Whole Wheat Salami Pizza

It's fun to just do a classic every now and then. This recipe is really unremarkable. The only reason I am updating it on the blog is for a general reminder. Sometimes the best dinners are simple and the ones that your kids get to help you make. My 5 year old twins really loved assembling this pizza. And when I say assemble, I really do mean assemble. I bought the whole wheat, pre-made dough, jarred pizza sauce, shredded cheese and toppings. I did get nutty and buy salami slices, instead of pepperoni...but that difference was negligible. However, the assembly part was what put this pizza over the top . Helping mommy in the kitchen and us spending time together doing something fun was where all the magic was in this meal. I will say that the kids swore up and down that this pizza tasted better than any pizza they've ever had. Actually, I agree with them on that point. It did taste better than any other pizza. Not because it was a super-fantastic culinary taste sensation, but because it was made with precious little hands and they lit up like Christmas trees in being tasked with dinner preparation. It was fun to make and fun to watch them delight in something so small. I need to remember to do stuff like that with them more often, that is for sure. We served our pizza with a bagged Ceasars salad kit, and had ice cream with chocolate syrup for dessert. It was one of my top 10 meals of my year.

Whole Wheat Salami Pizza

Ingredients:
1 ball of pre-made whole wheat pizza crust
1 package of shredded mozzarella cheese (I think they are 8 oz bags)
1 package of shredded cheddar cheese
1 jar of your favorite pizza sauce
1 package of salami
cooking spray
cornmeal

Directions:
Follow the directions for the pizza dough printed on the bag. Preheat the oven to whatever degrees. Roll out the dough. Coat a sheet pan with cooking spray and then sprinkle cornmeal on the pan, so the pizza doesn't stick. Make sure your small "assistants" have clean hands that are booger-free. Help your kids maneuver the rolled out dough into the pan. Let them fold the edges over to make the crust. Step away from the pizza. Let your kids do the rest of the work, while you supervise. Let them spread the sauce from the jar with spoons. Let them sprinkle all of the cheese. Let them willy-nilly place salami to and fro over the surface of the pizza. Ignore your anal-rententive urge to rearrange the salami slices to be symmetrical (ok, I may have failed at this step). Bake pizza as directed. When pizza comes out of the oven, let it cool for 5 minutes and then cut it with a pizza wheel into slices (or squares in our case). Sit back and revel in the smiles that your children have while enjoying their creation.

Mexican Pizza

I have a deep, dark confession...

I LOVE a certain fast food chains Mexican Pizza. I'm not proud, but it's true. Since I don't eat fast food anymore, I can't even remember the last time I've had one of those caloric delights. Let's just say it's been awhile. I will say in recent years, the quality of said fast food Mexican Pizza has gone waaaay downhill (if that's even possible...it's pretty sad when a bad quality food is even worse quality as time passes). I remember being very disappointed the last time I actually ate one, and then being upset that I wasted so many of my daily calorie allotment on it. Yeesh.

So, when this recipe popped into my Pinterest feed I got VERY excited. Giddy, even. This was a way more healthful version than the fast food chains menu item. Also, I was able to incorporate all that I loved about the original. Black olives, green onions, and fresh tomatoes as some of our toppings. I loved that this was baked and not fried, and I used really lean beef, whole wheat tortillas, and healthy mashed pinto beans as a stand-in for "refried". This recipe satisfied my longing for a *good* Mexican Pizza, and my family agreed that it was a delicious dinner.

Mexican Pizza
Adapted From: Trader Joe's Recipes website via Pinterest

Ingredients:
1 pound lean ground beef or ground turkey
1 medium onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 15-oz can of vegetarian/fat free "refried" pinto beans
8 small whole wheat tortillas
1/2 cup of your favorite salsa
2 cups sharp cheddar
2 green onions, chopped
2 ripe tomatoes, diced
1/4 black pitted olives, sliced
2 sliced green onions, for garnish
1/4 cup of chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Place meat, onion and garlic in a skillet over medium heat. Cook until beef is evenly browned. Drain off grease. Season the meat with chili powder, cumin, paprika, salt, and pepper.

Coat a large sheet pan with cooking spray or use a Silicone baking mat. Place four tortillas on the sheet pan and cover with a layer of beans. Spread half of the seasoned meat over each tortilla and then cover with a second tortilla.

Bake for 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly.

Spread half of the salsa over the top tortillas. Top each pizza with half of the cheese, tomatoes, green onions, and olives. Return the pizzas to the oven, bake until the cheese is melted, about 5 to 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly. Garnish with green onions and cilantro. Slice each pizza into 4 pieces and serve. (These were filling, so we had 2 slices each as a serving).

Sausage and Ricotta White Pizza

Howdy! Bonjour! Hola! Guten Tag! Konnichiwa!

It's been awhile, hasn't it? I'm not going to bore you with my standard excuse of how busy I've been, and just get to the cookin'...

I have some hit or miss stuff lately in my kitchen, and I'm finally excited to have a couple new, blog-worthy recipes. As per usual, I had to scroll back in my camera to see what I've been up to recipe-wise and this was one that jumped out at me.

This recipe is actually a mistake that turned out to be tasty. I originally set out to make The Pioneer Woman's Easy Calzone recipe, but botched the frozen rolls. I accidentally bought pre-cooked heat and serve frozen rolls, and not the actual frozen dinner rolls as recommended in the original recipe. Oops! When I realized I needed to scrap my rolls, I shifted gears and made whole wheat pizza dough and just put this filling on as a white pizza topping. I ended up being delicious and a happy mistake that I would purposefully do again.

