Grilled Pizza with Peaches, Blackberries, Ricotta, and Balsamic Glaze

I probably should have written this post back when I made this pizza a few weeks ago, as it would have been more seasonally appropriate.  Today it's in the 60's and cloudy, which is delightful after all of the heat, but it doesn't seem like grilled fruity pizza weather.  Oh well, better late than never.  And come a few more weeks, when the weather really starts to cool down, making this can be a summery reminder of those dog days past.

I was inspired to make this pizza when I stumbled upon The Food Charlatan's recipe for Blackberry Ricotta Pizza late at night laying in bed.  I showed my husband, and he was all "please make that!".

It took me a few days, since blackberries were a little less accessible than I had hoped (got them at Target, of all places.  Thanks for nothing Trader Joe's and Safeway).  If you've read many of my posts, you'll also know that I am incapable of following someone else's recipe- it squashes my creative spirit.  So I added peaches, a balsamic glaze, and grilled it- the oven was NOT allowed to go on for a couple weeks there because of the heat.  

While it's fruity, it's not really that sweet, and there are savory components.  So it can be a main dish, side dish, or be served as dessert.  Or breakfast.  Whatever you're feeling, pretty much.  

You also do not, of course, have to grill it.  I did because I didn't want to turn the oven on, but as we approach these cooler months, I'd just make it in the oven.  If you are doing it in the oven, check out these instructions at Mel's Kitchen.  The secret to awesome homemade pizza is a HOT oven, and she has great instructions, both using a pizza stone and without.

As for dough, I just bought mine at Trader Joe's.  I did jazz it up a little with the addition of flax seeds.  I prefer to buy multigrain, which is usually a white flour dough with different seeds and grains added, but they don't always have this at whatever grocery store I'm going to.  So I buy white.  You can also buy whole-wheat, but I don't like the texture as much, and pizza is a treat, so I make it the way that it tastes best.  Or you could, of course, make your own.  I've used some different recipes over the years, but this one from Men's Health is super easy (no kneading!).  I add flax seeds, chia seeds, poppy seeds, and sesame seeds in as well to keep things interesting.

What you need:

1 pound pizza dough, leavened (store bought or make your own)
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
~1 cup ricotta (I used full-fat)
2/3 cup shredded mozzarella (I used part-skim, but either is fine)
1 pint blackberries
1 large or 2 small peaches, sliced (I left the skin on, but you can peel if you want)
small handful fresh basil, sliced
black pepper

Directions: 

Preheat grill on medium-high heat.

Next, put the balsamic vinegar in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer, reduce heat to LOW and let it keep boiling until it becomes slightly thick.  And be careful not to take a big whiff while it boils, that stuff is pungent!  You can have this going on while you start the rest of the pizza.

Stretch the dough out on a lightly greased surface (preferably something that you can pick up and transport outside). I usually just use my hands, but you can use a rolling pin, beer bottle, whatever.  Try to get it under 1/2 thick.  If you are having trouble getting it to stretch out, work it a bit, let it rest for a couple minutes, and then go at it again.  Don't worry about making it a perfect shape.  An irregular shape has a nice rustic quality.

Bring pizza dough out to the grill.  If you have a buddy, he/she will come in handy here.  Place pizza dough on the grill, trying to keep it as stretched out as possible.  I use somewhat of a slinging motion, and then (carefully) adjust the edges to stretch it back out a bit more.  With two pairs of hands it will be easier to simply pick it up and place it stretched out onto the grill.  Close the grill.  Let cook for 2-4 minutes, depending on the heat of the grill.  Use tongs to gently lift a corner to make sure it isn't burning.

As those 2-4 minutes go by, bring the ricotta, mozzarella, blackberries, peaches, and a fork out to the grill.
Flip the crust using tongs.  If there were any huge bubbles, burst those with the fork before flipping.  Turn the grill temperature down to low.  Now, add the toppings:  First the ricotta, then mozzarella, then blackberries and peaches.  Smoosh the blackberries a little with the fork.  Shut the grill and let cook for 5-7 minutes, checking to make sure it isn't burning (sometimes there is one hot spot, so rotating might help).  Take the pizza off the grill.  

