Kale, Mushroom and Goat Cheese Pizza

Wow, hey guys! I've been MIA, huh?

It's been a busy few weeks that has overlapped with a bit of a cooking rut. I've been making plenty of food but I've had a hard time feeling inspired by the meals I've made. I'm hoping to turn that around this week and bring you some yummy spring recipes!

I've historically found that when I find myself in a rut, the best thing to do is to make something that is familiar and undeniably delicious no matter what. For me, that food is pizza. Put anything on a chewy crust and cover it in gooey cheese and, well, we're back in business!

This Kale, Mushroom and Goat Cheese Pizza is made on my favorite, no rise crust which makes this a quick, easy and delicious meatless Monday meal! The edges of the kale get an amazing crispy char to them while the creamy goat cheese melts just slightly over the sauce. Mushrooms add a meaty element that really rounds out (ha!) the dish.

As with nearly any recipe I put out here on the internet, this is the perfect base pizza recipe that you can add and adjust to your heart's desire. Add some crispy ground sausage because OMG sausage, kale and mushrooms are the ultimate trifecta. Want more veggies? Throw 'em on! Just remember not to overcrowd your toppings because it risks making your crust soggy and that would be sad.

I see your cooking rut and I raise you one quick, tasty, wonderfully composed pizza recipe. Ahh, it feels good to be back.

Broccoli Mozzarella Pinwheels

My friend called these "savory cinnamon buns of deliciousness." That's really all you need to know.

But, you know me. I can't leave well enough alone. I need to gush on and on and on. And these golden brown, ooey gooey beauties are worth gushing about.

So here's the thing. I've made many homemade pizzas before. And that includes homemade pizza dough, plain // whole wheat // honey whole wheat, I can do it. But trust me when I say, for pinwheels, a store-bought dough is the way to go. Yes, it's in a can, yes, you pop it open with a spoon, and YES your pinwheels will be perfect every time!

My Broccoli Mozzarella Pinwheels are loaded with finely chopped, garlicky broccoli and melty mozzarella cheese. A sprinkle of red pepper flakes adds the perfect amount of heat and keeps your taste buds happy with every bite.

But I promised you next-level pinwheels, and that means they need some extra-special lovin'. Just before we bake these beauties, we melt a whole bunch of butter in a saucepan with chopped garlic and parsley. The butter is brushed on top of the pinwheels, then they get sprinkled with grated parmesan cheese. Golden brown glory.

This recipe can easily be doubled for a party, or served for dinner with a light salad. I always put out some marinara sauce for dipping. You can cut the rolls as big or as small as you want, I can usually get between 6 and 10 rolls depending on how much I roll out the pizza dough. No matter how you cut em, you're going to l.o.v.e. em!

Loaded Vegetable Honey Whole Wheat Flatbread

See, I have this problem.

Every year I am so ready to start up my New Year's Resolutions just like every other basic betch. I want to get in shape, I want to eat healthier, I want to feel good.

But then I remember how much I love pizza and BAM! New year, same me.

This year I resolve that loving pizza and sticking to a healthier diet doesn't have to be mutually exclusive. Enter: Loaded Vegetable Honey Whole Wheat Flatbread.

We are taking all of the vegetables and a fresh, homemade tomato sauce, piling them high on a honey whole wheat quick pizza crust and topping it all with melted, gooey part-skim mozzarella cheese. Sure, this isn't totally guilt free, but when those insatiable pizza cravings hit and you start to reach for the take-out menu, let this delicious pizza be the new norm.

The really great thing about this pizza is that you can customize it to your liking. My vegetables pictured here include kale, asparagus, zucchini and mushrooms, but feel free to dig through your crisper drawer and find what veggies work for you! In fact, you may notice only half of my pizza has mushrooms. That's because a certain fiance who shall not be named, for some crazy reason, does not like mushrooms. We don't judge. We accommodate the picky eaters in our lives.

For the sauce, instead of using store bought pizza sauce that's loaded with unwanted sugars and salts and who knows what else, I simply added a can of no salt added diced tomatoes to a food processor with garlic and a salt-free Italian seasoning. Cook it down a bit until it's thickened and there you have it. It's great knowing exactly what you're putting into your body.

When it comes to this flatbread, I know I am eating whole, fresh ingredients that make my taste buds do the happy dance.

P.S. Over New Years Resolutions? Here are some outrageous pizzas from Gas Stove Girl, previously.

Chicken, Spinach and Artichoke Pizza
Sausage and Broccoli Pizza
Chicken Pot Pie Pizza with Parmesan Ranch Cream Sauce

Chicken Pot Pie Pizza with Parmesan Ranch Cream Sauce

That is quite a lengthy recipe title, but it just goes to show that this pizza recipe is JAM PACKED with flavors.