Sausage and Ricotta White Pizza
Adapted From: Food Network.com via The Pioneer Woman, Ree Drummond 2012

Ingredients:
1 homemade or store-bought whole wheat pizza dough
1/2 cup of olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1 whole medium onion, diced
5 cloves of garlic, minced
1 pound breakfast or Italian sausage
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
15 ounces whole milk ricotta
2 whole egg
2 cups grated mozzarella, divided
1/2 cup grated Parmesan, divided
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon salt
Black pepper
homemade or store-bought marinara sauce for dipping

Directions:
Prepare pizza dough according to recipe or package directions. Brush pizza dough with the olive oil (you may not need all of it) to coat evenly. Set aside. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions and allow to cook for a couple of minutes. Add garlic and cook for an additional minute. Add the sausage and cook until brown, crumbling the sausage as you stir. Add the Italian seasoning and red pepper flakes. Remove from the skillet and allow to cool on a plate.

In a separate bowl, combine the ricotta, 1 cup of the mozzarella, 1/4 cup of the Parmesan, salt, some pepper, parsley and 2 eggs.

When the sausage is cool, stir it into the cheese mixture and set aside.

Top rolled pizza dough with cheese sausage mixture and sprinkle the top with the remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until cheese is browned and bubbly and dough is cooked. Let cool for 5-10 minutes. Sprinkle with a final dusting of Parmesan cheese and parsley as garnish. Serve with small bowls of marinara sauce for dipping.

Easy Calzone Rolls

I can't believe it's been a month since I've updated anything! I know I've been MIA for awhile here on the ol' blog. Honestly, I haven't been making anything new lately. I've been pretty lazy in the kitchen and have decided to opt for meals that come together easily and are ones that I pretty much have memorized (i.e. tried and true recipes that are already in the archives). I did make these calzones which were both easy, inexpensive, and kid-friendly. This recipe reminded me of something my mom used to make all the time called 'sausage bread'. My mom's variation is a bit more labor-intensive, so I only make it once in a blue moon; usually for a special occasion. Needless to say, we only get to experience my mom's recipe once or twice a year at most.

I don't remember exactly when we had these...it's been a few weeks. However, I DO remember that this was a hit and we all really liked this fun version of a classic calzone.


Easy Calzone Rolls
Adapted From: DisneyFamily.com


Ingredients:
2 loafs frozen bread dough, thawed
1/2 pound sliced ham (I used prosciutto)
1/2 pound sliced hard salami
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (I used 1 cup mozzarella and 1 cup cheddar)
1 cup jarred marinara sauce

Directions:
Roll each loaf of dough into a rectangle about 8 inches by 12 inches.

Layer ham and salami down the center of each rolled loaf lengthwise.

Top meats with 1 cup shredded mozzarella for each roll.

Fold short ends of each loaf in about 1/2 inch and seal. Roll from the long sides and pinch well to seal the entire loaf. You should have 2 long rolls.

Bake, seam side down on a greased baking sheet in a 375 degree F oven for 20 minutes or until golden brown.

Cut each roll into 8 slices and serve with marinara for dipping.

Spinach, Bacon, Hummus Pizza

How do you take a good vegetarian recipe and make it better? Add bacon, of course! Okay, I'm kidding...but this is exactly what I did to this pizza. I started cooking this dinner without really having a solid plan as to what I was doing. I was winging it. Bacon just felt 'right', so I cooked some up and added it willy-nilly to the toppings. You could easily omit the bacon to turn it back into a vegetarian meal. We are just bacon fanatics at my house. Anyway, I did a few things differently from my normal pizza routine, namely using a pizza stone. I always forget that I actually own a pizza stone, so it never gets used. I just happened to find it in my cupboard, so I busted it out for this recipe...it was a total fluke. I'm surprised at how much it did make a difference; the crust was much more crisp with the stone. This was a great variation on pizza and my family gobbled it up. Ah, I love it when a last minute decision works out for the best!


Spinach,Bacon,Hummus Pizza

Ingredients:
pizza stone, preheated
1-2 T cornmeal
1 round of whole wheat pizza dough, store bought or homemade
1 small jar of sun dried tomatoes, diced, drained and rinsed of oil (save oil separately)
2 T sun dried tomato oil (see above)
1 (6 oz.) container of your favorite hummus
1/2 onion, thinly sliced
2 medium cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 bag of washed fresh spinach leaves
salt and pepper to taste
couple splashes of lemon juice
2 cups of mozzarella cheese, shredded
5 pieces of bacon, cooked and diced

Directions:
Preheat oven, with pizza stone, to 450 degrees. In a large skillet, cook bacon until crisp, dice, and set aside. Wipe skillet out with paper towels for reuse.

In the same skillet, add sun dried tomato oil and saute onions and garlic until onions are translucent and garlic is fragrant. Add sun dried tomatoes cook for another minute or so. Add spinach and cook until wilted. Add salt, pepper, and a couple splashes of lemon juice to taste. Set aside.

Once pizza stone is preheated, remove from oven carefully (use oven mitts...don't burn yourself!). Sprinkle corn meal onto pizza stone. Roll out dough in the shape of your stone and place carefully onto the round. Spoon a layer of hummus onto the dough, as you would pizza sauce. Add spinach mixture in a layer over the hummus. Sprinkle cooked bacon on top. Add shredded mozzarella cheese as final topping. Bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes, or until crust is cooked and cheese is melted and starting to get brown and bubbly (sometimes I turn on the broiler at the end of cooking for a minute or so to give the cheese an extra little bit of cook time.) Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes before cutting into wedges. Serve and enjoy!

Flax & Parmesan Pizza

Hello, post-moving/post-going to the gym sporadically/post-holiday/post-eating free-for-all/post-2011 butt jiggle. I am not happy to see you. This is a warning: you are not my friend, trunk-junk...so don't get too comfy back there. We will not be having a long-term relationship.