Drizzle with the balsamic reduction.  Sprinkle with the sliced basil and black pepper.  Slice and enjoy!

Pizza Hummus

After making my Pizza Dip for the first time a few weeks ago, I'm been on a major pizza-y dip kick. And now that there is no more cottage cheese to buy here for the time being (oh, the woes of Saba), I tried using chickpeas to make a pizza-y dip instead.  And then I made it again, and again. Yep, it worked well.

Every time I've made these dips (both the cottage cheese one and this hummus version here), I change things up a bit depending on my mood, my time commitment, and what ingredients I have on hand.  Below is a basic recipe with various add-in options listed.

You could even make a pizza using this dip as the sauce- it would work wonderfully for a vegan pizza as long you left out the cheese and pepperoni, of course.  I've also spread it on a baked portobello mushroom (similar to this here) for a light lunch.  Or just dip with veggies or crackers or chips or whatever you like.  Or make a "pizza" out of the dip: make a basic version of this, spread it in your serving dish and top with layers of other pizza-y ingredients (olives, chopped tomato, artichoke, pesto, cheese, etc).  However you decide to use this stuff, I'm sure it'll be a hit.

What You Definitely Need:

1 can of Chickpeas (14-19 ounces, doesn't really matter)

2-4 fresh Garlic Cloves (or a head of roasted garlic)

1 teaspoon Lemon Juice

1-2 teaspoons Red Wine Vinegar

Olive Oil/Broth/Water

1/2 cup Pizza sauce/ Marinara sauce/ Pasta sauce (some sort of tomato sauce that is pre-spiced- if you use plain canned tomatoes, you'll need to make sure to add extra spice)

Salt and Pepper, to taste

Italian Seasoning, to taste

And What Would be Great to Add:

1/2 cup roasted Eggplant, skin removed

1/2 cup canned Artichoke in brine, drained

2-3 tablespoons good quality Parmesan Cheese

1/4 cup "Broiled Pepperoni" slices (or regular, but if you broil it for a few minutes first, you can drain out the grease and it also becomes a little crispy)

1/4 cup Sun-dried Tomatoes

handful of Arugula 

Red Pepper Flakes

Just blend everything in the blender, adding your olive oil and other liquids as needed.  I start with a little olive oil and then add either water or broth to cut down a bit on the calories.  Just olive oil would be fine, of course.

Experiment and Enjoy!

Brie, Peach, and Prosciutto Pizza

Pizza is great because it so strongly appeals to my creative side.  There are endless possibilities and combinations of pizza toppings.  Even the crust presents all sorts of opportunities for some brainstorming and experimentation.

One of my all time favorite combinations is this one.  This fusion of salty, cheesy, sweet, and spicy is just amazing (And makes great melted brie for dipping if you don't feel like making a pizza).  Depending on how heavily you adorn your pizza with toppings, it can make either a great main dish or a nice appetizer pizza.  I used my own pizza crust recipe, which I'll post in a bit, but you can use your own favorite recipe or store-bought dough, or even some flat bread that's been crisped up a bit.

I didn't measure at all when making this, so I'm just writing in a range of amounts below.  And, like I said, you may really want to vary the amount anyway depending on your purpose for this pizza.

What you need:

Crust to make one medium pizza (10-12 inch round)

Soft Brie Cheese, rind removed and cut into small chunks (2-4 ounces)

Prosciutto, cut into small pieces (2-4 ounces

Peach or Nectarine, cut into thin slices (2 small or 1 large)

Handful of Arugula

Honey

Red Pepper Flakes

Heat your oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.  If using dough, roll it out as thin as possible and bake it for 5-10 minutes, depending on how crispy you want it to be in the end.  Remove from oven and top with the brie, prosciutto, peach slices, and arugula.  Lightly drizzle honey over the whole thing and sprinkle with the red pepper flakes.  Bake for 10-15 minutes, or until it has reached the desired amount of bubbly-/crispiness. 

Portabella Pizza

You won't miss the carbs, trust me.  

