Eggplant and Tomato Grilled Pizza

One of my favorite preparations of the most popular summer veggies (including:  cucumbers, zucchini, and eggplant) is to remove some of the moisture by salting them.  Salt seems to be a fear for many people.  It is one of the many unfortunate consequences of our wacky food system.  Salt is not only essential to give pretty much any ingredient flavor, but it is an amazing tool.

First, salt is fine.  Since many people are used to processed foods, convenience foods, and fast foods...salt has become this evil thing to avoid.  If you grew up eating packaged foods, you definitely didn't need to add salt to anything you were cooking.  When I would microwave my Hungry Man, I never pulled out the salt shaker to perfect the seasoning.  As a result, when cooking real food, I have talked to countless people who either skip the salt completely, or they feel very uncomfortable adding salt to their food.  Or they cringe watching me or someone else season a dish with salt.  The consequence of this fear of salt?  People think they hate "fill in the blank" ingredient.  Common culprits:  mushrooms, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, kale, beans, beets, squash, eggplant, and probably most veggies.

Now, there are lots of reasons people might not like a certain ingredient.  Most likely it is because the time they tried it, it was cooked poorly.  And it is very likely it wasn't seasoned properly.  Other options:  it wasn't in season, wasn't ripe, was mass produced and had no flavor, etc.  There is a small chance your palette isn't ready for that flavor yet.  Like why we don't feed babies bitter dark greens as their very first solid food.  It is hard to know exactly the reason why you might not like a particular ingredient, which is why you should always give ingredients a second chance (what I mean by that is..a 20th chance).

With the majority of veggies, whole grains, beans...you know all the healthy stuff...you need to season them.  With some salt. If I were to answer the question, is salt good for me?  My answer would be "yes!"  Aside from all the fancy nutritional explanations of why we need salt...sodium blah blah, electrolytes ya ok.  My reasoning is: it makes healthy food taste good.  Take a bitter vegetable of your choice:  kale, swiss chard, broccoli, brussels sprouts, whatever.  Roast it with and without salt.  Which one are you most likely going to go through the trouble of preparing and eating again?  The salted one!  More info on salt here.  The CDC, FDA, WHO all have articles on SODIUM.  Don't read those.  They assume you eat Hohos and McDonalds everyday.

Sorry.  I have watched two documentaries in the past two days on food.  One made me cry.  Like happy cry, but still.  Ok, I will tell you what made me cry:  "Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead".  Phil stole my heart.

Back to this pizza.  What a perfect summer meal.  I made Pioneer Women's Tomato and Eggplant Pizza a few years ago.  That was my first time putting eggplant on pizza.  This recipe is very similar, but adapted for the middle of the summer.  A few summers ago I also posted on how to grill pizza.

I have made this twice in the past two weeks.  It is my favorite thing right now.  The toppings pair really well with the grilled, charred-ness of the pizza.

Eggplant and Tomato Grilled Pizza
by foodforscot

1 Japanese eggplant
1 bunch of kale, washed, stemmed and roughly chopped
half a pint of cherry tomatoes, halved
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 whole wheat pizza dough (room temp, mine is from a Brooklyn pizza restaurant)
fresh mozzarella (1 ball), thinly sliced
parmesan cheese, grated
olive oil
salt
pepper

Slice the eggplant to make 1/8th of an inch thick rounds. Place in a colander and sprinkle generously with salt. Mix to evenly coat the eggplant with the salt. Let sit for at least 30 minute (up to an hour or so) in the sink to release the water out of the eggplant.

In the meantime, prep the pizza toppings. In a skillet, sauté the kale in some olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and set aside. You can do all of this on the grill or inside on the stove. Next, lay the eggplant out on a kitchen towel. Pat dry (a lot of the salt should come off too). In a hot pan with olive oil or on the grill, sauté/grill each piece of eggplant until golden brown on each side. Do not season. Remove from pan and set aside. In the same skillet over medium high heat, add some olive oil and sauté the halved cherry tomatoes until soften and slightly charred. Remove from pan and set aside.

Preheat the grill to medium high heat. Divide the dough in half. You will want to make two small pizzas, instead of one large one. It is much easier to deal with small pizzas when grilling. I like to roll the dough out on parchment paper. Once the dough is rolled out, I pre cook it on the grill before topping it. Place the dough on the grill with the parchment paper still attached to the top. Then, peel the parchment paper off. Cook for a few minutes until dough is not raw. Flip and cook the other side a few minutes. Remove from the grill, place on a plate or cutting board. Turn heat down to medium low.

