Mom's Pizza Dough Recipe File

Fried zucchini flower pizza

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With the arrival of summer comes the zucchini. Every year I have way more zucchini then a family could possibly eat. This problem is magnified by "friends" who try to solve their zucchini problem by sharing it with others. Barbara Kingsolver has a funny chapter in her book Animal, Vegetable, Miracle in which she recounts her losing battle against the overabundant zucchini. She might have won if she was only dealing with her own zucchini, but neighbors were kindly dropping more off at her house while she was away.

She writes, " It's a relaxed atmosphere in our little town, plus our neighbors keep an eye out.... So the family was a bit surprised when I started double-checking the security of doors and gates any time we all were about to leave the premises. 'Do I have to explain the obvious?' I asked impatiently. 'Somebody might break in and put zucchini in our house.'"

Despite the inevitable zucchini fatigue, there is no greater pleasure for me than zucchini flowers. Battered and fried, they are such a treat. As I was stealing the male flowers (the ones not attached to a zucchini) from the plants at my daughter's preschool garden, I had a vision of fried zucchini flower pizza. It is delicious and you can even get rid of a few zucchini by grating them and hiding them under the cheese and putting them in the sauce.

 

Fried zucchini flower pizza

6 zucchini flowers

1/2 cup flour

1/2 cup club soda or seltzer water

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup red sauce (whatever you like. Make your own tomato sauce or used jarred pizza sauce)

1 small zucchini, grated or chopped

1 cup mozzarella cheese, grated

2 tablespoons small basil leaves

salt and pepper to taste

Remove the pistils from the flowers by breaking off the ends and pulling them out. Rinse and set aside to dry.

Make batter by whisking together flour, salt and club soda in a bowl. Dip flowers in batter and remove any extra batter by scrapping along the side of the bowl. Fry in olive oil over medium high heat until golden brown on both sides. The recipe calls for 6 flowers, but there is plenty of batter if you want to do a few more to eat while the pizza cooks!

(You may also use a yeast batter to fry the flowers. Check out this recipe and this one from the cook (almost) anything at least once blog.)

 

Roll out the pizza dough and lightly brush the rim with olive oil. Spread out sauce, zucchini and then cheese. Arrange the flowers on top.

Bake on the bottom rack of a 500 degree oven for 8-10 minutes, until crust is slightly brown. Remove from oven. Add the basil leaves, cut and serve. Enjoy!

Cherry and arugula salad pizza

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Cherries! Boy, do I have cherries. I got six pounds of cherries for Mother's Day and I have been getting cherries in my CSA box every week. That is a lot of cherries. What do you do with that many cherries?

We ate what we could, but then I made cherry ice cream, a cherry pie and put some on pizza. I became inspired when I opened my morning paper and found some great cherry recipe ideas by Lesley Stiles. I slightly modified her recipe for cherry arugula salad and put it on a pizza. The salty cheese and the sweet salad make an amazing combination.

Cherry and arugula salad pizza

1 large red onion

1 cup gruyere cheese, grated

1/4 cup cherries, pitted and quartered

1/8 cup toasted walnuts, chopped

1/2 tablespoon chevre, crumbled

2 cups arugula

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 tablespoon rice vinegar

squeeze of fresh lemon juice

salt and pepper

Chop the red onion into slices and saute over low heat until caramelized for 15-20 minutes.

While onion is sauteing, prepare the salad dressing. Combine olive oil, rice vinegar, lemon juice and salt and pepper in a glass jar. Shake well.

Roll out pizza dough and brush bottom with a generous amount of olive oil. Top with red onions and gruyere cheese and bake on the bottom rack of a 500 degree oven for 7-10 minutes.

 

While pizza is baking toss the salad. Combine arugula, cherries, walnuts and chevre. Salt and pepper to taste. Toss will salad dressing.

