August 15, 2011: White Pizza on the Grill Recipe

I’ve always wanted to try my hand at making pizza on the grill. Although I wasn’t confident enough to place it right on the rack (I used my pizza stone), this still has the flavor and crispiness of a crust cooked in a barbecue with an open flame. This version of pizza is perhaps my husband’s favorite so far. I hope you enjoy it, too!

White Pizza

Crust:

1 cup warm water

2 t. yeast

2 T. olive oil

1 t. sugar

1 t. salt

2 ½ cup flour

Dissolve yeast in the warm water. Add remaining ingredients (use a stand mixer for best results) and mix until it forms a smooth ball. Place in a greased bowl, cover and let rise for about 30 minutes or until doubled in size.

Roll out the dough into a circle. Carefully place it on a pizza peel dusted with cornmeal.

Place a pizza peel in your grill heated to as high as it will go (with indirect heating). Carefully slide the pizza dough from the peel to the heated stone. Cook for about 5 minutes, until it is just firm enough to slide back onto the pizza peel without breaking or falling apart.

Toppings:

½ jar store bought Alfredo sauce

1 lb. mild Italian sausage, crumbled and cooked

1 Roma tomato, thinly sliced

½ cup thinly sliced black olives

6 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese

1 ounce shredded Parmesan cheese

Spread Alfredo sauce on the prepared pizza crust (still on the pizza peel). Top with tomato and black olive slices. Sprinkle with cheese, followed by sausage. Slide the topped pizza crust back onto the pizza stone and cook for about 10 minutes. If desired, finish pizza under the broiler for a few minutes to brown cheese.

Makes 8 large slices.

May 31, 2011: Mexican Pizza with Jalapeno Cornbread Crust Recipe

Here we are on the last day of the month… already! The summer season has officially begun and 22 years ago today I gave birth to my awesome, wonderful, handsome, intelligent, funny, responsible, hard-working, most precious son. Happy Birthday, Neal!

Now, for the last recipe of the month.

I made this one up the other day. I wanted something Mexican and I was craving pizza and this is what I came up with. Although I always make my refried beans from scratch (I actually don’t refry them but just mash them with the cooking liquid to save on calories) feel free to use a can of good quality beans instead.

Mexican Pizza

Jalapeno Cornbread Crust:
¾ cup warm water
1 ½ t. dry yeast
1 T. honey
1 T. finely chopped jalapenos
1 T. butter, softened
1 t. salt
¼ cup cornmeal
2 – 2 ½ cups flour

In the warmed bowl of a stand mixer, combine the water and yeast. Let sit for a few minutes, until it starts to froth. Add remaining ingredients, through cornmeal. Add one-and-a-half cups of the flour and process on Speed 2 for a couple minutes. Add remaining flour, half cup at a time, until mixture forms a smooth dough. Place in a greased bowl, turning to coat all sides, and cover. Let rise in a warm place 30 minutes, or until doubled in size. Punch down the dough.

Grease a pizza stone with olive oil. Evenly spread the dough across the pan, using your fingers to bring it to the edges; crimp the edges slightly.

For the Pizza:
2 cups refried beans
1 cup sliced black olives
½ onion, thinly sliced
1/8 cup minced fresh cilantro
2 cups shredded Colby jack cheese
1 lb. chorizo, cooked and drained of grease
4 slices pepper jack cheese
Shredded lettuce and diced tomatoes, optional
Taco sauce, optional

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place oven rack in lowest position.

Spread the prepared dough with refried beans. Top with olives, onion, cilantro, shredded cheese, and chorizo. Place the four slices of pepper jack cheese around the pizza in a diamond pattern.

Bake for 15 – 20 minutes, until the crust is brown and the cheese is melted. Remove from oven, cool slightly, and slice into eighths. Top with lettuce, tomato, and taco sauce, if desired.

Makes 8 slices.

April 16, 2011: Perfect Pizza Dough Recipe

Okay, so pizza isn’t exactly in keeping with this month’s theme(s). But I’ve spent a lot of time perfecting my pizza dough and the truth is, you can top your pie with nearly anything you want – from chicken to seafood to veggies only. I’ve included some suggestions for toppings following the pizza dough recipe.

This pizza dough would be considered somewhere between a thick and a thin crust – kind of a “one size fits all” crust depending on what you and your family prefer!

If you’ve got a stand mixer, you can whip this recipe up in minutes. The dough only has to rise one time, so it really doesn’t take long at all to make your own homemade pizza any night of the week.

Perfect Pizza Dough

1 cup warm water
2 t. yeast
1 t. sugar
1 t. salt
½ t. oregano
2 T. olive oil
2 – 2 ½ cups flour

Dissolve the yeast in the warm water; add the sugar and let sit for a few minutes until it starts to get frothy. Add salt, oregano, oil, and a cup and a half of the flour. If you are using a stand mixer, mix on speed 2 until it starts to form the dough, then add additional flour, half cup at a time until the ball of dough cleans the sides of the bowl. If mixing by hand, knead the additional flour one half cup at a time until you have formed an elastic ball.