Top the pizzas (everything is divided evenly among the two pizzas). First, layer on the sliced mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle with minced garlic. Top with kale, eggplant, and tomatoes. Sprinkle with grated parmesan. Place back on the grill and cook for 5-10 more minutes until cheese is melty and crust is crispy. Watch the bottom of the crust, you don’t want to burn it!!!

(Servings: 3-4, Prep time: 1 hr., Cook time: 30 min., Difficulty: Intermediate)

Printable Version

foodforscot Ratings:

Shanon (taste):  10/10
Scot (taste):  9/10
Effort:  3/5
Dishwashing Effort:  2/5

Ideas for Local/Now Produce

I am four weeks into my CSA.  Above I have the first, third, and fourth weeks of produce.  Right now I am enjoying the fourth week.  From left to right in the bottom photo, I got beets, gigantic dandelion greens, collards, kale, two broccoli, escarole, two bok choy, two red leaf lettuce, radishes, salad turnips, garlic scapes, and some chives (chives didn't come with CSA).

I love greens.  And I am not just saying that.  The salad greens, so far, have changed my life.  I look forward to the days immediately following my CSA pick up because that is when we consume all the lettuce.  I have made many different salads, but haven't photographed them all.  Here are a few ideas if you are needing some:

A BBQ Seitan salad.  I made this twice actually.  This is some romaine and green leaf lettuce (my favorite).  Mixed with some thawed frozen corn, rinsed black beans, diced red pepper or roasted red pepper, finely diced red onion, and diced avocado (just put avocado on top, don't toss with the rest) tossed in a creamy yogurt with fresh herb dressing.  For the Seitan, simply slice, pan fry in a skillet with olive oil and toss with BBQ sauce.  We also ate with some cheese quesadillas (whole wheat tortillas grilled with cheese inside).

A Shaved Salad.  A great way to eat delicious, delicate salad greens is to do a shaved salad.  Using a mandolin or mad knife skills, thinly slice a tart apple, celery (do it even if you think you hate celery), and red onion.  Scatter of lettuce and dress with an herb yogurt dressing and some crumbled goat cheese.  It is SO refreshing.  I could eat it every day.

Other salads we have been enjoying:

Greek ish - lettuce, chickpeas, fresh goat's milk feta, thinly sliced red onion, roasted red peppers, diced cucumber tossed with a red wine vinaigrette.

Cherry dressing - Lettuce, goat cheese, salad turnips, chopped broccoli, chives, almonds tossed with a cherry vinaigrette (cherry jam, dijon mustard, apple cider vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper).

Green pizza.  I cooked down an entire bunch of kale and an entire bunch of spinach from our week 2 CSA (just chopped them up and sauteed them in olive oil).  I dried the greens a bit by pouring them onto a kitchen towel.  Then, using a whole wheat pizza dough from Whole Foods, I topped it with cilantro pesto (bought from Whole Foods), fresh mozzarella, fresh goat's milk feta packed in liquid, ALL the greens, thinly sliced red onion.  It was SO delicious.  Two whole bunches of greens on one pizza.  You could grill this since it will soon be way too hot for pizza in the oven.

Puree those greens.  Saute the greens in olive oil and then add a rinsed and rained can of white beans (like Cannelloni, Navy, or even Pinto would be fine).  Puree until smooth and season with salt and pepper.  Here I used collards and Cannelloni beans and also flavored it up with some of the cilantro pesto.  I topped it with some fatty white fish.

Stir fry!  An obvious use for all the produce that grows right now is stir fry.  Which seems boring, but by switching up the sauce, you can do a lot.  Here I have cooked up all the bok choy with some onion and red peppers.  I also did a shallow pan fry of some extra firm tofu that has been drenched in corn starch.  The sauce here is a sweet and sour (mix 1/3 c. red wine vinegar, 1/3 cup orange juice, 1 tbsp honey, 3 tbsp ketchup, 1 tsp cornstarch, 1/2 tsp salt).

Another sauce option is a curry:  1 cup coconut milk, 1 tbsp fish sauce, 2 tsp Thai curry paste, 1 tsp packed brown sugar, and 1 tsp corn starch.  I made this with some of the other greens and added smoked tofu (which tasted like hot dogs, so don't use that).  Both of these are from (with some modification) Cook's Illustrated magazine.  For either of these, whisk together in a bowl and add to the stir fried veggies at the end and just cook until warmed through.  Make sure to stir fry your veggies in batches.  If you keep adding more to the pan, they steam and aren't as flavorful.

A warm cabbage slaw.  Here I sautee shredded savoy cabbage with some other dark greens (a type of kale, I believe).  It also has some carrots, onions, and shredded green apple.  I seasoned the slaw with soy sauce and rice vinegar.  I topped it with a fried egg (runny yolk).

