Homemade Summertime Pizza with Grilled Veggies

Howdy pardners!

With summertime winding down and fall quickly approaching, what a better time to get outside and get your grill on, right?

My best friend since the second grade, Amy Young, is an avid horsewoman not to mention and avid cook. She once lived in both France and Italy and loves to share her favorite recipes with me. Though she’s not vegan, she’s always vegan-izing her favorite recipes and inviting me over to try them! One of my favorite things is being a dinner guest in her home – she always gives me kitchen tips but hardly ever requires that I lift a finger. A few weeks ago we got together and she created a homemade pizza with fresh veggies from the outdoor grill, complete with homemade crust. It tasted so delish that I knew I wanted to share it with all of you. It’s time to fire up the barbie for one last little red- hot whirl before summertime ceases. Giddy up friends, here’s a mouthwatering vegan pizza recipe for you all to enjoy!

Pizza Dough Ingredients

1/2 teaspoon active dry yeast

Pinch of sugar

4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

2 Tablespoons olive oil

Hand full of cornmeal (helps the dough from sticking and also adds nice crunchy texture)

Pizza Ingredients (you can purchase your favorite veggies for toppings. Buying organic & seasonal is best)

Red peppers

Mushrooms

Zucchini

Eggplant

(these are only suggested veggie toppings, use your favorites; plan for about 1 cup of fresh veggies per pizza)

Artichoke hearts (canned ok)

Diced garlic (fresh or canned)

1 package of dairy-free cheese (I prefer Daiya Mozzarella shreds)

1 jar of vegan tomato sauce (such as Muir Glen or make your own). If tomato sauce is too rich, use diced tomatoes instead or pesto

Canola oil

A few sprigs of fresh oregano

A few springs of basil

Pizza Dough (makes 4-8 personal pizzas depending on the thickness of the crust) 

In order to make this delicious pizza you must make the dough first –

Put 1 1/4 cups warm water in a measuring cup

Add yeast and sugar and let sit for 5-10 minutes, until frothy

Sift the flour and salt into a large bowl and make a well in the center

Gradually pour in the yeast mixture and the olive oil

Mix to make a smooth dough

Knead on a lightly floured surface for about 1o minutes

Place the dough in a floured bowl, cover and let rise in a warm place for 1.5 hours

Veggie Preparation & Grilling Instructions

Wash & dry red peppers, zucchini and eggplant

Brush veggies with canola oil (or vegan oil of your choice)

Slice zucchini to grill

Place veggies on grill on medium heat

Salt veggies once off the grill

Dice up veggies small enough for toppings on pizza

Chop mushrooms for toppings (don’t grill)

Pizza Baking Instructions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F

Knead the dough for 2 minutes and then divide into 4 equal pieces

Sprinkle a small hand full of cornmeal onto surface you’ll use to roll dough

Roll out each piece to a 10 inch round and place onto four lightly oiled baking sheets

Spoon the tomato sauce onto each dough round Brush the edges of the rounds with olive oil

Add Daiya cheese, diced grilled veggies, fresh mushrooms, artichoke hearts and diced garlic

Bake for ~15 minutes until golden brown and crisp (note: baking time depends on how doughy/crunchy you like your pizza crust)

Sprinkle oregano leaves & slice fresh basil on top

Slice pizza up and EAT!

Yuummm! A great big yeehaw (and a huge thanks) goes out to my BFF for creating and letting me submit this delicious recipe! I’d love to hear your feedback once you’ve created your very own pizza. Feel free to leave your comments below. Yeehaw!

xo, Kayle