DDD #101 – Vegan Big Mac with Beyond Burgers & Copycat McDonald’s Special sauce

 

All Photos © Christine Elise McCarthy 2018

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These came out UNBELIEVABLY well!  I was a lifetime Big Mac whore & no other fast food ever appealed to me.  My Big Mac pizza was pretty successful but this burger puts that to shame.

Above, beneath my Big Bam pizza, is a real Bic Mac – followed by my copycat & then a side by side.  Doesn’t the vegan one look BETTER?  This really is the closest I think you can come to the real thing.  Click the image below to watch the video.

DDD #101 – Vegan Big Mac with Beyond Burgers & Copycat Special sauce

Makes 2 Big Macs

INGREDIENTS

1 package Beyond Burgers (or 4 vegan burger patties)

3 sesame seed buns (or just two – if you are not interested in the center piece of bread)

4 slices vegan cheese

Iceberg lettuce – chopped

Onion – minced

Pickles – sliced

Copycat Special Sauce

1/4 cup vegan mayo

1 TBS vegan French dressing

1 TBS sweet relish

1 TBS minced onion

1 TBS yellow mustard

1/2 tsp white vinegar

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/2 tsp garlic powdet

1/2 tsp smoked paprika

DIRECTIONS

Whisk the sauce together.  et aside.

If using Beyond Burgers – make each patty into two thinner patties.

Cook the burgers & top with cheese & melt.

Assemble the Big Mac: smear two bottom buns with sauce & top with onions, pickles & lettuce.  Put a cheeseburger on each & stack them.  Top with the bun.

Devour!

DDD Ep. #15 – Vegan Big Mac Pizza with Copycat Special Sauce

All Photos © Christine Elise McCarthy 2016

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DDD Ep. #15 is up! It is my Vegan Big Mac Pizza! Plus, some pop art & pop culture references for you! And the boobs in this episode are not mine.

Click the link for the video (or watch it here) & please subscribe!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FvKWQ4FPKQg&feature=youtu.be

Ever since I was a child – I have been obsessed – addicted even – to McDonald’s.  McDonald’s – specifically.  No other fast food tempted me in the least.  Not Burger King or Taco Bell or any of the other burger chains.  Sure – I would sometimes eat a Fatburger – which inevitably – made me agonizingly ill and an occasional burger from the Tommy’s on Beverly at Rampart – mainly because that Tommy’s was so old school & cool.  But if there had been a McDonald’s next door – I probably would have gone there.  I have always been to insanely addicted to Big Macs that as a kid – I could eat 2.  And McDonald’s fries are the best on Earth.

Then I gave up meat, in the late eighties.  Fuck.  That meant Filet-O-Fish sandwiches for me – which I put up with for a while until I was struck my supreme inspiration.  I bought a Big Mac AND a Filet-O-Fish.  I took the patties out of the Big Mac & fed them to the dogs & put the fish patty in there, instead.  I dipped fries in the tartar sauce on the Filet-O-Fish bun & shoved that fishy Big Mac into my pie hole like I hadn’t eaten for days.  I began doing this regularly.  So many times – I would go spinning & then go the the McD’s drive-thru – still actively sweating from class & get this combo & pull over to a random curb & make my custom sandwich – like a junky cooking dope.  I even included this process in my novel – Bathing & the Single Girl.  Here is the excerpt:

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I decided to make a trip to McDonald’s to take the edge off my panic and maybe finally end my waning hangover. There is nothing like McD’s. It is the only fast food chain I patronize. I’ve been a fish-eating vegetarian for over twenty years but McDonald’s remains my own personal crack. I have to pretend I do not know that there is beef tallow in the French fries and block out the fact that McD’s are a great supporter of the factory farming that spurred my vegetarianism to begin with, but when I am hung over, McDonald’s is my best friend.
I ordered a #1 Big Mac value meal with fries, a diet Coke (gotta save calories somewhere) and a Filet-O-Fish. Once out of the drive thru, I pulled over on a side street like a drug addict jonesing for a fix. I took several big gulps of the best fucking diet Coke I had ever tasted while throwing furtive glances around to make sure I was not being watched. I opened the fish sandwich and scooped all that tartar sauce up on the top bun. This would serve as a bowl and dip for the fries. I grabbed the golden goodness of the square fish stick looking back at me and threw the bottom bun of the fish sandwich in the bag. I took the top off of the Big Mac and threw it in the bag. I removed the burgers and put them aside for my dogs. I placed the fish patty on the middle bun piece and flipped it over onto the bottom bun and its remaining ingredients. Special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions and a filet of fish on what was once a sesame seed bun. I rammed it into my mouth and nearly fainted with pleasure. Every cell in my body reacted negatively to the toxicity and I felt zits popping out on my face as I chewed. I didn’t give a fuck. I dipped a handful of fries in the fatty tartar sauce and forced them into my mouth before I swallowed my first bite of sandwich. I was disgusting. I felt the shame of a tweeker turning her first trick for drugs. My eyes flashed a scan of the horizon searching for the PETA police. My pants felt a size tighter. I finished that food in less than two minutes, literally drinking the last bit of fries from the cardboard container. It was glorious.
Slouched in the car, high from whatever it is in McDonald’s food that made Morgan Spurlock’s liver begin to shut down in Supersize Me, the plan to dine with The Albino seemed like it might actually be a fun adventure.

