Recipes for Homemade Pizza

Over the summer, Matt and I had a few date nights at home when we cooked pizza together. Previously, I’d always used pre-cooked pizza dough, but this summer we began using fresh pizza dough instead that we bought from the refrigerated section of the grocery store. We prefer to use whole-wheat dough like this one. Below are some tips and tricks we learned these last few months about cooking pizza using fresh dough, cooking it on the grill and baking it in the oven. Recipes are at the bottom of the post.

General pizza-making tips and lessons learned when using fresh pizza dough:

·    This meal is not a quick meal. Making pizza can be a multi-step process depending on what you want to use as toppings. Here are sample steps.

       -Step 1: Remove pizza dough from the refrigerator around 3-5 hours before preparing  

        the pizza. I learned the hard way that it takes a while for the dough to be malleable        

        enough to stay flattened-out.

       -Step 2: Prepare the tomato sauce (Unless you are using jarred sauce.)

       -Step 3: Prepare the topping(s)

       -Step 4: Prepare and cook the pizza

·    Your pizza(s) won’t turn out to be beautiful, concentric circles like the guys at the restaurants make. Get yourself over it. Your oddly shaped concoctions will still taste yummy.  And they might even look like a state or country.

·    An actual pizza cutter is a brilliant invention.

·    If you make a “sweeter” pizza, top it with something more savory to balance out the flavors. For example, a corn and caramelized onion topping is delicious served with fresh arugula on top.

Tips for cooking pizza on the grill:

·    Unless you have a fancy pizza-sized spatula or paddle to use on the grill, it is way easier and a lot less stressful to cut the pizza dough in half and make two smaller pizzas. Use a well-oiled flat-edged cookie sheet to slide the pizza(s) onto the grill. Start the cookie sheet at the back of the grill and, moving forward slowly, let the dough slide off as you bring the cookie sheet toward yourself.

·    Cooking pizza on the grill is fast. Only about 3 minutes per side. Have your toppings ready to go and next to the grill so when you flip the crust after 3 minutes, you can quickly top your pizza(s) and get the cheese to start melting without burning the bottom of the pizza.

Tip for cooking pizza in the oven:

·    After stretching-out the dough to fit your baking pan, cookie sheet or pizza stone, cook the dough alone for around 3-5 minutes so it will be cooked through underneath all your yummy toppings.


So, you may be wondering if Eliana the teeny tiny foodie liked these recipes too? Wellll,
unfortunately, she hasn’t really had the opportunity to taste the homemade pizzas yet.
Matt and I usually love the pizzas so much that we eat the whole pizza right then and
there selfishly leaving none for our darling daughter. Eliana has tried these recipes in
deconstructed parts or in other forms such as zucchini parmesan slices with her dinner
the other night or the corn and caramelized onions mixture with arugula as pasta
“sauce.” But, we promise, we will make it as a family one weekend so Eliana gets her
fair taste of this yumminess!

Hmm, what's this? 

That zucchini part is fine but scraping off the breading with my teeth is THE BOMB!

And, here are the recipes.

Whole Wheat Pizza with Zucchini Parmesan

This is a 3- to 4-step recipe depending on whether or not you make your own tomato sauce. The first step is to make sure the pizza dough comes to room temperature. Steps 2 and 3 are to make the tomato sauce and prepare the zucchini parmesan and they are interchangeable. Step 4 is to prepare and cook the pizza.

·    1 package of fresh whole-wheat pizza dough

·    Around 8 ounces of fresh mozzarella, sliced

·    Around 1½-2 cups of tomato sauce (Homemade or jarred. My recipe is below.)

·    1 zucchini, sliced into thin disks

·    3 egg whites, lightly beaten

·    1½ cups Italian style breadcrumbs

·    1½ cups whole wheat flour

·    Grated parmesan, salt and pepper and olive oil to taste

Step 1: Room temperature pizza dough

I learned the hard way to take the pizza dough out of the refrigerator around 3-5 hours before preparing the pizza. Just leave it in its bag on the counter.

Steps 2: Preparing the zucchini parmesan

Preheat the oven to 350°. Slice zucchini and set aside. Into a shallow bowl pour the breadcrumbs. Mix in grated parmesan, salt and pepper.  Spray a baking pan or cookie sheet with cooking spray or line with a Silpat or parchment paper. Set up your dredging station by arranging from left to right the whole-wheat flour, egg whites, breadcrumbs and your baking pan. Take a slice of zucchini and dredge both sides in the flour, egg whites, and breadcrumbs shaking off the excess in between each bowl.  Lay the zucchini onto the baking pan. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the zucchini slices begin to lightly brown, flip the zucchini slices over and bake for 10-12 minutes more. Transfer to a cooling rack.

The dredging station

Step 3ish: Make the tomato sauce

See my recipe below.

Step 3 or 4: Preparing and cooking the pizza in the oven (See below for “on the grill”)

**First and foremost, follow the cooking directions listed on the label of the pizza dough even if the temperature or cooking time is different than what I’ve suggested.**

Preheat the oven to 450°. Pour around a tablespoon of oil onto a baking pan or cookie sheet. Stretch out the dough to fit the pan. Bake just the crust for 3-5 minutes. Remove the dough and cover it with tomato sauce. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove the pizza and add the fresh mozzarella and zucchini slices. Bake for 10 minutes more. Remove from the oven, sprinkle with freshly grated parmesan, slice and serve.

