I still love pizza. Granted it's no longer the grease laden, cheese filled, pizza of the past, but I still love it. For me, the idea of making pizza from scratch is so romantic. It reminds of me of Italy, even though I have never been... *sigh*. When I think of Italian cuisine, it's handmade patiently and with love. That is pizza, pizza is love. Well, it should be anyways and I think vegan pizza most certainly is. Pizza is also art, it's one of those foods that can suck you in instantly just based on how beautiful it is. So I embrace vegan pizza made from scratch, it's compassionate, thoughtful, and delicious! Plus you get to play with your food and be creative, hello!? As some of you know already, I don't enjoy the faux cheeses that are available out there now (I know, apologies to Daiya)... instead I aim for pizzas that are so orgasmically good you never even give a passing thought to cheese, whether it's faux or real. And folks, this pizza is all grown up. Bitter broccoli rabe, paired with spicy cherry peppers, and sweet caramelized onions with garlic in the supporting role makes for one piece of amazing adult pizza. Call the babysitter, invite some friends over, and uncork a good bottle of wine... It's pizza night! Ciao!

Ingredients:

Ingredients:

• pizza dough, enough to make 2 - 12" to 14" pizzas, I used this recipe
• 2 large sweet onions, halved and thinly sliced
• 2 TBS canola oil
• 1/4 tsp agave syrup, I used light
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1 bunch of broccoli rabe, the bottom 3" of stems discarded and the remaining chopped into 2" long pieces
• 3/4 cup of sliced hot pickled cherry peppers, more or less as desired, seeds and stems discarded
• 3/4 cup of sliced mild pickled cherry peppers, seeds and stems discarded
• 1 - 28oz can of chunky tomato sauce or crushed tomatoes
• 2 TBS minced garlic
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
• olive oil
• handful of basil leaves
• salt & pepper to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Heat 2 TBS of canola oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. Add onions, salt, and agave cook stirring occasionally for 20-25 minutes until onions are golden and caramelized. Set aside. While onions are cooking, bring about an inch of salted water in a large skillet to a rolling boil. Add the broccoli rabe and cook for 2-3 minutes. Remove from pan and put into a metal colander. Rinse the broccoli rabe with lots of very cold water to stop the cooking process and the keep the bright green color. Let the broccoli rabe drain in the colander until ready to go on top of the pizzas.

Next form your pizza dough into 2 - 12" or 14" diameter pies. Place each round on a sheet of parchment. Drizzle a little olive oil over each pizza, add 1 TBS garlic to each pie and use your hands to smear the garlic and oil evenly across the top. Do this liberally and make sure you hit every nook and cranny so every piece is infused with garlic. Next spoon the tomato sauce onto the pizzas making sure to leave a nice edge for the crust. Use as little or as much sauce as you like. Sprinkle on the Italian seasoning and pepper flakes. Now you are ready to add the broccoli rabe. Grab a handful and squeeze it over the sink or above a paper towel. You want get as much juice out as you can so your pizza does not become watery. Distribute the broccoli rabe evenly between the 2 pies. Now add the cherry peppers, pat them dry with a paper towel if they are wet. Next up is the caramelized onions. I like to add these in little spoonfuls to the top, but add them however your creativity sees fit. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, and you can drizzle a little bit more olive oil over the top, but it's not needed.

Carefully put pizzas into hot oven, leaving them on the parchment. I use a pizza peel to do this as it makes life so much easier, but you could also flip a cookie sheet upside down to help you slide the pizza into the oven. Bake for 10-15 minutes until the crust is crisp on the bottom. Alternate the pizzas after the first 7 minutes, they should switch places in the oven. That way they will cook more evenly. When done, remove from oven and sprinkle each pizza with basil leaves. Cut into slices, I usually cut mine into 6 slices each, and serve while still hot. Serves 4-6 people. If you only have a single serving of dough for one pizza, just cut the remaining ingredients in half and it will turn out perfect.

