Cauliflower Crust Pizza

Cauliflower Pizza Crust is all over Pinterest and has piqued my interest on multiple occasions. I actually made this over two years ago and found the image file when hunting through some old files. This crust turned out really well. I find making cauliflower rice and squeezing out the water to be bit labor intensive, but it actually isn't that bad. Make sure you immediately rinse the towel you use to squeeze the moisture out of the cauliflower. I set mine aside and forgot about it and it smelled awful the next morning! I topped my Cauliflower Pizza Crust with pizza sauce, mozzarella, turkey sausage, and Oven-Dried Tomatoes.  Delish!

Cauliflower Pizza Crust

Ingredients:
2 pounds cauliflower florets, riced
1 egg, beaten
1/3 cup shredded mozzarella
1 teaspoon dried oregano
pinch of salt

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400F.

1. To make the cauliflower rice, pulse batches of raw cauliflower florets in a food processor, until a rice-like texture is achieved.

2. Fill a large pot with about an inch of water, and bring to a boil. Add the "rice" and cover; let cook for about about 4 - 5 minutes. Drain into a fine-mesh strainer.

3. This is the secret: Once you've strained the rice, transfer it to a clean, thin dishtowel. Wrap up the steamed rice in the dishtowel, twist it up, then squeeze all the excess moisture out.

4. In a large bowl, mix up your strained rice, beaten egg, mozzarella cheese, and spices. It will not be the consistency of typical pizza dough.

5. Press the dough out onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. (It's important that it's lined with parchment paper, or it will stick.) Keep the dough about 1/3-inch thick, and make the edges a little higher for the crust. Bake for 35 - 40 minutes. The crust should be firm and golden brown when finished.

6. Top crust as desired. Return the pizza to the oven, and bake an additional 5 - 10 minutes, until the cheese is hot and bubbly. Slice and serve immediately.

Time-Saving Tip: make a double-batch of cauliflower pizza crusts and save one for later. After baking the crusts, wrap up the extra pizza crust in foil, and freeze it for later use.  Simply add toppings and bake at 400F, until the cheese is hot and bubbly.

Source: Adapted from Detoxinista

Apple Crumble Pizza Pie

Let's kick off September with an apple recipe, shall we?  This recipe is a family favorite from my mom's old Betty Crocker Cookbook. Interestingly, it has been omitted from the new Betty Crocker Cookbook, as the one I received as a wedding gift does not have this recipe!  I was really surprised to discover this considering how much my family loves this dessert.  It's so simple, especially if you use a store bought pie crust, but it looks impressive and tastes just like apple pie, but possibly better!


Apple Crumble Pizza Pie

Makes 8 to 10 servings

Ingredients:
Pastry for 8- or 9-inch two-crust pie, store-bought or homemade (see recipe below)
6 to 7 tart apples, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch thick slices
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
Crumble topping (see below)

Preheat oven to 450F.

1. Prepare pastry as directed except roll 1 inch larger than 12- or 13-inch pizza pan. Ease into pizza pan and flute edge. (Alternatively, roll the dough into a 13- or 14-inch circle and place on an ungreased baking sheet and flute).

2. Beginning at the ends of the crust and overlapping the slices, cover the crust with apples.

3. Stir together the sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Sprinkle the mixture over the apple slices. Top with Crumble Topping.

4. Bake 30 to 40 minutes or until edge is golden brown and apples are tender. Best served warm and, if desired, topped with vanilla or cinnamon ice cream!


Crumble Topping

Ingredients:
3/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup firm butter

Directions:
Mix until crumbly.

Source: The Betty Crocker Cookbook

This is my go-to pie dough recipe:

All-Butter Double-Crust Pie Dough

Ingredients:
1/3 cup ice water, plus extra as needed
3 tablespoons sour cream
2 1/2 cups (12 1/2 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour, plus extra for the work surface
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon table salt
16 tablespoons (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch pieces and frozen for 10 to 15 minutes

Directions:
1. Mix 1/3 cup of the ice water and the sour cream in a small bowl until combined. Process the flour, sugar, and salt together in a food processor until combined. Scatter the butter pieces over the top and pulse the mixture until the butter is the size of large peas, about 10 pulses.

