing your face while you watch the season premiere of G.O.T this Sunday! I cannot wait to see the dragons now that they’re bigger, and even though I’m already having nightmares about the White Walkers, I’m looking forward to them as well.

Is anyone else as excited as I am? What will you be eating while you watch??

Red Skin Potato Pie (makes one 14″ pizza)

Adapted from Mellow Mushroom menu

Keep in mind that you’ll have to start caramelizing the onions well ahead of time!

Ingredients:

Pizza dough of your choice, rolled out
1 small vidalia onion, caramelized
2 red skin potatoes, cleaned and sliced 1/4″ to 1/3″ thin
Non-stick spray
8 strips Tofurky smoky maple tempeh bacon
Applewood smoked sea salt
3 Tablespoons olive oil
3 cloves garlic, finely minced
Daiya mozzarella (I used a half cup, use more for a cheesier pizza. You can also add in some cheddar to make it more “authentic”)
4 Tablespoons vegan sour cream
2 Tablespoons vegan ranch dressing
1 teaspoon Sriracha (or more, to taste)
2 Tablespoons dried chives
S&P

Directions:

Cover a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with non-stick. Lay out your sliced potatoes, sprinkle with S&P and spray again. Bake for 10 minutes at 400 degrees, then flip them. Add another sprinkle of S&P and a touch more spray, then bake for another 6-8 minutes.
In a medium skillet, cook the tempeh bacon according to directions, sprinkling with the applewood smoked sea salt (this is important, it really gives it that “bacony” flavor!). When it’s done, set aside on a paper towel, then chop into bite-sized pieces.
In a small bowl mix the oil and the garlic, then spread evenly across your dough. Top with the onions, potatoes, bacon and cheese. Bake at 425 (on a pizza stone) for 12-14 minutes or until the crust is done and the cheese is melted.
Whisk together the sour cream, ranch and sriracha (and maybe a pinch of salt!?), and when the pizza comes out of the oven drizzle over the top right before serving. Sprinkle with dried chives and a bit of ground pepper, and serve!

Enjoy!

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Perfect Pizza Dough (And a Pizza Roundup!)

This pizza dough is phenomenal! As you’ve seen, I’ve been on a bit of a pizza kick lately and this stuff is partly to blame – I just want to keep eating it no matter what’s on top! I make it using my (new to me) bread machine, which makes it so easy. I’ll never buy pre-made dough again!

The recipe is below, but first let’s take a little meander through the pizzas of the past…

There was my Korean Pizza with Kogi-Style:

Korean BBQ & Sriracha Pineapple Pizza

My veg-tastic Grilled Veggie Pizza:

Grilled Veggie Pizza

The “what was I thinking!?” BBQ Tater Tot Pizza:

Grilled BBQ Tater Tot Pizza

The possibly-coma-inducing Cheesy Mac ‘n Rib Pizza:

Cheesy Mac n’ Rib Pizza

My Farmer’s Market Pizza:

“Farmers Market” Pizza

The trend-following Breakfast Pizza:

Vegan Breakfast Pizza

And, finally, the veganized Thai Chik’n Pizza:

Vegan Thai Chicken Pizza

My Perfect Pizza Dough (makes one large pizza)

Recipe from Breville Custom Loaf owner’s manual

Ingredients:

3/4 cup plus 2 Tablespoons water (80 degrees)
1 Tablespoons EVOO
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 3/4 cups bread flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast

Directions:

With the collapsible paddle attached and in the upright position, add all ingredients to the bread pan in the order listed above. Secure the bread pan inside the baking chamber, select “pizza dough” setting and press the start button.
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Place the dough on a lightly floured surface and use the heel of your hand to flatten. Roll the dough into a circle then lift onto a pizza stone. Pull and press the dough as required to fit your stone. Shape a 1/2 inch “crust rim” around the edge, then top with sauce and toppings as desired.
Depending on the toppings and amount of vegan cheese, bake on lowest rack for between 10-15 minutes.

Enjoy!

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Vegan Thai Chicken Pizza

This Vegan Thai Chicken Pizza (or if you prefer, Thai Chik’n Pizza) is made with soy curls (I love soy curls!) and is a veganization of a Rachael Ray recipe. It also happens to be The.Best.Pizza.I’ve.Ever.Made.

There are rather a lot of ingredients on the list, but it’s worth it. The soy curls are spicy and peanutty, the cucumbers are sweet and sour, the Daiya is (obvs) creamy and melty, and the scallions and cilantro really Thai it all together into the perfect pizza (ha ha, see what I did there?). Did I mention there’s plum sauce involved?

