Caesar Roasted Tempeh Pizza

It has been a while since I cooked tempeh and I was struggling with coming up with a new way to do it.  Now you may be asking, why not do it a way you know? Well, I asked myself that too and it mostly came from already being in sweat pants and not wanting to go to the store.  I also needed a new blog recipe.

Anyway, long story short, the Caesar tempeh is really nice.  It would be great in its namesake salad, on a sandwich, or served plain.  I was looking to stretch it into a few meals so I took the pizza route with it, and the tempeh was a nice substitute for meat when used like this.  Also of note, the tomato/garlic/mushroom/parsley mixture would be wonderful as a bruschetta topping or added to a soup.  It is sharp and garlic-y and can be made year round.

That brings me to a dirty secret this week...I like canned mushrooms.  Not all the time, but on pizzas there is something about the texture that just works for me.  You can use fresh or sauteed if you so choose.



You will need:
1 Pillsbury roll out thin crust pizza
1 block of tempeh
Enough Caesar dressing to cover the tempeh
1/2-1 cup chunky vegetable tomato sauce
1/2 can diced tomatoes (~7oz)
1 small can mushrooms
2 large cloves garlic, diced
1 handful parsley, chopped
Shredded cheese of choice
Salt
Pepper
Cooking Spray
Arugula for optional garnish

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Cover the tempeh in the Caesar dressing, place on a foil lined cookie sheet or baking dish, and cook for 25 minutes; flip once half way through.  Drain the mushrooms and tomatoes and combine them in a bowl with the garlic and parsley.  Add salt and pepper and stir to combine.  Let sit at room temperature. When the tempeh is finished, remove from oven and turn down the temperature to 350.  Use two forks to crumble the tempeh

Spray a second foil lined cookie sheet with the cooking spray and roll out the thin crust pizza.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Cook for 5 minutes.  Remove from oven and cover with the sauce, tomato mixture (add the amount you would like), cheese, and tempeh.  Cook for about 8 more minutes or until the cheese is melted, the toppings are hot, and the crust is golden.

Serve topped with arugula, if desired.