2. Pour half of the sour cream mixture over the flour mixture and pulse until incorporated, about 3 pulses. Repeat with the remaining sour cream mixture. Pinch the dough with your fingers, if the dough feels dry and does not hold together, sprinkle 1 to 2 tablespoons more ice water over the mixture and pulse until he dough forms large clumps and no dry flour remains, 3 to 5 pulses.

3. If using for Apple Crumble Pizza Pie, refrigerate dough until it is a consistency suitable for rolling. If using for a pie, divide the dough into 2 even pieces and wrap in plastic wrap, forming into 4-inch disks before refrigerating.

Source: America's Test Kitchen

BBQ Chicken Pizza

 

It's certainly been a while since I last posted, but we've had a super busy summer!  Being a working mom has forced me to come up with simple, quick dinners for the week that don't require us spending half the night prepping in the kitchen (and the other half cleaning up all those dishes!)  I'm excited to share one of favorite dinners we've been making lately, and it's actually pretty quick and manageable for a weeknight!

My friend Kathleen gave me this recipe for BBQ Chicken Pizza, and it reminded me of the version from California Pizza Kitchen.  This is such a simple pizza to throw together, but the flavors are fresh, bold, and oh-so-tasty!

Typically homemade pizza is not my idea of a weeknight meal, but hear me out.  One of our favorite go-to summer dinners is to marinate chicken breasts in Italian dressing and cook them on the grill.  We like to double the amount of chicken and save half for another meal.  Here's a wise tip I learned for working moms: "cook once, eat twice" - it's so true!  And if you can repurpose what you've cooked to create two different meals, that's even better in my book.

Having the chicken already cooked is a huge time-saver, so let's move on to the other time-suck: the dough.  My favorite pizza dough recipe makes enough for two large pizzas, so make a batch on a weekend, freeze the dough, and move the bag of frozen dough from the freezer the the fridge the morning you plan to make your pizza.  Now all that's left is chopping some onion and cilantro!  A quick dinner that tastes like you spent hours in the kitchen!

BBQ Chicken Pizza

Ingredients:
1/2 batch pizza dough
1 - 2 chicken breasts, cooked and chopped*
your favorite BBQ sauce, amount varies
shredded Colby cheese (approx. 2 cups)
1/2 red onion, finely chopped
cilantro, chopped, for finishing

*In a pinch, you can use precooked chicken strips from your grocery's deli!

Directions:
1. Place pizza stone in a cold oven.  Heat oven to 500F and preheat stone for at least 30 minutes, preferably 60 minutes (if you have time!).

2. Shape dough into a large round on a piece of parchment paper.  Brush crust lightly with olive oil.

3. Top dough with BBQ sauce as you would do with traditional pizza sauce.  Add chopped chicken, chopped red onion, and shredded cheese.

4. Transfer pizza onto a baking sheet or pizza peel and slip onto the preheated baking stone.  Bake for 10 - 12 minutes (watch closely as ovens vary) until cheese is melted and crust is golden brown.

5. Slide pizza onto baking sheet or pizza peel and transfer to a large cutting board surface. Allow to cool for several minutes, slice, and top with fresh cilantro.  ENJOY!

Wouldn't you rather spend your time looking at this face than slaving over a hot stove??? :-)

Thin-Crust Pizza

Does anyone still read my blog?! I am SO behind on posts it's ridiculous! We are forging full speed ahead in the house hunting process, and it is time-consuming! We had our first "house heart-break" this week - a house we were seriously considering was sold right from under us. We found out the night before we were going to see it and possibly make an offer :-( Very sad, but we've decided not to let time go by wallowing in our sorrow, so we're on to the next. I don't want to rush a purchase by any means, but the thought of being in a home by fall and hosting Thanksgiving is so exciting. I'll keep you posted!

Another reason for my lack of posts is my job. I decided to be brave and take on an area of research VERY foreign to me for my postdoc . . . either I'm brave or stupid because it is SO hard. I feel like I know nothing and I'm starting from scratch. I know that beginning any new job is difficult and there will always be an adjustment period, but I hate that part! I guess I thought that with all my experience I'd be able to pick things up faster - nope!

