There's nothing like waiting until the absolute last minute.
I made this tasty, no-bake (breaking the rules this month -- sorry) vegan cheesecake an hour ago. That's right: one hour ago. What's in it? Well, first, I used Peanut Butter & Co.'s Dark Chocolate Dreams to make a super-delicious graham cracker crust (2 cups graham crackers -- well crushed in a food processor, 1/2 cup peanut butter, water as needed -- mix well and then press into a pie dish).
I then took a 15-ounce block of firm tofu and split it in half. One half was well blended (again in a food processor) with a small banana, 1/3 cup honey (I do eat honey), and a splash of vanilla to make the banana "cheesecake" . . . the other was blended with some melted vegan dark chocolate chips (about 1/4 cup), another 1/3-ish cup honey, and a splash of soy milk to make a chocolate "cheesecake."
(Carefully) Layer the two, chill . . . more than 15 minutes for firmer results, aaaaaaaaand you're done.
Why such blatant disregard for the rules? It's 90 degrees outside . . . and I don't feel at all like turning on the oven. OK. Even if I WANTED to turn on the oven, I couldn't. We've had it disconnected because we're getting our NEW oven on Friday! Also, our half marathon is this coming weekend, and I don't really feel like stuffing myself with sweets. That's for after the race.
The April 2009 challenge is hosted by Jenny from Jenny Bakes. She has chosen Abbey’s Infamous Cheesecake as the challenge.
There's this Italian food place in a nearby town that makes grilled pizza. And we're completely obsessed with it. So, yesterday we decided to break out the grill for the first time this year and try to replicate the smokey, cheesy, crispy goodness.
The result? Really tasty pizza, and far less mess than I anticipated.
The hardest part is making sure the dough doesn't burn. All you need to do is WATCH closely. Don't walk far away from the grill . . . and use your nose, because you'll most likely smell when it's time to transfer (see detailed instructions below). Honestly, we burned the bottom of our first pie to a crisp. It was too thick and, therefore, took far too long to cook. The whole process just takes some experimentation. But when you master it, you'll be the most popular person on the block.
PLEASE let me know how your pizzas turn out -- as well as if you come up with any tips and tricks along the way.
Happy Friday <3
GRILLED PIZZA
What You'll need . . .
- A grill -- ours is charcoal, but you can successfully make this recipe with a gas grill
- Pizza peel (above)
- Round pizza pan (most of the cooking is done straight on the actual grill, but the pan is used near the end to prevent burning)
- Rolling pin
- Pizza dough (we were lazy and just bought ours, but here's my favorite recipe)
- Flour, for dusting
- Oil, for drizzling
- Whatever topping you'd like, we made a veggie pizza with sliced mushrooms, green peppers, red onions, fire-roasted tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, and parmesan cheese
Method . . .
- Heat up the grill -- it should be very hot, with charcoal displaying white ash, etc.
- On a floured surface, roll out the dough as thinly as possible. My photos are of the thick pizza we made (because when we finished the thin, I was too busy eating it). Make it super, super flat and then transfer to a floured pizza peel.
- Transfer dough to the grill. Really! It won't make a horrible, burned mess. Just put it on there . . . and cook until you see the bottom start to brown, but not burn. This takes approximately three minutes. Oh, and you don't need to close the grill for this part. You will later, though. Just let it breathe!
- NOTE: You will notice the pizza puffing up with tons of bubbles. Pop these bubbles gently with a fork.
- Slide the half-done pizza onto the peel again . . . and flip it, uncooked side DOWN, onto a floured work surface.
- Drizzle the top (the DONE part) with olive oil.
- Add all your toppings at this point (to the DONE side). Don't go crazy -- because the heavier the pizza is, the harder it is to transfer back onto the grill. And a little goes a long way . . .
- Put the pizza on the peel again and transfer back onto the grill. Immediately cover with your grill top (this will help cook all the toppings).
- Again, wait about three minutes, or just keep obsessively checking like I did to make sure the bottom isn't burning.
- When it DOES start to burn, your pizza most likely won't be entirely cooked. This is where the pizza pan comes in. Slide your almost-done pizza onto the pan (that goes directly on the grill) to finish the cooking process. It is still possible for the pizza to burn while on the pan, so keep a close watch. The total cooking time varies depending on how thick your crust is. Keep checking it -- and it should be done, on average, around 5 to 8 minutes.
- What you'll find is that you want to take the pizza off JUST before you think it's done. It might still be even the slightest bit doughy, but that's OK -- that's how it's supposed to be.
- Also, I found it helpful to make smaller-than-normal pizzas -- dividing the dough ball we bought in half. It made transferring it on and off the grill really easy.
Today's post:
A short process piece about our beloved dining room (because you have to eat all your goodies SOMEwhere). What a difference a little trim and paint can make!
Here it is when we first moved in (OLD owner's -- not ours -- dining room is on the left, and our first-stab, move-in look is on the right) . . .
Then here's what it looked like after a bit more time in the house (without the ugly green carpeting):
. . . And after more time had passed, it got even a bit better -- with the help of a few architectural details . . .
AND HERE IT IS NOW!
Improved by more light (uncovering the back window -- whatwerewethinking???), a different rug (that my HUSBAND picked out at Target), lighter color/texture curtains, moved furniture, crown moulding, etc., etc., etc.
Now, we still haven't completely "finished" our dining room table -- but we'll do that soon. If you want to learn how to make your own lovely door dining room table, check out THIS POST on Design*Sponge (one of my all-time favorite blogs).
<3
Interested in raw foods? My friend (and amazing writer) Becca Troutman is out to discover the good, bad, and ugly over at her new blog Project Raw.
More info from her site: Over 30 days a "raw food virgin" voluntarily enters the raw food lifestyle, guided by chef Meredith Frantz. The raw food lifestyle has a notoriously difficult learning curve, so this blog serves as a primer for the skeptical, curious, and clueless! Raised by a meat and potatoes family, our "raw food virgin," Rebecca, discusses her expectations and experiences with the healthiness, cost-effectiveness, challenges and joys of raw food.
So check out Project Raw -- I know I will! My husband recently referred to me as a "frat-boy" vegetarian. Admittedly, that describes my diet lately. I had pizza for dinner last night and the night before (with some tasty beers). And as I type this post, I'm downing yet another Lean Cuisine mac 'n cheese lunch that's far from healthy or satisfying.
Bread, cheese, repeat.
Any other veggies/vegans out there training for a marathon?
How do you deal with your EPIC appetite?
Oh, back to raw foods before I sign off . . . If you want a quick recipe for tonight, go to my post Adventures with Raw Food for citris-kale salad and zucchini soup.
<3
