Jen's Shredded Beef Enchilada Pizza

Apparently, it was pizza week at my house. I am not complaining; back to back pizza recipes make for fun family dinners, and my brood loves a yummy pizza! This one was spicy and tasty...a great use for a leftover beef roast and my fire-roasted Hatch green chiles.

Jen's Shredded Beef Enchilada Pizza

Ingredients:
1/4 cup of cornmeal
cooking spray
1 batch of Quick Homemade Whole Wheat Pizza Crust (see below)
2 T olive oil
leftover cooked beef or pot roast, shredded
1/2 red onion
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 can of green chiles --OR-- 1/3 cup of fresh, fire-roasted Hatch green chiles
1/2 packet of taco seasoning
salt to taste
1 cup of water
2 Tablespoons of lime juice
1/2 cup of pizza sauce
1 can of El Pato hot sauce
1/2 cup of part-skim ricotta or low-fat cream cheese
1 cup of shredded Monterrey Jack cheese
1/2-1 cup of shredded mozzarella or sharp provolone
fresh diced tomatoes, for garnish
fresh chopped cilantro, for garnish
plain Greek-style yogurt (I used non fat yogurt, but you could also use sour cream), for garnish

Directions:
Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Spray large sheet pan with cooking spray and then dust with cornmeal. Shake off any excess. Make pizza dough according to directions (see below). Roll out dough into a rectangle, about 1/8 inch in thickness. Stretch thin dough on to the prepared pan. Set aside.

In a small sauce pan over medium heat, combine El Pato hot sauce, pizza sauce, and ricotta. Stir to combine. Bring to a simmer, then reduce mixture by half. (You are looking for a thick, spreadable, integrated sauce.) Remove from heat and set aside.

In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Saute green chiles and onions, until onions are soft and translucent. Add garlic and cook for an additional 30 seconds. Add cooked, shredded beef roast and sprinkle with taco seasoning and salt to taste. Add water and reduce until liquid is almost evaporated. Remove from heat and add lime juice. Stir beef mixture to incorporate and set aside.

Spread sauce on bottom of crust then top with jack and mozzarella cheeses. Sprinkle cooked beef mixture over cheese layer. Bake for 20 minutes or until crust is cooked and golden browned. Remove from oven and sprinkle fresh, chopped tomato and cilantro over the entire pizza. Cut into squares and serve immediately with a dollop of yogurt on top.

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Quick Homemade Whole Wheat Pizza Crust

Ingredients:
1 package of active dry yeast
1 tsp sugar
1 cup warm water
2 1/2 cups of whole wheat flour
2 Tablespoons of olive oil
1 teaspoon salt

Directions:
In a medium bowl, dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water. Let stand until creamy (about 10 minutes). Stir in flour, salt, & olive oil. Beat until smooth. Let rest 5-10 minutes. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and pat or roll into a round or rectangle shape, to desired thickness. Cook on the grill --OR-- according to your recipe instructions.

Jen's Notes:
Chopped green onions would also be an excellent garnish.





The Result:
So good! Although, pretty spicy...so tone it down to suit your preferences. This really did taste like shredded beef enchiladas masquerading in pizza form. Yum!!!

Jen's Pepperoni and Veggie Calzones

I randomly picked up a package of pepperoni at the store the other day, which is weird. I don't think I have ever purchased pepperoni to have at home. It is just not something I normally use as an ingredient. Why I decided to buy it, I have no idea. If I was pregnant, I would chalk it up to a craving or something...but alas, pregnancy is not a viable excuse for the spontaneous pepperoni purchase. Anyway, I decided to concoct some sort of veggie/pepperoni calzone for tonight's meal. I think I am going to make my quick pizza dough recipe and the filling and go from there. I am really not sure how this is all going to work, but I have a basic idea of how I want to accomplish my calzone making. Wish me luck!