While I have not been cooking nearly as much as I should, I have managed to make a few things these past few weeks. One of my favorites is this Thin-Crust Pizza. The dough is so simple to put together, and it rises overnight in the fridge so the actual time preparing the pizza the day of is very minimal. The dough rolls out nicely, and the toppings couldn't be easier. We really liked this pizza, and I think it would be great with any of YFT (your favorite toppings).

I will try my hardest not to let this much time go by between posts again! :)

Thin-Crust Pizza

Ingredients:

For the dough:

1 3/4 - 2 cups (8 3/4 to 10 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour, plus extra for the work surface

1/2 teaspoon instant or rapid-rise yeast

1/2 teaspoon honey

1/2 teaspoon table salt

1/4 cup olive oil

3/4 cup warm water (110 degrees)

For the toppings:

1 cup (or a little more) Quick Tomato Sauce for Pizza (recipe follows)

8 ounces whole milk mozzarella cheese, shredded (about 2 cups; fresh is NOT recommended because of the high moisture content - use shrink-wrapped kind)

Directions:

1. To make the dough, pulse 1 3/4 cups flour, the yeast, honey, and salt in a food processor fitted with a dough blade, if possible. Process until combined, about 5 seconds.

2. With the machine running, pour the oil and then the water through the feed tube and process until the dough forms a ball, about 30 seconds. If after 30 seconds the dough is sticky and clings to the blade, add the remaining 1/4 cup flour 1 tablespoon at a time. Turn the dough out onto a work surface.

3. Divide the dough in half and place each piece in a gallon-sized, heavy-duty zipper-lock bag and seal. Refrigerate overnight or up to 48 hours.

4. One hour before baking the pizza, adjust an oven rack to the lowest position, set a pizza stone on the rack, and heat the oven to 500 degrees.

5. Remove the dough from the plastic bags. Set each piece in the center of a lightly floured large sheet of parchment paper. Cover each with two 18-inch lengths of plastic wrap, overlapping them in the center; let the dough rest for 10 minutes.

6. Setting one piece of dough aside, roll the other into a 14-inch round with an even thickness, using the tackiness of the dough against the parchment to help roll it. If the parchment wrinkles, flip the dough sandwich over and smooth the wrinkles with a metal bench scraper.

7. Peel the plastic wrap off the top of the rolled dough. Spread 1/2 cup of the tomato sauce to the edges of the dough. Sprinkle with 1 cup of the cheese.

8. Slip the dough with the parchment onto a pizza peel or rimless baking sheet. Slide the pizza, parchment and all, on to the hot pizza stone. Bake until a deep golden brown, about 10 minutes. Remove the pizza from the oven with a pizza peel or pull the parchment with the pizza onto a baking sheet. Transfer the pizza to a cutting board, slide the parchment out from under the pizza, and slide it onto a wire rack. Cook 2 minutes until crisp; slide to a cutting board, cut into wedges, and serve.

9. While the first pizza is baking, repeat steps 6 and 7 to roll and top the second pizza; allow the baking stone ot reheat for 15 minutes after baking the first pizza, then repeat step 8 to bake the second pizza.

Quick Tomato Sauce for Pizza

Ingredients:

1 14.5-ounce can crushed tomatoes

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 medium garlic clove, minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 1 teaspoon)

table salt and ground black pepper

Directions:

1. Process the tomatoes in a food processor until smooth, about 5 pulses.

2. Heat the oil and garlic in a medium saucepan over medium heat until the garlic is fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the tomatoes; bring to a simmer and cook, uncovered, until the sauce thickens, about 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Source: The Complete America's Test Kitchen TV Show Cookbook

Welcome 2010!

