veggie and kraut pizza

pizza has long been one of my favourite foods. another one my favourites is sauerkraut, and when i went vegan, i found that kraut made a tasty substitute for cheese on pizza. it's not exactly apples to apples in terms of taste, mind you, but it's really worth giving it a shot (if you like kraut). the best part - it crunches up perfectly on the edges.

• 1 batch of pizza crust
  
• 2 handfuls baby spinach
• 1/2 cup artichoke hearts, quartered
• 1/2 red bell pepper, sliced
• 1 tomato, sliced and halved
• 5-6 mushrooms, sliced
• 1/2 cup vegan sausage crumbles
• 10-15 black olives, chopped
• 1 cup of sauerkraut, drained

for the pizza sauce:

• 1 small can tomato paste (6oz)
• 3/4 small can tomato sauce (6oz)
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 1 teaspoon basil
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1-2 teaspoons black pepper
• pinch of salt

jessy of happyveganface recently blogged about her whole wheat pizza dough and i had been dying to give it a shot. the verdict - absolutely perfect! i will definitely use this dough more often.

the pizza sauce recipe listed is my go-to recipe when i haven't really 'planned' on making pizza. i prefer a nice combination of fresh and sun dried tomatoes for my sauce, but sometimes a girl just doesn't have all the fresh ingredients she needs. and it's simple - just whisk up all the ingredients in a bowl. also, i really love black pepper in my sauce. i learned this from my italian grandmother, who i once watched make pizza sauce with a heavy hand of black pepper. her sauce tops mine of course, but i haven't forgotten the special black pepper ingredient. :)

i think everyone knows how to make pizza, so i'll just skip to the best part. after layering your sauce and veggies, drain and hand-squeeze your sauerkraut. spread it thinly over the top of your pizza - much like you would with shredded cheese. if you want the kraut to crunchify, make sure you can still see the veggies below. i've tried it both ways, and i say 'thin to win'...

pop it in the oven at 425°f, and let cook for at least 12 minutes. usually i just eyeball it after this, depending on how thick it is, and how crispy you like it.

sautéed morels

i have fond memories of morel hunting with my family when i was a little girl - taking off into the woods in all directions, eyes peeled, hoping to find the prized fungi. to this day, i still go morel hunting, and this year was fairly generous. it is quite a rush when you catch a glimpse of one hiding among the underbrush... especially when you know how yummy it will taste later!

• 5 -6 large morels, quartered
• 2 tablespoons vegan butter (smart balance)
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 cups baby spinach
• 1/2 cup white cooking wine

heat butter and garlic in non-stick skillet on medium-high heat. add in morels, and saute for 5 minutes. remove the morels from heat, and combine the spinach and cooking wine in the skillet. as the spinach starts to wilt and the wine has mostly cooked off, add morels back in and continue cooking for another 1-2 minutes. when spinach is completely wilted, serve.

for those that have never been morel hunting, here is what you are looking for. this was from my last trip out... i finally remembered to bring the camera.