That was my oh-so-humorous attempt at letting you know I've gained 10 lbs. in the past few months. (Insert sad face here.) Well, I didn't have enough motivation to get rid of it before Christmas; but after a miserable half marathon performance by yours truly, I AM motivated to get rid of it now. Enter, South Beach Diet-Phase 1. Yes, I've flirted with SBD before. Yes, I had mixed feelings about it. This time, I just wanted to kick start the scale to move in the correct direction (i.e. down!). SBD is a healthy, fairly easy way to cut back on carbs and make the weight numbers get smaller.

Thankfully, Pinterest is around. There are tons of low carb food choices available on that website. We love pizza around here, and I was thrilled to find a low (net) carb version that was high in fiber. We topped our pizza with some sauteed veggies and a wee bit of bacon, but I'll get to that in a minute down in the 'ingredients' section. This was a great alternative to traditional pizza crust and one that I will make again when I need to take it easy on the carbs.

Flax & Parmesan Pizza
From: the I Breathe...I'm Hungry... blog via Pinterest

Ingredients:
1 cup flax meal (ground flax seeds)
2 eggs
1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
pinch of salt

Toppings:
pizza sauce (marinara)
mozzarella cheese, shredded
provolone cheese, shredded
sauteed onions, mushrooms, red bell peppers, and zucchini
5 slices of thick cut bacon, chopped up
grated Parmesan cheese for topping

Directions:
Mix all ingredients in a medium bowl. Press onto greased cookie sheet about 1/3 inch thick in a circle. Bake in a preheated 350 degree (F) oven for 8 minutes. Remove. Add toppings of your choice (see above for mine). Bake for another 15 minutes at 350. Remove from oven, cool, and eat.



The Result:
The husband and I loved this pizza, but not so much for my kiddos. I think the dark crust appearance threw them for a loop, and they poo-poo'd it a bit. Which is really just too dang bad; because kids or no kids, we (adults) really dug this version of low carb pizza and I am sure I will make it again.

Casserole Series #3: Bubble Pizza Casserole

I promised my kids a "fun" Monday night dinner, since we've had a rough go of it lately. We had a monumentally stressful week last week, followed by the freaking flu. I thought a recovery meal was in order to help restore everyone's spirits back to normal. In our house a "fun" dinner equals pizza of some sort, but I didn't want to make the same ol'/same ol'. (I think my son would eat pepperoni pizza 24/7, if we'd let him.) Usually, I reserve these types of uber kid-friendly recipes for our Friday night meals, but considering the circumstances, I wanted to shake things up a bit. I found this recipe on a website I frequent that has cheap, easy, and kid-tested recipes on it. This bubble up pizza caught my attention because of the exciting title. Pizza that bubbles???? Yes, please! We have never been known to turn down any form of pizza (or casserole for that matter) in this house.

Bubble Pizza Casserole
Adapted From: MomsWhoThink.com

Ingredients:
1 lb. ground beef
1 can tomato sauce
1 teaspoon of garlic powder
1 Tablespoon minced, dried onions
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon dried basil
salt and pepper to taste
2 tubes refrigerator biscuits
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:
1. Brown the beef in a skillet and drain. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
2. Stir pizza sauce and spices into browned hamburger and simmer until heated through.
3. Quarter the biscuits and place in a 13-in x 9-in x 2-in greased baking dish. Top with beef mixture.
4. Bake uncovered at 400 degrees F for 20 minutes.
5. Sprinkle with cheeses and bake 5-10 more minutes, until cheese is bubbly and slightly browned.





The Result:
Oh man, can I tell you that I felt a little dirty while enjoying this meal??? Is that weird? Okay, don't respond to that...I don't want to know. It was all the canned biscuit dough that did it. I know there is little--if any--nutritional value in canned biscuits. With that said, this was AWESOME. The only way it could have been better is if there were $100 bills baked into the dish. Cheesy, doughy, beefy, pizza-ish...Y-U-M! AND it was cheap to make! AND it was easy to put together! This was a hit with kids and adults alike. Fan-freakin'-tastic!

Cauliflower Crust Veggie Pizza

This recipe is another Pinterest find that my whole family l-o-v-e-d. I am always on the lookout for both new pizza ideas and new vegetarian meals, and this fit both requirements. My kids didn't even realize that all that they were eating was copious amounts of vegetables and cheese. Ha ha! I love sneaking in healthy foods when they are none the wiser. Score!

I made our pizza larger than the original directions indicated, so I adapted all the ingredient quantities to reflect in my recipe below.

Cauliflower Crust Veggie Pizza
Adapted From: Eat. Drink. Smile. website via Pinterest.com

Ingredients:
For crust:
1 head of chopped cauliflower florets, stalks discarded
cooking spray
3 eggs, beaten
3 cups low-fat cheese, shredded (I used a combo of sharp cheddar and mozzarella)
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp of salt
1/2 tsp black pepper

For toppings:
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1 zucchini, cut into 1/2 inch diced pieces
1 bell pepper, cut into strips
1 onion, sliced thinly
1 package (6 oz.) of sliced button mushrooms
2 garlic cloves, minced
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 to 1 cup of jarred marinara sauce (depending on how saucy you like your pizza)
2 fresh tomatoes, sliced
2 cups of shredded mozzarella cheese
Parmesan cheese, grated for topping

Directions:
For crust:
In a food processor "rice" the raw cauliflower florets by pulsing several times. You may have to do a couple of batches, depending on the capacity of the food processor. Also, make sure to not pulse too much; otherwise the cauliflower will be more of a puree instead of small pieces that are "riced". One head of cauliflower should yield about 3 cups of "riced" cauliflower.