Green Chips.  It is almost like cheating.  You just tear the leaves up, toss with some olive oil, salt and pepper.  Spread out on a sheet pan and bake in the oven until crispy.  Lower over temp is better, like 350.  But they work in any temp really.  I made these kale chips with these Roasted Mustard Potatoes, which were amazing.  I could easily eat like two bunches of kale like this in one sitting.  Easily.

Roasted kale, potatoes, and tempeh tossed with parmesan and lemon.  Here I roasted the kale, tempeh, and potatoes (all separately-ish, since they take different amounts of time).  I think I roasted the potatoes and then added the kale at the end.  I think I might have browned the tempeh in a skillet.  Then, I just tossed them all with some lemon juice and parmesan.  This is an old recipe I never posted.

Smoked Salmon, Kale Carbonara - Add your greens to some whole wheat pasta!  I used Cara's recipe here (with some modification).  Really delicious.  I also have made Eats Well with Other's recipe for White Bean and Kale pasta.  It was another great, fast pasta dish with kale.  I made the smoked salmon carbonara when Birk was only a few weeks old and remember eating it almost 100% cold while feeding him in my arms.  Why I took the time to take a blurry photo is beyond me!

I think you are getting the theme.  With the salad greens, you pretty much have to make salad.  Try to be creative.  Add beans and nuts for protein.  Cheese.  With the dark greens, there are so many options but you must add some fat.  If you want to be hard core, fine.  Eat dark greens straight up in your face. But I am telling you, it isn't sustainable.  You will eventually give up on eating greens and will only eat french fries the rest of your life (sounds threatening).  You will see a theme with my greens...cheese, potatoes, fatty fish, coconut milk, tofu, an egg.  It needs that balance in my opinion.  Also adding acid really helps balance out the bitter.

For the rest of the meals we have had with our Local/Now produce, I hope to share a detailed recipe with you.  We have tried some good recipes lately!  Also, it has been bothering me that I am cooking with all these greens but then buying things like cucumbers and red peppers at the grocery store to make things a little more exciting.  Am I a horrible person for relying on these out of season veggies?  Will I be able to live with myself.  Stay tuned to find out.

Thin Crust Pizza

Bidding for the online bake sale, Bloggers Bake for Hope, starts now!  Proceeds go to Susan G. Komen for the Cure.  I am baking up a batch of my Lemon Poppyseed Cookies and I am really hoping the bidding ends at approximately $1 million.  Because that is what they are worth.  Anyways, go on over to the bake sale and see if you'd like anything.  Maybe you could buy a batch for your mom for mother's day?  It will be late, but she will still love you.  Bidding ends May 6th.  

I have lots of favorite pizza doughs.  There is the Baking Illustrated dough.  It is a traditional crust.  Thick and Chewy.  Great for your typical "take out" pizza recreations.  There is Pioneer Women's dough.  It has lots of oil, really thin, and is cooked on a baking sheet.  It is easy to make, easy to keep in the fridge until you need it, and easy to bake.  And it is delicious.  

Now, I have tried this new thin crust pizza dough from Cooking Illustrated.  I wanted more of a NYC style pizza crust.  Thin, crispy, great texture.  This was a great at home version.  I used fresh mozzarella and added some pepperonis.  This was seriously good.  I think it would make a great Margherita pizza too.  Definitely prefer it over PW's crust, but PW's crust is so easy, I don't really consider it the same type of crust.  Also, I love this pizza sauce.  This is the sauce I was making in our Foodie Fantasy video.  I have made two batches of it.  I just freeze it and it makes enough sauce for about three pizzas.  

Thin Crust Pizza

slightly adapted from Cook’s Illustrated, Jan./Feb. 2011 via Annie’s Eats

For the crust:

3 cups (161/2 oz.) bread flour

2 tsp. sugar

1/2 tsp. instant yeast

1 1/3 cups ice water

1 tbsp. vegetable oil

11/2 tsp. salt

For the sauce:

1 (28 oz.) can whole peeled tomatoes, drained

1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

1 tsp. red wine vinegar

2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed

1 tsp. salt 1 tsp. oregano

1/4 tsp. ground black pepper

For topping:

Olive oil, for brushing

1/2 cup (1 oz.) finely grated Parmesan cheese

8 oz. fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced

To make the dough, combine the flour, sugar, and yeast in the bowl of a food processor* fitted with the metal blade. Pulse just to combine. With the machine running, add the ice water through the feed tube and process just until the dough is combined and all dry ingredients are incorporated, about 10 seconds. Let dough rest for 10 minutes.