 

When the pizza comes out of the oven, spread the arugula salad over the top. Slice and serve. The salad will not keep well so leftovers for lunch doesn't work well with this pizza. But, it is so good, I doubt you will have leftovers.

Spring herb pizza with an egg on top

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You know how sometimes you see an ingredient that is new to you and then suddenly it starts turning up all over the place? Well, I have been introduced to sorrel.  I have seen it included in a lot of recipes lately like this one from Martha Stewart Living. I didn't give it much thought until I was at a family member's house for Easter dinner. While getting a tour of their garden, I spotted sorrel.

Sorrel is sour but at the same time has a very fresh taste. I see why it is popping up in spring recipes all over. So, I brought a bunch home, along with some eggs from their chickens, and I decided to do a spring herb pizza with an egg on top.

 

For this recipe, I used a combination of sorrel and herbs growing in my tiny garden. I combined the herbs with a yummy goat cheese (Capricho di Cabra),some mozzarella and fresh lemon. The result was a deliciously springy pizza that would go great with a spring mix salad and maybe even a glass of wine if you are so inclined.

Spring Herb Pizza With Egg

Spring herbs chopped to total 1/2 cup (I used sorrel, chives, dill, parsley and thyme)

1/4 tsp lemon zest

1/2 cup crumbled goat cheese

1/2 cup grated mozzarella cheese (if you like more cheese, add 3/4 cup)

1-2 eggs

olive oil

salt and pepper

Roughly chop the herbs and set aside.

Crumble goat cheese and mix with lemon zest then set aside.

Roll out pizza dough dough and brush bottom with a generous amount of olive oil. Then spread out mozzarella cheese. Next add goat cheese. Top with about half of the herb mixture. Salt and pepper to taste.

Bake on the bottom rack of a 500 degree oven for 7-8 minutes. Crack egg(s) on top and cook for 2-3 more minutes.

Remove from the oven and sprinkle remaining herbs and squeeze a little fresh lemon juice on top. Happy Spring!

Green Garlic Pesto Pizza

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I LOVE green garlic. I look forward to it the beginning of every year.

Poking around the Internet, I came across a recipe for green garlic pesto by Molly Watson. She put it on pasta, but it is perfect for a nice simple pizza. I have modified the recipe slightly but you could use her's as well.

This is a simple recipe that you can get creative with. You can add leftover chicken or saute some thinly sliced potatoes for a more hardy pizza. You could even crack an egg on top.

If you have never seen green garlic before, here is a photo I took at the farmers' market last Saturday.

Green Garlic Pesto Pizza

1 bunch green garlic, chopped (you can use the whole thing)

1/4 cup walnuts (pine nuts or any other nut you have on hand will work too)

salt and pepper

olive oil

1 cup shredded pecorino cheese (I used fresh pecorino, but any hard salty, goat cheese will work too)

Chop green garlic and saute until soft, about 7-10 minutes. Let cool.

Toast walnuts in a sauce pan over medium heat for about 5 minutes, until you can smell their aroma. Remember to stir or shake occasionally to avoid burring. Let cool.

Combine green garlic, walnuts, salt and pepper in a food processor with a little olive oil. Turn on the food processor and continue to drizzle in olive oil until you have a nice consistency.

 

Roll out the pizza dough and spread with pesto mixture. Top with cheese and bake on the bottom rack of a 500 degree oven for 7-10 minutes.

Chicken with Chocolate Mole Sauce Pizza

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I have read lots of articles this week suggesting that cooking your valentine a meal at home can be cheap and romantic. I couldn't agree more. This year, I will be cooking my valentine chocolate pizza-combining my three loves! Add to this a nice fire, a sleeping child and a bottle of wine and viola--Valentine's Day.

Chicken with Chocolate Mole Sauce Pizza

1 red onion

 1 chicken breast, shredded

2 tablespoons chocolate mole sauce*

1 cup queso fresco, crumbled

1/4 cilantro leaves

1 garlic clove

olive oil

*I used a quick easy recipe I found in Everyday Food. You can make something more authentic or buy it.