Place "riced" cauliflower in a microwave safe container and cook on high in the microwave for 8 minutes. Remove to a bowl and let the cooked cauliflower cool a bit.

Once cauliflower is cool enough to handle, mix in beaten eggs, spices, and 3 cups of cheese. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Combine thoroghly and set aside.

For toppings:
Heat olive oil on in a skillet over medium-high heat. Saute onions, zucchini, peppers, and mushrooms until browned and caramelized. Add garlic and saute for 1 additional minute. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat and set aside.

For pizza:
Spray large rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray and preheat oven to 450 degrees. Press cauliflower mixture into prepared baking sheet, using your hands or the back of a spoon. Make sure there are no holes or thin spots in the pressed crust. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes.

At the end of the cook time, remove from oven and spray top of crust with cooking spray.

Switch the oven over to broil on "high". Return cauliflower back to the oven, by placing on the top rack closest to the broiler. Broil on high for 2-5 minutes, or until crust is slightly browned. Remove from oven.

Top pizza crust with marinara sauce by spreading with a spoon or a spatula. Top sauce with cooked vegetables. Sprinkle cheese over veggies and sauce. Place fresh tomato slices on top of cheese layer. Return sheet pan to the top rack of the oven and broil until cheese is melted, slightly browned, and bubbly. Remove the pizza from the oven. Sprinkle grated Parmesan cheese over the entire pizza. Cut it into squares and serve immediately.





The Result:
As you have probably guessed, I found my camera again. Hooray! I had to do quite a bit of digging through some moving boxes, but I'm so happy I finally found it. I can now start taking blog pics again...this is really good news.

This was soooo yummy! Seriously delicious; as I said, we all really loved it. The original website mentions that this will not be the same texture or taste as traditional pizza crust, which I found to be true. It wasn't firm enough to pick up and eat with our hands, but it was totally fine to just eat it with a fork. With that said, it was still pretty darn fantastic and it will be something I wiggle into our regular pizza rotation. Yum!!!!

Potato-Leek Pizza with Bacon

Well, since the husband was on such a roll with the last cookbook I let him have the pick again. I think that will be our thing...he chooses, and I cook. Anyway, this time he selected The Pioneer Woman Cooks! cookbook. We love PW, so it wasn't much of a stretch. Again, I looked for recipes that were not totally unhealthful and were things that didn't automatically jump out at me. This pizza was my first choice, and it was so good! The husband said it reminded him of the potato skins appetizer, only in pizza form. I must agree...it was the best of both worlds!

Potato-Leek Pizza with Bacon
Adapted From: The Pioneer Woman Cooks! cookbook, by: Ree Drummond

Ingredients:
1 batch of my Quick Homemade Whole Wheat Pizza Dough (see below)
extra virgin olive oil
kosher salt
3 slices thick-cut bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces
3 leeks, rinsed well to remove grit and thinly sliced
5 small red or Yukon Gold potatoes, sliced paper thin
1 lb fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced thin
4 oz goat cheese, crumbled
freshly ground black pepper
grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:
Prepare the pizza crust by drizzling lightly with olive oil and sprinkling lightly with salt.

In a skillet over medium heat, fry the bacon until cooked but not crisp, then remove and set aside. Pour off most of the grease, but do not clean the skillet. Return it to the stove and, over medium-low heat, saute the leeks until soft, about 3 minutes. Remove the leeks from the heat and set aside.

Using a sharp knife or mandoline, slice the potatoes very thin. Be careful not to allow them enough time to oxidize. Arrange the potatoes in a single layer all over the crust, slightly overlapping the edges. Sprinkle the potatoes lightly with salt, then lay the mozzarella slices in a single layer on top of the potatoes. Place the leeks on top of the cheese, then sprinkle the fried bacon pieces over the top. Add a generous dose of crumbled goat cheese, grated Parmesan, and a sprinkle of pepper.

In an oven preheated to 500 degrees F, bake the pie for 8-11 minutes, until the edges of the crust are golden brown and the cheese is melted and bubbly. Slice it into wedges or squares and serve immediately.

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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:
This was spooooooo good! I loved finding yet another pizza variation that I could throw into the rotation. Pizza is so versatile...it's really a crying shame that most people do not experiment with pizza flavors, or just stick to whatever the local take-out shop has on their menu. There is a whole world of delicious, unusual pizza toppings just waiting to be discovered!

I tried to lighten this recipe up by pairing this pizza with the my whole wheat crust recipe, and I cut the amount of bacon in half from the original recipe. I only used 3 strips of really great quality applewood smoked bacon, and it was plenty. I used small red potatoes and followed the remainder of the recipe as-is. Again, it was so, so, so, soooooo good!!!!

BBQ Brisket Pizza

If you have ever wondered what to do with leftover, smoked, BBQ brisket, here is a fantastic solution! Nom, nom, nom.

BBQ Brisket Pizza

Ingredients:
cooking spray
1 batch of your favorite whole wheat pizza dough (mine is homemade)
your favorite BBQ sauce, either homemade or bottled
leftover smoked, BBQ brisket slices
1 cup of shredded mozzarella
1 cup of shredded sharp cheddar

Directions:
Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Stretch pizza dough out on a large sheet pan. Cover dough with as little or as much as you like of your favorite BBQ sauce. Place cut slices of brisket on top of the BBQ sauce layer. Sprinkle cheese evenly over meat and sauce. Bake for 15-18 minutes. Cut into squares, serve and enjoy!!!



