Grilled Herb Pizza

Grilling pizza adds a delicious char and smokey flavor that kicks up an otherwise traditional pie.

For this pizza I replaced the tomato sauce with sliced tomatoes. I used one cheese, a smokey provolone, and then kept the toppings simple as well, opting only for onions and then two herbs: rosemary and oregano. This simple pizza lets each ingredient shine. The sweetness and floral notes in the tomatoes and herbs respectively play off of the smokiness from grilling the pizza.

Grilled Herb Pizza

Difficulty: Intermediate
Yield: 2, 12″ pizzas
Prep Time:  20 minutes
Rising Time: 10-30 minutes
Cooking Time: 1o minutes

Tools:
Rolling pin
Grill
Pizza Peel
Ingredients:
1 lb pizza dough, recipe below

1 tomato, sliced
8 oz. Provolone cheese
4 oz. onion, sliced
1 tsp. rosemary leaves, finely chopped
1/4 tsp. oregano leaves, finely chopped
Salt & pepper to taste
Oil
Instructions:
1. Prepare the pizza dough according to the instructions.
2. Prepare the grill, heating it about 30 minutes before you plan to grill the pizzas.
3. Divide the dough into two portions. Roll out each portion of the the pizza dough to  12″ circle.
4. Lightly oil the top of the dough.
5. Place the tomato slices on top of each pizza. Sprinkle the cheese, onion slices, and herbs on top. Season with salt and pepper.
6. Slide the pizza onto an oiled grill grate and grill over high heat, covered, for 8 to 10 minutes until the dough has puffed up and began to brown; the cheese should also be melted and bubbly around the edges.
7. Remove from the grill and serve immediately.

Pizza Dough: While pizza dough requires an initial rising like most breads, the second rising isn’t necessary as pizza is cooking at incredibly high heat, which will speed up the second rising process, essentially combining the second rise and the baking step together. Add your favorite herbs, seasonings, or flavorings to this dough to make it unique!

Pizza Dough

Adapted from a Jeff Hertzberg, M.D. and Zoe Francois recipe.
Difficulty: Intermediate
Yield: 4 lbs. pizza dough
Prep Time:  20 minutes
Rising Time: 2 hours

Tools:
Large Proofing Tub
Spoon
Ingredients:
1 tbsp. active yeast
3 1/2 cup warm water (105-115°F)
1 lb 14 oz. all-pupose flour
2 oz. oat flour
3 oz. kamut flour
4 oz. whole-wheat flour
1 oz. honey
1 tbsp. salt

Oil
Instructions:
1. Dissolve the the yeast in the warm water.
3. Add the flours, honey, and salt. Mix together until a dough forms and all dry patches are gone. The dough should be sticky but not wet. If needed, add a little more flour.
4. Liberally oil the outside of the dough and place in a covered bowl or proofing tub at room temperature until it has doubled in volume about 2 hours.
5. Once doubled in volume, the dough is ready to use. You can also refrigerate the dough and use it over the next two weeks.

Fresh Strawberry Mint Lemonade

Fresh Strawberry Mint Lemonade

Yield: makes about 4 cups
Total Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

2/3 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup water
1 1/2 cups fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 cups sliced strawberries
1/3 cup fresh mint leaves

Directions:

Combine sugar and water in a small saucepan and heat over medium heat to make a simple syrup. Whisk for a minute or two until sugar dissolves, then once mixture combines to a boil, turn off heat and set in the fridge to cool for about 10 minutes.
Add strawberries and mint to a blender, pureeing until liquified. Add in lemon juice and simple syrup, pureeing until combined. At this point you can choose to keep the mixture thick with the fruit puree, strain half of it to lighten it a bit or strain all of it to remove the strawberry pulp. It's up to you! Pour mixture into a pitcher and stick in the fridge for 20 minutes until cold. Serve over ice.

Blessings to: HowSweetItIs

Soft Cheese Bread: Two Ways...

Delicious, soft cheese bread that can be filled with different cheese fillings. If you’re measuring your flour in cups, hold back 1 cup to add as needed. If you need to visualize the shaping process, it’s very similar to Estonian Kringle bread, so if you search for that, you should be able to find some photos that demonstrate.
This bread freezes beautifully. You can freeze it whole, or slice it and then freeze, so you can grab a couple of slices whenever you like.

Ingredients

• 794 grams (28 oz / 6 1/2 cups) unbleached bread flour (can use all purpose, if that’s all you have)
• 2 tsp. fine salt or 1 Tbsp. coarse kosher salt
• 5 Tbsp. white or brown sugar (or 3 1/2 Tbsp. honey or agave nectar)
• 1 cup lukewarm water, about 95° F. (for even softer bread, use 1 cup water leftover from boiling potatoes, cooled)
• 1 cup plus 2 Tbsp. lukewarm buttermilk or milk
• 1 1/2 Tbsp. instant yeast
• 1/4 cup melted, unsalted butter or vegetable oil
• Filling:
• Cheddar and Herb
• 2 cups shredded, sharp cheddar cheese
• 1/4 cup minced herbs (parsley and chives are good choices)
• Parmesan, Garlic and Herb
• 1 1/2 cups freshly grated Parmesan
• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder (or about 2 tsp. minced fresh)
• 1/4 cup minced herbs (parsley works well)
• 1/4 cup butter, at room temperature