A big, tasty blob of Zucchini Parmesan Pizza!

Homemade Tomato Sauce with Fresh Tomatoes

·    3-4 large tomatoes, chopped

·    1 medium yellow onion, chopped (For this batch, I had 3 shallots so I used those instead)

·    1-2 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed

·    Olive oil, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes to taste

·    Chopped fresh herbs such as basil

Pour olive oil into a large pot on medium heat. Add garlic and red pepper flakes and sauté for 1 minute. Add the onion and a pinch of salt. Stir. Sauté for around 3-4 minutes or until the onion starts to become translucent. Add chopped tomatoes and stir through. Add salt and pepper to taste. Mix through and let simmer on low heat for at least 10 minutes. Add fresh herbs, stir and let simmer for another few minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.

Variations: Let sauce cool slightly, then puree in blender or mixer.

Add chopped fresh vegetables with the onion to make a primavera sauce

I use this sauce for pizza and for pasta.

To cook pizza on the grill:

Heat the grill to medium heat. Oil the grill and place the dough (1-2 pieces) onto the grill. Close the grill and cook for 3 minutes. Flip the dough, cover with sauce and topping(s), close the lid and cook for 3 more minutes. Remove from the grill, slice and serve.

Grilled Pizza with Corn and Caramelized Onions

Another multi-step recipe listed below

·    1 fresh whole wheat pizza crust, at room temperature

·    1 medium onion, sliced and caramelized

·    1 ear fresh corn, kernels removed

·    Around 1 cup of part skim ricotta cheese

·    Around 8 ounces of fresh mozzarella, cut into small chucks

·    Around 1-1½ cups of grated parmesan

·    2 parts rosemary to 1 part basil, finely chopped

·    Garlic powder, olive oil, salt and pepper to taste

·    Organic arugula, chopped

Step 1: Caramelize your onions

Here is a link to an easy recipe I found online that I use to caramelize onions. Add a little water or white wine to deglaze the pan if the onions begin to stick. While the onions cook, you can begin Step 2. After the onions have cooked, transfer them to a plate to cool slightly.

Step 2: Prepare and set aside your greens and parmesan

Chop the arugula and your herb mixture and set them aside separately. If using a block of parmesan, grate and set aside. If using store bought grated parmesan, pour it onto a bowl or plate so it is ready for you to use. 

Step 3: Assemble your topping

To a large mixing bowl add the kernels of corn, ricotta, some of the grated parmesan (reserve some for topping the whole pizza later), ¾ of the chopped herbs, salt, pepper and garlic powder. Mix and taste. Adjust seasoning if needed. Add the caramelized onions and stir.  Set mixture aside.

Step 4: Prepare and grill the pizza

Either, roll out dough into a circle using a rolling pin or flatten it out with the heels of your hands. Brush the grill with olive oil then set to medium heat. Place dough onto the grill and cook for 3 minutes. Hold your breath for ultimate success, flip over the dough and brush with olive oil.  Spread the ricotta mixture onto the crust and add mozzarella chunks. Cook 2-3 minutes more. Remove from the grill, top with remaining herbs, shaved parmesan and arugula. Slice and serve.

Corn and Caramelized Onion Pizza in the shape of a non-specific country.

Topped with chopped arugula. YUM!

Happy Cooking!

I'll Have What She's Having

Since Eliana began eating solids, 9-10 months ago, I’ve been cooking all of her food. At this point, I cook almost every day and many days I cook multiple times a day. To make life easier, Eliana and I often eat the same thing for lunch. Hel-lo? Who has time to make a different meal for each of us? And, more importantly, who wants to? Not me, that’s for sure! Many days, I prepare a lunch for us to share together before she goes down for a nap. Even though it sometimes takes a little longer for us to eat, I like the idea of us sharing a meal together. It is usually a calm and pleasant time to spend together. We listen to music and I talk to Eliana about what we are eating in terms of the flavors, textures and colors. Eliana also practices using utensils. She isn’t yet able to spear her food with a fork or scoop up something with a spoon, so I do that for her. I set the utensil down onto her tray for her to pick up and put into her mouth. It’s pretty funny to watch her do this.

I've almost got it!

Making lunch for us to share hasn’t always been a lovely and beautiful experience. There were definitely times where there was a lot of crying and whining due to hunger and frustration. And not just from the toddler in the scenario! So over the last few months, I’ve learned a few tricks that help me get some food onto the table fairly quickly. One trick is to have some pre-cooked ingredients in the fridge so I can turn them into something for lunch. Another trick is to make some sort of salad that I can use as a recipe base or as a side dish. And when in doubt, I scramble cooked vegetables, cheese and any pre-cooked grain I might have with some eggs and…voila! Lunch is served.

