Cooking without class: Vegan pizza makes for a perfect Friday night

When I was growing up, Friday night was pizza night. Between my two brothers and me, our palate was limited.

As my age has matured so has my palate. My younger self would say, “Vegetables on pizza? Ew.” In my teenage years I said, “I will take the chicken Alfredo pizza, good sir.”

I never thought my pizza choice today would be without the most sacred of all pizza toppings — cheese.

Swiss, cheddar, mozzarella…oh my! They are all too good to be true. Unless you are allergic to dairy, in which case, I apologize.

To my surprise, I found a pizza I enjoy to eat made without animal products. I make this pizza by combining two of my favorite foods — pizza and tacos.

I call this creation Vegan Taco Pizza. I do love cheese, but I’ve realized sometimes I can live without it.

If you are not ready to vegan-ize pizza, I suggest adding some cheddar cheese and sour cream to make your tastebuds sing.

This vegan version of pizza is great because I don’t feel awful after eating it. I grew up being told to eat until I was full or until my plate was empty. When I try smaller portion sizes and eat more slowly I usually end up eating less.

The more I experiment with cooking, the more unique foods taste. It is hard to eat healthier in college, but with some creativity it is not impossible. Experiment with toppings you enjoy, and you may just create a new dinner favorite.

Vegan Taco Pizza:
1 pizza dough mix
1/2 cup pizza sauce
1/2 cup bean of choice
1 cup shredded lettuce
1/2 can tomato and green chilies
extra toppings of choice