Middle-Eastern Pizza & Pumpkin and Tofu Pizza

We were at a loss as to what to cook last night. We were so hungry that everything and nothing seemed appetising. I really wanted roast pumpkin, potato and sweet potato with the orange-coloured “brown sauce” our friend Hedda had cooked for Yule, but my girlfriend, Steph, really wanted pizza. Until she didn’t. As we couldn’t think of anything in specific we wanted to cook, Steph turned the cooking over to me. I could cook anything, so long as it wasn’t roast vegetables.

So I made pizza … that happened to have roasted eggplant and pumpkin on it.

Note that my quantities were for dinner for two people. Increase quantities for more.

Middle-Eastern Pizza

1/2 large eggplant, or whole small eggplant, halved.
1/2 green capsicum, sliced into strips.
2 tB tahini (sesame paste)
2 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp garlic
2 pieces mountain bread or other flat bread
1 tB fresh rosemary, chopped
Dukkah, other Middle-Eastern spice mix, or (failing that) cayenne pepper (opt.)

Heat oven to 180°C. Place the eggplant cut side down on a baking tray and pour 1/4 cup of water in. Place in oven. Roast for about 20–30 minutes, or until eggplant is well roasted

Remove eggplant from oven & rinse quickly to cool it down. Remove skin and cube. Combine tahini, lemon juice and garlic. Spread over flat bread and arrange eggplant and capsicum in an artistic fashion (surely you don’t need me to tell you how to arrange a pizza). Sprinkle rosemary and spices over pizza.

Bake in oven for about 15–20 minutes, or until flat bread gets crispy at the edges.

Note: I cut our flatbread into two pieces, so I didn’t have to try and cut it after baking, when it was very crispy. I’d suggest doing the same thing.

Pumpkin and feta pizza was one of the first “gourmet” pizzas I ever tried – strangely enough, this experience happened in the unlikely Bendigo rather than on Lygon St. This was my attempt to recreate a vegan version. I think this is a more successful feta replacement than the recipe we tried a few months ago. So very delicious.

By the way, the weights are approximate as I didn’t use any scales while cooking. Again, use what seems a sensible amount considering the number of people you’ll be cooking for. I cooked both of these together, so the pumpkin went in shortly after the eggplant. It was pretty easy to manage both at once, even for me (I’m a bit crap at doing more than one thing at a time in the kitchen). I used rosemary and thyme here because that’s what I had to hand, but the original of this pizza used whole basil leaves. Use whatever sweet green herb takes your fancy.

Pumpkin & Tofu Pizza

100 g kent pumpkin (or other good roasting pumpkin, such as Hokkaido)
2/3 cup spinach, roughly chopped
100 g tofu
1/3 cup lemon juice
2 tB brown rice vinegar
sundried tomato tapenade or tomato paste
2 tsp each fresh rosemary & thyme, chopped
2 pieces mountain bread or other flat bread

Heat oven to 180°C. Place pumpkin in a baking tray with about 1/4 cup water in the bottom. Roast for about 20–30 minutes or until pumpkin is soft.

While pumpkin is roasting, slice tofu into sheets 1 cm thick. Place tofu sheets on paper towel or tea towel. Cover with another sheet of paper towel or tea towel, cover with chopping board, and press down gently. This should squeeze much of the water out.

Cube tofu and place in a jar. Combine lemon juice and brown rice vinegar, cover tofu, and replace lid. Turn jar occasionally to ensure that all tofu is covered.

Remove pumpkin from oven and rinse to cool down. Cube. Spread flat bread thinly with tapenade and cover with spinach. Arrange pumpkin and drained tofu on top. Sprinkle with herbs.

Bake in oven for about 15–20 minutes, or until flat bread gets crispy at the edges.

Mmm. Delicious. Makes me want to make another round for lunch today.