Happy New Year! I have been dreaming about 2010 for a LONG time. I started graduate school in Chicago in 2004 knowing that I would not be done until close to 2010, at which point I planned to move back to St. Louis where my entire family lives. Meanwhile, Bob decided to go back to school, knowing he would graduate in the spring of 2010. We both feel that our lives have sort of been on hold during this time - waiting to have more time (and space) for our hobbies and interests. So, 2010 is a big year for Bob and I:

His graduation and my hooding ceremony:

A big move to St. Louis:

New jobs: (Bob will be working as a PT and I'll be working with fruit flies!)

House shopping:

And one of my favorite parts is that my cousin Chris, who joined the Navy just as I was starting graduate school, will have completed his service and is moving back to St. Louis too.

I am beyond excited to be near my parents and extended family again!

Since it's the beginning of a brand new year, I'd like to reflect back on 2009. I feel like I have grown so much in my cooking since starting this blog last March - it has really pushed me beyond my comfort zone and forced me to try new things. I have now worked with mock marzipan, royal icing, and yeast breads, just to name a few. I am so thankful to each and every one of you who read my blog and who comment on the recipes I post!

To celebrate the occasion, I've decided to go through the things I made in 2009 and choose my favorites. I realized I couldn't pick just one favorite of each category of food, so I decided to just pick my top recipes and list them here. This is hard because I typically only post something if I really like it, so I usually recommend it all. To be featured in this list, the recipe must meet my standards - most importantly, taste amazing - when I read the title of these recipes my mouth actually starts watering - that's how good they are. As a cooking blogger, it's difficult for me to repeat recipes because there are SO MANY fabulous ones out there to try (I have about a million starred in Google reader to prove it!) To be honest, it's really only the super special recipes that I actually make a second time. These are recipes that I plan to make again and again. Sometimes it's not even my choice - it's that Bob requests them over and over. Funnily enough, a lot of my top recipes are from Giada De Laurentiis! Not on purpose, it's just how it turned out.

In no particular order, this is my list of "must makes" from 2009:

Blueberry Ricotta Pancakes - This is a simple recipe from Giada because it uses store bought pancake mix, but it's a semi-homemade approach that tastes incredible. The ricotta cheese really elevates the pancakes to a new level. I am a pancake snob and only like them super light and fluffy, and these pancakes deliver!

Panzanella - I absolutely LOVE this classic tomato and bread salad recipe of Giada's. Perfect for summer when tomatoes are at their peak, but still great the rest of the year.

Chicken Tortilla Soup - I have made many chicken tortilla soups before and never quite found the right one . . . until this one. I love it's simplicity - no corn, no beans, just a super tasty broth with a few veggies, and some chicken of course. The toppings are exceptional. I think each of them adds another flavor dimension. I recently made this for my family and they loved it!

Ribollita - I would have to say this was one of my most surprising recipes (it's Giada's). The whole time making it I was convinced I would hate it - it didn't look appetizing and I really planned on having to eat crackers for dinner. Not only did I eat the soup, I had a second bowl. It was that good. And now here it is on my top recipes lists for 2009. Go figure!

Chicken Gyros - I have made these at least 5 times in the last 5 months! They are SOOO good. The most recent time I made an amazingly delicious flat bread, which I will post soon. It took these from awesome to indescribable :)

Garlic Chicken - Serve with rice, serve with rice noodles, just serve!

Triple T Deluxe Pizza - One of the only recipe on this list that is my own, and it's not even a recipe! The crust is from Cook's Illustrated and truly makes the pizza. The toppings are a great combination, I think. This was the first time I made pizza at home and thought, "hey, this is better than I can get delivered" - no joke.

Rigatoni with Sausage, Pepper, and Onions - Just thinking about this dish makes my mouth water (another Giada recipe). The sweet onions and peppers, the tangy tomato sauce, the comforting pasta, and one of my favorite flavors - marsala wine. This is one of my favorite dishes of all time!

Chicken with Dijon Mascarpone Sauce - Love this recipe! Yet another one from Giada - what can I say, she's knows good Italian food! Get your mascarpone cheese at Trader Joe's if you can - so much cheaper. This recipe is so indulgent. I save it for special occasions and company.

