sa·vor /ˈsāvər/

verb: Taste (good food or drink) and enjoy it completely.

lin·ger /ˈliNGgər/

Stay in a place longer than necessary, typically because of a reluctance to leave.

If you long for more lingering and savoring, keep reading.

I am not vegan but have been leaning in that direction for years. I don’t miss meat in my diet and I am sure after a little time, I wouldn’t miss cheese either. Luckily, you don’t have to be vegan to enjoy delicious vegan pizza. I notice more and more that cheese doesn’t really matter when you are eating something really flavorful.

Pizza, tacos, sandwiches and salads can all be created sans cheese and still be wonderfully enjoyable. In fact, I prefer cheese-less to cheese substitutes.

If you are looking for a great way to entertain this weekend, invite friends over for pizza night. Use the recipes below and serve with a salad. You can cook small pizzas throughout the evening with different toppings for your guest to enjoy.

The Dough

For a wonderful European style thin crust, try my sister’s pizza dough recipe.

Ingredients

• 1 Tablespoon Sugar
• 1 Cup Warm Water (approx 110 degrees)
• 1 Envelope Active Dry Yeast or Quick Rising Yeast
• 3 Cups Flour
• 1 Teaspoon Salt
• 1/4 Cup Olive Oil

Directions
Add yeast to warm water and let sit for 5 minutes. Combine flour, salt, yeast mixture and olive oil.

Mix well on low-speed* for 2 minutes until smooth and elastic. If sticky, add 1/4 cup flour. If dry, add warm water 1 teaspoon at a time. Cover with a cloth and let rise for 60 minutes. Punch and rise again. Punch and roll out.

*you don’t need a mixer to make this dough. You can also use the volcano method. Create a volcano shape with flour and slowly add liquid to the center working the flour in with your hands.

The Sauce

Use your favorite sauce or try my super easy recipe.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 28 oz can tomato puree
• 1 10 oz can tomato sauce
• 1 can water
• salt
• oregano
• basil

Saute crushed garlic in olive oil until lightly browned. Add tomato puree, tomato sauce, 1 tomato sauce can of water. Stir and simmer. Add salt, oregano and basil to taste and cook on low heat for 60 minutes.

Miso Dressing

We discovered this was great on pizza by accident. We had left over miso dressing from the green bean and fingerling potato salad from The Conscious Cook and got creative.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons yellow miso paste
• 3 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon light agave nectar
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 shallot, minced
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• 1/2 cup safflower oil

Combine all ingredients except oil with 1 tablespoon water in a food processor or blender and pulse to combine. With the motor running, slowly add the oil until the vinaigrette is emulsified.

Pizza Night

Use a combination of your favorite pizza ingredients on pizza night and try our family favorites shown below. The beauty of pizza night is that you eat slowly and have time to enjoy the evening. If you serve one or two small pizzas at a time, you’ll eat a small slice every 15 – 20 minutes. In the meantime, you can nibble on salad, savor a glass wine and get lost in conversation. Linger and savor the night away and really appreciate the evening.

Simple Vegan
roll out dough, add the sauce, broccoli florets, cherry tomatoes, roasted red peppers. Cook for 8-10 minutes on heated pizza stone in 400 degree oven.

Miso Potato Pie
roll out dough, cover in miso dressing, top with cooked sliced potatoes. Add sliced tomatoes and arugula. Cook for 8-10 minutes on heated pizza stone in 400 degree oven.

Keep pizza night simple by having the ingredients prepared before your guests arrive. Let guests make their own pizzas or request their favorite ingredients. With fresh, flavorful ingredients, great music and good company, no one will notice that the cheese wasn’t invited.

note: I adapted the title of this post from one of my favorite vegan cookbooks: Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World: 75 Dairy-Free Recipes for Cupcakes that Rule. If you want Pizza night to be remembered forever, serve vegan margarita cupcakes for dessert. I’ll be patiently waiting for my invitation.

What’s your favorite pizza topping?