Cauliflower Crust Chicken Pesto Pizza (Gluten Free)

Cauliflower pizza crust rocks. Tasty, healthy, low carb, and more veggies. Yay, veggies! It took a few tries to get it just right, but I now have a recipe that works well. Be forewarned that you don’t pick up this pizza and eat it out of your hand because the “crust” is quite soft. Keep in mind that is far low calories than a flour-based pizza crust and full of nutritionally dense veggies. Yay, veggies! Like any pizza crust, it is a canvas for whatever toppings you’re in the mood to eat. We’ve made it with barbeque chicken and veggies, TVP “sausage” and veggies, and last night homemade lemon pesto, chicken, and veggies.

The keys to success are to ensure the riced cauliflower is as dry as possible and to use as little liquid binding as possible in making the crust. Baking the crust first in a cast iron skillet gets it crisper than simply baking it on pizza stone or cookie sheet. Allowing it to cool for a few minutes before adding the pizza toppings also results in a crunchier crust (as crunchier as a cauliflower crust can be!). Lastly, while I typically put raw veggies on flour-based pizza crusts, I always sauté the veggie toppings for a cauliflower crust. Most recipes include mozzarella and/or parmesan in the crust, but an egg white and cottage cheese amply bind it (and I prefer to save those cheesy calories for the topping). Some recipes call for wringing out the cauliflower after steaming it, and perhaps it makes the crust more pick-up-able, but I skip that step. The recipe is super simple and fast to throw together. And, yay, more veggies!

Without further ado, I present:

Cauliflower Crust Chicken Pesto Pizza

Serves 2 hungry people

Cauliflower Crust

1 head cauliflower

1/4 cup egg whites

1/4 cup low fat cottage, drained of any liquid

Italian seasoning

Freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 450 F.

Remove stems and leaves from the head of cauliflower, and chop the florets into chunks. Pulse in a food processor until it looks like rice or grain. Do not over-pulse or puree it.   

Place the riced cauliflower into a microwave safe bowl; do not add any water. Microwave for 8 minutes. Allow to cool.

Add the cauliflower and remaining crust ingredients to the food processor and blend until smooth.

Spray a 9” cast iron skillet with cooking spray. Spread dough out evenly. 

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until the crust is slightly browned. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly.

Add toppings of your choice.The toppings in the photo above were homemade lemon pesto sauce, sauteed chicken, red bell pepper slices, red onion slices, broccoli, and tomatoes.

Bake at 425 for 10-15 minutes more until golden and bubbly. Allow to rest for a few minutes before cutting it.

Print recipe here. 

Spicy Tomato Rhubarb BBQ Sauce – Great with Fish or Pizza Sauce

Rhubarb, an old-fashioned fruit, technically a vegetable, is something most people think of only in the context of desserts or jam – with pounds of sugar added to be edible. Being a savory eater, I decided to find a way to use rhubarb in anything-but-a-dessert, and I did I get it right with this sauce!

This unctuous sauce proves rhubarb happily can be used with the likes of tomatoes, ginger, cloves, and chiles – and – a minimum of sugar, a tablespoon of honey in this case. Aromatic, slightly smoky and spicy, and extremely easy. And talk about versatile. We’ve served it atop grilled fish and as pizza sauce, but it would be complimentary simmering with chorizo sausage, too. My only regret is that rhubarb season is too short, and I didn’t buy enough to freeze to enjoy this year round. So until next spring, it’ll be a wonderful memory.



Isn't this color glorious?

Rhubarb BBQ Sauce

1 teaspoon olive oil or organic coconut oil
1 medium onion, chopped

2 cloves of garlic, minced
½ teaspoon ginger
Pinch cinnamon

Pinch cloves

1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes with juice

1 chipotle, finely chopped and 1 teaspoon of adobe
Freshly ground black pepper to taste

1 ½ cups rhubarb, chopped
1 Tablespoon honey

3 Tablespoon red wine
Pinch salt

In a medium stockpot, heat oil. Add the onion and cook until well softened. Add garlic and cook one minute. Add in ginger, cinnamon, and cloves. Add the tomatoes, chipotle, and black pepper. Add in rhubarb, honey, and wine. Let simmer on low heat for an hour or so until rhubarb and tomatoes are broken down and thick.

Print recipe here.

White Pizza with Shrimp, Ricotta, and Veggies

For March’s Secret Recipe Club, I was assigned Rachel’s The Avid Appetite. What a delightful blog full of sooooooooo many wonderful recipes. Rachel states she couldn’t boil water just a few years ago, but she certainly has come a long way. Her inspiration was her grandmother and the desire to ensure she and hubby, Shaun, dine well, whether in their kitchen or in Manhattan. (Check out the great photos from Katz in NYC; we’re heading there next month when we visit Connor in Manhattan). Congrats, too, on the new baby!

