Italian Shmitalian

A look at some Italian eats:

Garlic Knots

Fresh-baked garlic knots with a cold marinara dipping sauce from Bella Faccia Pizzeria on 29th and Alberta. My guest and I sprinkled on loads of nutritional yeast (of course), oregano, salt and pepper. We both like things heavenly-seasoned (just ask anyone who attempts to eat the popcorn I make), but on their own they were still warm, soft and doughy-delicious.

 

Pizza

One night last month there was an epic slumber party with 3 of us gals. It involved pigtails, pillow fights, pinot, pizza, and pajamas. It was pretty much the most fun ever, in part due to the yummy pizza we made. We used store-bought pizza dough, bruschetta sauce, mushrooms, onions, tofurkey sausage, and lots of red pepper. I know the lighting isn't terrific for these pics (we ate at 11pm) but I hope you can catch a glimpse of it's pure awesomeness. Turns out a pizza stone really does make a difference.

Spinach and Mushroom Lasagna

 

Lasagna Rolls

These last two are recipe tests for the Happy Herbivore cookbook coming out this fall. All fat-free vegan, easy, and super flavorful.

 

Zucchini and Chick'n Pizza

I got some real gems on my grocery shopping trip yesterday. Look for reviews all week long.

Last night's dinner featured Lightlife Chick'n Strips and The Bread Stop Rosemary Pizza Dough.
I think I heard that Lightlife just got bought out by some big conglomoration--has anyone else heard anything? Regardless, their products sure taste good*.


Pizza is one of the easiest meals to make--you grab whatever ingredients you have on hand, throw it on some dough, and stick it in the oven for 20 or 30 minutes. My problem lies in the actual making of the dough. My dough always gets tacky and weird and chewy and stupid. I wasn't sure if I could justify spending $2.49 on a a lump of pizza dough, when I have flour, yeast, salt, and sugar at my house already, but I'm glad I did.
Once I get better at making crust, I may not have a need for pre-made refrigerated dough, but until I get there, I think I'm in love with this rosemary loveliness.

Janessa's Zucchini and Chick'n Pizza

1 ball Bread Stop Rosemary Pizza Dough

BASE
3 T olive oil
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
2 cups spinach

TOPPINGS
about 8 cremini mushrooms, sliced
1/2 summer zucchini, sliced
1/2 package Lightlife Chick'n Strips
lemon zest

Bake at 425 for 20-25 minutes. Slice. Have a mouth-gasm.

Notes:

* You don't have to cook the chick'n strips--they're pre-seasoned and cooked--you can just throw 'em on.

* My friend Ashley is the genius who told me that olive oil and yeast gives that nice cheesy-ish taste to homemade pizza.

* The lemon zest adds a really nice zing to the flavor.

* 4 servings with a small appetite, probably 2 for those of you with larger stomachs.

Here's the pizza, all ready to go into the oven:

Sorry! I don't have a post-oven pictures, but it looked pretty much like this, only cooked.


* I looked it up--Lightlife is now owned by ConAgra foods. A big fat BOO to that. ConAgra owns everything from Chef Boyardee to Jiffy Pop to Marie Callender to Slim Jim.