Add the oil and salt to the dough. Process until the dough forms a smooth, tacky ball that clears the sides of the bowl, about 30-60 seconds. Remove the dough from the bowl, knead briefly on a lightly oiled work surface, about 1 minute.  Transfer to a lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 24 hours and up to 3 days. (After the period of refrigeration, the dough can be wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and frozen for later use.)

To make the sauce, combine all ingredients in a food processor. Blend until smooth, about 30 seconds. Transfer to a bowl or container and refrigerate until ready to use.

One hour before baking the pizza, adjust an oven rack to the second highest position and place a baking stone on the rack to preheat. Preheat the oven to 500° F. Remove the pizza dough from the refrigerator and divide in half. (If you plan to freeze a portion of the dough, this is the time to wrap in plastic, place in a freezer bag and freeze for later use.) Form each half into a ball and place on a lightly oiled baking sheet. Spray the dough balls lightly with cookies spray. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature for 1 hour.

To assemble the pizza, transfer a dough ball to a well floured work surface. Flatten into an 8-inch disk, leaving a slightly thicker edge around the rim. Using your hands, gently stretch the dough to a 12-inch circle. (I needed to use the rolling pin a bit to get my crust thin enough.) Transfer the dough to a well floured pizza peel and stretch to a 13-inch circle. Lightly brush the thicker edge of the disk with olive oil. Spread 1/2 cup of the pizza sauce over the dough. Sprinkle evenly with the grated Parmesan and the shredded mozzarella. Carefully transfer the pizza to the preheated baking stone. Bake until the cheese is bubbling and slightly browned, 10-12 minutes. Let cool about 5 minutes before slicing and serving.

*This dough can also be made in a stand mixer or by hand. Keep in mind, the idea is to avoid warming the dough, so a food processor or mixer is optimal.

(Servings: 2 13-inch pizzas, Prep time: 24 hrs+, Cook time: 15 min., Difficulty: Easy)

Printable Version

foodforscot Ratings:

Shanon (taste):  9/10

Scot (taste):  8/10

Effort:  4/5

Dishwashing Effort:  3/5

Ham, Black Bean and Corn Pizza with Fontina Cheese

Having pizza every night is fine if you put corn on it.  And black beans.  Those things are healthy.  

It is like...you think Mexican...but then you get a bite of Fontina.  Fontina ain't Mexican!  

That line should definitely be erased.  It makes no sense.  

I really have nothing to say.  But I already got this far.  

Ham, Black Bean and Corn Pizza with Fontina Cheese

pizza dough (1/2 this recipe)

1/2 cup of tomato sauce

1/4 cup of black beans, drained and rinsed

1/4 cup of frozen corn

1 cups of shredded mozzarella (I used whole milk)

4 thin slices of ham

2-4 ounces of Fontina cheese, sliced

2 green onions, chopped

1 tsp olive oil

pepper

Place pizza stone in oven on middle/bottom rack and preheat to 500 degrees F for at least 30 minutes.

Roll/stretch out dough. Using a pastry brush, brush the 1 tsp of olive oil on the outer rim of the dough. Spoon and spread out the tomato sauce on to the dough, leaving a half inch border around the edge. Add black beans, corn, shredded mozzarella, ham, fontina cheese and top with green onions. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until cheese and crust are golden brown.

(Servings: 4, Prep time: 30 min., Cook time: 15 min., Difficulty: Easy)

Printable Version

foodforscot Ratings:

Shanon (taste):  6/10

Scot (taste):  8/10

Effort:  1/5

Dishwashing Effort:  1/5

Buffalo and Mushroom Pizza

After arriving home from a trip that was full of fun, subzero temperatures and failing at life...I needed to cook.  I needed some success in my life.  I decided to dig deep into my roots (Omaha, NE) and make a pizza that you can only find in the city of beef.  Although, I didn't use beef.  I wanted to make it seem like a big deal. 

See in Omaha, you can always get ground beef on pizza.  Also known as "hamburger".  It is weird.  But I love it.  Check out my Restaurant page; all the Omaha pizza joints listed have a hamburger pizza on the menu.  And the hamburger and mushroom combo is classic.  

Since I am a CU Buff, I decided to be fancy and use ground buffalo.  Not sure how mentioning that our mascot is a buffalo makes eating buffalo meat sound like a good idea.  

But really, did you know at the CU football games, a real life buffalo runs a circle around the field.  Cowboys (and sometimes girls) are holding various ropes to direct him.  It looks dangerous.  It also looks like there is no way those cowboys could run any faster.  And usually I fear for the cheerleaders lives.  

Did you also know that our fake buffalo mascot, Chip, has parents that come during Family Weekend?  I thought it was hilarious.  But I am kind of lame.  

