Pizza Two Ways : Take Two

This picture doesn't do this pizza justice.  It was good...so so good.  Both sides were delicious...like, can't stop eating it, reaching for just one more nibble, oh-look-at-that-piece-wasn't-cut-straight-I-am-only-cutting-off-that-sliver-to-balance-it-out delicious.

I went with a thinner crust this time and browned up a bunch of Italian Sausage and then topped it with a whole ball of fresh mozzarella cheese.  All very good decisions I must say!  On one side I added red onion, spinach, and dollops of ricotta cheese...my favorite.  I left the ricotta off of one corner but I found out that it was an unnecessary step...the kids liked it with as well as without.

Sausage, Spinach, and Ricotta Cheese Pizza

for the dough (makes enough for two pizzas):

3 3/4 cups flour

2 1/2 t active dry yeast

3/4 t salt

3/4 t sugar or honey

1 1/3 cups water, room temperature

Mix flour, yeast, salt, and sugar in a medium bowl.  Add water and mix with a spoon until blended.  Cover the bowl and let rest at room temperature until doubled, about 2 hours.  Divide the dough into two portions.  

I like to sprinkle a bit of cornmeal on my sheet pan and then place the dough on top and press down with my hands.  This dough is meant to be thin and it takes a bit of elbow grease to get it stretched across the entire pan.  Keep working at it until you get it this and uniform.  Then spread your favorite sauce, cheese, toppings, and more cheese before baking at 500 degrees until cheese is melted and crust is browned.

Tartines Two Ways

I enjoy making these tartines for appetizers or with a bowl of soup for a light meal.  They are always a hit and pretty quick and simple to make but they always look impressive when served in large quantities!

Ricotta and Cucumber Tartines
1 baguette
olive oil
1 cup ricotta
1/4 chives
1 english cucumber
salt and pepper
Mix ricotta, chives, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl, set aside.  Slice baguette and place on a sheet pan.  Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper.  Broil until toasted on top.  Remove and spread with a generous spoonful of cheese mixture.  Layer with sliced cucumber and season with salt and pepper.

Here is a link to a similar fava bean tartine...I based mine on one from La Tartine Gourmande.

Breakfast Toasts

These two breakfast toasts were inspired by two Barefoot Contessa recipes I have made before as appetizers. The first makes a great appetizer without the egg on top...but makes an even more delicious and complete breakfast "toast." I think the egg really enhances the entire dish. The second is super simple. Here I used a store-bought ricotta cheese and added a little flavor with green onions. The original recipe uses multiple herbs with dill being the main flavor component you taste...but this simpler version turned out super tasty as well.
1 Tuscan-style loaf, sliced
1 clove garlic, peeled
3-4 oz. prosciutto
6 eggs, cooked over easy
fresh mozzarella cheese
1 cup fresh ricotta cheese
2 green onions, thinly sliced
parsley
salt and pepper

Cut 6 slices of toast in half and lay out on a sheet pan. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place under broiler until browned and crisp on edges. Remove and rub with clove of garlic while still the bread is still hot.
Lay a few slices of prosciutto on 6 of the slices of bread. Place a slice of fresh mozzarella on top of each or grate some regular mozzarella cheese on top. Place one egg on top of each toast and sprinkle with chopped parsley. In a bowl, mix ricotta cheese, sliced green onion, salt and pepper. Spread mixture onto each of the remaining 6 slices of toast. Enjoy with a hot cup of tea for a delicious breakfast!

Ricotta Drop Donuts

We made these delicious donuts the other morning for breakfast. They were terrific, tender, and especially easy. These are drop donuts, that means there was no rolling out dough, cutting, or clean-up...score!! Besides taking care of the oil mess, these were as easy as making pancakes. The kids loved them. Gabe kept saying "I didn't know we could make donuts at home. Mom, promise you will always make these!" It was cute. I served these with fresh raspberry jam  for dipping and it was an even bigger hit.
Ricotta Drop Donuts
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 cup superfine sugar
1 tablespoon freshly grated lemon zest
3 eggs
8 ounces ricotta cheese
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Vegetable oil for frying
Confectioners' sugar
Sift the flour and baking powder into a medium bowl. Stir in the sugar, lemon zest, eggs, ricotta and vanilla, mixing just enough to combine. Try not to overmix. The batter can be used immediately or stored up to 1 day covered in the refrigerator.
To fry, heat at least 2 inches of oil in a heavy-bottomed pot until a deep-fat thermometer registers 360 degrees F. Drop tablespoon-size dollops directly into the oil and fry for about 1-2 minutes per side, or until golden brown.
Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on a wire rack. Repeat with the remaining batter. Let cool slightly. Sprinkle with confectioners' sugar.