Jen's Pepperoni and Veggie Calzones
1 batch of Quick Homemade Whole Wheat Pizza Crust (or your favorite pizza dough)
cornmeal for coating the pan
cooking spray
1 Tablespoon of olive oil
pepperoni slices (I used 4-5 slices per calzone to cut back on calories and fat)
2 cloves of minced garlic
1 onion, sliced
1 green pepper, sliced into strips
1 (6 oz.) package of sliced button mushrooms
1 can of sliced black olives
1/2 jar of marinara sauce
tomato paste
dried oregano
dried basil
dried thyme
red pepper flakes
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup of part skim ricotta mixed with pesto (I am using leftovers)
1/4 cup of mascarpone cheese
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/2 cup of Parmesan or Pecorino Romano cheese

Directions:
Preheat oven to 500 degrees.

Make dough according to recipe directions and divide up into 4 balls. Set aside. Coat sheet pan with cooking spray and cornmeal and set aside.

In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Saute onions, peppers, and mushrooms until cooked. Add minced garlic,oregano, basil, thyme, and red pepper flakes to taste, and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes. Add in tomato paste and cook for another 1-2 minutes. Add marinara sauce, black olives, and salt and pepper to taste. Reduce mixture until thick and veggies are well coated in tomato sauce. Remove from heat and set aside.

Roll out dough balls into 4 individual circles, about 8 inches in diameter and 1/8 inch thick. Mix the ricotta/pesto with the mascarpone until creamy and smooth. Once dough is rolled out, spread ricotta mixture on half of the circle. Add pepperoni slices to taste,over the ricotta. Spread 1 or 2 Tablespoons full of veggie mixture over the pepperoni slices. Sprinkle some of each cheese over the top of veggie mixture. Fold top of the dough in half (the part without the toppings), creating a stuffed pocket of filling. Crimp ends of calzone with tines of fork to close dough. Cut 2-3 vent slats in top of folded calzone. Carefully move the calzones to the prepared sheet pan with a spatula, and bake for 15-20 minutes or until dough is cooked and slightly browned. Serve and enjoy!

Jen's Notes:
All measurements are approximate. My recipe is more of a 'game plan' than precise directions.





The Result:
As the guy from the 80's TV show, The A-Team used to say, "I love it when a plan comes together." These turned out awesome!!! The dough turned out perfectly...crisp and very calzoneish. I ended up amending the flour amounts from the original recipe; using a total of 2 cups whole wheat flour and only 1/2 cup of AP flour. I wanted the dough to be less springy and more shell-like. It turned out great, and it will be a change I keep for this calzone recipe. The only other change I made was to add a 1/4 cup of mascarpone cheese to the ricotta/pesto mix to smooth it out. When I thawed the ricotta the texture was a little grainy, but the additional cheese fixed that problem. These were probably the best homemade calzone I have attempted thus far and my whole family loved them. I am excited to have one leftover for lunch today. Also, I plan on having some of the ingredients that I still have leftover morph into tonight's dinner; another one of my experimental concoctions. Hooray!!!

Grilled Margherita Pizza

I heart homemade pizza! It is so easy and delicious...it practically makes itself. Tonight, I am going to try my standard Margherita-style pizza on the grill. I love the crisp crust that evolves from cooking pizza on the grill. It is really quite something!

Grilled Margherita Pizza

Ingredients:
1 batch of Quick Homemade Pizza Dough (see below for recipe)
4 Roma or On The Vine tomatoes, sliced
2/3 cup of regular mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/3 cup of smoked mozzarella cheese, shredded
Your favorite marinara or pizza sauce
Extra Virgin Olive Oil (use oil of good quality)
Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, grated to taste (for topping)
Fresh basil, chiffonade (for topping)
Sliced scallions (for topping)

Directions:
Preheat grill to medium heat. Place dough on grill rack, close lid. Dough will take 5-7 minutes. Check it occasionally for bubbles. Once the bottom is golden brown (or at least not burned...ours don't always get golden brown I guess), flip the crust over. This can be tricky and may require two spatulas, depending on the size of your crust. Turn heat down to low or move pizza(s) to top rack if your grill has one. Spread a thin layer of marinara sauce on the cooked side of the crust with a spatula. Then, place the toppings on top of the sauce(tomatoes and both mozzarella cheeses). Close lid. Check after five minutes, cook until cheese is melted. Garnish with Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, fresh basil (or scallions), and drops of extra virgin olive oil. Serve and enjoy!

