It's no secret that I love pizza. One of my first cooking memories was making pizza with my mom when I was about 7 years old. In high school I worked at Fuzzy's Pizza where I worked my way up to assistant manager! Wow! When I was single and teaching, I used to make a big veggie pizza on Sunday and take it for lunch throughout the week. I have tried about a million pizza dough recipes, both regular and whole wheat. They were all just ok but I had yet to find one that reminded me of the dough at Dolce Vita. My friend Susan mentioned that this one was amazing...she was right! I think we have a winner!
I have always baked my pizzas in the oven but grilling pizza sounded very interesting. We don't have a grill available to us so I decided to get creative and use my cast iron skillet.
I really like to pile on the veggies but Peter hates broccoli on pizza so I left it out this time. I kept it simple with some tomatoes, green bell pepper, garlic and mushrooms. I don't like sauce on my pizza but you could certainly add your favorite sauce and it would still be yummy!
Vegetable Pizza
1 medium ball of pizza dough
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic, chopped
5 thin slices tomato- enough to almost cover the dough's surface
5 thin slices of green bell pepper
1 cup button mushrooms, cleaned and sliced thin
1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/4 cup parmesan cheese, shredded
Generously coat cast iron skillet with non-stick spray and place over medium heat. Coat your hands in olive oil and press the dough into a circle covering the bottom of the skillet. Watch the dough carefully and use a spatula to check occasionally. When the dough starts to firm up but before it begins to brown, add the pizza toppings to the dough. Continue to check the dough approximately every 45 seconds. When it has reached desired doneness, remove from the skillet.
I placed my pizza under the broiler for about a minute just to fully melt the cheese.
When my husband and I first started dating he was the cook in this relationship. I had always wanted to feel comfortable in the kitchen but I didn't grow up cooking and it all seemed so overwhelming to me! P showed me how to make this simple salmon dish and I took over from there. It quickly became our go-to dinner during busy weeknights. I tried a variety of side dishes until a little experimenting led to a yummy sweet potato surprise. A short while later I added the green beans and the rest was history!
Until recently I wouldn't have gone anywhere near a green bean...just ask my college roommate. The thought of green beans out of a can (that was the only kind I knew) made me shudder. Then about a year ago I dined at Hubbell and Hudson in The Woodlands, Texas. Someone at the table ordered a side of haricot verts and I was hooked. I had no idea green beans could be that yummy! I quickly discovered them at Whole Foods and they soon became part of the dinner rotation in our house. I think I like them more than P does but that's ok with me!
I feel like I have come a long way since that first salmon dinner night but this will always remind me of when our relationship was new. We don't eat this dish as much as we used to, which was VERY often for a while, but P says this is still one of his favorites!
Baked Salmon
2 Atlantic salmon filets- about 6 oz each, skin on
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 small lemon- sliced
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
sea salt
cracked black pepper
Tear off one sheet of aluminum foil, about 10 inches wide. Use half of the tablespoon of olive oil to grease the foil and the other half to grease the salmon skin. Lay the salmon side-by-side skin down on the foil. Create a "boat" around the salmon, turning the sides up (about and inch and a half on each side) and twisting the foil but do not cover the top of the salmon.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place the salmon boat on a broiling pan on the center rack. Set the timer for 8 minutes.
Remove the salmon after 8 minutes, top with butter and two lemon slices. Place salmon back in the oven and set the timer for 6 minutes.
Check the salmon after 6 minutes. An instant read thermometer should read about 115 degrees. Lift the aluminum foil sides to cover the salmon and set aside for about five minutes.
After five minutes remove foil, sprinkle sea salt and cracked pepper, serve and enjoy!
Sweet Potato Fries
2 medium sweet potatoes
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
sea salt
cracked black pepper
Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Line baking pan with greased aluminum foil.
Wash sweet potatoes, do not peel. Cut into strips that are about 1/2 inch wide on each side.
Place sliced sweet potatoes in a bowl. Add the vegetable oil, salt and pepper. Mix with the sweet potatoes until completely coated with oil. Spread the sweet potatoes onto the baking pan in a single layer.
Cook for 30-35 minutes, until tips of the sweet potatoes begin to brown. Serve warm.
Easy Green Beans
1/2 package (about 6 oz) haricot verts, rinsed
2 cloves garlic, sliced thin
1 tablespoon olive oil
salt
pepper
Add 2 tablespoons of water to the bottom of a small bowl and place green beans on top. Microwave on high for 2 minutes. Remove, drain water from bowl.
Heat olive oil in a large pan over medium heat and add garlic. Let simmer for about two minutes and then add green beans. Saute for 5-7 minutes before green beans become too soft. Serve warm.