This personal pizza is healthy, filling, and delicious.  And you can play around with the toppings to keep it interesting.  The pictures here are the version with the Pizza Dip, but I've also made these differently before, so I added some variations down at the bottom of the post.

What you need (per pizza):

1 large portabella mushroom, washed and stem removed 

Olive oil spray

Seasoned-All (or just a bit of salt)

Pepper

Toppings: 

2 tablespoons Pizza Dip

1 teaspoon Pesto (I just used a little from a jar of store-bought)

2 thin slices of a large tomato

3-4 green olives, chopped

1-2 tablespoons Marinara Sauce 

1 teaspoon crumbled Feta Cheese

2 anchovies

Pepper, Oregano, Garlic Powder, Red Pepper Flakes

Heat oven (or toaster oven) to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.  Spray baking sheet with a little olive oil, place mushroom on sheet, and spray mushroom with a bit of olive oil too.  Season lightly with Season-All or just salt and pepper.  Bake for 30-45 minutes (I baked mine for about 45, and it was deliciously well-done.  30 minutes would also do the trick, it just won't get quite as "meaty").  The mushroom should be tender and have shrunk a good deal.

Spread the Pizza Dip and Pesto over the gills of the mushroom.  Layer the tomato, green olives, marinara sauce, feta cheese, and anchovies over this.  Season with the spices that you desire.  Return pan to oven for another 5-10 minutes, or until everything is heated and melty.  

Grab your knife and fork (or don't, but I'll let you know it's gonna be messy), and dig in!

Some Other Topping Ideas:

• Replace Pizza Dip with fat-free cream cheese, add more Marinara sauce 
• Add some pepperoni
• Add some other/ extra cheese: Goat, Mozzarella, Parmesan, Blue Cheese
• Add fresh basil
• Make it a "burger" instead of pizza: lettuce, tomato, pickles, mustard, and ketchup (I've done this one and it was pretty darn tasty)
• Add whatever you like!

Healthy Pizza Dip

Dip is awesome.  There are endless possibilities of types to make and types of things to dip.

It's always fun to eat (finger food = awesome.  In fact, I like to make many non-finger foods into finger foods as well).

And it can be super healthy or super indulgent, depending on your mood/ lifestyle/ how many drinks you've had.

This particular dip (while not super-photogenic) is really pretty healthy, especially if you use vegetable dippers.  (Though I did just try it with a bagel chip and that might have to triumph over veggies at the moment)  I also made some roasted baby carrots as another dipping option.

What you need:

1 cup low fat cottage cheese (I used 1 %)
1-2 teaspoons olive oil
15 thin slices of "de-fatted" pepperoni (see below)
2 whole heads roasted garlic
3-4 tablespoons fat-free Greek yogurt
1/3 cup canned artichokes (if using oil packed, omit that olive oil above)
1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes (again, if using oil packed, omit that olive oil above)
2-3 anchovies
Splash of red wine vinegar
2-3 tablespoons grated good-quality Parmesan cheese
Spices: Season-All, garlic powder, oregano, thyme, and black pepper, to taste (this is what I had, Italian seasoning would be a good substitute for the Season-All if you have it)

To "de-fat" your pepperoni (this step also makes it crispy and probably better for the dip):

Place pepperoni slices in a single layer across a baking sheet or toaster oven pan.  Broil on high for 5-10 minutes, or until pieces have shrunk substantially but not burnt.  Drain fat and sop up the rest from the slices with a paper towel.

For the rest of the dip:
Blend everything in food processor or blender.  Let sit for half an hour or so in the frig.  Serve with dippers of choice, such as:

• Cucumber slices
• Red bell pepper slices
• Roasted cauliflower or broccoli florets
• Baby carrots, raw or roasted
• Bagel or pita chips
• Toasted baguette slices

Pizza Scones with Tomato Dipping Sauce

A quick and easy meal.  Portable too!

