Five Easy Pizzas

I can’t tell you how long it has been since I made pizza crust from scratch. For me, it’s one of those “why bother?” cooking projects—there are so many good readymade crusts to be found in natural foods stores. It’s so easy to throw together a simple, creative pizza. While it’s in the oven, a big tossed salad can be prepared, and just like that, you’ve got a great meal perfect for a busy weeknight or a Friday night movie-and-pizza night at home.

Recipes adapted from The Vegetarian 5-Ingredient Gourmet and the forthcoming Vegan Express.

Two-Onion Pizza

3 to 4 servings

With this luscious treat, you’ll need only a bountiful tossed salad with chickpeas for added protein (and perhaps a steamed green vegetable—broccoli is a nice addition) to make a delightful meal.

• 1 1/2 tablespoons light olive oil
• 1 large red onion, quartered and thinly sliced
• 1 large white or Vidalia onion, quartered and thinly sliced
• One 12- to 14-inch good-quality pizza crust
• 4 ounces vegan cheddar cheese, grated

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Heat the oil in a large skillet. Add the onions and cook slowly, covered, until soft and golden brown, about 20 to 25 minutes. Stir occasionally.

Place the crust on a pan, arrange the onions on it, and sprinkle with the cheese.

Bake until the cheese is bubbly, about 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from the oven, let stand for 2 to 3 minutes, and cut into 6 or 8 wedges to serve.

Fresh Tomato, Eggplant, and Olive Pizza

3 to 4 servings

• 1 medium eggplant, peeled and diced
• 3 to 4 cloves garlic, minced
• One 12- to 14-inch good-quality pizza crust
• 3 to 4 medium tomatoes, sliced about 1/4 inch thick
• Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste, optional
• 1 to 1 1/2 cups grated vegan mozzarella cheese
• 1/3 cup sliced black olives, preferably oil-cured

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Combine the eggplant and garlic in a medium skillet with a small amount of water. Cover and steam until the eggplant is tender but not mushy, about 8 minutes. Check occasionally to make sure there is enough water to keep the bottom of the skillet moist.

Place the crust on a pan. Arrange the tomatoes on the crust, and sprinkle with the eggplant-garlic mixture. If desired, season with a little salt and a few grindings of pepper. Top with the mozzarella; sprinkle the olives on last.

Bake until the cheese is bubbly, about 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from the oven, let stand for 2 to 3 minutes, and cut into 4 to 6 wedges to serve.

Mexican Pizza

3 to 4 servings

Layer on the Southwestern flavors in this playful pizza variation. Serve with a tossed salad and stone-ground tortilla chips.

• One 12- to 14-inch good-quality pizza crust
• 1 cup (about half of a 16-ounce can) spicy vegetarian refried beans, thinned with a small amount of water
• 1 cup mild or medium-hot salsa
• 1 to 1 1/2 cups grated vegan cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese
• 1/2 cup frozen corn kernels, thawed
• 1 to 2 scallions, sliced, optional

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Place the crust on a pan. Spread it with the refried beans, then the salsa. Sprinkle with the cheese and corn kernels.

Bake until the cheese is bubbly, about 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from the oven, let stand for 2 to 3 minutes, and cut into 4 or 6 wedges to serve.

Verdant Veggie Pesto Pizza

3 to 4 servings

Spinach-miso pesto:

• 4 to 5 ounces fresh baby spinach
• 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley leaves
• 1/4 cup untoasted walnuts or raw cashews
• 2 scallions, green parts only
• 1 to 2 tablespoons miso, preferably mellow white, to taste

• 1 1/2 cups small broccoli florets
• 1 medium green bell pepper, cut into narrow, short strips
• 3/4 cup thinly sliced rounds from a small zucchini
• 3 to 4 cloves garlic, sliced
• 1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

• One 12- to 14-inch good-quality pizza crust
• 1 1/2 cups mozzarella-style vegan cheese

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Combine the ingredients for the pesto in a food processor. Process until smoothly pureed, stopping the machine and scraping down the sides as needed.

Combine the broccoli florets, bell pepper, zucchini, and garlic in a mixing bowl and drizzle in the olive oil. Stir together. Transfer the vegetables to a lightly oiled roasting pan and put in the oven. Stir after 10 minutes, and continue to roast until the vegetables are touched with brown spots here and there.

Meanwhile, spread the pesto on the pizza crust, then sprinkle evenly with the cheese. Bake for 15 minutes, or until the cheese is nicely melted. Remove from the oven, let stand for a minute, then cut into 6 wedges (it’s easier to cut the pizza before piling on the veggies).

When the vegetables are done, distribute them evenly over the surface of the pizza. If the pizza came out of the oven a few minutes before the vegetables, put the whole thing back into the oven for a couple of minutes, just so that everything can be piping hot, then serve at once.

White Pizza with Sweet Potato and Caramelized Onions

Makes 6 slices

Here’s a delectably different kind of pizza.

• 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 large onions, quartered and thinly sliced
• 3 to 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 1 portabella mushroom, stemmed and thinly sliced, optional
• 1 large sweet potato
• One 12.3-ounce package firm silken tofu
• 1 teaspoon salt
• One good-quality 12- to 14-ounce pizza crust
• Dried basil

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Heat the oil in a medium skillet. Add the onions and saute over medium-low heat until limp. Add the garlic and continue to saute until the onion is deep golden, stirring frequently, about 15 minutes. If using the portabella, add after about 10 minutes, continuing to saute until it is softened and the onions golden, stirring occasionally.

While the onions are cooking, peel the sweet potato, then quarter it lengthwise. Slice it 1/4 inch thick. Place in a lightly oiled small baking pan in a single layer. Bake for 15 minutes, or until just tender and lightly roasted, about 15 minutes. Stir every 5 minutes or so. Remove from the oven when done.

Puree the tofu with the salt in a food processor or with an immersion blender in its container.

Place the crust on a baking sheet or a pizza stone. Spread it evenly over the surface of the crust with a baking spatula. When the onion mixture is done, spread it evenly over the pureed tofu. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the crust is golden.

Scatter the roasted sweet potato pieces over the surface of the pizza. Cut into 6 slices and serve.

Basic Pizza Dough

Makes enough crust for two 12- to 14-inch pizzas

I admit that I’m usually to lazy to make crust from scratch, especially now that there are several really good, natural brands on the market. But once a year or so, I like to make crust from scratch. Here’s my favorite basic recipe, which harks back to my very first book, Vegetariana.

• 2 envelopes active dry yeast
• 1/4 cup safflower oil
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 3 cups whole wheat flour
• 2 cups unbleached white flour
• 1 teaspoon salt

Combine the yeast with 2 cups of warm water. Let stand for 10 minutes to dissolve. Stir in the oil and sugar.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the flours the salt. Make a well in the center and stir in the yeast mixture. Work everything together. first with a wooden spoon and then your hands, to form a dough.

Turn it out onto a well-floured board and knead it for 8 minutes, adding flour until the dough loses stickiness. Place the dough in a floured bowl, cover it with a tea towel, and put it in a warm place. Let rise until doubled in bulk, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

Punch the dough down. divide it. and form into two rounds. Roll out each round on a well-floured board and stretch it to fit a 12- to 14-inch round pizza pan. Lightly oil the pans and sprinkle them with cornmeal. Lay the rounds on the pans and make a lip of dough around the edge. Arrange topping of choice on the dough. Bake in a preheated 450 degree oven for 15 minutes, until crust is golden.