It was a challenge to decide what to make with so many healthy and fun choices. I was particularly drawn to some of the appetizers (pear, gorgonzola, and bacon toasts, spinach-bean dip), as well as a few of the chicken recipes (Buffalo chicken lettuce wraps and provolone stuffed chicken with pesto quinoa). Choices, choices. Finally, I settled on the zucchini white pizza, a vegetarian recipe, but since I made it when we were at the south house (Sarasota), I couldn’t resist the addition of local shrimp and other veggies as she suggests.

Of course it was a hit. This is one rich pizza, and we loved the ricotta-based sauce as a nice change instead of a traditional red sauce. It comes together quickly, and definitely bake it until the cheese browns slightly. This will stay on our pizza rotation. It’s a keeper. Thanks for such a tasty pizza recipe, Rachel!

The recipe below is Rachel’s original, and my additions we sautéed shrimp, mushrooms, caramelized onions, red bell peppers, and fresh basil in lieu of dried.

Zucchini White Pizza

Pizza dough

1 C part skim ricotta
1 egg white
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1 zucchini, thinly sliced
olive oil
flour, whole wheat or all-purpose
parmesan cheese
mozzarella cheese, shredded

Preheat oven to 450 degrees, or whatever your package suggests. In a bowl, mix together the ricotta, egg white, salt, basil and oregano with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon until light and fluffy.

Layer the ricotta mixture, mozzarella cheese, parmesan and zucchini on top. Drizzle the zucchini with just a bit of olive oil.

Bake for 20 minutes, or as directed on your package of dough.

Print here.

The Weird Pizzas Just Keep A-Comin:’ Chicken Cordon Bleu Pizza

One of the reasons I love making pizza is that a crust is like a blank canvas, limited only by your creativity and palate. I enjoy the challenge to see just how imaginative I can be within the bounds of deliciousness. Last week I came up with yet another not-your-mother’s-pepperoni-pizza. Chicken Cordon Bleu Pizza, that was outstanding. True to the real thing, this pizza uses chicken, ham, Swiss cheese, with a creamy mustard sauce.

So what exactly is cordon bleu? “This was originally a wide blue ribbon worn by members of the highest order of knighthood, L'Ordre des Chevaliers du Satin-Espirit, instituted by Henri III of France in 1578. By extension, the term has since been applied to food prepared to a very high standard and to outstanding cooks. The analogy no doubt arose from the similarity between the sash worn by the knights and the ribbons (generally blue) of a cook's apron."
---Larousse Gastronomique

Pretty fancy, and French, right? I’ve always natively assumed CCB had its origins in that cuisine. But according to the Food Timeline, it is an American creation from the early ‘60s, first made with veal, based on chicken kiev, and considered very gourmet and exotic. I read numerous accounts on the Web that it was featured in an ad as a meal option (or top sirloin steak) in Blue Carpet Service (coach) for United Airlines prepared by French-trained chefs. Imagine that.

Back to our pizza. This reflects the essence of CCB, but with a few riffs, namely caramelized onions, diced red bell peppers, and mushrooms. Craig thought I overdid the amount of onions, but Connor and I loved it. No such thing. It is a unique pizza, but tasty. Caramelizing the onions takes a good 20 minutes, but otherwise it’s pretty easy, especially if you have leftover chicken. We didn’t, so Craig grilled two smallish, bone-in chicken breasts, which gave it a slightly smoky flavor addition. This is a keeper.

Chicken Cordon Bleu Pizza

Pizza Crust

2 T butter
1 large red onion, thinly sliced
1/2 C red bell pepper, diced

1 C button mushrooms, sliced
4 cloves garlic, smashed and minced

1/2 cup sour cream
2 T Dijon mustard
2 T Herbs de Provence

1 C diced, cooked chicken
1 C diced ham

1 C grated Swiss cheese

Preheat oven and pizza stone at 450 degrees.

Caramelize the onions in butter for about 20 minutes, until they begin to brown. Add bell pepper and mushrooms and sauté until softened.

Roll the pizza dough into a round shape on parchment paper that has been sprinkled with cornmeal. Trim the paper around the dough so the paper does not burn.

Mix the garlic, sour cream, mustard, and Herbs de Provence in a small bowl. Spread the sauce on the dough, spreading to the edges of the dough. 

Cover with the cooked vegetables, chicken, and ham. Evenly sprinkle the cheese over the entire pizza.