The Result:
So yummy. I didn't bother to link to my pizza dough recipe again, since I figure you could just find it as a sidebar tag. This recipe is super-easy and would also work great with BBQ chicken or pork. Also, I didn't bother to put any ingredient amounts, since this pizza is pretty much a no-brainer and would be fairly hard to goof up. For a fresh element; I think some sliced green onions would make an excellent garnish, as well. I feel like I am rambling a bit today... Anyway, we all LOVED this pizza!

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 7-Cheese, Prosciutto, & Heirloom Tomato White Pizza

Seven cheese pizza...does that sound excessive???? I think so, too. Let me explain. At any given time I have at least ten types of cheese at my house. (I am not exaggerating.) Why??? Well, because we LOVE cheese. Also, I use it. Since I cook such a variety of food, I buy high quality cheese and try to use it sparingly. Then, I always have a bunch of cheese odds and end leftover from my all of my recipe experimentation. In an effort to not waste my precious cheese bits, I end up making things like pizza with seven different types of cheeses. See...it's perfectly rational!!!

As you can imagine, this pizza was pretty darn fantastic. How could it not be with all that cheese on it???? To quote my husband at dinner last night, "Honey, this is some really great pizza." I love trying out new pizza ideas; especially since pizza, by nature, is always dependably awesome. Pizza is just one of those magical foods that everyone seems to love, no matter what. Sure enough, this pizza was another keeper!

Jen's 7-Cheese, Prosciutto, & Heirloom Tomato White Pizza

Ingredients:
cooking spray
1/4 cup of cornmeal
1 batch of Quick Homemade Whole Wheat Pizza Crust (see below for recipe)
1/2 cup of olive oil, divided
5 cloves of garlic, minced finely
2 heirloom tomatoes, chopped
1/4 cup of balsamic vinegar
salt to taste
4 ounces of prosciutto de Parma
1/3 cup of fresh basil, chiffonade
1/4 cup of goat cheese
1/2 cup of part-skim ricotta
1/3 cup of fresh mozzarella, torn into small pieces
1/3 cup of asiago, shredded
1/3 cup of sharp provolone, shredded
1/3 cup of fontina, shredded
1/4 cup of Parmiggiano-Reggiano, finely shredded

Directions:
Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Spray large sheet pan with cooking spray and then dust with cornmeal. Shake off any excess. Set aside.

Place chopped tomatoes, balsamic vinegar, 1/4 cup of olive oil, and salt to taste in a small bowl and mix to combine. Set aside.

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. Brush dough with 1/4 cup of olive oil. In a small bowl mix the goat cheese and ricotta cheese together by mashing with a fork. Using an off-set spatula spread the goat cheese/ricotta mixture over the pizza dough in a thin layer. Sprinkle minced garlic evenly over the cheese layer. Sprinkle remaining 5 cheeses over dough evenly. Tear prosciutto into bite sized pieces and place on top of the cheese layer.

Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes, or until dough is cooked and crust is crispy. Remove from the oven. Place tomato mixture through a fine-mesh strainer to eliminate the excess liquid. (If you skip this step, the pizza will be too watery.) Sprinkle marinated tomato pieces evenly over cooked pizza. Top entire pizza with a sprinkling of basil. 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
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.





The Result:
Awesome! This was such a great way to use up some of my cheese bounty. If you are like me and crazy enough to keep all these cheeses in stock, this was a fantastic pizza to have for dinner!

Grilled Greek Chicken Pizza

I follow Aggie's Kitchen on Facebook, and I was inspired by her take on a Greek Chicken Pizza. I started with the recipe for Grilled Lemon Parsley Chicken and modified it with some Greek herbs. Then, I hit up the olive bar at our local supermarket and let the plethora of choice ingredients guide me the rest of the way. Oh man, was this one fantastic pizza! We had some friends over for dinner and they loved it, too. I am a sucker for a good pizza, and this one is my new favorite (although, I think I say that about every pizza I make). Anyway, if you like Mediterranean flavors, I would highly recommend playing around with this pizza and adding or subtracting items that you like...I really don't think you could go wrong!

Grilled Greek Chicken Pizza

For the Chicken:
Use 1 batch of Grilled Lemon Parsley Chicken, with 1 teaspoon of fresh or dried thyme and 1 teaspoon of fresh or dried oregano added into the marinade.

Cut 1 or 2 of the chicken breasts into bite sized pieces and set aside (save the other cooked chicken breasts for another purpose or leftovers).

For the Pizza:

Ingredients:
1 batch of Quick Whole Wheat Pizza Dough (see recipe below)
1/2 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup of shredded fontina cheese
1 (6 oz.) container of pre-made pesto
2 fresh tomatoes, diced
1/4 red onion, sliced thin
2 garlic cloves, minced
1-2 Grilled Lemon Parsley Chicken breasts, diced (see above for directions)
1 can of artichoke hearts, rinsed, drained and quartered
1 cup of assorted green and black olives, sliced
1/3 cup of roasted red or marinated peppers, sliced
1/3 cup of sun dried tomatoes, chopped
1/4 cup of feta cheese, crumbled
sliced pepperoncini peppers (optional)

Directions:
Heat grill to high heat (about 550 degrees). Roll crust out into a 1/8 inch thickness round or oval shape (it does not have to be perfectly round). Set aside.

Prepare grill by placing some canola oil in a bowl, and using an old rag and a pair of long, heat-resistant tongs, dip rag in canola oil and wipe the grates of the grill. This will prevent the crust from sticking. Be careful not to burn yourself...stand as far back as possible when doing this, because oil can flare up.

Grill both sides of pizza to desired doneness. Remove cooked pizza to large baking sheet. Smear pesto over cooked crust evenly. Sprinkle the fontina and mozzarella cheese over the pesto. Top with crust with fresh tomatoes, red onion slices, minced garlic, cooked chicken, artichoke hearts, olives, peppers, and sun dried tomatoes.

