June 13, 2012

What, Really? You Want Me To Make Bolognese Tomato Sauce, Vegan Style?

June 13, 2012/ nonreactivepan

I have discovered that, although I love my homemade tomato sauce with meat, I've managed to make a vegan version that is just as good.

I'm not kidding. I've had a few people taste it: vegetarians, newly-healthy eaters, and avid meat eaters. All of us agree that it is amazing.

The most important part of the sauce is the canned tomatoes you use. My mother, Gran Fran, swears by canned San Marzano tomatoes. They just taste better, even if they cost way more than the others. I think she learned about these from her Italian grandmothers, who hail from Southern Italy, not sure. They make for a much richer flavor, real tomato-y and not metallic at all. I used the diced ones. I'm sure Gran Fran is not happy with this at all, but the pre-diced ones make my life easier and the sauce chunkier.

When we were kids Gran Fran used to make use push whole canned tomatoes through a sieve to extract the seeds, skin and core. No matter what, I somehow always had a cut on my hand, which the acid from the tomato would burn. Gran Fran had no time for these kinds of complaints. There was likely some sort of a response along the lines of "When I was your age, we had to can the tomatoes ourselves." Or some such other silliness.

The addition of a generous handful of fennel seeds to the sauce makes it taste just like it does when I put sweet Italian sausage in there. I've tried it without the fennel, and it's just kind of bland, still better than store bought, but nothing special. A great trick that Gran Fran uses is to heat up the tomato paste in a small saucepan and most of the dried spices to it and some olive oil. By cooking them together, the tomato paste picks up the flavors and distributes them into the sauce more evenly. I think Gran Fran told me once that cooking the spices this way makes their flavors release more strongly. It's one of those things I do because my Mom told me to.

Oh, and don't forget to brown some garlic lightly before putting the tomato sauce and wine in the pot.

I do also add a half bottle of red wine. Any kind will do, even cheap stuff, though more expensive wines definitely add a little more depth to the sauce.

Cooking for a really long time over a low heat once everything is incorporated (Gran Fran-ism) is key to your sauce's success. This time I had to go out for a few hours after I started to sauce. I turned the flame off and let the pot sit until I came back, partially covered. This seemed to help the sauce thicken because when I came back, it was more set than when I left. I turned the flame back on and cooked it for another two hours, for a total cooking time of 4 hours. Slow cookers can be tried here, but I have not had the best luck with getting a good thick sauce in my slow cooker until the second day, reheating on the stove.

I'm going to make a bunch of this and can it for future use (or sale, who knows?). Last night, in a rush to make myself something to eat, I was lucky enough to find a gluten-free pizza crust in my cupboard and a jar of this fabulous tomato sauce in my fridge. Let me tell you, with a couple of anchovies and some pine nuts, I had myself a wonderful pizza, in under 20 minutes.

Bolognese Sauce: Italian Vegan Tomato Sauce

Ingredients:

2 cans San Marzano diced tomatoes
4 cloves garlic, smashed, skins removed
1/8 cup olive oil
2 tbsps tomato paste
1/2 bottle red wine
2 bay leaves
3 teaspoons fennel seeds
2 teaspoons oregano
1 spring fresh rosemary
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground black pepper

Method:

Heat the olive oil in a heavy bottomed non-reactive pan. Add the garlic and let sit for two minutes, just before it browns.
Pour both cans of diced tomatoes into the pan, bringing it to a boil.
Heat a small saucepan over medium heat and add the tomato past, fennel, oregano, rosemary, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper.
Cook the tomato paste and spices for three minutes, until fragrant.
Add the tomato paste with spices, the red wine and the bay leaves to the boiling tomato sauce.
Boil for one more minute, stir, then reduce the heat to a simmer.
Cover the pan halfway and cook for two hours, stirring occasionally.
Turn off the heat for an hour or two, keeping the sauce in the partially covered pan.
Return the heat to high, bring the sauce to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for an additional two hours, stirring occasionally.
Serve over pasta, on pizza or over broiled chicken breasts.

May 09, 2012

Vegan and Gluten-Free Mini Veggie Pizza

May 09, 2012/ nonreactivepan

Comfort foods are my best friend. My parents are both great cooks and go out of their way to make everyone's favorite foods at all times. One of my favorite childhood dishes, was the English muffin mini pizzas Joe (my dad) would make for us. Honestly, I can't remember if he made them very often , but this is a dish I always associate with him.

I've been wanting to make these mini pizzas myself, but I have two problems: gluten and dairy. In the past, I've made my own pizza crust with gluten free flour, but I just want to be able to throw together a quick and easy pizza, that reminds me of Joe's pizza.

My solution presented itself in the form of these great gluten and dairy free Amy's sandwich rounds. I haven't had much luck in finding a small roll or English muffin-type of bread in the past. These are amazing. They are nice and soft, but not too chewy and held up well with all of the toppings on them, too.

Veggie Pizza

INGREDIENTS

1 green bell pepper, sliced into strips
3 to 4 mushrooms, sliced and sautéed in olive oil
3 to 4 asparagus stalks, steamed and cut into small pieces
Amy's Gluten-Free Sandwich Round or 1 English muffins or 1 pita cut in half
2 sprigs fresh thyme, coarsely chopped
1/8 cup olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

PREPARATION

If using pizza dough: prepare as per the package instructions and pre-bake the dough halfway.
If using English muffins or pita bread: place in a toaster oven or a regular oven on broil for 3 minutes.
Take the partially baked pizza dough or the toasted bread and layer on top all of the veggies.
Pour the oil over top, and sprinkle with thyme, salt and pepper.
Place back in the oven or broiler and cook until the veggies and crust/bread have browned slightly.