Buffalo and Mushroom Pizza

pizza dough (1/2 of this recipe)

2 tbsp olive oil

1/2 a medium onion, diced

6-8 medium Cremini mushrooms, diced

1/3 lb of ground bison meat or ground beef

1 tsp olive oil

1/2-1 cup of tomato sauce

4 tbsp of Parmesan cheese, grated

1-2 cups of shredded mozzarella (I used whole milk)

salt and pepper

Place pizza stone in oven on middle/bottom rack and preheat to 500 degrees F for at least 30 minutes.

In a medium skillet, heat up the 2 tbsp of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add mushrooms and cook until soft. Add meat and cook until just done or slightly underdone. Don’t overcook. Season mixture with salt and pepper.

Roll/stretch out dough. Using a pastry brush, brush the 1 tsp of olive oil on the outer rim of the dough. Spoon and spread out the tomato sauce on to the dough, leaving a half inch border around the edge. Add meat mixture, a layer of Parmesan cheese, and top with mozzarella. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until cheese and crust are golden brown.

(Servings: 4, Prep time: 30 min., Cook time: 15 min., Difficulty: Easy)

Printable Version

foodforscot Ratings:

Shanon (taste):  7/10

Scot (taste):  8/10

Effort:  2/5

Dishwashing Effort:  2/5

Spinoccoli Pizza

Girl Pizza!!!  Pizza topped with a garlic parmesan cream sauce, broccoli, spinach and two types of cheeses.  Pretty girly, huh?

This is the kind of pizza my roommates in college would order for pizza night.  This is a pizza I know my mom would love.  For some reason, broccoli is woman food.  And when combined with a cream sauce and cheese, it is even better.  

I spent most of my life being a cream-sauce-on-pizza hater.  It was a combination of it being unhealthy and me thinking cream sauce just did not belong on pizza.  Since then, I have embraced all things cream.  And while it is still true, I would never order something like this if I could choose a good red sauce or a California style pizza or even deep dish...it is a simple and delicious combination of flavors and I am not so much of a hater.  

May I also note that I have tried the recipe for the pizza dough from Baking Illustrated a few times now (the one Annie posted a tutorial on).  It calls for bread flour, which I have always ignored and just used regular AP flour (lazy)...always liked the results.  This time, I tried it with bread flour and it makes ALL THE DIFFERENCE IN THE WORLD.  Gives it a good chew.  The dough itself is beautiful and perfectly elastic.  Very easy to work with.  I felt like I was a pizzeria man, rolling out my dough with such ease.  And the bottom is so crispy.  If I were rating the dough recipe, it would definitely be a 10/10 for at home pizza crust.  Below are the ratings for this particular combination of toppings!

Spinoccoli Pizza

by Annie’s Eats

For the white sauce:

1 tbsp. butter

1 tbsp. flour

3/4 cup heavy cream or half-and-half

1 clove garlic, smashed

Salt and pepper, to taste

6 tbsp. freshly grated Parmesan cheese

For the pizza:

Pizza dough (1/2 this recipe) 

Olive oil, for brushing

1/2 cup packed baby spinach leaves, torn

1 cup very small broccoli florets

2 oz. shredded mozzarella cheese

2 oz. shredded cheddar cheese

Grated Parmesan

To make the white sauce, melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Whisk in the flour and cook, whisking constantly, until bubbling and light golden, about 1 minute. Whisk in the heavy cream and garlic, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Cook, stirring frequently, until the mixture thickens and bubbles. Remove from the heat and whisk in the grated Parmesan until completely melted and smooth. Discard the garlic clove. (Note: This will make a bit more sauce than you need for the pizza, but with a little extra cheese it makes a great dipping sauce for crust.)

To make the pizza, preheat the oven and a pizza stone at 500° F for at least 30 minutes. Roll out the pizza dough into a 12-14 inch round. Lightly brush the perimeter of the dough with olive oil. Spread a thin layer of the white sauce over the crust, leaving a border clear around the edge for the crust. Sprinkle the torn spinach leaves over the white sauce. Evenly distribute the broccoli florets over the dough. Layer evenly with the shredded mozzarella and cheddar cheeses. Finish with additional grated Parmesan, if desired. Transfer the pizza to the preheated pizza stone and bake until the cheese is melted and bubbling and the crust is lightly browned, about 10-12 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly before slicing and serving.

(Servings: 3, Prep time: 2.5 hours, Cook time: 12 min., Difficulty: Easy)

Printable Version

foodforscot Ratings:

Shanon (taste):  7/10

Scot (taste):  8/10

Effort:  3/5

Dishwashing Effort:  3/5

Chicago Style Deep-Dish Pizza

After all the holiday fun and food, I randomly decided to make deep dish pizza tonight. I also made fish tacos last night. Did you know I make fish tacos a lot? Oh, you.

