Lobster Polenta Pizza

Ingredients:

1 box instant polenta
8 ounce mascarpone cheese, at room temperature
2 heads roasted garlic
8 ounces fontina cheese, freshly grated
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 to 4 lobster tails, raw and removed from shell
1 jar semi dried cherry tomatoes
fresh basil leaves for topping
freshly grated parmesan cheese for topping

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Prepare the polenta until it is just thickened, then spread it out into a thin layer on a nonstick baking sheet. Bake the crust for 20 to 25 minutes, or until it is slightly crispy and set in a crust. Remove and let the crust cool slightly.

Add the mascarpone to a bowl. Squeeze the roasted garlic cloves into a smaller bowl and add a pinch of salt, then mash well with a fork. Add the garlic to the mascarpone and stir until combined.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add olive oil and butter. Add the lobster tails and cook until they are just opaque and bright red in color - be sure to not over cook since they will cook more in the oven. Remove from heat immediately and sprinkle with a pinch of salt and pepper. Allow to cool slightly then chop into pieces.

To make the pizza, spread the roasted garlic mascarpone over the crust, leaving an inch or so around the ends. Sprinkle three quarters of the fontina on top, then add the lobster pieces and the cherry tomatoes. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbly and the crust is crispier. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with fresh basil leaves and parmesan cheese. Cut into slices. Serve immediately.

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Skinny Zucchini Pizza

Ingredients

• 4 medium zucchini
• ½ cup marinara or pizza sauce
• ¼ cup nutritional yeast (optional)
• ¼ red onion, sliced
• ¼ cup kalmata olives, chopped
• ½ cup cherry tomatoes, sliced
• 2 tablespoons fresh basil chiffonade

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 F.
2. Cut the zucchini in half lengthwise and scoop out the inside seeds.
3. To help them lay flat on the pan, you can also cut a piece off the bottom of the "boat" to create a flat surface.
4. Mix tomato sauce and nutritional yeast (if using).
5. Spread a light layer of sauce (about 1 tablespoon) inside each zucchini
6. Top with onions, olives, and tomatoes.
7. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until zucchini is tender.
8. Top with basil and serve.

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Black Bean and Veggie Pizza

INGREDIENTS

Mexican pizza

• 8 large (7-inch) corn tortillas
• 2 14.5-ounce cans organic refried black beans
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• 2 teaspoon ground cumin
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 14.5-ounce can whole black olives, sliced
• 1 small red onion, diced
• 3 medium tomatoes, chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
• ½ bunch green onions, sliced
• ¾ cup shredded light monterey jack cheese
• Avocado cream, to taste (recipe below)
• Optional: salsa for serving.

Avocado cream

• 1 ripe avocado
• ½ cup greek yogurt
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 large clove garlic
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper, or to taste.

INSTRUCTIONS

Mexican pizza

1. Preheat the oven to 400° F with a pizza stone (or a large baking sheet) inside.
2. Working in batches, lay as many tortillas out as possible on the pizza stone without overlapping and bake for 10 minutes, or until just crispy. Repeat until all tortillas are crispy.
3. Meanwhile, heat the black beans, paprika, cumin, and cayenne over medium heat until smooth and pliable (it doesn't need to be heated all the way through, just enough to make it easy to spread).
4. Divide the black beans among the crispy tortillas (about ⅓ cup per tortilla), and use a rubber spatula to spread the beans out evenly to the edges.
5. Evenly the olives, red onion, tomatoes, and bell pepper among the tortillas.
6. Sprinkle 1.5 tablespoons of shredded cheese over the top of each pizza.
7. Bake the pizzas for about 10 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbly and the toppings are cooked through. My pizza stone holds only 4 pizzas at a time, so work in batches if needed.
8. Before serving, dollop or swirl avocado cream over the pizzas, to taste, and sprinkle sliced green onions on top. (To swirl it, I put the cream in a Ziploc bag and cut off the tip!).
9. Optional: serve with a side of salsa.

Avocado cream

 1.Toss all the ingredients in the food processor and blend until smooth. You'll likely have leftover cream that you can dip chips in too!