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So – maybe now you understand the extent of my problem.  That problem got even worse when I gave up eating fish, too, a couple of years ago.  Now – there is no excuse to go into a McDonald’s – because the fries really do have beef tallow in them – so there is literally nothing in there for me to eat – especially as I am inching my way to veganism.

Still – my Big Mac addiction festers without relief.   The smell of McDonald’s still makes my hands want to turn into those drive-thrus – but I can’t.  I won’t.  I shan’t!  And – yeah – I guess I could make a faux Big Mac with a veggie burger (Beyond Meat makes GREAT ones) – but the shitty bun is part of the charm & the special sauce isn’t just Thousand Island – no matter what detractors try to tell you.  It is more magical than that.  My fake Big Mac would be off just enough to leave me feeling cheated.

And then it came to me!  Big Mac PIZZA!  That way – the differences would be more forgivable – because it wasn’t a lame Big Mac – it was a glorious Big Mac pizza!!!!!  And so – I did it.  I did it last night.  After taking two heated spinning classes in 14 hours – I undid all that good – all that blood, sweat & those tears.  Undid it and gave zero fucks.  This fucking pizza is the best Goddamn thing on Earth.  It will be difficult not to eat these every night this week – after all – I have like an infinity of my copycat special sauce.  I can’t wash that gold down the drain – when my gullet is right here craving it – wanting to drink it – inhale it.  So – sure – I have a birthday coming up & it might be nice to NOT be at my absolute FATTEST on that day – but shit happens.  Sometimes things are out of your hands.  Sometimes life presents tough choices.  But – enough about that.  Let me present – my Big Mac pizza!

Vegan Big Mac Pizza with Copycat McDonald’s Special Sauce

INGREDIENTS

for the special sauce

3/4 cup vegan mayo

2 TBS sweet relish

2 TBS yellow mustard

2 TBS French dressing

1 tsp (or more) each: onion powder, garlic powder, paprika

Water

for the Big Mac Pizza

Pizza dough (I used this HERE)

Vegan ground beef (I used Beyond Meat beefy crumbles)

Shredded lettuce

Vegan cheese (I used some Parmela Creamery sharp cheddar, Chao original & some of my own homemade mozzarella)

Sandwich pickle slices

Onion – diced

Sesame seeds

Jalapeno – sliced (not in a real Big Mac but fuck it)

Semolina flour (optional) for rolling out the dough

Parchment paper (optional)

DIRECTIONS

for the special sauce

Whisk the ingredients together & add a bit of water to thin it.  Taste it & adjust at will.  I added 2 more tsp of onion powder to mine.

for the Big Mac Pizza

Heat the oven to 450-500 degrees.

Roll out the dough (I do this in semolina flour because I find it adds to the crispiness of the crust – but regular flour is fine).  Put the dough on a greased cooking sheet (I just use parchment paper – and I recommend it highly).

Top with cheeses & ground beef.  Cook for about 10-12 minutes or until your crust is done.  I added grated mozzarella at this point & cooked it another minute but only because the pizza looked a bit barren.  You can just dump the meat & cheese on there – cheese under & over the beef.

Once the crust is done – top with the remaining toppings & get your fucking eat on!

DDD Ep. #6 – Vegan Roast Beef (Steak) with Sauteed Onions & Mushrooms & Roasted Heirloom Carrots

 

All Photos © Christine Elise McCarthy 2017

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As you may or may not know – I started a Youtube channel last month.  I have almost twenty recipes posted there on:

Click HERE to go to the channel & check it out.

The roast beef you see here is my latest endeavor.  Here is the video.

