My Scrumptious Vegan Kosher Real Food Sausage Basil "Cheese" Pizza

I love pizza.

I used to eat it once a week.  That was years ago--before I realized that all that cheese, pepperoni & sausage was loaded with fat and calories, and it's impossible to eat only 1 piece.

First I virtuously switched to mushroom or veggie pizza.  When I craved pepperoni--I added the vegetarian variety.  Trust me--it's just so-so.

Then even veggie pizza became a rarity because of all the "cheezy" fat. 

After I heard Dr. T. Colin Campbell speak last year and read the The China Study---pizza became "pretty much" history at my house.  Let's just say he's not a fan of dairy and his message was starting to affect my cooking.

What about soy or vegan cheese you ask?  Isn't that a healthy substitute?

I don't think so!  Most vegan cheese contains CASEIN which is needed to get the soy or rice or almond milk to "jell".  And besides--it's fake food & it pretty much tastes fake--and it melts weirdly.  Follow Your Heart Soy Cheese does not contain casein, but I'm sorry, I don't like the taste.  I'm done with fake soy foods.

Here's what Dr. T. Colin Campbell has to say about soy or other veggie cheese with casein:

Campbell went on to spend 27 years conducting animal research funded by the NIH, the American Cancer Society and the American Institute for Cancer Research investigating the role of nutrition, especially protein, in the development of cancer.  The results continued to support what he learned in the Philippines and what the Indian researchers originally discovered: Low-protein diets inhibit the initiation of cancer.  When cancer is initiated, a low-protein diet can "turn-off" cancer growth. Casein, which makes up 87% of cow's milk promoted all stages of the cancer process.  Read the labels for soy & veggie cheeses carefully.

Here's what Dr. Dean Ornish has to say about casein:

There is some evidence from studies indicating that animal protein -- particularly casein, which is found in dairy (including nonfat dairy) -- may promote some forms of cancer, at least in animals. At Cornell University, for example, Dr. T. Colin Campbell and his colleagues have found that casein is a strong promoter of tumor growth. Other studies have shown that casein helps promote the growth of coronary artery
blockages in animals.

And then there's Christina Pirello,  Emmy Award Winning host of "Christina Cooks":

"Cheese is made by acidifying milk, adding bacteria & enzymes (rennet) to convert the casein (milk protein) from soluble to insoluble so the milk will jell.  Casein (aka as sodium caseinate) has the unique ability to bind--so much so that it's an ingredient in some plastic & glue products."  Check it out yourself!

Yes, pizza was disappearing from my house...

That is until I discovered Isa Chandra Moskowitz' Vegan With A Vengeance recipe for Tempeh Sausage & Basil-Tofu Ricotta.  These 2 ingredients--added to my pizza--created the taste of old-fashioned Italian Sausage Pizza.

 Pizza Is Back To Stay--With Tempeh Sausage & Delicious (trust me) Basil-Tofu Ricotta Cheese  Click here for the recipe on 1 page

Tempeh Sausage Crumbles - enough for 2+ large pizzas

1 (8 ounce) package of tempeh  (if you want low fat try Soy Boy organic 5 grain tempeh)
1 tablespoon fennel seed  (this is what makes Italian sausage--Italian!)
1 tsp. dried basil  (use the real thing if you have it)
1 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. red  pepper flakes
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons tamari or soy sauce
1 tablespoon olive oil
Juice of 1/2 lemon 

In a small pan, crumble the tempeh and add enough water to almost cover it.
Over medium-high heat, simmer the tempeh until most of the water is absorbed, about 12-15 minutes.
Drain the remaining water and add the rest of the ingredients and cook over medium heart, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, about 10 minutes.

I made this ahead.  I made 1 pizza on Sunday & used the rest of the "sausage"  for a pizza on Thursday after work.

Basil-Tofu Ricotta - enough for 3 large pizzas

1 pound firm tofu, pressed (cut in slices, wrap in a towel & weight it down with a heavy pot)
2 tsp. lemon juice
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 tsp. salt
Dash fresh black pepper
Handful fresh basil leaves, finely chopped (10 leaves or so)
2 tsp. olive oil
1/4 cup nutritional yeast  (these are dry yellow flakes--available at Whole Foods)  I know this sounds weird but it really adds a nice cheesy taste.

In a large bowl,  mush the tofu up with your hands, till it's crumbly.
Add the lemon juice, garlic, salt, pepper, and basil.  Mush with your hands again;  this time you want it to get very mushy so squeeze through your fingers and mush until it reaches the consistency of ricotta cheese.  This may take 2 to 5 minutes--but it's fun.

Add the olive oil, stir with a fork.  Add the nutritional yeast (it really boosts the flavor) and mix all ingredients well.  Use a fork now, because the oil will make it sticky.  Cover & refrigerate until ready to use.  Use leftovers within 3 days.

**This makes a great filling for lasagna or stuffed pasta shells.

Assembling the Pizza

1.  I use Trader Giotto's (Joe's) Fat Free Pizza Sauce.  It comes in a jar.  Add enough to cover 1 12-inch pizza. Or use your favorite sauce.

