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Fast & Easy Dinner: Roasted Garlic White Pizza

partysugar — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 08:00:16 -0700

After a long week, there's nothing like heading home to a delicious dinner and a glass of good wine. When I'm stressed out, I find cooking relaxing - especially if I'm making something like a roasted garlic white pizza.

Instead of a classic tomato sauce, this pizza is slathered with a paste made from roasted garlic. It's then topped with spinach, bacon, ricotta, and mozzarella. Talk about a scrumptious pie! To kick-start your weekend with this dish, get the recipe and read more.

Roasted Garlic-and-Spinach White Pizza
From Everyday With Rachael Ray

Ingredients

12 cloves garlic, unpeeled
4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon cornmeal
12 ounces refrigerated pizza dough
2 slices bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces
One 10-ounce package frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
Salt and pepper
1 cup ricotta cheese
3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions

Preheat the oven to 325°.
Place the garlic on a sheet of foil; drizzle with 1 teaspoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon water. Seal and bake until soft, about 30 minutes; let cool slightly.
Squeeze the garlic cloves from their skins into a small bowl; add 2 teaspoons olive oil and mash into a paste.
Meanwhile, grease a baking sheet with the remaining 1 teaspoon olive oil; dust with the cornmeal. Stretch the pizza dough into a large rectangle and transfer to the prepared baking sheet. Let the dough rest for 10 minutes; stretch again to almost fill the pan.
Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 425°. In a medium skillet, cook the bacon over medium heat, stirring often, for 5 minutes; drain and transfer to a plate. Add the spinach to the skillet and cook over low heat until warmed through; season with salt and pepper.
Brush the pizza dough with the garlic paste. Top with the spinach and dollops of ricotta. Sprinkle with the bacon and mozzarella.
Bake for 15 minutes, lower the temperature to 400° and bake until the cheese is brown and bubbling, about 10 minutes.

Serves 4.

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Fast & Easy Dinner: Mixed Mushroom Pizza

partysugar — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 08:00:21 -0700

Pizza is my ultimate comfort food. I can't get enough crispy crust and melted cheese. I also enjoy making pizza at home. With the help of a store-bought dough, it can be quick and uncomplicated to throw together.

This recipe is for mushroom lovers. It tops the dough with caramelized onions and tons of sauteed mushrooms. To start your weekend by chowing down on this pizza, check out the recipe and read more.

Mixed Mushroom Pizza
From Better Homes and Gardens

Ingredients

1 store-bought pizza dough
8 ounces Fontina Valle d'Aosta, fontina, provolone, or mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced
2 large sweet onions (such as Vidalia or Walla Walla), halved lengthwise and thinly sliced (about 4 cups)
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 cups assorted sliced mushrooms (such as shiitake, oyster, cremini, chanterelle, morel, and/or button)
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons snipped fresh rosemary
Snipped fresh parsley

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Roll out pizza dough as directed using a 16x12x1-inch pan.
Arrange cheese slices on top of dough in pan.
In a large skillet, cook onions, covered, in 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-low heat for 13 to 15 minutes or until onions are tender, stirring occasionally. Uncover; cook and stir over medium-high heat for 5 to 8 minutes more or until onions are golden. Remove from pan and set aside.
In the same skillet, combine mushrooms, remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil, the garlic, and rosemary. Cook over medium heat until mushrooms are tender; drain well.
Spoon mushroom mixture over cheese. Top with onions.
Bake in the preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until crust bottom is slightly crisp and brown. Cool in pan on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley. Cut the pizza into 4-inch squares and serve immediately.

Serves 12.

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Healthy Recipe: Pizza Quinoa Polenta

FitSugar — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 03:01:00 -0700

I'll admit that a slice of cheesy pizzeria pizza is one of my weaknesses, but at 272 calories a slice, it's not something I want to indulge in on a regular basis. Not only because of the calories, but since the dough is usually made with white flour, it's not exactly nutritious. So here's a recipe that'll satisfy your need for something chewy, gooey, and tomatoey, but it's made with Quinoa Polenta.

