cherry tomato pizza margherita

I've featured different kinds of pizza on the blog several times, but I've never tried a basic margherita. The recipe I tried is a variation of one I found. It includes a nice kick with the addition of the red pepper. And it's super quick and easy, which is always nice. You could also probably use this recipe to cheat a really simple pasta sauce! Here's what you'll need:

• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil 
• Dozen or so cherry tomatoes, stemmed (do not cut!)
• 1 garlic clove, minced 
• 1/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper 
• 1 4 oz. ball fresh mozzarella in water (ovoline), coarsely diced 
• 4 ounces shredded whole-milk mozzarella
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
• 6" whole wheat pita breads (or you can make the pizza crust from scratch if you wanna be all fancy)

caprese pizza

When you're working crazy hours and have absolutely no time, sometimes there's nothing better than a 5 minute pizza. This caprese is beyond easy, yet quite tasty. Here's what you'll need:

• 1 small can of tomato sauce
• 1 large tomato
• 1 ball bufala mozzarella
• A few basil leaves
• 10" whole wheat flatbreads (these came in packs of 5 for $2 at my market) or ready-made pizza crusts

pizza w/ prosciutto, pears & feta

The weather has been so ridunkulous lately that it's been pretty much unbearable to spend any amount of my windowless, a/c-less kitchen. That's why I've either been eating out, getting take out, or making things that take less than 5 minutes to make. This one isn't much of a recipe, but if you're in a situation like mine, you'll appreciate the idea.

I love a good, easy, personal-sized pizza (as you'll see here, and here, and more to come soon). Here's what you'll need for this masterpiece:

• 2 multigrain flatbread
• 6 slices of provolone cheese
• 1/2 cup feta cheese
• 1/4 lb. of prosciutto 
• 1/2 cup arugula
• 1 pear, sliced

pizza arrabbiata

Last night I wasn't in the mood to make anything intense, but I didn't want to do take-out either. I'd had a great pizza at Adrienne's this weekend that I was craving again, so I decided to take my own (lazy) stab at it. It was your basic margherita pizza but with pepperoncini added in. In case you didn't know, as my waiter this weekend made abundantly clear, pepperoncini are actually peppers, not pepperoni. Here's what you'll need:

• 10" whole wheat flatbreads (these came in packs of 5 for $2 at my market)
• 1 can diced tomatoes (I went for the roasted garlic variety)
• 1 ball of fresh mozzarella
• 10 pepperoncini

Begin by toasting your flatbread in the oven n 450 degrees for just a couple minutes while you prep the other ingredients.

Coarsely chop the mozzarella into thin slices. Slice your pepperoncini up as well and drain the liquid from your tomatoes.

Remove the flatbread from the oven and layer the tomatoes, cheese and pepperoncini on each piece. The above ingredients will get you about two 10" pizzas. Bake these for about 10 minutes each (still on 450 degrees) and let cool for a minute. Slice up and serve - delicious and done in under 15 minutes.

Bon chappétit!

chicken pizza primavera

I know, I know...two primavera-titled meals in one week. It's craziness. It's also delicious, so why not?! Last night was another recipe madre keeps in her simply delicious arsenal - a quick and easy pizza that uses a lot of fresh ingredients along with one or two shortcuts. Here's what you'll need:

• Whole wheat ready-made pizza crusts
• Ranch dressing
• Chicken strips
• Chopped red pepper
• Onion slices
• Baby spinach leaves
• Mozzarella cheese

There's really no measurements up there, because it's all a handful of this, a shake of that. It also depends on the size of the pizza crusts you get. I made two 7" pizzas last night, so I'll advise on that quantity. Adjust yours accordingly.

One of mom's cheats that I chose to forego was the chicken strips. She sometimes uses the pre-cooked frozen strips. Last night however, I chose to go ahead and sauté a small chicken breast. If you go this route, breaded is nice. Simply whisk one egg, coat your chicken in it, then cover all over with Italian-style breadcrumbs and sauté in one tablespoon oil for a few minutes on each side, until it's no longer pink in the center. Then cut into small pieces and carry on.

Begin by layering the dressing on first. I only used about a tablespoon of Ranch per pizza - just enough the coat the crust. You don't need much, as this has quite a bit of flavor (but really makes the dish). Bake according to crust instructions. Next, layer the chicken, pepper (I used red and green), onion (I used red, but doesn't matter), a handful of spinach and another handful of cheese - in that order.

Cook the pizza per the package directions. Mine took about 10 minutes on 450 degrees. I left them under the broiler for just a minute or two more to get them nice and crispy. If you have the luxury of a grill and/or a pizza stone, you could definitely utilize those as well.

Bon chappétit!