Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Fire Roasted Vegetables en Croute

This dish came together from a desire to clean out the fridge and a need to make Son #1 a vegan pizza for a birthday party he was attending. I originally intended to just make pizzas for the rest of the family, but as I started grilling I decided to go more stromboli style and I'm glad I did. The drizzle of BBQ sauce brings it all together and takes the dish out of Italian territory and more into some ambiguous fusion zone. The veggies here are just suggestions since there was no coherent plan behind the dish. I think some eggplant and zucchini would fit in well. The roasted tomatoes are essential, though--they add great flavour and make a kind of sauce when you mix everything together.

INGREDIENTS
- 1 recipe pizza dough
- 1 cup white beans (cannelini) tossed with 2 tsp smoked paprika
- 2 medium red potatoes, grilled (cut in half, toss in olive oil and salt and pepper. Grill over medium heat for about 15 mins, mostly on the skin side, until soft)
- 1 roasted green pepper (roast on high heat until all skin is blistered. Skin and de-seed when cool)
- 12 medium cremini mushroom, grilled (toss in olive oil and salt and pepper, grill cap side down for about 5-7 mins over medium heat (until they release their water)
- 6 cloves roasted garlic (wrap unpeeled garlic in foil, roast over medium heat for about 15 mins)
- 1 large cooked carrot (grilled, steamed, whatever--mine was leftover in the fridge)
- 2 medium roasted tomatoes (place on grill and roast for 15 mins over medium heat--skin will blister and tomato will begin to release water)
- 1 tsp basil
- salt and pepper

METHOD
1. Mix beans with paprika and set aside. Cook whatever veggies you are using on the grill. Dice everything except the mushrooms (leave whole) and mix together in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper and adjust basil and paprika to your liking.
2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees with a pizza stone in it.
3. Let mixture cool to room temperature (stick in the fridge to speed it up).
4. Proceed as per the instructions (starting at step 5) for my stromboli recipe. You really can pile the veggies up here, so go for it! Stuff that thing full!
5. When baked, drizzle slices with BBQ sauce and serve.