My dad grew up in Chicago. I have been to Chicago more times than I can count. And I have had plenty of Chicago Style pizza. Lots of good. Lots of bad. But, I am definitely no expert. I just know I love it.

To me, the key to good deep dish pizza is first: the crust. Pretty obvious. And it needs to be soft, buttery and flakey on the inside and golden and crispy on the outside. The other key to a good deep dish pizza is the sauce. It HAS to be amazing. I am extremely picky when it comes to tomato sauces. It can't be too sweet and can't have to many complicated dry spices in it. This recipe satisfies both of these requirements, as far as I am concerned.

This recipe makes two 9 inch pies. I pulled a Martha Stewart and made both and froze one. God, I am domestic. I obviously can't tell you how the frozen one turned out, but I can tell you that I froze it after I assembled (but before baking). 

And I labeled it. Makes me feel organized, even though I hardly freeze anything and totally have a mental inventory of what is in my freezer. Rubber bands? Good question.

I do have to give a few shout outs. I found out about this recipe via Annie's Eats. Then, since I didn't have access to the original recipe from Cook's Illustrated, I googled the recipe to find the original typed out (not halved like Annie's) and found this which I used too: The Food Spot.

Lastly, I have to say that anytime I am trying a new pizza recipe or tasting one of "the best" pizzas out there, I always go for very simple toppings (in this case: bottomings). And pepperoni is my ultimate favorite, so that is what I added. Sausage would also be great.

Chicago Style Deep-Dish Pizza

slightly adapted from Cook’s Illustrated

For Dough:

3 1/4 cups (16 1/4 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour

1/2 cup (2 3/4 ounces) cornmeal

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

2 teaspoons sugar

2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast

1 1/4 cups water (10 ounces), room temperature

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

1 teaspoon olive oil

For Sauce:

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/4 cup onion, grated

1/4 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste

2 medium garlic cloves, finely minced

1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes

1/4 teaspoon sugar

4 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh basil leaves

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

Freshly ground black pepper

For Pizza:

4 tablespoons of olive oil

16 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded (about 4 cups)

1/2 ounce of parmesan cheese, grated (about 1/4 cup)

6-8 slices of pepperoni (optional)

Prepare Dough: Combine the flour, cornmeal, salt, sugar, and yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer with a dough hook, run on low speed for about 1 minute. While still running on low, add the water and melted butter and mix until fully combined–scrape down the sides as needed. Increase the speed to medium.  Allow to run until the dough is smooth and pulls away from the bowl, about 5 minutes. It should be fairly smooth and only slightly tacky.

Coat a large bowl with 1 tsp olive oil and transfer the dough to the bowl. Turn the dough ball once or twice to coat lightly with oil. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise at room temperature until nearly doubled.

Prepare Sauce: While waiting for dough to rise, melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, oregano, and 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook until the onion turns golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds more. Stir in tomatoes and sugar and bring to a simmer. Continue simmering until the sauce is reduced to 2 1/2-3 cups (about 30 min). Before using, stir in shredded basil and oil, season with salt and pepper to taste.

Laminate Dough: Remove the risen dough from the bowl and roll it out on a dry work surface into a large rectangle (approx 15 x 12 inches). Spread the softened butter over the dough. Leave about 1/2-inch along edges unbuttered (this will allow the dough to seal again). Roll dough into a cylinder starting from the shorter side. Place seam-side down and gently flatten into an 18 x 4 rectangle. Cut rectangle in half to make two 9 x 4 smaller rectangles. Set one of the halves aside for the moment.

Take the other half and fold into thirds like business letter (the top folds about a third of the way down, then the bottom comes up to cover it). Pinch the seams together to seal it into a taught ball, don’t force the dough too much or it may tear. Repeat with remaining half. Place the two balls into oiled bowls and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Let the dough rise in the refrigerator until nearly doubled in volume, 40 to 50 minutes.

Assemble Pizza: Adjust oven rack to a lower position and preheat oven to 425 degrees. Oil two 9-inch round cake pans (or cast iron skillet) with 2 tablespoons olive oil each. One at a time, roll out the dough balls to make 13-inch disks about 1/4 inch thick. Transfer dough to baking pan. Press the dough into the pan and 1 inch up the sides. If dough is tough and resists stretching, let it relax for at least 5 minutes before trying again. Layer on half of the shredded mozzarella, pepperoni and sauce. Top with half of the grated parmesan cheese.

Repeat with remaining dough and ingredients.