To see this simple recipe that can be served as an appetizer or main dish keep reading

Reader Recipe: Simple Naan Pizza

YumSugar — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 16:13:31 -0700

Maybe it's because I'm getting older, but lately I really enjoy staying in on Fridays, preferably with pizza and a movie. I was planning on ordering in this evening, but then I saw this recipe from TeamSugar member LaurenG22. Instead of dealing with pizza dough, she's opted to use Naan as her crust. It looks simple, quick, and delicious and will go perfectly with my old-lady Friday night schedule! If you want to curl up at home with a quick and easy dinner, get her tips, just read more.

Submitted by TeamSugar member LaurenG22

Yummy Naan Pizza
Me

Delicious, easy Naan Pizza

Ingredients

Naan bread (bought at grocery store)
Marinara Sauce
Feta Cheese
Mozzarella Cheese
Toppings of your choice
Italian herb seasoning

Directions
Close up of my PizzaMy hubby's PizzaPreheat oven to 350 degrees. Basically just brush your store bought Naan bread with a marinara sauce of your choice (I chose Muir Glen's portabella mushroom). Then top it with your favorite toppings (I chose sauteed chicken, minced garlic, oregano, spinich, mushrooms, cherry tomatoes, and white onions) sprinkle a little italian herb seasoning on it, top with shredded mozzarella cheese and feta. Bake it in the 350 degree oven about 12 minutes. Enjoy with a glass of red italian wine. mmmmmmmm...

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Fast & Easy Dinner: Greek Pizza

partysugar — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 07:50:00 -0800

Sometimes the simplest of dishes can be the most rewarding. Take this quick pizza with classic Greek flavors.

The cooking technique is far from complex and the ingredients are nothing out of the ordinary, yet the resulting dish is comforting, cheesy, and divine.

Feel free to get creative with the toppings - roasted red peppers or Parmesan cheese would be great additions. For the recipe, please read more.

Greek Pizza
From The Nest

Ingredients

1 (12- to 14-inch) pizza crust, freshly made or commercial
1 cup pizza sauce
1 teaspoon minced fresh oregano or 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
10 to 15 thinly sliced red onion rings, or to taste
1 1/2 cups shredded low fat, regular or soy mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
2 plum tomatoes, cored, seeded and diced
1/3 cup chopped or sliced pitted black Greek kalamata olives

Directions

Preheat the oven to 450°F.
Prebake the fresh pizza crust if using, for 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from the oven, and set aside to cool slightly.
Spread the sauce on the crust. Sprinkle the pizza with the oregano, arrange the onion rings on the sauce and top with the mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle the feta cheese, tomatoes and olives over the mozzarella cheese.
Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the cheese melts. Remove from the oven, and serve.

Serves 6.

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Fast & Easy Dinner: Rosemary Chicken Pizza

partysugar — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 06:50:37 -0700

By now, you may know that I love pizza. Not only do I serve it as an appetizer and use leftovers as toppings, but I make it when I'm in need of a quick pick-me-up. After a long day, there's nothing quite as comforting as a crisp crust oozing with melted cheese.

Assembling a pizza also allows me to get creative in the kitchen without having to waste a ton of time prepping ingredients. This simple recipe combines a crunchy dough with rotisserie chicken, goat cheese, rosemary, and Parmesan cheese.

It's a filling meal on its own, but for additional balance I'll enjoy it with mixed greens. To look at the recipe, read more.

Rosemary Chicken Pizza
From Every Day With Rachael Ray

Ingredients

Pizza dough
Extra-virgin olive oil, for brushing and drizzling
Freshly grated parmesan cheese, for sprinkling
Coarse salt
2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken
5 ounces goat cheese, crumbled
½ tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary (about 1 sprig)

Directions

Invert a large baking sheet and place it on a rack in the lower third of the oven; preheat the oven to 500°.
Invert a second baking sheet on a work surface and cover it with a sheet of parchment paper. Stretch the pizza dough to fit the parchment paper.
Brush the dough generously with olive oil and sprinkle lightly with parmesan and salt. Scatter the chicken, goat cheese and rosemary on top.
Slide the pizza and the parchment from the cool baking sheet to the hot baking sheet in the oven. Bake until the crust is golden, 8 to 10 minutes. Drizzle with more olive oil and top with more parmesan. Cut into pieces.

Serves 8.