2.  I use Trader Giotto's (Joe's) Tabula Rasa Whole Grain Pizza Crust.  It has whole wheat, rye, cracked wheat,spelt, corn grits, flaxseed, millet, sesame seed, oats & a pinch of olive oil.  The crust is fragile--so keep it in a safe flat space before using, so it won't break.  Or use your favorite crust.

3.  Extra toppings:  I like sun-dried tomatoes (in they're packed in oil--blot well); olives; pre-cooked mushrooms, etc.

4.  Preheat oven to 450 degrees. 

5.  Spread the crust with sauce to cover--start with a 1/3 of a cup.  You should be able to see some of the crust underneath.  Too much sauce will make it soggy.

6.  Spoon the  ricotta on, in flattened mounds about 2 tablespoons apiece--you'll want 5 mounds or so.  It should look like rounds of fresh mozzarella.

7. Scatter 1/2 or less of the "sausage" around, to your liking.  I loaded it on.

8.  Scatter any additional extras--the sun-dried tomatoes added a nice rich taste.

9.  Reduce the oven to 425 degrees and bake for about 10-12 minutes, or until the cheese lightly browned.

I welcome any comments by anyone who tries this.  My husband and I loved it--but it is hard to tell after awhile if our tastes have just changed.

 
 

 
 

Comments

[Gwen Mergian]

I've been following the Ornish diet for about two years now, and giving up cheese has been the most difficult part of all. I adore pizza, too-- especially cold, for breakfast. Which is why I had to write and thank you for this recipe. It looks utterly sumptuous. Next weekend, for sure!

[Ellen Allard]

Hi! Every time I read your blogposts, I chuckle at how similar our tastes are! Vegan with a Vengeance (known in vegan circles as VWAV) has become my go-to book of late. Between that book and Go Dairy Free (if you haven't tried it, I urge you to - it will reconfigure your thoughts about dairy-free, I promise), my weekly menus are pretty much taken care of. Your pizza sounds very much like one I recently made with a Tofu Ricotta recipe from Go Dairy Free. It all sounds wonderful and promises to give us healthy and delicious alternatives to the foods we used to love eating. Thanks for posting!

[Cindy Sadler]

That sounds yummy,and would win big points with my vegetarian-flirting-with-veganism husband! I'll definitely give it a try.

[D]

Higher fat dairy products can have very low quantites of casein (and lactose). Whipping cream, for instance, espcially from grassfed cows, has fat soluble nutrients and essential fatty acids without the sugars or casein. Butter should have very little casein, and butter from grassfed cows is an excellent source of hard-to-get Vitamin K. And clarified butter should have virtually no casein.

This pizza sounds delicious, but grain crust with a pound of tofu as health food?
I'm not sure where the science is to support a vegan diet (Ornish's studies are a tough nut to crack because smoking cessation, meditating, and exercise serve as confounding variables), but it doesn't make a lot of intuitive sense.

[The Healthy Librarian]

Hi D,

The recipe for the "cheese" used 1 pound of tofu--but you only use 5 small dollops of the mixture for a 12 inch pizza. It makes enough for more than 3 pizzas, which comes to less than 1/3 of a pound.

I don't know about lower casein in high fat dairy products, but I'm not interested. As for the confounding data of meditation, smoking cessation & exercise in Ornish studies--read Dr. Caldwell Essestyn's research (in medical journals) & his book. He only modified his patients diets--no fat--all vegan.
His patients prove the point.

He's all about diet first--vegetables stop inflammation & heart disease.
Then there's the China Study. Look at observational studies of cultures who eat vegan & then switch to a Western diet.

As for hard to get Vitamin K--it-s plentiful in greens. Get your greens directly from kale, chard & collards--why let the cows digest them for you?

[D]

The Essestyn study is interesting, though it's hard to determine whether it's the statins at work or the diet. Secondly, he discusses heart disease but not total mortality, which is relevant because very low cholesterol is associated with higher rates of cancer, for instance (how did the patient with the third lowest cholesterol level, including a very low HDL, die? Probably not from heart disease, but how?).
The China Study isn't as clear cut either, but I don't want to take over the blog.
I should have been clearer about Vitamin K. It's Vitamin K2 MK-4 that is hard to get and comes almost exclusively from animal products (pastured butter, organs, etc.). Vitamin K2 has been associated with reduced incidence of heart disease, while K1, which comes from plants, doesn't appear to be as essential. See Stephen's series on the vitamin: http://wholehealthsource.blogspot.com/search?q=vitamin+k
In any event, there's more than one way to eat healthily, no doubt. And we can probably all agree that eating sugar and most vegetable oils are terrible for you.

[Chris G.]

Great blog, as I'm learning a lot. I just wish there was a way to order all the information. For example, I had always assumed low fat dairy (e.g. plain yogurt) was healthy. However, based on this post, it seems to promote both cancer and heart disease. Since I'm not ready for vegan, does this mean I should quit dairy and go back to meat because its healthier? Also, what about kids? I've read many studies on the health benefits of grass fed, non-pasteurized, organic milk for kids and the importance of calcium and vitamin D in their diets. And, I see from these comments that whipping cream and butter should be better for you than low fat dairy (e.g. plain yogurt) because its low in casein and high in vitamin K2? I guess LDL is old news.