flatbreads for a party!

these are always a hit, and are so easy to make for a large group of people. similar to pizzas, but thinner and the toppings are more a part of the bread rather than a “topping.” either way, you and your friends will love them.

the reason WE made them was for a kickstarter party! after we raised the money for our magazine through kickstarter they reached out to us and asked if we could teach a short cooking class at their office. naturally we chose something simple, party-friendly and pleasing to omnivores. what fits those criteria better than flatbread pizzas?

each of these are incredibly simple to make. use this simple crust recipe (same as used in a previous hipsterfood pizza.) fill a 9” pan with this dough, then spread on some cashew cheese and whatever mixture of the below toppings you prefer. once your dough, cheese, and toppings are all in your pan bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes. keep in mind that you’ll need one serving of the dough recipe and a 3/4 cup of cashew cheese per pizza.

pictured above: chickpea & tandoori-infused oil. mix 1/2 a cup of tandoori paste and 1/4 cup of olive oil, then coat a cup of chickpeas in it. spread the chickpeas over your pizzas and bake!

olive & fresh herb. coarsely chop a can of whole olives. top with spices to taste. we used fresh oregano and parsely.

brown sugar butternut squash (not cheese, i swear! haha). this involves either slicing thew squash really thin and throwing it on the pizza raw or pre-baking small squares in olive oil to soften them up before using them as a topping. whichever way you choose be sure to coat the pizza top in brown sugar and cinnamon for a perfect dessert pizza!

asparagus garlic. the trick to this, as discovered by our fellow kickstarter cooks, is to slice the asparagus vertically down the middle so you don’t have to worry about the thick ones not cooking all the way through and its easier to cover the pizza with the attractive end-pieces. layer that on and coat with minced garlic and spice to taste.

mini date tarts

sorry for the delay in posting, we decided last minute to head to nyc for the weekend. we’re terrible at vegan mofo :p

but either way, we’ve got this great dessert/appetizer for you today. it’s very sweet without adding much of any extra sugar, and its small size is perfect for parties or just light snacking throughout the week.

for the filling:

1. take 10-12 medjool dates and slice them in half, then remove the pits and other non-edible parts and place them in a saucepan. cover them with water and place on medium heat.
2. heat the pan and occasionally break apart the soft dates and stir everything around. eventually the water will cook away, and the dates will break down where you are left with a sort of date paste/syrup.
3. add in other whole dried fruits, like cranberries, currants, or raisins. sprinkle on some cinnamon. keep stirring until everything forms a thick consistency.

while you’re working on step 2 above, start making the crust!

1. place 2 cups almonds and 2 cups pecans in a resealable plastic bag. take a hammer and crush all them until they’re all small and crumbly.
2. place the nuts in a bowl, along with 1 1/2 cups flour, 1 cup sugar (we use turbinado sugar/sugar in the raw), and 2 tsp baking powder. stir together.
3. beat in 1/3 cup earth balance (non-dairy butter). then pour in rice milk and stir as you go along, about 1/4 cup or less at a time. you know it’s ready when the “dough” is sticking together in large clumps.

put it all together!

1. grease a mini-muffin tin. (this recipe made 16 small tarts, so probably 2 tins.) fill each cup with the crust, leaving a space in the center for the filling, obviously. spoon in the date filling.
2. bake at 350F for 30 minutes, or until the crust is crispy on the edges.
3. serve piping hot, and enjoy! :)

avocado, dulse, & chickpea sandwich

i’ve been on pinterest a lot lately, mostly to find inspiration for decorating/remodeling the new house, but i’ve also been collecting great food ideas that i’m dying to veganize. this sandwich came from a sort of BLT with avocado, and though i wouldn’t consider it a replacement, this is still realllllly delicious. (and super simple to make!)

first, mash an avocado with a pinch of salt and a pinch of brown sugar until everything is creamy and consistent. mix in 1/2-3/4 cups cooked & cooled chickpeas. (when you mix them together, it’s harder for the chickpeas to fall out of the sandwich!)

then, crisp up some bread. we had a loaf of sliced french bread, but regular sliced bread would be fine too. just place them on a hot pan until they’re browned on the edges.

finally, crisp up some dulse. if you’ve never used or eaten it before, it’s a type of seaweed that’s a little salty, a little sweet, and has a deep earthy savory flavor. (it’s also great nutritionally.) on medium-low heat, lay out a handful or two of the dulse. heat until each piece is slightly crispy and hot. it shouldn’t take more than a minute.

put the avocado/chickpea mixture on the bread and stick some dulse on top. the combination of the creamy mushy avocado and the crispy, salty dulse and bread is just fantastic. one avocado should make about 8 small sandwiches, enough for two or three people, depending on how hungry you are. enjoy!

edit: dulse can be found sometimes in the international aisle, an asian grocery store/market, or in health food stores. if you live in a coastal area, it’ll be easier to find, but if you can’t, online is always an option if you’re really interested! (here’s the website of the company we bought from.)