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Fast & Easy Dinner: Artichoke Pizzas With Green Beans

partysugar — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 06:50:27 -0700

Certain leftovers are an excellent topping for pizza, while other leftovers are an outstanding pizza crust. Take pita breads, for example. Whenever I have a couple random pitas lying around, I use them to make pizza.

When broiled, the crust becomes crispy and wildly crunchy. This recipe tops the pita with roasted red peppers, marinated artichokes, and grated cheddar cheese, but incorporate whatever vegetables and cheese you have in your pantry. Green beans tossed with fresh lemon juice taste excellent on the side. To look at this easily adaptable vegetarian recipe, read more.

Artichoke Pizzas With Green Beans
From Real Simple

Ingredients

2 pita breads, split horizontally
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 12-ounce jar roasted red peppers, drained and sliced
1 6-ounce jar artichokes, drained and cut in half
1/4 cup roasted almonds, chopped
1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar (6 ounces)
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 9-ounce package frozen French-cut green beans, thawed
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
kosher salt and pepper

Directions

Heat broiler. Arrange the pita halves cut-side up on a broilerproof sheet pan. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of the oil and broil until crisp, 2 to 3 minutes.
Top with the red peppers, artichokes, almonds, Cheddar, and oregano. Broil until the cheese has melted, 2 to 3 minutes.
Divide the green beans among bowls. Drizzle with the lemon juice and the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil. Season with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Serve with the pizzas.

Serves 4.

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Come Party With Me: Rehearsal Dinner - Menu

partysugar — Tue, 26 May 2009 13:00:42 -0700

Instead of having her rehearsal dinner at a restaurant, my girlfriend Ronda has decided to host it in her parents' backyard. To save money, the event won't be a formal sit-down affair, but rather a casual alfresco cocktail party with heavy appetizers. The easy menu is inspired by Italy.

First set up a huge station with store-bought charcuterie, cheese, olives, and antipasto. Next, give classic Caesar salad a portable makeover by serving on skewers. Ask a family friend to man the grill and cook up an assortment of vegetarian - asparagus and sun dried tomato, zucchini, margherita, and fontina olive - grilled pizzas. Prepare the toppings and dough in advance.

All the griller has to do is assemble and make the pizzas. Once cooked, pass around and offer to guests. To check out these recipes, read more.

Caesar Salad Skewers
From Every Day With Rachael Ray

Ingredients

1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
One 2-ounce tin anchovies, drained
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
1 garlic clove
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 heart of romaine, trimmed and cut crosswise into 1-inch strips
16 cherry tomatoes
Freshly ground pepper

Directions

In a blender, combine the mayonnaise, 1 cup of cheese, lemon juice, anchovies, mustard, vinegar, garlic and Worcestershire sauce. Blend on high until thick and creamy, about 20 seconds.
Place the dip in a bowl and top with the remaining 1 tablespoon of cheese.
Divide the romaine strips evenly among 16 skewers and thread them onto the skewers through their center rib, keeping them close to the tip. Top each skewer with a cherry tomato, garnish with pepper and serve with the Caesar dressing dip.

Makes 16 skewers.

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Grilled Pizzas With Asparagus and Sun-Dried Tomatoes
From Everyday Food

Ingredients

1 bunch asparagus (about 1 pound), thick ends removed
1 bunch scallions, trimmed
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes (oil-packed), thinly sliced, plus 3 tablespoons oil from jar
1 pound store-bought pizza dough, thawed if frozen
1 cup ricotta

Directions

Heat grill to medium.
In a large bowl, combine asparagus, scallions, and 1 tablespoon sun-dried tomato oil; season with salt and pepper. Grill, turning occasionally, until vegetables are tender, 6 to 9 minutes. When cool enough to handle, cut asparagus and scallions into thirds.
Brush a large baking sheet with 1 tablespoon sun-dried tomato oil. On a lightly floured work surface, divide dough in half. Roll or stretch to form two 9-inch ovals. Transfer to prepared sheet, and brush with remaining tablespoon sun-dried tomato oil.
Transfer dough pieces to grill. Cook until undersides are firm and beginning to char, 2 to 3 minutes. Using tongs or a large spatula, transfer crusts, grilled side up, back to baking sheet.
Dividing evenly, top crusts with ricotta, then asparagus, scallions, and sun-dried tomatoes; season with salt and pepper.
Slide back onto grill and cook, rotating occasionally, until crusts are cooked through and cheese is melted, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer pizzas to a cutting board, cut in half, and serve.