Vegan Roast Beef (Steak) with Sauteed Onions & Mushrooms & Roasted Heirloom Carrots

INGREDIENTS

2 1/2 cups vital wheat gluten (or just enough to get a proper dough texture)

1 TBS caraway seeds (ground in a mill or with a mortar & pestle)

1 TBS fennel seeds (ground in a mill or with a mortar & pestle)

2 TBS freeze-dried shallots or granulated onions (or minced raw shallots)

1 TBS paprika

S&P to taste (go LIGHT with the salt)

1 cup vegetable stock

1/2 cup olive oil

2 TBS vinegar (red, white, balsamic – your call)

2 TBS molasses

1 cooked beet pureed with 1/2 cup veggie stock

A dry rub of your choice (or simply a blend of dry herbs)

Bottled marinade of your choice mixed with equal part water OR veggie stock with a few bay leaves

Cheesecloth & kitchen twine

1 onion – sliced

2 TBS brown sugar

8 oz mushrooms – sliced

1 bunch heirloom carrots

Additional olive oil

DIRECTIONS

Heat the oven to 425

Whisk the first 6 (dry) ingredients together in a bowl.  In another bowl, whisk the stock, oil, vinegar, molasses & pureed beet.  Blend the wet & dry ingredients – adding vital wheat gluten or more stock until you have a ground beef texture.

Roll in your dry rub & wrap tightly in cheesecloth – tying off the ends.

Bring your marinade to  boil, reduce to a simmer & add the beef to it.  Simmer for an hour – turning once in the middle.  Be careful you do not boil your marinade away.  Add water or stock – if you need to.

Heat olive oil in a pan.  Remove the cheesecloth & pan sear the beef on both sides.  Set aside.  You can slice this thinly & make sandwiches or – go for the steak option.

In the same pan, heat some butter or olive oil & saute the onions until soft.  Add 2 TBS brown sugar & saute until the onions become golden.  Add the mushrooms & saute until they are done to your taste.  Season with S&P.

If you are doing “steaks,” cut them & sear them on both sides in the mushroom pan.

Toss the carrots in olive oil and S&P & roast 10-15 minutes (or until they begin to turn golden) – turning them once in the middle.

Serve!

Watermelon, Feta & Mint Salad

 

All Photos © Christine Elise McCarthy 2015

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OK – this is another fast & easy one.  If feta & watermelon seem like an odd mix – just think of the popularity of salting watermelon.  It might seem, initially, like an odd combo but it works really well.  It it refreshing & clean & and the water density of the watermelon makes it surprisingly satisfying.

Watermelon, Feta & Mint Salad

serves 2

INGREDIENTS

2 cups diced watermelon

1/4-1/2 (or more) diced feta cheese

1/4 cup chopped fresh mint

1/4 red onion sliced paper thin

1-3 tsp olive oil

Juice of 1/2 lime

S&P to taste

DIRECTIONS

Mix & serve.

Vegan Butter Chicken and Chickpea Burrito with Pickled Onions and Mint Cilantro Chutney

All Photos © Christine Elise McCarthy 2015

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Did you perhaps make my Vegan Butter Chicken and Chickpeas for the Slow Cooker – seen above?  Do you have boat loads left over – like I do?  Why not try this Indian take on a burrito?    The Mint & Cilantro chutney is genuinely spicy & insanely delicious & takes this curry to new heights.   The pickled onions add a little snap & they are SO EASY to make.  You could add paneer or feta or cotija or some cheese to this – if you eat cheese – but it really doesn’t need it.

The recipe for that mint & cilantro chutney above is HERE.

The recipe for the pickled red onions above is HERE.

The recipe for the Butter Chicken & Chickpeas above is HERE.

Vegan Butter Chicken and Chickpea Burrito with Pickled Onions and Mint Cilantro Chutney

INGREDIENTS

Mint & cilantro chutney is HERE

Pickled red onions are HERE

Butter Chicken & Chickpeas is HERE

Cooked rice

Large tortillas

DIRECTIONS

Warm the curry.  Assemble the burrito.  Grill on a dry grill pan until it looks good to you.  Dip it in extra chutney & shove it into your motherfuckin’ pie hole.  Mmmmmmm!

Pickled Red Onions

All Photos © Christine Elise McCarthy 2015

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These go very well on sandwiches.

Pickled Red Onions

INGREDIENTS

2 large red onions – sliced thin

1 cup rice vinegar (any light colored vinegar works – even using just one kind works)

1 cup apple cider vinegar

1 TBS sugar

2 tsp salt

1 garlic clove cut in half

1 TBS black peppercorns

1 small dried red chili

DIRECTIONS

Bring the vinegar & spices to a boil.  Remove from heat.  Add onions to the hot vinegar.  Allow to cool.  Store in a jar in the fridge.

Vegan Korean BBQ Beef Lavash Pizza with Arugula

 

All Photos © Christine Elise McCarthy 2014

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This can be made with real beef but I used Beyond Meat’s Beefy Crumbles.  I also used my homemade Spicy Korean BBQ sauce from my vegan BBQ ribs post.  Pizza toppings are really personal & these toppings are more just suggestions than a recipe.  The BBQ sauce is REALLY good, though!

