Easy Peasy Pita Pizza

Every now and again I like to skip a week of grocery shopping and 'shop' at home. You'll be amazed at the stuff you keep in your pantry. Even more amazed if you don't look often! I had three ingredients on hand (all left over ingredients from previous recipes) and threw together these easy peasy pita pizzas!

Ingredients:

Whole Wheat Pita

Basil Pesto (Store bought or homemade)

Mozzarella Cheese

Top each pita with basil pesto and mozzarella cheese bake in oven at 350 degrees until cheese is melted! It's that easy!

Roasted Red Pepper and Basil Pesto Penne

Hi everyone! Hope you're all doing well. I'm sorry to disappoint my loyal readers (all two of you). I know I've been bad and missing in action. To be honest with you, I find myself cooking much more in the fall, winter, & spring months than I do in the summer. It's like I give myself a vacation half way through the summer. A vacation from blogging because I am cooking just not as much. Anyway, here I am. I didn't leave you for too long! 

This recipe might be one of my favorites. It has so much flavor and is so easy to make. I promise you won't be let down especially if you like (love) garlic. If you're not a huge fan of garlic, like my parents, you can just omit the garlic from the recipe.

I came across this recipe while searching on one of my new favorite sites, Pinterest. You can follow my boards if you're on. If you're not on, don't blame me for sitting in front of the computer for hours at a time on this one website. Yes, it's addicting!

I know I've taken a picture of this meal but for whatever reason I can't locate it. It's driving me nuts! So you're just going to have to make it yourself so you can see what it looks like. I promise you're going to love it!

Roasted Red Pepper and Basil Pesto Penne

Ingredients:

3 cloves garlic

1/3 cup pine nuts

1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 cup roasted red bell pepper (fresh or jarred)

1 cup basil leaves

½ tsp. salt

¼ tsp. pepper

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 lb. penne pasta

¼ cup heavy cream, optional

Directions:

Place garlic and pine nuts in a food processor.  Pulse until finely chopped.  Add Parmesan, red pepper, basil leaves, salt and pepper.  Pulse until well combined.  With the motor running, add olive oil through the feed tube and process until incorporated.  Set aside.

Cook pasta according to package directions.  Drain and return to the pot.  Add the pesto to the pasta and stir to combine.  Stir in heavy cream if desired for a creamier sauce.  Heat until warmed through.  Serve immediately.

Gnocchi with Basil Pesto

Don't be intimidated to make gnocchi because it really isn't hard at all!! I promise you, after you make it you'll stop buying frozen gnocchi from the store.

This recipe comes from one of Martha's book, Martha Stewart's Cooking School: Lessons and Recipes for the Home Cook. This is a great "how to" book. I find myself going to this book several times a week.

Typically gnocchi is served with pesto basil. I was very close to making a vodka cream sauce but had a lot of fresh basil on hand so decided to go with the pesto. Next time I'll try a different sauce.

Ingredients:

2 1/4 pounds of russet potatoes (about 3 large potatoes)

1 large egg, lightly beaten

2 cups all purpose flour

coarse salt

basil pesto

Cook potatoes (unpeeled) until tender when pierced with a fork, about 35-40 mins. Remove skin with a paring knife and immediately pass through a potato ricer. Let cool completely. Turn potatoes onto a work surface, then pour egg over the potatoes and sprinkle with 1 1/2 cups of flour and 1 tablespoon of salt. Start to work mixture with your hands and bring it together to form a dough. Gently knead 4 to 5 mins, adding more flour as necessary to keep the dough from sticking , until dough is smooth and elastic. To check, pinch off a piece and roll into a rope; it should not break apart. Pat dough into a rough rectangle, 2 to 3 inches thick. Begin gently rolling each piece under the palms of your hands into a rope then continue rolling until it is 1/2 inch in diameter. Use the bench scraper to cut ropes crosswise into 1-inch pieces. Roll a cut side of each dumpling against the tines of a fork with your thumb.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, then add a generous amount of salt. Working in small batches, add gnocchi and cook until they float to the top about 2 minutes. Remove gnocchi with a slotted spoon and gently shake off excess water. Serve immediately.

Pizza: Whole Wheat Pizza Dough with Pesto, Roasted Red Peppers, Grilled Chicken & Mozzarella Cheese

I came up with the idea for this pizza based off one of my favorite panini's (roasted red peppers, mozzarella, & pesto).

The pizza dough is so simple that it will make you question why you use store bought. This recipe for pizza dough makes enough for 2 large pizzas or 8 individual ones. I used one for this recipe and put the other half in the freezer for later use (probably sometime later this week).

Ingredients:
1 whole wheat pizza dough (recipe here)
Pesto
2 Red Bell Peppers, roasted
8 ounces of Mozzarella cheese
1 lb of grilled chicken breast, cubed

Prepare pizza dough according to directions. Bake for 8 mins.

Spread pesto on crust, top with roasted red peppers, grilled chicken, & mozzarella cheese. Bake at 450 degrees for 12-16 mins.

Basil Pesto Orzo Salad

Pesto is a simple sauce that can be used in so many ways! I had a couple people over for the 4th of July and decided to make an orzo pesto salad. So where do I turn for a great Pesto recipe? That's right...Martha! I have Martha Stewart's Cooking School: Lessons and Recipes for the Home Cook which gives a great step by step recipe for Pesto. If you're a garlic lover like myself you'll love this recipe. If you're not a huge garlic fan Pesto might not be for you.

Recipe:

3 garlic cloves, peeled

2 cups of loosely packed fresh basil leaves

3 tablespoons of toasted pine nuts

1/2 teaspoon of coarse salt

1/3 cup grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese

1/2 cup of extra virgin olive oil

(I used a food processor even though Martha suggests to use a mortar and pestle). Pulse together basil, garlic, pine nuts, & salt until the basil is pulverized and the pine nuts and garlic are pasty. Add cheese and pour oil in a slow steady stream and mix until combined. Serve immediately.

The pesto orzo salad is a breeze from here. Just make the orzo according to the package. Rinse with cold water to cool and cover with pesto. Chill for 30 mins. You can cut up tomato and mozzarella to add to the salad as well.