Rustic Pizza

"A world without tomatoes is like a string quartet without violins" ~ Laurie Colwin

This rustic pizza is filled with fresh, market produce. The peppers were roasted to give a nice smokey taste to the dish. Seasonings include salt, pepper, basil and oregano which were also purchased from the Spicehound at my market.

Unlike a traditional pizza that has the tomato sauce on the bottom, this has the cheese on the bottom and maters on top.

Roll out the dough to about a 14-inch circle, spread a layer of cheese, roasted red peppers, sliced tomatoes, leaving about a 2 inch border. Drizzle a small amount of olive oil over maters and season.

Fold the dough over, brush with egg wash. Bake in a 375 degree oven 35 to 40 minutes or until the crust is a nice golden brown.

Let sit for about 5 minutes and slice.

Dough:

1 pkg. active yeast
1 Tbsp. sugar
1/2 cup warm water
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
1/4 cup olive oil
1 cup warm water

Mix yeast with 1/2 cup warm water and sugar, let proof. Add oil and 1 cup of water to yeast mixture, stir. Combine flours and salt, add to yeast mixture. Knead on dough hook for 5 minutes, or by hand for 10. Cover and set in warm place till dough doubles in bulk. Punch down, divide in half. Put other half of dough in freezer bag and freeze for later use.

Roll out dough on a well floured surface. I use parchment paper, it is easier to transfer the pizza to a pan after you have assembled it.

Filling:

Mozzarella cheese
Gorgonzola cheese
Ricotta cheese
Basil
Oregano
Salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper
Roasted red pepper, peeled and sliced
Tomatoes, sliced thin
Olive oil

Pasta Primavera

Locally grown vegetables are plentiful now and pairing them with pasta makes for a light and flavorful summertime meal. This dish got an extra shot of flavor with an Annatto-infused olive oil, find out how to create this oil by visiting the Spicehound Cooks (and Brews).

Pasta Primavera

1 pint grape tomatoes
1 small unpeeled garlic bulb

Toss with a little olive oil and salt. Roast in a 400 degree oven for 45 minutes. Set aside.

Bring a large pot of salted (or not) water to a boil. Cook 1/2 pound of pasta according to package directions. Heat 1/4 cup Annatto-infused olive oil over medium heat in a large, deep skillet. Add one chopped candy onion, let cook just till tender. Add some dried basil and a pinch of dried crushed red pepper and cook for 1 minute to allow the release of fragrance. Add 2 carrots, peeled and sliced julienne-style and cook for another 2 minutes. Add one unpeeled zucchini, either sliced or peeled in thin strips. Cook for just one minute more, no one likes mushy veggies. Turn off heat and add roasted tomatoes and garlic. Just squeeze the garlic bulb and the garlic will pop right out. Drain pasta, saving some of the pasta water. Add 1/2 to 1 cup of pasta water to veggie mixture. Add pasta and toss gently. Top with freshly grated parmesan cheese.

I have been awarded a Brilliant Blog Award by Racquel the Perennial Garden Lover. For those of you who do not know, Racquel is my daughter, she has a green thumb and a gorgeous garden to prove it.

So here's what else I'm suppose to do.

1. Put the logo on my blog.
2. Add a link to the person who awarded it to me.
3. Nominate other blogs.
4. Add links to those blogs.
5. Leave a message on your nominees’ blogs.

I am passing on this award to ...

Lucy of Sweets, Savories, Etc.
Janie of An Obsessive/Compulsive Plant Collector
Giz and family of Equal Opportunity Kitchen
Grace of A Southern Grace
Sue of Please, Don't Pass The Salt
Theresa of Baking and Beyond
Paula of It's All Gouda

Market Odds and Ends

I made up some marinara sauce this morning. Looking in the vegetable drawer I discovered some odds and ends vegetables from the market that needed to be used up so I made lasagna rolls for supper, tutorial for rolling can be found here.

Zucchini Lasagna Rolls

2 medium zucchini, grated (skin on)
1 large carrot, grated
2 young leeks, minced
mushrooms, sliced (about 1 1/2 cups)
1/2 green pepper, diced

A 9x12 baking dish, spread about 1 cup marinara sauce over bottom evenly.