Spicy Korean BBQ Sauce

INGREDIENTS

3/4 cup dark brown sugar

3/4 cup low sodium tamari (soy sauce)

1/4 cup water

1 TBS rice vinegar

2 TBS chili paste (sambal oelek or other type)

2 TBS Gochujang (optional)

2 tsp sesame oil

1 tsp ground pepper

1 TBS fresh ginger (minced)

5 garlic cloves – minced

2 TBS cornstarch

DIRECTIONS

I put everything EXCEPT the cornstarch into a little crock-pot & left it for two hours.  Once it was bubbly – I added 2 TBS cornstarch & whisked it in.  That made the sauce very thick & gooey.  Perfect!  You can do this stove-top by just bringing everything (except cornstarch) to a boil & then whisk in the cornstarch.  It would likely take only a few minutes to come together.

I used lavash bread as the base because each piece only has 240 calories so it is a great lower-calorie way to make pizza.

The toppings I used were:

Beefy crumbles mixed with some Korean BBQ sauce

Cherry tomatoes – halved

Grated carrots

Red onion – sliced VERY thinly

Grated cheese (real or vegan – your call)

I cooked this in the oven at 350 degrees for about ten minutes.

After the pizza was cooked – I added:

Jalapeno – diced

Arugula – tossed in a bit of olive oil & a pinch of salt

More tomatoes

Decadent Goat Cheese & Creamy Burrata Pizza with Arugula

 

All Photos © Christine Elise McCarthy 2014

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To see images of my past posts & get links to the recipes – look on my Pinterest board – HERE.

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All my posts now have a VERY customizable PRINT & PDF option.  Create a PDF & save the recipe to your computer or print it out.  It offers a “remove images” option & you can delete any part of the post you do not need before printing.  The button is below by the Twitter & Facebook links.

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Sometimes I feel guilty when I post a string of similar recipes, like two or three pizzas or a bunch of cauliflower or rice dishes but, the fact is, I am posting my actual meals.  And, when I make pizza dough, I usually make enough for three or four pizzas.   Because I am not a professional blogger, in that, this blog doesn’t generate income, I am not in the position some bloggers are to make things specifically for the blog, whether they intend to eat it or not.  Furthermore though unrelated, all my photos are taken with my i-phone which has developed a penchant for powering off randomly.  Like – at 54% – it thinks it is out of juice & shuts down until I find a charger – at which point – it is instantly back at 54%.  It is infuriating!  Especially when I am trying to photograph a piping hot pizza so that I can eat it while it is still warm.

Anyway – I talk myself out of feeling lazy when I post these similar recipes by telling myself that my readers are likely to have the same leftover ingredients that I do and that they might actually appreciate a new idea about how to reinvent them.  That said, yesterday I found myself with fresh pizza dough, a few leftover caramelized onions, arugula & some leftover spicy red sauce.  From these humble ingredients was born my Decadent Goat Cheese & Creamy Burrata Pizza with Arugula!

I never really think that pizza is a recipe, per se, in that the amount of toppings is a personal preference.  I do not typically go for a lot of cheese but I was really in the mod for gooey goat cheese & I had the burrata – so – I went for it & I am happy I did.  If you do not have burrata – just use any fresh mozzarella and put it on the pizza with the goat cheese rather than closer to the end as you do with the creamy burrata.

Again – here is the pizza dough recipe I use & I make it in my bread machine.

PIZZA DOUGH

MAKES FOUR 12-OZ. BALLS

INGREDIENTS

2 tbsp. sugar (⅞ oz.)
1 tbsp. olive oil, plus more (½ oz.)
½ tsp. active dry yeast
5½ cups “00″ flour, preferably Caputo Pizzeria Flour (1 lb. 12 oz.) (or just use regular, organic flour – like me.)
2 tbsp. kosher salt (¾ oz.)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Combine sugar, oil, yeast, and 2 cups cold water in bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook; let sit until foamy, 8-10 minutes. Mix flour and salt in a bowl. With motor running, slowly add flour mixture; mix until a smooth dough forms, 8-10 minutes. Transfer dough to a greased baking sheet; cover with plastic wrap. Let sit at room temperature 1 hour.

2. Divide dough into 4 balls; transfer to a greased 9″ x 13″ dish; brush tops with oil. Cover with plastic wrap; refrigerate 48 hours (or get impatient like me & use it immediately).

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I also used leftover caramelized onions from my Caramelized Red Onion & Gruyere Pizza with Egg & Arugula.

Caramelized Red Onion

INGREDIENTS

Pizza dough at room temperature

1/2 large red onion – sliced

1 TBS olive oil

1 TBS butter (or vegan alternative)

1/2 tsp sugar

1/2 tsp salt

DIRECTIONS

Caramelize the onion by heating the olive oil & butter over med-low (NOT HIGH) heat.  Add the onion and salt & sugar and saute – stirring frequently – for about 20-30 minutes or until they are soft & brown & before they burn.  Mine crisped a bit on the edges & I liked that!  Set aside.