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Quick Homemade Whole Wheat Pizza Crust

Ingredients:
1 package of active dry yeast
1 tsp sugar
1 cup warm water
1 1/2 cups of AP flour
1 cup of whole wheat flour
2 Tablespoons of olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon of garlic powder

Directions:
In a medium bowl, dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water. Let stand until creamy (about 10 minutes). Stir in flour, salt, & olive oil. Beat until smooth. Let rest 5 minutes. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and pat or roll into a round.

Cook on grill, as indicated in the above directions or according to your recipe instructions.





The Result:
Mmmmm...grilled pizza! This was fan-freakin'-tastic! I think grilled pizza is my new, favorite way to make pizza. The crust had that slightly smokey, charred taste. The texture was amazingly crisp. Everything cooked perfectly and tasted awesome! I did not have fresh basil (oops), so I sliced some scallions to go on top instead. I loved the smoked mozzarella on this pizza, too. Yum! This was so delicious...it totally hit the spot! I will probably make this version again and again and again.

Veggie Pesto Pizza

Pizza night is coming early this week, my friends! I really had no clue as to what I wanted to do for dinner until about two minutes ago. I was stalling -ahem!- I mean...I was looking for inspiration on the Internet when an idea finally gelled. Really, I can't take the credit. It is not my idea. It is an idea from Aggie of Aggie's Kitchen, a food blog that I l-o-v-e. I want another vegetarian meal tonight, but I did not want another pasta dish. I decided to do a 'take' on Aggie's Roasted Veggie Pesto Pizza. Actually, mine will be a lazy version of Aggie's dish...no real roasting involved and I will be using what I have on hand. I am short on fresh veggies this week, so I am going to have to turn to the cans, jars, and frozen items that I have squirreled away in my stores. Hey, at least the pizza dough will be handmade! Okay...I am going to make my own pesto, too. But the fresh pesto is entirely by coincidence, I swear! I needed some fresh basil for a different recipe, and the store only had the huge tub o' basil available. Rather than going without, I decided to purchase the basil tub and figure out what to do with my superfluous basil at a later time (i.e. today). So, homemade pesto it will be!!! Luckily, I have some pine nuts stashed away, as well. The best part is that I can work on both the pesto and the dough right now, while my boy is down for his nap. I think a side of steamed broccoli will go nicely with our pizza, and that will be about it. Whew! Dinner is planned!!!

Veggie Pesto Pizza

For Dough:

Cooking Light Whole Wheat Pizza Crust:

Ingredients:
1 package dry yeast (about 2 1/4 teaspoons)
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1 1/2 cups warm water (100° to 110°)
2 1/2 to 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, divided
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
Cooking spray

Directions:
Dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water in a large bowl; let stand 5 minutes. Lightly spoon flours into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Add 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, wheat flour, oil, and salt; stir until well blended. Turn dough out onto a floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic (about 10 minutes); add enough of remaining flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, to prevent dough from sticking to hands (dough will feel tacky).

Place dough in a large bowl coated with cooking spray, turning to coat top. Cover and let rise in a warm place (85°), free from drafts, 45 minutes or until doubled in size. (Gently press two fingers into dough. If indentation remains, dough has risen enough.) Punch dough down; cover and let rest for 5 minutes. Divide in half; roll each dough half into a 12-inch circle on a floured surface.

Note: To freeze, follow directions for kneading dough and shape into 2 balls. Coat with cooking spray and place in freezer in a zip-top plastic bag. To use them, thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Cover and let rise in a warm place(85º), free from drafts, 1 1/2 hours or until doubled in size. (Gently press two fingers into dough. If indentation remains, dough has risen enough.) Shape as instructed.