Return crust (now on baking sheet) to the grill for 2 minutes, or until pizza is warm and cheese slightly melted. Turn off grill and remove crust. Top cooked pizza feta cheese crumbles. Cut and serve.

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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.

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

The Result:
I forgot to take a photo, but let me tell you...this pizza looked (and tasted) spectacular. Yum!!!

Smoked Salmon Pizza

Oh, Cooking Light. How I love you! A few months back (May 2010, I think), Cooking Light had a "pizza" issue. It was the same issue where I found the Prosciutto and Apricot pizza, and this little gem. Some might say the recipes featured were odd pizza choices; but, so far, both recipes that I have tried have been fan-freakin'-tastic. (I have a third pizza recipe marked, so you will have to stay tuned for that one...coming soon!) My skeptical husband and son both loved this pizza, too. My son actually picked all the smoked salmon off his pizza and ate that first...not usual behavior for a 4 year old, but the apple does not fall far from the tree! I am pretty proud of the fact that my kiddo will eat things that most children would not touch with a 10 foot pole. Anyway, a green salad and this pizza made quite a delightful meal. A glass of white wine would have made it perfect! (I should have opened a bottle, but didn't think of it until after we were finished eating.) Needless to say, this is a keeper!

Smoked Salmon Pizza
Adapted From: Cooking Light, May 2010 issue; Julianna Grimes

Ingredients:
1 batch of Quick Homemade Whole Wheat Pizza Crust (recipe follows)
1 package (8 oz.) of low-fat cream cheese
2 Tablespoons of capers, drained
1 Tablespoon of fresh dill, chopped
1 (4 oz.) package of smoked salmon (buy the good stuff...I used wild sockeye salmon)
sliced red onion to taste (I probably used 1/3 of a large red onion)
canola oil for the grill

Directions:
Heat grill to high heat (about 550 degrees). Roll crust out into a 1/8 inch thickness round or oval shape (it does not have to be perfectly round). Set aside.

Prepare grill by placing some canola oil in a bowl, and using an old rag and a pair of long, heat-resistant tongs, dip rag in canola oil and wipe the grates of the grill. This will prevent the crust from sticking. Be careful not to burn yourself...stand as far back as possible when doing this, because oil can flare up.

Grill both sides of pizza to desired doneness. Remove cooked pizza to large baking sheet. Smear cream cheese over cooked crust evenly. Return crust (now on baking sheet) to the grill for 2 minutes, or until cream cheese is warm and slightly melted. Turn off grill and remove crust. Top cooked pizza crust and cream cheese with red onion, capers, fresh dill, and smoked salmon slices. Cut and serve.

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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.

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



The Result:
Soooooo yummy! I adapted the original method to accommodate grilling and my dough recipe. I love the char-grilled flavor that gets imparted on pizza crust. It went perfectly with the smoked salmon. Best of all, this was pretty simple to prepare. This pizza was crisp and delicious!

Pizza with NY Strip, Blue Cheese, and Balsamic Glaze

I am not a fan of Bobby Flay, however this recipe sounded too good to scoff at just because of the source (i.e. Mr. Flay). I am glad I tried it, because it was certainly delicious! The only change I made was that I adapted it to include my whole wheat pizza dough, instead of the crust outlined in the recipe. My crust turned out great and was a little more healthful. Although, I won't be wearing an "I heart Bobby Flay" t-shirt anytime soon, I will say that this pizza was really great and it totally hit the spot.

PS-I would consider wearing an "I heart grilled pizza" shirt in the near future.

Pizza with NY Strip, Blue Cheese, and Balsamic GlazeAdapted From: foodnetwork.com

Ingredients:

Balsamic Glaze:
2 cups balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Steak:
1 (12-ounce) NY strip steak
Canola oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Pizza:
1 batch of Quick Homemade Whole Wheat Pizza Crust, cut in half and shaped into 2 pizzas (see recipe below)
Canola oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese
1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese
Grilled steak
1 bunch watercress, coarsely chopped
Balsamic Glaze
Shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano

Directions:

For the glaze:
Bring vinegar to a boil in a small nonreactive saucepan and cook, stirring occasionally, until reduced to 1/2 cup. Stir in the honey and season with salt and pepper, to taste.

For the steak:
Heat grill to high. Brush steak on both sides with oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill until golden brown and slightly charred on both sides and cooked to medium-rare doneness, about 5 minutes per side. Remove from the grill to a cutting board, tent lightly with foil and let rest for 10 minutes. Slice into 1/4-inch thick slices.

For the pizza:
Heat the grill to high.

Brush both sides of the pizzas with oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill until golden brown on both sides, about 2 minutes per side. Remove from the grill, divide the Monterey Jack cheese over the top of each one and then sprinkle with the blue cheese. Place back on the grill, close the cover of the grill and grill until the cheese has melted, about 1 minute. Remove to a flat surface, divide the steak between each pizza, then top with the watercress Drizzle with some of the balsamic glaze and sprinkle with some of the shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano.

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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.

Jen's Notes:
I made one pizza without blue cheese and one with blue cheese. The hubby is not a blue cheese fan. This turned out great with just the jack cheese on it, as well. Arugula or baby spinach could be good substitutes for the watercress, if you cannot find it.

I think this would work well with grilled, sliced portobello mushrooms for a vegetarian version; or some grilled chicken slices if you are trying to avoid red meat. Although I must admit, the steak was sooooo yummy and a real treat!



The Result:
Yum, yum, yum, yum, yum, yum!