Last week I made my Chicken Pot Pockets for dinner (one of our favorite weeknight recipes!), and we found ourselves with extra pot pie filling than there was puff pastry to stuff. I packed it away in the fridge sadly, thinking for sure this would ultimately get tossed in the garbage as most forgotten leftovers do.

The next day I was still thinking about that chicken pot pie filling--what can I say, food really is always on my mind. That's when it hit me. Pizza. Pizza makes everything better and generally everything tastes better when it is on a pizza.

I told Cory what my plan was and he giggled like a school girl was totally on board with the idea. My general vision was a white cream sauce, chicken pot pie filling, mozzarella and garlic or herbs on top. Then, in an effort to show me up, Cory suggests making the cream sauce a RANCH cream sauce. Ugh, this is love.

Needless to say it was exactly what the pizza needed. A light side salad was the perfect accompaniment to make this pizza into a meal. Sure, it seems a little indulgent and it is. Pizza = indulgence. And pizza = happiness, so don't sell yourself short--you DESERVE this Chicken Pot Pie Pizza with Parmesan Ranch Cream Sauce.

It's also a great excuse to make chicken pot pockets first. You know, just spreading our dollars. The recipe below will make 2 12-inch pizzas--perfect for feeding a crowd!

Pepperoni Pizza Dip

We’re going to talk about pizza in the form of a warm, cheesy dip today. We’re going to ignore any and all dietary restrictions and get down to brass tax.

Cheese plus tomato sauce plus pepperoni plus more cheese plus bread for dipping equal appetizer bliss.

My ronis got shuffled in transit...

Do we understand each other?

Delightful!

If there’s one thing you’ve caught onto by now, it’s that I love making dips. Think…guacamole, white beandip, taco layer dip…it’s something I love. Let’s embrace it!

Dips are a quintessential party food and are designed by nature to feed the masses. This particular Pepperoni Pizza Dip is much more cost friendly than buying 4 pizza pies for a bunch of friends. Put this dip out and let people take little bites here and there, and your next gathering will be a hit!

Here's my friend Rich getting ready to dig in to some pepperoni pizza dip I brought to his apartment this weekend. Yum! We ate SO MUCH FOOD and had SO MUCH FUN!

Oh, by the way. Like most of my dips, this isn’t difficult at all to put together. It starts where all great things in this world start.

CREEEEAM CHEEEESE! (imagine me shouting/singing "cream cheese"
and that’s what I intended that to be).

Softened cream cheese gets mixed together with fresh basil, pepperoni slices, olive oil, sour cream, mozzarella, and a little bit of crack black pepper for a kick.

This mixture gets spread into the bottom of a casserole or baking dish. Then it’s time for your favorite marinara sauce.

Look, go ahead and use the jarred stuff. There are some good ones out there. You can always start with a jarred sauce and jazz it up with lemon juice, fresh herbs, whatever you’d like. This is a judgement free zone. We want this dip to be easy peasy!

Atop the marinara goes a a bit more of mozzarella and cheese. It’s like – why not?!

Some full pepperonis for flare on top, and so people know what they’re getting into!

Bake, wait, and enjoy. I served my pizza dip with chunks of French baguette. Tortilla chips are also a fine dipping vehicle. Go crazy, get wild, put in your favorite pizza toppings, be yourself—always!

Chicken, Spinach and Artichoke Pizza

 

Look, guys. I know what people are saying about me.

I've gone mad. I need to go to Spin Dip Lovers Anonymous. You and carbohydrates make me crazy.

It's OK...I think the rumors are true. I love spinach and artichoke dip.  I surely love pizza. Of course I had to marry the two together for something completely out of the box that is worth every calorie.

I have such a small amount of pictures for this post because I made this pizza for some guests on Oscar night and I couldn't hold them back any longer!!

OK, really, I was just embarrassed to have people witness my behind-the-scenes work...blogger blush.

I used the pizza crust recipe from this post to get things going. That recipe yields two 13-inch pizzas, so here is my second creation. The measurements below would be for two pizzas. Is that confusing? I only made one, but I'm giving you the measurements for two. Did that help? UGH MONDAY.

This pizza is exactly what it sounds like...a simple spinach and artichoke dip topped with chicken and mozzarella cheese. It is so gooey and rich, with the slight bite of artichoke and soft undertone of spinach. The pizza crust makes this easy to eat in a party setting. Remember not to over-fill your pizza crust or else you won't get as puffy of a crust and it might get tough.

Sausage and Broccoli Pizza

I was born and raised on Long Island, New York. As such, I am a certified pizza snob. I believe New York Pizza is the best pizza, and there is very little you can do to change my mind.

It's really hard being a New York pizza snob in Boston, but that is the predicament I find myself in. Because I also am madly in LOVE with pizza, I decided that it would be a fun activity to make a yummy pizza at home.