16 Lasagna noodles, cooked according to pkg. directions

Sautee mushrooms just to liquid cooks off, set aside. Combine the zucchini, carrot, leeks and green pepper. Salt and pepper, to taste. Combine 2 cups Ricotta cheese, 1 cup Parmesan cheese and two eggs. Add to veggie mixture and mix well.

Spread veggie-cheese mixture on lasagna noodles, along with mushrooms and roll up. Place in baking dish and top with a Béchamel Sauce, which is a white sauce made with flour, hot milk, butter and Parmesan cheese.

Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 45 minutes, or until lightly browned. Serve with a green salad and crusty bread.

Béchamel Sauce:

3 cups of milk, heated
4 Tbsp. butter
4 Tbsp. all purpose flour
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
Salt & Pepper, to taste

Heat milk in saucepan over medium-high heat, add butter. Whisk in flour and stir till sauce thickens. Add cheese and salt and pepper, blend well and remove from stove.

Zucchini Parmesan.

Zucchini is commonly thought of as a vegetable, and in layman's parlance, of course, this is more useful; however by strict definition the zucchini is a fruit, being the swollen ovary of the zucchini flower ~ Wikia

I stopped by the Coit Road Farmers Market yesterday to pick up some produce, and couldn't resist picking up some more zucchini. Here is yet another way to enjoy this summer squash.

Zucchini Parmesan

Recipe:

1 Tbsp. Olive Oil
2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
1 cup chopped garlic scapes
6 cups chopped fresh tomatoes
1 cup tomato sauce
6 oz. tomato paste
2 tsp. dried Basil
2 tsp. dried Oregano
Salt & Pepper, to taste
5 large zucchini
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup parmesan cheese

Heat olive oil over medium-high heat in heavy duty pot. Add scapes and mushrooms and cook until tender. Add chopped tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, basil, oregano, salt and pepper. Cook uncovered for 40 minutes, stirring occasionally. Set aside and keep warm.

Cut zucchinis lengthwise into 5 slices. Cook in boiling water for 5 minutes. Drain and pat dry with paper towels.

Spread 2 cups tomato mixture in bottom of a 9x12 baking dish. Place half of the zucchini slices over sauce, overlapping slightly. Sprinkle half of mozzarella and parmesan cheese over zucchini. Repeat layers, topping with remaining tomato mixture. Sprinkle top layer lightly with mozzarella and parmesan cheeses.

Bake uncovered in a 350 degree oven 30 to 40 minutes, or until lightly browned.

Garlic Scapes & Frittata

I missed going to the Coit Road Farmers Market yesterday, but my daughter went and picked up some Garlic Scapes and farm-fresh eggs. Scapes are the flower stalks of hardneck garlic. They are cut off the plant so that the garlic bulbs will grow bigger.

Since I had the scapes, some zucchini and green and red peppers I decided to make a Frittata for Sunday brunch. A frittata is an Italian dish made of eggs, vegetables and cheese.

Frittata

Recipe:

2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 1/2 cups garlic scapes, chopped
1 small zucchini, chopped in small pieces
1/2 green pepper, chopped
1/2 red pepper, chopped
1 tsp. dried basil
1 tsp. dried oregano
Salt & Pepper, to taste
6 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled

Heat 1 Tbsp. olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic scapes, zucchini, peppers, basil and oregano. Sautee for about 5 minutes. Set aside.

Beat eggs in medium size bowl, add sauteed vegetables, cheese and salt & pepper, blend well.

Wipe the skillet well and return to stove top. Heat the other 1 Tbsp. olive oil in same skillet over medium high heat. When oil is hot, pour in the egg mixture and cook for 3 or 4 minutes, until eggs are set on the bottom.

Transfer the skillet to a preheated broiler and broil for about 3 minutes of until Frittata is firm in center and lightly browned.

Cut into wedges and served hot, warm or at room temperature.

Marinara Sauce ...

