Authentic Margherita Pizza

Margherita Pizza Ingredients

Liz Edmunds, The Food Nanny

Makes one 16-inch pizza or two 12-inch pizzas

•                Basic Pizza Dough (see below)

•                2 pounds very ripe Roma or hot-house tomatoes

•                1/4 teaspoon salt

•                1/4 cup olive oil

•                8 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced

•                2 tablespoons freshly grated

•                imported Parmigiano-Reggiano

•                Coarse salt and ground black pepper

•                14 small fresh basil leaves or 7 large, torn into pieces

Preparation

1.             Oil the pizza pan(s) and set aside.

2.             Prepare the pizza dough, roll it out, and place it in the prepared pan(s).

3.             Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

4.             Peel (optional, see Note) and dice the tomatoes, discarding the seeds, and combine with the salt and 1/4 cup oil in a bowl. Spread over the crust.

5.             Bake 15 to 20 minutes on the lowest oven rack. Remove pizza from oven and arrange the mozzarella and the Parmesan, if using. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and drizzle on additional olive oil. Return to oven till bubbly, 5 to 10 minutes.

6.             Top with basil and serve immediately.


Note: A simple way to peel tomatoes is by scalding them in boiling water. Here's how: Bring water to boil in a medium saucepan. On the bottom of each tomato, cut a shallow X with a paring knife; do not cut the flesh. With a large slotted spoon, drop each tomato in the boiling water. When the skin begins to curl back at the X, after 15 to 30 seconds, remove the tomatoes and place them in ice water to stop the cooking. Then simply peel off the skin.

Friday Night Pizza

We have Friday night pizza night at our house. Our kids love it, and believe it or not it is actually healthy. I make homemade whole wheat crust with fresh ground white wheat flour. We always have vegetables and use 2% reduced fat Mozzarella cheese. Our family would all agree that our pizza is better than a restaurant. . .and a lot healthier!


Almost all of my pizza ideas come from Liz Edmunds, "The Food Nanny." This is her pizza crust recipe that we love! I always double her recipe and freeze half so that I only make the dough every other week.

Basic Pizza Dough

(The Food Nanny)

One 16-inch medium-crust pizza or two 12-inch thin-crust pizzas or four 8-inch thin-crust pizzas

1 tablespoon active dry yeast


1 cup warm (105-115 degrees) water


2 tablespoons olive oil


1 tablespoon honey


1⁄4 teaspoon salt


3 to 4 cups all-purpose flour or half all-purpose and half whole wheat (See Note) *I use white wheat four

1. Mix the yeast and water in a small bowl, cover, and let stand until foamy, 5 to 10 minutes.

2. Mix the oil, honey, salt, and yeast mixture in a large mixing bowl. If using a food processor, add 1 cup of flour at a time, up to 3 cups, mixing well after each addition. You may have to stir in the third cup of flour by hand, depending on your machine. Or mix in all 3 cups of flour by hand with a wooden spoon.

If the dough seems too wet, mix in more flour, 1⁄4 cup at a time, until the dough is soft. Turn the dough onto a floured surface and knead in more flour, 1⁄4 cup at a time, until the dough is moderately stiff and somewhat firm to the touch, about 6 minutes.

3. Lightly grease pizza pan(s) or a cookie sheet(s) with oil. If you are making two or more thin-crust pizzas, divide the dough. With a rolling pin, roll out the dough on the floured surface. Gently stretch the dough to fill the pan(s).

4. Let the dough rise (it will not rise very much) while you make sauce and continue with the pizza recipe of your choice.

Note: I like this pizza crust best with half all-purpose flour and half whole wheat. I now keep my whole wheat flour in a canister right beside my all-purpose so I can dip into and add whole wheat to almost any bread dough or pancake or waffle batter.

TD&N Nutrient Analysis (based on 8 servings): Calories: 213; Total Fat: 4 g; Saturated Fat: 1 g; Polyunsaturated Fat: 1 g; Monounsaturated Fat: 3 g; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Sodium: 74 mg; Carbohydrates: 38 g; Fiber: 2 g; Protein: 5 g

Topping ideas: pepperoni, ham, pineapple, red peppers, green peppers, onions, fresh tomatoes, olives. . .

My personal favorite is "3 Cheese Pesto Pizza." I have the recipe in the week #1 recipes.

