B00AG0VMTC EBOK (22 page)

By J.R. Rudberg

Firefighter extraordinaire J.R. attended a weeklong 2010 E2 Immersion Program in Austin. After he completed it, J.R. was empowered with a sense of control over food and is now a leader
within the plant-strong healthy eating movement at Whole Foods Market. (J.R. is not only healthy on the inside now, but he has lost close to 100 pounds. Weigh to go, J.R.!)

3 cups whole wheat flour, plus 1 cup for coating work surface and baking pans

1 packet active dry yeast

teaspoon salt (optional)

½ cup unsweetened applesauce

1¼ cups warm water

In a large bowl, blend together the flour, yeast, and salt, if using. Add the applesauce and water and mix in with a large spoon or fork until the mixture forms a ball of dough. Knead the dough ball on a flat working surface or right in the bowl until the dough tension increases. Add additional flour to your work surface and the outside of the dough if it is sticky, as needed. Cover the dough ball with a damp paper towel and set aside to rise for 10 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Divide dough into 4 to 6 equal-size hunks, depending on desired pizza or flatbread size. Knead each piece of dough into a firm ball, cover with a clean, damp cloth, and let rise for 10 minutes. Flatten out the dough by hand or with a rolling pin to the desired crust thickness, then, using a fork, poke numerous holes in it to limit crust bubbles. Bake on a flour-coated baking sheet, parchment paper–lined pan, or pizza stone.

The crusts can be baked with or without toppings—the time will vary depending on the thickness of the dough. Bake time is usually 5 minutes for a thin crust without toppings; 15 to 20 minutes for a thicker crust with toppings.

By Jane Esselstyn

This fast and fresh pizza sauce will knock your homemade pizzas out of the park.

2 cups Fast and Fresh Marinara Sauce (
here
)

1 tablespoon pure maple syrup

Fresh or dried oregano or other herbs of choice

Crushed red pepper flakes

Add 2 cups of the marinara sauce to a small pot; this allows for about
cup for each personal-size pizza. Add the maple syrup to the sauce in the pot. Cook the sauce over medium-low heat until it reduces and gets as thick as pizza sauce.

Taste the sauce at this stage and add the oregano, other herbs of choice, pepper flakes, or more maple syrup to taste. Use warm, or refrigerate until needed.

Here are some recommended ingredient combinations for layering on top of J.R.’s Pizza Dough or any other dough that is E2 plant-strong approved.

The Asheville:
Easy 2 Make Pizza Sauce (
here
), onions, artichokes, pineapple, and nutritional yeast

The Clevelander:
Kale Pesto (
here
), mushrooms, and roasted red peppers

The Santa Ana:
Plain Jane Hummus (
here
), caramelized onions, and olives

The Chattanooga:
barbecue sauce, black-eyed peas, roasted corn, and scallions

The Santa Fe:
Halle’s Guacamole (
here
), green chilies, and red bell peppers

The St. Nick:
Spinach-Artichoke Dip and Spread (
here
), grape tomatoes, and red pepper flakes

The Dragon Slayer:
Arrabbiata Creamy Cashew Sauce (
here
), grilled zucchini slabs, grilled eggplant, grilled mushrooms, and fresh basil

The Book Group:
Kale Pesto (
here
) or red sauce, arugula, tomato slices, and thin pear slices. Drizzle with balsamic glaze after baking.

Prepare J.R.’s Pizza and Flatbread Dough as directed (
here
). Prebake as many rounds of dough as needed. Build a pizza by layering any of the above options, or create your own. Bake in the oven for 5 minutes, or until all of the ingredients are warm and ready to be eaten!

Anything tastes good on a fresh, open-faced flatbread. Have a blast and let your imagination be your guide. We’ve thrown down some ideas to help get you started.

Try any of these recommended ingredient combinations:

The Bohemian:
Hot Pink Hummus (
here
), edamame, grape tomato, and sprouts

The Gardener:
Kale Butter 2.0 with Sweet Potato (
here
), fresh basil leaves, and tomato slices

The Austinite:
OMG Walnut Sauce (
here
), broccoli, sprouts, and chopped bok choy

The Nottingham:
Nottingham Sandwich Spread (
here
), tomato slices, and romaine lettuce

The Freudian Slip:
nut butter and fresh peach slices

El Taco Plano:
refried beans, avocado, salsa, and scallions

The Hanover:
Guacamole Hummus (
here
), red bell peppers, and cucumber slices

The Ball Park:
ketchup, mustard, relish, and a cooked, whole carrot

The Blake:
mashed avocado, tamari-marinated tofu, pickled ginger, and shredded carrots

The Sunny Day:
Fresh Anaheim and Edamame Spread (
here
), and tomato slices drizzled with Polly’s Vinaigrette (
here
) or a balsamic glaze

The Hot Shot:
Fire Hummus (
here
), orange and red bell pepper, fresh spinach, and jalapeños (if you dare)

Follow the instructions for J.R.’s Pizza and Flatbread Dough (
here
) to the stage where the dough is about to be flattened by hand or with a rolling pin. At this point, roll out the dough until it is less than ¼ inch thick. In a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, grill the flattened dough until it rises in places, then flip to quickly cook the other side. Remove the flatbread from the pan and build an open-faced, plant-strong creation from the above options—or create your own. Serve immediately after preparing.

By Jill Kolasinski

My wife, Jill, was first turned on to making bread by an Engine 2 potluck regular who brought mini, heart-shaped Engine 2 pizzas based on the recipe in my first book. When Jill asked her where she got the recipe for the crust, our friend told her about
Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day
by Jeff Hertzberg and Zoë François. The amazingly innovative aspect of this book is that it tells you how to make bread dough that can be refrigerated for up to two weeks! Then, whenever you want a fresh loaf, you just grab a ball of dough from the fridge and pop it in the oven. Jill bought the book and became so obsessed with baking bread that she took the book to bed with her every night and read it like a novel! Two years later, making bread dough has become a weekly routine. Kole and Sophie love helping Jill, and she has discovered other ways to use the refrigerated dough beyond just baking bread, such as for flatbread and pizza crusts. Having the refrigerated dough handy has become one of the tricks she depends on as a working mom to make sure our family has a hearty, nutritious meal every evening.

1½ cups lukewarm water

1½ cups unsweetened almond milk, lukewarm

1½ tablespoons granulated yeast (2 packets) (Hodgson Mill makes a yeast especially for whole-grain breads)

1 tablespoon sea salt

½ cup pure maple syrup

6
cups whole wheat flour (avoid pastry or graham flour)

In a large bowl stir together with a spoon the water, almond milk, yeast, sea salt, and maple syrup. Mix in the whole wheat flour; use your hands to mix in the last bits of flour into the wet ingredients—of course the kids love to do this! Let the dough sit at room temperature, until it rises and then flattens on the top, 2 to 3 hours.

Use the dough immediately to make any of the following options: a sandwich loaf, walnut-raisin loaf, flatbread, or pizza crust, or store it in a lidded plastic container, in the fridge for up to 5 days.