a quick lunch

Wow - it's been far too long since I've posted!  And just where have I been?  Having a baby and eating lots of food that other people have cooked for me!  While I do miss being in the kitchen some, it's very nice to know you have a meal already made for dinner when the baby decides he wants to be fussy or eat around 5:30, right when you need to be making dinner.  :)

Now, I have had to cook some of course, but snapping a picture and posting about it hasn't been a priority.  And I feel like most of what I've been making are desserts and sweet treats... the things I crave while I'm nursing a baby.
Things like this banana tres leches cake (with a few modifications due to lack of ingredients... like using all coconut milk instead of the other kinds).  But it was Delicious and I would highly recommend this dessert if you like banana at all.  Even if you usually don't like banana, you might be surprised by it... like my hubby.
And these cookies, to which I added chopped up candy bars (like snickers and baby ruth) in place of some of the chocolate chips.  Had to think of something to do with the leftover Halloween candy in the freezer.

But today we are going to talk about a quick lunch option... flatbread pizza.

The idea for the toppings on this pizza came from a friend, but of course you could use any you like.  The quick part is using a flatbread (or a pita bread) to make the pizza.

hummus, beet, and goat cheese flatbread pizza

Ingredients:
one flatbread (or pita)
hummus
beets
goat cheese
balsamic (I used a think balsamic glaze sauce)
pine nuts

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 400.  Bake flatbread for a few minutes until it is crispy.  Top with hummus, beets, and goat cheese.  Bake for a few more minutes until the goat cheese is soft.  Drizzle with balsamic and sprinkle with pine nuts if desired.

brussels sprout & fennel pizza

The name of this post sounds delicious and is enough to draw you in, right?  Who doesn't love brussels sprouts and fennel on their pizza?!  It was actually quite yummy and I was glad that Chad didn't even want to try it so I didn't have to share.  :)

I've recently just tried fennel for the first time (I know, I'm behind, but it always made me a little nervous because I don't like anise and that's what I heard it tasted like) ... but it's good!  The anise flavor is very mild and I'm not sure I would even say it tastes like anise.  The smell of anise is definitely stronger than the taste.  It's even more mild once cooked and blended in well with the brussels sprouts and feta on this pizza.

brussels sprout and fennel pizza

Ingredients
whole wheat pizza crust - I used 1/3 of the dough in the recipe found here
1 generous cup each of thinly shaved brussels sprouts and fennel - sliced with a mandolin
feta cheese
2 cloves minced garlic
olive oil
pine nuts
salt & freshly ground black pepper

Instructions
Roll out dough into a thin crust.  Bake the pizza crust at 400 or 450 for about 10 minutes, or until starting to turn golden brown.  Spread garlic & a generous drizzle of olive oil over the crust.  Sprinkle with feta, fennel, brussels sprouts, and a little salt & pepper.  If it seems like there is too much fennel and brussels sprouts, that's good because they wilt down when baked.  Bake for another 10 minutes, or until crust is crispy.  Top with a handful of pine nuts before serving, if desired.  This pizza is also good with a little drizzle of balsamic vinegar after it's baked.

kale & butternut squash pizza

In keeping with our homemade pizza tradition (which we usually make every week or two), this past weekend I made a "traditional" pepperoni pizza for the hubby, and a "more unique" pizza for myself... but of course I snagged a couple slices of his pizza, as I always do.  Because let's face it, while I love the unique kinds I make for myself, there is always something tempting and delicious about a more traditional meaty pizza... or maybe that's just the pregnancy talking. :)  I have had many cravings for sausage/pepperoni/salty meats lately!

I usually don't plan our pizzas too much in advance (although I have a pizza cookbook with some very delicious looking pizzas I need to use), so whatever we have on hand is what gets used.  This time I had kale, roasted butternut squash, and parmesan cheese, so kale & squash pizza it was!

Verdict:  I liked it, but it did need a bit more flavor, so I found it much more tasty with just a little extra sprinkle of salt on the top after it baked.  I'm a big fan of leftover cold pizza for lunch or a snack, and it was very tasty like that too.



kale & butternut squash pizza

 Ingredients:
whole wheat pizza dough for 1 small pizza
2-3 cloves minced garlic
1 T. olive oil
1 c. roasted butternut squash
1 c. baby kale leaves
parmesan cheese
dried basil & oregano
pine nuts

Instructions:
I had the roasted squash leftover in the fridge, but to roast it just coat cubes of butternut squash with olive oil, salt & pepper.  Bake at 400 for 15-20 minutes, or until for tender.  Drizzle with balsamic vinegar (if you want) after its done baking and stir until evenly coated.

For the pizza, heat the oven to 400.  Roll out the dough as thin as possible (if you want a crispy crust) and bake for about 10 minutes, or until it just starts to turn golden brown.  Remove from oven and drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with minced garlic.  Spread the olive oil and garlic over all the crust and sprinkle with a little salt & pepper.  Top with kale leaves (uncooked), butternut squash, and cheese.  Bake for another 5-10 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the crust is brown and crispy.  Sprinkle with dried basil/oregano, a little more salt & pepper and pine nuts.  Eat up!