Fresh Salsa - The first time I made this, I was skeptical. How could I like it more than the great salsas you get in Mexican restaurants? I was mistaken - this salsa is right up there with the best of them. It's fantastic served with quesadillas, enchiladas, or tacos, or by itself with tortilla chips. I served this as an appetizer when my cousin and her boyfriend were over one night. He kept saying how good it was, then kept apologizing for repeating himself - it was cute :)

Spinach and Chicken Quesadillas - My favorite quesadilla recipe so far! In my opinion it's the fajita seasoning that makes it special (I credit Annie for that addition!) It was through this recipe that I realized my love of Monterey Jack cheese - it's perfect for Mexican food!

Tres Leches Coconut Cupcakes with Dulce de Leche Buttercream - Wow. Seriously that word sums it up. These were incredible. I still have people at work say to me "you know, you can make those anytime, you don't have to dress them up as Easter Chicks." I take a LOT of desserts into work, and for this one to stand out as much as it did really shows it's a great recipe. I can't wait to make these for my dad because I know he will LOVE them!

Pumpkin-Chocolate Tart - Not only is this one of my favorite desserts in terms of decoration, but this tart is fantastic. The combination of the sour cream and pumpkin makes a super tasty filling. The gingerbread-tasting crust is spicy and delicious, and it's coated in solid chocolate! I plan to make this again next fall for sure.

Chocolate and Toasted Coconut Covered Homemade Marshmallows - Homemade marshmallows are fabulous on their own, but as soon as I dipped them in chocolate and rolled them in toasted coconut, I had a hit! These are just like candy. My only mistake was not making more of them! Next year, I will be prepared with plenty of chocolate and coconut on hand to make a bunch of these.

Triple Chocolate Biscotti - I'm certainly not a biscotti expert, since these were the first I've ever tasted, but what a great little cookie! I loved the combination of white and bittersweet chocolates. These are great on their own or dipped in your favorite coffee, tea, or even milk.

Chicken Marbella - This is such a famous recipe and probably needs no introduction, but if you've never tried it, you must. Great for a crowd or a small group with yummy leftovers, the flavors in this dish are truly wonderful.

Double Chocolate Layer Cake - Decadent and rich - this dessert is perfect for chocolate lovers like yours truly. I'm not surprised it's the most accessed recipe on Epicurious.com!

Spicy Roasted Chicken - Pam has several great looking chicken recipes - all of which I'd love to try. This one is so delicious. I love the spices and the chicken turned out very juicy.

Chicken Pesto Pizza - I loved this pizza! It's a blend of sweet peppers, zucchini, and chicken, flavored with Italian seasoning. The ingredients magically combine to make one fantastic dish.

Bailey's Irish Cream Cheesecake - Of all the cheesecakes I've made, this is my favorite. Such a creamy filling covered in ganache - yum!

And just for fun, these are the top posts that have received the most hits according to Google Analytics:

10. Layered Taco Dip

9. Orzo Stuffed Peppers

8. Ricotta Pancakes - Two Ways

7. Bailey's Irish Cream Cheesecake

6. The Best Salsa in the World

5. Magic Brownies - Two Ways

4. Spaghetti and Mozzarella Stuffed Turkey Meatballs

3. Chicken Marbella

2. Whole Food's Spinach Artichoke Dip

1. Bacon Stuffed Cherry Tomato Appetizers (Thanks for the recipe Kat!!!)

Triple T Deluxe Pizza

Happy Friday!!! I am super excited today because I passed my final thesis defense exam yesterday, so aside from turning in some paper work and uploading my 245 page thesis to the graduate school website, I have finally earned my PhD! It feels good to say that after 5 years of hard work :)

I know I've posted several pizza recipes, but I just had to share this pizza because it was SOOOO good. Bob and I were really surprised how much we liked it - just as good as pizza we could order or get at a restaurant! I've called this pizza "Triple T" because it's made with Turkey pepperoni, Turkey bacon, and Turkey sausage. To make it a deluxe pizza, I added some green pepper and onion, which really put it over the top. You could always throw on some mushrooms or olives, if that's your thing. We absolutely love this crust recipe. I haven't found a pizza sauce recipe I like yet, so I tried jarred Ragu Pizza sauce and was surprised by how good it is, especially since I'm not a big fan of their spaghetti sauce. In the past I have bought canned pizza sauce but am never happy with the taste. As far as the turkey products go, I am pretty particular with which brands I buy, simply based on trial and error taste-wise.