Yield: 2 (12-inch) pizza crusts:(Totals are for 1 (12-inch) Pizza Crust.)
CALORIES 847 (11% from fat); FAT 9.9g (sat 1.4g,mono 5.4g,poly 1.9g); PROTEIN 25.7g; CHOLESTEROL 0.0mg; CALCIUM 47mg; SODIUM 1764mg; FIBER 12.7g; IRON 10.2mg; CARBOHYDRATE 165g

Jen's Notes:
I always add flavor-enhancers to the dough mixture. Today, I added garlic powder and Italian Seasoning to the dry ingredients for a little extra zip.


For Jen's Pesto Sauce:

Ingredients:
2-3 cups of fresh basil leaves
3/4 cup of pine nuts (or 1 cup of walnuts)
2-3 cloves of garlic
1/2 cup of grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup of extra virgin olive oil
lemon juice to taste (about 1 Tablespoon, more if needed)
balsamic vinegar to taste (about 1 Tablespoon, more if needed)
salt and pepper to taste
zest of 1 lemon (optional)


Directions:
Place all ingredients, except for oil into the food processor. Pulse until all items are rough chopped. Take lid insert out of food processor lid and drizzle in oil until pesto becomes the proper consistency. Serve at room temperature.

Jen's Notes:
Pesto freezes really well!!!

Toppings:

Ingredients:
1/2 of a red onion, sliced
1 can of sliced mushrooms; rinsed, drained, and dried with paper towels
1 jarred roasted yellow & red peppers, sliced; drained and dried with paper towels
2-3 sliced Roma tomatoes
1 bag of pre-shredded mozzarella cheese
2 cloves garlic, minced finely
olive oil to taste
balsamic vinegar to taste
salt to taste
additional pine nuts
Pecorino Romano cheese, grated finely

Directions:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

After dough has rested, turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and pat or roll into a round. Transfer crust to a lightly greased pizza pan dusted with corn meal. Spread evenly with sauce. Cover with cheese and toppings, in an even layer. Drizzle a little more olive oil, salt, and balsamic vinegar on top of pizza toppings. Scatter pine nuts and minced garlic. Bake 15-20 min. Let cool 5 minutes. Grate Pecorino Romano cheese on pizza. Cut and serve!





The Result:
This was my best pizza, hands down! This was fan-freakin'-tastic! By a happy mistake, my dough did not rise very much; BUT it ended up making a thin and crisp crust. Yum! The crust complimented this pizza perfectly, and I don't think it would have been as tasty with a bready-ier crust (I don't think bready-ier is an actual word...but I am hoping that you know what I mean.) Thankfully, I split the dough as the directions indicated, so I have the other dough ball in the freezer. I will be able to make another crispy crust pizza soon! I love it when a mistake ends up turning out better than the original plan.

The pesto was such a great idea for a sauce base, and the toppings got nice and roasty on their own. The pine nuts were perfectly toasted, too. Really, I am super-excited that this pizza turned out so good! The husband said that it was his favorite so far, as well. I ended up leaving the broccoli off as a topping (I actually went back and changed my post...in case you read this earlier and were wondering where the broccoli went). Instead, we did not have a salad and just ate the broccoli as a side dish with a little Pecorino Romano cheese sprinkled on top. I heart broccoli; especially with a smattering of cheese. This pizza is a total keeper, and I will be working it in to my normal pizza rotation. Thanks for the inspiration, Aggie!!!

Cooking Light's Deep Dish Pizza Casserole

I know that we just had pizza last week, but when I saw the photo for this recipe in my new Cooking Light cookbook called 5 Ingredients 15 Minutes , I knew I had to try it right away. Just as the title promises, there are only five ingredients and the cook time is less than 15 minutes (not including the time it takes to brown the beef). Overall, this looks like a really yummy and easy recipe.
I am actually going to amend this dish a little and make the Quick Homemade Pizza Crust recipe I used the other night, instead of using the pre-made stuff as suggested. I just can't bring myself to: a) spend extra money on something I can make easily, b) make an extra trip to the store for a "convenience" item, and c) use processed pizza dough that has all sorts of unnatural junk in it.(I am not saying that I would never use store-bought dough...I am just not going to make an extra trip and spend extra money today. If I was in a pinch, I would use it.) Even with my modification, this recipe is still quite easy and fast. I will post the recipe as written and then include the recipe for the Quick Homemade Pizza Dough below it in my notes. It think we are just going to serve this with a side salad and some steamed veggies. This recipe looks really promising, so I hope it delivers.

