Week 44: Hearty Tempeh and Veggie Pizza

Pizza is like the entire food pyramid.

Madeline Oles

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This is a great pizza to make when you want something hearty to eat. It’s easy to make and can be tweaked to include your favorite veggies or whatever you have in the fridge. I like to add protein and veggies to most meals when I can. This pizza includes tempeh, which is a great source of vegan protein and adds a nutty flavor.

This pizza has a lot of veggies, so I decided not to use sauce. Instead, I layered the dough with vegan cheese and the toppings. As you can see in the photos below, I drained all the veggies, tomatoes, and the jalapeños on paper towels so there would be less water released when it was baked.

This is a yummy, healthy, filling meal. I even snuck some kale in there! hope you enjoy it.

Ingredients

• dough of choice
• handful vegan mozzarella, shredded
• 1 Roma tomato
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1/4 onion, diced
• 1/2 green pepper, diced
• 1/4 cup frozen corn, placed in hot water then drained
• 4 leaves of kale, destemmed and torn into pieces
• olive oil
• salt and pepper
• dash chili pepper and cumin powder (optional)

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Tempeh squares

• 1/3 block of tempeh, sliced and cut into bite size pieces
• 2 tablespoons coconut or soy aminos
• 1 teaspoon sriracha
• 1 teaspoon maple syrup

Tempeh instructions

1. Place coconut aminos, sriracha, and maple syrup in a shallow bowl. Stir to combine.
2. Place tempeh slices into the mix and toss to coat on both sides. Set aside for 10 minutes (or longer) to allow the tempeh to marinate in the flavors of the liquid mix.
3. After 10+ minutes, heat frying pan over medium-high heat.
4. Add glug of olive oil.
5. Fry the tempeh for 2-3 minutes on each side.
6. Set on paper towel on baking rack while you ready the rest of your pizza.

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Preparation

1. Heat your oven to 425° for 45 minutes before baking your pizza.
2. Smash your garlic. If you have time to let it sit for 15 minutes before heating it, more beneficial health properties of the garlic will be released (yeah!).
3. Slice your tomato and sprinkle it with a dash of sea salt to release the flavor.
4. Place frozen corn in a bowl. Add hot water and wait 5-10 minutes. Drain before using.
5. Dice your onion and green pepper.
6. Wash and destem your kale. Tear or cut it into bite size pieces. Massage the kale to make the tough plant fibers easier to digest.

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Assembly

1. Heat frying pan over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes. Add a glug of olive oil.
2. Add onion and cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently, until the onions become translucent.
3. Add garlic and stir in, 30 seconds.
4. Add green pepper and kale, cooking for an additional 2-3 minutes.
5. Add the corn, season with salt and pepper plus cumin and a dash of chili pepper powder, if using. Season as you like. These are my favorite tastes. Cook an additional 1-2 minutes.
6. Turn the heat off. It’s fine to leave the veggies in the pan or take off the heat.
7. Roll out your dough.
8. Top with a handful of vegan mozzarella.
9. Layer with tomatoes.
10. Add veggie mix to the top of your pizza in an even layer.
11. Top with tempeh.
12. Bake for 12-14 minutes.
13. Slice, serve, and enjoy!