By Tracy Morin
Vegan no longer equals boring, flavorless or unsatisfying. If anything, innovative chefs today are skyrocketing vegan foods beyond the level of traditional menus—perhaps to help quash those old, outdated expectations once and for all.
And today’s customers don’t need to be vegan to eat vegan—for omnivores, it’s now just another category of cuisine. Still, one thing hasn’t changed: Your vegan customers will still prove insanely loyal. Jazz up your own menu with some of these stellar vegan recipe ideas and see for yourself!
Vegan Sausage
Provided by Alex Koons, Hot Tongue Pizza, Los Angeles, CA
Dry Ingredients:
- 321g vital wheat gluten
- 3g chili flakes
- 16g nutritional yeast
- 25g salt
- 15g onion powder
- 26g granulated garlic
- 23g fennel
- 6g oregano
- 14g paprika
Wet Ingredients:
- 52g lemon juice
- 110g coconut aminos
- 49g apple cider vinegar
- 13g molasses
- 296g veggie broth
Directions:
In a large bowl, weigh out the dry ingredients and whisk all of them together. Measure all wet ingredients in a pitcher or bowl and whisk them together. Pour wet ingredient mixture into the large bowl of dry ingredients and mix together by hand. Bring it all together into an almost dough-like mixture. There should be no dry pockets; knead together until all of the wet ingredients have been soaked up.
Weigh out 6- to 7-oz. logs and wrap them tightly into foil. (Twist both sides really tightly, like paper-wrapped caramel candies.) Cook in a steamer for 90 minutes. Do not unwrap. Cool on sheet racks until they are room temperature. Grind in a food processor to make ground sausage, or use however you would like!
Vegan Pepperoni
Provided by Alex Koons, Hot Tongue Pizza, Los Angeles, CA
Dry Ingredients:
- 11.5 oz. vital wheat gluten
- 40g nutritional yeast
- 7g cayenne (reduce if you don’t like too much heat)
- 2.8g chili flakes (reduce if you don’t like too much heat)
- 12g onion salt
- 8g brown sugar
- 6.5g anise
- 11g granulated garlic
- 14g paprika
- 11g mustard powder
- 8g fennel
Wet Ingredients:
- 40g tomato paste
- ¼ c. liquid aminos (or soy sauce)
- 2¼ c. vegetable broth
- 1½ tbsp. Liquid Smoke
- ¼ c. extra-virgin olive oil
Directions:
Mix dry spices in a bowl with the wheat gluten. In a separate bowl, mix the wet ingredients with a whisk until the tomato paste is dissolved. Add the wet ingredients to a dry bowl and knead with your hands for 2 minutes. Make sure all of the dry ingredients are absorbed (but don’t overmix—you don’t want to overwork it). Let the mix rest for 5 minutes. Then, grabbing 10-oz. portions, roll the portions up in about 14” to 20” foil strips, tightening each end by twisting. Put in a steamer and let steam on low to medium heat for 80 minutes. (Check your steamer’s water level around halfway through to make sure you don’t burn your pans.) Unwrap, put in the freezer for 2 hours or until cold all the way through, then cut with a very sharp knife.
ProTip:
Drizzle a little olive oil on all of the pepperoni you are cooking with before putting your pizza in the oven. This will keep it from drying out during the bake and adds a little fat to the final flavor. Also, the thinner the cut, the better!
The Pineapple Express: Toppings
Provided by Alex Koons, Hot Tongue Pizza, Los Angeles, CA
Alex Koons’ specialty pizza combines a bold chipotle base, pickled red onions, pineapple, sliced jalapeños, roasted red peppers, vegan sausage (see recipe on page 26), and fresh cilantro. Here are some of the recipes he uses to start creating those layers of zingy flavor. Try them with his topping combo or incorporate them into your own menu items.
