Spinach and Mozzarella Pizza

 
Last night, I had a bunch of things on my "I need to use this up ASAP" list: some Life Light Smart Ground Original, Daiya mozzarella, and a pizza crust. The obvious solution? Pizza! Largely inspired by my favorite pizza at a shop in Philly, I came up with this.

You'll need:
- 1 pizza crust
- pizza sauce (I tend to use regular marinara sauce, though; Trader Joe's is the best!)
- baby spinach
- Daiya cheese
- Light Life Smart Ground Original
- garlic powder, onion powder, basil, oregano to taste
- dash of sea salt

1. Spray a medium skillet with non-stick spray. Add the Smart Ground; heat through. Season to taste with onion powder, garlic powder, basil, and oregano.
2. Lightly brush pizza crush with olive oil.
3. Spoon sauce over crust.
4. Top with spinach, then Smart Ground, then Daiya. Add more Smart Ground if you want.
5. Sprinkle a tiiiny bit of sea salt on top.
6. Bake according to pizza crust's instructions.

Veggie and Hummus Pizza

This concoction was largely inspired by a post over at This is Vegan.

I decided to buy sun-dried tomato and basil hummus because I love sun-dried tomato and basil, so I thought this would be a nice change of pace for my lunches, which include hummus and raw veggies several days a week. The hummus itself was okay, but it really didn't go with baby carrots or celery. As in not at all.

To avoid wasting it, I decided to make some veggie pizzas. These were really simple to put together, and made a great light lunch. You could also easily cut these into smaller bites and serve as a finger food. This poor excuse of a recipe can easily be modified to suit your tastes.

You'll need:
- a pizza crust
- hummus
- veggies (I used cucumber, green pepper, and onions)

1. Cook pizza crust per its directions. Cool completely.
2. Spread humus over crust. Add veggies.

Yeah, I'm a culinary genius.

Johnny Rad's

Last Sunday was the AAP benefit at Johnny Rad's. I'd nearly forgotten about it, but luckily I have fantastic friends who remembered.

It was my first time there, and it was a good time. We ordered The Vortex, which I unfortunately forgot to photograph, for an appetizer. It's essentially the world's most delicious black bean hummus. It was served with carrot and celery sticks and pita bread. I could have easily devoured the whole thing myself, but I don't think my friends would have appreciated not sharing the noms.

I ordered El Gato, which was a white pizza with fresh basil. The pizza was pretty good - the crust was so good - but I could have used more cheese for sure.

The place had a cool vibe, and I appreciate the variety of vegan options. They serve Teese cheese and a few vegan meats (chicken and pepperoni, and I think maybe also sausage) and they're more than willing to substitute whatever vegan options you want. You can order an 11" or 15" inch pizza, which means yummy leftovers for lunch the next day.