Roasted Veggie Flatbread with Ricotta and Pine Nuts

This flatbread is really delicious and many of the elements can be made ahead of time making assembly a snap later on. I made fresh pesto earlier in the day, freezing some for easy pasta dinners later on, and I used the leftover pesto for this fresh flatbread. I also roasted the veggies ahead of time which left very little to clean up once dinner was over. You could do the veggies a few days ahead and, if you're like me, you'd do extra and use some for an omelet or inside a sandwich on another day. I always like to make things that can be used in multiple ways.

Roasted Veggie Flatbread with Ricotta and Pine Nuts

Use this recipe for the pesto.

Use your favorite pizza dough recipe or this recipe which is really good.

Roast your favorite vegetables with olive oil, salt, and pepper at 400 degrees until tender (This takes about 30 minutes.) I used 1 red onion, 1 red pepper, and a yellow squash today. Zucchini, tomatoes, eggplant, green peppers, and mushrooms are also really good on this pizza.

pizza dough

2 T pesto

1 cup roasted veggies

1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted

1/4 cup ricotta cheese

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Shape your dough into rectangles about 6 inches wide by 15-18 inches long. I usually dust the counter with a little cornmeal mixed with a little flour. This gives the dough a nice texture on the bottom. Spread a tablespoon or two on the dough. Spread veggie mixture on top of the pesto. Toast 1/4 cup of pine nuts and sprinkle on top of the veggies. Add a few dollops of ricotta cheese on the pizza and finish with a handful of mozzarella cheese. Place in a 500 degree oven for about 10 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly and beginning to brown.

Pizza with Tomato, Ricotta, Prosciutto, and Arugula

This is a tasty alternative to take out pizza.  It comes from a great cookbook, Simple Pleasures, which has given me a surprising number of stellar meals in the past month or two.  Give it a try!

Pizza with Tomato, Ricotta, Prosciutto, and Arugula
adapted from Simple Pleasures by Alfred Portale

All-purpose flour, for dusting the work surface
1 1/4 pounds raw pizza dough
Olive oil
Coarse salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 cup pizza sauce
1 1/2 cups ricotta cheese
1/4 pound Parmigiano-Reggiano, finely grated
1/3 pound thinly sliced prosciutto di Parma
2 cups arugula, stems removed
6 basil leaves, cut into a chiffonade

The original recipes calls for grilling the flattened and sauced pizza dough at 425 degrees for 1-2 minutes however this doesn't work in January, so I brushed the dough with olive oil and seasoned it with salt and pepper and then baked at 500 degrees until puffed and removed before any color developed on the edges.

Spread the pizza sauce lightly over the surface and distribute spoonfuls of ricotta (or fresh mozzarella) around the surface of the pizza. Scatter the Parmesan cheese over the top and bake in the oven for 3 minutes.

Remove and arrange the prosciutto slices and arugula attractively over the pizzas. Drizzle with olive oil, top with basil, and season with salt and pepper.

Pizza Sauce
2/3 cup tomato paste
2 T olive oil
2 t finely chopped rinsed anchovy fillets
1/2 t finely chopped garlic, mashed with a pinch of salt
1/2 t dried oregano
1/4 t freshly ground black pepper
1/4 t crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 t coarse salt

In a medium bowl combine all of the ingredients.

Pizza Dough

¼ cup white wine
1 cup warm water
1 Tbsp honey
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp. salt
½ Tbsp yeast
Flour
In a bowl combine everything except flour. Let mixture sit for 4-5 minutes. Next, stir in flour ½ cup at a time until mixture comes together and forms a ball. Continue adding flour until the dough is not sticky. Turn out onto floured counter and knead until dough forms a smooth ball. (2-3 minutes) Rub a small amount of olive oil on dough and place in a large bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and then a towel. Place in a warm spot for 1-2 hours. Dough should double in size.

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