Pizza Potatoes
From All-Creatures.org Vegan - Vegetarian Recipe Book: How Mary and Frank and Friends Eat

"We are dedicated to cruelty-free living through a vegetarian - vegan lifestyle. Let no animal suffer or die that we may live!"

Ingredients

4 Russet Potatoes, 1-1/2 inches thick
1 Onion, sliced (for topping)

Sauce
1 - 28-oz. can Tomatoes, crushed
1 Onion, medium size, diced
1 to 1-1/2 tbsp. Garlic, crushed
1 to 1-1/2 tbsp. Oregano, dried
Cayenne Pepper or Hot Sauce (to taste)

Bean Cream (uncheese sauce)
1 - 15-oz. can White Kidney Beans (Cannellini)
1/4 cup Lemon Juice
1/2 cup Nutritional Yeast (powder) OR 1 cup (flake)
Hot Sauce (to taste)
2 tbsp. Corn Starch

(To enlarge the photo of the Pizza Potatoes, click on the photo or link)

Preparation

Pizza potatoes are a wonderful vegan treat and a lower calorie pizza alternative for people with an allergy to wheat or who don't want to have a bread crust. Pizza potatoes can be baked in either a microwave oven or in preheated conventional oven at 350 degrees F.

Thoroughly wash the russet potatoes to remove all surface dirt. A light scrubbing with a vegetable brush may be helpful.  For uniform  baking it is important for each potato to be approximately the same thickness, but in no case should they be less than 1-1/2 inches thick.  The ones in the photo averaged about 1-3/4 inches thick. (To enlarge the photo of the potatoes, click on the photo or link)

Hold a potato on its side (see middle potato in the above photo) and carefully slice the potato lengthwise into three equal width slices as shown in the photo to the right.  Place each slice (12 total for the 4 potatoes used) on a large non-stick baking sheet and bake in the oven for about 40 minutes until the inner portions of the potatoes are soft and the cut surfaces are beginning to brown.  (To enlarge the photo of the sliced potato, click on the photo or link)

While the potato slices are baking, wash and peel the onions and garlic.  Dice the onions, crush the garlic, and put into a covered baking dish.  Mix in the pepper and cook on "high" in your microwave oven for about 3 to 4 minutes until the onions start to become translucent.  When the onions and garlic are cooked, add the crushed tomatoes and oregano, mix, cover, and cook for about another 30 minutes (mixing every 10 minutes) until the sauce thickens.  We have found a little trick to aid during the thickening process, allowing evaporation without splashing: place the end of a wooden toothpick  between the lid and the baking dish, with one end sticking out so you can hold it while removing the lid.  When the sauce has thickened to the desired consistency, remove from the microwave oven.

While the sauce is cooking, open the can of beans and pour off the liquid.  Place the beans in the container of your blender, add the lemon juice, nutritional yeast, and corn starch, and run the blender at high speed until the contents are creamy smooth.

Wash, peel, and slice the onion for the topping.

When the potatoes are baked, remove from the oven and set on a wire rack.  The sauce and the bean cream should also be ready.  As quickly as possible, spread a layer of the bean cream on each potato slice.  Carefully spoon on the tomato sauce and top with the onion rings (each step is shown in the photo to the left).  Place back in the oven and turn up the heat to 400 degrees F. for approximately another 20 minutes.  (To enlarge the pizza potatoes preparation photo, click on the photo or link)

When the pizza potatoes are baked, remove from the oven, and set on a wire rack.  When the pizza potatoes have partially cooled, they can be picked up and eaten as "finger food."

Serve and enjoy with a large tossed salad.

Ingredients Information

Beans, Cannellini, canned

Corn Starch

Garlic

Lemon Juice, Reconstituted

Onions, Yellow

Oregano, Dried

Pepper - Hot Red, ground (Cayenne)

Pepper Sauce - Hot Red

Potato, Russet

Tomatoes, Crushed

Nutritional Yeast

Utensils and Equipment Information

Baking Pan, Glass

Dish, Glass Baking

Garlic Press

Knives

Measuring Cups, Dry

Measuring Cup, Liquid

Measuring Spoons

Peeler, Vegetable

Spoon, Large Mixing

Vita-Mix

The above recipe is in keeping with God's creation intent (Genesis 1:29-31): 'Then God said, "I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds of the air and all the creatures that move on the ground-- everything that has the breath of life in it-- I give every green plant for food." And it was so. God saw all that he had made, and it was very good.' (NIV) Let no animal suffer or die that we may live!