I was planning on ringing in the new year with this Black Eyed Peas, Collard Greens and Sausage Pizza or what I like to call Soul Food Pizza. But let’s be honest I reminded you that it’s my busiest time of year for work so it’s a little hard. And then we lost my dear Granddaddy last week so I have not really been on social media or up to blogging. Oh and to top it off I also just got over the stomach bug.

All that being said I then had to remind myself of my new word for the year – refresh! So today is a new day – it’s a new year!

I had this pizza about a year ago at a restaurant called Slice in downtown Birmingham. I thought wow what a crazy combination of things on a pizza – but I thought heck who from the South doesn’t love some soul food? I’m talking collard greens, bacon and black eyed peas…oh and let’s not forget some of my favorites Conecuh sausage and white cheddar cheese.

Last year during this time I shared this Black Eyed Peas and Collard Greens Soup. I was deciding between making a Black Eyed Pea Salsa or this pizza. But you know my kids and how much they are obsessed with pizza. So even this is supposed to be a dish for New Year’s Day  (ie the Southern good luck for the year tradition) but I am pretty sure that it will be excellent for any time of year.

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Soul Pizza Pie

Ingredients

• Pizza Dough homemade or store bought
• 2 cups shredded white cheddar cheese used 8 oz. block
• 1 cup Conecuh sausage cooked
• 3 thick slices of bacon cooked and crumbled
• 1/2 15 oz. can of black eyed peas rinsed and drained
• 1/3 cup diced red onion about 1/4 of large red onion
• 1/2 cup fresh collard greens roughly chopped

Pizza sauce

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees (or according to package directions). If using a pizza stone place in oven while preheating. If using a baking sheet spray with cooking spray and set aside.
• In a small bowl stir together olive oil and dried parsley.
• Spread dough on stone or baking sheet.
• Spread 1/2 of the sauce on pizza.
• Sprinkle on white cheddar cheese, followed by sausage, bacon, black eyed peas, and red onions.
• Bake 18-25 minutes, until crust is golden brown.
• Toss collard greens with the remaining sauce.
• Top pizza with greens and serve.

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Spring is here! Well sort of – it was 88 degrees last weekend and now it’s 48 degrees.

Good news is that to me spring means beautiful vegetables will start popping up in markets, the kids can play outside without jackets, and tulips will be on my kitchen table weekly. Bad news spring also means tornado season in Alabama.

What gets you excited about spring?

I also get excited about this pizza.

Who doesn’t love a pizza topped with spring vegetables like mushrooms, asparagus, and peas. Oh and did I mention there are 3 kinds of cheese?!

Now of course I tried this pizza out mainly because I have two toddlers who are super picky about eating vegetables. So I have to try to balance that out by hiding in with lots of cheese (ya ya I know it’s not the healthiest option). When it worked with my go to Pasta Primavera dish I knew this Spring Vegetable Pizza had to do the trick. Because what kid doesn’t like this pizza?

Well it didn’t work the first time I made it. They saw all things that were not bread and cheese of course. Luckily my meat loving husband gave it two thumbs up. And when it came time to take pics for the blog the kids finally gave in.

Now if you HAVE to have some meat on a pizza I’d recommend topping it with some prosciutto – it takes it to another level.

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Spring Vegetable Pizza

Ingredients

• Pizza dough
• 1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
• 3/4 cup shredded Italian blend cheese
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 4 ounces sliced button mushrooms
• 3/4 cups of 1" pieces of asparagus
• 1/4 cups frozen peas thawed
• 1/3 cup corn
• 4 ounces burrata cheese

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Roll out pizza dough and sprinkle Italian cheese and Parmesan cheese.
• In a medium bowl toss all the veggies with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Then spread out evenly over pizza.
• Tear pieces of the burrata and place them all over the pizza.
• Bake for 20-25 minutes until crust is golden brown and cheese is bubbly.

Notes

*Can garnish with fresh herbs or prosciutto if you want to add meat.

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In Ken Forkish’s new book The Elements of Pizza he tells you how. Remember back when I made that salsa for Blogging for Books? Well I am back at it again!

And this time it’s all about the pizza pie! Forkish states that to make an incredible pizza “all you need are good ingredients: flour, canned tomatoes, and cheese”. He even includes 13 different recipes for dough! Not gonna lie my mouth kind of dropped knowing there were so many. Some range from 6 hours of prep work all the way up to 6 days!! Ain’t nobody got time for a week aged pizza dough (or at least I don’t with two small kids).

The first half of the book takes you through all the different styles of pizza: Neopolitan, Roman, American pan, New York, Creative Flat Bread, and Gluten-Free. I of course think he left out Chicago style. I mean who doesn’t love a classic deep dish? One of the experiences he made me quite jealous of was him visiting a farm where they make water buffalo mozzarella, touring the tomato plant, and visiting the flour mill. I think it’s time to renew my passport and travel to Naples want to join?