Bake the Pizza: Bake until crust is golden brown, 20 to 30 minutes. Remove pizza from oven and let rest 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

(Servings: 4-6, Prep time: 2.5 hrs., Cook time: 30 min., Difficulty: Intermediate)

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foodforscot Ratings:  

Shanon (taste):  9/10

Scot (taste):  9/10

Effort:  5/5

Effort:  5/5

Sauerkraut and Kielbasa Pizza

Sauerkraut smells.

Right?  That is what I always thought.  One of my Boulder friends gave me a bottle of her homemade sauerkraut recently.  Homemade food thingies have a very special place in my heart.  Tear up a little when I am gifted food.  However, of all the things in the world that you can make, I have never once considered making sauerkraut.   

When my friend was telling me she made sauerkraut, first I thought...weirdo.  Second, I listened and she said it tastes nothing like the canned stuff at the store.  And I had a revelation, "you know, I have never had non-fresh kimchi and I have always loved the stuff."  Then I thought, "I bet homemade sauerkraut is just as amazing."  And, it is!  And it does NOT smell so bad.

Don't get me wrong, I totally plug my nose and scoop plenty of canned sauerkraut on my Reuben.  Once it is mixed in with all the other lovely Reuben ingredients, it tastes fine.  And you gotta have it.  But, boy does it reek.  

I really wanted to try this sauerkraut on pizza, so I searched around to find an interesting recipe.  I found this one, and it inspired the recipe below.  I loved the sauerkraut on this pizza.  So good!  I used a turkey kielbasa and thought it added a nice salty balance.  But, I think any sausage or salty meat would be great.  And of course, I topped it with some sliced dill pickles.    Sorry if that makes you want to puke, but I am telling you...it is good!    

Sauerkraut and Kielbasa Pizza

1/2 of PW’s pizza dough recipe

1 small to medium yellow onion, sliced

2 cups of sauerkraut, plus some juice

2 tbsp of Dijon mustard

2 ounces of cream cheese

4 ounces of mozzarella cheese, shredded

2 ounces of Swiss cheese, shredded

4 ounces of kielbasa sausage, thinly sliced

fresh cracked pepper

sliced dill pickles

Preheat the oven to 475-500 degrees F.

In a small skillet, sauté onion slices in a little olive oil. Cook for about 5-10 minutes, until soft. Add sauerkraut and a tsp or so of the juice. Cook for another 5 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

Stretch out the dough onto an oiled baking sheet. Spread Dijon mustard all over the dough with the back of a spoon. Crumble the cream cheese on top. Layer the onion/sauerkraut mixture on next. Sprinkle on shredded mozzarella and Swiss cheese. Top with sliced kielbasa sausage and plenty of fresh cracked pepper.

Bake in the oven for 10-12 minutes until the crust is crispy and the cheese is melted and golden brown. Serve with sliced dill pickles!

(Servings: 4, Prep time: 20 min., Cook time: 15 min., Difficulty: Easy)

Printable Version

foodforscot Ratings:

Shanon (taste):  7/10

Scot (taste):  7/10

Effort:  2/5

Dishwashing Effort:  2/5

Apple, Sausage and Goat Cheese Pumpkin Pizza

I wanted to make another version of the pumpkin pizza since the dough recipe makes two pizzas.  This combination is more similar to Joanne's version.  I topped mine with apple, sausage, caramelized onions and goat cheese.  

Like last night's version, I love the combination of something sweet like apples with something really salty and savory like blue cheese or goat cheese and bacon or sausage.  I, of course, prefer this version since it has goat cheese on it.  

Apple, Sausage and Goat Cheese Pumpkin Pizza

adapted from Eats Well With Others

for pumpkin pizza dough (makes 2 pizzas):

1 tbsp yeast

3/4 cup warm water

1/3 cup brown sugar

2 tbsp unsalted butter

3/4 cup warm water

1 tbsp salt

3 cups white flour

3 cups wheat flour

1 1/2 cups pumpkin puree

for one pizza:

1/3 lb of sausage

1 small onion, sliced

1 Granny Smith apple, cored and sliced

1 tbsp of olive oil

4 oz goat cheese, crumbled

In a bowl of a stand mixer, mix together the yeast, 3/4 cup water, and the brown sugar. Let sit for about five minutes or until it starts foaming. While the yeast is proofing, in a small microwave safe bowl, combine butter, salt, and 3/4 cup water. Heat mixture in microwave until the butter is melted. Let it cool until you can stick your finger in it without getting burned. Pour this into the yeast mixture. With paddle attachment, mix everything on low for a few seconds. Add pumpkin puree and mix on low until combined. Add all the white flour. Mix on low until well combined.

