White Cheese and Garlic Pizza

We all love homemade pizza, but it’s time to switch things (aka ingredients) up. This time, we’re heading the cheesy and garlicky route- no more of the same old tomato based sauce. Go on, take a slice of this rich and delicious three-cheese pizza. I promise you’ll come back for more. 

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Yield: 2 (10 inch) pizzas

Ingredients:

Pizza Dough- about 20 oz fresh store bought OR *recipe here from my Tomato Margherita Pizza*
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
All purpose flour for dusting

For the sauce:

Fresh Mozzarella Cheese- 8 oz, grated
Ricotta Cheese- 8-10 oz tub
Goat Cheese- 6 oz, crumbled 

Toppings:

Dried Oregano – 2 teaspoons
Salt and Crushed Black Pepper
1 Tomato- Sliced (rounds)
Fresh Basil Leaves- 4 tablespoons 

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 425 F. Mix the 2 tablespoons olive oil and garlic in a small bowl, and keep aside.

Roll out the pizza dough, divided into two portions, on a lightly floured surface into 8-10 inch rounds. With a fork, poke the dough round a few times to allow for even baking. Brush lightly with some of the garlic oil.

Top the dough rounds with the grated mozzarella cheese and goat cheese, leaving ½ inch around the border. Dollop spoonfuls of the ricotta cheese on the pizza. Top with the tomato slices and fresh basil leaves, and sprinkle the dried oregano, salt, and pepper. Drizzle remaining olive oil and minced garlic on both pizzas. 

Transfer to the rack in the center of oven. I used a pizza stone to bake my pizza- a metal baking pan brushed with olive oil works amazingly well too! Bake pizza until crust is golden brown and cheese melts, about 15-18 minutes. Transfer the pizza to a cutting board, and let stand for 5 minutes before slicing. 

Serve and Enjoy!

*Note: If you decide to use the pizza dough from my recipe, then double the recipe to make two pizzas!

**Note: If you want to make two pizzas, start preparing the second pizza with toppings, cheese, etc no more than 10 minutes before it gets transferred into the oven. Leaving the pizza standing with the oil and toppings will cause the pizza to bake unevenly and come out a little soggy. If you want to prepare all of the pizzas beforehand, place the pizzas in the freezer before baking.

Margherita Pizza

We all know there's nothing better than fresh homemade pizza. My friend Sam Miller and I finally concocted an Italian masterpiece and Voila! Thus was born the impeccably crisp, yet chewy, canvas for a beautiful and flavorful tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella, and lush basil.

With the aromatic notes from the basil, and light flavor from the creamy mozzarella, we found the Chianti as the perfect Margherita pizza wine pairing. It was subtle and absolutely refreshing!

Yield: 1 (10 inch) pizza 

Ingredients:

For the dough:

• 1 (1/4 ounce) package active dry yeast
• 1 3/4 cups all purpose flour, divided
• 1 cup warm water, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 tablespoon olive oil

For the tomato sauce:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 (14 ounce) can crushed red tomatoes
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 small white onion, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon red chilli powder or paprika 
• 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Toppings:

• 8 ounces fresh mozzarella, cut into 1/4-inch thick slices
• 6-8 fresh basil leaves

Directions:

1. Stir together yeast, 1 tablespoon flour, and 1/4 cup warm water in a large bowl, and set aside for 5 minutes until surface appears creamy. 
2. Add 1 1/2 cups flour, the remaining 3/4 cup water, salt, and oil. Add the remaining flour slowly until the dough begins to pull away from the side of the bowl. 
3. Knead on a flat floured surface, until the dough is smooth and elastic. Form into a ball, and put in a bowl covered with a damp towel. Let the dough rise for about 45 minutes- 1 hour. 
4. Make the tomato sauce while the dough rises. Mash the canned tomatoes to make a chunky puree. 
5. Over low-medium heat, in a small heavy saucepan, cook the onions in the olive oil until translucent. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, and light golden brown. Add the tomato puree, sugar, red chilli, oregano, thyme, and salt and simmer, uncovered, until the sauce thickens. Stir occasionally. 
6. Preheat the oven to 450F. 
7. Dust the dough with a little bit of flour, and transfer to a pizza pan, or large baking sheet. Pat out dough evenly, and stretch into a 10-12 inch round, reflouring if necessary. 
8. Spread the sauce over the dough, leaving a 1/2 inch border. Arrange the mozzarella slices on top. 
9. Slide the pizza pan/sheet into the oven (or pizza stone) and bake until the dough is crisp and browned, and the mozzarella is golden and bubbling, about 12-15 minutes. 
10. Top the pizza with the basil leaves, and place it back again to broil for 1 minute (Note* Don't broil for too long, otherwise pizza will be burnt on the top). 
11. Transfer the pizza to a cutting board, and let cool for 5 minutes. 
12. Slice and serve!
13. Enjoy!

Caprese Sandwiches

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Description :
These quick and easy to make sandwiches are a great snack. Full of flavor with a creamy basil mayo and mozzarella cheese, these sandwiches are bound to become a hit!

Preparation Time :
10 minutes

Servings :
4-6 sandwiches

Ingredients :

For the Pesto/Basil Mayo:

Basil leaves, roughly chopped-6
Mayonnaise- 1/3 cup
Garlic- 2 cloves
Salt and crushed black pepper to taste
Crushed red pepper- 1 teaspoon
Olive oil- ½ tablespoon

1 loaf bread
Tomatoes- 2, sliced
Mozzarella cheese- 8-10 ounces, sliced

Directions :

Roughly chop the basil leaves and garlic cloves. Blend all of the ingredients for the pesto/basil mayo in a food processor.

Slice the tomatoes and mozzarella cheese.
Slice the loaf of bread and toast if desired.
Toast slices of bread if desired.

Assemble the sandwiches by spreading the basil mayo on one slice of bread. Place two tomato slices, a slice of mozzarella cheese and top with the second piece of bread. Halve and serve.

Enjoy!

Bruschetta

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Description :

Take a bite into crunchy bread topped with creamy tomatoes, onions, garlic, basil, and goat cheese. Yummmy!

Preparation Time :

10 minutes

Servings :

6 – 8

Ingredients :

1 loaf French baguette bread
2 tomatoes
1 medium onion
2 cloves garlic
1-1 ½ tablespoons fresh basil chopped
1 ½ tablespoons olive oil
4 ounces goat cheese
salt and pepper

Directions :

TSlice the French Baguette loaf into ½ – 1 inch wide slices. Brush each slice with a little bit of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Toast the bread until light golden brown.

Chop the tomatoes, onions, garlic and basil and put into a bowl. Slice the goat cheese to create little pieces or chunks of the cheese. Mix the goat cheese together with the tomatoes, onions, garlic, and basil. Pour 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Mix everything together.

Put a little bit of the bruschetta mixture on top of each slice of the toasted French baguette bread. Serve and enjoy!