 

To Prep Toppings:

Cut the onion into small slices. Place in pan and toss with olive oil. Roast in a 350 degree oven until nice and caramelized, about 1 hour. Can be done several days ahead.

You can make or buy the mole sauce. I made my own using a quick recipe from Martha Stewart. I used the leftovers for chicken tacos.

Toss chicken with mole sauce.

To make cilantro pesto, place cilantro, garlic and a little salt in a Cuisinart with a little olive oil. Blend and drizzle with more oil until it comes together.

To Assemble Pizza:

Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface or directly on a baking sheet (lightly oiled or use cornmeal). Spread out onions on the bottom. Add half of the cheese. Top with chicken and then the remaining cheese.

Bake on the bottom rack of a 500 degree oven for 8-10 minutes. Remove from oven and drizzle with cilantro pesto. This is the best smelling pizza I have ever made so enjoy!

Bacala pizza ( Italian for salt cod pizza)

 

The inspiration for this pizza come from a conversation with a woman who is lactose intolerant. Everybody loves pizza, even people who can't eat cheese.  But, people who CAN eat cheese will love this pizza.

I made this pizza with just the fish, but you could add cannellini beans, artichokes or chopped red onion.

Bacala pizza (salt cod pizza)

1/2 lb salt cod (see note at end of blog)

1 1/2 - 2 tablespoons capers

3 cloves garlic (or more if you like garlic!), minced

quarter of a medium size lemon

1/4 cup chopped parsley

olive oil

Soak salt cod overnight, changing water at least 3 times during a 24 hour period. Keep refrigerated. Rinse the fish and place in a medium sauce pan filled with water 1 inch above fish. Bring to a boil and simmer lightly for 20 minutes. Drain and place in a bowl to cool. Flake the fish with a fork.

When cooled, add capers, garlic, half of the parsley and squeeze the juice from a quarter of a lemon. Taste first and add salt if necessary.

Roll out pizza dough and brush with olive oil. Place the toppings on the dough and bake on the bottom rack of a 500 degree oven for 7-10 minutes. Remove the pizza when crust is slightly browned. Add a bit more lemon juice the remaining parsley, and drizzle with olive oil. Serve hot.

A note on salt cod:

Salt cod can be found in most Italian delicatessens and in gourmet food markets. You can sometimes find it re-hydrated, but most of the time you need to soak it. Make sure you read the directions on the package. Depending on how salty the cod is, you may need to soak it up to 3 days.

Caramelized onion and arugula pizza with truffle oil vinaigrette

 

If you are entertaining this holiday season, here is the perfect appetizer. It is easy to make but doesn't look like it, you can make it ahead and, best of all, it tastes amazing. The truffle oil and sherry vinegar give it that extra special something. The prosciutto doesn't hurt either.

Caramelized Onion and Arugula Pizza with Truffle Oil Vinaigrette

1 large yellow onion, sliced

1 cup Gruyere cheese, grated

4 slices of prosciutto

1 cup arugula

1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil

1 teaspoon sherry vinegar

1/2 teaspoon truffle oil

polenta

Slice onions and put them into a saute pan with a little olive oil. Cook over low heat until onions are caramelized. The slower the better. (This step can be done days before.)

 

Cut 1 ball of Mom's Pizza Dough in half. Using a rolling pin, roll out real thin into an oval shape. If the dough keeps springing back, simply hold it in place with your hands for about 1 minute and it should keep it's shape.

 

Transfer to a baking sheet sprinkled with polenta. Brush with olive oil. Spread onions on the dough. Cover the surface--don't leave much ofan edge. Next spread the Gruyere cheese. Salt and pepper to taste. Place prosciutto on the pizza. Make sure to cover both ends as the prosciutto will shrink as it cooks.(Because this is an appetizer, you want to put more toppings on than you would for a normal pizza. Remember, you want each piece to have toppings.)