I’ve recently become housemates with a bread machine and I have to admit that I’m a little bit in love. I’ve been trying out all sorts of new bread recipes, although the only one that’s been perfected so far is the pizza crust. I used it for my breakfast pizza as well, and it’s just to die for. Watch for the recipe next week!

Also going down next week? Well, my lovely friend Jamie and I are embarking on our own Green Smoothie Challenge as designed by the fabooolous Somer over at Vedged Out. Somer recently hosted a challenge which I missed, so we’re going to do it on our own. I can’t have carbs or alcohol so I might be a little grumpy, wish me luck Luckily for you I have a few recipes stockpiled, so you’ll still get plenty of good vegan eats here at TWV!

For now though, please go make this pizza and stuff it in your mouth!

Vegan Thai Chicken Pizza (makes one 12″ pizza)

Adapted from non-vegan/vegetarian recipe

Ingredients:

1 cup dry soy curls
Pizza dough of choice
Generous 1/2 cup plum sauce
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1+ cup Daiya mozzarella
1/2 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 Tablespoon sesame oil
3 Tablespoons Bragg’s liquid aminos (or soy sauce)
2 Tablespoons peanut butter
3 teaspoons sriracha
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 Tablespoons agave
2 Tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1/3 cucumber, peeled and sliced into matchsticks
4 scallions, chopped
Palm full of cilantro leaves, chopped
Generous 1/4 cup salted peanuts, chopped

Directions:

Place the soy curls in a bowl of warm water to soak, set aside.
Form the pizza dough on cookie sheet or pizza stone and top with plum sauce, spreading evenly.
Top with red pepper flakes, then Daiya, then bell peppers and bake at 425 until the cheese melts, 12-15 minutes.
Combine sesame oil, braggs, peanut butter, sriracha, garlic and a pinch of black pepper in a frying pan over medium heat. Squeeze all water from soy curls then add to the peanut sauce, stirring until the curls are coated. Reduce heat to low and cover. If the sauce gets too dry, add more braggs and/or sriracha, depending on your tastes!
Mix agave and vinegar in a medium bowl, then add cucumbers, stirring. Set aside.
When the pizza is out of the oven, top with the soy curls, scallions and cilantro. Drain the cukes and scatter across the pizza as pretty as you can Sprinkle the peanuts over the top and serve immediately!

Enjoy!

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Hot Weather Recipes: Grilled “Cheesy Mac n’ Rib” Pizza

Cheesy Mac n’ Rib Pizza

By now you’re probably not surprised to see crazy pizzas here at That Was Vegan?… Maybe when you first read about my Korean Pizza with Kogi-Style BBQ Seitan and Sriracha Pineapples… or when you saw that I was going on and on about something called a Grilled BBQ Tater Tot Pizza you may have scratched your head, but not anymore. Now I bring you a pizza with bbq seitan and macaroni and cheese!

I’m expecting one of two reactions from you guys: You’re either going to avert your eyes while suppressing a giggle (you know, like we all do when we see that loud little kid who’s been running around the restaurant yelling for the last 10 minutes finally trip and totally eat it!? Or is that just me??) or you’re going to nod knowingly and say “Yes. Macaroni and cheese on a pizza. FINALLY!”

This pizza was inspired by a sandwich that I guess is pretty famous, in both its vegan and ~~gross~~ original versions- Do you remember American’s Top 10 Sandwiches Veganized? Great series and if you love sandwiches as much as I do, you should check it out. The one that really caught my eye was the Cheesy Mac n’ Rib, an ooey-gooey combination of mac n’ cheese, caramalized onions and BBQ seitan.

And not just any mac n’ cheese… my B’nut Squash Mac n’ Cheese! And lots of it

I made this as a “mini” pizza, using about 1/4 of a package of store bought pizza dough, and that was more than enough for me for one meal. After all, there was also a whole mess of m-n-c on there too! It was also an ‘eat with both hands’ kind of thing. And not, you know, an ‘I’m on a diet’ kind of thing. Like, at all.

This is absolutely a ‘once in a while’ kind of pizza. Unless you’re trying to put on weight, in which case I recommend eating one of these a day, at least! Which reminds me, if I ever find a magic lamp and get three wishes, one is going to be that I need to consume 5,000 calories a day just to maintain my weight

Grilled “Cheesy Mac n’ Rib” Pizza (Makes 1 mini pizza)

If you need some pointers on how to properly caramelize onions, check out this and this. Having your mac n’ cheese and caramelized onions already warm or at least at room temperature will make the final cooking process go faster!