Week #1

Menu  *serving suggestions

1.  Crock-pot:  Crock-pot Bean and Beef Chili *salad, cheese, sour cream, tomatoes

2.  Meatless:  3 Cheese Pesto Pizza *fruit, carrots, and celery

3.  Chicken:  Honey and Spice Chicken Kebobs *rice pilaf, corn

4.  Beef:  Glazed Meatloaf and Mashed Potatoes  * cooked carrots, salad

5.  Easy:  Mustard Glazed Salmon  *brown rice, squash, broccoli

6.  Light:  Chicken Almond Pitas  *fresh fruit and veggies

1.  Crock-pot Bean and Beef Chili

(recipe from Beth Ashton)

1 pound lean ground beef

1 large onion, chopped

1/4 green bell pepper, chopped

2 garlic cloves, pressed

1 can red or pinto beans, rinsed and drained

1 or part of jalepeno pepper (you can remove seeds), chopped

1 can diced peeled tomatoes

1 can tomato sauce

3 to 4 tablespoons chili powder

1 1/2 tablespoon ground cumin

shredded Monterey Jack or Cheddar cheese, chopped green onions, chopped tomatoes, sour cream, for serving.  

1.  In large skillet, cook the beef, onion, bell pepper, and garlic over med-high heat, stirring, until the beef in browned 6-8 minutes.  Drain off any fat.  Turn into a 5-quart electric slow cooker.  Add the beans, jalepeno pepper, tomatoes with their liquid, tomato sauce, chili powder, and cumin.  Mix well.  

2.  Cover and cook on the low heat setting 4-5 hours or until serving.  Serve topped with cheese, green onions, tomatoes, sour cream as desired.  (Frito or corn tortilla chips are also a great on top)

2.  Three-Cheese Pesto Pizza

(Grandma Feller sent me a subscription to Taste of home magazine, I found this recipe in Taste of Home and we have made this yummy pizza many times.)

1/2 cup chopped onion

1/2 cup chopped sweet red pepper

1 tablespoon olive or vegetable oil

1 pre-baked Italian pizza crust

1/2 prepared pesto sauce

1/2 cup chopped ripe olives

1 cup crumbled feta cheese

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1 cup shredded parmesan cheese

2 plum tomatoes, thinly sliced

In a skillet, saute onion and red pepper in oil until tender.  Place crust on an un-greased 12-in. pizza pan; spread with pesto.  Top with onion mixture, olives, cheeses and tomatoes.  Bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until cheese is melted.  

3.  Honey and Spice Chicken Kebobs

(Katy Hedrick brought kebobs when Spencer was born.  It has been a favorite ever since!)

1 medium bell pepper cut into 1" squares

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 8 oz. can pineapple chunks, drained

1/2 cup Heinz 57 Sauce

1/4 cup honey

skewers

Mix Heinz 57 sauce and honey in a bowl, set aside.  Cut chicken into 1" wide strips.  Put bell pepper, pineapple, and chicken on skewers.  Put strips on, starting at one end of strip in a zig zag, back and forth pattern.  Cook on grill, waiting o brush with sauce until partially cooked so that sauce will not burn.  (you can also cook them under the broiler in your oven)

4.  Glazed Meatloaf

(another Taste of Home favorite)

2 eggs, beaten

2/3 cup milk

1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

1 cup crushed saltines (about 30 crackers)

1 cup finely shredded carrots

1/2 cup finely chopped onions

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon pepper

2 pounds lean ground beef

1/2 cup ketchup

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

In a large bowl, combine the eggs, milk, cheese, saltines, carrots, onion, salt, garlic powder and pepper.  Crumble beef over mixture and mix well.  Shape into a loaf.  Place in a greased 13 x 9 inch baking dish.  Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 50 minutes.  

For glaze, in a small saucepan, bring the brown sugar, ketchup and mustard to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 3-5 minutes or until heated through. Spoon over meat loaf.

5.  Mustard Glazed Salmon

(Saving dinner)

6 salmon fillets 

6 tablespoons honey mustard

1/4 cup green onions, finely chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a shallow baking dish, place your fish and top with honey mustard  (1 tablespoon per fillet).  Bake for 15 minutes or longer, depending on the thickness of the fish and when fish flakes easily with a fork.  Top with green onions before serving.  

6.  Chicken Almond Pita Sandwiches

(Lion House Entertaining)

1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup mayonnaise

3 tablespoons milk

1 teaspoon lemon juice

3 cups chicken, cooked and diced

1/3 cup red pepper, chopped

1/3 cup green pepper, chopped

3 tablespoons green onion, chopped

1 teaspoon dry mustard

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/3 cup slivered almonds

3 large pieces pita bread, halved

alfalfa sprouts (optional)

In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, mayo, milk, and lemon juice until smooth.  Stir in cooked chicken, red and green peppers, green onion, mustard, salt, and pepper.  Refrigerate.  

Just before serving, stir in almonds.  Spoon about 1/2 to 3/4 cup filling into each pita half.  Top with sprouts, if desired.  Makes 3 to 6 servings.  (It feeds our family of 7!)