Serves 4.

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Grilled Zucchini Pizza
From Gourmet

Ingredients

1 large garlic clove
2 tablespoons olive oil (preferably extra-virgin)
1 lb pizza dough, thawed if frozen
1 lb zucchini (about 2 large), cut diagonally into 1/3-inch-thick slices
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 lb coarsely grated mozzarella (2 1/2 cups)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano

Directions

Prepare gas grill for cooking over moderate heat. Preheat burners on high, covered, 10 minutes, then, if necessary, reduce to heat specified in recipe.
Meanwhile, mince garlic with a large heavy knife, then mash to a paste with a pinch of salt using flat side of knife. Transfer to a small bowl and stir in 1 teaspoon olive oil.
Stretch dough with your fingers into a 12- by 10-inch rectangle on a large baking sheet and rub with 1 teaspoon olive oil. Cover dough with plastic wrap.
Toss zucchini with salt (1/4 teaspoon) and 1 tablespoon olive oil in a bowl. Grill zucchini on lightly oiled grill rack, covered, turning occasionally, until just tender, 4 to 5 minutes total. Return to bowl.
Bring dough, garlic oil, and cheese to grill area. Grill dough, oiled side down, on lightly oiled grill rack, covered, until underside is golden brown, 2 to 4 minutes.
Turn crust over using tongs and brush with garlic oil. Sprinkle with half of cheese, then arrange zucchini, overlapping slightly, in 1 layer on cheese. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top and grill pizza, covered, until underside is golden brown and cheese is melted, 3 to 5 minutes.
Transfer pizza with tongs and a spatula to a cutting board, then sprinkle with oregano and drizzle with remaining teaspoon olive oil.

Serves 4.

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Grilled Margherita and Olive-Fontina Pizzas
From Food and Wine

Ingredients

For dough:
2 tablespoons honey
3 cups warm water
2 packages dry active yeast
7 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for rubbing
3 tablespoons kosher salt
For olive-fontina topping:
1/2 cup pine nuts
1/2 pound Italian Fontina cheese, coarsely shredded (2 cups)
1/2 cup pitted black Moroccan olives, chopped
For margherita topping:
2 cups tomato sauce
1/2 pound mozzarella, coarsely shredded (2 cups)
1/2 cup torn basil leaves
salt, for sprinkling

Directions

Make the dough: In a very large bowl, stir the honey into the water until dissolved. Sprinkle the yeast over the water and let stand until foamy, about 8 minutes. Stir in the flour, the 1/4 cup of olive oil and the salt until blended. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth. Place the dough in an oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let stand in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.
On the floured work surface, punch down the dough and cut into 4 pieces. Roll each piece into a ball and place on an oiled baking sheet. Rub the dough balls with oil, cover with plastic and refrigerate overnight.
Light a grill. When the coals are hot, push two-thirds to one side for a hot fire; spread the remaining coals on the other side for a medium-hot fire.
Prepare the olive-fontina pizzas: In a small cast-iron skillet, toast the pine nuts over the medium-hot fire, shaking the pan, until the nuts are golden and fragrant, about 1 minute. Arrange all the topping ingredients near the grill.
On a lightly oiled work surface or sheet pan, press 1 dough ball into a thin, roughly shaped, 10-inch round. Repeat with the remaining dough balls. Carefully set 1 dough round over the hot fire and grill until firm on the bottom and easy to lift, about 1 minute. Using tongs, move the crust to the medium-hot fire and continue grilling until the bottom is deeply browned and blistered, about 2 minutes longer. Carefully flip the crust and return it to the hot fire until cooked through, about 1 minute.
Slide the crust back to the medium-hot fire and top with 1 cup of the shredded Fontina and 1/4 cup each of the olives and pine nuts. Cover the grill and cook until the cheese is melted, about 2 minutes. Transfer the grilled pizza to a cutting board; cut into pieces and serve. Grill another dough round, and top it with the remaining Fontina, olives and pine nuts.
Prepare the margherita pizzas: Grill another dough round on both sides. Slide to the medium-hot fire, spread with 1 cup of the tomato sauce and top with 1 cup of the mozzarella. Cover the grill and cook until the cheese is melted, about 2 minutes. Transfer the pizza to a cutting board and scatter half of the basil on top. Sprinkle the pizza with salt, cut into pieces and serve. Repeat with the remaining dough round, tomato sauce, mozzarella, basil and salt.