Instructions

1. In a mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the flour, salt and sugar* together. (Tip: If measuring your flour in cups, without a scale, hold back 1 cup to add as needed later). *If you’re using honey or agave, add with the liquid ingredients instead.
2. In a large measuring cup or bowl, combine the water and buttermilk and whisk in the yeast until dissolved. Add this mixture, along with the melted butter, to the dry ingredients. Mix by hand or with a dough hook, until the mixture is combined, about 2 minutes. Let the dough rest for 5 minutes.
3. Continue mixing the dough, adding more flour or water, as needed, until the dough becomes soft, smooth and tacky, but not sticky.
4. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead for a couple of minutes, then form dough into a ball. Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and either refrigerate for up to 4 days, or allow to sit at room temperature until doubled in size (about 60-90 minutes). (*Tip: I like to use an 8-cup glass measuring cup, so it’s easy to see when it’s doubled by the markings).
5. Note: If you have refrigerated your dough, remove from the refrigerator 2 hours before you plan to bake, to allow it to come to room temperature.
6. Divide the dough into 2 equal pieces. Dust each with a bit of flour and then, using a rolling pin, roll into a rectangle approximately 10 inches wide and 16 inches long.
7. For the Cheddar and Herb Bread: spread shredded cheddar and herbs evenly over the surface of the dough. Starting with the shortest side, roll the dough up jelly-roll style and pinch the seam together.
8. For the Parmesan, Garlic and Herb: spread the softened butter over the surface of the dough. Sprinkle evenly with Parmesan, garlic and herbs. Press lightly with the palm of your hand to press the toppings into the butter. Starting with the shortest side, roll the dough up jelly-roll style and pinch the seam together.
9. Grease two 8-inch by 4-inch loaf pans and set aside.
10. Shaping: Using a sharp knife, cut the roll of dough down the centre, lengthwise. Rotate each piece so that the cut sides are facing upward and place them side-by-side. Pinch together the farthest end. Keeping the cuts sides facing upwards as much as possible, place the right-side piece over the left-side piece. Straighen it up and then repeat, pinching together the end closest to you. If any cheese escapes, just place it back on top. Using a bench scraper or spatula, carefully lift the dough into the greased loaf pan. Repeat with the other dough log, then cover both with a greased piece of plastic wrap and allow to rise until the dough rises to about 1-inch above the side of the pans in the middle.
11. Preheat oven to 350° F. Bake for 45-50 minutes total, but after 25 minutes of baking, rotate pans front-to-back in the oven and loosely cover with a piece of aluminum foil, to prevent the top from over-browning. Bread should reach about 185° F. internal temperature in the centre.
12. Remove the bread from the oven and allow to cool in the pans for a couple of minutes. Run a sharp knife around the edge of the bread and carefully remove the loaves to a cooling rack. Allow to cool for 1 hour before slicing.

Prep time: 20 min | Cook time: 50 min | Total time: 4 hours

Number of servings (yield): 2 loaves

 Adapted from Peter Reinhart’s Artisan Bread Every Day

Date & Walnut Zucchini Loaf

Prep time

15 mins

Cook time

60 mins

Total time

1 hour 15 mins

 

Serves: 16

Toasting the walnuts really enhances their flavour. I toss mine on a baking sheet while the oven is preheating – check them and shake the pan every few minutes, removing them when toasty and aromatic.

Ingredients

• 3 cups (lightly packed) grated zucchini
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 3½ cups flour
• 1½ cups sugar
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp cinnamon
• 1 cup chopped walnuts (preferably toasted, see note above)
• 1 cup chopped dates
• ⅓ cup chocolate chips, optional (use ⅓ cup for a few token morsels, or up to 1 cup if you want a stronger chocolate presence…)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven 350 degrees F. Prepare two 1.5 quart (1.5 L) loaf pans by lining with parchment paper or greasing well.
2. In a large bowl, combine zucchini, eggs, oil and vanilla.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Add to zucchini mixture and stir until just incorporated – don’t overmix or the loaves will be tough. Gently fold in walnuts, dates and chocolate chips.
4. Divide batter between two loaf pans. Bake for about 60 minutes, or until top is golden brown and springs back when gently pressed in the centre (a toothpick tester will come out with just a few moist crumbs attached).

Blessings to: Foodess

Gourmet Pesto Sauce

The origins of pesto are somehow uncertain but some historical letters found in the archives of Genoa (Liguria) mention a dressing called "battuto d'aglio" (literally battered garlic) back in the 1600's. Basil has been known to all the Mediterranean people since the age of the Romans, probably originating from the northern coasts of Africa. 

Minutes to Prepare: 30

Number of Servings: 48

Ingredients

2 cups fresh basil leaves3 cloves garlic1/2 cup pine nuts1 cup parsley1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese1/2 tsp course salt1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

Directions

Preparation
Combine and purée all ingredients in a blender or food processor. Add additional olive oil to thin sauce as desired. Serve with lightly buttered, freshly cooked pasta.

Storing
Put sauce into jars, pour a light film of oil on top, and cover with lids. Leave a small space between the top of the oil and the lids if the jars are to be frozen. Refrigerate up to 2 months, or freeze up to 1 year.

Notes
Pesto, also makes a great spread for your favorite breads and crackers. Add ground beef or sausage and use it as a spaghetti or pasta sauce. Next time you bake a pizza replace the red sauce with pesto and enjoy.

In addition to using as a sauce for pasta, this may be spread on broiled meats or chicken, added to soups for extra flavor, or used as a seasoning for salad dressing. A little may be combined with mayonnaise for a vegetable dip; or serve over steamed fresh vegetables or new potatoes.

Number of Servings: 48

  
........Enjoy the blessings!! 

........נהנים מהברכות!

Cyndi Maria~ Heart for Yeshua