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Cauliflower Crust Pizza

Ingredients:

For the Crust
– 1 head of cauliflower
– 1 cup part skim mozzarella
– 1 egg

For the Toppings:
– 1/2 cup basil pesto
– 4 ounces fresh mozzarella
– 1/2 cup shredded parmesan
– 5 fresh basil leaves, chopped
– 2 tablespoons sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
– 5 eggs

Instructions:

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. First, we’ll start by making our crust. Cut the florets from the head of cauliflower and drop into a large food processor. Process until completely shredded, then a add to a skillet and cook for 5-7 minutes on medium heat to reduce some of the moisture and cook the cauliflower. Once you’ve cooked your cauliflower, transfer it to a large bowl to cool. Once the the temperature has cooled off, add your egg and mozzarella. Mix together until well combined. Lightly grease a baking sheet or we actually recommend covering with parchment paper if you have some on hand. Spread the crust out into an even layer and pop in the oven. Bake for 10-15 minutes, until the crust is golden brown. Now it’s time to gather your toppings. Start by covering the crust with a thin a layer of pesto. Then place chunks of your mozzarella followed by a sprinkling of the parmesan and basil. Finally toss some chopped sun-dried tomatoes on top. Bake for 5 minutes. Now top with your 5 eggs and toss the pizza back in the oven for another 5-10 minutes, depending on how runny you want your yolks to be.

 

Enjoy it!

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Artichoke and Spinach Pizza

Ingredients

• 1 (16 oz ) homemade or store bought pizza dough
• 8 oz fresh spinach, divided
• 2 Tbsp butter
• 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1/4 tsp onion powder
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil, divided
• 4 oz provolone cheese (1 cup)
• 2 oz shredded low-moisture mozzarella cheese (1/2 cup)
• 2 oz finely shredded parmesan cheese (slightly packed 1/2 cup)
• 6 - 8 canned artichoke hearts, drained well and quartered
• Red pepper flakes, for serving (optional)

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Place pizza stone in preheated oven and allow to rest in oven 20 minutes. Meanwhile, stretch and shape pizza dough over a sheet of parchment paper to a 13-inch round, while creating a taller rim along outer edge. Brush with 1 Tbsp olive oil and season crust lightly with salt and freshly ground black pepper, then allow to rest while pizza stone preheats (note that if your pizza crust has been refrigerated, be sure to bring it to room temperature first, then shape and let it rest the 20 minutes).
• In a large saucepan, heat remaining 1 Tbsp olive oil over medium-high heat. Once oil is hot, add 3/4 of the spinach and saute just until wilted. Transfer to a layer of paper towels and gently press some of the excess liquid out. Finely chop spinach and set aside.
• In a small saucepan, melt butter over medium heat, then while whisking add in flour and onion powder and cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Then while whisking slowly stir in milk and increase temperature to medium-high heat and cook, stirring constantly until mixture has thickened well. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat and stir in minced garlic and sautéed, chopped spinach. Chop remaining fresh spinach (you should have about 1 1/2 cups chopped), set aside.
• To assemble pizza, spread the spinach béchamel sauce (the white sauce) evenly over pizza crust, leaving the rim uncoated. Sprinkle chopped, fresh spinach over sauce followed by provolone, mozzarella and parmesan cheeses and chopped artichokes. Slide a pizza peel under parchment paper and carefully transfer pizza to hot pizza stone in oven. Bake 10 - 13 minutes until crust is golden brown. Cut into slices and serve warm sprinkled with red pepper flakes to taste if desired.

 

Enjoy!

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Four Cheese Pizza

Ingredients

• 1 store-bought or homemade pizza dough (14 - 16 oz)
• 1 1/2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 large clove garlic, minced
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 4 oz ricotta cheese (about 1/2 cup)
• 8 oz Mozzarella diced into 1/2-inch cubes
• 2 oz shredded Asiago cheese (1/2 cup)
• 2 oz finely shredded Romano cheese (2/3 cup)
• Red pepper flakes, optional
• 9 oz Campari or Roma tomatoes, sliced (about 5 Campari or 2 large Roma)
• 1/2 cup basil leaves
• 2/3 cup balsamic vinegar, optional

Instructions:

• Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Place a pizza stone in the oven and heat 30 minutes. If using refrigerated pizza dough, remove dough from refrigerator and allow dough to come to room temperature while pizza stone preheats.

