Victoria Vegan Artichoke Alfredo Sauce

I really liked the Victoria Vegan Roasted Pepper Alfredo Sauce, so I picked up a jar of the Victoria Vegan Artichoke Alfredo Sauce while at Viva La Vegan Grocery in Santa Monica.

I thought it was pretty plain when I first tried it (seen in the photo below), but I think that’s because all of the artichoke had settled at the bottom.  It surprised the heck out of me when I poured some more out onto leftover pasta for lunch and saw artichoke chunks fall into the bowl.  I thought it had gone bad at first!  It’s a pretty tasty alfredo sauce, although I prefer the Roasted Red Pepper version.  Just make sure you shake the jar first!

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Vegan Recipe – Super Simple Mini Pizzas

I was home for dinner on my own one night recently and wasn’t in the mood to cook much.  I looked through the pantry and finally settled on mini pizzas made on pita bread.  This is no ordinary pita bread.  It’s super thick and soft.  I buy it at the Sherman Oaks Farmers Market from the Brothers booth.  They sell also awesome hummus and garlic spreads as well as stuffed grape leaves.

INGREDIENTS:

• Soft, thick pita bread
• Daiya vegan mozzzarella cheese
• Marinara sauce (or any vegan pasta sauce)
• Toppings of your choice (I used sundried tomatoes and olives)

DIRECTIONS:

• Preheat the oven to 375
• Spread sauce thinly over the pita (be careful not to get it too close to the edges)
• Sprinkle Daiya cheese all over the top, but don’t cover every bit of the sauce like I did… this was too thick – let a little sauce peak through
• Sprinkle toppings to your taste
• Cook for about 20 minutes
• Watch for the Daiya cheese to melt, that’s all you’re really waiting for since none of the raw ingredients will make you sick.  Just keep in mind that non-dairy cheese doesn’t melt exactly the same as traditional cheese, and you don’t want to overcook it.

These mini-pizzas came out great.  The pita bread, which started out incredibly fluffy and thick, became a little thinner and stiffer – much more crust-like.  I loved it and will make it again when I’m fending for myself for dinner or Eric and I are each making our own meals (he wouldn’t like this much).  The leftovers also held up surprisingly well.

Vegan at Tomato Joe’s Pizza, Valencia

My sister Alli and I were sort of in the area for another visit to Farm Sanctuary’s Animal Acres, so I looked up a few places for good vegan food on our way home.  We decided on pizza after seeing that Tomato Joe’s Pizza in Valencia offered gluten-free crust (Alli’s preference) and vegan mozzarella cheese.

Here’s what I got:

My pizza from Tomato Joe’s

I ordered a whole wheat crust (only available in 14″ or larger) with vine ripened tomato sauce, artichoke hearts, black olives, and sun dried tomatoes with vegan mozzarella cheese.  I thought it was really good, but I still prefer Cruzer’s.

Alli ordered a pizza with the only crust they offer for an 8″ personal pizza, the thin crust.

Alli’s pizza from Tomato Joe’s

She got the bar-b-que sauce with onions and artichoke hearts.

Their menu offers a variety of items, not just pizza, but the only vegan non-pizza options are salads.  Their fresh garden salad without croutons and with balsamic dressing is vegan, as is their greek salad without cheese or croutons, but this would also have to be with balsamic dressing since it is the only vegan choice.

They have many specialty pizzas, but it’s simpler just to design your own pizza with all vegan ingredients.  Choices are as follows:

1.  CRUST

• Thin crust
• Beer batter crust
• Whole wheat crust
• Gluten-free crust (made with rice and potato flours), additional charge

2.  SAUCE

• Vine ripened tomato sauce
• Creamy dijon sauce
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Bar-b-que sauce
• Chipotle pesto sauce (I will definitely be trying this one next time!)

3.  TOPPINGS

• Artichoke hearts
• Fresh spinach
• Fresh tomatoes
• Roasted garlic
• Green peppers
• Jalapenos
• Mandarin oranges
• Olives (black, kalamata, spanish green)
• Pepperoncini
• Pineapple
• Red onions
• Tomatoes (fresh and sun dried)
• Fresh mushrooms
• Cashews
• Almond slivers
• Canned mushrooms
• Vegan italian sausage, additional charge
• Vegan pepperoni, additional charge
• Vegan chicken, additional charge
• Vegan mozzarella, additional charge

Prices are as follows:

Their website suggests asking for a multi-topping discount if you order 3 or more, since the cost adds up quickly.

The company has made an effort to convey a kooky and friendly atmosphere, as evidenced by their sales pitch on the website:

I will likely go there again for the rare vegan pizza with vegan cheese as opposed to the standard cheeseless pizza from Papa John’s.

Vegan at Fritto Misto, Santa Monica

In the past, I have enjoyed a couple of delicious meals at Fritto Misto with friends, but not as a vegan.  Eric and I had plans for an evening out for a close up magic show and agreed to get dinner beforehand.  Eric very kindly did some research on vegan friendly restaurants in Santa Monica and stumbled across the Santa Monica Vegan review of vegan options at Fritto Misto.  It’s so great to find another LA Vegan posting reviews… I bookmarked it immediately.

I followed the Santa Monica Vegan’s suggestion and ordered off of the “Create Your Own” pasta page in the menu.  I ordered the wheatless/eggless pasta with marinara sauce, artichoke hearts, broccoli, and sundried tomatoes.  That was one delicious (and HUGE) bowl of pasta.  It was enough for 2 or more meals.

This was a great place to go with omnivore friends.  Everyone walked away full and pleased.  Additionally, they have a tiny corkage fee ($2), which makes for a fun, lively dinner.