I also used leftover spicy basil marinara.

For the spicy basil marinara

1 6 oz can tomato paste

2 28 oz crushed tomatoes

30 grape or cherry tomatoes – quartered

1 TBS olive oil

6 garlic cloves – chopped

1/2 cup chopped basil

1-3 tsp crushed red pepper – optional

S&P to taste

DIRECTIONS

Heat the olive oil over medium heat & saute the garlic for about 30 seconds.  Add the tomato paste & fry another minute or so.  Add the crushed tomatoes, chopped tomatoes & basil & about 1 cup of water.  Add the crushed red pepper – if using.

Simmer covered on low for 30 minutes or more.

Decadent Goat Cheese & Creamy Burrata Pizza with Arugula

INGREDIENTS

Pizza Dough – recipe above or your favorite dough

Pizza sauce – recipe above or your favorite version

Tomatoes – sliced thin (optional)

Caramelized onions (optional) – recipe above

Goat cheese

Burrata (or fresh mozzarella)

Arugula

S&P to taste

Crushed red pepper (optional)

DIRECTIONS

Heat the oven to a full 450-500 degrees.

Prep the ingredients.

Assemble the pizza!  Roll out the dough & put it on a greased cooking sheet.  Top with sauce, tomato, caramelized onion & goat cheese.  Add fresh mozzarella now – if you aren’t using burrata.  If using burrata – bake about 7-10 minutes & then add the burrata.  Bake another 3-5 minutes or until the crust is done to your liking & the goat cheese is just starting to color.  If you used burrata – you are really just trying to warm it through but do not cook it until it dries out.  The whole point of burrata is its excessive creaminess!

Top with S&P & some fresh arugula & crushed red pepper (if you like extra kick).

Slice this fucker up & eat it alone.  I won’t tell.

Caramelized Red Onion & Gruyere Pizza with Egg & Arugula

 

All Photos © Christine Elise McCarthy 2014

Follow @celisemccarthy

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To see images of my past posts & get links to the recipes – look on my Pinterest board – HERE.

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All my posts now have a VERY customizable PRINT & PDF option.  Create a PDF & save the recipe to your computer or print it out.  It offers a “remove images” option & you can delete any part of the post you do not need before printing.  The button is below by the Twitter & Facebook links.

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Well – I got some very cool news today!  Book Soup – one of the most important independent book stores in the US – read my book & agreed to stock it!!!  Yay!  They are a very discriminating bunch so I am going to let myself feel flattered.  Check it out HERE.

Now on to pizza!  Some people think the idea of egg on pizza is nasty and I must confess I used to think that way.  Until I tried it.  It is kind of spectacular.  Despite knowing it tastes yummy, I am still psyching myself out about using eggs at all – because of how the hens are treated.  And, when you think about it, eating an egg is really fucking gross.  But – I still do it now & then.  I try to only buy pastured eggs – which means the hens really ARE living cage-free – like this:

Not this legal version of cage free:

Which is only 1% better than this:

So – please try to support the PASTURED (and grass-fed) meats & eggs etc to show that industry that you are willing to pay a little more for some humane treatment.  Here are the eggs I bought.  The word pastured is between “vegetarian” and “fertile” – hard to read – but there.  PS – they list vegetarian because factory farms feed their chickens ground up chickens.  How fucked is that?  You don’t want to eat that pain & fear & disease.  Do you?

OK – now I feel like a nutjob posting a non-vegan pizza – but I am going to plod ahead.  If I have totally ruined eggs for you forever – blow them off.  The pizza is yummy without them.  You can also use vegan cheese if I have completely converted you.

I use this Naples-style pizza dough recipe from Saveur.  I do not store it 48 hours.  I use it as needed from immediately to several days later.  I notice little difference.  Also, I make it in my bread machine on the dough cycle.  Easy peasy!

PIZZA DOUGH

MAKES FOUR 12-OZ. BALLS

INGREDIENTS

2 tbsp. sugar (⅞ oz.)
1 tbsp. olive oil, plus more (½ oz.)
½ tsp. active dry yeast
5½ cups “00” flour, preferably Caputo Pizzeria Flour (1 lb. 12 oz.) (or just use regular, organic flour – like me.)
2 tbsp. kosher salt (¾ oz.)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Combine sugar, oil, yeast, and 2 cups cold water in bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook; let sit until foamy, 8-10 minutes. Mix flour and salt in a bowl. With motor running, slowly add flour mixture; mix until a smooth dough forms, 8-10 minutes. Transfer dough to a greased baking sheet; cover with plastic wrap. Let sit at room temperature 1 hour.

2. Divide dough into 4 balls; transfer to a greased 9″ x 13″ dish; brush tops with oil. Cover with plastic wrap; refrigerate 48 hours (or get impatient like me & use it immediately).