To make the scones:

You need:
3 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 cup butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 crushed tomato
1 cup buttermilk or sour milk
2 cups shredded cheese (I used a mix of cheddar and mozzarella)
2 small hot peppers, sliced thinly
1/2 finely diced onion
2 teaspoons black pepper
1 tablespoon garlic powder
2 teaspoons dried oregano

Measure flour, salt and baking powder into a large bowl.  Cut the butter into the flour until there are no large chunks.  Add the rest of the ingredients and mix gently until a soft dough forms.  Use a spoon to plop the dough onto a baking sheet.  You can make small "personal" scones, one huge one, or somewhere in between.  I made four, each with about a six inch diameter.  They were about 1.5 inches thick. If you make one large one, make the round a bit thinner to ensure it cooks through in the middle without having burnt edges. Sprinkle with a bit more cheese, some parmesan, oregano, and garlic powder.  Bake at 425 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 350 and bake for another 15 minutes.  If you are making larger or smaller ones than I did, adjust times accordingly.  Serve warm with pizza sauce or the sauce below.

For the Tomato Dipping Sauce:

You need:
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
A few cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 cup onion, chopped
2 hot peppers, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
Salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1/4-1/3 cup red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons soy sauce
2 cups crushed tomato
1/3 cup chopped fresh basil
Olive oil

Saute garlic, onion, celery, and peppers in the vegetable oil with a pinch of salt until softened.  Add tomatoes, vinegar, pepper and oregano.  Add half a cup of water and then let simmer until sauce has thickened again.  Remove from heat and add the basil.  Let cool a bit and then place in blender.  Add a splash of olive oil and blend briefly (or more if you want a smoother sauce).

Goat Cheese, Basil, and Tomato Pizza with Eggplant and Hot Pepper Spread

A unique pizza using the Eggplant and Hot Pepper Spread as a sauce.

What you need:

A 12 inch Pizza Crust or Naan Bread (which is what I used, because there is a good locally baked one in the stores here)
1/2- 3/4 cup Eggplant and Hot Pepper Spread (from a previous post of mine)
1 large Tomato, thinly sliced
1/2 cup Greek Olives, chopped
1/2 cup Goat Cheese, crumbled
1/2 cup Mozzarella, shredded or cut into very small cubes
Fresh Basil and Oregano, chopped (used dried if you don't have fresh- that is what I did with the oregano)
Olive Oil, if desired

Heat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.  Spread Eggplant and Hot Pepper Spread on the crust.  Top with the tomato slices,Greek olives, and both cheeses.  Bake until cheese melts and begins to brown/ bubble (15-20 minutes).  Take out of the oven and sprinkle with the herbs.  Drizzle lightly with olive oil, if desired.  Enjoy!

Black Bean Hummus, Eggplant, and Feta Pizza

Use up some black bean hummus by making a pizza!

What you need:

1 12" Pizza Crust (I either make my own dough or use a soft Naan bread.  You could also use a store bought crust or dough.  Lightly pre-bake the dough if you are using it)
Black Bean Hummus- about a cup and a half (see my recipe.  Or try using regular hummus).
Two small Eggplant, cut into 1/4 thick medallions
1 cup sliced Mushrooms
1/2 cup Onion, thinly sliced
1/2 Bell Pepper, thinly sliced
Salt, pepper, Garlic Powder
3/4 cup crumbled Feta
Olive Oil
Arugula, Basil, Chives- thinly sliced
Red Pepper Flakes

Start by roasting the vegetables: Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.  Lay eggplant, mushrooms, onions, and bell pepper out on a greased baking sheet.  Spray with cooking spray and then season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.  Put in the oven and let cook until veggies are slightly browned and soft.  This should take 15-20 minutes.

Place pizza crust on a pizza pan or baking sheet.  Spread with hummus and then top with the roasted vegetables.  Sprinkle with the feta cheese and lightly drizzle olive oil over the top.  Bake for 15 minutes or until cheese melts and crust is browned.  Sprinkle with the basil, chives, red pepper, and arugula.  Drizzle lightly with olive oil.  Cut into slices and enjoy!

Note: If you are watching your carbs and don't really eat pizza, try the toppings of this pizza on a bed of lettuce.  Still tasty!