• Roll pizza dough out into a 13-inch round on a lightly floured sheet of parchment paper, while making a thicker crust along edges of pizza. In a small mixing bowl, stir together olive oil and minced garlic. Brush olive oil evenly over top of crust and season crust with salt and pepper to taste. Dollop small pieces of ricotta cheese over crust, then sprinkle top evenly with Mozzarella, Asiago and Romano cheeses. Sprinkle top lightly with red pepper flakes if desired. Slide a pizza peel underneath pizza and parchment and transfer pizza to the pizza stone in preheated oven. Bake 8 - 12 minutes until crust is golden brown. Remove from oven and immediately top with tomato slices. Sprinkle basil over top and drizzle with balsamic reduction if desired. Cut pizza into slices and serve warm.

• For the optional Balsamic Reduction:Bring balsamic vinegar to a boil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Once it reaches a boil, reduce heat slightly and allow to simmer, stirring occasionally until reduced by 2/3 (to 3 1/2 Tbsp).

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Pizza Dough Recipe

Ingredients:

• 3 cups Flour
• 1 tbsp Yeast
• 1 tbsp Sugar
• 2 tsp Salt
• 1 tbsp Olive Oil
• 9 fl oz Warm Water

Instructions:

To make it in a  stand mixer:

1. Place flour in the bowl for your mixer and make a well in the flour
2. Fill well with the yeast, sugar, salt, olive oil and water.
3. Attach the dough hook to your mixer and turn mixer on low until all ingredients are combined (about 3 minutes)
4. Turn mixer to medium speed and knead for 5–10 minutes or until a smooth ball forms.
   
   

To make it by hand:

1. Place flour into a large mixing bowl and make a well in the center.
2. Add yeast, sugar, salt, olive oil and water and stir until combined (you may need to use your hands and not a spoon to get everything mixed together)
3. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 5–10 minutes or until a smooth ball forms.

Once you have the dough ball made:

1. Place dough ball into a lightly oiled bowl and cover with a clean dry cloth.
2. Place bowl in a warm place away from any drafts until the dough has doubled in size, about 30 minutes.
3. Turn dough out on a floured surface and punch down the dough to remove excess air.
4. Divide dough in to 4 pieces.
5. Roll out each piece (or freeze some for later) and top with pizza sauce and your favorite toppings!
6. Bake at 400 for about 12 – 15 minutes or until edges are browned and bottom is fully cooked.

Enjoy!

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One Pan Pizza

INGREDIENTS

For the dough:

• 14 ounces high-gluten flour (bread flour), about 2½ cups
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon instant yeast
• 1 cup plus 3 tablespoons water

For the Pizzas:

• 4 tablespoons olive oil 
• 1½ cups thick pizza sauce
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
• 12-16 pieces of pepperoni 

Optional but tasty:

• fresh basil leaves for adding before and after baking

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Mix together all of the dough ingredients until it is evenly moist and there are no more pockets of dry ingredients. Cover the bowl or dough bucket tightly and let it rise for at least 8 but up to 24 hours.
2. Pour 2 tablespoons of neutral oil into a 10 to 12 inch cast-iron skillet. Repeat with a second skillet. Swirl to coat the bottoms of the pans. Divide the risen dough into two pieces. Gently form into a ball by pulling the side of the dough and tucking it under, rotating ¼ turn and repeating the tug and tug, rotating another ¼ turn and repeating the tug and tuck, then finally doing it once more to form a loose ball. Lay it smooth side down in the oil, then flip so the whole thing is coated in oil. Use the palm of your hand to gently flatten the dough. It will not spread to the edges yet, but that is okay. Cover the pan tightly with plastic wrap and set out at room temperature -undisturbed- for 2 hours.

To Prepare the Pizzas:

1. Preheat oven as high as it will go, preferably to 550°F. Remove plastic wrap from the pans with the pizza dough in them. The dough should now have spread itself (or nearly spread itself) to the edges of the pan. Simply lift the edges of dough to pull toward the sides of the pan if necessary. This will help loosen any trapped air under the dough as well. If there are any large air bubbles, nudge them down with the back of a knuckle.
2. Spread half of the sauce on each pizza right to the edges of the dough. Divide the cheese and top each pizza evenly to the edge, then distribute the pepperoni over the pizzas. If using it, tear half of your basil leaves and toss over the tops of the pizzas. Reserve half of the basil to add to the pizzas when they're removed from the oven.
3. Put into the hot oven and bake for 12-20 minutes. You can check the underside of the pizza crust for doneness by lifting the edge gently with a flexible spatula. A finished pizza will have a crisp, deep-brown bottom and a bubbly, golden- to deep-golden brown top. I pull my pizzas when the edges have some deeply caramelized edges and some dark brown bubbles on top.
4. Use your flexible spatula to slide under the pizza and edge it out onto a cutting board, tear the remaining basil and scatter over the pizzas. Let rest for 5 minutes before slicing into wedges, then let it rest without moving it for another 3 minutes before serving.

