Caramelized Onion & Brussels Sprout Flatbread

perfect pizza for the holidays...

There are some amazing pizzerias around the Cincinnati area these days. Some of my favorites are A Tavola, Mellow Mushroom, and M. You really should try A Tavola if you haven't - they have some wacky, but tasty, combinations. Two of these restaurants make artisan pizzas with Brussels sprouts. So, I thought I'd make my own for this post. While they have handmade dough, wood-fired ovens, and/or culinary genius, and it would seem I'm at a disadvantage, I have to admit that my version isn't too bad! Just ask my husband or our friend James...

I consider this pizza a flatbread because it's served on a thin crust dough. However, you are free to use your favorite dough, it will be just as tasty. Instead of a regular pizza sauce, I use a ricotta and olive oil spread. This pairs well with the caramelized onion and Brussels sprouts. Finally, I top off this flatbread with Parmesan cheese for salt, dried cranberries for sweet, and balsamic vinegar for sour - hitting many of our senses. This pizza is quite appropriate for the Christmas holiday with all it's red and green. Make it for one of your next get togethers. Here's how...

Ingredients
1 Red Onion, halved & thinly sliced
1 Bag Brussels Sprouts, cleaned & sliced to 1/4 inch thick pieces
1 C Ricotta Cheese (light okay)
3-4 T Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Kosher Salt
Ground Black Pepper
1 Thin Crust Pizza Dough (suggest Pillsbury)
3 T Shaved Parmesan Cheese
3 T Dried Cranberries
2 T Balsamic Vinegar

Directions
Preheat the oven according to pizza dough package directions.

Heat a large skillet over med-high. Add 1 T olive oil and the thinly sliced red onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are soft and caramelized, about 20 minutes. Be sure to monitor the heat on the pan and if needed, reduce to medium to prevent the onions from burning.

Once the onions are caramelized, add in the sliced Brussels sprouts and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes or until the Brussels sprouts begin to brown.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl combine the ricotta, 2-3 T olive oil, salt, and pepper. Stir to mix well. Roll out the pizza dough onto a large baking sheet. Spread on the cheese mixture, leaving a 1/2 inch border for a crust.

Next, remove the caramelized onions and Brussels sprouts from the heat. Evenly distribute the mixture on top of the dough and cheese. Place in the preheated oven and bake to package directions. Once the pizza is cooked, remove, and top with the Parmesan cheese and dried cranberries. Finish by drizzling with the balsamic vinegar. Slice and serve immediately. Enjoy!

Heirloom Tomato Margarita Pizza

"To market, to market, to buy a fat pig,

Home again, home again, dancing a jig;
To market, to market, to buy a fat hog;

Home again, home again, jiggety-jog;

To market, to market, to buy a plum bun,

Home again, home again, market is done."

 

In an effort to take in the last summer has to give (I know fall started 9/22) my husband and I have been frequenting the local farmer's market on Sundays. We love to go and see what everyone has to offer, try new things, and buy old favorites. On our last trip I noticed how wonderful the tomatoes were and decided to celebrate them in my next post.

Well, here we are. For this second rainbow series post I've made a Heirloom Tomato Margarita Pizza. Red, orange, yellow, green, even purple tomatoes decorate this dish with both flavor and color. This recipe is quite simple, but I find that high quality ingredients beg for little fuss in preparation. Grab a few heirloom tomatoes, some cheese, and dough for your next pizza night and make this dish. It will be gone just as quickly as summer. Here's how to make it...

Ingredients - Serves 4
1lb. Fresh Pizza Dough
1T Cornmeal (or Cooking Spray)
1T Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1-2 Garlic Cloves, minced
1T Italian Seasoning
1 1/2C Shredded Mozzarella
1lb. Heirloom Tomatoes, thinly sliced
Purple Basil, such as Opal
Kosher Salt

Directions
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Prepare a pizza stone by sprinkling the cornmeal on top. If not using a pizza stone, spray a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray.

