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Creamy Mushroom and Prosciutto Pizza

I have always been a fan of “different” pizzas. When I would order from a pizza shop it would never be a regular “Normal cheese, normal sauce” kind of ordeal. It was always “Light cheese, extra sauce,  toppings, additional sauce on top” or “No cheese, thick sauce, toppings that will sit well in the sauce” order. It must have driven the local chain pizza store insane. (Before you start thinking my taste is awful, I do enjoy a great Italian pizza, and will never make substitutions to ones I order at restaurants. This is simply me being picky about the basically cardboard pizzas you order for $6.99 on a Wednesday night when it’s cold and you don’t want to go outside).

Because of this pickiness with my pizzas, it usually meant I don’t make them myself. Everyone has that one meal or item they don’t make because it’s not worth it to them. Some of my friends only buy their curry out because it’s too much effort at home. Some friends only buy the rotisserie chickens because it’s so much cheaper than buy a raw whole chicken and making it yourself. For me- it’s pizza. That was until I was inspired by the creamy mushroom pizza in Martha Stewart’s Appetizers book. I realized that making pizza didn’t have to be that hard (especially if you cheat like I did and buy ready made dough). I have made some changes to the original recipe, making it more to my liking. Let me know what you think!

Ingredients:

3Tbsp unsalted butter
1/3 cup finely chopped shallots
1 to 1-1/2lb mixed mushrooms (depending on how much mushrooms you want)
1/2 cup pinot grigio
3/4 cup heavy cream (35%)
Pizza dough (store bought)
2 Tbsp olive oil
3 Tbsp fresh tarragon leaves
Prosciutto (for serving)

Instructions:

  1. Preheat oven to 500F with rack in lowest position and a baking sheet (with rim) upside down in the oven.
  2. Melt butter in large pan over medium heat and add shallots cooking until they’re softened (about 3 minutes).
  3. Add mushrooms,salt, pepper, and cook for about 5 minutes or until softened.
  4. Add wine, bring to a boil and cook until evaporated. Add cream and cook until mostly absorbed (about 5 minutes)
  5. Stretch your dough into an oval (about 6″ wide by 18″ long) and place on parchment paper. Brush your dough with 1tbsp olive oil and add the mushroom mixture (leave about a 1/2″ border)
  6. Place your pizzas onto the baking sheet and bake until golden brown and crisp (about 12-14 minutes).
  7. Remove from oven, sprinkle with tarragon and prosciutto and serve!

I hope you enjoyed this- if you did take a picture of your creation and share it with me at @JackDHarding on Instagram!

How to make hummus from scratch

One of the hardest things for me not to do is walking into the grocery store and buy a bag of chips and a big jar of chip dip. There is something so right about dipping your chips into something made of almost all fat (and not the good kind). Looking for ways to continue along my journey of health and bettering myself, I knew that I had to cut away the chips and dips early on. That doesn’t mean that I didn’t spend a long time trying to replace it with a healthy alternative. I had made salsas and guacamole and other dips, and they were always good, but they were never “it” for me. When I realized that hummus could make an amazing dip for crackers and toasted breads (I don’t know why I didn’t put 2 and 2 together sooner) I became obsessed with trying to find the perfect recipe — that was when I started testing every add-in possible. Excited to work with Maille who makes the best mustards, cornichons, and gherkins, I thought “What better way to elevate my hummus to a whole new level?” That was when it hit me, Gherkin Hummus!

This hummus recipe was not only really simple to make, but the addition of the Maille Gherkins with Caramelized Onions really brought the hummus to a place it hadn’t been before for me. It added a slight tartness from the pickle, and the sweetness from the cartelized onions. Another great thin about the Maille cornichons is that they have 2g of sugar per serving and do not contain sucrose and fructose like other major brands. The less added, the better a lot of the time! A wonderfully simple and delicious treat for summer day on your own, or hosting with a large group of friends like I did, this hummus will win everyone over. Watch the video I made with Maille below, and if you want to make it yourself, the recipe is at the bottom of the article.

Want to make it yourself? Here is how it’s done!

Ingredients:

  • 2 16-oz cans of chick peas (about 4 cups)
  • Maille Gherkins with Carmelized Onions
  • small handful fresh basil leaves
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • black pepper
  • garlic salt

In your food processor, add your chick peas (I like to break it up by doing one can, blend, then add the second can). Once smooth (and not too thick) add in the Maille Gherkins, basil, olive oil, and the garlic salt and pepper. (Pro tip: if you find it a bit too thick, add some of the pickle juice to the mixture and blend again). Blend until smooth. I like to serve with some finely chopped basil on top, but you can serve on it’s own, or topped with whatever garish you and your guests like!