Cooking Light's Deep Dish Pizza Casserole

Ingredients:
1 pound ground round
1 (15 ounce) can chunky Italian-style tomato sauce
Cooking spray
1 (10 ounce) can refrigerated pizza crust dough (OR QUICK HOMEMADE DOUGH; See notes below)
6 (1 ounce) slices part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided

Directions:
Cook meat in a medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until browned, stirring until it crumbles. Drain, if necessary, and return to skillet. Add tomato sauce, and cook until heated.

While meat cooks, coat a 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking dish with cooking spray.

Unroll pizza crust dough, and press into bottom and halfway up sides of baking dish. Line bottom of pizza crust with 3 slices mozzarella cheese. Top with meat mixture. Bake, uncovered at 425 degrees F for 12 minutes.

Top with remaining 3 cheese slices, and bake 5 additional minutes or until crust is browned and cheese melts. Cool 5 minutes before serving.


Jen's Notes:
Here is the recipe for the dough. This is my friend, Jen A.'s recipe, and it has become my favorite pizza method. Seriously, this is really easy and delicious!!!

Quick Homemade Pizza Dough

Ingredients:
For Dough:
1 package of active dry yeast
1 tsp sugar
1 cup warm water
2 1/2 cups of flour
2 Tablespoons of olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon of Italian Seasoning (optional)
1 Tablespoon of garlic powder (optional)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a medium bowl, dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water. Let stand until creamy (about 10 minutes). Stir in flour, salt, & olive oil. Beat until smooth. Let rest 5 minutes. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and pat or roll into a round. Transfer crust to a lightly greased pizza pan dusted with corn meal. Spread evenly with sauce and cover with toppings in an even layer. Bake 15-20 min. Let cool 5 minutes. Cut and serve!





The Result:
This was fan-freakin'-tastic! Great recipe!!! This is the best, easy casserole that I have tried in quite awhile. We all loved it! I added some spices to the ground beef, such as onion powder, garlic powder, minced onion,Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and some leftover diced onions that I had in the fridge. (I added maybe 1/2 teaspoon each.) I did not have a jar of spaghetti sauce, so I used a can of diced tomatoes, a little water, and a small (8 oz) can of no salt added tomato puree. I had some leftover shredded cheddar cheese from tacos last night, so I threw that on top too. I liked the mozzarella/cheddar combo. What can I say...I just love cheese, period!
The homemade dough was awesome,as well. I actually stretched the dough over the sides of the casserole dish, then loaded in the cheese and meat, and finally rolled the crust top down on top of the filled casserole dish. The crust ended up puffing and browning, forming the edge that I wanted. It turned out perfect...soooo yummy!

This recipe is definitely family-friendly; my son kept taking bites and making "ummmm" noises. In my opinion, earning the approval of an almost three-year-old is certainly a great endorsement for this meal! We had some broccoli and our standard, weeknight salad for side items; which went really well with this dish. I am ridiculously pleased with the results of this meal tonight. We will certainly be making this recipe again and again!

Quick Homemade Pizza

I have had a lot of "repeat" recipes lately (i.e. recipes that I have tried and blogged about previously). All I can say is that I am in somewhat of a rut. I don't really feel like experimenting with new recipes very much, since some of the new meals I have tried have been a little disappointing. Instead, I am opting for easy and familiar. I think my recent funk also has to do with our crazy schedule, and the illness that is sweeping through our house (my son is now officially sick).
I have already crafted my menu plan for next week and I only have 2 new recipes planned, with the rest being previous dinner ideas. I really want to stay within our budget, so a lot of my planned meals can be made out of my stash. Hopefully, I will get back to trying some new dishes the week after next. For now, it is "been there/done that" for the next week or so. I honestly don't mind it too much. I am okay with easy and familiar for now. Also, it is much easier to link back to a previous post on my blog, then to craft a whole new one with photos and a review. Yes, I know what you are thinking...and you are right...laziness is totally winning out. Again, I am okay with that. Also, sometimes recipes get buried in the past posts, so this gives me a chance to trot out our favorites. Tonight's meal is a perfect example of that idea.