Strech or roll the dough out to fit your pizza stone or tray. Top the dough with the olive oil, garlic, and Italian seasoning. Spread out to cover the entire surface. Top with cheese and the thinly sliced tomatoes. I overlap the tomatoes and put them in a circle spiraling toward the center.

Bake for 20-25 minutes. The crust should be brown and the tomatoes bubbling. Top with a sprinkling of salt and torn basil. Allow the pizza to rest for about 10 minutes before slicing to serve. Saver the last of summer...to market, to market!

Smokey Blue BBQ Chicken Pizza

sweet, spicy, smokey, sticky...

I've noticed over the past year or so that nearly every pizza place, even chains like Domino's, have some sort of chicken pizza on the menu. It's either a barbecue chicken pizza (like what I've created), buffalo style chicken pizza, or Cali chicken & bacon pizza. Any way it's served, chicken pizza is trendy.

In an effort to make my version different, I've played with the barbecue sauce. I've created a Memphis style sauce featuring blueberries. I know, I know, blueberries? Yes. These delicate berries simmer together with typical barbecue ingredients like onions, chiles, vinegar, ketchup, and sugar to create a very dark, sticky sauce. Pair this with any grilled or smoked meat and enjoy, or go one step further to create this trendy pizza. Here's how to make it...

Recipe - Serves 4

BBQ Sauce

2 Dried Ancho Chiles

1 1/2C Chicken Stock

1/2 Yellow Onion, diced

1T Olive Oil

1/2C Balsamic Vinegar

1/2C Ketchup

1/4C Brown Sugar, packed

1 Pint Blueberries

Pizza
Fresh Pizza Dough (found in freezer or some deli sections)
2 Breasts Rotisserie Chicken, shredded
7oz. Smoked Mozzarella Cheese, shredded
2oz. Parmesan Cheese, shredded
Optional Toppings: Shredded Cabbage and/or Shredded Carrots (approx. 1C)

Directions
Make the BBQ sauce: In a small sauce pan heat the chicken stock to a simmer. Add the ancho chiles, turn the heat to low, and allow them to steep for 15 minutes or until the chiles are reconstituted. After the chiles have steeped, reserve 1C of the stock and carefully remove the chiles. Cut off the tops of the chiles (discard) and dice. I leave the seeds and ribs in the pepper for heat, if you want to make this mild, remove the seeds and ribs before dicing.

Next, in a large pot, heat the oil over medium-high and add the onion. Saute for 2-3 minutes or until soft. Add the diced chiles and saute for a few more minutes. Then add the reserved stock, vinegar, ketchup, brown sugar, and blueberries. Allow this mixture to simmer over medium-low heat for an hour.

While the sauce is cooking, prepare the toppings, pizza dough, and heat the grill. Shred the chicken, cheeses, and cabbage/carrots, if using. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface into a 14in. round. Move the dough to a pizza peel or the back of a large sheet tray. Heat the grill to 450 degrees. If using a pizza stone, preheat this on the grill too. I also used my smoker box to give the pizza even more of a smokey flavor. This is completely optional; follow the instructions on the wood chips/smoker box if using.

After the sauce has reduced and thickened, remove from the heat, and puree with a blender or immersion blender. If using a standard blender, be sure to vent the top often to allow the steam to escape. After the sauce is pureed reserve 1/3C for another use (possibly the leg and wing meat from the chicken? BBQ sandwiches anyone?).

Make the pizza: Top the prepared dough with 1/4C sauce. Toss the chicken in the remaining sauce and add to the pizza. Top with the cheeses (it will be full) and move to the grill/pizza stone. If grilling on the rack, be sure to oil the grill. If using a pizza stone, add some cornmeal to prevent sticking. Grill for 12-15 minutes.

Remove from the grill and allow the pizza to cool for about 5 minutes. Slice into 8 pieces and serve with the shredded cabbage/carrots...and an ice cold beer. Enjoy!