PIZZA
My weakness. A perfectly chewy crust that has a bit of crispness to it on the edge, the texture of the cornmeal on the bottom of the crust, the toppings mixed perfectly with the cheese, with just the right seasoning…
This zucchini pizza and the corresponding pizza dough at Eat, Live, Run are a must try. Since I’m not a fan of ricotta cheese, I made a few tweaks to appeal to my own tastes:
- I grated 2 zucchini as the recipe calls for, then squeezed out the excess water
- I tossed the shredded zucchini with 2 Tablespoons of my Red Wine Vinaigrette
- I crisped 5 slices of Hormel brand fully cooked bacon, then crumbled them into a bowl
- I rolled half of the pizza dough into a large circle and placed on a cornmeal-dusted parchment-paper-lined pizza pan
- Instead of the ricotta mixture, I just sprinkled the dough with a light covering of shredded Mozzarella
- Then I sprinkled the Mozzarella with dried oregano and dried Mediterranean basil
- Then I mixed the shredded zucchini with 2 cups shredded Mozzarella, as the recipe calls for, and spread on top of the seasoned Mozzarella
- Then I sprinkled the top with the crumbled bacon and baked
Pure pizza heaven for an evening indulging myself.
PRE-TEEN SLEEPOVER FOOD
Pizza pleases all.
By dividing the dough into smaller portions, each girl had an individual pizza, a blank canvas to make her own with whatever toppings she pleased (favorite toppings were black olives, mushrooms, and Canadian bacon).
The individual pizzas were a highlight of the sleepover; the girls enthusiastically exclaimed how delicious the pizzas were, much to my delight!
PEPPERONI PIZZA ROLLS
E was going to her (first!) school dance, oh my!
B, not old enough to attend the dance, would be stuck at home with me.
Dinner for B needed to be fun and indulgent (on a budget).
- I made a batch of the pizza dough
- I divided it into 24 sections, rolling each section in a ball
- I kept the balls of dough wrapped in a kitchen towel so they wouldn’t dry out as I worked
- Each ball was rolled into a long, thin section of dough, about 4-5 inches wide and about 8 inches long
- Down the center, I layered:
- 1 Tablespoon shredded Mozzarella cheese
- 3 slices pepperoni
- Then gently rolled the dough and toppings up the length of the section, then pinched the ends together
- I placed each pepperoni roll on a cornmeal-dusted, parchment-paper-lined rimmed baking sheet
- When all 24 were assembled (took about 1 hour for all the filling and rolling), I lightly brushed the tops with:
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- I baked them at 425 degrees for about 15 minutes
- Once I removed them from the oven, I brushed the tops again, this time with:
- Softened butter
- Then served hot with ranch dressing for dipping (marinara would be good too!).
So good! B was happy. And E was a good big sister – she bought a piece of candy and a lei at the dance for her little sister – so sweet!
Keeping batches of the dough in the freezer allows us to make pizza any time we want, using a variety of toppings not offered at mainstream pizza shops and for much less cost than specialty pizza shops. Stay tuned for some upcoming meals using the dough for something other than pizza or pizza rolls.
What are your favorite toppings for pizza?
(I prefer very little sauce, if any, just the right amount of cheese – not too much! – and fresh garlic, herbs, and veggies with a sprinkling of crisped bacon.)
~Ingredients to nourish the body put together in ways to nourish the soul to share with family and friends to nourish the heart~
