Shrimp & Avocado Pizza

YUMMMM!!! This was just what my pizza craving called for. It was so good, healthy and inexpensive. Who says you have to get take out to get a great pizza? The best thing about pizza is you can add what you like! Whatever puffs your crust! It's so versatile and doesn't have to be a cheese covered greasy mess that you blot with a paper towel before every bite. So here's mine and it's my new favorite food. I want it everyday!

Here's what you'll need:
1 avocado, diced
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 pound pre-cooked shrimp, tails off
1 clove of garlic, minced
1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil
1 cup finely shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup crumbled feta
juice of 1 lemon
1 store bought (pre-cooked) pizza crust of your choice
1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley

Preheat your oven per the directions of your pizza crust package. Add the minced garlic to the olive oil and let that hang out for a bit while you prepare the rest of the veggies. Toss the diced avocado with the lemon juice. When everything is prepared brush the pizza crust with the olive oil. If some garlic bits happen to jump on board that won't hurt. Evenly distribute the mozzarella cheese over the oil glazed crust. Add the rest of the toppings finishing with the feta, sans parsley. Pop it in the oven long enough for the pizza to heat thru and the cheese to get melty, about 10 minutes.
Remember! your shrimp is already cooked so be careful not to over heat it. It will become rubbery and that is not yummy. Garnish with the parsley and slice it up!

That's A Spicy Meat-a-ball!! Pizza

So took another gander at the meatball pizza last night! I must say this time around was a better success. My sister was here to help me and together we made amazing yummy things happen in my kitchen!!!! I went with a different dough recipe and while it was way better than last time, I'm just convinced dough will never be a friend of mine. I got the recipe out of an Italian cookbook, and still to no avail, it did not rise! I need a dough lesson big time. And not from a cookbook. But the rest was really simple. We used fresh veggies and fresh cheese. I made the sauce (pretty tasty!). 

I loooove pizza! You can do anything with it. This was definitely a happy dinner crowd. This pizza will appear on my table again. And it should appear on yours too! I think you would like it. Feel free to experiment with the crust or buy store bought. 

For my "not so rising" crust: 

1 1/2 all purpose flour, extra for dusting

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. active dry yeast

1 tbsp. olive oil

6 tbsp. luke-warm water (I didn't think 6 was enough and used about 10)

Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees. 

Sift the flour and salt into a medium size bowl. Stir in the yeast. Make a well in the middle of the bowl and add your oil and water. Gradually stir in the flour with your hand. When a soft ball of dough is formed turn it out onto a floured surface and knead for 5 minutes. Return to a clean bowl and cover with some lightly oiled plastic wrap. Let rise for one hour. 

When (if) it's risen, turn out on a floured surface once more and knock down. Knead briefly, cut in half, and roll out to 1/4 inch thickness. Bake on a lightly oiled baking sheet. 

This serves 2 so you might want to make 2 batches or 1 bigger batch. Just double everything up.

For my "oh-so-delish" meatballs: 

1 lb. ground beef

2 eggs, well beaten

3/4 c. Italian seasoned bread crumbs

1/4 c. Romano cheese, grated (imported preferred)

1 tsp. salt

Black pepper to taste

1 1/2 tbsp. basil

1/4 tsp. garlic powder

1 shallot finely minced

Mix all ingredients well and shape into golf-ball size. Place in a non-stick baking pan or spray pan with pan coating. Bake in a preheated oven at 375 degrees for 15 minutes. When the sauce is ready and the meatballs are done add them to the sauce to stay warm and yummy!

Let's get saucy!!:

1 shallot, minced

2 whole cloves of garlic (I push them through a garlic press but you can mince if you don't have one)

1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes

1 tbsp. italian seasoning

1/8 tsp. crushed red pepper (for a little zing!!)

salt and pepper to taste

Heat the oil in a sauce pan over medium heat. Add the shallot and the garlic and cook until the onion is soft. Add the tomatoes and the seasoning. Bring to a simmer for 15 minutes. 

After all is said and cooked just assemble your pizza! You can use whatever else you like. We chose green peppers, red onion, black olives, parmesan cheese and fresh mozzarella.  And on a more fattening note, we brushed the crust (pre-saucing) with garlic infused butter! 

After baking for about 12-15 minutes it turned out to be something like this:

Meatball recipe courtesy of: http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,1718,156175-224206,00.html 

Homemade Pizza

Made my first pizza! It was pretty yummy, aside from the crust... Not sooo crusty. It was more like a biscuit. But I did use bisquick. I was in a pinch, ran out of flour and it was the only thing I had. But I fulfilled my dream of eating a meatball pizza!
Seriously...I really had a dream about a meatball pizza. And it was the best meatball pizza in the whole world! As soon as I went in for a big bite.....I woke up.

So for the crust I used:
2 1/2 cups of bisquick
3/4 cups of water
1 pack fast acting dry yeast

Dissolve yeast in water. Mix with bisquick until combined. Knead 20 times on lightly floured surface. Cut the dough into 2 pieces and roll out.
Feel free to use your own recipe, or store bought. I didn't care tooo much for this so I probably won't be using it again.

Let's get saucy!
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 shallot, minced
8 oz. tomato sauce
1/4 tsp oregano
salt & pepper
1 tbsp olive oil

sauteé garlic and shallot in oil until tender, 4 minutes. Add sauce, oregano and salt and pepper. Cook on medium-low until sauce had slightly thickened.

That's a spicy meatball! (said in cheesy italian accent!)
1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup italian bread crumbs
2 tbsp grated parmesan cheese
2 tbsp milk
1/2 tsp oregano
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1 lb. ground beed

Mix all ingredients together and roll into 1 inch balls. I had 12 balls total. Cook in 2 tbsp olive oil over medium heat.
I like to put a lid on them and let them steam then take the lid off and brown them, turning the heat to med-high for browning.
Cool to room temp and cut into slices.

Sprinkle italian bread crumbs on a baking sheet and top with rolled out pizza dough. Spoon sauce all over the dough. Top with meatballs and whatever toppings you like! I put tomatoes and onions on mine. Sprinking with shredded parmesan cheese and be generous with the mozzarella. Bake for 10-12 minutes at 450 degrees. When the crust is golden turn off the oven and turn the broiler on high. Broil until cheese is slightly golden.