I wanted to make something muy especial for Cinco De Mayo this year and mexican chocolate came to mind. To be fair though, I think that it's almost always on my mind, chocolate that is. Mmmmm...chocolate. Ok I must focus! Cinnamon and chocolate are so very naughty good together, and I love a little heat and spice with my chocolate. Not overpowering, but something that surprises you. This dessert is velvety chocolate lusciousness served up in a mini tart form topped with a dollop of vegan whipped cream that just happens to be flecked with vanilla bean. Yeah, I know. I love to mix raw and cooked food, call me daring, stupid, whatever you want, but it works for me. You could easily keep this raw by either freezing the crust instead of cooking or dehydrating it for a few days. Seriously, a few days. But this is the shortcut...a less than 10 minute bake in the oven gets the crust perfectly crisp and ready to be filled. The filling is mostly composed of raw cashews and cocoa powder. If you're a purist use cacao powder, but it's way more expensive and not as readily available. Cashews are amazing. It's like tofu minus the processing really. They can turn into creamy cheesecakes, thick sauces and spreads, and just about anything else you can dream up... I must warn you though, they are filling. So let's recap. This is a fairly healthy dessert, starring chocolate, that's also refined sugar and gluten-free and will actually fill you up quickly! I hear angels singing too. Deseándoles la paz (wishing you peace)!

Ingredients:

Tart Crusts:

• 1-3/4 cups oats, ground fine in a food processor, or oat flour
• 2/3 cup cocoa powder
• 1/3 cup agave syrup, I used raw
• 1/8 cup coconut oil, unrefined, melted
• 1/2 tsp salt

Chocolate Filling:

• 2 cups raw cashews, soaked minimum of 4 hours or overnight, drained
• 2/3 cup coconut milk or other non-dairy milk, I used SoDelicious unsweetened coconut, you could also use water
• 2/3 + 1/8 cup cocoa powder
• 1/3 cup + 1/4 cup agave syrup, I used raw
• 1/3 cup coconut oil, unrefined, melted
• 3/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp chili powder, I used ancho
• 1/2 tsp cayenne, use more or less depending on how much heat you like
• 1/2 tsp instant espresso
• 1/4 tsp vanilla
• 1/4 tsp salt

Whipped Cream:

• 14.5 oz can of coconut milk, refrigerated overnight or longer
• 1-1/2 tsp agave syrup, I used light
• 2" section of vanilla bean

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Spray 4 tartlet pans that have removable bottoms with cooking spray, my pans were just over 4" in diameter. Combine all crust ingredients into a food processor, and pulse until well combined and everything comes together in a sticky dough. Using your hands, press dough mixture firmly into the bottom and up the sides of each tartlet shell. The ideal thickness would be 1/8", you want a thin crust, but not so thin you see the bottom of the pan. I find it easiest to start in the middle of each tart and work my way to the edges and up the sides, adding little pieces to fill in the sides as needed. Place all 4 tartlets on a cookie sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes until just starting to crisp. Cool to room temperature leaving them on the same cookie sheet, but placing it on a wire rack.

When the crusts have cooled, put all of the ingredients for the filling into a high-powered blender (withholding some or all of the cayenne if you don't want much heat), I used my vitamix. Blend, stopping to scrape sides occasionally, for about 2-3 minutes until it's smooth and creamy and has no graininess left from the nuts. Blend longer if needed, the goal is to make sure it's smooth. Adjust seasonings, add more cayenne if you really want to spice it up. Using the aid of a spatula, pour the filling into the tart shells, smooth the tops, and place them back on the cookie sheet and refrigerate 6-8 hours or overnight. This chilling allows the filling to set up and get thicker like a cheesecake. Don't cover them with plastic wrap until they have chilled long enough to set or the chocolate will stick to the wrap.

The whipped cream should be made at least a few hours before you're planning to serve the tartlets. Open the can of coconut milk and scoop out only the thick cream that is at the top. Try to get as little of the coconut water at the bottom as possible while still getting as much of the thick cream as you can. Put into a small metal bowl. Next, halve the section of vanilla bean lengthwise and place it, cut side up, on a work surface. Hold a knife perpendicular to the bean, then run the blade over each cut side, bearing down to scrape out the seeds. Scrape the vanilla seeds off of the knife and into the bowl of coconut cream. Add the agave syrup and whisk briskly until everything is combined and there are no lumps, usually a couple of minutes. You could also use a hand mixer, but I find that since this is so small an amount doing it by hand works out best. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for a few hours or even overnight. When ready to serve, gently whisk again just a few times to lighten it up like whipped cream, be cautious as over whisking will cause it to soften.