I do love how most of the pizza recipes he offers are a little more unique. Of course he has recipes for the classic margherita and supreme pizza but then ones like prosciutto & bufala, mortadella & pistachio, and butternut squash pizza have made it onto my food bucket list.

Tips from the book include: If you use the dough too quickly before it has matured it will be difficult to stretch into a pizza disc. Also there are many different kinds of flour (AP, 00, GF, etc.) which can have different water absorption characteristics – making some of the dough stiffer.

This Vodka Sauce and Sausage Pizza has the perfect ratio of meat, cheese and sauce for our family. Even Sweet Amelia enjoyed it. Using store-bought sauces would be an easy shortcut for the recipe but the fact that the next day I was able to use the leftover sauces on pasta made it just another reason why I loved this pizza.

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Vodka Sauce and Sausage Pizza

Ingredients

Pizza Ingredients

• 1 dough ball
• 5 ounces link fennel sausage or Italian sausage
• 1 ⁄3 cup Vodka Sauce see below
• 4 ounces fresh whole-milk mozzarella thinly sliced
• 4 or 5 basil leaves

Vodka Sauce

• 1 ⁄3 cup vodka
• 1 ⁄4 cup heavy cream
• 3 cups FWSY Sauce see below
• 1 tablespoon grated Grana Padano or Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

FWSY Sauce (Smooth Red Sauce)

• 1 1 ⁄2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 clove garlic chopped
• 1 1 ⁄2 teaspoons fine sea salt
• 1 ⁄4 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 ⁄4 teaspoon chile flakes
• 1 can 28-ounce whole peeled tomatoes
• *See my notes for some shortcuts

Instructions

• If you use a dough recipe that calls for refrigeration, remove your dough ball from the refrigerator about 60 to 90 minutes before baking pizza. Put your pizza steel or stone on an upper rack in your oven no more than 8 inches below the broiler. Preheat the oven to 550°F (290°C).
• Cut the link sausage at an angle into 1⁄2-inch slices. Place the slices in an ovenproof skillet and, while the oven is preheating, partially cook them for 2 to 3 minutes (they will finish cooking on the pizza).
• Set up your pizza assembly station. Give yourself about 2 feet of width on the countertop. Moderately flour the work surface. Position your wooden peel next to the floured area and dust it lightly with flour. Have the sauce, cheese, and sausage at hand, plus a ladle or large spoon for the sauce. Switch the oven to broil 10 minutes before loading the pizza.
• To shape the pizza, put the dough ball on the floured work surface and flip to coat both sides with flour. Use one of the shaping methods (New York or Neapolitan) on pages 92 to 95. Transfer the disk of pizza dough to the peel. Run your hands around the perimeter to relax it and work out the kinks.
• Spread the tomato sauce over the dough to within 1⁄4 inch of the edge, smoothing it with the back of the spoon or ladle. Place the sausage link pieces cut side down on top of the sauce. Layer the sliced mozzarella over the pizza, draping some of it over the sausage.
• Turn off the broiler, then gently slide the pizza onto the pizza steel or stone. Close the oven door and change the oven setting to bake at 550°F (290°C). Bake for 5 minutes, until the rim is golden. Change the oven setting from bake to broil and let the pizza cook until the cheese is melted and the crust is golden with spots of brown and a few small spots of char, about 2 minutes (check it after 1 minute to be safe). Use tongs or a fork to slide the pizza from the pizza steel or stone onto a large plate. Use scissors to cut the basil leaves over the top of the pizza and serve immediately, halved or sliced.

For Vodka Sauce

• In a saucepan over medium-high heat, reduce the vodka until 2 tablespoons remain, about 4 minutes. Pour in the cream and cook gently over low heat, stirring a few times, for 1 or 2 minutes.
• Add the sauce and cheese. Raise the heat to high for a few minutes, just until it starts to boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes, keeping an eye on the sauce to prevent it from boiling rapidly.
• Set the sauce aside to cool, then pour it into a sealable container. I use a quart-sized deli container with a lid. Label the container with the date and refrigerate what you don’t use. It should keep for 1 week in the refrigerator.

For FWSY Sauce

• Put the olive oil, garlic, salt, oregano, and chile flakes in a blender. Add just a spoonful of tomatoes and blend briefly until the garlic and oil have emulsified. Then add the rest of the tomatoes and blend very quickly, with brief pulses only, until all the ingredients are combined. Overblending releases water from the tomato pulp and makes the sauce too thin.
• Pour the sauce into a sealable container. I use a quart-sized deli container with a lid. Label the container with the date and refrigerate what you don’t use. It should keep for 1 week in the refrigerator.

