Sundried Tomato Almond Pesto Pizza

Sundried Tomato Almond Pesto Pizza

Such an amazing collision of flavors in this pizza. The crispy thin crust goes so well with the delicious nutty pesto, salty prosciutto and pungent goat cheese. The balsamic honey reduction brings a balancing final sweet drizzle that pulls all the flavors together. If you are not fond of goat cheese, then feel free to substitute small chunks of fresh mozzarella or bocconcini cheese.

We often use homemade pizzas for entertaining, even at parties where we slice them into small pieces and serve as finger foods in several varieties throughout the evening. Click the links below for other pizza ideas you could serve at at what's sure to be a much talked about gourmet pizza party.

Caramelized Pear and Prosciutto Pizza

 

Buffalo Wing Pizza 

Barbeque Grilled Chicken Pizza

 

Grilled Asparagus Pineapple and Chicken Pizza 

Steak Taco Grilled Pizza

Sundried Tomato Almond Pesto Pizza

Recipe by Barry C. Parsons

Sundried Tomato Almond Pesto Pizza - such an amazing collision of flavors in this pizza. The crispy thin crust goes so well with the delicious nutty pesto, salty prosciutto and pungent goat cheese. The balsamic honey reduction brings a balancing final sweet drizzle that pulls all the flavors together. If you are not fond of goat cheese, then feel free to substitute small chunks of fresh mozzarella or bocconcini cheese.

Prep time: 2 hours
Cook time: 10 minutes
Total time: 2 hours 10 minutes
Yield: One 13 inch pizza

Ingredients

• 1 ball pizza dough (Click here for recipe)
• 3/4 cup sundried tomato almond pesto (Click here for recipe)
• 4 ounces thin sliced prosciutto
• 3 ounces soft goat cheese
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 2 tbsp honey
• 6 leaves fresh basil
• 2 tbsp cornmeal (aproximately)

Cooking Directions

1. Preheat pizza stone in a 500 degree oven for 20 minutes.
2. Simmer the balsamic vinegar and honey to reduce the volume by about half. It should thicken slightly. Set aside. This will be enough for a few pizzas.
3. Stretch or roll 1/4 of the dough into about a 13-14 inch round.
4. Place the round on a wooden peel that has been well sprinkled with cornmeal. The cornmeal will allow the pizza to slide off the peel (I’ve even used a thin piece of cardboard in a pinch if you do not have a peel.) Make sure your pizza is sliding on the cornmeal base before adding your toppings.
5. Spread the pesto over the pizza.
6. Cut the prosciutto into small pieces and scatter over the pesto.
7. Dot the surface of the pizza with the goat cheese.
8. Keep the ingredients in a single layer as this helps the pizza crust stay crisp and cook quickly.
9. Shake your peel to make sure the pizza is not stuck. Slide the pizza onto the hot stone, shaking it slightly in a back and forth motion as you slowly retract the wooden peel.
10. Bake for about 8-10 minutes or until the bottom is evenly brown.
11. Remove from oven and allow to stand for 5 minutes.
12. Drizzle with the balsamic reduction and sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper and fresh basil before slicing and serving.

Caramelized Pear and Prosciutto Pizza

Caramelized Pear and Prosciutto Pizza

Pizza night just keeps getting better and better at our house. This week we were inspired by Piatto, our favorite pizzeria here in St. John's. My daughter's favorite pizza there, which she orders every time, features caramelized pears, soft goat cheese and prosciutto ham. The combination is sweet and salty with the creamy pungency of the cheese and a finishing drizzle of reduced balsamic vinegar completing an unusual but absolutely delicious flavor combination. Our version turned out fantastically and Olivia gave it her stamp of approval; no doubt this one will be on the menu at many a future pizza night.

We sometimes serve homemade thin crust pizza as finger food at evening get-togethers too and this one would make fantastic finger food for any small party.

Find my pizza dough recipe by clicking here. The dough makes sufficient for four, 14 inch thin crust pizzas.

Caramelized Pear and Prosciutto Pizza - inspired by a favorite restaurant gourmet version, this recipe proves that you really can make the best thin crust pizza at home. The combination is sweet and salty with the creamy pungency of the cheese and a finishing drizzle of reduced balsamic vinegar completing an unusual but absolutely delicious flavor combination.

Prep time: 30 minutes, excluding dough preparation
Cook time: 10 minutes
Total time: 40 minutes
Yield: One 14 inch pizza
Ingredients

• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 4 cloves minced garlic
• 4 ounces thinly sliced proscuitto
• 4 ounces soft goat cheese (or fresh mozzarella)
• 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
• 2 large unpeeled pears, cored and sliced 1/2 inch thick
• 2 tbsp butter
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• 2 tbsp fresh herbs (optional)

Cooking Directions

1. Chop garlic and heat in the olive oil over medium heat for just a minute or two. Turn off the heat and set aside to cool
2. Simmer the balsamic vinegar to reduce the volume by about half. It should thicken slightly. Set aside.
3. Melt the butter and brown sugar together over medium heat. Add the pears in a single layer and cook for about 10 minutes turning once, to caramelize the pears.
4. Preheat pizza stone in a 500 degree oven for 20 minutes.
5. Stretch or roll 1/4 of the dough into about a 13-14 inch round.
6. Place the round on a wooden peel that has been well sprinkled with cornmeal. The cornmeal will allow the pizza to slide off the peel (I’ve even used a thin piece of cardboard in a pinch if you do not have a peel.) Make sure your pizza is sliding on the cornmeal base before adding your toppings.
7. Brush the garlic olive oil all over the center of the dough.
8. Add the goat cheese in about 1 tsp sized pieces along with the pears and prosciutto. Keep the ingredients in a single layer as this helps the pizza crust stay crisp and cook quickly.
9. Shake your peel to make sure the pizza is not stuck. Slide the pizza onto the hot stone, shaking it slightly in a back and forth motion as you slowly retract the wooden peel.
10. Bake for about 8-10 minutes or until the bottom is evenly brown and the top cheese begins to brown slightly. Remove from oven and allow to stand for 5 minutes.
11. Drizzle with the balsamic reduction and sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper and fresh basil and/or oregano before slicing and serving. 

