Pizza complete

Day 3: And we're done.

The sauce was as simple as heating up canned whole tomatoes with garlic and oregano. I baked the crust for a bit (425 degrees for around 15-20 minutes) before topping it with the sauce and tons of mozzarella. I added some basil for good measure as well.

This was delicious! And healthier than a normal pizza; using 1/2 whole what flour for the crust made it more of a pre-diabetic friendly option. Plus, I had left overs for lunch the next day!


Recipe: http://www.marthastewart.com/314923/tomato-and-basil-pizza?czone=food/comfort-foods-center/comfort-foods-dishes&backto=true&backtourl=/photogallery/pizza-and-pasta#slide_1

Ingredients

1/4 cup Simple Tomato Sauce
1 1/2 ounces torn fresh mozzarella
Fresh basil leaves
Basic Grilled Pizza Dough
Herb Oil
Coarse salt and ground pepper

Directions (note: I baked because I didn't have a grill handy)

Heat it up: Set up a grill with heat source, coals or gas, on one side over medium-high. Clean and lightly oil hot grill.

Stretch it: On a lightly floured work surface, stretch or roll 1 piece basic grilled pizza dough or 4 ounces store-bought dough into a 10-inch-long oval or other desired shape. Brush one side lightly with herb oil or olive oil and season with coarse salt and ground pepper.


Grill it: Using your hands, place dough, oiled side down, directly over heat source. Brush dough with herb oil or olive oil and cook until underside is lightly charred and bubbles form all over top, 1 to 2 minutes. With tongs, flip dough and cook until lightly charred, 1 to 2 minutes. Slide dough to cooler side of grill.


Top it: Top with tomato sauce, mozzarella, and basil; cover grill. Cook until cheese melts and toppings are heated through, 2 to 5 minutes.

Pizza, pizza!

Yet another thing I miss and I have been trying to replace: pizza. Nothing compares to the fantastic Dominos pizza topped with pineapple my roommate and I used to get around once a week. I have gone without for way to long, and I didn't know how much longer I could make it. I was about to break.

So tonight, I made pizza. Healthier pizza, yes, but pizza all the same.

I found Martha's Pita Pizza recipe and was immediately hungry. And it was all homemade, which means I could successfully make that very thing I had been craving in a matter of minutes... in my own kitchen.

For the sauce, I started by sauteing yellow onion and garlic for a few minutes in olive oil. I then added roughly chopped whole canned tomatoes, tomato paste and oregano (I skipped the bay leaf and basil because I forgot to get them... oops!). I let this simmer for around 30 minutes until the sauce was nice and thick.

I spread the sauce over two whole wheat pitas, right out of the freezer. I sprinkled plenty of mozzarella and red bell pepper on top and popped it in the oven at 350 degrees.

After 20 minutes, I had delicious, healthy pizza that I could eat right here in my bed. And that I did... totally worth the tomato stains that are now all over my comforter.

Recipe

Ingredients

 Makes 48 wedges

• FOR THE TOMATO SAUCE
• 1/4 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 small yellow onion, peeled and chopped into 1/4-inch dice
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red-pepper flakes
• 1 bay leaf
• One half 28-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes, roughly chopped
• 1/4 cup tomato paste
• FOR THE PIZZA
• 4 whole-wheat pita breads (each 7 1/2 inches)
• 1 yelllow bell pepper, seeds and membranes removed, cut into 1/8-inch-thick strips
• 3 ounces mozzarella cheese, grated
• FOR THE GARNISH
• Fresh basil, thinly sliced

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Make the tomato sauce: Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan set over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic, and cook, stirring frequently, until onion and garlic are browned, about 4 minutes. Add the dried oregano, dried basil, crushed red pepper flakes, bay leaf, chopped tomatoes, and tomato paste. Bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, and let simmer, stirring occasionally, until the liquid has evaporated and the sauce is thick, about 35 minutes.
2. Assemble the pizzas: Arrange pita breads on two baking sheets. Spread about 6 tablespoons tomato sauce on each. Scatter strips of yellow bell pepper on top, and then sprinkle with the mozzarella cheese. Transfer the baking sheets to the oven, and bake the pizzas until the peppers begin to wilt and the mozzarella has melted, about 20 minutes. Remove the pizzas from the oven, and transfer to a cutting board. Sprinkle with basil, and cut each pita pizza into 12 wedges. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Read more at Wholeliving.com: Pita Pizza

West coast best coast, east coast beast coast

It is currently 19 degrees, feels like 10 degrees in New York City. At my home in LA it is 57 degrees, feels like 57 degrees. It is moments like this when I wonder what in the world I was thinking moving so far east to the frigid temperatures, snow storms and, yes, wintry mix.

Today, I was in the mood from some good old fashioned California food. And, as always, Martha had just the thing - West Coast Grilled Vegetable Pizza. Nothing like an avocado to bring me back to the warmth and comfort of home.

The result was delicious and satisfying, as well as simple to make. I stuck some pizza crust into the oven and baked it for a bit and then took it out and added sliced goat cheese (so fantastic!), plum tomatoes, and scallions. I burnt the bottom of the pizza, again... I really need to figure out how to prevent this from happening!

Once the pizza cooked a bit, I then chopped up some avocado and mixed it with spinach and vinegar (I used balsamic, although Martha recommended red wine). The avocados here on in NY are not nearly as good as the fantastic, right-off-the-branch avocados in California. This, compounded by the fact that my avocado wasn't completely ripe, was slightly disappointing.

Despite all these factors, and the fact that I didn't actually grill the pizza, it was still amazing and something I'll definitely make again!