Notes

*Even though I prefer homemade sauces, if your schedule doesn't permit use store-bought creamy vodka sauce and marinara (similar to FWSY sauce)
**My oven did not go above 500 degrees. So I preheated the oven with the baking stone in it. Then once it was ready carefully took the baking stone out, sprinkled a little cornmeal on top then spread the dough on it. After I prepared the pizza I baked it for 10 minutes then broiled it for 2 minutes. I recommend checking the bottom of the pizza to ensure the crust is cooked through.

Disclaimer: I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review. I did not receive any compensation for this review and all opinions are my own.

Reprinted with permission from The Elements of Pizza, by Ken Forkish, copyright 2016, published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC.

Book Cover Photography copyright 2016 by Alan Weiner. 

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Lately our life has been was filled with friends coming over for some Southern Burgers with Pimento Cheese & Fried Green Tomatoes and Loaded Cheese Fries, weddings, and some nice family time. I think we only have 2 more jam packed weekends. And then I plan on being lazy!! Okay we all know my “being lazy” is watching a TV show and on commercial breaks I clean or do things on my to do list.

Speaking of shows – most of mine have hit their summer hiatus which leaves me antsy but don’t worry I have RHOC, Big Brother, Suits and Graceland to look forward to. Any others you recommend?

I love pizza. Plain and simple. Probably because no matter what you are craving you can easily add a new twist – a classic Margherita, Southwestern, a fresh version with Pesto and Veggies, Creamy BBQ Chicken Pizza, a white pizza…ya you get the point. But that leaves me to ask you – what is your favorite type of pizza? This Jalapeno Popper Pizza has now topped my list!

And the next big question is are you a sauce person? Some people do not want any sauce to dip their pizza into. I’m all about the dips, ’bout the dips…(sung in my Meghan Trainor voice). Whether it’s marinara, ranch dressing, blue cheese, or garlic butter dipping sauce I love them all!

Let’s be honest the stars of the show in this pizza are the jalapenos, bacon, and cheese. Now when I was recipe testing this I made the pizza two ways for two types of people. There are those people who like a little spice but not enough to where the taste lingers in your mouth (myself). And a lot more spice (John). The choice is yours!

Now I know with typical jalapeno poppers – the cream cheese is generally plain but I thought I would add a little bit of chives because it would just another layer of flavor. Also if we are being honest like I truly am with you guys, my herb garden is WAAAY a little out of control. So herbs are going into everything lately!!

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Jalapeno Popper Pizza

Ingredients

• 1 ball pizza dough homemade or store bought
• 4 ounces cream cheese softened
• 1 tablespoon chives finely chopped
• 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• 3 slices of cooked bacon about 1/2 cup chopped
• 1 large shallot minced 2 tablespoons
• 2 jalapenos finely minced with seeds and ribs removed or thinly sliced*

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees or as directed. Coat a baking sheet or pizza pan with cooking spray.
• Roll out pizza dough to pan.
• Mix together cream cheese and chives in a small bowl. Spread on cream cheese mixture leaving a small border for crust. Top with the other two cheeses, followed by the bacon, shallots and jalapenos.
• Bake for 10-15 minutes or until crust is crisp and the bottom of the pizza is lightly browned.

Notes

*Depending on the level of heat you would like for the pizza you will want to remove the seeds and ribs of the jalapenos and finely mince them for less spice or keep the seeds and ribs of the jalapeno intact and thinly slice for more heat.

 Menu of the Week

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So hopefully you have come to the realization by Margherita Monday I mean pizza not the drink. Even though we did have margaritas last week when we had a dinner party at the house.

How was your weekend? Little man decided he wanted to resort to his newborn sleep habits so Friday and Saturday night he woke up every two hours – no bueno. Needless to say I have been like a walking zombie.

We had a fun family Saturday though. We took a trip to the farmers market and got a ton of meat this time – summer sausage, apple lamb bratwursts, ground bison, pork chops, and short ribs. Time for some recipe testing! Then we enjoyed lunch and some antique shopping in downtown Noblesville. I got my desk and bookcase for my office for when we move back home – it’s currently in our kitchen up here haha.

Now about this pizza. Let me start by saying this is John’s favorite pizza I make. It’s simple yet so delicious! It makes me feel like I am back in Italy getting pizza at a little pizzeria before John and I had a picnic at the Pitti Palace in Florence.

The sauce is simple & homemade and the addition of the olive oil after it comes out of the oven puts it over the top.