Caramelized Red Onion & Gruyere Pizza with Egg & Arugula

INGREDIENTS

Pizza dough at room temperature

1/2 large red onion – sliced

1 TBS olive oil

1 TBS butter (or vegan alternative)

1/2 tsp sugar

1/2 tsp salt

Gruyere cheese – grated (quantity to taste)

Fresh Thyme – leaves pulled from stems (quantity to taste)

Grated mozzarella or other cheese (quantity to taste)

Eggs (optional)

Fresh arugula

Tomato – chopped (optional)

Lemon (to squeeze on the arugula) optional

S&P

Olive oil to drizzle (optional)

DIRECTIONS

Heat the oven to 450.  Make sure it reaches full temperature before cooking your pizza.

Make your dough or let your store-bought dough reach room temperature (so it is easier to roll out).

Caramelize the onion by heating the olive oil & butter over med-low (NOT HIGH) heat.  Add the onion and salt & sugar and saute – stirring frequently – for about 20-30 minutes or until they are soft & brown & before they burn.  Mine crisped a bit on the edges & I liked that!  Set aside.

Now simply assemble the pizza.  Roll out the dough & place it on a cooking sheet treated with olive oil or cooking spray.  Drizzle some olive oil on it & brush it around & add the thyme & the cheeses & some caramelized onion.

Cook this for about 7-10 minutes or until you think it is a few minutes from being done.  I overcooked mine just a bit – so – pull it out before the crust looks like this – all crispy & golden:

because you are gonna break a few eggs on there & cook it another 3-5 minutes or until the eggs are cooked to your liking.  I broke one of the yolks.  Oh well!  Err on the early side here, too, if you want a runny yolk.  The eggs will keep cooking once you remove the pizza from the oven as the pizza heat will still be acting as a hot pan beneath them.  So – if you want ooey-gooey yolks – pull this guy out JUST BEFORE you feel the whites are cooked all the way through.  In fact, even if you pull it out a tad early, just spreading the egg a bit over the pizza will cook it quickly.

Now add S&P to taste & top with arugula & chopped tomato – if you are using tomato.  You might even want to drizzle a teeny amount of olive oil on the arugula & squeeze a bit of lemon – or toss the arugula LIGHTLY with olive oil & lemon before putting it on the pizza.  And there you go!  Crack open that Trader Joe’s box of wine & kid yourself that you are having less wine than you really are because who the fuck can figure out what they have consumed out of an opaque cardboard box that holds like – what – three bottles?  Then blame the hangover on the cheapness of wine – not the quantity you consumed!

Pan-Seared Beet & Caramelized Onion Pizza with Goat Cheese & Arugula

 

All Photos © Christine Elise McCarthy 2013

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I was in the mood for beets & goat cheese & considered making little towers but then pizza flashed in my mind & this pizza was born.  I decided to pan-fry the sliced beets rather than roast them because I thought it would save time but then the caramelizing of the onions took as long as roasting the beets would have – so you might just wanna roast them.  Less calories that way.

If caramelizing the onions seems like a pain in the ass, you can lose them but they really do add a nice layer to the flavors.  I adore arugula & am equally pleased by cold greens on hot pizza but this this is also a very optional choice.

I used a homemade dough but your favorite dough will do.

Pan-Seared Beet & Caramelized Onion Pizza with Goat Cheese & Arugula

INGREDIENTS

Pizza dough (I used THIS)

1 large beet (peeled & either sliced thin or roasted whole at 400 for about 40 min)

1 large onion – sliced

Olive oil or butter

1/2 tsp sugar

1/2 tsp salt

Goat Cheese

Grated pizza cheese

Arugula

Parsley (or mint) chopped

DIRECTIONS

If roasting the beet – basic instructions are HERE.

Heat an oven to 450 degrees.

If pan-searing the beets, heat 2 TBS of butter or olive oil in a large pan over medium heat.  Cook the raw, sliced beets, flipping frequently, until they are tender & beginning to brown.  Drain on a paper towel.

Add another 2 TBS butter (or olive oil) to the same pan & caramelize the onions by sauteing on med-low heat.  Add the salt & sugar & stir them every 5 minutes or so.  They should brown & caramelize nicely in about 40 minutes.  Be careful not to burn them.  Nice caramelizing instructions are HERE.  Drain them on a paper towel.

Roll the dough out to your pizza size.  I smeared some basil-infused oil on it – but any olive oil will do.

Layer some grated cheese on the dough then the onions.  I put my onions on the top & they kinda got overcooked.  Protect your hard-earned caramelized onions by covering them with the sliced, pan-seared (or roasted & sliced) beets.  Pinch some dollops of goat cheese on there.  Another little drizzle of olive oil is nice here but optional.