Cooking Light's Apricot Prosciutto Pizza

Sounds intriguing, doesn't it???? I thought so. The husband is not sure about this one, but I think it is going to be yummy. I mean, really...let's break it down: tangy goat cheese, sweet/tart apricots, slightly bitter, yet peppery arugula, salty prosciutto and Parmigiano-Reggiano, all on a crisp thin crust...ummmm. The more I imagine it, the more I think it is going to be a taste sensation! The only way to find out is to try it. Wish us luck!

Cooking Light's Apricot Prosciutto Pizza
From: Julianna Grimes, Cooking Light magazine, MAY 2010

Ingredients:
1/2 cup warm water (100° to 110°)
1/2 teaspoon dry yeast
8 1/2 teaspoons olive oil, divided
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
6 ounces bread flour (about 1 1/4 cups)
Cooking spray
2 tablespoons yellow cornmeal
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 apricots, each pitted and cut into 8 wedges
2 shallots, peeled and thinly sliced
3/4 cup (3 ounces) crumbled goat cheese
1 1/2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon minced fresh chives
1 cup arugula
1 ounce thinly sliced prosciutto
1 ounce shaved fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Directions:
Combine 1/2 cup warm water and yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer with dough hook attached; let stand 5 minutes or until bubbly. Add 4 teaspoons oil and 1/4 teaspoon salt to yeast mixture. Weigh or lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Sprinkle flour over yeast mixture; mix 2 minutes or until a soft dough forms. Place dough in a large bowl coated with cooking spray; cover surface of dough with plastic wrap lightly coated with cooking spray. ****Refrigerate 24 hours.****

Remove dough from refrigerator. Let stand, covered, 1 hour or until dough comes to room temperature. Punch dough down. Roll dough out to a thin 12-inch circle on a lightly floured baking sheet, without raised edges, sprinkled with cornmeal. Crimp edges to form a 1/2-inch border. Pierce dough several times with a fork. Cover dough loosely with plastic wrap.

Position an oven rack in the lowest setting. Place a pizza stone on lowest rack. Preheat oven to 550°. Preheat the pizza stone for 30 minutes before baking dough.

Combine 1 tablespoon oil, thyme, pepper, apricots, shallots, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt; toss gently. Remove plastic wrap from dough; slide dough onto preheated pizza stone, using a spatula as a guide. Bake at 550° for 4 minutes. Top dough with goat cheese and apricot mixture. Bake an additional 5 minutes or until crust is golden brown. Cut pizza into 10 slices; sprinkle with parsley and chives. Toss arugula with remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons oil; arrange arugula over apricot mixture. Top with prosciutto and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. Cut into 10 wedges.

Nutritional Information:
Yield:5 servings (serving size: 2 wedges)
Calories:307
Fat:14.3g (sat 4.8g,mono 6.9g,poly 1.2g)
Protein:12.1g
Carbohydrate:32.7g
Fiber:2g
Cholesterol:17mg
Iron:2.9mg
Sodium:459mg
Calcium:120mg

Jen's Notes:
I am not going to make this particular crust, since I did not read the directions thoroughly and I missed the part about refrigerating the dough for 24 hours before cooking. Oops. Instead, I am going to make my standard whole wheat crust and grill the dough until crisp. If I roll it thin, the texture should be very similar.

Here is my favorite dough recipe:

Quick Whole Wheat Pizza Dough

Also, here are the Cook's Notes from the website:

Look for apricots that are slightly underripe so they'll stand up to the heat, or you can substitute two medium peaches. We like the smooth texture and intense flavor of imported Parma prosciutto in this dish.

The Result:
I am so glad that we tried this pizza! This was fan-freakin'-tastic! It was delicious. Seriously, I would not change a thing. My crust on the grill turned out perfectly crisp, and I loved the little bit of char-grilled flavor. All the components balanced nicely, and it was such great combination of ingredients. Best of all, it was healthy. Two pieces (which is one serving) calculated out to only 307 calories. I felt like I totally indulged, but I was still a half pound lighter on the scale this morning. Now that is a pizza that I can totally recommend! The husband and boy loved it, too...which is saying a lot since the husband admitted he was very skeptical. This is definitely a keeper. Also, this recipe makes me want to experiment with other unusual pizza ideas, so be forewarned.

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!!!

Piadina with Fontina and Prosciutto

Here is my final Giada recipe for the week. Well, a version of it anyway. This piadina (Italian flat bread) is sort of like a pizza; so I decided to cheat and use whole wheat pizza dough as a substitute for the flat bread. My twins are not feeling too hot today (stuffy noses and cranky), and I just don't want to fuss with making the dough from scratch. Instead, I will just grill up the pre-made dough that I bought from Fresh and Easy and top it as Giada recommends in this recipe. The overall effect should be similar to the intended dish.

Friday night is such a fun family night at our house, and I like serving a fun dinner to set the tone for the weekend. Hopefully, this piadina will deliver!

Piadina with Fontina and Prosciutto
Adapted From: Giada at Home cookbook; foodnetwork.com

Ingredients:
pizza dough of your choice, I am using pre-made whole wheat
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound part-skim ricotta cheese
2 teaspoons lemon zest (from about 2 lemons)
juice of 1 lemon
Freshly ground black pepper and salt, to taste
6 ounces fontina cheese, shredded
4 ounces prosciutto, thinly sliced
1 cup chopped fresh basil leaves

Directions:
Place a grill pan over medium-high heat or preheat a gas or charcoal grill. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out dough into a circle, about 1/8-inch thick. Brush the circle with the extra-virgin olive oil and grill for 4 minutes each side. Remove the dough from the grill to a sheet pan and cool slightly.