With rising food costs, I look for ways to not only cook nutritious meals but at a lower cost. One ingredient in cooking that I use a lot of in this household is Marinara sauce, so I was delighted to find a simple and tasty recipe recently in "Garlic, Garlic, Garlic" by Linda and Fred Griffith who are fellow Clevelanders. If you are a garlic lover like me, you will love this cookbook.

As I have mentioned on this blog in the past, when following a recipe I never hesitate to use what is on hand in my pantry. Thus I made a few simple changes to the original recipe with the ingredients I had and still produced a good marinara sauce to use with pasta, pizza and my flat breads. I portioned out the sauce into two-cup freezer containers to freeze for later use. As soon as tomatoes are in season here in NE Ohio I will be adapting this recipe using fresh tomatoes.

Marinara Sauce Recipe

1/4 cup olive oil
2 Tbsp. butter
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 candy onions with leaves, chopped fine
2 28 oz. cans plum tomatoes, with juice
2 tsp. dried basil
2 tsp. dried Mexican oregano
1/4 tsp. cayenne
Kosher salt & pepper, to taste
1/2 tsp. baking soda

In large saucepan, heat olive oil and butter over medium heat. Add garlic and onions, sautee until tender, about 4 minutes. Add tomatoes, basil, oregano and cayenne. Bring to boil, simmer 30 minutes. Add salt, pepper and baking soda. Blend thoroughly and serve.

Loosely adapted from "Garlic, Garlic, Garlic" by Linda and Fred Griffith

Stromboli

After making the Calzone, wanted to try my hand at Stromboli. I made Lou's pizza dough, divided it in three pieces. Just rolled them out thin, about 8X14 inches and spread fillings over top. Roll them up and cut slits in the top and brushed with an egg wash. Fillings of broccoli and mozzarella, pepperoni and mozzarella and roasted red peppers, onions and mozzarella. The food critic and DS were very happy with the results.

Place on a lightly-oiled baking sheet. Bake in a preheated 425 degree oven 20-25 minutes.

Calzone

...."I get by with a little help from my friends"

I made a batch of Lou's pizza dough yesterday, wanted to make Calzone. I have never made them so I contacted my friend Lucy for help. Thanks Lucy for all your hints and tips ! A Calzone is an Italian turnover, made with pizza dough and filled with cheese, vegetables or meat.


Lou's Pizza Dough

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp. salt
1 pkg. yeast
1/2 cup warm water
1 Tbsp. sugar
1/4 cup oil
1 cup warm water

Mix yeast with 1/2 cup warm water and sugar, let proof. Add oil and 1 cup of water to yeast mixture, stir. Combine flours and salt, add to yeast mixture. Knead on dough hook for 5 minutes, or by hand for 10. Cover and set in warm place till dough doubles in bulk. Punch down, divide into quarters for Calzone.

Filling:

Large bunch of broccoli, chopped up
1/2 cup Ricotta cheese
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
1/4 cup Feta cheese

Cook broccoli in boiling water for about five minutes. Combine cheeses in a bowl.

Take one quarter piece of dough and pat out into a circle, mound filling in center.


Fold dough over and seal edges well. I used an egg wash on top of mine.


Place on a lightly oiled baking sheet, or a baking stone if you have one. Calzone fresh from the oven, oozing with melted cheese.

Apple Crostata

The Italian Crostata is a classic dessert made with a pastry base and filled with fruit or custard. Waking to the ground covered in snow (again) I elected to stay indoors and bake. This is an impressive yet easy dessert to make. March entry at DMBLGIT, hosted by Ms Adventures in Italy.


Apple Crostata Recipe

Pastry:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup cold butter, cut up
3 large egg yolks
1/4 tsp. salt
4 Tbsp. cold water

Topping:

4 apples, peeled, cored and grated
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
2 Tbsp. lemon juice

Combine flour, salt and sugar. Cut in butter, along with egg yolks, until crumbly. Add water and stir to form a smooth dough. Shape dough into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate about 30 minutes.

Add lemon juice to grated apple and let sit for 5 minutes. Squeeze out most of the lemon juice and add sugar and cinnmon.