Switch to a dough hook and add most of wheat flour. Start on low until well combined and then increase speed. Continue to mix and add flour until dough pulls away from the sides and is mostly stuck to the dough hook. Cover the bowl of the stand mixer with a damp paper towel and allow the dough to rise until doubled, about one hour.

Place pizza stone in the oven and preheat to 475.

Cook sausage in a skillet until browned. Rinse and dry skillet. Add some olive oil and caramelize onion slices, about 7-10 minutes. Remove from pan and add more olive oil and apple slices. Cook for about 5 minutes until soft. Remove from pan and set aside.

After the dough has risen, cut off half of it. Sprinkle the half with flour and mold it into a ball. Place on a clean surface that's covered in flour and roll out to a desired thickness. Place dough in oven on the pizza stone, and prebake for two minutes.

Brush prebaked crust with olive oil and top with apple slices, caramelized onions, sausage, and goat cheese. Slide onto pizza stone and bake for about 10 minutes or until the bottom of the crust is golden brown.

(Servings: 6, Prep time: 75 min., Cook time: 20 min., Difficulty: Easy)

Printable Version

foodforscot Ratings:

Shanon (taste):  8/10

Scot (taste):  9/10

Effort:  4/5

Dishwashing Effort:  3/5

Everything Autumn Pizza

I was super excited to try out this pumpkin pizza dough recipe I found on Eats Well With Others.  I was curious, does it taste like pumpkin bread?  Will it be too sweet?

Turns out, this pumpkin pizza dough has a very subtle pumpkin flavor.  It is slightly sweet.  I made mine with half wheat and half white flour.  I did that because I wanted to make it healthier.

That is a lie.  I actually just ran out of AP flour.  But, I thought this dough would lend itself well to some wheat flour.  And it really did.

I topped mine with brie, sauteed apples and caramelized onions.  To cut some of the sweetness, I added some blue cheese, bacon and pecans.  This is such a hearty pizza.  In fact, I was almost full after one piece!  I loved the combination of flavors.  And, of course, Scot loved it even more.  He loves these fall flavors.  

Everything Autumn Pizza

pizza inspired by and pizza dough slightly adapted from Eats Well With Others

for pumpkin pizza dough (makes 2 pizzas):

1 tbsp yeast

3/4 cup warm water

1/3 cup brown sugar

2 tbsp unsalted butter

3/4 cup warm water

1 tbsp salt

3 cups white flour

3 cups wheat flour

1 1/2 cups pumpkin puree

for one pizza:

4 slices of thick cut applewood smoked bacon, diced

1 small onion, sliced

1 Granny Smith apple, cored and sliced

1 tbsp of butter

1 tbsp of olive oil

4 oz brie, thinly sliced

1 oz of blue cheese, crumbed

1 small handful of chopped pecans or walnuts

olive oil

In a bowl of a stand mixer, mix together the yeast, 3/4 cup water, and the brown sugar. Let sit for about five minutes or until it starts foaming. While the yeast is proofing, in a small microwave safe bowl, combine butter, salt, and 3/4 cup water. Heat mixture in microwave until the butter is melted. Let it cool until you can stick your finger in it without getting burned. Pour this into the yeast mixture. With paddle attachment, mix everything on low for a few seconds. Add pumpkin puree and mix on low until combined. Add all the white flour. Mix on low until well combined.

Switch to a dough hook and add most of wheat flour. Start on low until well combined and then increase speed. Continue to mix and add flour until dough pulls away from the sides and is mostly stuck to the dough hook.

Cover the bowl of the stand mixer with a damp paper towel and allow the dough to rise until doubled, about one hour.

Place pizza stone in the oven and preheat to 475.

Cook bacon in a skillet until it is about 80% done. Rinse and dry skillet. Add some olive oil and caramelize onion slices, about 7-10 minutes. Remove from pan and add more olive oil and apple slices. Cook for about 5 minutes until soft. Remove from pan and set aside.

After the dough has risen, cut off half of it. Sprinkle the half with flour and mold it into a ball. Place on a clean surface that's covered in flour and roll out to a desired thickness. Place dough in oven on the pizza stone, and prebake for two minutes.

In a small dish, melt 1 tbsp of butter and mix in 1 tbsp of olive oil. Brush prebaked crust with butter/olive oil mixture and top with slices of brie (leave the rind on), apple slices, caramelized onions, and bacon. Slide onto pizza stone and bake for about 10 minutes or until the bottom of the crust is golden brown. When the pizza is still hot, right out of the oven, sprinkle with blue cheese and nuts.

(Servings: 6, Prep time: 75 min., Cook time: 20 min., Difficulty: Easy)

Printable Version

foodforscot Ratings:

Shanon (taste):  7/10
Scot (taste):  9/10
Effort:  4/5
Dishwashing Effort:  3/5