Delectables with Dan: Vegan Stromboli

Greetings and salutations fellow veggies! It's that time again where I whip up a delicious vegan creation. I wish I could have added the pepperoni that I wanted to this, but the closest store is like an hour and a half bus ride from me (all the goddamn stops and a transfer) so I didn't get it. BUT! I can tell you how to add it to your vegan stromboli and how to make different versions all within this one. The one I made is a mozzarella-pesto version. You can make your own pesto like I have or you can use a vegan storebought one. I found one at Shopright the other day. AMAZING. Let's get baking.

YOU WILL NEED: 

1 pound of dough*

1/2c. homemade marinara sauce 

2 tablespoons homemade pesto 

1/2c. vegan mozzarella cheese 

1 teaspoon garlic salt 

2 teaspoons dried basil

2 teaspoons dried oregano

*You can use any store bought one. Make sure that's vegan first though. All the ingredients are on the back of the packages. Most store-made doughs actually are! :D 

**I've made the sauce and pestos before on Delectables with Dan in the past month, so they're easy to find. You can use your own variations if desired. I like to use the freshest ingredients when I cook and bake. I also try to make all of the dishes I create here affordable. In the long run, fresher and healthier will cost you less. Though really, there are some organic and fresh things that are way overpriced, so I try to balance it all out in my budget. 

You will start out by rolling your dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Roll the dough out into a rectangle shape. It's okay if it's not perfect, the best things in life aren't. Using a tablespoon smooth out the marinara sauce that you've spread on one side or the centre of your dough. I don't think it matters as long as your sauce doesn't drip out! Layer in the mozzarella cheese, pesto and seasonings. Once you've done that you're going to roll the dough up. Think of it as rolling a joint. Even if you don't smoke, let's see what else I can use...ah, like when you roll up a shirt you're tie-dying! Yeah, that's another good one. Though I guess if you wear tie-dye you probably smoke pot too. Oh well. Once you've done that, it's time to put this bad boy into bake. Sometimes I like to add a pinch of dried cilantro on the top before I poke it into the oven. 

Make sure that you cut slits diagonally across the top of the dough to allow the steam to come out. Place on a lightly greased baking sheet. Put into bake at 400F for 20-25 minutes or until deep brown in colour. I gave it a few extra minutes so it as nice and crunch on the top, give it the feel that it came out of a pizza oven. I'd really love to have one of those. I'm actually really passionate about new dishes, experimenting. It's something I've really, really started to enjoy, which is great. I had a little extra marinara on the side, just in case I wanted to dip it. Serve with a nice salad. I topped it with two fresh basil leaves, I just like that colour pop with it really. 

**If you are wanting to add pepperoni or meatless meatballs, add the pepperoni and meatballs in before you roll the dough. Make sure that you've fully cooked the meatballs and have diced them into small chunks before trying to put them in the dough to roll. Serve hot.