Day 28.

This is a bit unusual for me, I found a vegan pizza recipe that I’m going to convert a bit the other way. Instead of making this veggie-friendly, I’m going to make it omni-friendly by adding some vegan pepperoni to the pizza for the meat-lover in the family. I’m making the vegetarian recipe “meatier.” This could be a whole new world of recipe conversions. :) But I think I’ll keep it to once a week at most. 

Vegan Pizza Pepporanata

Ingredients
Pizza crust dough of choice (recipe follows)
Green Pepper, medium size, thinly sliced
Red Pepper, medium size, thinly sliced (I skipped the green and upped the others as I didn’t have it)
Yellow Pepper, medium size, thinly sliced
Orange Pepper, medium size, thinly sliced
Onion, big, thinly sliced
1.5 Tbsp. Olive oil
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
red pepper flakes, salt and pepper, to taste
1/2-1 Tbsp. Italian seasoning
1/4 tsp. sugar
1 package vegan “pepperoni” slices (optional)

Yield: 8 rectangles
Directions
Switch on the oven to 400F. In a large cookie sheet (use the one which you think will fit the pizza dough) add all the ingredients except the pizza dough. That is, the thinly sliced peppers, onion, garlic, oil and the seasonings. Mix it well and spread it on the baking sheet.

Cook it for 15 minutes stirring occasionally. Then broil for another 5 minutes, keeping the oven door open. Transfer the caramelized vegetables to a plate or wax paper.

Usually while baking the pizza dough you have to oil the baking sheet. Since we have roasted the vegetables already you can see that the baking sheet is already greased. So simply remove the dough from the can (if using prepackaged) and unfold it on the cookie sheet or place your homemade dough on the sheet. Spread it evenly to cover the cookie sheet. 

Top the dough with the cooked pepper and onion mixture evenly.

Bake it for 12-16 minutes, until the bottom turns golden brown and the top is also baked enough.

Adapted from original recipe at egglesscooking.

I always use my Betty Crocker pizza dough recipe, so here it is:

Pizza Dough
2.5-3 C flour
1 C warm water
1 packet yeast
1 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. sugar
3 Tbsp. olive oil

Mix up the dry stuff, mix up the wet stuff. Combine and stir/mix until it pulls away from the bowl. Knead for 5 minutes or so and then loosely cover with plastic wrap. Let it rest for 30 minutes. Roll it out with a floured pin and place it on your cookie sheet, bake as directed above with toppings.

The Results
You’re going to call me crazy, but I completely did not miss the cheese in this pizza. I had myself all psyched up to think of it as focaccia bread or some other flatbread so I wouldn’t miss my cheese. But, deep down I knew it was pizza and I HAD to miss the cheese. But I didn’t. This was so flavorful and rich and my omni husband said “it doesn’t even need the pepperoni” and “it actually may be better without the cheese” after he added cheese to some leftover slices of his pizza. Delicious. Absolutely the best homemade pizza I’ve ever made, cheese or no cheese. I highly recommend you make it. Tonight. It’s easy and so, so good.

This post is linked at Friday Potluck, Cravings, Friday Favorites and Fat Camp Friday.