Transfer to the pizza stone and bake 10 to 12 minutes until the cheese has melted.

Print Recipe

Another Weird Pizza that We Loved

If you’re looking for a kid-kind-of-sausage-and-pepperoni-Domino’s-pizza, read no further. If you’re interested in a sophisticated, exceptional pizza, you will love this. It rocks, really rather simple, but full of remarkable tastes and textures that work. Calling it pizza does not do it justice.

We had two leftover grilled duck breasts glazed with molasses and black pepper. I immediately knew what I’d make with them in my never-ending quest for what Craig deems as the world’s weirdest pizzas. Duck pizza. I was thinking of Mai Lee’s famous Vietnamese Roast duck with its unctuous sweet, sour, salty sauce, the perfect example of umami. I didn’t have the time or inclination to reproduce a similar sauce and decided hoisin would be a fine substitute to use as the pizza sauce. Super simple to prepare and although the list of ingredients is short, and it’s a classic example that less is often more.  Cut into bite-sized pieces, this would also make an exceptional appetizer.

Stayed tuned for my next installment of the world's weirdest pizza.

Duck Pizza

Prepared pizza dough

2 grilled duck breasts, thinly sliced on the diagonal and cut in half
Enough hoisin sauce to cover the pizza dough
1/2 red onion, thinly liced
1/2 red bell pepper, cored, seeded and diced

Baby spinach, chopped
Shredded part-skim mozzarella

Heat oven to 450°F.

Spread hoisin sauce on pizza crust leaving about an inch to the edge. Top with duck, onion, bell pepper, spinach, and cheese.

Bake until cheese is melted and bubbly, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove and let rest five minutes.

Hunger Challenge Day Three – “Food Outreach clients aren’t hassled about nutrition daily like I am” -- Craig

That about says it all. We got into a lively conversation about filling your belly cheaply versus nutrition. Lots of talking tonight, unlike Monday’s dinner when we had the veg rice casserole. It helped because we liked the pizza we made. I never concede in a discussion, but Craig had more compelling points than I countered:  cheap food does taste good (loaded with fat and sugar – Denise’s comment). Packaged/prepared foods are easy. It takes time and resources to cook from scratch (it took an hour to make/rise the pizza dough and how much did the pizza peel and stone cost, which make homemade pizza easier to prepare/taste better). We always eat grass-fed ground beef that is so lean that you need to ADD a bit of oil to cook it. We always eat vegetables and fruits on the USDA’s list of must-eat organic. We only eat fish off the Monterey Bay’s list of sustainable. You’re dreaming if you think this purchasing power is possibly on SNAP. Me: you CAN eat healthy and filling on the cheap – beans, lentils, carrots (albeit maybe not as tasty as a piece of grilled salmon from Whole Foods). And so goes my nutrition preaching. He contends you can’t eat healthy, have it taste good – over the long term – on the cheap.

Nutritionally, the disparity between haves and have-nots in our nation is CRAZY. A few folks we know are doing the challenge all organic. We stretched our food dollars A LOT more with conventionally grown. If this IS your only option economically, you are forced to eat celery and apples (among other things) that are grown with pesticides and loaded with toxins (reference the USDA)? On SNAP, you are forced to eat higher fat meats; little or no fish; bread, rice, pasta with little fiber; peanut butter with added sugar and trans fats; and cook blandly because you can afford no seasonings. WHYWHYWHY? Shouldn’t access to enough nutritious food be the RIGHT of every American, like education and healthcare?

Enough on my soapbox. Our makeshift pizza tonight was really good, pizza dough (which is the easiest and cheapest thing to make – about 60 cents) and ground beef, chili powder, garlic, onions, diced bell peppers, and cheddar cheese all planned leftover ingredients from yesterday’s lunch of chili. I added some (leftover) spinach to my portion for added flavor and fiber. Not the interesting, California Pizza Kitchen style pizza we typically make, but REALLY tasty. We decided it’s been our best meal during the whole challenge. Basically, sauté onions and garlic. Cover homemade pizza dough with tomato sauce mixed with chili powder, cooked ground beef, onion/garlic mixture, diced bell peppers, spinach, and cheddar cheese. Bake at 500 for about 10 minutes. Let sit long enough to photograph. Slice and enjoy.

