Meatless Monday with West Coast Grilled Vegetable Pizza and Grilled Radicchio Salad

Hello and welcome (back) to the blog and thank you for joining us for another Meatless Monday.  Miratel Solutions took the Meatless Monday pledge as part of our CSR business initiatives in support of reducing meat consumption by 15% to improve personal health and the health of the planet. You can learn more about the positive impact of giving up meat just one day per week at www.meatlessmonday.com. Now let’s get cooking.

We’ll be taking our cooking outdoors today with some not-so-traditional barbeque recipes that are easy to make, healthy and delicious. On our menu is a West Coast grilled vegetable pizza which comes by way of the queen of all “good things” Martha Stewart served with a grilled radicchio salad from simplyrecipes.com. This entire meal will be made without the use of your oven so let’s head outside to the grill.

West Coast Grilled Vegetable Pizza image courtesy of marthastewart.com

West Coast Grilled Vegetable Pizza Ingredients – Serves 4
3 tablespoons olive oil
All-purpose flour, for shaping dough
1 pound store-bought pizza dough, fresh, or thawed if frozen
2 plum tomatoes, thinly sliced crosswise
2 scallions, white and green parts separated, thinly sliced
1 log (5 ounces) soft goat cheese, crumbled
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 bag (5 ounces) baby spinach
1 avocado, halved, pitted, peeled, and diced
2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar

Directions
Heat grill to medium. Brush a large rimless baking sheet (or an inverted rimmed sheet) with 1 tablespoon oil. On a lightly floured work surface, roll and stretch dough to two 8-inch ovals or rounds. Transfer to prepared sheet. Brush tops with 1 tablespoon oil.
Transfer dough to grill. Cook, without turning over, until undersides are firm and begin to char, 2 to 3 minutes. Using tongs and a large spatula, place crusts on baking sheet, grilled side up.
Scatter crusts with tomatoes, scallion whites, and cheese; season with salt and pepper, and slide back onto grill. Cook, rotating occasionally, until cooked through and cheese begins to melt, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board.
In a medium bowl, combine spinach, avocado, scallion greens, vinegar, and remaining tablespoon oil; season with salt and pepper, and toss to combine. Pile mixture onto pizzas; halve, and serve.

Grilled Radicchio Salad Ingredients – Serves 4-6
2 heads of radicchio, quartered, so that each quarter has a bit of the stem end holding it together
1/2 cup olive oil, plus more to coat radicchio
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
3 chopped garlic cloves
1/2 teaspoon mustard
Salt and black pepper
Pecorino or parmesan cheese for garnish

Directions
Make the dressing. Put the salt, garlic, mustard and balsamic vinegar into a food processor or blender and pulse to combine. With the motor running, drizzle in the olive oil slowly until the dressing comes together.
Prepare your grill for high, direct heat.
Coat quartered radicchio with olive oil and sprinkle with salt.
Grill the radicchio over high heat, uncovered. Keep an eye on them, as they blacken quickly. You want a little blackening, but not a cinder. When they’re done, move to a bowl and bring inside to chop.
Chop the radicchio quarters into bite-sized pieces and toss with the dressing and some black pepper.
Serve hot or at room temperature, garnished with grated pecorino or parmesan cheese.

“Grilled pizzas topped with avocado, fresh spinach, and goat cheese are a California dream come true. Stretch the dough to whatever shape fits your grill most easily: round, oval, or even free form. Flipping a large round of dough on a hot grill can be tricky, so we made two smaller pieces and turned them over with tongs and a spatula — no sweat” – marthastewart.com

This is a great recipe that you can make using any of your favourite pizza toppings. Grilled pizza makes the perfect main course but would also work as a fabulous appetizer or buffet item at your next summer get together. The grilled radicchio salad is really something you have to try – by barbequing the radicchio it becomes nutty and not at all bitter so don’t be put off if you generally don’t like radicchio.

If you haven’t already, we encourage you to visit www.meatlessmonday.com and join us in taking the pledge today. Spread the word at home and at work to promote CSR business initiatives and make your green call centre, office, factory, shop or salon even greener.

Enjoy!