Cheesy corn goodness on pizza?

Amazing!  I wasn't sure quite what to expect when we tried this recipe for Grilled Pizza with Cheesy Corn from Martha Stewart magazine, but really...it's pizza.  How bad could it be?

Turns out it was awesome.  I'm not kidding either.  I did start with corn sliced right off the cob, but I've seen online that some others have used frozen corn and thought it still turned out great.  Good to know for the winter months ahead!  I used a piece of naan flatbread as the crust instead of making my own.  It's still summer: I needed to cut at least a few corners!

Summertime pizza

Don't forget about doing pizza on the grill!  It's a great way to ensure that you don't have to give up all your favorite cold-weather foods during the summer heat :-)  Here is the link to my favorite pizza recipes.

Pizza with fresh tomato, basil, and olives

Here's a really terrific pizza that we stumbled on by playing "let's clean out the fridge"!  I had several previously made pizza shells in the freezer, each of which had already been baked for about 6 minutes.  I stuck them in at 450 just long enough to thaw and heat them to make spreading the cheese easy.

Pizza with Fresh Tomato

Tomato, sliced very thinly
Salt
Fresh basil, chopped
Olive oil
Kalamata olives, chopped
Pizza shells
Soft goat cheese

Scallions, sliced very thinly
Bit of shredded mozzarella cheese
Black pepper

Lay the sliced tomatoes out of a plate and sprinkle with salt and basil.  Drizzle with olive oil and top with chopped olives.  Let it sit for a few minutes.

Heat oven to 450 with rack on bottom.  Heat the pizza shells slightly and spread with softened goat cheese.  Return shells to oven for 3 minutes.

Spread tomato slices and other ingredients onto shells.  Top with scallions and a little bit of mozzarella cheese.  Return to the oven for 4 to 5 minutes.  Add black pepper to serve.  

Pizza with prosciutto

Sweet and salty together...oh the joy!  I made our Goat Cheese, Fig, and Prosciutto Pizza awhile ago with fresh figs, a bit of olive spread, and without the scallions.  Very very satisfying!

Artichoke and shrimp pizza

No, I am not trying to see what weird combinations I can come up with!  We just like to try out new things, and this turned out really well.  I used our thin crust recipe and made two small rounds. 

Artichoke and Shrimp Pizza

1/4 to 1/2 lb small cooked shrimp
Small bunch of scallions
1-1/2 T cornstarch
3/4 c milk
3/4 c (3 oz) shredded Swiss cheese
1/4 c dry white wine
Dash of garlic powder
15oz can of artichoke hearts, chopped
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Thin crust pizza shells, 2 small or 1 large

Bake the pizza shells at 450 for 7 or 8 minutes and remove from the oven.  This can be done ahead of time if desired.

Slice the shrimp into half or thirds lengthwise, and slice the scallions (white and pale green parts) thinly crosswise.  Set aside.

Mix the cornstarch and cold milk and begin to heat in a medium saucepan.  Bring to a gentle boil and stir until thickened.  Remove from the heat and stir in the cheese, wine, and garlic powder.  Spread the sauce over the pizza shells.  Spread on the artichokes, shrimp, and white parts of the scallions.  Bake at 450 until bubbly and browning slightly.  Top with the green parts of the scallions and some Parmesan cheese before serving.  You can return it to the oven to melt the cheese slightly if desired.     

Malaysian chicken pizza

Cooking Light had an interesting twist on classic pizza with their Malaysian Chicken Pizza recipe.  We liked it well enough, but it won't go into our personal list of favorites.  However, I still thought it was worth passing on if you like the idea of a spicy hot peanut sauce pizza :-)  I used our favorite Thin Pizza Crust recipe.

Goat cheese and prosciutto pizza

I love to cook our pizza on the grill during the summer and fall, so even though this amazing recipe for Goat Cheese and Prosciutto Pizza calls for turning on the oven, if you've set aside a few pre-baked pizza shells, you're all set!  I used our thin crust pizza dough recipe and made two smaller crusts with it.   

Jalapeño popper pizza

This recipe was a prize winner, created by Courtney Aronson Sparks of Maine.  Believe me, it truly is a prize winner!  I modified Courtney's recipe slightly, making my own thin crust pizza dough and baking the crust most of the way first.  I also decided to spread the Neufchatel cheese on as a first layer rather than dropping gobs of it on later.  Finish by baking for about 5 minutes just to melt and merge everything.  Amazing!

Chicken Florentine pizza

I'm fast coming to the end of my "lazy month" that I allowed for myself to regroup and refresh.  There are still a few "lazy meals" left to come though, like this terrific pizza from the Charcoal Corral in Perry NY.   Sorry, I don't have the recipe, and isn't that a shame?!

Pear and blue cheese pizza

This is an unusual but delicious pizza pie, especially appropriate for the fall. It will only take about 30 minutes to make.

Pear & Blue Cheese Pizza

For each pizza pie:

Olive oil
Onion, thinly sliced halves
Balsamic vinegar
1 t dried sage
Salt & pepper
Pizza shell
Pear, cored and sliced very thin
1/3 c walnuts, chopped
1/2 c Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled

Cook onions in oil until they begin to brown. Lower heat and continue to cook until very soft. Stir in the Balsamic vinegar, sage, and the salt and pepper. Spread the onions out on the pizza shell. Top with pear slices, walnuts, and cheese. Bake for 10 minutes or so at 400, until the cheese is melted.

