This being my first week of a long summer vacation,(how annoying does that sound?), I found myself searching for a project on a rainy day. Rather than cleaning (boring) or organizing my closet(overwhelming), I went for pizza... from scratch. Although my approach today involved a lot of steps,there are a million ways to simplify.
I started with the dough. I used a basic pizza dough recipe from the New York Times (http://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/12399-basic-pizza-dough) but feel free to buy your dough from the grocery store or from your local pizza shop.
Next I roasted squash and mushrooms with salt, pepper and olive oil. Here is a step to skip if you have leftovers. Pizza is a great way to use veggies from last night's dinner.
I added a little bundle of delightfulness into the mix by roasting the hell out of some garlic. (See the before and after).
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| This roasted garlic can be used for anything. Serve whole with some bread, crackers or cardboard and it will taste delicious. |
While my oven was working hard, I started on some simple tomato sauce. We got this heirloom tomato purée from our farm share and we got this beautiful basil from our windowsill "farm".
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| Lucky for me my husband has the green thumb, because I kill every plant I come in contact with. |
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| Quick Tip: Always cook out tomato paste for a minute or two before adding your tomato puree. |
Once everything cooled, I let it all sit out on the counter until it was pizza making time.
I added the roasted garlic to room temperature goat cheese (it makes it so easy to spread). I also just stretch the dough by hand with a little olive oil to prevent sticking. No need for any fancy tools here! I cooked the pizza on two baking sheets in a 500 degree oven for around 15-20 minutes.
And the final product... Yum.
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| The possibilities for pizza are endless, so use any ingredients you love or have laying around the house. |
Roasted Veggies
(My favorite veggie prep ever)
Use this technique with any variety of veggies you like
Chop all veggies into similar size pieces
Drizzle with oil of choice (I often use coconut oil, but olive oil will do)
Generously sprinkle with kosher salt and pepper
Roast in a hot oven until caramelized and delicious (Please note that the oven temp can vary, so if you are cooking something else, throw your veggies in too. Anywhere from 350 to 400 degrees can work)
Roasted Garlic
Cut off the top of the garlic, and remove any lose paper.
Drizzle with olive oil
Add salt and pepper
Wrap in tinfoil and cook in a 400 degree oven for 40 minutes
Tomato Sauce
On medium high heat, add a tablespoon of olive oil to your pan
Dice one onion and cook down for a few minutes until soft
Add one clove of garlic
Add a tablespoon of tomato paste and let cook for a minute or two in the pan
Add a teaspoon of red pepper flakes (if you like a little heat, if not omit this step) and stir together
Pour a jar or box of tomato puree (diced tomatoes work too if that is what you have on hand)
Add salt, pepper, and dried oregano
Let it slowly simmer for at least 20 minutes
Once it is off the heat, add basil and enjoy!