Cheese Stuffed Lamb Burgers with Lemon Mint Tzatziki

Cheese Stuffed Lamb Burgers with Lemon Mint Tzatziki

When I dropped by the St. John’s Farmer’s Market  last Saturday, I had a brief chat with Adam Blanchard, the owner and talented cheese maker at Five Brothers Artisan Cheese. Adam has had great success over the past year since the launch of his local cheese making company. A number of good local restaurants have embraced his products and contributed to their popularity, no doubt. Adam always has several varieties of his cheeses on offer at the Farmer’s Market on Saturday mornings and I purchased some of his goat’s milk cheddar which was quite delicious with some crusty bread and olives as my Saturday lunch. 

The texture of this cheese was akin to a softer, creamier version of feta, so if you are not lucky enough to get your hands on any of Five Brothers wonderful cheese, substitute a good quality feta in this recipe, which is what I have used previously in these burgers. Sometimes softer cheeses can be difficult to use in stuffed burgers, often oozing out of the burger on the grill but I really like the way this cheese stayed intact, warmed and took on a whole new dimension of delicate texture. It was delicious with the mildly flavored lamb which got a flavor boost from fresh garden herbs, minced garlic and chopped sundried tomatoes incorporated into the burgers. I then seasoned the outside of the burgers with smoked paprika before they hit the grill.

With so many flavor components already in play with these burgers, the only condiment that I served with them was some of my favorite Lemon Mint Tzatziki that I normally serve with Chicken Souvlaki. This was one awesome burger. For those of you lucky enough to be in the St. John’s are be sure to check out Five Brothers Artisan Cheese at the St. John’s Farmers Market on Saturday mornings.

Makes 4 burgers

Mix together:

• 2 lbs ground lean fresh lamb
• 1 ½ tbsp chopped fresh rosemary
• 1 ½ tbsp chopped fresh oregano
• 1 ½ tbsp chopped fresh thyme
• ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tsp kosher salt

Form into 8 individual burger patties. On four of the patties, place about 

• 2 ounces feta  cheese or goat cheddar

Place the remaining four patties over the cheese and pinch the edges together to seal. Season the outside with a good dusting of

Smoked paprika

Grill over medium high heat  for 4-5 minutes per side or longer if you prefer well-done. Serve on toasted buns with Lemon Mint Tzatziki.

Lemon Mint Tzatziki  

(Half this recipe is enough but it also makes for a great veggie dip and will last a few days in the fridge if you make the whole batch)

• 3 cups Greek yogurt, drained.

Draining the yogurt removes much of the liquid and produces an end product about the consistency of thick sour cream. To drain the yogurt, line a colander with several layers of cheesecloth (or in a pinch, several large coffee filters) Pour the yogurt into the colander and place it in a large bowl or in the sink for an hour or two. this should produce about 2 cups of thick yogurt.

• 6 inch piece of English cucumber

Peel the piece of cucumber and remove the seeds and pulp at the center with a teaspoon, then dice the outside flesh of the cucumber into small cubes of  1/8 inch or less.

Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of kosher salt over the diced cucumber and toss together well. Let this rest for about a half hour , stirring occasionally. This process removes some of the liquid from the cucumber so that it will not water down the consistency of your finished tzatziki. Drain all of the liquid off the diced cucumber before adding it to the drained yogurt along with

• 2 tbsp finely chopped fresh mint
• 2 cloves minced garlic
• 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• pinch salt and pepper to season

Mix well, cover and store in the fridge for at least a half hour before serving.

Roasted Tomato Jam and Goat Cheese Bruschetta with Balsamic Reduction

This is one of my all time favourite appetizers or hors d'ouevres or even as a great simple lunch. It is so good, because it relies on simple, highly flavourful ingredients that compliment each other very well. This is a particular favorite recipe when the summer tomatoes are at their best when we serve it often. Spouse, in particular, really loves these Bruschetta.


6 medium vine ripened tomatoes diced
2 cloves minced garlic
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon brown sugar

Toss together in a shallow baking dish and bake at 350 degrees F for about an hour stirring occasionally until most of the liquid has reduced off the tomatoes are the consistency of jam.

Toast small slices of baguette and warm the goat cheese in a 300 degree oven. (Do not try to warm goat cheese in the microwave.) You can spread the goat cheese on the toasted baguette and top with a little of the tomato jam or just present the jam, goat cheese and toasts separately on a serving platter or individual plates as an appetizer and let your guests assemble the Bruschetta themselves.

In a very small saucepan boil ¼ cup of balsamic vinegar until it reduces and begins to thicken to a syrupy consistency. Drizzle the balsamic reduction over the Bruschetta.