Pesto Pizza

If you like pesto and pizza, you will definitely like this pesto pizza!  I always have a batch of homemade pizza dough in the freezer and I just took it out the night before to defrost for dinner time the next day.  I also used my favorite pesto sauce from Costco.  This pesto pizza is quick and simple, especially if you already have the ingredients on hand.  You can also use a store bought pizza dough, I have heard that Trader Joe's has a good one but I haven't tried it yet.  Enjoy!

Pesto Pizza

Printable Recipe 

Ingredients

1 batch homemade pizza dough (recipe here)

2 – 3 tablespoons pesto sauce (I used Kirkland’s brand from Costco.)

10 slices fresh mozzarella

1 tablespoon olive oil

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Grease baking sheet with 1 tablespoon olive oil.

Roll out dough and press down onto a greased baking sheet. 

Spoon pesto sauce onto rolled out pizza dough.

Lay mozzarella slices evenly on top.

Bake for 18-20 minutes, until edges of dough are crisp and cheese is melted.

Serves 4.

Sesame Green Beans

I couldn't stop eating these sesame green beans because they were that good!  I came across the original recipe from allrecipes.com.  This recipe is simple and easy.  I had fresh green beans from the farmers market so I had a few purple colored beans too!  This is a great side dish and I will definitely be making this again.

Sesame Green Beans

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

1 pound fresh green beans, cut into 2 inch pieces

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon sesame seeds (I used roasted sesame seeds.)

¼ cup chicken broth

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions

In a large pan, heat oil over medium heat.  Add sesame seeds.   Cook until lightly browned.  (I only cooked the sesame seeds for a minute since I had used roasted ones.)

Add in green beans.  Cook for a few minutes until the beans turn bright green.

Next, add in chicken broth, salt and pepper.

Cover and cook for about 10 minutes until beans are tender.

Uncover and cook until liquid evaporates.

Serves 2-4.

Roasted Parmesan Broccoli

I love all roasted vegetables and this roasted parmesan broccoli is scrumptious!  It makes a great side dish and I served it with turkey sausages from the Palisades farmers market.  The turkey sausages are made with dried cranberries and they are made by Stachowski Brand Charcuterie. There is the same guy selling the sausages at the farmers market and he gives out samples of his sausages!  How cool is that?

Roasted Parmesan Broccoli

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

1 cup broccoli florets

1 tablespoon olive oil

salt

freshly ground pepper

parmesan cheese

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. (I used a convention toaster oven.)

Place broccoli florets on a foil covered baking sheet.

Toss with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

Bake for 15 minutes. 

Top roasted broccoli with parmesan cheese.

Bake additional 5 minutes.

Serves 2.

Pizza Dough 2

I haven't made pizza in awhile and I wanted to tweak the pizza dough recipe I typically use.  This dough came out well and was great for making a thinner crust too.  I was able to roll out half the dough to make a pizza the size of my large baking sheet.  I froze the other half of the pizza dough to use another time.  You can freeze any leftover dough in a freezer safe plastic bag.  Just defrost in the fridge the night before and the pizza dough will be ready by the time its dinner time.  I made a veggie pizza with this dough, and I will share that recipe tomorrow.

 

Pizza Dough 2

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

2 ¼ teaspoons yeast

1 cup warm water (105 to 115 degrees F.)

½ teaspoon sugar

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon salt

Directions

In a small bowl, mix together the warm water and yeast.  Set aside for about 10 minutes, it will get foamy.  Stir in sugar, olive oil and salt.

In a stand mixer with dough attachment, add in flour and yeast mixture.  Mix on low to medium speed until a ball of dough forms, about 5 minutes.

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Grease a large bowl with olive oil and place the dough in it. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature until doubled in size, 1 to 2 hours.

Punch down the dough with your hand.   

Turn the dough out onto a surface dusted with flour.   Halve dough and roll out with a floured rolling pin.

Makes 2 pizzas.

Creamy Piquillo Pepper and Chickpea Soup with Chicken

I am super excited to be a part of The Bitten Word's Cover-to-Cover Challenge and I was placed on Team Food and Wine.  My assigned recipe was the Creamy Piquillo Pepper and Chickpea Soup with Chicken.  I didn't know what piquillo peppers were but I was able to find a jar of roasted piquillo peppers in the international section of my local grocery store.  They are sweet red peppers originally from Spain.  According to the recipe, the total time to make the soup should be 7 minutes.   This is a simple recipe if you have all the ingredients already.  Of course I end up taking more time than that since I actually made my own hummus (click here for the recipe).  Also, it took me an extra 10 minutes to shred the rotisserie chicken.  I really enjoyed this soup, it is flavorful and delicious.  If you like roasted red pepper hummus, then you will like this soup.  This soup will pair nicely with a side salad if you want a light lunch or dinner.  Enjoy!