I recommend Hormel turkey pepperoni:

Louis Rich ground turkey sausage (in a tube like regular pork sausage):

and Oscar Mayer turkey bacon:

I have used Jennie-O ground turkey sausage before (both hot and sweet), and it's fine, but for pizza I really prefer the Louis Rich. I completely urge you to try Oscar Mayer turkey bacon if you 1) have never tried turkey bacon, or 2) have tried other brands and don't like them. I really thought turkey bacon was pretty gross before finding Oscar Mayer. By the way, I am not a spokesperson for any of these brands, haha :)

Growing up, Friday nights were always pizza night. Anyone else have a Friday night dinner tradition???
Meghan's Triple T Deluxe Pizza

Ingredients:
1/2 batch pizza dough (enough for a large pizza)
~8 ounces of your favorite homemade or store-bought pizza sauce (Recommended: Ragu)
1/3 package ground turkey sausage, cooked and crumbled (~4 ounces - Recommended: Louis Rich)
Turkey pepperoni (Recommended: Hormel)
4 strips of turkey bacon, cooked but not too crisp, torn into small pieces (Recommended: Oscar Mayer)
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 green pepper, finely diced
1/2 yellow onion, finely diced (sweet or regular)
Mozzarella cheese, shredded
Parmesan cheese, grated
Pizza/Italian seasoning, to taste

Cornmeal, ~1/4 to 1/2 cup

Directions:
1. Heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium/high heat. Add the green pepper and saute for 3 minutes, then and half of the onion (equivalent of 1/4 onion) and saute until softened, about 3-5 minutes.

2. Preheat oven (with pizza stone inside) to 500F for at least 30 minutes.

3. Generously apply cornmeal to a large surface (like a cutting board) and roll out dough into a large circle (~14 inches in diameter). Remember that using ample cornmeal is essential to eventually sliding the pizza onto the pizza stone.

4. Top pizza as desired; I did the following, in this order: pepperoni, bacon, sausage, the grilled onions and peppers, the raw onions, the mozzarella cheese, grated Parmesan cheese, then a sprinkle of Pizza/Italian seasoning.

5. Remove hot pizza stone from oven, apply extra cornmeal if needed, and slip pizza onto stone. Bake for 8-12 minutes, or until cheese is melted as desired.

6. Remove pizza from oven, slide onto a large cutting board and slice. Enjoy!

Chicken Pistou Pizza

Earlier this summer, I had a moment of weakness - well really my husband had a moment of weakness. He said that I had been pining over a pizza/baking stone and an immersion blender for so long that I should just get them. (I had thought I could just wait until my birthday in October but I don't think he wanted to listen to me talk about them for the next 2 months!) So, we grabbed two of our trusty blue coupons from the car trunk (you know the store I'm talking about!) and made these purchases. A few days later when I mentioned it to my mom, she told me that she never uses her pizza stone or immersion blender and I could just have hers! Thankfully, mine were still in the store bag with the receipt safely tucked inside! I actually wrote this post before the Roasted Tomato Soup post to announce the immersion blender, but I forgot and posted the soup first, so I spilled the beans - oh well! :)

One of the main reasons I wanted a pizza stone is because this wonderful pizza crust is supposed to be baked on one. While I thought it was completely delicious baked on a regular cookie sheet, I couldn't help but wonder how different it would be if the recipe was followed. Plus, I had the perfect pizza recipe to try. I've made a Chicken Pesto Pizza before, but then I saw this on Annie's Eats and loved her combination of chicken with tomatoes. I had some homegrown tomatoes from my parents' neighbor that were just begging to be used.

I decided to incorporate the method from this pizza for making the chicken. Because of my nut allergy, I had to make a pinenut-less pesto, and after some googling, I discovered the French Pistou - a combination of olive oil, basil, and garlic (and never pinenuts); hence the Chicken Pistou Pizza was born!

