Satay sriracha vegan pizza

Homemade pizza remains on our weekly meal plan and most of the time I use a standard mix of toppings: tomato paste, oregano, nutritional yeast, spinach, peppers, tomatoes and pineapple. If we have mushrooms I add some of those too.

Last week, I mixed things up a bit and swapped the tomato paste for peanut butter and the oregano for coriander. Sriracha provided a bonus topping. Using the term 'satay' is a bit generous but I thought 'peanut butter sriracha' might put people off as a title! That would have been a shame, because this flavour mix was delicious and a nice change from a tomato base.

I honoured my usual toppings with spinach, pepper, tomatoes and pineapple. As we had portobello mushrooms I grilled a couple separately and served them as a side to the pizza. However, you could mix up the vegetables to suit what you have to hand. I do recommend the pineapple though!

If you aren't a fan of too much spice you could use sweet chilli sauce instead of sriracha here - or any chilli sauce of choice if sriracha isn't to hand.

Satay sriracha pizza

A vegan pizza with a kick

Makes 4 small pizzas

Allow approximately 45-60 minutes of advance preparation time to make the dough

Author: Bite-sized thoughts

Ingredients

For the base (makes 4 small individual pizzas) -

1-1/2 tsp instant yeast

1/2 tsp sugar

1/4 cup (63ml) + 1/4 cup (63ml) warm water, divided

1 tbsp olive oil

2 cups plain flour

Pinch salt

To top -

Peanut butter, approximately 1 tbsp per pizza (I use 100% peanut versions)

Nutritional yeast, approximately 1 tsp per pizza

Fresh coriander, chopped, approximately 2 tbsp chopped per pizza

Baby spinach leaves, approximately 1/2 cup per pizza

Red or yellow bell pepper, sliced, approximately 1/4 pepper per pizza

Cherry tomatoes, sliced, approximately 4 tomatoes per pizza

Tinned pineapple pieces, approximately 8 pieces per pizza

Sriracha, to taste

Method

For the base -

Combine the yeast, sugar and 1/4 cup warm water in a cup or small jug and set aside for 15 or so minutes. The mix will froth up.

After 15 minutes or so, add the oil to the yeast mixture. Place the flour and salt in a large mixing bowl and pour the yeast mix over the top, along with the additional 1/4 cup warm water. Stir with a wooden spoon and then knead the mix together using your hands. Add a tablespoon or so more of water if needed, to achieve a thick dough-like consistency. 

Cover the dough, in your mixing bowl, with a tea towel and set somewhere warm to rise for approximately 45 minutes.

When ready, heat your oven to 160'C and prepare baking trays (you made need to cook your pizzas in batches of two, depending on the size of your oven).

Knead the risen dough for a minute or so. Divide into four balls and roll each one out on non-stick paper to 1-2cm thickness. 

To top -

Spread each pizza base with peanut butter and a drizzle of sriracha. Sprinkle over the nutritional yeast and coriander. Add the spinach leaves, then the pepper, tomato and pineapple. Drizzle over more srirarcha as desired..

Bake for approximately 12 minutes, or until the base is golden and firm.

What are your favourite pizza toppings?

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Satay chickpea stew with grains

This recipe is really an adaptation of Angela's Oh She Glows 'Soul Soothing African Peanut Stew'. I mentioned last November that I had tried and enjoyed that dish, and realised on making this that I was channeling Angela's flavours. My version is a little simpler than the hers though, and is designed to be served with grains rather than as a stand alone meal. I liked it a lot and am documenting it for my own future reference as well as to share with you!

To me, meals like this are the ultimate comfort food. As is obvious from this site, I love chocolate and desserts and they are comforting too in their own ways. However, there is something warming and comforting about a big bowl of full-flavoured vegetables and grains. It's like a wholesome hug.

I used tinned chickpeas for this, in part from laziness and in part because I wanted to use chickpea water to thicken the stew. If you cook yours from scratch, just reserve a little of the cooking water to add to the mix.

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Spiced satay pineapple beans in sweet potato

With our weekly pizza making and love of tinned pineapple on pizza, we regularly have leftover pineapple in the fridge. It can end up in smoothies, on cereal, in baking, or just eaten plain. Occasionally it ends up in stir fries. Last week, it inspired this meal.

This is one of those simple dishes that barely constitutes a recipe. You can make it with store cupboard staples (presuming your staples are like mine and include tinned beans, pineapple, peanut butter and spices) and it takes all of 5 minutes to throw together. The bean mix could top a regular jacket potato instead of sweet potato, or be paired with rice or couscous or quinoa. It does work brilliantly with sweet potato though.

I served this with asparagus which is in season here at the moment. Asparagus isn't my favourite vegetable, but I do take pleasure in eating it in season when the flavours are at their peak.

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Satay tofu noodles with snow peas

I have previously shared recipes for satay tofu and satay sweet potato noodles. However, this dish manages to be different from - and better than - both of those past meals. In fact, I liked it so much I am already planning a repeat batch.

I use the term 'satay' quite loosely here as I know authentic satay dishes will have a few extra ingredients. I could have called this peanut butter tofu instead as there is a very generous quota of peanut butter in the mix. Between that and the tofu it is a great source of vegan protein and the snow peas and noodles make delicious accompaniments. You could use a greater range of vegetables if you prefer, and broccoli comes to mind as a particularly good alternative or addition to the snow peas.

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Satay vegetable stir fry

I have been loving variations on this stir fry lately. I have served it with noodles, in jacket potatoes and sweet potatoes, and just straight up on its own. After making the mix a few times in quick succession, I thought I would share it so that you can join in with my enjoyment, and so that I have a record of the version I liked best.

Satay vegetable stir fry, served atop a jacket potato

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Jamie Oliver inspired gado-gado

Is anyone else enjoying Jamie Oliver's new show, Jamie's Comfort Food? Most of the dishes are a long way off being vegan, and we tend to skip the meat heavy ones, but I love his enthusiasm for food. Plus, even when the recipe isn't one I'd make as is, I often pick up tips for making things easier and/or better.

Gado-gado salad in sweet potato

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Amazing satay tofu (coconut milk free)

I have never thought of myself as someone who likes satay dishes. In fact, I would go so far as to say I actively dislike most satay dishes. Except, that is, for this one. I'm pleased to have found an exception.

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