I usually like to make something kinda fun for Friday night dinner. I think that Friday night is the best night of the week, since you have the promise of the whole weekend stretched out in front of you. It just begs for an easy and fun dinner. I love this easy and quick homemade pizza recipe. We are short on vegetarian meals this week, so this is fills both my requirements for fun and vegetarian. Pizza is always a hit at our house, so I know we will all enjoy this dinner.

Quick Homemade Pizza

Friday night pizza! Hooray!!!!

Margherita Pizza with Whole Wheat Crust

My son and I are having a lazy afternoon today. It is a bit cloudy and chilly outside, so I thought it would be nice to just veg out with my little guy. It seems we always have two or three activities planned for every day during the week, and this week is no exception. So, when I figured out that we didn't have to be somewhere this afternoon, I thought a little mommy-son down time would be nice. When we got home from our morning activity/lunch out, we promptly changed back into our comfy clothes (read: jammies) and started our veg-out day. So far, we have played a board game, ate some candy,taken naps, and now we are watching some cartoons while I ignore the laundry that needs to be done. I know...it's hard to be me sometimes. When Daddy gets home we plan on talking him into joining us. I think that today is an excellent day to have a dinner picnic in our living room and watch a movie together. Maybe Toy Story...Finding Nemo is always a classic...who knows.

To go with our movie, I thought the perfect picnic dinner would be homemade pizza. I thought ahead the last time I made pizza and froze enough dough to make one more pie. All I have to do is thaw, rise, top, and bake...and the first two steps just require me to plop the dough into a bowl and leave it alone for a few hours. It's about as easy as you can get! I think I will just go with the classic basil, mozzarella, tomato combo for my favorite Margherita-style pizza. It's totally simple, yet so delicious.

Margherita Pizza with Whole Wheat Crust

I am really excited for our picnic and movie night!

Margherita Pizza With Whole Wheat Crust

I realized today that all of my 'pizza' blog posts are with my other pizza crust recipe (really, my friend Jen A.'s pizza crust recipe), and I have not made this whole wheat crust in quite awhile. This whole wheat crust recipe is one that I used to make all the time, before I stole...ahem!....borrowed....the other recipe from Jen (why get caught up in semantics????). Hers is definitely the quicker, easier crust to whip up when time is short; but this one is really good and fairly easy, as well.
I originally got this recipe from Cooking Light, and despite it being considered "healthy", this crust really does deliver on taste and texture. I am telling you, the folks at Cooking Light know what they are doing. They always have great tasting recipes that are good for you, and that don't taste like carpet. I love healthy food that does not sacrifice flavor. The nice thing about this crust recipe is that you get enough dough for two pizzas...one for now and one to freeze for another time. That will make a pizza night in the future half of the work!

I am inadvertently making this another vegetarian meal tonight. Not because I purposely planned it to be vegetarian, but just because I went to a movie this afternoon and did not thaw any protein items for toppings (like Italian sausage). Oops. So, instead, we are having unintentional, vegetarian, Pizza Margherita. Seriously, it does not get much easier than tomatoes, basil, cheese, and sauce. I don't think I have any pizza sauce on hand, but I do have all the ingredients to make a quick sauce from scratch. Margherita style is one of my favorite ways to have pizza, so I am looking forward to this treat!