V Mayo:
- 1 c. soy milk
- 2 c. canola oil
- 4g salt
- 12g apple cider vinegar
- 5g lemon
- 12g Dijon mustard
Directions:
In a blender or food processor, combine the soy milk, salt and Dijon mustard. Blend until well-combined. While the blender is running, slowly drizzle in the canola oil. This is a crucial step for emulsifying the mixture and achieving the creamy mayo consistency. Keep blending until the mixture thickens and resembles traditional mayonnaise. Once the mixture has emulsified, add the apple cider vinegar and lemon juice. Blend again until the flavors are well-incorporated and the mayo is smooth and creamy. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. You can add more salt, lemon juice or Dijon mustard according to your preferences. Transfer the V Mayo to a clean, airtight container and refrigerate. It will thicken slightly as it chills. Store in the refrigerator for up to one week.
Chipotle Aioli:
- V Mayo (recipe at left)
- 7g kosher salt
- 6g lime juice
- 47g Dijon mustard
- 20g fresh garlic
- 14g chipotle pepper (adjust to taste, depending on desired spiciness)
- ¾ c. agave (adjust to your preferred sweetness)
Directions:
In a blender or food processor, combine V Mayo, kosher salt, lime juice, Dijon mustard, fresh garlic, chipotle pepper and agave. Blend the mixture until smooth and well-combined. (Make sure the chipotle pepper is fully blended for an even distribution of spiciness.) Taste the chipotle sauce and adjust the seasoning to your liking. You can add more lime juice for tanginess, more agave for sweetness, or more chipotle pepper for extra heat. Transfer the finished chipotle sauce to an airtight container.
Pickled Red Onions:
- 2 large red onions, thinly sliced
- 1 c. apple cider vinegar (or white wine vinegar)
- ½ c. water
- ¼ c. granulated sugar
- 1½ tsp. kosher salt (or sea salt)
- 1 tsp. mustard seeds (optional, for extra flavor)
- 1-2 cloves of garlic, crushed (optional, for added depth)
Directions:
In a medium saucepan, combine the apple cider vinegar, water, granulated sugar, kosher salt and crushed garlic. Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar and salt. Once the brine is ready, remove it from the heat. Layer the sliced red onions in the container and pour the hot brine over them, covering the onions completely. Let cool to room temperature. Once cooled, seal the container tightly with a lid and store in the refrigerator. The pickled red onions will be ready to use after at least 1 hour in the refrigerator. However, for the best flavor, allow them to pickle for at least 24 hours before using. They will keep well in the refrigerator for up to 2 to 3 weeks.
Giardino Pizza
Provided by Fabrizio Cercatore, maestro pizzaiolo, founder/owner, Passione Brands and Hot Italian, Berkeley, CA
Toppings:
- 2 oz. tomato sauce
- 8 oz. grilled summer squash
- 4 oz. cherry tomatoes
- 2 oz. vegan ricotta
- 2 oz. arugula
Directions:
Roll out the pizza dough into a thin round shape on a floured surface. Transfer the dough to a pizza stone, cast iron pan, or a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Spread the tomato sauce evenly over the pizza dough, leaving a small border around the edges. Arrange the grilled summer squash and cherry tomatoes on top of the tomato sauce. Bake the pizza for about 10 to 12 minutes or until the crust is golden and crispy and the toppings are heated through. Remove the pizza from the oven and sprinkle the arugula on top. Drop small dollops of vegan ricotta over the vegetables. Slice and serve.
Basso Pizza
Provided by Fabrizio Cercatore, maestro pizzaiolo, founder/owner, Passione Brands and Hot Italian, Berkeley, CA
Toppings:
- 2 oz. tomato sauce
- 4 oz. vegan mozzarella
- 3 oz. artichoke hearts
- 3 oz. sun-dried tomatoes
- 2 oz. Castelvetrano olives
- 2 oz. basil pesto
Directions:
Roll out the pizza dough into a thin round shape on a floured surface. Transfer the dough to a pizza stone, cast iron pan, or a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Spread the tomato sauce evenly over the pizza dough, leaving a small border around the edges. Sprinkle the vegan mozzarella over the tomato sauce. Distribute the artichoke hearts, sun-dried tomatoes and Castelvetrano olives evenly on top of the cheese. Bake the pizza for about 10 to 12 minutes or until the crust is golden and crispy and the cheese is melted and bubbly. Remove the pizza from the oven and drizzle the basil pesto over the top. Slice and serve.
Tracy Morin is PMQ’s copy editor.