Serves 2. Prep time, 5 minutes; cook time, 5 to 20 minutes.

Cook’s note: You can add 2 tablespoons of tomato sauce, mozzarella or Parmesan cheese as a base, before you place the vegetables on the bread.

November 15, 2011

Pizza In Five

November 15, 2011/ nonreactivepan

Remember when I told you all about the Foodbuzz Festival? Well, while I was there, I was lucky enough to receive a copy of the book Pizza in Five by Jeff Hertzberg and Zoe Francois. I made their gluten free pizza crust dough and I certainly was pleased with the results.

It has been really challenging adhering to a gluten-free (and dairy-free) diet this past year, so when I saw their recipe I was excited to try it. There are a lot of ingredients, some of which you just won't have in your pantry, but all of which were well worth purchasing. I found most everything I needed between Whole Foods and Safeway. I also know our local organic co-op sells all of the ingredients in bulk. At the bulk stores you have the option of buying smaller quantities.

The crust had a great chewy quality to it, but it was also crisp, which is something I've been missing with other gluten-free doughs I've experimented with.

Oh, and there are tons of other people cooking from this fantastic book and posting their results to #PizzaPartyIn5 today, so go and check it out!

Herewith, are the step-by-step photos of what I did to make this delicious pizza. I'll post the recipe and the instructions soon, but was excited to get this up for everyone to enjoy.

Gluten-Free Pizza Dough

from Artisan Pizza and Flatbread in Five Minutes a Day, by Jeff Hertzberg and Zoe Francois

Ingredients:

2 cups Brown Rice Flour
2 cups White Rice Flour
2 cups Tapioca Flour (aka Starch)
1 1/2 cups Cornmeal
2 tbsps Granulated Yeast
1-1 1/2 tbsps Kosher Salt (I used Fleur de Sel)
2 tbsps Xantham Gum
3 1/4 cups Lukewarm Water
1/2 cup Olive Oil
2 large Eggs, lightly beaten
2 tbsps Sugar, Honey, Malt Powder or Agave Syrup (I used Honey)

Method:

Mixing and Storing the dough: Whisk together the flours, cornmeal, yeast, salt, and xantahn gum in a 5 quart bowl, or a lidded, (not airtight) food container.
Combine all the liquid ingredients with the sweetener and add the mixture to the dry ingredients, using a spoon, 14 cup food processor (with dough attachment), or a heavy-duty stand mixer (with paddle), until all of the dry ingredients are well incorporated. You may have to use wet hands to get the last bit of flour to incorporate if you're not using a machine.
Cover (not airtight), and allow it to rest at room temperature until the dough rises, approximately 2 hours.
The dough can be used immediately after its initial rise, though it is easier to handle when cold. Refrigerate it in a lidded (not airtight) container and use over the next 5 days. Or store the dough for up to 3 weeks in the freezer in 1/2 pound portions. When using frozen dough, thaw it in the refrigerator overnight before use.
On pizza day, break off a piece of the dough. It will not have any stretchiness like wheat doughs.
Roll out the dough directly on a pizza peel, (I rolled mine right onto my stainless countertop with flour on it) covered generously with flour and cover the dough with plastic wrap.
Roll into a 1 1/8 inch thick round.
As you roll out the dough, use a dough scraper to make sure the dough isn't sticking to the peel (or whatever surface you're using); add more flour if needed.
Gently pull off the plastic wrap, and top.

Put the Pizza Together and Bake It:

my own interpretation of the method from the book

Turn oven up to highest setting (mine was 500 degrees).
Put your pan in the oven to get it as hot as possible.
Prepare all your ingredients: I used bacon, chanterelle mushrooms, potatoes, tomatoes, pesto, and egg.
Roll out the dough as described above.
Remove the pan from the oven (must do this quickly so the pan doesn't cool down too much). Add some olive oil.
Using a flat stainless scraper to pick it up and put it on the super hot pan.
Working quickly, add all your toppings (see photos below, I have them in order of ingredient application).
Finish with the cracked egg on top, and add a bit of olive oil and spices.

Bake in the hot oven for about 10 minutes, or until the edges are browned and the egg has set.

Enjoy!

October 28, 2011

Fig and Speck Pizza

October 28, 2011/ nonreactivepan

My mother grew up in an Italian-American family in Brooklyn. Gran Fran, my mother, has for all sorts of recipes, both old and new. Her favorites were passed down from her Nonna (the typical Italian grandma) and her mother. In turn, over the years, she has passed along her considerable collection of recipes and food facts to all of her children and now her grandchildren.

Recently, I asked Gran Fran about the difference between speck and pancetta. She told me speck is more like a black forest ham, cured, whereas pancetta is raw and needs to be cooked. She then shared this Fig and Speck Pizza recipe with me.

There are a lot of ingredients here, but it's a simple process to put the whole thing together. I bought pizza dough since I've never had much luck with making my own. The fun part comes when you spread everything out and grate that final sprinkling of parmesan over the top.

Have fun with this and enjoy your Fall!

recipe courtesy of Fran Claro of The Italian Pantry.