Inundated with Zucchini – Bacon, Zuc, Caramelized Onion and Fresh Mozzarella Pizza

We got eight zucchinis/yellow squashes in the CSA box last week and had two leftover from the prior week. That much of ONE ingredient causes any cook to kick into serious creativity mode. Connor finally asked if we are having it for breakfast (yes, a zucchini frittati is planned for Sunday breakfast). We had bacon and fresh mozzarella in the frig so pizza was an obvious choice. Plus, I was craving pizza. What could pull these ingredients together into something really interesting? I decided caramelized onions would do the trick. Slightly sweet, salty, and a little crunchy if I shredded the zucchini and used it raw on the pizza. The “recipe” below is an approximation of how I made this pizza. Craig was dubious but decided it was good. Really good. A keeper.

Bacon, Zucchini, Caramelized Onion and Fresh Mozzarella Pizza

One recipe whole wheat pizza dough (or store-bought)

5 slices bacon, finely sliced

1 large Vidalia onion, 1/4"-slices

1 heaping T sugar

Enough tomato sauce to cover a 10” pizza crust

1 T Italian seasoning

Red pepper flakes

1 medium zucchini, shredded, including the green skin

8 ounces fresh mozzarella, finely sliced

Cornmeal for dusting the pizza peel (if you are using one)

Prepare (or purchase) the pizza crust. At least 45 minutes before baking the pizza, put a pizza stone on the bottom rack of the oven and preheat the oven to 500 degrees F.

Over medium heat, cook the bacon in a large skillet until crispy and browned. Remove and drain on paper towels. Discard all but 1 tablespoon bacon grease from skillet.

Add the onion and sugar, stirring frequently and cook, about 20 minutes. While the onions caramelize, shred the zucchini with a box grater or mandolin.

When the onions are nicely browned, remove from the pan.

Mix the Italian seasoning with the tomato sauce. Season with red pepper flakes to taste.

Reduce oven temperature to 450 degrees. Dust a baker's peel or bottom of a baking sheet with the cornmeal. Roll or stretch the pizza dough to a 10-inch round and transfer it on to the peel and reshape as necessary without pressing down hard (so the dough will come away easily). Spread the seasoned tomato sauce across the dough to cover, leaving a 1/2-inch border around the edge. Arrange the zucchini shreds and bacon over the sauce. Top with the mozzarella cheese.

Transfer the pizza on to the stone in the oven and bake 8 minutes. Allow to rest five minutes before serving.

Our new favorite pizza - Tequila-Marinated Shrimp Pizza with Chorizo and Cilantro Pesto

Besides making a lot of chilis, my recipe folder is full of pizzas. I added another unusual one to the file on Friday. Tequila-Marinated Shrimp Pizza with Chorizo, Onions, Bell Peppers, and Cilantro Pesto. Wow. At first you could think it suffers from ingredient-overload, but the depth of complimentary flavors is incredible.

More about the recipe but I wanted to share some pizza trivia I learned while putting together our pizza bake-off party booklet. American’s can’t get enough of it! On average, we consume 23 pounds, about 46 slices, of pizza per person per year. It’s a $30 billion business in the U. S., and we have over 60,000 pizza parlors, which account for 17% of all restaurants. “Pizza” is the number one search word on Google. And according to The San Francisco Chronicle, men wearing muscle shirts when answering the door order pepperoni three times more than any other topping. That made me chuckle.

Be forewarned:  you have to be a devoted cilantro lover because it is the jump-out flavor of this pizza, used in the pesto as the sauce. I lightened the pesto from the original Emeril recipe, and it tasted wonderful with less fat. The freshness of the lime juice, the heat of the red pepper flakes, the savory of the garlic, and the smokiness imparted by the tequila are in perfect balance with the sweetness of the shrimp and all quite agreeable with the cilantro. The original recipe calls for putting the raw marinated shrimp directly on top of the cheese, but I did a quick sauté in a skillet. The chorizo also provides a bite of spice, and the colored bell peppers add festive color. I substituted mellow cheddar for the Monterey Jack and omitted the goat cheese, something Craig strongly dislikes. I had fresh ricotta on hand, which I thought preferable since goat cheese can have such a strong flavor. While it takes a bit of time to get everything prepared, nothing is difficult. Craig decided this is yet another keeper pizza recipe. Too bad we hadn’t tried it prior to our pizza bake-off. It could have been THE winner.