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Pizza Pasta Salad

Ingredients:

16 oz. rotini pasta
1 cup pepperoni, diced 
1 can olives, sliced
1 cup mozzarella, cut into small pieces 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1 cup tomatoes, diced 

1 bottle of Bernstein’s Restaurant Recipe Italian dressing (or what you like)

Instructions:

Cook pasta according to package directions.  While the pasta is boiling, you can get everything else ready to assemble. Cut up the cheese, olives and pepperoni if needed.

When pasta is cooked, drain and rinse with cold water.

 Mix all of the ingredients together in a large bowl, cover and store in the fridge until ready to serve.

 You can serve it immediately if necessary, but is ideal to let it chill for at least a few hours before serving.  

I like to prepare this the night before so everything has a bit of a chance to marinate. Just make sure to re-stir everything up again right before serving to make sure the dressing is well mixed!

Enjoy!

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Easy Cheesy Garlic Breads

Ingredients:

1 (10 ounce) can prepared pizza crust
1 tablespoon butter, melted
1 cloves garlic, finely minced
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, grated
1 tablespoon parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon dried basil
salt & pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 425.
2. Mix butter and garlic in a small bowl and set aside.
3. Unroll pizza dough onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet and brush with butter and garlic mixture.
4. Sprinkle cheeses and spices evenly over the dough.
5. Use a pizza cutter and cut dough into stick shapes (Lengthwise into 7 long strips and crosswise into 3 strips). Do not seperate strips.
6. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until light golden brown.
7. Recut along each strip and remove from cooking sheet.
8. Serve sticks warm with marinara sauce.

Enjoy it!

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Pepperoni Piza Cake

Ingredients

2  cans Pillsbury™ refrigerated classic pizza crust

1 ½  cups organic pizza sauce (from 15-oz can)

3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (12 oz)

1 cup sliced pepperoni

1 tablespoon butter, if desired

  Instructions:

1.    Heat oven to 400°F. Lightly spray large cookie sheet with cooking spray or drizzle with olive oil.

2.    Measure diameter of tall-sided ovenproof pan. (Pan used was 6-inch in diameter with 4-inch high side.) Unroll 1 can of dough onto work surface; press out into thin layer. Cut out 3 (6-inch) rounds; place on cookie sheet. Bake 8 minutes. Remove from cookie sheet to cooling rack; cool.

3.    Unroll remaining can of dough; cut 2 additional (6-inch) rounds from long edge of dough, leaving opposite side untouched. Place rounds on cooled cookie sheet. Bake 8 minutes. Remove from cookie sheet; cool.

4.    Meanwhile, line pan with cooking parchment paper so that ends of paper stick up and out of pan. Cut long strip of dough at least 1/2 inch wider than height of pan. Carefully drape long strip of dough around inside edge of pan to line, leaving 1/2 inch hanging over outside edge of pan and bottom of pan open. Pinch seam to seal.

5.    Carefully place 1 partially baked crust round in bottom of pan. Spread pizza sauce over crust; top with pepperoni slices and sprinkle with mozzarella cheese (when cheese melts, crust above will stick to it). Repeat to make 3 more layers. For top layer, place last crust over cheese; sprinkle with remaining cheese and arrange remaining pepperoni on top.

6.    Fold overhanging dough over top layer of pizza cake to make a raised crust edge.

7.    Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until dough around pizza cake is fully cooked. (To test, carefully pull up parchment paper to raise pizza cake out of pan.) Once completely baked, cool in pan 5 minutes. Remove pizza cake from pan; brush crust with butter. Use sharp knife to cut slices like you would a cake.

*If the top crust begins to get too dark, place a strip of foil around the crust edge to prevent it from burning.

*Use any sort of pizza toppings you like, or alternate each layer of pizza with a different set of toppings.

Enjoy!

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