THE PIZZSALAD

Posted in Pizzas, Pizzas & Small Dishes, Salads, Vegetarian-friendly by sallybr

Apologies. I admit, that kind of hurt. This is salad on pizza crust. I saw this recipe on the FoodTV show The Kitchen, that I used to watch all the time but then lost interest. Lately I’ve been adamant about NOT tuning into the news 24/7 because… well, I just can’t take it anymore. Soooo, I got into browsing all the stuff taped on our TiVo, and that episode was waiting for me. Katie Lee loves salad, and she came up with a way to join her love for salad and pizza on a single serving. I was intrigued. She used store-bough thin crust pizza (those sold in a tube), but I went with my default pizza recipe from the good and old Fine Cooking (click here for all details).

PIZZA SALAD
(inspired by Katie Lee’s recipe)

pizza dough (I used 1/4 of my default recipe)
olive oil, grated Parmigiano, Herbes de provence for crust)

dressing:
1/4 cup sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons chopped sun-dried tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 tsp honey
1/4 cup olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

For the salad:
arugula
mozarella pearls
tomatoes
black olives
avocados

For the dressing: In a blender, combine the vinegar, sun-dried tomatoes, oregano, and sugar. Pulse to combine. With the motor running, drizzle in the olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

For the pizza-cracker base: Heat the oven to 425 degrees F. Drizzle 1 tablespoon olive oil on a rimmed baking sheet. Use a pastry brush to evenly coat the baking sheet with the oil. Stretch the pizza dough to cover the baking sheet (I used a 9 x 13 size). Drizzle more olive oil on top and use a pastry brush to spread the oil evenly on the dough. Sprinkle with the cheese and Herbes de Provence. Bake until golden brown, about 12 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool until just warm or room temperature on the baking sheet.

Assemble the salad over the pizza and drizzle the dressing all over. Toss is gently and wait about 15 minutes to serve it.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: This is messy to eat, I won’t lie to you. I advise you to allow the dressing soak on the pizza component a bit, it won’t make it soggy at all, if you bake it until it is crispy. But it will be a delicate balance – do not bake it too dark or it will be super hard and difficult to cut. If you go into the FoodTV website, some of the comments about Katie are very hurtful, and I find it all so sad. She is a very sweet person and I’ve tried and enjoyed many of her recipes. This salad reminded me of fatoush, which is a classic I am quite fond of. I don’t think I would serve it for company because it is a little tricky to eat, but if it is perfect for an informal meal. The dressing is absolutely delicious, and I recommend you give it a try on a regular salad, independent of the pizza part.

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THREE YEARS AGO: Roasted Carrot and Barley Salad

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ELEVEN YEARS AGO: Cilantro-Jalapeno “Hummus”

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3Jun2021

HONEYED JALAPENOS ON SPELT PIZZA

Posted in Pizzas, Pizzas & Small Dishes, Vegetarian-friendly, Veggies by sallybr

This could very well go in the Incredibly Easy files, or in the “Follow Joanne” files, as once again I trusted her tastebuds and made a very simple ingredient she raved about: honeyed jalapenos. There is absolutely nothing to it. You slice jalapenos, add them to honey, boil gently until they start to get all mushy and a bit darker. Let it cool. Your job is done. They topped a simple veggie pizza and we both could not believe how much flavor and pleasure they brought to the party.

SPELT PIZZA DOUGH
(adapted from this post)

1 package (2 + 1/4 tsp) active dry yeast
1 +1/2 cups very warm water (110F)
14 ounces all purpose flour
4 ounces spelt flour
(total flour amount about 4 cups)
1 + 1/2 t salt
2 T olive oil

Measure the water in a pyrex bowl, sprinkle the yeast on top, and mix gently to dissolve. Add the flours and salt to the bowl of a food processor and process for a few seconds to mix well. With the processor running, add all the water/yeast mixture. Process for about 5 seconds, open the lid and add the olive oil. Close the processor again and mix for about 20 seconds longer. You want the dough to form a tacky ball, but don’t over process it or it may get too hot.

Remove the dough from the processor, knead it a few times by hand and form a ball. If you want to make a large pizza, leave it whole. If you want to make individual pizzas, quarter it, place them in a large plastic bag and refrigerate until ready to use (from a few hours to a couple of days).

Remove the dough from the fridge 1 hour before shaping the pizzas. Roll it out with a floured rolling pin, top with your favorite home-made tomato sauce, and the toppings of your choice.