Tequila-Marinated Shrimp Pizza with Chorizo, Onions, Bell Peppers, and Cilantro Pesto

Marinated Shrimp:

20 medium raw shrimp, peeled, deveined, and cut in half lengthwise

1/2 C tequila

1/4 C fresh lime juice

3 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed

1 T chopped cilantro leaves, plus extra for garnish

Red pepper flakes to taste, at least 1 teaspoon

1 t kosher salt

1/2 t ground cumin

Cilantro Pesto:

2 C tightly packed fresh cilantro leaves

1 T (heaping) lightly toasted pine nuts (you can buy them toasted at Trader Joe’s)

2 large cloves chopped garlic

3-4 T freshly grated Parmesan (or queso fresco)

Freshly ground black pepper

1/2 t salt

3 T olive oil

Cornmeal, for dusting peel

8 ounces Mexican chorizo, chopped

11/2 C grated cheddar cheese

1/2 yellow bell pepper, cored, seeded and diced

1/2 red bell pepper, cored, seeded and diced

1/2 medium white onion, diced

4 ounces fresh ricotto

Chopped green onions, garnish

Prepare your favorite pizza dough. At least 45 minutes before baking the pizza, put a pizza stone on the bottom rack of the oven and preheat the oven to 500 degrees F.

In a food processor, combine the cilantro, pine nuts, and garlic, and puree on high speed. Add the cheese, pepper and salt, and process to combine. Scrape the sides of the processor, and with the machine running, add the olive oil. Blend until well combined. 

In a large ziplock bag, combine the shrimp, tequila, lime juice, garlic, cilantro, pepper flakes, salt, and cumin. Let marinate for no more than 1 hour (otherwise the juice will start to cook the shrimp!).

In a skillet, cook the sausage over medium-high heat until the fat is rendered and almost completely cooked through, about 4 minutes. Remove and drain on paper towels. Let cool. Remove all but 1 tablespoon or so of the rendered fat, add the shrimp and marinade, and sauté the shrimp one minute per side.

Dust a baker's peel or bottom of a baking sheet with the cornmeal. Roll or stretch the pizza dough to a 12-inch round and transfer the dough onto the peel and reshape as necessary without pressing down hard (so the dough will come away easily). Spread the cilantro pesto across the dough to cover, leaving a 1/2-inch border around the edge. Sprinkle the grated cheese evenly over the top, then arrange the cooked shrimp, bell peppers, onions, and cooked sausage over the top. Dot the pizza with the ricotta.

Transfer the pizza to the stove. Bake until the crust is crisp and golden brown and the cheeses are melted and bubbly, about 8 minutes. Transfer with the peel to a large cutting board. Let sit for 5 minutes.

Garnish with chopped cilantro and green onions, to taste.

Pizza Bake-Off Party!

Saturday night a group of our great friends – old and new – enjoyed an evening of tasty pizzas, entertaining magic, and lively conversation. After reading my blog post a few months ago about homemade pizza dough, our friend Justin suggested we a pizza bake-off, similar to a chili cook-off. What a brilliant idea for an unbelievably fun party.

We ended up with six couples, and I prepared the dough for (almost) all the pizza. Everyone was asked to bring their most inspired, tasty toppings and prepped their pizzas at our home. The creativity flowed!

We had Roasted Fall Vegetable and Ricotta Pizza (potatoes, carrots, butternut squash, onions, and garlic); Caramelized Onion and Wild Mushroom Pizza with Prosciutto, Fontina, and Rosemary (my favorite, Craig's too and he doesn't like mushrooms); Zucchini and Ricotta Pizza (a recipe our friends Amy and Matt picked up while living in Germany); Barbecued Chicken Pizza; Big Mac Cheeseburger Pizza; and Dea's secret family recipe for Pepperoni Pizza (Chef Boyardee Pepperoni Pizza Maker!).

Magician John Kinney kicked off the evening mystifying us with his incredible magic and card tricks. What a great ice breaker for a party, but he's headed to the Big Apple after graduating from Webster University this spring. Major sad face for us STL folks.

Erin brought a gorgeous cheese platter and tasty pecans and Craig made pepperoncinis stuffed with bacon, red peppers, and boursin that we had as our appetizers, and I made an Italian salad (recipes for the latter two below).  

The finale of the evening were the desserts Justin prepared: decadent Chocolate Bouchons, a Thomas Keller recipe with three sticks of butter (!!!) as well as Lemongrass Bars with Coconut Shortbread Crust.

Check out all the recipes here. If you are interested in hosting an interactive dinner party, have a pizza bake-off. It’s a blast!

 

Stuffed Pepperoncini

These are delicious on their own and nice on an antipasto platter with salami, pepperoni, black olives, and provolone. The cheese mixture is also terrific on top of cucumber rounds.

6 slices bacon, cut into small pieces
1/3 cup minced shallots
1 red bell pepper, minced
8 ounces garlic flavored soft cheese such as Boursin
1 tablespoon milk
32 ounces pepperoncini

Cut the tops off the peppers, remove any seeds, and lay on a few layers of paper towels to dry.

