Carmelized Onion, Sweet Pepper, Kale, Feta Pizza
I made this pizza last night and it was fantastic.
1 onion, sliced
several cloves of garlic
1 package frozen sweet peppers
1 shallot if you have it, minced
around 10-12 leaves of kale stripped from stalk and chopped into ribbons
1/2 container Marinated feta
oregano
crushed red pepper
Preheat the oven to 425F.
Stretch your pizza dough with well floured hands and place on baking sheet, let rest.
Heat a skillet, and add oilve oil to coat. Add the onions and cover
and simmer first on medium for around 5 minutes. Then add the peppers
(frozen is fine) and cook on medium til the water evaporates from them.
Then let onions and peppers simmer together a while to very soft and
starting to color a bit. Add youur shallots (if using) and garlic and
saute a bit more til these soften but don't brown, and then remove to a
plate.
In same skillet, toss in a bit more oil, some water, and the chopped
kale and saute the kale til it softens. Steam will help achieve this
and might take 5 mins. Then turn off.
Build pizza. Start with a smear of olive oil on the crust. Then
spread the pepper mixture around. Then the crumble the feta between
fingers and spread over crust. Then the kale. Then drizzle half the
oil from the feta container and the yummy sundried tomato bits around.
Next give your pizza a good sprinkling of oregano, crushed red pepper,
and a bit of salt.
Bake for 10-15 mins until bottom is nicely baked and top comes together. Remove to a rack, slice and enjoy.
Roasted Fingerling Potatoes with Seasoned Salt
This is a simple recipe for your potatoes, and a good way to appreciate their thin skin and delicate flavor.
2 teaspoons coarse salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/4 teaspoon finely chopped fresh thyme
1/4 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
1 1/2 pounds fingerling potatoes
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Heat a large ovenproof gratin dish or
skillet in the oven 15 minutes. Combine salt, pepper, thyme, and
rosemary in a small bowl.
Toss potatoes in a medium bowl with the olive oil. Sprinkle generously
with seasoned-salt mixture, and arrange potatoes in a single layer in
preheated pan. Roast until they are golden on the outside and tender
when pierced with a sharp knife, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from oven, and
serve hot with additional seasoned salt on the side.
Warm Fingerling Potato Salad
Already looking for a good alternative to roasting roots? Tossing
boiled roots with flavorful herbs and oil while they're still hot is the
next-best thing. The warm vegetables soak in the flavors of the herbs
beautifully, and the salad only gets better after a few days in the
fridge.
2 pounds fingerling potatoes
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove, smashed
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon salt-packed capers, rinsed and coarsely chopped
1 lemon, zested and juiced
1/2 medium red onion, coarsely chopped (1/2 cup)
1 celery stalk, thinly sliced crosswise on bias
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
Salt to taste
Place potatoes in a medium-sized saucepan covered 2 inches by salted
water. Bring to a boil and cook until tender, about 10 minutes.
Meanwhile in a small saucepan, combine olive oil, garlic, red pepper
flakes, capers, lemon, and red onion. Bring to a simmer and remove from
the heat. Drain the potatoes, halve lengthwise, and toss with warm
dressing, celery, and parsley. Salt to taste and serve warm.
Spicy Sauteed Kale with Lemon
Probably the easiest way to prepare your kale, this is a very nutritious, warm side dish.
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 Thai or jalapeno chile, thinly sliced
1 lemon, thinly sliced, seeds removed and slices quartered
1 tablespoon honey
1 handful kale, tough stems and ribs removed, leaves coarsely chopped
1 leek, thinly sliced
Coarse salt
In a large skillet, heat oil and chile over medium-high heat. Add
lemon and honey and cook, stirring, until lemon begins to break down,
about 2 minutes. Add kale and cook, stirring, until just wilted, about 3
minutes. Add leeks, season with salt, and cook 1 minute. Serve warm or
at room temperature.
Mashed Potato and Kale Cakes
This recipe is based on the British food "bubble and squeak," which
is traditionally made by pan-frying leftover mashed potatoes and cooked
cabbage. I (Annie) used to work for a British chef, at a restaurant
where we served bubble and squeak. It is such a satisfying comfort
food, especially for something made mostly of vegetables.
2 pounds potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 leek (white and light-green parts only), halved lengthwise, rinsed well, and thinly sliced
1 bunch kale (3/4 pound), tough stems and ribs removed, leaves coarsely chopped
1/2 pound bacon, diced medium
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
In a large pot, bring potatoes to a boil in salted water over high,
then reduce to a rapid simmer. Add leek and kale and cook until potatoes
are tender when pierced with a knife, about 10 minutes. Drain; transfer
to a large bowl.
In a large cast-iron or nonstick skillet, cook bacon over medium-high
until crisp, 8 to 10 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer to bowl
with vegetables. Season with salt and pepper. With a fork, mash potato
mixture until a few lumps remain. With your hands, form into 12 patties.
Pour off fat from skillet and wipe clean; add butter and melt over
medium. In batches, cook cakes until golden on both sides, about 6
minutes, flipping once.