Margherita Pizza With Whole Wheat Crust

Dough:
Cooking Light Whole Wheat Pizza Crust:

Ingredients:
1 package dry yeast (about 2 1/4 teaspoons)
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1 1/2 cups warm water (100° to 110°)
2 1/2 to 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, divided
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
Cooking spray

Directions:
Dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water in a large bowl; let stand 5 minutes. Lightly spoon flours into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Add 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, wheat flour, oil, and salt; stir until well blended. Turn dough out onto a floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic (about 10 minutes); add enough of remaining flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, to prevent dough from sticking to hands (dough will feel tacky).
Place dough in a large bowl coated with cooking spray, turning to coat top. Cover and let rise in a warm place (85°), free from drafts, 45 minutes or until doubled in size. (Gently press two fingers into dough. If indentation remains, dough has risen enough.) Punch dough down; cover and let rest for 5 minutes. Divide in half; roll each dough half into a 12-inch circle on a floured surface.
Note: To freeze, follow directions for kneading dough and shape into 2 balls. Coat with cooking spray and place in freezer in a zip-top plastic bag. To use them, thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Cover and let rise in a warm place (85º), free from drafts, 1 1/2 hours or until doubled in size. (Gently press two fingers into dough. If indentation remains, dough has risen enough.) Shape as instructed.
(Totals are for 1 (12-inch) Pizza Crust.)

Yield: 2 (12-inch) pizza crusts
Note: To freeze, follow directions for kneading dough and shape

CALORIES 847 (11% from fat); FAT 9.9g (sat 1.4g,mono 5.4g,poly 1.9g); PROTEIN 25.7g; CHOLESTEROL 0.0mg; CALCIUM 47mg; SODIUM 1764mg; FIBER 12.7g; IRON 10.2mg; CARBOHYDRATE 165g

Jen's Notes:
I always add flavor-enhancers to the dough mixture. Today, I added garlic powder and Italian Seasoning to the dry ingredients for a little extra zip.


Jen's Pizza Sauce:

Ingredients:
½ can of diced tomatoes
½ can of tomato paste
1 teaspoon of garlic powder
1 teaspoon of chili powder
1 teaspoon of Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon of salt


Directions:
Combine all sauce ingredients in a food processor and mix thoroughly. Top with favorite toppings and bake as directed (see below).


Margherita Pizza Toppings:

Ingredients:
1 ball of fresh whole-milk mozzarella, sliced
fresh basil leaves, chiffonade
Roma tomatoes, sliced
5-6 cloves minced garlic

Directions:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. After dough has rested, turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and pat or roll into a round. Transfer crust to a lightly greased pizza pan dusted with corn meal. Spread evenly with sauce. Cover with toppings in an even layer. Bake 15-20 min. Let cool 5 minutes. Cut and serve!





The Result:
Ummmm....pizza. This was so good. The dough turned out perfect and the pizza itself was so delicious. I was a little bummed because I did not realize I did not have a ball of whole milk mozzarella on hand. I adjusted my game plan, and just used regular shredded mozzarella instead. The result was still good, but the other mozzarella would have made this pizza fantastic. Also, I don't like the look of cooked fresh herbs, because they get all black and wilty. I love the vibrancy of fresh herbs, and I don't like when that freshness is tampered with! I tried to avoid the ugly herb issue by putting my fresh basil on the pizza after it was out of the oven, but the pizza was so hot it still turned the basil dark and made it a little wilty. Oh well, it still tasted nice and fresh...it just wasn't as pretty. I can't complain too much, because my pizza still earned rave reviews from around my table. Seriously, I love homemade pizza...it is so cheap and easy. Not to mention the end product is usually always better than take-out. Hooray for pizza night!!!

Quick Homemade Pizza: Margherita-Style

I love homemade pizza, and this recipe is the best and easiest I have tried. I found some fresh mozzarella on sale for a good price today, and I already had some fresh basil to use up. These ingredients just scream Pizza Margherita to me. I rounded out my pizza menu with some cute little on-the-vine Campari tomatoes and sliced crimini mushrooms. Although mushrooms are not found traditionally on Pizza Margarita, I have decided that I can break the mushroom rule and call it what I want. I know, I know...I am such a rebel!