HONEYED JALAPENOS
(slightly modified from Joanne’s blog)

1/2 cup honey
2 jalapenos, sliced thin

Add the honey to a small saucepan. Place the jalapeno slices, seeds and all inside. Bring to a boil, cook a few minutes, stirring constantly. Pay attention because the honey tends to boil furiously and rise up in the pan. You might have to remove the pan from the heat, let it calm down and simmer it again. Cook until the jalapenos get soft and a little darker. Remove from heat, let it cool. Use the slices to top your pizza, drizzle the spicy honey on top too.

ENJOY!

to print the recipes, click here

Comments: If you are not a pizza person (is there such a thing?), I still urge you to make these jalapenos and use them in other ways. Over mashed cauliflower, with rice and beans, and also you can process one little slice, some of the honey, and incorporate in a salad dressing. As to the spelt pizza, I advise you not to use more than 25% of spelt in your recipe, as it changes the texture a bit, it will be less airy than a pizza made with all-purpose flour only. I do love the flavor and the slightly denser texture. You can always use my original recipe (blogged in 2009) if you prefer.

Joanne, thanks for another winner recipe!

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11Mar2016

CAULIFLOWER CRUST PIZZA

Posted in Pizzas, Pizzas & Small Dishes, Small Dishes by sallybr

I might very well be the last food blogger to try it, but after reading about cauliflower crust pizza for a couple of years, here I am to report on my first attempt at turning a classic into its lighter, gluten-free cousin. First, let me say that I don’t see it as a way to replace the “real deal.” All those glorious characteristics of the authentic pizza crust will always have a place in our kitchen. But, if you are in the mood for something lighter or if you need to cook for someone who suffers from celiac disease, this recipe will please you more than you imagine. I wolfed down a little more than half a pizza (!!!!) and instead of heading straight to the couch to lay down and wait for that carb-induced coma, here I am typing this post to share with you. Behold the power of the cauliflower crust!

baked

(Broiling issues, courtesy of a Jack Russell named Buck)

CAULIFLOWER CRUST PIZZA
(slightly modified from Chef in Disguise)
.
Yield one pizza crust
.
1 small to medium-sized head of cauliflower (about 1 cup after squeezed to remove liquid)
2 egg whites
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon dried herbs (I used dried thyme)
1/2 cup shredded cheese (I used 1/4 cup Parmigiano cheese and 1/4 cup mozzarella cheese)
tomato sauce
toppings of your choice

Place a pizza stone in the oven, or turn a baking sheet upside down and use it if you don’t have a pizza stone. Heat oven to 450 degrees. Prepare a large piece of parchment paper and spray it with nonstick cooking oil.

Wash and thoroughly dry the head of cauliflower. Cut the cauliflower into small florets, and process until they are the size of rice. Place the cauliflower rice in a pot and add enough water to fill the pot 2/3 of the way up. Bring the water to a boil, lower the heat and simmer for 3 minutes. Drain the cauliflower. Once cauliflower is cool enough to handle, wrap it up in the dish towel and twist the towel around the cauliflower and wring it. You want to squeeze out as much water as possible. This will ensure you get a pizza like crust.

In a medium bowl, combine the cauliflower, egg whites, cheeses, dried herbs and salt, and mix by hand, you sort of knead the dough together. Transfer the crust to your parchment paper. Press evenly forming a circle. Make sure it is as tight as you can make it. You also don’t want it to be too thin or too thick. With the help of a cutting board, transfer the parchment to the oven. Bake at 450 degrees for 12-15 minutes. Keep an eye on it after the 10 minute mark. When it starts turning golden brown, it’s done.

Remove the pan from the oven. Add your sauce, toppings and cheese. Place under a broiler till the cheese melts and bubbles. Watch it carefully or it will bun.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: Two things are very important when making pizza crust out of cauliflower. First you absolutely must minimize the amount of water present in the processed cauliflower or the binding agents (egg whites and grated cheese) will not be able to hold it together. When you think you squeezed enough water out, squeeze some more. Made me think of David Rosengarten decades ago when demonstrating a recipe for tabouli. Mince the parsley, when you think you minced it enough, mince some more. You simply cannot over-squeeze the cauliflower. Capisci? Second thing, once you place it under the broiler, watch it like a hawk. Sawsan says clearly in her blog “it will burn quickly.” Which makes you wonder why yours truly would place it under the super powerful broiler of our oven, and then decide that Buck seemed too agitated and needed to go out to the backyard. I said to myself “this will only take a minute.” Indeed. Problem is that it also only took a minute to almost burn part of my beautiful pizza. Lesson learned. Do as I say, not as I did. Watch the pizza, move it around, especially if your broiler is very powerful.

Will I be making it again? No doubt. But probably not as the single item in our dinner, because making one pizza was already quite involved, and it would not be enough for the two of us, since it’s so light. But I can see us having two pizzas, one “authentic” and one cauli-crust version. Or the cauli-pizza and a huge salad with barbecued ribs on the side… (just kidding).

