When it comes to cooking vegan food I simply love it. I enjoy looking in the fridge and letting my imagination pick the vegetables. I used to be very fussy on what vegetables go together. Now I know , that when combining vegetables and fruits is an art, that gives me real pleasure and joy. This evening I made Vegan Pizza on Pita Bread with Green Avocado salad. So there are always a few option when it comes to choosing your base. You can make your own dough if you have the time and enthusiasm to do it. You can also buy a ready made pizza base. My choice for a base is simple pitta bread. It’s a little chewy and really reminds of a stone backed dough. For a healthier option you can use a whole meal pitta , but as a treat I am using a plain pitta bread.
For the topping you can again choose to buy it or make it. When possible I prefer to make it myself -tastes better and I know what goes in it . Normally I use tomato passata from a glass jar, 2 medium onions (very finely chopped or done in the food processor) , 2 cloves of garlic, basil, ground cloves, a hint of cinnamon, nutmeg and salt and pepper. Its so simple to make. First gently fry the finely chopped onions in some olive oil , then add the garlic and the tomatoes and the rest of the spices. Simmer for about 15-20 minutes on a low heat so the mix looks a lot thicker , than when you put it first in .
While your sauce is simmering you have enough time to fry some mushrooms. If you do not like mushrooms you can use peppers, courgettes (zucchini ) , green beans or whatever else you prefer. Simply heat up some oil and cook the vegetable.I like to leave my mushrooms to brown, which gives the pizza a very nice rich flavour.
So the next step is to place the pitas on a backing tray and put some of the tomato sauce and then some mushrooms. Then just sprinkle some oregano and drizzle some olive oil.Place in the oven in about 150 C .
While the pizzas are in the oven you can make this quick salad.All you need is avocado, some green lettuce, carrot, spring onion and a few olives. First clean and chop the avocado.
Then in a bowl add the chopped lettuce and the chopped spring onions.Add the grated carrot and the avocado.
To make the dressing you need some olive oil, balsamic vinegar, basil, salt and pepper , mix and serve .
Over all its a simple dish also very fast to cook if you are in a hurry. The salad really brings it together with that tangy taste from the balsamic and the nutty creamy texture from the avocado. Avocado is one of my newly rediscovered treats since going vegan. Its so nice even on its own with some seasoning , but in a salad with some other crunchy vegetables tastes amazing.
The next time I will be making vegan pizza it will be with some Scottish vegan cheese called Sheese.So I am looking forward to that and I hope it will taste nice.
Sending Blessings and Love