In a large skillet, cook bacon over medium heat until bacon is browned. Move bacon to paper towels. Discard all but 1-2 T of the bacon drippings. Add the shallots and red pepper to the skillet and cook over medium heat until vegetables are tender. Cook about 5 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and let cool for 20 minutes.

Finely chop the bacon and cooked vegetables in a food processor. Add cheese and milk and process until smooth.

Spoon cheese mixture into a heavy weight plastic bag. Cut a small hole in one corner of the bag. Pipe the cheese mixture into peppers. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, up to one day.

A Nice Italian Girl’s Salad

Salad:

10 oz chopped romaine lettuce, or a mix of lettuces (arugula, endive)

1/2 c "good" olives

1 roasted red pepper (from a jar is fine)

24 chunks of pepperoni. cut to bite-size

12 grape tomatoes, halved or quartered if yours are large

chunks of provolone or mozzarella, cut to bite-size

Dressing:

3 T red wine vinegar

2 T green salad olives with red pimento and juice

6 leaves fresh basil, torn up

2-3 T Italian parsley

1 t paprika

1/2 t dry mustard

3 big spoonfuls fresh grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

A few grinds black pepper and kosher salt to taste

1/3 – 1/2 C extra virgin olive oil

Put lettuces in a big salad bowl. Break up olives with your fingers. Scatter olives and the sliced red peppers around the salad. Add in the grape tomatoes, pepperoni chunks, and cheese chunks.

In a blender, combine the vinegar, olives, herbs, cheese, pepper and oil. Blend until mixed well. Pour over the salad and toss.

Optional ingredients include quartered artichoke hearts, steamed asparagus, and sliced, pickled pepperoncini peppers.

A Cooking Class I Taught (at My House)

Talking food and cooking, preparing and eating delicious dishes, gal pal time, lots of laughing. And someone to serve wine and clean up (Craig). Doesn’t get much better than that, does it?

I am referring to a cooking class I taught last week. At my house. My yoga teacher asked if I would help her and a few friends hone their culinary skills. What an a-ma-zing group of women and did they cook up a storm. What a scrumptious dinner they made. We talked techniques and kitchen tools, we talked what foods are worth splurging for organic (the USDA's "Dirty Dozen"), we marveled over how easy and tasty pizza dough is to prepare, even without exactly following the directions, and how quinoa is such a versatile seed – and it is not a grain. A wonderful evening indeed, and we’ve already planned the agenda for next time, appetizers.

Truth be told, I was nervous about doing this. I’ve instructed many classes for Cooking Matters, but teaching a group of sophisticated, educated women who eat healthy – two earn their livelihoods in the fitness business – was a very different audience than fifth graders or teen moms. Craig encouraged me to simply employ the same principles, and it would be fine. As is usually the case, he was right.

I had the kitchen laid out in four stations, and everyone jumped in and got cooking. Karyn made the whole wheat pizza dough that would be used for a half-and-half pizza:  barbecue chicken pizza with red peppers and the other half with roasted vegetables. Jenny made the low-sugar, low-fat barbecue sauce, sautéing peppers and mushrooms, and Maddie chopped and roasted the vegetables that with pesto are also good over big whole wheat pasta such as penne. 

Meanwhile, Millie took off with the recipes using cooked quinoa and grilled chicken breasts, which I prepared the night before. She and the group made a scrumptious "hot dish" a.k.a. casserole with the quinoa and chicken, Madeira wine, mushrooms, and sweet potato and a salad also using the quinoa and chicken with toasted walnuts, dried cherries, feta. Great contrast of textures, colors, and tastes. Millie decided it needed something and a splash of sherry vinegar was just thing. Sherry vinegar has a complex but balanced sweet and sour taste, oaky and nutty from the sherry wine used as its base. It is one of my favorite secret weapons, and I shared how it makes a fresh summer corn and tomato salad come to life. Everyone tasted tested and agreed it could probably jazz up a lot of dishes.

I was so busy talking and answering questions that many taking photos of our spectacular evening fell by the wayside.

I've made this pizza for years, very similar to The Original BBQ Pizza from California Pizza Kitchen. Founders Larry Flax and Rick Rosenfield knew they had a hit with this one, combining all-American favorites, barbecued chicken and pizza. Pizza has never been the same since with non-traditional toppings coming center stage on pizzas. I changed it to add red peppers, and use less cheese and whole wheat pizza crust. Sauté whatever vegtables you have on hand – mushrooms, zucchini, yellow squash, spinach, even broccoli or eggplant.