Ingredients:

1/4 packaged pizza dough, sitting at room temperature for at least 30 minutes
Olive oil
Cooking spray
1 loaf seitan
1/2 cup BBQ sauce
1/8 cup caramelized onions
1/3 cup Butternut Squash Mac n’ Cheese
Salt and Pepper

Directions:

Slice the seitan into bite-sized pieces, and marinate in the bbq sauce for about an hour.
Heat your grill to medium.
Cut your dough into quarters and roll out with a pin to get it as thin as you want. Drizzle one side with olive oil and place the dough oil-side-down on the grill. Keep an eye on it, making sure the dough begins to cook and you get grill marks-but don’t let it burn. 5 minutes should be good.
Remove the dough and place it on a plate with the cooked side UP.
Spread about 2 tablespoons of bbq sauce onto the dough (use what you were marinating with), then top that with the marinated seitan. Spread the caramelized onions over the seitan, and then top with the m-n-c.
Give the grill a quick squirt of cooking spray and place the pizza back on. Close the grill and turn the heat down to low. Leave it on there until everything is warm and the m-n-c is nice and gooey, 7-8 minutes.

Enjoy!

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Hot Weather Recipes: Grilled “Farmers Market” Pizza

Happy Wednesday (and August!), my friends! If you have a minute, perhaps you’ll pop over to Ethical Ocean and vote for my Sweet Potato & Black Bean Quesadillas!? You do need to register (if this is your first time voting) but it just takes a second… and don’t forget to keep voting every day!

“Farmers Market” Pizza

This is less a recipe and more of a… suggestion. The suggestion being: Get your butt to your local farmers market, buy every veggie that looks good, and put it on a damn pizza already!

My pizza (which is actually a mini-pizza, which used about 1/4 of a pre-made loaf of whole wheat dough from my local health food store- very cute!) has zucchini, tomatoes, grilled corn, leeks, onions and bell peppers. Also, instead of pizza sauce I opened a small can of fire roasted tomatoes. And, of course, it’s all topped with Daiya mozzarella!

Another interesting tidbit: Other than the corn (which I grilled on the cob, then sliced the kernels off), all the veggies on there were raw when I started. And although they were heated while the pizza cooked, they retained much of their crispy-freshness, which was a nice contrast from the veggie pizzas I’m used to.

The beauty of a pizza like this is that you can put whatever you want on there! And if you stick with the individual sized crusts, each member of your family can create their own masterpiece!

Check out another of my grilled pizza recipes for tips on grilling the dough.

Enjoy!

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Grilled Veggie Pizza

Well, the veggies are grilled, not the entire pizza, but anyway… I chopped up some summer squash, Mexican squash, sweet onions, and bell peppers, mixed them with a little olive oil, salt and pepper and let them spend a little quality time on the grill (on a veggie tray, to be specific). When they were almost done, they were added to some pre-made vegan pizza dough with a little pizza sauce, daiya mozzarella and a couple shakes of crushed red pepper flakes and baked.

Grilled Pizza (Makes 2 big personal-sized pizzas)

Ingredients:

1 pre-made loaf of vegan pizza dough
A mix of grilled veggies, your choice
Oregano
Pizza sauce
Daiya Mozzarella
Crushed red pepper flakes

Directions:

Cut dough in half, and let sit out while you prepare the toppings.
Prep your grilled veggies- you want them to be *almost* done, and set aside.
Work your pizza dough into round(ish) shapes, or however you’d like your pizzas to be. You can cook according to the package directions, or just wing it like I do. I put mine on a lightly greased cookie sheet (they both fit, side by side), sprinkle with a little oregano and bake for 5-6 minutes at 375.
Spoon a couple of tablespoons of red sauce over your two pizzas, using the back of a spoon or rubber spatula to make sure you get even coverage. Layer on your veggies then top with the Daiya and a couple shakes of red pepper flakes.
Continue to back at 375 for another 10 minutes or so. If your cheese still isn’t melty, you can finish it under the broiler but be careful, you don’t want the crust to burn!!

Enjoy!