Serves 1-2.

mushroom pizza with arugula

So I've been a little absent these last couple weeks.  Our fam was in AZ visiting friends.. and eating lots of good food.  I didn't snap pics of most of it (I think I'm always too excited to just dig in - forget the camera!)... but did take this one of some delicious sea bass pad thai tacos at Sapporo (which were super delicious):

Another great place to eat in the Phoenix, AZ area is Postino's, should you ever be out that direction.  It has all different kinds of bruschetta... a big hit for a couple pregnant ladies! :)  (yes, both myself and the friend I was visiting are preggo... and due on the same day!)

So back to mushroom pizza, perhaps my very favorite kind... as long as it includes parmesan cheese.  My other favorite way to eat pizza is with a little lightly dressed arugula or mixed greens on the top - it freshens up the pizza and helps you get another serving of those oh so important veggies.

mushroom pizza with arugula salad

Ingredients
1 whole wheat pizza crust (find my homemade pizza recipe here)
1 package sliced portobello mushrooms
1/2 c. parmesan cheese (or more)
1/4 c. feta cheese (or more)
2-3 cups arugula
olive oil
freshly squeezed lemon
balsamic vinegar
pine nuts (optional)

Instructions
Preheat oven to 400.  Roll out pizza dough into desired thickness.  Brush with a thin layer of olive oil and sprinkle with parmesan cheese.  Bake at 400 for about 10 minutes,  or until it starts to turn golden brown.
While the crust bakes, saute mushrooms in 1-2 tsp olive oil and a little salt & pepper until they are tender.  Drizzle with balsamic vinegar (about 1 T).  Set aside.
Once crust is finished, top with mushrooms and feta.  Bake for another 5-10 minutes, until crust is desired crispness.
To make the arugula salad, simply drizzle the arugula with a little olive oil, lemon juice, balsamic vinegar, sprinkle with salt & pepper, and toss until combined.  Go a little light on everything, as you can always add more.
Serve pizza with arugula salad and sprinkle with a few pine nuts, if desired (I did eat mine with pine nuts, but added them after the picture was snapped and I'd already devoured about 1/2 of it :)).

asparagus pizza

Yum. Yum. Yum.  I Loved this pizza, and so did my 1 1/2 year old son, but not my husband, so I guess it's not for everyone!

grilled asparagus pizza with goat cheese and pine nuts

If using homemade pizza crust, roll into a thin crust and bake at 400 for 10-15 minutes, or until golden brown and crispy.  

While the pizza crust bakes, grill the asparagus.  Once grilled, chop up into 1 inch pieces and drizzle with balsamic vinegar.    

Once the crust is done baking, brush with olive oil and 2-3 cloves minced garlic.  Top with grilled asparagus, pine nuts and goat cheese.  The pizza doesn't need to bake any longer, unless you want to soften the goat cheese.  To soften the cheese, bake just a few minutes on 400.

Recipe for homemade pizza crust:

1 c. lukewarm water

1 package yeast

1 tsp salt

1 T honey

2 1/2 - 3 c. wheat flour

2 T ground flax seed

1/4 c. cornmeal

Pour 1 c. lukewarm water over yeast in a large mixing bowl and let sit for about 5 minutes, or until the yeast starts to react and bubble up.  Add remaining ingredients and mix until dough is soft and elastic.  I start with 2 c. flour and add more until the dough is no longer sticky and can be handled.  If you make dough in a mixer or bread machine, it kneeds the dough for you, so no extra kneeding is needed at this point.

Place ball of dough in a large bowl, coated with cooking spray or olive oil and brush the top of the dough with a little olive oil.  Cover with a towel let rise until dough has doubled in size, for about 30-45 minutes.  I can get 2 thin pizza crusts from this recipe.

a new kind of pizza

roasted grape & goat cheese pizza with pine nuts

If you haven't ever roasted grapes before, you have to start.  drizzle them with a little olive oil, salt & pepper and roast them for about 10-15 minutes at 400.  The result is a juicy, rich sweetness that is oh so delicious!  The combination of roasted grapes with goat cheese on this pizza was delightful.  I liked it even more than I expected.  And the pine nuts were necessary for that extra texture and flavor.  I just drizzled a little olive oil on the crust after baking, added the (already roasted) grapes, goat cheese, and pine nuts, and baked for just a little longer until the cheese softened.  The next time I make it I will add a little more goat cheese I think... it was just a tad less than the perfect amount. 

note about the picture:  I forgot to take a pic the night it was freshly baked and the above photo is of day old pizza, so it isn't too pretty anymore.  I still gobbled it up right after snapping this shot... it was even delicious cold.