Quick Homemade Pizza

Ingredients:

For Dough:
1 package of active dry yeast
1 tsp sugar
1 cup warm water
2 1/2 cups of flour
2 Tablespoons of olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon of Italian Seasoning (optional)
1 Tablespoon of garlic powder (optional)

For Sauce:
½ can of diced tomatoes
½ can of tomato paste
1 teaspoon of garlic powder
1 teaspoon of chili powder
1 teaspoon of Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon of salt

My Favorite Topping Ideas:
Caramelized onions
Cheese
Sautéed mushrooms
Fresh tomatoes
Fresh basil leaves
Italian sausage
Prosciutto

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 450. In a medium bowl, dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water. Let stand until creamy (about 10 minutes).

2. Stir in flour, salt, & olive oil. Beat until smooth. Let rest 5 minutes.

3. While dough is resting, combine all sauce ingredients in a food processor, and blend until smooth.

4. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and pat or roll into a round. Transfer crust to a lightly greased pizza pan dusted with corn meal. Spread evenly with sauce. Cover with toppings in an even layer.

5. Bake 15-20 min. Let cool 5 minutes. Cut and serve!



The Result:
Fabulous! I used a lot of sauce, so the pizza was very saucy (great adjectives, huh???...sauce, saucy...let's see if I can pull out any other brain-busters). It was really good,only just a little too messy. The flavor was exactly what I had in mind; I ended up caramelizing the onions and mushrooms together for that extra 'umph'. It was totally satisfying and really, really yummy! I am jealous that the husband is taking the leftovers for lunch tomorrow.

Quick Homemade Pizza

I had an entirely different meal slotted for tonight's dinner, but I decided I really, really, really, wanted something easier for Sunday night dinner. We had a big lunch earlier this afternoon, so my ambitious, labor-intensive, original dinner idea did not sound appealing. My plans really went out the window when I ended up being short on time. When I finally got around to cooking, it was already 5pm. At that point, I had to change my menu around because I had gotten such a late start. Luckily, I had emailed my friend Jen A. a few days ago, asking her for her pizza recipe. I was planning on making it later on in the week, but considering my time crunch, I decided to move it up to tonight's menu choice. I figured pizza is never a bad idea.

Since we have already eaten, I will just combine my review with my commentary.

Oh man, was this fan-freakin'-tastic! This delivered on both easy and delicious!!!

I made a couple changes by adding some spices to the dough. Also, I did not have any pizza sauce on hand, so I had to improvise my own. We were really slim on toppings, so we went the vegetarian route. The husband sauteed onions, mushrooms, and garlic with some red pepper flakes and oregano. Absolutely awesome!!! So, so, soooooooo yummy! I have a different whole wheat pizza dough recipe that is a lot more time consuming. I don't think I will mess with that one ever again! This recipe is so much easier, and I think the results are just as good...if not better. I amended the recipe to include my changes and my sauce concoction (which was also terrific, if I do say so myself). Again, the overall result was fan-freakin'-tastic! Thanks Jen A.!!!!

Quick Homemade Pizza

Ingredients:

For Dough:
1 package of active dry yeast
1 tsp sugar
1 cup warm water
2 1/2 cups of flour
2 Tablespoons of olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon of Italian Seasoning (optional)
1 Tablespoon of garlic powder (optional)

For Sauce:
½ can of diced tomatoes
½ can of tomato paste
1 teaspoon of garlic powder
1 teaspoon of chili powder
1 teaspoon of Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon of salt

My Favorite Topping Ideas:
Caramelized onions
Cheese
Sautéed mushrooms
Fresh tomatoes
Fresh basil leaves
Italian sausage
Prosciutto

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 450. In a medium bowl, dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water. Let stand until creamy (about 10 minutes).

2. Stir in flour, salt, & olive oil. Beat until smooth. Let rest 5 minutes.

3. While dough is resting, combine all sauce ingredients in a food processor, and blend until smooth.

4. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and pat or roll into a round. Transfer crust to a lightly greased pizza pan dusted with corn meal. Spread evenly with sauce. Cover with toppings in an even layer.

5. Bake 15-20 min. Let cool 5 minutes. Cut and serve!