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Korean Pizza (Kogi-Style BBQ Seitan and Sriracha Pineapples)

Korean Pizza

Before I share the story (reasoning?) behind this recipe, can I please vent just a little? As I’ve mentioned here and there, we’re remodeling our house. Completely. I’m not talking about repainting a few walls, I’m talking about a brand new kitchen and bathrooms and scraping popcorn off ceilings and replacing 2,500 square feet of flooring. Well, mostly I’m talking about watching Jason do all that, but still. Watching someone work hard can be really hard work Seriously though, it can be tough just living in a construction zone, but we’re almost done. In fact, we’re on our final big project: The stairs. This coming weekend will be (hopefully) the final test… we have to polyurethane the stairs, and then stay off of them for at least 24 48 hours. As in, we have to bring everything we’ll need downstairs and stay down there. For someone as scattered as me, this will be a challenge. Also, the only bathroom on the first floor is a powder room, no shower, so there’s going to be some smart timing involved too. There’s also going to be some serious pet-wrangling, which should be interesting. Wish me luck, and those of you who follow me on Twitter should get some fun updates, haha. The good news is that my gin and the majority of my books (not to mention the big TV) are all already on the first floor, so I should be able to scrape by

Ok, so you know how sometimes you’re eating one food and you can’t help but think it would be even better packaged up in a different food? For example, my Korean Style BBQ Tacos with Sriracha Pineapples… They’re really good tacos, full of chewy flavorful seitan topped with sweet n’ spicy pineapple chunks. There’s really nothing to complain about! But, as I was eating them, I couldn’t help but think… Wouldn’t these be even better as a pizza!?

Because, why not? What’s wrong with turning a taco into a pizza? Nothing, that’s what. Just like there was nothing wrong with turning a beloved appetizer into a Buffalo Seitan Taco! Basically, what I did was whip up a batch of the Korean BBQ tacos, swap out the tortillas for some pizza dough, and topped the whole shebang with some Daiya Mozzarella.

Do you like how (not) perfectly round it came out?

Korean Pizza (Kogi-Style BBQ Seitan and Sriracha Pineapples) (Makes 2 big personal-sized pizzas)

Ingredients:

1 pre-made loaf of vegan pizza dough
1 loaf homemade seitan
1-2 T Korean hot pepper paste (Gochujang)
3 T brown sugar
2-3 T soy sauce or Bragg’s liquid aminos
1 t rice wine vinegar
1 T hot chili oil
1.5 cups pineapple chunks
Sriracha sauce
Sesame oil for cooking seitan
1 T olive oil
1 T hot chili oil
Daiya Mozzarella
2-3 scallions, sliced

Directions:

Cut dough in half, and let sit out while you prepare the toppings.
Slice seitan into bite-sized chunks or slivers, as desired.
Mix together pepper paste, sugar, soy sauce, vinegar and chili oil, then marinate seitan for 2 or more hours. Set aside 1-2 T of the marinade/sauce.
In a tupperware, combine the pineapple chunks with a couple SMALL squeezes of the sriracha. Cover, shake until combined, then taste test. Add more sriracha and repeat if desired. If you find them too hot at some point, you can run them under cold water and rinse off some of the sauce. Cover again and leave in the fridge until you’re ready for them.
Heat sesame oil in frying pan over medium heat, then fry the seitan. Leave it in the pan for about 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally. You can add in the extra marinade for more flavor, but it will caramelize and make the pieces a little “chewy”- I actually recommend doing this, it’s really delicious!
Work your pizza dough into round(ish) shapes, or however you’d like your pizzas to be. You can cook according to the package directions, or just wing it like I do. I put mine on a lightly greased cookie sheet (they both fit, side by side), and bake for 5-6 minutes at 375.
In a small bowl, mix the set-aside marina with about 1 T of olive oil and 1 T of hot chili oil- this is your pizza “sauce”. Drizzle over your two pizzas, using the back of a spoon or rubber spatula to make sure you get even coverage. Layer on your toppings, the seitan and the pineapple, then top with the Daiya and the sliced scallions.
Continue to back at 375 for another 10 minutes or so. If your cheese still isn’t melty, you can finish it under the broiler but be careful, you don’t want the crust to burn!!

Enjoy!

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That Was Vegan?

Recipes so delicious you'll never think twice!

Tag Archives: pizza

Red Skin Potato Pie

Perfect Pizza Dough (And a Pizza Roundup!)

Vegan Thai Chicken Pizza

Hot Weather Recipes: Grilled “Cheesy Mac n’ Rib” Pizza

Hot Weather Recipes: Grilled “Farmers Market” Pizza

Grilled Veggie Pizza

Korean Pizza (Kogi-Style BBQ Seitan and Sriracha Pineapples)