It's VeganMoFo 2013 Time, Friends! Recipe
Wait. VeganMoFo is here already?!?! But it's September!!!
Why, yes it is September and yes it is VeganMoFo time! This will be the second year that The Food Duo will be participating. We are excited!
Last year, our theme was Pumpkin Craziness. All pumpkin. All the time. This year, we're taking it back to our roots with a bit of Vegan Italiano. As you know, we're 1.5 Italian in this household, not counting Mozzer and Connie. We come from Sicilia (both sets of Artie's grandparents) e Napoli (Mac's dad). So, we got the Southern Italian cuisine covered, but we're going to throw in some Northern dishes here too.
Let's get started, shall we?
We're going to take it back...way back...to August 29, 2012. A time, oh so far ago, when Mac re-introduced Artie to Serie A calcio (soccer) to watch the pink and grey of Palermo take on the blues of SSC Napoli. So, it was getting real. Sicilia vs. Napoli. How did we celebrate this battle? Well, with a bit of Stromboli!
Here's a repost of Macaroon's Vegan Stromboli recipe. Tempo per mangiare! Rock on VeganMoFo!
VEGAN STROMBOLI
When I was a kid, I LOVED pizza, and thought it was strange that my cousin (on my non-Italian side) didn't. He didn't like tomatoes or any vegetable for that matter. So, whenever my aunt would pick up pizza for dinner, she would always order a stromboli for him. In the rare moment of big brother-like kindess, he would give his blessing for me to have a piece. The first time he did, I totally understood why he loved it more than pizza, (but pizza was still my fave - forever a tomato lover, being 1/2 Italian).
So, what is stromboli? Stromboli is a baked turnover, similar to a calzone or a Sicilian schiaccia, filled with (vegan) meat, cheese, veggies or all 3, without sauce. I grew up with it being filled with Italian cold cuts like salami, capicola ham and pepperoni, but it's one of things that can be mixed up in many different ways.
The set-up: Layers of "meat" and vegan cheese enveloped in pizza dough
Now, as a vegan, I suddenly had this craving to make a stromboli. It would be my first one! I actually set it as a plan for this past weekend, which included making my own pizza dough from memory. My goal was to have a stromboli to enjoy the Palermo v. Napoli match in Serie A (Napoli won - YAY). I was super excited.
I made the dough and rocked in tossing and stretching the dough as if I was a pro pizza chef (though cannot be as good as Papa Artichoke). I cut and layered the cheese, veggie meats and veggies. Folded everything up into a nicely packaged bundle and waited. The smells of baked dough and its stuffing took over our home and mouths started to water.
When all was said and done, we had a lovely stromboli that was eager to be devoured. And delicious it was and how proud of myself I was! So proud, I made a second one that is in the freezer, waiting to be baked later this week.
The cut: On a bias showing its beautiful layers to be dipped in spicy red marinara
Vegan Stromboli
Source: A Macaroon Craving
Serves 2-4, depending on your estomago (stomach)
Ingredients:
1 pizza dough (store-bought or 1/2 of homemade recipe below)
Olive oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
6 slices of vegan mozzarella cheese, halved (can substitute with 2 c. vegan shreds)
4 cooked vegan meatballs, sliced (can substitute with 1/2 cup cooked vegan grounds)
6-8 slices of vegan salami
6-8 slices of vegan ham
12-16 slices of vegan pepperoni
1/2 onion, sliced
1/2 red bell pepper, sliced
Dash of oregano and crushed red pepper
Salt and black pepper
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees
On a lightly floured board, roll out dough into a 12x10 rectangle
Brush about 1 tsp of olive oil onto the dough. Then, using a fork, prick holes into the dough
Sprinkle minced garlic down the center of the dough.
Line 1/2 of the cheese lengthwise down the center of the dough, leave about a inch at the top and bottom. Layer the meats, onion and bell pepper. Top with the remaining 1/2 of cheese
Pull in the longer edges of the dough to the center and fold over. Tuck under the open ends of the dough to form stromboli
Slide stromboli onto a baking sheet (lined with foil, if you wish). Bake in oven for 30-40 minutes.
Remove from oven and place on cooling rack. Let the stromboli sit for 10-15 minutes before slicing.
Serve with marinara sauce (optional)
Want to make your own pizza dough? Try this easy-peasy recipe:
Pizza Dough
Source: Mac's Memory
Makes 2 medium pizza doughs
Ingredients:
- 3 c. unbleached all-purposed flour
- 1/2 c. whole wheat pastry flour
- 1 pkg active dry yeast
- 1-1/2 c. warm water
- 2 Tbsp. olive oil, plus 1 Tbsp.
- 1 Tbsp. sugar
- 1 tsp. sea salt
Directions:
In a stand-mixer bowl, whisk together the 2 flours. Fit mixer with dough hook.
In a medium bowl, add water and sprinkle over the yeast. Set aside for 10 minutes to allow yeast to get foamy
After 10 minutes, whisk in 2 Tbsp. olive oil, sugar and water
Set mixer on low and slowly add in the yeast mixture into the flour. As flour becomes wet, increase mixer speed and allow dough to "knead" about 5-7 minutes.
Remove dough from hook and place on lightly floured surface. Knead by hand for about 1-2 minutes and shape dough into a log. Divide dough in half and begin to shape both into balls.
Use remaining olive oil to grease 2 medium mixing bowls. Place dough in separate bowls and cover with a kitchen towel. Allow dough to rise for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until dough has doubled in size.
When ready, punch dough to release air bubbles and use as you wish for pizza, stromboli, fried dough, etc.
Note: If you are not using both doughs, you can freeze the second dough for about 2 weeks or place in an airtight container in the refrigerator to use within 2-3 days.