If your oven really is at 450 – and you want it to be – this should cook up nicely in about 8-12 minutes but that depends a lot on the thickness of your dough & density of toppings.

Top with chopped parsley or mint & put a handful of raw & naked arugula on it.  Slice it.  Eat it.  Look forward to red pee tomorrow!

Grilled Zucchini & Chipotle Cheddar Quesadilla with Coca Cola Caramelized Onions

All Photos © Christine Elise McCarthy 2013

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All my posts now have a VERY customizable PRINT & PDF option.  Create a PDF & save the recipe to your computer or print it out.  It offers a “remove images” option & you can delete any part of the post you do not need before printing.  The button is below by the Twitter & Facebook links.

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You will soon realize that I am on a quesadilla spree that isn’t even close to over.  I made this bad boy last night & I was very pleased with myself!

The onions were a tad charred but I actually enjoyed the flavor it gave them.  They were, however, very hard to photograph!

They kinda look like fat, dark worms but they were both savory & sweet & they complimented the cheese very nicely.  If you do not care for – or cannot find – Chipotle cheddar, any other cheese you might prefer in a quesadilla is certainly an option.

Grilled Zucchini & Chipotle Cheddar Quesadilla with Coca Cola Caramelized Onions

INGREDIENTS

Zucchini – sliced thin & grilled (I dipped mine in Italian dressing first)

Tortillas

Chipotle cheddar (or other cheese) – sliced thinly

1 large red onion – sliced thinly

1/2 can Coca Cola

1 TBS brown sugar

2 tsp olive oil

1 TBS butter

Guacamole or parsley or cilantro or jalapeno as garnish

DIRECTIONS

Grill the zucchini.

illa

Heat the oil & HALF of the butter & the brown sugar.  Add the onions & saute over medium heat for a good ten minutes – not stirring often so that they can brown.  Add the remaining butter & stir occasionally for ten additional minutes.  Once all the oil & butter are absorbed or evaporated – pour a little Coke in to deglaze the pan.  As it gets absorbed, add the rest of the Coke.  When the onions are completely soft & browned, set aside.

Then – simply assemble the quesadilla the normal way.  Heat a dry pan.  Place a tortilla in it.  Layer the cheese, zucchini & some of the onions & fold the tortilla.  I use a put lid to apply pressure & trap the heat.  After a minute or two – flip the quesadilla.  Garnish as you will & devour!

Lavash Pizza with Whipped Feta, Grilled Eggplant, Red Onions & Arugula Salad

All Photos © Christine Elise McCarthy 2013

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To see images of my past posts & get links to the recipes – look on my Pinterest board – HERE.

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All my posts now have a VERY customizable PRINT & PDF option.  Create a PDF & save the recipe to your computer or print it out.  It offers a “remove images” option & you can delete any part of the post you do not need before printing.  The button is below by the Twitter & Facebook links.

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I love pizzas with cold salads on top of them.  I will even dump a bunkus “house salad” of iceberg lettuce & shaved carrots on a slice – if I find myself in a pizza joynt.  But arugula salad is my favorite salad & arugula tops pizza so delightfully – I hope you give this a try.

This particular pizza was so delicious last night – I kept thinking, “I think this is my favorite pizza ever.”  That is saying a lot because I experiment with pizza nearly weekly.  Last August, I posted a Grilled Indian Eggplant Pizza with Feta, Tomatoes & Black Olives made with tiny, little Indian eggplants.

And while that pizza was yummy – the one last night was a revelation.  Maybe the lavash (rather than pizza dough) allowed the subtle flavors to come through better.  I’m not sure.  But I really recommend this pizza with all the enthusiasm I can muster.  If lavash isn’t available near you – try this with tortillas – like I did HERE.

I used Japanese eggplants here & sliced them VERY thin.

You can use regular eggplant but that can sometimes be bitter.  I sliced my Japanese eggplants as thin as I could with a mandolin & then dredged them through some bullshit Italian dressing I had.

I grilled them on each side for about a minute or two.

You could pan sear them a few minutes on each side or use a grill pan – or even roast them at 450 for just a few minutes.  But I think precooking them some way is sorta critical to the overall result here.  Still – you could probably use them raw – just slice them PAPER thin.

I will not give specific quantities of certain toppings here because that is really a matter of personal taste – but I will show you what I used.  Also – fresh mozzarella is nicer than the processed kind you typically buy grated up for pizza topping but that can also be used.  The fresh is better, though.

Lavash Pizza with Whipped Feta, Grilled Eggplant, Red Onions & Arugula Salad

INGREDIENTS

Lavash (or tortillas or pizza dough)

Whipped feta ((t is made by simply blending 8 oz of feta with 3 oz cream cheese & just enough water to get them to blend in your food processor (or other tool you use to whip things)

Japanese eggplant – sliced very thin

Red onion – sliced paper thin

Cherry tomatoes (or other tomato) – diced

Fresh mozzarella – sliced

Fresh oregano – chopped

Crushed red pepper

S&P to taste

Arugula

Lemon

Olive oil

DIRECTIONS

If using lavash or tortillas, preheat the oven to 350.  If using pizza dough – heat it to 500.