Creamy Piquillo Pepper and Chickpea Soup with Chicken

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

1 cup drained piquillo peppers (reserve ¼ cup cut into thin strips)

¾ cup hummus

2 cups chicken stock (or beef stock)

½ cup cooked white rice

1 cup shredded rotisserie chicken

salt

freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon parsley, dried (or 2 tablespoons chopped flat-leave parsley)

olive oil and hot sauce, for serving (optional)

Directions

In a food processor, combine the whole piquillos, hummus, and stock.  Puree until smooth.

In a medium saucepan, over medium-high heat, add soup, rice, and chicken.  Season with salt and pepper.  Bring soup to a boil.  

Garnish soup with parsley, sliced piquillos, olive oil and hot sauce if desired.

Serves 4.

Zucchini Squash Cakes

I helped my friend make zucchini cakes for her 1 year old a few days ago and I thought what a great idea.  I decided to make my own adaptation and included yellow squash too.  These zucchini squash cakes were so good!  They would be great as an appetizer, a side dish or as a vegetarian meal.  I made them for dinner tonight and served them over my mashed red potatoes.  These zucchini squash cakes are just simple, delicious and healthy.  Enjoy!

Zucchini Squash Cakes

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

1 zucchini

1 yellow squash

½ cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)

¼ cup parmesan cheese, grated

1 egg

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

1 teaspoon garlic, granulated (or powder)

½ teaspoon Mrs. Dash seasoning (optional)

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil

Directions

Grate zucchini and yellow squash.  Squeeze between paper towels to remove excess moisture.

In a bowl, combine grated zucchini and squash, panko, parmesan, egg, Italian seasoning, Mrs. Dash seasoning, salt and black pepper. (I used a fork to combine everything.)  Shape zucchini squash mixture into 2 inch sized patties.

In a nonstick pan, over medium heat, add in 1 tablespoon olive oil.  

Cook zucchini squash cakes for 4 to 5 minutes per side or until lightly browned.  Add more olive oil if needed.  

Makes about 8 zucchini squash cakes.

Zucchini squash cakes served over red mashed potatoes...mmmm!

Roasted Lemony Parmesan Asparagus

I loved this side dish, it was so fresh and delicious.  This was quick and easy and took me less than 20 minutes to put together.  I served this Roasted Lemony Parmesan Asparagus with a grilled marinated flank steak and a baked sweet potato.  Enjoy!

Roasted Lemony Parmesan Asparagus 

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

1 pound asparagus

zest of ½ lemon

1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil

½ teaspoon salt

1 to 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Prepare asparagus by breaking off any tough bottom ends.

On a foil covered baking sheet, place asparagus and drizzle with olive oil.

Season with salt and lemon zest.

Bake for about 15 minutes.

Top with Parmesan cheese.

Basil Tomato Sauce

This basil tomato sauce was delicious!  I was trimming my basil plant and needed to use up the basil leaves and a basil tomato sauce was the perfect thing to make.  (I love the smell of fresh basil too!) This sauce is great with pasta or as a pizza sauce too.  I also used a chili pepper instead of chili pepper flakes, so if you don't have a fresh chili pepper from your friend's garden like I did, than you can substitute 1/4 teaspoon of red chili pepper flakes.  I served this basil tomato sauce with capellini pasta.  Enjoy!

Basil Tomato Sauce

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

28 ounce can crushed tomatoes

6 ounce can tomato paste

1 cup water

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon garlic, minced (from a jar)

1 small chili pepper, minced

1 tablespoon Italian seasoning

1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil

2 to 3 tablespoons butter, divided

1 bunch fresh basil, torn

Directions

In a heavy pan, over medium heat, add in olive oil.  Add in garlic and chili pepper.  Add in 1 tablespoon butter.  Stir and cook for about 2 or 3 minutes until garlic is lightly browned.

Add in crushed tomatoes and tomato paste.  Using the cans, fill about halfway with water and add into pan.   (This will equal to about a cup of water and rinses the can to add in any remaining tomatoes to the sauce.)

Stir in Italian seasoning.

Cover and cook on low for about 30 minutes.

Stir in torn basil leaves.

Stir in 1 to 2 tablespoons butter (optional).

Serve with your favorite pasta.  You can also freeze this sauce in freezer bags or freezer-safe containers.

Buddy and Ellie like to be in the kitchen with me...probably hoping for a treat from their treat jar on the counter :)