Grilled Pizza with Fingerling Potatoes and Caramelized Leeks
Grilling pizza is quick and easy, and I love the way the crust
gains a good crunch on the outside but maintains a warm soft inside.
BUT you can of course make this pizza in the oven too.
1 medium leek, sliced moderately thin
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
salt
1/2 pound fingerling potatoes
1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese of your choice, brought to room temperature
1 ball pizza dough
a drizzle of syrupy aged balsamic vinegar, leaves of fresh thyme
Preheat your grill to a very high temperature, but allow the flames to
die down. You want very hot embers. At the same time, in your largest
skillet, over a medium flame, heat the vegetable oil. Add the leeks and
1/4 teaspoon of salt. Cook slowly, tossing occasionally and adjusting
the heat so that they don't scorch, until deeply caramelized, at least
30 minutes. Meanwhile, boil the potatoes until tender, cool until you
can handle them, and slice lengthwise in 1/4" slabs.
Have everything prepared and in easy range of your grill. Roll or
toss your pizza dough into a 12" circle. Place the dough on the grill
grate. It won't stick because the grate is so hot, it will cook
immediately. Cook about 1 minute, until slightly charred in spots. Keep
peeking with a spatula. Flip the crust and immediately add a nice layer
of caramelized onion, half of the blue cheese, several slices of potato,
and more caramelized onions. Close the lid for about one minute. Keep
checking the bottom of the crust, and when it is done and starting to
char in spots, quickly but carefully remove it and serve immediately,
garnishing with the balsamic and/or thyme.
Pizza with Roasted Garlic, Sweet Peppers, and Two Cheeses
It is totally worth the time to roast the garlic as this recipe dictates. Try it, you won't regret it.
1 large head garlic, unpeeled
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/3 cup oil-packed sun-dried tom, drained, oil reserved
1 large red onion, cut into 1/2-inch-thick rings
1 package red peppers, thawed and sliced thin
1 pizza dough
2 cups grated mozzarella cheese (about 6 ounces)
2/3 cup (about 2 1/2 ounces) crumbled feta cheese
4 tablespoons chopped fresh basil or 1 tablespoon dried
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Preheat oven to 375°F. Slice top off garlic head; place in small
baking dish. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Brush baking sheet
with 1/2 tablespoon olive oil. Place onion slices on sheet and brush
onion with 1/2 tablespoon olive oil. Bake garlic and onion until garlic
cloves are light brown and soft and onion is tender, about 45 minutes.
Remove from oven; let cool.
Using fingers, squeeze out roasted garlic cloves into food processor;
add sun-dried tomatoes. Using on/off turns, process until almost smooth,
adding enough reserved oil form sun-dried tomatoes to form paste.
(Onions and garlic mixture can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover separately
and refrigerate.)
Preheat oven to 450°F. Sautee onion and peppers in a pan with olive
oil until they just begin to soften. Roll or toss dough into a 12"
circle, and place on baking sheet or pizza pan. Spread garlic paste
evenly over crust. Top with mozzarella cheese, onion, pepper strips and
feta cheese. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons basil and 1 tablespoon parsley.
Bake pizza until crust is golden brown and cheese bubbles, about 8
minutes. Transfer to cutting board. Cool 5 minutes. Sprinkle with
remaining 2 tablespoons basil and 1 tablespoon parsley. Cut into wedges
and serve.
Pizza with Kale and Roasted Leeks
Feel free to skip the olives, but throw on something salty instead - some of your feta cheese, for example, would be perfect.
1 medium leek
Salt and pepper
Olive oil
2 sprig thyme (optional)
1 bunch green kale
1 clove garlic
1 pinch hot pepper flakes
1 ball pizza dough
1/2 cup grated mozzarella cheese
16 niçoise olives, pitted
1 lemon
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Roughly chop the leek and toss it in a
small ovenproof sauté pan with a pinch of salt and enough olive oil to
coat lightly, and the leaves of the thyme. Put the pan in the oven to
roast, stirring occasionally, until the leeks are cooked and browning,
about 30 minutes.
While the leek is roasting, wash and drain the kale, remove the heavy
stems, and roughly chop the leaves. There should be enough to make about
2 cups. Peel and finely chop the garlic. Heat a large sauté pan and
coat it with olive oil. Add the kale, season with salt, pepper, and the
hot pepper flakes, and fry over high heat until the kale is tender. Add
the garlic and fry, tossing, for a few seconds.
When the leeks are done, take them out of the oven and turn the heat
up to 450° to 500°F. Put a pizza stone in the oven. Roll out of shape a
12- to 14-inch disk of pizza dough and slide it onto a floured pizza
peel or the back of a baking sheet. Lightly brush the dough with olive
oil, leave a 1/2-inch boarder dry. Evenly sprinkle the cheese on the
oiled surface,spread the onions over, and top with the kale and the
olives. Drizzle about 1 tablespoon olive oil over the pizza. Slide the
pizza onto the preheated stone in the oven and bake from 5 to 10
minutes, until the crust is brown and crisp. Remove the pizza from the
oven, sprinkle a few drops of lemon juice on it, slice and serve.
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