Chickpea-Quinoa-Spinach Pizza Crust

Yep, you heard right! Chickpea-quinoa-spinach pizza crust. Or more simply, vegan pizza! This beauty was inspired by something I recently pinned on Pinterest. It was a little bit time consuming to make, but SO WORTH IT – and probably one of the healthiest pizza crusts there is. Chickpeas and quinoa?? Talk about a protein/fibre-packed meal!

The original recipe for this wonderful creation can be found on the blog Hobby and More. Since I did not have chard or kale, I used spinach instead. It gave the crust a much greener, but lovely, colour. I also did not have some of the Indian spices, such as Garam masala, so I ended up using some coriander instead.

I could smell the pizza the entire time it was cooking. It was simultaneously torturous and heavenly. Unfortunately I realized just after putting the pizza into the oven that I should have taken the time to make a cilantro pesto sauce instead of using the store-bought sauce I found in the fridge. *face palm* Oh well, next time! And there will definitely be a next time for this recipe! The only thing I will warn you about is that it can be rather delicate. The edges of my pizza got nice and crispy, but the inside was a bit more soft and fell apart a bit easily. I probably could have kept it in the oven a bit longer, but I was impatient! Anyways, enjoy! :)

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Mini Vegetarian Lasagna “Cupcakes”

To make up for not posting a Meatless Monday recipe yesterday, I made something extra delicious today. ”Cupcakes” for dinner!!!! These were easy to make and SO GOOD! This might be my new favourite recipe, and I’m proud to say I came up with it myself (although the idea for making lasagna cupcakes came to me after browsing Pinterest earlier.. I just made them meat-free). Even my mom (a tofu-hater) said they were very tasty :)

Mini Vegetarian Lasagna “Cupcakes”

 

Makes 6 “cupcakes”

Ingredients:

18 wonton wrappers (3 per “cupcake”)

1/2 tsp olive oil

1 clove of garlic, minced

1/4 cup diced onions

2/3 cup chopped mushrooms

1 large handful of fresh spinach, roughly chopped

1 generous cup of extra firm tofu, crumbled (textured soy protein would also work)

About 3/4 cup of your favourite pasta sauce (be mindful of sodium and sugar content!)

Roughly 1/4 cup ricotta cheese

Roughly 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Parmesan cheese, for sprinkling

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Lightly coat the inside of a 6-serving muffin tin with cooking spray.

2. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and sauté for about 1 minute. Add the onions, mushrooms, and tofu and sauté until tofu is heated through and onions are softened. Season with a bit of pepper and red chili flakes, if you like.

3. Add the chopped spinach and sauté until wilted. Add about 1/2 cup of the pasta sauce (you can add a bit more, depending on how much sauce you like) and stir until heated through. Remove from the heat and set aside.

4. Carefully line each cupcake mold with one wonton wrapper. Spread a small spoonful of ricotta cheese on the bottom of each wonton (I used a mix of ricotta and goat cheese). Add a heaping spoonful of the tofu mixture on top. Carefully place another wonton wrapper on top of the tofu mixture, gently tucking it in to the sides of the cupcake mold. This is what it should look like:

Sprinkle a bit of mozzarella cheese on top and add another heaping spoonful of the tofu mixture. Place one final wonton wrapper on top, add a small spoonful of the remaining pasta sauce, and sprinkle with a bit of mozzarella cheese and some Parmesan. The finished product should look something like this:

5. Bake the “cupcakes” for about 15-20 minutes, until nicely browned. Mine took about 18 minutes. Let the “cupcakes” cool for a few minutes, and then carefully remove them with a small spatula – they should come out very easily!

Tonight I enjoyed my “cupcakes” with some steamed asparagus and spinach. Mmmmm… Can’t wait to make these again!

Meatless Monday: Easy Spinach & Ricotta Ravioli

Happy Meatless Monday!

I’m proud to say that I survived my two midterms today. Only one more to go! I’ve even been finding time to keep up with my exercise. Earlier this afternoon I got a sudden urge to do something that RARELY happens… go for a run outdoors!  I like cardio, but hate running. For whatever reason it always gives me a headache afterwards, even though I’m in good shape and make an effort to drink plenty of water. However, today I felt I had to take advantage of today’s sunny, mild weather and spend some time outside. Once again, I found I didn’t feel so great afterwards. Until I can figure out some reasons why, I thought I should make a “feel-good” dinner to help me get through my last night of studying (until final exams, of course… but let’s not think about that right now). For me, “feel-good” means meat-free and delicious!

Easy Spinach & Ricotta Ravioli

Ingredients:

About 24 wonton wrappers

1 cup reduced fat ricotta cheese

1 cup chopped fresh spinach

1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

1 egg

Salt and pepper

Any other seasonings you prefer (I used a bit of garlic powder)

Directions:

1. Stir together ricotta, spinach, parmesan cheese, egg, a pinch of salt and pepper, and any other seasonings you wish to use.

2. Fill a small dish with water. Lay a wonton wrapper on a clean, dry surface. Keep the remaining wonton wrappers in their package, covered with a damp paper towel so they don’t dry out. Place a spoonful of filling (about 1 tbsp or so) in the middle of the wonton wrapper.

3. Dip your finger in the water and moisten the edges of the wrapper. Fold the wonton over, pressing out any air bubbles, and press to seal the edges. Repeat with remaining wonton wrappers and filling.

4. To cook the ravioli, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook for 5-6 minutes. Remove ravioli from the pot carefully and top with your favourite pasta sauce, or just a sprinkling of parsley and parmesan cheese. Enjoy!

I was so hungry that I forgot to take a picture of the finished product before eating it (sorry!!). However, I did make homemade pumpkin ravioli last week that I was able to get a picture of, so here it is. Very similar to the recipe above, except made with canned pumpkin and a bit of nutmeg and sage (instead of the chopped spinach). I added some portobello mushrooms to it as well.