To serve, remove tartlet from it's pan and place onto a plate, top with a good dollop of the whipped cream and garnish with a mint sprig, cinnamon stick, dust with cocoa or cinnamon, or even just top with a raspberry. Whatever you have on hand will work, get creative. You could even put a thin slice of jalapeno on top to let your guests know there is some heat in this tart. Serve while still cold.

I really lucked out at the local vegetable market. Not only did they have sweet corn, but they had tons of beautiful dark green poblano peppers. I didn't have plans for these beauties but I knew they were coming home with me. So on the drive home I obsessed over poblanos. That night I had weird poblano dreams, and by the next morning it all came together. Burgers. Not the usual variation of a black bean burger. No, something different. Pinto beans. Pinto beans would be the base for this burger. Why? If you have ever made them from dried beans you can appreciate how lovely these protein packed powerhouses truly are. They actually have this amazing and artsy pattern on their skins... they're pretty. I said it. I called a bean pretty. You don't get that dramatic beauty when you open a can of pinto beans, the art is all gone, but the convenience takes it's place. As much as I enjoy putting the love into a pot of dried beans... I work, I like my house to be somewhat clean, I like to spend time with my family, you know what I mean. Sometimes I have time, but most days I don't. So this one uses canned beans, but you can close your eyes and imagine them in all their pretty dried glory for a moment before you unleash all the days frustrations out while mashing them. So this is not only a burger, this is also a stress reliever. You're welcome I pair this burger with a chipotle aioli, mostly because I love chipotles and well it sounds gourmet when you say aioli. But these are seriously good on their own or with whatever condiment you have on hand. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

Pinto Burgers:

• 15oz can of pinto beans, liquid reserved, rinsed and drained
• 1/2 cup sweet onion, diced
• 1/2 cup poblano pepper, seeds removed and diced
• 1/3 cup fresh corn, or thawed frozen corn
• 2 TBS canola oil
• 1/2 tsp garlic, minced
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 tsp oregano
• 1/4 tsp chili flakes
• 1/4 cup cornmeal
• 1 TBS tomato paste
• 2 tsp reserved pinto bean liquid
• 1/8 cup green onions, thinly sliced
• 2 tsp cilantro, minced
• canola oil for sauteing

Chipotle Aioli:

• 1 cup Vegenaise
• 2 chipotles in adobo sauce, minced
• 2 tsp adobo sauce, add less for a less spicy aioli
• 3/4 tsp agave syrup
• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder

Remaining Ingredients:

• 4 burger buns or sandwich rolls of your choice
• thinly sliced onion, optional
• thinly sliced tomato, optional
• thinly sliced avocado, optional
• lettuce pieces, optional

Directions:

For the the pinto burgers... in a large bowl, mash the beans with a large spoon or fork until about 70% are smashed. Next heat the the 2 TBS oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onions, poblanos, and corn. Saute for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally until tender and starting to to turn golden. Add the garlic, chili powder, cumin, salt, chili flakes, and oregano to the pan, heat another 1-2 minutes stirring constantly. Remove this mixture from the pan and add to the bowl of smashed pinto beans. Add cornmeal, tomato paste, green onions, and cilantro. Use a large metal spoon to both stir and mash all the ingredients until they start to come together. Spray a large plate with cooking spray, next spray or oil your hands. Form into four equal sized burger patties and place on prepared plate. Add more oil or spray to your hands if the burger starts to stick to them.

Next make the chipotle aioli. Add all the aioli ingredients into a small bowl and gently fold the mixture until everything is combined. Be sure to do this gently as the Vegenaise will break down and get runny if you stir too intensely. Cover with wrap and set aside.

In a large nonstick skillet, heat a very thin layer of oil over medium heat. Add the burgers and cook for about 3-4 minutes on each side until golden brown. Spread the inside of each roll with the chipotle aioli, top with a burger and whatever veggies your heart desires. Enjoy while still warm. Makes 4 burgers.