I made this version a couple of days after having our entire lab over for a “regular” pizza party. There was one small pizza leftover, and some toppings like grilled zucchini, cheese and tomato sauce. The leftover pizza was warmed up in the oven and made Phil a happy man. The cauli-crust was embellished with the toppings that were ready and waiting in the fridge, and made Sally a happy woman. Don’t you love happy endings?

Sawsan, thanks for your great tutorial on the pizza crust!
Next time I’ll be a better virtual student…
(sigh)

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23Jun2010

MELLOW BAKERS: PIZZA! PIZZA!

Posted in Breads by sallybr

My second recipe for the month of June in the Mellow Bakers Challenge is Hamelman’s pizza dough. I was anxious to try this one, to compare it with my favorite recipe, that you can find here. Hamelman’s dough uses a biga – a pre-ferment of flour, water, and yeast – that is incorporated in the final dough, together with a small amount of additional yeast. Apart from that, the recipes are quite similar.

Last week we had a small pizza party at home, and Hamelman’s method was put to the test. It passed with flying colors, or… should I say… ballooning colors!

In the Summer, we avoid turning the oven on, so we use our grill as an improvised oven, placing unglazed tiles over its grids, and cooking the pizza on them. This is not a grilled pizza, simply a regular pizza baked inside the grill. Once you get the temperature right, it works like a charm, each pizza will be ready in about 7 minutes. My husband was the one who had the idea for this “oven-grill-method”, yet another evidence that I won the jackpot when I married him.

So, what’s the verdict? This dough deserves to share the first prize with my default recipe – excellent texture and flavor. The only thing that prevents me from placing it ahead of Fine Cooking, is the 2 hour rise with a folding cycle after 1 hour. That makes it slightly more complicated to have pizza on a weeknight. But, it is a minor detail, and I will definitely be making this recipe again and again during the weekend.

I remind everyone that we are not supposed to share the recipes for our Mellow Bakers Challenge, so if you are interested, consider buying Hamelman’s book “Bread”, where all these recipes will be waiting for you… 😉

That evening, we made 8 pizzas, this one was particularly tasty: sauteed cremini mushrooms, roasted yellow bell peppers, and smoked mozzarella. Pizza parties are a lot of fun!

Many Mellow Bakers have already enjoyed their pizzas, if you want to see their report, jump here.

One year ago: From Backyard to Kitchen….

26Nov2009

TROUBLE-FREE PIZZA DOUGH

Posted in Breads by sallybr

Believe me, I’ve tried plenty of recipes for pizza made from scratch. But I always return to this particular version from Fine Cooking magazine. The dough comes together in minutes in a food processor, and even though I’m a huge advocate for making dough by hand, once I tried this method, I was sold.

EASY PIZZA DOUGH
(from Fine Cooking, issue 49)

1 package (2 + 1/4 tsp) active dry yeast
1 +1/2 cups very warm water (110F)
18 ounces all purpose flour (4 cups)
1 + 1/2 t salt
2 T olive oil

Measure the water in a pyrex bowl, sprinkle the yeast on top, and mix gently to dissolve. Add the flour and salt to the bowl of a food processor and process for a few seconds to mix well. With the processor running, add all the water/yeast mixture. Process for about 5 seconds, open the lid and add the olive oil. Close the processor again and mix for about 20 seconds longer. You want the dough to form a tacky ball, but don’t over process it or it may get too hot.

Remove the dough from the fridge 1 hour before shaping the pizzas. Roll it out with a floured rolling pin, top with your favorite home-made tomato sauce, and the toppings of your choice.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: One of my favorite gadgets is a measuring spoon from King Arthur’s Flour, that holds the exact amount of a standard American package of yeast. I buy my yeast in bulk, so having that spoon saves me a lot of time.

Sometimes I vary the flour composition of the dough, by including some whole wheat flour (regular or white), or some spelt flour in the mix. Usually I add only 1/8 of the total amount (1/4 cup, keeping the remainder as all purpose flour). The overall process will be the same, add them to the bowl of the food processor with a little salt, and move on… Once it gets into a shaggy ball, not quite cleaning the side of the bowl, it will be done…

The dough is very smooth, a pleasure to work with… divide it into four balls and place it to rise in the fridge, slowly… for several hours

Some people like to get artistic with the toppings…. 😉

We make our pizzas on the grill, using it as an oven – an idea from my beloved husband that works very well. We place quarry tiles (6 of them from the Home Depot) on the grill and turn the gas as high as it will go. The pizzas sit on the tiles, still on some parchment paper. After a few minutes remove the parchment paper, and cook the pizzas in direct contact with the tiles until ready – about 8 minutes total, depending on the heat of your grill.