lip-smacking good: pesto, avocado, gouda, onion and tomato pizza

homemade pesto, avocado, gouda, onion and tomado pizza

I made this pizza last night and it was a winner.  After deciding we would have pizza for dinner, I discovered that I'd left the cookie sheet I usually make pizza in at Joe's house. Undaunted and unwilling to abandon our pizza plans, I improvised by using two 8" cake rounds.  While the sauce can get a little runny and spill over into unused parts of the pan, the pizzas turned out well and I'd use the method again.  Without further ado, here's what you need to make one pizza like the one pictured above:

1/2 package whole dough
3-4 tbsp of pesto
1 1/2 slices of gouda cheese (ripped into small pieces)
1/4 c red onion (chopped)
1/3 large tomato (chopped)
1/2 a medium-sized avocado (chopped)
measurements are approximate as I eyeballed all ingredients.  Adujust as it suits your fancy.



pizza described in this post is baking on the right

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Press dough into 8" cake pan, making sure it is evenly distributed throughout the pan.  Spread pesto over dough.  Add ripped slices of gouda cheese, red onion, tomato and avocado as desired.  Bake pizza for 13-15 minutes.  Gouda will not melt completely.  Enjoy!

quick, fresh, inexpensive lunch for work: part 2

If you've read my blog at all, you know I'm a fan of making pizza.  Up until a few weeks ago, I stuck to making large pizzas.  But, in an attempt to bring my lunch to the office more often, I decided to try my hand at mini pizzas.  I love that you can make a variety of pizzas, bake them and the refrigerate them for future lunches.

Below you can find the ingredients and instructions to make two of my favorite mini pizzas to date.

The Mango & Gouda, Pizza

To make one mini pizza you need:

1/8 bag Pizza dough (I use pre-made whole wheat dough from Trader Joe's)
1 Tbsp Pesto
1/2 slice Gouda Cheese
3 Mango chunks

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Roll out dough into small circle.  Spread pesto on the dough, Tear Gouda into small pieces and place over the pesto.  Add three Mango chunks.  Bake for 10-12 minutes.

The Tahini-Pesto Pizza

To make one mini pizza you need:

1/8 bag Pizza dough (Premade whole wheat dough from Trader Joe's is great)
2 tsp Pesto
2 tsp Tahini spread
1/4 c shredded cheddar cheese
4-6 pepper slices
4-6 onion slices

 Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Roll out dough into small circle. Combine pesto and tahini and spread on the dough.  Cover dough with cheese and add red pepper  and onion slices.  Bake for 10-12 minutes.

Do you have a favorite type of homemade pizza?

you can read about how to make quick quesadillas for lunch in part one of this series here.

lip-smacking good: sundried tomato, pepper and avocado pizza



pizza toppings

 On Friday night, I made pizza for a low-key evening in.  I've talked about how much I like Trader Joe's pizza dough before, and Fridaywas no exception.  Follow these easy steps for a quick, delicious and fairly healthy pizza of your own.

the goods

pizza dough (if you a few hours of prep time and you want to make your own, here is a good recipe for you)
marinara sauce (for those who have more time, this sauce has gotten great reviews)
3 small peppers
1 small avocado
1/2 cup sundried tomatoes
12 slices pepperoni (enough to put on half the pizza if you have a meat-loving guest or counterpart)
2 cups shredded and blended cheddar and mozzerella cheese
pizza stone or baking sheet

i left pepperonis off my half and sundried tomaotoes off his half

directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. If using a baking sheet, lightly oil the sheet and edges.
3. Roll the dough onto your pizza stone or baking sheet.
4. Spread your marinara sauce evenly over the dough.
5. Sprinkle the cheese over the dough.
6.  Slice peppers and avocado.
7. Place peppers, avocado, sundried tomatoes and pepperoni on pizza.
8. Bake for 11-13 minutes.

I happen to know that the pizza is also great the next day

Enjoy!

scenes from a weekend

painting, pizza, park, pooch and yours truly pal-ing around with a friend 


This weekend was gorgeous with minimal rain.  I found myself working on a commission of three paintings for someone's living room, walking Dusty around a beautiful park nearby, and going to a concert in the Grove.

On Friday night, some friends and I also tried our hands at pizza making.  Trader's makes it so easy to make (read: assemble) your own pizza.  They have pre-made dough (the whole wheat is my favorite), tons of cheeses to choose from (we went with goat cheese), roma tomatoes for a song, and fresh basil.  Not to mention a variety of  red and white sauces.  I will definitely be going back for more dough and toppings soon.  We ended the night with brownies and Morning Glory.  It was a fun and much needed girls' night.

It must have been a movie and pizza weekend because on Sunday I found myself grabbing California Pizza Kitchen with an old friend before going to see Friends with Kids.  We both thought the movie was funny, sweet, and worth seeing.  Then Dusty and I got another walk in around the neighborhood.  He is loving that the nice weather means longer walks!

Hope you had a great weekend, too!

dining around town: crushed red



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My friends will tell you that when we go out to eat, I rarely order something just the way it comes on the menu.  I'm often found substituting fish for chicken, asking my waiter to hold the black olives and asking for dressing on the side.  What can I say--I'm a customizer.  Enter a new restaurant made with people like me in mind.



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 I was first introduced to Crushed Red, a new fast-casual restaurant in downtown Clayton, when I read a review by Maddie from City in a Jar.  The restaurant offers delicious made-to-order salad and pizzas that you can customize with toppings including carmelized onions, beef brisket, avocado, goat cheese and everything in between.  Salivating at my desk, I took a look at their website (note: do not read their menu before you've eaten lunch) and determined I would have to check this place out.



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I visited Crushed Red with a friend last week and it definitely lived up to my expectations.  While the restaurant considers itself fast-casual, the comfortable but classy booths, the staff member greeting you as you walk through the door, and the general decor and ambiance suggest that Crushed Red is brings a more sophisticated flair to quick dining than its competitors.  This flair, however, is not reflected in their prices.  I found the cost of my meal on par with or even slightly lower than what I pay when I eat at St. Louis Bread Company.



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My friend and I split two pizzas and enjoyed the flavors of both.  Crushed Red has several sauces and cheeses to choose from, making every pizza unique.  Later in the week I dropped by to grab a salad and found it to be just as delicious.  It actually reminded me a little bit of the Sizzling Salad nights that my college used to host a few Friday nights a quarter, but with more options.  

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If you live in the area and haven't visited Crushed Red yet, stop by and give them a try.  The customizer in you will be glad you did.  You can find their menu here.