Barbecue Chicken and Red Bell Pepper Pizza

Servings:  5

1 cup thinly sliced red bell peppers

2 teaspoons olive oil

2 cups cooked chicken, cut into 1/2" cubes, tossed in 2-3 tablespoons barbecue sauce

1 recipe whole wheat pizza dough

1/2 to 3/4 cups barbecue sauce

1/2 cup grated mozzarella cheese

1/2 cup gouda cheese

3 tablespoons red onion, sliced

2 tablespoons cilantro, finely chopped

Preheat oven to 450°. Position pizza stone on the bottom rack of the oven.

Sauté yellow and red bell peppers in olive oil until softened.

Roll out a pizza dough and spread with enough barbecue sauce to nicely cover the crust, about 1/2 to 3/4 cups. Top with half of the two cheeses. Add chicken, sautéed bell peppers, and red onion. Top with remaining cheese.

Bake until cheese is melted and golden brown, about 12-15 minutes. Let rest for 5 minutes. Sprinkle with cilantro, cut into slices and serve

Barbecue Sauce

This sauce is versatile and can be used on everything – a sauce for pizza as we used it, mixed with shredded pork or beef for sandwiches, or as a baste for grilled chicken breasts. The liquid smoke in combination with the Worcestershire, vinegar, and chile powder, give the sauce a nice depth, and it is not overly sweet or thick. I am no ‘cue expert, but I think it falls into the category of a St. Louis style sauce rather than Kansas City or Texas.

This easily doubles and keeps well in the frig for a few days.

1 cup tomato sauce

3 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1/4 cup finely minced onion

2 garlic cloves minced

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon paprika

1 tablespoon vinegar

1 tablespoon liquid smoke

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon cumin

Combine all ingredients and refrigerate.

Karyn, Millie, Me, Jenny, and Maddy

An Oldie but Goodie - Malaysian Chicken Pizza

Malaysian Chicken Pizza, based on an old Cooking Light recipe, may be the best pizza we make, which is saying something because we make a lot of pizzas and really delicious, not your run-of-the-mill-pepperoni-pizzas either. This used to be a repeat recipe at least once a month, but it has been overlooked as of late with the other interesting pizzas we've been preparing. It was time to revive it, which made my guys really happy.

When you read the list of ingredients, you may question the amount of vinegar in the sauce. Don’t reduce it, and follow the recipe. The result is not harsh nor vinegary, but savory and slightly sweet. The peanut butter adds nice texture, and the combination of the ginger, red pepper flakes, and garlic adds a nice bite. The original recipe does not call for red bell pepper or zucchini, but any time I can get more veggies into something I seize the opportunity.

Cilantro is our add-on too. It's something people love or hate. Julia Child said in an interview with Larry King that she would pick it out if she saw it and throw it on the floor. WOW. We beg to differ with Julia and appreciate the fresh, citrus burst it adds to pizza - all kinds of pizzas.

Malaysian Chicken Pizza

Serves 6

3/4  cup rice vinegar
1/4  cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/4  cup low-sodium soy sauce
3  tablespoons water
1  tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger
2  tablespoons smooth or chunky natural peanut butter (Trader Joe’s is my favorite)
3/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper, adjusted to your tastes
4  garlic cloves, minced

1/2 large red bell pepper, diced

Medium zucchini, cut into rounds

1/2 cup green onions, chopped

3/4 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces

1/2 cup shredded fontina

1/2 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

Cilantro, chopped (I forgot to buy any for this time)Whole Wheat Pizza Crust (I like the 12 ounce size for a thinner crust)

Preheat oven to 500° and pre-heat the pizza stone.

Combine first 8 ingredients in a bowl; stir well with a whisk.

Heat a little olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken and sauté 2 minutes. Remove the chicken from pan. Pour the rice vinegar mixture into pan, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook the mixture 6 minutes or until slightly thickened. Return the chicken to pan; cook 1 minute or until the chicken is done. It should be the consistency of thick syrup.

Top the crust with the chicken mixture, veggies, and cheeses. Bake at 500° for 8 minutes on the bottom rack of the oven. Sprinkle with chopped cilantro. Place pizza on a cutting board; let stand 5 minutes.

No More Store-Bought Pizza Dough. Ever.

This pizza dough recipe is so easy, fast, healthy, and delicious, you'll never buy pizza dough again. I promise.

I've tried a number of recipes using more whole wheat flour with disastrous results. The proportion of half whole wheat / half white yields a crust that is not heavy or too wheat-y with a distinctive nutty taste. While the quick-rising yeast shortens the rise time to 10 minutes or so (and easily made for a week night dinner), it improves more with a longer rise and can be stored in a plastic bag and refrigerated up to two days. If you like thinner pizza crust like I do, make the 12 ounce version.