By the way, if you were wondering if the pizza stone improved the crust, the answer is YES! :)

Chicken Pistou Pizza

Ingredients:

1/2 batch pizza crust, or enough crust for 1 large pizza

1 large chicken breast, diced in small pieces

1 Tablespoon olive oil, plus more for cooking chicken

1 Tablespoon Italian or Pizza seasoning, plus extra for sprinkling

2-3 small, vine-ripened tomatoes, juice and seeds removed, diced

Sun-dried tomatoes, optional

Pesto or pistou (see below)

Mozzarella cheese

Parmesan cheese, if desired

Directions:

1. Marinate the chicken: Place diced chicken in a resealable plastic bag filled with 1 Tablespoon Italian seasoning and 1 Tablespoon olive oil. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to 1 hour.

2. Place pizza stone in the oven and preheat to 500F.

3. Cook the chicken in a pan with some olive oil, if necessary, until fully cooked.

4. Coat a surface liberally* with corn meal. Roll dough out into a pizza. Top with Pistou, cooked chicken, fresh and sun-dried tomatoes (if using), and mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle with a dash of Italian or Pizza Seasoning and top with Parmesan cheese, if desired.

5. Remove the baking stone from the oven and carefully transfer the pizza onto it. Place in oven and bake for 12-15 minutes, or until crust is golden and cheese is melted.

*This is very important. I underscored the need for corn meal and suffered the consequences. It took 3 of us to transfer the pizza from to the baking stone! I then did some research about pizza making and read that corn meal is the 'ball bearings of pizza making' - great analogy! My advice - use a LOT!

Source: Adapted from Annie's Eats

French Pistou

Ingredients:

4 cloves of garlic (I think I used 2 to make sure it wasn't too garlicky)

1/2 teaspoon salt *Mine was pretty salty, maybe start out with less!

~1 cup slightly packed basil leaves

olive oil (~4 Tablespoons, give or take)

grated Parmesan cheese to taste, optional

Directions:

1. Crush the garlic using a mortar and pestle. Add the salt and use the pestle to make a garlic paste.

2. Add torn basil leaves and olive oil and continue using the pestle to make the pistou.

3. Transfer mixture to a mini food processor to achieve consistency, if desired.

Source: Epicurean Table

Pizza Party: Homemade Pizza Crust

I've only tried making homemade pizza dough once, and it didn't turn out well. I used the wrong type of yeast, partly because I wasn't well versed in yeast, and partly because our store didn't sell instant yeast. (If you're new to yeast, check out this guide; I found it very helpful!) A lot of the pizza dough recipes out there call for a Kitchen Aid mixer to knead the dough, or knead by hand ((shudder)), but this one from Cook's Illustrated can be made in a food processor! I have an awesome Kitchen Aid food processor and was excited to try this out. We invited my BFF Kathleen over for a pizza party and movie night at the beginning of April (you may notice my posts are never in order!) The recipe makes 3 medium pizzas or 2 large pizzas. I just divided the dough into 3 portions, and each of us shaped and 'decorated' our own little pizzas. We had plenty leftover - this makes a lot of dough. But as Chelle suggested, you can freeze half of it for another time.

I am so happy with this recipe, and it really couldn't be simpler. Although Cook's Illustrated says it must be made in a food processor that holds 11 cups or more, it worked just fine in my 9-cup one. Apparently the bread flour is the key to this dough's crispy crust - although you may sub all-purpose for a less crisp crust. The dough is so nice and smooth and easy to press out. It bakes up crispy yet chewy and didn't stick to the pan. I highly recommend this recipe!

For our pizza party, we used browned sweet Italian turkey sausage, turkey pepperoni, chopped onions, 2% mozzarella cheese, and pizza seasoning. Yum!

Pizza Crust

Ingredients:
1/2 cup warm water (~110F)
1 envelope (~2 1/4 teaspoons) instant yeast (AKA Rapid Rise)
1 1/4 cups water, room temperature
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 cups (22 ounces) bread flour, plus more for dusting work surface and hands
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
olive oil or nonstick cooking spray for greasing bowl
corn meal, for dusting pan

Directions:
Make the dough:
1. Fill a 2-cup liquid measuring cup with warm water and sprinkle yeast on top. Allow to sit until yeast dissolves and swells - ~5 minutes. Meanwhile, add flour and salt to food processor and pulse a few times to combine.