Combine the ricotta cheese,lemon juice, and lemon zest in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Spread over the grilled dough with the ricotta mixture. Sprinkle the fontina cheese evenly over the ricotta cheese. Arrange the prosciutto slices on top of the cheeses. Put the sheet pan with the piadina back on the grill for 3-5 minutes and close the lid (this will melt the cheese and warm everything through). Cut piadina into 8 wedges and transfer to a serving platter. Garnish with the chopped basil.

Jen's Notes:
The original recipe (linked above) indicates to make 8 individual piadinas. I am just going to make one large one, since I am just feeding my family and not eight people. Also, I omitted the dough instructions from my post completely. If you are interested in the original, just follow the foodnetwork.com link under the recipe title.





The Result:
This was excellent! Sooooo yummy. I added the juice of one lemon to the ricotta, because the zest didn't seem like it was enough zing. It turned out perfectly! I ended up grilling the crust, taking it off of the grill and putting it on a sheet pan, adding the topping, and then put the whole thing back on the grill to melt all the cheese and warm it through (I amended the ingredients/directions to reflect my final changes). It was awesome. I will make this version again, that is for sure!

Ina's White Pizza(s) with Arugula

This recipe is in my Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics cookbook. I have been eyeing it for awhile, but for one reason or another, I did not end up putting it on my menu plan until now. My friend Claire recently tried this pizza and reported it to be totally delicious, so I am quite excited to check it out. The cheese content alone has me drooling, and I usually have excellent luck with Ina recipes!

I am going to make a couple of minor changes, but they should not effect the overall outcome of this dish. First, I noticed that the recipe itself has instructions to divide the dough up into six individual pizzas, but I am going to skip that and make just one big one for my family. Also, I picked up some whole wheat pizza dough from Fresh and Easy; so I am just going to use that instead of making my own this time. I had a bit of trouble finding the arugula (maybe that is why I never tried this pizza before...nothing will detract me from a recipe like hard-to-find ingredients), but finally the planets aligned and I found some. Is it dinnertime yet???? This should be an ooey-gooey cheesy treat.

Ina's White Pizza(s) with Arugula
From: Barefoot Contessa, Back to Basics cookbook

Ingredients:

For the dough:
* 1 1/4 cups warm (100 to 110) water
* 2 packages dry yeast
* 1 tablespoon honey
* Good olive oil
* 4 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for kneading
* Kosher salt
* 4 cloves garlic, sliced
* 5 sprigs fresh thyme ***(I USED 1/2 TEASPOON OF DRIED THYME)***
* 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

For the topping:
* 3 cups grated Italian fontina cheese (8 ounces)
* 1 1/2 cups grated fresh mozzarella cheese (7 ounces)
* 11 ounces creamy goat cheese, such as montrachet, crumbled

For the vinaigrette:
* 1/2 cup good olive oil
* 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
* Freshly ground black pepper
* 8 ounces baby arugula
* 1 lemon, sliced ***(I DIDN'T USE SLICED FRESH LEMON)***

Directions:
Combine the water, yeast, honey and 3 tablespoons of olive oil in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook. When the yeast is dissolved, add 3 cups of flour, then 2 teaspoons salt, and mix on medium-low speed. While mixing, add up to 1 more cup of flour, or just enough to make a soft dough. Knead the dough for about 10 minutes until smooth, sprinkling it with the flour as necessary to keep it from sticking to the bowl.

When the dough is ready, turn it out onto a floured board and knead it by hand a dozen times. It should be smooth and elastic. Let it rise. Place the dough in a well-oiled bowl and turn it to cover it lightly with oil. Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel and allow the dough to rise at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Place 1/2 cup of olive oil, the garlic, thyme and red pepper flakes in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over low heat. Cook for 10 minutes, making sure the garlic doesn't burn. Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees. (Be sure your oven is clean!)

Dump the dough onto a board and divide it into 6 equal pieces. Place the doughs on sheet pans lined with parchment paper and cover them with a damp towel. Allow the dough to rest for 10 minutes. Use immediately, or refrigerate for up to 4 hours.

Press and stretch each ball into an 8-inch circle and place 2 circles on each sheet pan lined with parchment paper. (If you've chilled the dough, take it out of the refrigerator approximately 30 minutes ahead to let it come to room temperature.)

Brush the pizzas with the garlic oil, and sprinkle each one liberally with salt and pepper. Sprinkle the pizzas evenly with fontina, mozzarella and goat cheese. Drizzle each pizza with 1 tablespoon more of the garlic oil and bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until the crusts are crisp and the cheeses begin to brown.

Meanwhile, whisk together 1/2 cup of olive oil, the lemon juice, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.

When the pizzas are done, place the arugula in a large bowl and toss with just enough lemon vinaigrette to moisten. Place a large bunch of arugula on each pizza and a slice of lemon and serve immediately.





The Result:
This pizza was fan-freakin'-tastic! This was the best pizza that I have ever made at home, hands down. We all LOVED it! If you are thinking about making this recipe, I would certainly not skimp on the quality of the cheese. I used fresh mozzarella, good fontina, and cherve goat cheese. Oh man, it was awesome! I did cut down on the amount of goat cheese (I probably used about half of what was indicated in the ingredients list), but the reduced amount did not impact the taste at all. I think if I would have used all of the goat cheese as listed, it would have been way too much. I also noticed that the higher cooking temp of 500 degrees really made the crust crispy. I think I will cook all of my pizzas from here on out at that higher temperature. The arugula salad gave a perfect bite and mild acidity to cut through the richness of the cheese...so don't skip that either. This pizza wouldn't have been half as good without it. The arugula salad really contributed to the overall balance to the dish. YUM! I can't wait to have the leftovers today for lunch. I highly recommend trying this pizza!!!

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.