Put pizza in the bottom rack of a 500 degree oven and bake for 8-10 minutes. (If baking ahead of time, cook only three-quarters of the way and then return to oven for last few minutes before serving.)

While pizza is baking, whisk together olive oil, sherry vinegar and truffle oil. Toss with arugula. Put on top of the pizza when done, just before serving. Slice on the diagonal to make small pizza slices. You will have two butts, or ends. Go ahead, eat one!

Thanksgiving leftovers: turkey and green bean casserole pizza

 

Every family serves different vegetable side dishes for Thanksgiving. Some serve Brussels sprouts or green beans, others cauliflower or collard greens.  Whatever vegetables your family serves, there will most likely be leftovers along with the turkey. Why not put them on top of a pizza for dinner? Leftover Thanksgiving pizza is a fun meal to serve, especially if you have out of town guests and you want to relax and maybe watch a movie.

It would not be Thanksgiving at my house if we didn't have green bean casserole, so for this leftover Thanksgiving pizza, I put green bean casserole and diced turkey on the rolled out dough. I kept a handful of fried onions top add for a nice final topping to the pizza.

Leftover Thanksgiving Pizza

1/4 cup diced leftover turkey

1 cup leftover Thanksgiving vegetables

3/4 cup Gruyere cheese, grated

Roll out Mom's Pizza Dough on floured counter top or a greased baking sheet. If using a stone, transfer to a peel with cornmeal. Top pizza. Bake on the bottom rack of a 500 degree oven for 7-10 minutes.

Thanksgiving leftovers: sweet potato calzones

 

If your Thanksgiving is like mine, somebody always brings a large Pyrex dish filled with sweet potatoes. What do you do with the leftovers? Try making sweet potato calzones and serve them with a salad. It makes a nice light meal the day after a big feast.

You can also make the calzones and freeze them. Simply assemble them, place them on a baking sheet and put them in the freezer. When frozen, move to an airtight container. When you want to serve them, just take them out of the freezer and put them in the oven following the baking directions below.

Leftover Thanksgiving sweet potato calzones

1 package of Mom's Pizza Dough, cut into 16 pieces and formed into balls

leftover sweet potatoes

1/2 cup Gruyere cheese, grated

1 egg, white only

Allow Mom's Pizza Dough to rise according to directions on the bag. When ready, divide into 16 pieces and roll into balls.

On a floured surface, roll out each ball into a circle, using your hands or a rolling pin. Top with a tablespoon of leftover sweet potatoes and some grated Gruyere cheese. Fold over and seal ends with a fork.

 

Place calzones on a baking sheet with parchment paper. Brush each calzone with egg white. Bake on the middle rack of a 500 degree oven for 10 minutes.

Thanksgiving leftovers: cranberry sweet rolls

Everybody knows cranberry sauce is delicious on leftover Thanksgiving turkey sandwiches, but here is another idea. Try cranberry sweet rolls for breakfast. They are easy and yummy.

Leftover Thanksgiving cranberry sweet rolls 

Rolls:

1 package of Mom's Pizza Dough

1/2 cranberry sauce

2 tablespoons melted butter

2 tablespoons sour cream

Icing:

1 cup sifted powdered sugar

1/4 teaspoon vanilla

1 Tablespoon liquid (milk, water, orange juice)

Allow Mom's Pizza Dough to rise according to directions on the bag. When ready, roll out the dough into a 12 x 8 inch rectangle. Brush with melted butter. Mix cranberry sauce and sour cream and spread over the dough.

Roll up the dough starting from one of the long sides. Slice into 8 pieces.

Place rolls into a greased 9 inch round pan. Cover and let rise until doubled. (At least 30 minutes.)

Bake in a 375 degree oven for 20 minutes. Drizzle with Icing. Cool slightly before removing from pan.