Vegan Ricotta Pizza

Have you ever been really proud of something that you created all on your own?

Tonight was one of those nights for me.  I decided that tonight for dinner we would have Vegan Ricotta Pizza.  Well, I didn't have any ingredients on hand that were already made so I took it to the kitchen and got to work.

First I took out one 8oz package of Nasoya Firm Tofu, drained all water from it and then pressed it.  If you have never pressed tofu before don't worry, it is extremely easy.   What you want to do is wrap it in paper towels, and then put a dish towel around it as well and place it on a plate.  In order to "press" it you must apply some weight to the top of the wrapped tofu.  I usually take a smaller plate and put two cans of something on the top of it.  The time it takes to complete the process depends on the firmness of your tofu.  I used firm for this, so it only pressed for an hour. You can press any tofu for up to four hours.

After it was done, I cut it up and it looked like this...

You stick it right in your food processor and add the other ingredients.  Don't worry, I will post the formal recipe later on.

You want to make sure to let it blend until the mixture is smooth.  It will look like this...

Let me tell you, it was SO good!  I snuck a spoonful of it before putting it in the fridge.  I wanted to keep it cool until I was ready to use it. 

This is when I started making the sauce.  I can remember when my dad first taught me how do make it.   We would always bond with our cooking time together.  Since I've moved, we don't get these wonderful moments much anymore, but I will always remember them.  The best part is now, I get to share them with my beautiful daughter.  She really is the best (and cutest) helper!

After we let the sauce simmer on the stove, we started on the dough.  We put the yeast, a tbsp of flour and water in a bowl, mixed and let it sit for 15 minutes to activate.  After that, we added the rest of the ingredients and kneaded the dough.  I then rolled it into a ball, put it back in the bowl, put a towel over the bowl and left it in a warm spot for another 15 minutes.  If needed, you can leave it there longer.  It will not hurt the dough, which I unfortunately forgot to take a photo of.

When it is ready, you add some oil to it and spread it around the dough and roll it out!  You spread the sauce on top, add your ricotta in clumps, add your veggies and seasonings (if you want any) and pop that baby in the oven at 435 degrees for about 18 minutes or until the outside of the crust starts to turn golden brown.  It will look like this...

I have to admit, it was so good that I had about 4 slices.  Oh well, I will work it off tomorrow!  

VEGAN RICOTTA PIZZA

Tofu Ricotta

INGREDIENTS

• 8 oz. firm tofu, drained and pressed
• 1/2 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/2 tablespoon dried basil
• 1.5 tablespoons nutritional yeast
• 1/2 clove minced garlic
• 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
• salt and pepper (to taste)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Mix all ingredients in a food processor until smooth.

Crust

• 1 tsp active yeast
• ½ cup warm water
• 1 tbsp flour
• 1¼ cup flour (unbleached white or a combination of white and whole wheat)
• ⅓ tsp salt
• 1 tsp olive oil
• ½ tsp dried oregano or other herbs
• ¼ tsp garlic powder (optional)

Pizza Toppings

**Honestly, this will vary depending on what you want on your pizza.  I am a pretty picky vegan, so I'm not into EVERY kind of vegetable.  However, tweak it the way you want to fit your taste.

Red pizza sauce (I'm sorry I don't have a recipe for this, I make it from memory and I don't use measurements.)

Sliced bell pepper

Onion (red or yellow)

Garlic

Fresh basil

**Optional:  zucchini, olives, mushrooms, etc.

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a bowl, mix warm water, yeast and 1 tbsp flour. Remember, you have to let it sit to activate.  This shouldn't take longer than 15 minutes.  
2. Add 1 cup flour, salt,  garlic and olive oil and mix in (you can also add herbs such as oregano, etc). Add another 3 tbsp flour and mix in. Now it's time to get your hands dirty! Knead to mix and continue to knead for a few seconds into a soft dough. It may be a bit sticky as this point still, and if that is the case, add another tbsp flour if needed. Form the dough into a ball and let it sit for 15 minutes in a warm, dark place.
3. Add a little olive oil (about 1/2 teaspoon) over the dough and spread with your hands. Form the dough into a ball and place on parchment lined sheet.
4. Add a bit of flour to your rolling pin and spread the dough into an oval. It really depends on how thick or thin you want the crust to be. Make sure to keep the edges thicker than the center, so it can form a crust.  Let it sit for a few minutes. In the meantime, preheat the oven to 435 degrees F.
5. Spread the pizza sauce on the crust. 
6. Spoon the ricotta in clumps all over your pizza.  You can use as much or as little as you'd like.
7. Add all your delicious veggies!
8. Bake the pizza for about 20 minutes or until golden on the edges.

ENJOY!!!!!!!!!!!!