Here are some of the items I try to keep cooked and ready to go in the refrigerator to help me get our lunch onto the table quickly:

• Half of a box of whole-wheat pasta. After draining off the water, I mix in a little olive oil and keep it in an airtight container.
• A few cups of another already-cooked grain such as brown rice, basmati rice or quinoa.
• Some sautéed or roasted vegetables from our weekly Sunday trip to the farmers’ market.  
• A bean salad. Lately, I've been using mostly black beans. When I make this ahead of time, it allows for the flavors to marinate. I can serve it on it's own or turn it into something else like tacos or quesadillas.
• Either chopped tomatoes or a tomato salad.
• I also keep baked chicken breasts in the refrigerator. Those are for Eliana and Matt. It doesn’t fit into the “Jory & Eliana lunch together” theme, but it is a regular in the fridge so I thought I’d share.

Here’s a sample of some of the meals we've shared for our lunches together. Recipes are at the end of the post.

Tomato, Egg and Halloumi Cheese Scramble

Vegetable and Quinoa Salad

Tasty!

Black Bean and Corn Salad

Investigating some of the ingredients.

Here, Mommy. You take this bite.

Black Bean and Egg Tacos with Salsa

The Black Bean & Corn salad turned into a new meal.

Pasta with Sautéed Tomatoes, Onions and Summer Squash 

The cut-up pieces on the top are for Eliana.

What, you may ask, is Eliana doing while I quickly prepare our lunch? If she isn't stuck in "Baby Jail", also known as the pack-n-play, she entertains herself in a bunch of ways. 

Such as:

Playing on the step stool (in the background) that I used to get something from the cabinet.

Matt was home for this one so he was in charge of making sure she didn't break her neck here.

Patiently watching me cook.

This better be good, Mommy!

Dancing around the boxes to be recycled.

My bib is on and I'm ready to eat! Just let me get my groove on first.

Trying on my flip flops.

Is this how I wear them?

Reorganizing the shoes.

This is not where Daddy's sneaker should go.

 Unpacking our bag from the store.

I know Mommy bought some fun things I'm not allowed to play with. They've got to be in here somewhere.

And, here are the recipes:

Tomato, Egg and Grilled Halloumi Cheese* Scramble 

·    2 whole eggs

·    2 egg whites

·    1 medium red tomato, chopped small

·    Around ¾ of a package of halloumi cheese, grilled and cubed (Queso Fresco would be tasty here too)

·    Salt, pepper, garlic powder and olive oil/cooking spray to taste

Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Drain, slice and grill halloumi cheese. Set aside for a few minutes then chop into small chunks. Put eggs, salt, pepper and garlic powder into a bowl and scramble with a fork. Heat a non-stick pan over medium heat. Add olive oil or cooking spray. Add chopped tomatoes and dash of salt. Cook for around 2 minutes, mixing occasionally.  Add eggs and mix. Keep pushing mixture around the pan for around 2 minutes until eggs begin to set. Add chopped grilled halloumi. Keep pushing mixture around the pan for another minute until eggs are set.

*Halloumi is a salty cheese so use less salt than you typically would.

Variation: Add cooked rice and chopped fresh herbs such as parsley.

Vegetable and Quinoa Salad

Black Bean and Corn Salad

·    1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

·    Kernels from 1-2 ears of corn

·    2 scallions, white parts only, chopped

·    A handful of grape tomatoes, chopped in half

·    Chopped fresh herbs to taste (I like to use parsley)

·    Olive oil, salt, pepper, chili powder, garlic powder to taste

Mix all ingredients in a large bowl. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.

Black Bean and Egg Tacos with Salsa

·    Around ½ cup of Black Bean and Corn Salad

·    3 egg whites

·    2-3 corn tortillas

·    Shredded cheese (I use whatever I have which is typically Mozzarella or Monterey Jack or in this case, torn up string cheese)

·    A few tablespoons of salsa

·    Olive oil, salt and pepper

Heat some olive oil in a non-stick pan over medium heat and add the black bean salad. Heat for around a minute or two stirring occasionally. Scramble the egg whites in a bowl and add a little bit of salt and pepper. Add eggs to the pan and cook, stirring/scrambling often, for around 1-2 minutes until the eggs are cooked through. Remove the pan from the heat. Heat the tortillas according to the directions on the package. Top one tortilla with cheese, part of the egg mixture and salsa. Repeat using remaining cheese, eggs, tortillas and salsa. 

Pasta with Sautéed Tomatoes, Onions and Summer Squash  

·    1½ cups pre-cooked pasta

·    1 cup sautéed onions and summer squash

·    1-1½ cup chopped fresh tomatoes

·    Grated Parmesan cheese

·    Chopped fresh herbs such as parsley and or basil

·    Salt, pepper, olive oil, red pepper flakes and garlic powder, to taste

Heat a pan over medium heat and add the olive oil and red pepper flakes. After around 20 seconds, add the tomatoes and some salt. Stir and let cook for around 1 minute. Add remaining vegetables and stir. Add the pasta and some olive oil and stir together again. Let sit for around 2 minutes until the pasta and vegetables are warmed through. Season with salt, pepper and garlic powder and add more olive oil as needed. Transfer to a plate and toss with herbs and grated Parmesan cheese.

Happy Cooking!