Summertime pizza on the grill

Eating Well Magazine

How about a Nectarine and Prosciutto Pizza, from the July/August 2008 issue of Eating Well Magazine? Doesn’t that sound amazing? I really like prosciutto with peaches too, so feel free to substitute. For more variations and oven-baking directions, visit the link above.

Nectarine and Prosciutto Pizza

3/4 cup shredded provolone cheese
1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese
Yellow cornmeal for dusting
1 pound Easy Whole-Wheat Pizza Dough or other prepared dough
3 tablespoons prepared basil pesto
1/2 cup thinly sliced prosciutto (about 2 ounces)
1 large ripe nectarine or peach or 2 fresh apricots, pitted and thinly sliced
1 tablespoon aged balsamic vinegar
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1. Preheat grill to low. (For charcoal grilling or an oven variation, see below.)
2. Mix provolone and blue cheese in a medium bowl; set aside.
3. Sprinkle cornmeal onto a pizza peel or large baking sheet. Roll out the dough (see To Roll Out Pizza Dough, below) and transfer it to the prepared peel or baking sheet, making sure the underside of the dough is completely coated with cornmeal.
4. Slide the crust onto the grill rack; close the lid. Cook until lightly browned, 3 to 4 minutes.
5. Using a large spatula, flip the crust. Spread pesto on the crust, leaving a 1-inch border. Quickly sprinkle three-fourths of the cheese mixture on top. Top with prosciutto slices, fruit and the remaining cheese.
6. Close the lid again and grill until the cheese has melted and the bottom of the crust has browned, about 8 minutes.
7. Drizzle balsamic vinegar over the pizza and season with pepper just before slicing and serving.

Time to make: 35 minutes

Lahmahjoon pizza

The original recipe for this tasty and different pizza came from Eating Well Magazine, the July/August 2008 issue. We like to make our own pizza dough, so I changed the process slightly. I also altered a few of the ingredients to make it a bit more to our taste. This pizza features Armenian flavors...slightly sweet and spicy.

Lahmahjoon Pizza

Yellow cornmeal for dusting
1/2 recipe of pizza dough

Olive oil
3-4 shallots, chopped
8 oz ground lamb
4 plum tomatoes, chopped
1 T molasses
1 t cinnamon
Salt and pepper
1/2 c feta, crumbled
1 T pine nuts

Make the pizza dough and roll/stretch half of it out to a pie, dusted with cornmeal. Preheat the oven and pizza stone to 450. Dust the peel with more cornstarch and bake the shell for 3-4 minutes. Remove from stone and flip it over. Add the toppings and slide it back onto the stone. Bake for 12 to 15 more minutes.

Toppings:
In a large skillet, cook the shallots until soft. Add the lamb and brown it. Add tomatoes and cook until soft, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add molasses and spices and stir together.

Spread meat mixture onto pizza shell. Add feta and pine nuts.

Olive salad, aka muffuletta salad mix

Olive salad is wicked good stuff for slapping on a pizza, making a muffuletta sandwich, or eating by the spoonful! There are lots of variations on this muffuletta filling, and here is my favorite:

Olive Salad Spread

1 c green olives, pitted
1 c black olives, pitted
1/4 c sweet onion
2 T fresh basil
2 T lemon juice
1 T horseradish
2 cloves of garlic
1 T dijon mustard
Splash of Tabasco sauce
Splash of Worcestershire sauce
1/2 c olive oil
Salt and pepper

Cut up the onion and garlic a bit. Combine olives through Worcestershire sauce in a food processor and chop coarsely. Add the oil with the machine running and process until a bit pasty. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate an hour before using.


Muffuletta sandwich

The sandwich consists of a round loaf of crusty Italian bread, split and filled with layers of sliced provolone cheese, Genoa salami, Cappicola ham, and olive salad. It originated in New Orleans!

Pizza dough recipe

Making pizza dough

Pizza with Muffuletta salad mix, tomato sauce, and mozzarella cheese

Whether you buy pre-made dough, make your own by hand, or use a bread machine (like I do), eventually you've got to figure out how to get that lump of dough shaped into a pizza pie shell. Over on YouTube, Momspizzadough makes it look easy to shape it and get it from the peel onto your pizza stone. I tried it...it is easy!

One of our favorite pizza combos is Muffuletta salad mix plus tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese!

Pizza Dough (for bread machine)

1-1/3 c water
1/4 c olive oil
2-1/2 c white flour
1 c whole wheat flour
1 T sugar
1-1/2 t salt
2-1/4 t yeast

Set machine for dough setting. Shape dough and transfer to hot stone at 450 for about 10 minutes. Add toppings and cook 5 to 10 minutes more. Cooking can be done in oven or on grill.

Individual tomato pizzas

How about super-fast individual pizzas for dinner tonight? You’ll need something else to go with these, most likely a fast salad or some crunchy cut up veggies and dip, but they are fast, fun, and delicious enough to make often! They’re also great when you really just want a light meal, a little something…

Individual Tomato Pizzas

4 large flat whole wheat wraps (split pita bread will work too)
14.5 oz can of crushed tomatoes with green chilis (or separate cans of each)
1/2 c black olives, preferably kalamata, chopped
1/4 c parmesan cheese, freshly grated
4 large fresh basil leaves, torn
4 t olive oil
Black pepper

Drain the tomatoes and save the juice for another time. Layer all the ingredients onto the wraps, topping with olive oil and pepper. Place on baking sheets and cook for about 10 minutes at 400 until the bread is crisp and the cheese is melty. Dive in!