Dip the sliced eggplant in an oil based Italian (or Greek) dressing (or olive oil) & grill just to soften & give some color.

To assemble simply layer your lavash with whipped feta, eggplant, fresh oregano, mozzarella, tomatoes, onion and crushed red pepper.   Bake for about 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted & the lavash is browned at the edges.

Meanwhile, toss the arugula in a LITTLE olive oil & some fresh lemon juice.  Add S&P to taste.

When the pizza is done, top it with the arugula salad & serve it up!

Chipotle Sweet Potato & Caramelized Onion Quesadilla with Goat Cheese on Homemade Flour Tortillas

All Photos © Christine Elise McCarthy 2012

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Well – now that I know how easy it is to make homemade tortillas – I’ve kinda gotten lazy & have been living on an all-quesadilla-all-the-time diet.  Once you invest in the 5 lb bag of cheese from Smart & Final and the 10 lb bag of flour – all you really need is a bunch of creative details, other ingredients – most of which can be overlapped from one quesadilla adventure to the next.

I will post two more random choices from my quesadilla marathon: a sweet potato & onion one & a simple mozzarella & green chile version.  They are both delicious!  The sweet potato one is stuffed pretty thick & is rather substantial.  Here is the sweet potato one but made with spinach tortillas (which were beginning to stale & get too crumbly):

PRINT THIS TORTILLA RECIPE

 

FLOUR TORTILLAS

INGREDIENTS

3 cups flour

2 tsp baking powder

1-2 tsp salt

5 TBS olive oil

1 – 1 1/2 cups water

DIRECTIONS

In your food processor, pulse the flour, baking powder & salt until blended.  Add the olive oil & pulse until it is incorporated.  Add water in a slow stream & pulse until it is completely incorporated and the dough has formed a tacky ball & is traveling around the bowl.  You might not need all the water – you might need a bit extra.  If it is too sticky – just add a bit more flour & pulse it around.

Put the dough on a lightly floured surface & roll it around to eliminate any tackiness that remains.  Dived the dough into four balls & then divide each of those four balls into three more balls.  Each ball should be about the size of a golf ball.  Let the dough rest 10 minutes or so.

Roll out each ball as flat & thin as you can – or until they are about 8 inches across.  Heat a large skillet over medium high heat.  Do not use any oil or cooking spray.   Leave the pan dry.  Cook each tortilla on each side about 20 seconds or until brown spots begin to appear.  Over cooking will make them crispy so err on the side of under-cooking.

Store under a clean kitchen towel as you cook all 12 tortillas.

Wrap the ones you do not use in a zip-lock bag or tightly in plastic wrap & store on your counter for up as long as they last (3 days or so) before getting stale.

PRINT THIS TORTILLA RECIPE

PRINT THIS QUESADILLA RECIPE

 

Chipotle Sweet Potato & Caramelized Onion Quesadilla with Goat Cheese on Homemade Flour Tortillas

INGREDIENTS

1 baked sweet potato (pierced with a fork & baked for 45 min at 400 degrees)

2 TBS Adobo sauce from a can of chipotle peppers (or to taste)

1 inch cube of goat cheese (or to taste)

1 small onion – sliced thick & sauted on olive oil til soft & browning

Grated cheese (cheddar, jack, pepper jack or mozzarella – or a blend)

sliced fresh jalapeno (optional)

1 small can green chiles (optional)

Fresh cilantro

Tortillas

DIRECTIONS

Mash the baked sweet potato into a creamy texture.  Add adobo sauce to taste.

Saute your onions til they begin to caramelize.  Remove from heat.

Heat a tortilla in a dry pan over med-high heat.  Layer with sweet potato, goat cheese, grated cheese, sauted onions and jalapeno and/or green chiles (if using) – and maybe some chopped cilantro.  Fold over & place a soup pot or other heavy, heat tolerant item on top your quesadilla.  OR – you can just top the flat tortilla with a second tortilla & continue.  After a minute or so, flip it, put the pan on top of it & cook until your cheese is sufficiently melty.

Cut into slices.  Sprinkle with fresh cilantro.  Serve!

PRINT THIS QUESADILLA RECIPE

And just because I have the photos – here is a lighter, easier one.

Cheese Quesadilla with Green Chiles & Cilantro

INGREDIENTS

Tortillas

Cheese

Green Chiles

Cilantro

DIRECTIONS

I think pictures get it all across:

Serve with pico de gallo!  YUM!