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Margherita Pizza

Ingredients

• 28 oz. can of whole tomatoes drained
• 1 tablespoon fresh oregano or 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
• 2 teaspoons tomato paste
• 8 oz. mozzarella cheese ball thinly sliced
• Pizza dough
• Fresh basil (about 6 large leaves torn into pieces.
• 2 tablespoons Olive Oil

Instructions

• Preheat oven according to package directions.
• Place tomatoes into a saucepan and use a potato masher to crush them. Then add in oregano, garlic salt, and tomato paste. Simmer on low/medium heat for 15 minutes.
• Roll out pizza dough onto greased baking sheet. Prebake dough for 12 minutes (unless it states otherwise on package directions).
• Spread 1 1/2 cups sauce on pizza. Then scatter mozzarella slices.
• Bake for 8-10 minutes (or until crust is golden brown).
• Remove from oven and arrange basil on the pizza. Drizzle olive oil on the pizza.

 Menu of the Week

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Pictures updated June 2015

I used to make pizzas quite frequently at our house. Most of the time they aren’t your cookie cutter Four Cheese pizzas, but rather Mediterranean Pizzas with hummus as the sauce or Kale Pesto as another base.

But recently all I was craving was the classic BBQ Chicken Pizza. But as a little surprise and to turn up the volume of flavor even more, I added a little bit of Knob Creek Bourbon to the sauce. Of course, that immediately got John’s attention. So take a few minutes to prepare this pizza that is packed full of flavor, crack open a beer, and press play on your DVR.

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Creamy BBQ Chicken Pizza

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoon butter
• 2 tablespoon flour
• 1/4 cup cream
• 1/2 cup + 4 tablespoons BBQ sauce divided
• 1 tablespoon bourbon - optional
• 1 chicken breast half cooked and shredded
• 1/2 medium red onion diced
• 1 cup shredded cheddar
• 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella
• 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro for garnish
• Pizza dough

Instructions

• Preheat oven to desired temperature (according to package directions).
• Melt butter in small saucepan. Whisk in flour until it forms a somewhat smooth consistency about 30 seconds. Whisk in cream until it thickens, about 2 minutes. Add in 1/2 c. BBQ sauce and bourbon. Keep warm on low heat - letting it simmer while assembling pizza.
• Mix together the reserved 4 Tbsp. BBQ sauce with the shredded chicken in a bowl.
• Place dough on prepared baking sheet or pizza stone. Spoon BBQ sauce from sauce pan over pizza dough until fully covered leaving about 1/2 inch border for the crust. Top with shredded chicken, cheeses, and red onions.
• Baking time depends on package directions.
• Once cooked, garnish with cilantro. And as always eat it with some ranch dressing and Enjoy!

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Adapted from: Shutterbean

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Pizza Dough

Ingredients

• 1 3/4 c. warm water
• 1 envelope of active dry yeast
• 2 tsp. sugar
• 3 Tbsp. olive oil
• 4 c. bread flour; also a little extra
• 2 tsp. salt
• Nonstick spray

Instructions

• In small bowl, combine warm water, yeast, and sugar. Allow yeast to dissolve and let it bloom (get frothy).
• In standing mixer (with paddle attachment) stir together flour and salt.
• Slowly add in water/yeast mixture. As the dough starts to form, switch to dough hook attachment.
• Knead the dough for about 2-4 minutes in the mixer, adding a little more flour if needed (if it is still sticking too much to the bowl).
• Remove the dough to a floured work board. Make sure your hands are floured and continue to knead the dough for another 2 minutes or so.
• Form dough into a round ball and transfer to a bowl that has been fully covered in nonstick spray.
• Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise for 1.5-2 hours in a warm area of your kitchen. It should double in size.
• When ready use rolling pin to form into desired shape of pizza stone or baking sheet.
• Add toppings and Bake at 500 degrees for 12-15 minutes, or until crust is golden.

These are some of the pizzas that I want to try out soon!

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Now there will come a time when I have the time to make my own pizza dough, just like I want to make my own pasta from scratch. But last night was not one of those nights. Pizzas are one of those versatile dishes that you can make. Whether it’s a spicy one, Italian one, an all veggie, or one with crazy toppings like Brussels sprouts you will always have options.

So let’s get down to business have you ever had one with hummus on it? I didn’t think so. So I’d like to introduce to you this Mediterranean Hummus Pizza. Feel free to switch things around like adding olives (which I don’t like) or artichoke hearts – whatever suits your fancy!

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Mediterranean Pizza

Ingredients

• Pizza dough
• 3/4 cup hummus I suggest roasted red pepper
• 1/4 small red onion thinly sliced
• 1/3 cup tomatoes roughly chopped
• 1 1/2 tablespoons capers
• 1/2 cup crumbled feta
• 2 tablespoons pine nuts
• Fresh oregano for garnish

Instructions

• Preheat oven according to package directions if not using homemade pizza dough.
• Roll out dough over pizza stone.
• While oven is preheating, place tomatoes on a paper towel and cover with another paper towel to get excess moisture out so that your pizza is not soggy.
• Spread hummus on dough. Add all other toppings except oregano.
• Cook 12-15 minutes, or according to package directions.
• Remove from oven and garnish with oregano.

What is your favorite pizza you make?

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