Makes four 10-inch pizzas.

Make Ahead: The pizza dough can be prepared through Step 2 and frozen for up to 1 month.

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Say Cheese! Grilled Fontina and Prosciutto Pizza

partysugar — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 10:15:24 -0700

Fontina is a creamy Italian cow's milk cheese with a texture that varies depending on the age. Typically young fontina is soft and extremely good for melting, while mature fontina is hard. Originally native to Italy's Aosta Valley, fontina is now produced in Denmark, France, and the United States. However, Italian fontina has a stronger, richer, more pungent flavor than those created in other areas. Fontina has a pale-yellow color and mild, nutty flavor that's wonderful for almost any use, whether it's eating out of hand or smashed in a sandwich. To find out how fontina made these grilled pizza bites incredibly delectable, read more.

This recipe takes advantage of fontina's wonderful melting qualities. It combines the gooey cheese with other Italian ingredients - prosciutto, pecorino romano, and basil - to make a pie that is wildly delicious and insanely addictive. I sliced the pizza into small pieces and served it as an appetizer at a recent party. It was so good, I hope to make it again soon.

Grilled Fontina and Prosciutto Pizza
From Food & Wine

When I made this pizza, I charred both sides of the dough on the grill until it was cooked and slightly puffy. Then I topped it with the garlic and cheese and finished cooking it in a 450°F oven.

Ingredients

1/2 pound fontina cheese, shredded (about 2 cups loosely packed)
1/2 cup freshly grated pecorino romano cheese (about 1 1/2 ounces)
1 1/2 pounds store bought or homemade pizza dough
Extra-virgin olive oil, for brushing and drizzling
2 teaspoons minced garlic
Two 14-ounce cans chopped Italian tomatoes, drained
1/2 cup basil leaves, cut into thin ribbons
12 paper-thin slices prosciutto di Parma, torn into large pieces

Directions

Light a grill, preferably using hardwood charcoal. Set the grill grate 3 to 4 inches above the coals.
In a medium bowl, toss the Fontina with the Pecorino Romano cheese.
Divide the Pizza Dough into 6 equal pieces; work with 1 piece at a time and keep the rest covered with a towel.
On 3 lightly oiled baking sheets, flatten and stretch the dough with your hands to form six 8-inch rounds about 1/16 inch thick; do not make a lip and don't stretch the dough so thinly that it tears. Brush the rounds with olive oil.
When the grill is hot, working in batches if necessary, gently drape the pizza dough over the hot grate and cook until it puffs slightly, the underside firms up and grill marks appear, about 1 minute. Rotate the dough once and cook for 30 seconds.
Brush the top of the pizza rounds with oil and flip them over using tongs.
Scatter one-sixth of the garlic and cheese over each pizza, followed by 3 heaping tablespoons of chopped tomatoes. Then drizzle each pizza with 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil.
Slide the pizzas near the hot coals but not directly over them. Using tongs, rotate the pizzas frequently, checking often to make sure that the undersides are not charring. The pizzas are done when the cheese is melted and the tomatoes are hot, 3 to 4 minutes.
Scatter one-sixth of the basil and prosciutto over each pizza and serve hot off the grill.

Serves 12.

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Fig Pizza Pie Piled High With Arugula: That's Amore

YumSugar — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 16:15:40 -0700

A while back I maintained that I didn't like pizzas topped with salad, but I couldn't resist trying Bon Appetit's recipe for a Gorgonzola, prosciutto, and fig pizza topped with arugula salad. To make it even easier, I purchased a bag of premade dough from my local Trader Joe's. I hate to admit it, but the simple preparation of the dish meant that I had a scrumptious Summer meal in less than half an hour. The sweet figs and peppery arugula are a perfect match to the salty prosciutto and flavorful Gorgonzola. There is no sauce on the pizza, but the creamy balsamic dressing on the salad makes up for it. While I still love keeping my salad and pizza separate, combining the two can also be a fantastic option. If you want to eat your pizza and salad without ever lifting a fork, keep reading.