Whole Wheat Pizza Dough

Modified from Eating Well and posted on Joe's Culinary in the Desert

To make 12 ounces dough:
3/4 cup whole-wheat flour
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 package quick-rising yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons), such as Fleischmann's RapidRise
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1/2-2/3 cup hot water (120-130°F)
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

To make 1 pound dough:
1 cup whole-wheat flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 package quick-rising yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons), such as Fleischmann's RapidRise
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
3/4 cup hot water (120-130°F)
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1. Combine whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, yeast, salt and sugar in a food processor; pulse to mix. Combine hot water and oil in a measuring cup. With the motor running, gradually pour in enough of the hot liquid until the mixture forms a sticky ball. The dough should be quite soft. If it seems dry, add 1 to 2 tablespoons warm water; if too sticky, add 1 to 2 tablespoons flour. Process until the dough forms a ball, then process for 1 minute to knead.

2. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface. Coat a sheet of plastic wrap with cooking spray and place it, sprayed-side down, over the dough. Let the dough rest for 10 to 20 minutes before rolling.

3. Place a pizza stone or inverted baking sheet on the lowest oven rack; preheat oven to 500°F or highest setting. Roll and top the pizza as desired (about a 13-inch circle) and bake the pizza until the bottom is crisp and golden, 10 to 14 minutes, or as directed by your recipe.

Cheeseburger Pizza from the Taste & Create Blog Recipe Swap

As part of the Taste and Create monthly blog recipe exchange, I was paired with Nicole from For the Love of Food. She’s an American living in Germany who began her food blog five year ago to help some vegetarian friends learn healthy cooking. Her writing is engaging, and her photos are glorious. If you struggle with producing interesting visuals for your blog as I do, check out her article on food styling (photos on the left are my current (lack of) style and the right photos are my desired state).

I haven’t made pizza for a while, and I knew my guys would love her original recipe for Cheeseburger Pizza. Who wouldn’t? Using sesame seeds on the pizza stone in addition to cornmeal and the “special sauce” seemed a fitting tribute to the cheeseburger. A bacon cheeseburger nonetheless.

 (oops, the aroma was so tantalizing that we dove in to it before I took a photo)

I must fess up that I used my normal modified Eating Well pizza dough recipe. I subbed ground bison for the ground beef because we don’t buy beef, and I had garden tomatoes that were screaming to be used. Craig called this an excuse to slip tomatoes on pizza, which he knows I lovvvvve. Sorry, no American cheese either. I don't eat such on a burger, so why would I on pizza? I used a mix of shredded Gouda and cheddar. While it appears I made a number of changes, I consider these exceptionally minor. What I produced certainly reflects the spirit of Nicole’s recipe. The recipe below is with my changes.

The resulting pizza? A WINNER. We all loved it and declared it one of the best I’ve made in recent memory. The tangy barbecue-flavored sauce “makes” the pizza, and the subtle nuttiness of the Gouda imparts a bit of complexity to a simple pizza. Nicole, thanks! What a tasty recipe.

Cheeseburger Pizza
Few tablespoons of sesame seeds

Few tablespoons of corn meal
“Special sauce” – recipe below
12 ounces ground bison or lean ground beef
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
2 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 cup diced fresh tomatoes
1/2 cup Gouda cheese, shredded
1 cup cheddar, shredded
4 slices of bacon, chopped

Make the whole wheat pizza dough posted here. In addition to cornmeal, sprinkle sesame seeds on the pizza stone so that it’s like a sesame seed bun.

With the pizza stone in the oven, preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Once the oven is at that temperature, heat the pizza stone for at least 15 minutes. Longer is fine too.

Cook the chopped bacon over medium heat until crispy. Remove from pan, "pat" grease with paper towels, and set aside. Drain all but 1 tablespoon of the bacon drippings from the pan. Add the ground bison (or beef) and heat over medium heat until browned, making sure not break up the meat too much. You want it to look like burger pieces and not like taco meat. Add the red onion slices, soy sauce, garlic powder, and pepper and cook until the soy sauce absorbs into the meat. Remove from heat and set aside.

Special Sauce

6 tablespoons ketchup (Trader Joe’s organic ketchup is preferred because it contains no HFCS and has real tomato flavor)
2 tablespoon yellow mustard
2 tablespoon tomato paste

Combine the ingredients in a small bowl and mix well. If it’s too thick for your tastes, add water until it’s the desired sauce consistency.

To assemble the pizza, on top of the dough, layer the special sauce, burger mixture, tomatoes, bacon, and cheese mixture.

Bake for 10-12 minutes.