Because I would trust Super Chef Bobby Flay with my life, I decided that his pizza dough recipe would be the perfect place to start. I even made the dough the night before and allowed it to come to room temperature just before cooking. It's really fool proof. A stand mixer is very useful to have, but if you don't have this or time to make your own dough, a store-bought dough would work just fine!

The joy of homemade pizza is the fact that you can let your imagination run wild. There is no pizza shop owner telling you what pizza options you have. Instead, the options are limitless! If you want a bacon, bleu cheese, french fry pizza -- by God, you make that pizza.

For my first homemade pizza, I thought I would keep it simple and go with what I like. I am a huge fan of browned sweet Italian sausage, and broccoli is almost always my vegetable of choice. And so this simple but comforting Sausage and Broccoli Pizza was born.

I doctored up a store-bought pizza sauce using a bunch of herbs, lemon juice, a touch of sugar and garlic. I wilted in some spinach for added nutritional goodness.

Now, if you're going to be making a pizza at home and take nothing else away from this post -- heed this tip: do NOT buy pre-shredded mozzarella cheese. If you buy a ball of fresh whole milk mozzarella and shred it yourself, you will find that it melts much more beautifully than the processed stuff and bubbles and browns in a mouthwatering way.

My crust turned out to be a little big. It's ok, that's my favorite part

Also important is your equipment...a pizza stone is preferable, but I was able to find a $3 pizza pan (3 DOLLARS!!) at Marshalls. It's extremely helpful for crisping the crust and forming your dough into a nice circle. If all else fails, you can also follow the steps below using a large cast iron skillet!

The following recipe includes the pizza dough recipe and a separate recipe for the toppings. Note that the dough recipe yields 2 13-inch pizzas, so check back soon for another great pizza recipe I served this past weekend that is so outrageous it has to be good! PIZZA! PIZZA!


Here's what you need for Sausage and Broccoli Pizza:

For the crust (adapted Bobby Flay Recipe)
3 1/2 to 4 cups all purpose flour plus more for kneading
1 teaspoon sugar
1 envelope instant dry yeast
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 1/2 cups warm water (must be WARM, not hot or cold, to avoid deactivating the yeast)
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons olive oil

For the toppings
1 can pizza sauce
splash of water to clean out the can
1 tablespoon each dried oregano and dried basil
1 teaspoon sugar
juice of 1 lemon
about 1 cup packed baby spinach
Salt and pepper to taste
3 links sweet italian sausage, removed from casing
1 cup frozen broccoli, chopped fine
1 tablespoon butter
1 cup (or more..hee hee) freshly grated whole milk mozzarella cheese
1 tablespoon olive oil

Here's what you do:

For the crust
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine 3 1/2 cups of flour, sugar, yeast and salt. Turn mixer on low and gradually stream in the water and 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Increase speed slightly and knead until the dough begins to form a ball and pulls away from the sides of the bowl. If it is extremely sticky, add more flour about a tablespoon at a time until desired consistency.

Lightly flour a clean work surface and turn the dough out onto the countertop. Knead lightly and form into a smooth ball. Use the remaing olive oil to grease a large bowl. Place the dough in the bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Place in a warm area and allow to rise about 1 hour until doubled in size.

Once the dough has doubled, again lightly flour a clean work surface and separate the dough into 2 equal pieces. Knead each piece gently into a smooth ball. Cover with a clean kitchen towel for ten minutes. If not using immediately, wrap the balls tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. Allow to come to room temperature before cooking.

While preparing the toppings, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place the pizza pan in the oven to preheat as well.

For the toppings
In a small saucepan, combine the pizza sauce, water, herbs, sugar, and lemon juice over medium heat. Stir to combine. Bring to a slight boil then reduce the heat to low. Add the spinach and cook until completely wilted; season with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.

In a skillet, heat a bit of oil over medium heat. Add the sausage and brown for about 2 minutes. Begin breaking apart the sausage and crumble into small pieces. Cook, stirring occassionally until browned on all sides. Transfer to a paper towel lined plate to drain.

In the same pan, melt the butter and saute the broccoli until warmed. Season with salt and pepper.

To build the pizza
Remove pizza pan from oven and carefully press pizza dough onto the pan working out from the center. Make it as thick or thin as you like.

Use a soup ladle to spoon about a cup of the sauce into the center of the crust. Use the back of the spoon to swirl it around to coat almost all of the pizza, leaving about an inch for the crust. Top the sauce with broccoli then add the mozzarella cheese, being sure to evenly coat the entire pizza. Finally, place the sausage pieces on top. Drizzle the top with the remaining olive oil, being sure to get a bit on the crust as well. Bake at 350 for about 15 to 20 minutes until the cheese is bubbly and the crust is gold brown. Allow to cool slightly before cutting and serving.