These mouth-watering Portabella pizzas taste so much like the real thing you won't believe they are vegan, gluten-free and good for you!
8 portabella mushrooms
1 cup pizza sauce
Vegan cashew basil cheese sauce (see recipe below)
1/3 cup each red, green and orange pepper, diced
1/3 cup sweet onion, diced
two to three large basil leaves, finely diced
1 tsp red pepper flakes
Heat oven by setting the broiler on low.
Take a baking sheet and cover with a silicone non-stick baking mat or parchment paper for easy clean up.
Make your Vegan Cashew Basil cheese sauce by using the recipe below. Set aside.
Remove stems of portabellas and gently rub with a wet cloth to clean.
Place portabellas 'belly' side up on the baking sheet. Spoon 2 to 3 tablespoons of pizza sauce into each portabella. Now spoon about 2 teaspoons of sauce on top of the pizza sauce. Grab a cutting board and knife and chop the onion and pepper and then sprinkle onto portabellas. Finally, shake on some red pepper flakes and sprinkle finely diced basil on top. Broil in the oven on the lowest temperature setting on the middle rack for about 10 to 12 minutes, watching closely as broiler temperatures vary.
Serve immediately.
Vegan cashew basil cheese sauce
1 cup raw cashews
1/3 to 1/2 tsp Himalayan sea salt, to taste
1/2 tsp cold-pressed sunflower oil
1 fresh basil leaf
1 small clove garlic
1 and a half tbsp (20 ml) nutritional yeast
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
Place 1 cup of raw cashews in a bowl of water, cover and soak overnight in the fridge.
When cashews are ready, drain and place all ingredients (cashews, Himalayan sea salt, cold-pressed sunflower oil, basil, garlic, nutritional yeast, and lemon juice) into a food processor and process until smooth, stopping to scrape sides of processor as necessary.
Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary.
Place any leftover cheese in a container in the fridge and enjoy with chopped vegetables, crackers, bread, and chips.
~ Recipe courtesy of www.mushrooms.ca and News Canada
Ontario greenhouse dip trio
Roasted red pepper hummus
1 cup Ontario greenhouse red bell pepper, roasted and chopped
1 can chick peas, drained and rinsed
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 cup lemon juice
3 tbsp tahini
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp fresh parsley
1 tbsp soy sauce
1/2 tbsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground red pepper
In a food processor, add all ingredients except 1/2 cup roasted bell peppers. Process until smooth.
Place mixture in a small bowl and add the reserved roasted bell peppers. Mix evenly.
Roasting method
Coat peppers with a light layer of vegetable oil. Rotate peppers over open flame, either on a barbecue or gas stove, until peppers turn black and blister. If an open flame isn't available, a broiler can be used.
Slice the pepper in half and remove the core, seeds and membrane. On a broiler plate, place peppers open side down and broil until skins are black and blistered. Cover peppers in a bowl and allow to rest for 15 minutes. Peel the black skin off.
Greenhouse tomato dip with Canadian bacon
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup mayonnaise
4 oz (112 g) cream cheese
1/2 cup cheddar cheese
1/4 cup chopped green onion (white and green parts of the onion)
1/4 cup diced green pepper
1 large greenhouse tomato, seeded and diced
1 lb Canadian bacon, cooked crisp, drained and crumbled
1/2 tsp garlic, minced
Black pepper to taste
In a mixing bowl, combine sour cream, mayonnaise, cream cheese, cheddar cheese, onion, garlic, green pepper and black pepper.
Add crumbled bacon and chopped tomatoes. Mix evenly.
Oven-dried tomato dip
1 lb greenhouse tomatoes dried in the oven
8 oz (224 g) cream cheese, softened
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 to 3 garlic cloves, minced
Heat oven to 350 F.
Slice Ontario greenhouse tomatoes thinly and place on a perforated oven sheet to dry for 30 to 45 minutes.
In a blender, combine the cream cheese, tomatoes, garlic and olive oil. Process until ingredients are mixed, not creamy.
Finishing touches
Serve all dips with flat bread and/or fresh Ontario greenhouse vegetables, such as tomatoes, cucumbers or bell peppers.
~ Recipe courtesy of Ontario Greenhouse Vegetable Growers
Morning energy booster
1 cup probiotic yogurt, blueberry flavour
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
1 cup fresh or frozen sliced peaches
1/2 cup grape or Beatrice apple juice
In a blender add yogurt, fruit and juice.
Blend until smooth. Add more juice as necessary for desired consistency. Serve immediately.
Cranberry raspberry smoothie
1 cup fresh cranberries, frozen
1 cup frozen raspberries
1 cup yogurt with raspberry flavour
2 tbsp honey
1/2 cup cranberry juice
In a blender add all fruits and yogurt.
Blend until smooth.
Add more juice as necessary for desired consistency. Serve immediately.
~ Recipe courtesy of www.astro.ca and News Canada