Remove dough from refrigerator and set aside 1/4 of the dough. Shape the dough into the bottom and sides of a 9-inch springform pan. Pour apple filling into pan. Divide remaining dough into six balls, use hands to roll each ball into sausage shape. Place in a lattice pattern over the top. Roll down the sides to meet the end of lattice strips, forming an edge around the crostata. Brush lattice strips and edge lightly with egg white mixed with a small amount of water. Sprinkle about a Tbsp. of sugar over crust.

Bake in a 375 degree oven 50-60 minutes, or until lightly browned. Cool in pan. Loosen and remove pan sides.

Double-Crust Pizza

We had a virtual pizza party at the Cooking Forum, my contribution was a double-crust filled pizza. Perfect meal for Superbowl Sunday !

Double-Crust Pizza Recipe

Lou's Pizza Crust

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp. salt
1 pkg. yeast
1/2 cup warm water
1 Tbsp. sugar
1/4 cup oil
1 cup warm water

Mix yeast with 1/2 cup warm water and sugar, let proof. Add oil and 1 cup of water to yeast mixture, stir. Combine flours and salt, add to yeast mixture. Knead on dough hook for 5 minutes, or by hand for 10. Cover and set in warm place till dough doubles in bulk. Punch down, divide into fours for cake pans, or in half for 14-inch deep dish pizza pan.

Filling:

2 10 oz. pkgs. frozen chopped spinach, thaw and drain
2 cups mozzarella shredded cheese
1 egg, beaten
2 tsp. dried oregano
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 pound ground Italian sausage
1 large skinless chicken breast
1 cup marinara sauce

In large bowl combine spinach, mozzarella, egg and oregano, set aside. Heat a small skillet over medium heat, add sausage and onion and cook till browned. Grill skinless chicken breast on stove top. Cut chicken into cubes. Add chicken, marinara sauce and sausage mixture to spinach, stir well.

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly oil two 9-inch cake pans, or one 14-inch deep dish pizza pan

Spread 1/4 or 1/2 pizza dough in bottom of pans/pan. Spread filling over dough. Take remainder of dough and roll out in large circle, arrange on top and pinch edges to seal. Brush top of crust with butter and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Bake for about 30 minutes or until golden brown.

Chicken Cacciatore

Like I child with a new toy, I love cooking in my Tagine. Last night I made slow-cooked chicken cacciatore served over noodles. This could be done in a dutch oven and/or crock pot also.

Chicken Cacciatore Recipe

5 chicken legs (or you could use thighs/breasts)
1 1/2 cups sliced Portabella mushrooms
28 oz. canned plum tomatoes, crushed
4 cloves garlic, whole
Crushed red pepper flakes, to taste
Salt & Pepper, to taste
2 Tbsp. dried Parsley

I browned the chicken in a little olive oil, drained on paper towels. Add all ingredients to the tagine (or slow cooker) and lay chicken on top. Cover and cook in a 300 degree oven for 2 hours.

Serve over hot buttered noodles or pasta of choice.

If salad greens were in season, they would be a good side dish along with crusty bread.

Ravioli

Another way to use Thanksgiving leftovers that doesn't involve turkey which, if like me, you are probably pretty burnt out on. I made a basic pasta dough using whole wheat flour and filled it with sweet potato, cranberry sauce and a bit of goat cheese from the Lake Erie Creamery. After boiling I gently placed them in some browned butter in skillet till just coated. First time making pasta and I have to admit it is better than the processed stuff you buy at the grocer.

Following are the steps taken. Divide dough up and roll out, I used a biscuit cutter because I wanted uniform shapes. Each round received 1 tsp. of mashed sweet potato, 1/2 tsp. cranberry sauce and a smidgen of goat cheese. Lightly brush edges with water and seal with a fork.

Drop in boiling water, they are done when they float to the surface, remove with slotted spoon and transfer to skillet with browned butter.

Pasta Dough Recipe

2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp. salt
2 eggs, beaten
1/3 cup cold water
1 tsp. olive oil

Combine dry ingredients, make a well in center. Mix eggs, water and oil and add to dry ingredients. Turn out on well floured board and knead for 10 minutes, until dough is smooth and elastic. Divide dough in fourths, roll each fourth into a 12 inch square. Cut as desired.