2. Add room temperature water and oil to the yeast/water mixture, and stir to combine. While pulsing flour mixture, pour the liquid through the feed tube, reserving a few tablespoons. If the dough has not formed a ball, add the rest of the liquid and pulse. Process for ~30 seconds until the dough is smooth and elastic.

3. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead by hand a few turns, shaping the dough into a smooth, round ball.

4. Place the dough ball into a deep, oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise until doubled in size, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

Bake the crust:
Note: The original recipes calls for a pizza stone that is preheated to 500F for 30 minutes, and the pizza is then cooked at this temperature for 8-12 minutes. I don't have a pizza stone, so I had to wing this part. Here's what I did:

1. Preheat oven to 400F. Lightly grease a sheet pan with olive oil, dust with corn meal.

2. Press the dough to deflate it. Divide dough into desired portions, and place them back in the bowl, covered with a damp cloth to allow dough to rest for at least 10 but no more than 30 minutes.

3. Press dough out into desired shape. Brush lightly with extra virgin olive oil. Prebake crust for ~5-7 minutes.

4. Remove crust and top pizza as desired. Bake pizza for 5 minutes, then raise oven temperature to 500F for 3-5 minutes, or until crust is golden.

Source: Adapted from Brown Eyed Baker, originally from Cook's Illustrated

Chicken Pesto Pizza

When I saw this recipe for Pesto Pizza, I knew I had to try it. The combination of the vegetables, chicken, and Italian seasoning that is cooked together before put on the pizza just sounded great. This dinner was so delicious, and very adaptable to any kind of vegetable you want to throw in. I had some Trader Joe's refrigerated pizza dough, so I used that. For some reason, I don't have much luck with this dough . . . it always sticks to the pan - even if I put copious amounts of olive oil underneath - and who wants to do that?! Bob and I both agreed that a more substantial crust was necessary to stand up to these ingredients. He even came up with an awesome variation that we are going to try next (stay tuned!)

Bob was watching a show about Venetian food on the Travel Channel as I was preparing this dinner, can you tell I was inspired?

There is a cutting mat underneath those veggies, I promise!

Chicken Pesto Pizza

Original ingredients:
1 pound chicken breast tenders
1 Tablespoon dried Italian seasoning
3 Tablespoons pesto
1 cup mozzarella cheese
2 medium zucchini, halved twice and thinly sliced
yellow, red, orange, and green bell peppers, chopped
mushrooms, thinly sliced

Also see the link below for a homemade pizza dough recipe!

My ingredients:

2 chicken breasts, cut into small pieces
1 Tablespoon, give or take, "Pizza seasoning" (same stuff as Italian)
1 medium zucchini, diced
1 yellow onion, diced
1 red pepper, diced
1 green pepper, diced
1/2 orange pepper, diced
~2-3 Tablespoons basil mixture (see below)
1 cup, give or take, shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 package Trader Joe's refrigerated pizza dough - I can't recommend this! :( I think Boboli would be good though!

Directions:
Preheat oven to 450F.

1. Heat a little bit of olive oil over medium/high heat, and cook the chicken for a few minutes. Sprinkle with Italian seasoning.

2. Before chicken is cooked through, add vegetables and more Italian seasoning. Cook until chicken is done and veggies are tender.

3. Roll out dough on pan sprayed with cooking spray or greased with oil. Prebake crust for a few minutes.

4. Spread pesto evenly over pizza crust. Top with chicken/veggie mixture. Top with mozzarella cheese. Bake for 5 minutes or until cheese melts.

So, I'm calling my pesto a "basil mixture" because most pesto has pine nuts and I obviously can't use those. What I did was use about 1/2 tablespoon basil puree (comes in a tube at the grocery store), added a little grated Parmesan and some olive oil and whisked it together. That's it!

Source: Adapted from Meet Me in the Kitchen