Pizza and Sausages

It's funny, someone recently referred to vegan food as "monkish" compared to the standard American food. I nearly screamed! Well, I certainly did laugh out loud, anyway. Turns out, the person really didn't mean to use that word (he's not an English scholar - he just meant that it was very different ), but it does give me an opportunity to show fellow bloggers/blog-readers, just how wrong that statement is!

For example, this Corn and Fresh Tomato-Basil Pizza with Garlic Pistou from Vegetarian Times was anything but austere, bursting with flavor and pizazz! The roasted garlic was combined with basil fresh from our garden, as well as some pine nuts and other things, to form the pesto of sorts that was spread on a homemade crust (gee, can you tell that's homemade?), then topped with fresh corn and cherry tomatoes from our CSA. A sprinkle of more homegrown basil topped it off.

Here's a yummy close up. This was a decent three-star recipe ***, but our crust was way too thick and a little doughy in places. We're determined to get better!














Then, speaking of bursting with flavor and spice, something was cooking in our steamer last week...











Sausages! Meatless - duh - and completely amazing. I have some work to do on my wrapping technique, so they don't have pointed edges and are a little more "shapely" but the texture and taste were amazing! Spicy and perfect. These were my first try, and a wicked easy recipe from Isa, courtesy of Vegan Dad's blog. Thanks, Vegan Dad! Mr. PLV loved, loved, loved these and can't wait to try some recipes with them!

Meanwhile, I sliced them up with some fresh basil...


















And added them to another recipe - Roasted Tomato-Fennel Pasta with Pine Nuts, Capers and Basil published in Veg News, but originally printed in Eat, Drink and Be Vegan, by Dreena Burton. The recipe didn't call for sausage, but the fennel flavors matched up perfectly and the sausage made the whole dish even more satisfying. Yum! Now, what monk eats like that? Four stars ****.




Then, after a long car ride home from the in-laws, I was greeted with this heavenly dish from Mr. PLV's mom...a foil packet to throw on the grill, she said, and some fluffy rice to accompany it. I wasn't prepared for the sensational flavors and aromas when I first opened it up! Asparagus, mushrooms, and red peppers, along with some spices, green onions, and dill, combined for a sensory overload. It was sooo nice to get out of the car, unpack, turn on the grill and eat in 8 minutes! Beautiful, and certainly the best dish of them all. Four stars of thanks to her! ****