It’s time to try a new meatless recipe. Let’s face it, the vast majority of people eat way too much meat, not only is it not good for us, but it’s also bad for the animals because too much demand contributes to animal cruelty, and the intensive animal raising facilities (CAFOs) are also extremely polluting to the soil, the air, and the water sources — the same water we drink. All around, it’s always a good idea to reduce our meat consumption, and to switch to grass-fed organic meat (and eggs/dairy) for the rest (or go vegan).
It’s summer in the Northern hemisphere, so that means an abundance of local in-season produce available at our fingertips from our small local organic farmers, so let’s take advantage of it all, shall we? Eating this way will not only taste delicious, but it’ll be good for you since these produce are picked at the height of their nutritional value, when they are fully ripe, since they won’t have to be shipped halfway across the world to reach you. Most people will tell you that you’ve never tasted a tomato until you have a local in-season one (or even better: homegrown in your garden). The bland uniformity of commercial tomatoes cannot compare to the sweet deliciousness of a ripe tomato, all the rainbow of colours and shapes of heirloom varieties…. So good! I love summer tomatoes! I rarely eat tomatoes in the winter because it’s just plain gross. haha I grow my own (various kinds) to eat in my daily salads or in sandwiches, etc., and I buy big batches from my local organic farms to make and can my own spaghetti sauces to last through the winter. Or at least that’s the goal. 😉 Last year, I only had 3 x 1L jars of sauce, but it was sooooooo good! I was impressed. So, hopefully I’ll be able to make more this year.
Alright, enough chit chat, on to today’s recipe! You will need to make a batch of this delicious hummus first!
Enjoy! Bon appétit!
ECP xo
Mediterranean Pie with Sicilian Pesto and Hummus | Vegan
A great recipe for a Mediterranean pie with Sicilian pesto and hummus, naturally vegan and packed full of flavours!
Ingredients
- 1 organic pie crust of your choice (I used a spelt crust), or make your own
- 1/2 onion sliced
- 1-2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 organic tomato thinly sliced
- 1/2 organic green zucchini sliced
- 1/2 organic yellow zucchini sliced
- 1/2 cup homemade hummus
Sicilian Inspired Pesto
- 1 organic tomato medium size
- 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves washed
- 1/4 cup raw walnuts (unsalted, not toasted)
- 1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Bake the empty crust in the oven (400F) for 8-9 minutes.
- While this is cooking, cook the onion in a medium size pan over medium heat with a little bit (2 tsp) of olive oil; sauté for a few minutes, then add minced garlic, and sauté for a few more minutes.
- Remove crust from oven and let cool down for a minute.
- Spread the homemade hummus at the bottom of the pre-cooked crust.
- Add the pre-cooked onion slices and minced garlic on top, spreading equally.
- Add the slices of tomatoes on top, with a pinch of sea salt over.
- Arrange the zucchini slices over the tomatoes.
- Bake in the oven at 425F for 25-30 minutes, or until nicely golden.
- While this is baking, prepare the pesto: In a mini food-processor, blend all the ingredients (tomato, basil, walnuts, about 2-3 Tbsp olive oil, a couple of pinches of sea salt and some ground pepper).
- Once it's cooked, serve the pie right away, with a generous amount of the Sicilian pesto on top, and a green salad on the side.
Note: I do not believe anyone should worry about counting calories, but here is the nutritional information for one serving
Calories: 350kcal | Fat: 22g | Saturated fat: 4g | Sodium: 589mg | Potassium: 437mg | Carbohydrates: 31g | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 3g | Protein: 7g | Vitamin A: 690% | Vitamin C: 18.7% | Calcium: 47% | Iron: 2.5%
Pepper says
Beautiful !!! Great idea !
Eyecandypopper says
Thanks!
Meinhilde says
I love Sicilian pesto! I like to make mine with sun-dried tomatoes when summer-ripe tomatoes aren’t available.
Eyecandypopper says
That sounds great! Yummy!