Place the dough in a bowl greased with olive oil, turn to coat all sides. Cover with a clean cloth and let rise in a warm place for about half an hour, or until doubled in size.

When the dough has doubled, punch it down. Oil a pizza pan (I used a pizza stone, which is ideal) and stretch the dough to the edges. Use your fingers to form a fluted edge so the sauce doesn’t drip off.

Add your toppings and bake in a 425 degree oven. Now here’s the secret I’ve found to making perfect pizza with a stone: Bake the pizza about 10 minutes, then turn your oven to Broil. Broil for a couple minutes, then return to 425 degree oven for another 5 to 10 minutes. This crisps up the bottom crust but also gets the cheesy top bubbly and browned.

Topping Suggestions

Buffalo Chicken:
Barbecue sauce with Tabasco added
Rotisserie chicken, shredded
Sliced red onions
Blue cheese crumbles

Veggie Pizza:
Hummus
Kalamata olives
Shredded carrots
Thinly sliced white onion
Sunflower seeds
Feta cheese

Mushrooms, Black Olives, and Pepperoni

Everybody’s Favorites:
Homemade tomato sauce
Black olives
Thinly sliced bell pepper
Parmesan cheese
Mozzarella cheese
Pepperoni or crumbled Italian sausage

White Pizza:
1 T. butter + 1 T. olive oil (spread this over the crust instead of sauce)
Sliced garlic
Black olives
Tomatoes, sliced thinly
Bell peppers, thinly sliced
Mushrooms, sauteed
Parmesan cheese
Mozzarella cheese

Spicy Pizza:
Tomato sauce
Black olives
Jalapenos or green chiles
Monterrey Jack cheese
Italian sausage

Southwestern Pizza:
Refried beans
Enchilada sauce
Black olives
Green onions
Jalapenos or green chiles
Monterrey Jack or Cotijo cheese
Ground beef with taco seasoning

February 1, 2011: Cold Weather Italian Dinner – Calzones and Minestrone

When it’s chilly outside, what’s better than hot soup and sandwiches? Most of us consider tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches comfort food, but this combination of Italian favorites takes that old standby and kicks it up a notch.

Since it’s only my husband and I eating, this recipe is enough for two people, although it makes six calzones (freeze the leftovers for a healthier, homemade “Hot Pocket” – great for a quick lunch).

Pizza Calzones

Dough:
1 cup warm water
2 ¼ t. yeast
1 T. olive oil
1 t. sugar
1 t. salt
2 ½ cups flour
1 egg, slightly beaten
Garlic salt (optional)

In the warmed bowl of an stand mixer, dissolve the yeast in the warm water. Add the olive oil, sugar, salt, and 2 cups of flour. Process on speed 2 for about 2 minutes; gradually add the remaining half cup of flour. Continue processing on speed 2 until the dough cleans the side of the bowl. Turn dough out into greased bowl; cover and let rise about 30 minutes or until doubled in size.

Note: If making by hand, mix ingredients as directed in a large bowl. When mixed, turn out onto floured surface and knead by hand until dough is smooth and elastic.

Punch down dough and separate into 6 equal pieces. Roll out each piece into a 7-inch circle on lightly floured surface.

Pizza Filling:
1 T. olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
½ can stewed diced tomatoes, undrained
1 pillow package pepperoni
5 mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
10 – 12 large black olives, sliced
1 8-ounce package shredded Italian cheese blend

In small saucepan, heat olive oil on medium. Add diced garlic and cook for about a minute, then add the sliced mushrooms. When the mushrooms are soft, add the diced tomatoes and cook on low until most of the liquid is reduced. Toss in the sliced black olives.

Assemble Calzones:

For each circle of dough, place 8 – 10 pepperoni slices on lower half, spoon one-sixth of the sauce with vegetables over the pepperoni, then top with one-sixth of the cheese. Fold the top of the dough circle over the bottom and press edges together with the tines of a fork (use your fingers to seal the edge if necessary). Brush the top with beaten egg and sprinkle with garlic salt (if using). Place on greased baking sheet.

Bake in oven heated to 375 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes.

Minestrone Soup

1 T. olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
½ white onion, medium dice
½ can stewed diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can vegetable broth
1 smallish carrot, peeled and sliced
1 stalk celery, sliced
1 small can green beans (or about 1 cup frozen green beans)
1 – 2 t. Italian seasoning blend
½ - 1 cup water
1 dry cup salad macaroni (or macaroni variety of your choice)

Heat the olive oil in medium-sized pot over medium heat. Add the garlic and the onion. Cook for a couple minutes, until the onion is soft. Add the rest of the ingredients, through Italian seasoning. Bring to a boil, then reduce and simmer for about half an hour. Add the water if the soup is too thick and return to boil. Add the uncooked macaroni and boil over medium-high heat for about ten minutes, until the macaroni is al dente.

Tip: Start the two dishes at the same time. Get your saucepan and pot out, heat and add the olive oil to each, then toss one clove garlic and the mushrooms in the saucepan and one clove garlic plus the diced onion in the pot. Divide the can of stewed tomatoes between them when ready. The calzone sauce will be done first, but you can keep it warm while you prepare the dough.