Puff Pastry Pizza...

I am not ashamed to say that I buy frozen pastry. It is far easier to use then making pastry from scratch and even well known chef’s recommend using it! We had some puff pastry lurking in the freezer, so this week I thought it might be fun to try and make a puff pastry pizza.

There were a few veggies that needed to be used up so I decided to make a combination of 2 toppings. One was inspired by my Mum’s lasagne recipe and included ricotta cheese, parmesan, spinach and egg. The other was a tomato based sauce which was also going to serve as a light and easy lunch the next day.

I preheated the oven and put our pizza stone in to gradually warm up. Following the packet directions I rolled out the pastry sheet and put it on the warmed pizza stone. Liking the idea of a ‘stuffed crust’ I put thin strips of mozzarella cheese about a half inch from the edge and then folded the edges over the cheese. I sealed the crust with an egg wash.

I added about 6 large Tablespoons of the tomato sauce to the ricotta mixture and then spread the combined sauces over the rolled out pastry sheet. Finishing it off with some roughly chopped pieces of mozzarella cheese I put it in the oven for approx 20 – 25 minutes.

The pizza stone really helped it cook beautifully throughout. The base was lovely and crisp and not soggy at all (I was worried about the amount of moisture in the sauces).The crust puffed up and remained light and flaky. Biting into it and having hot mozzarella cheese ooze out was a delight!

It was excellent and went very well with a glass of red wine and a small green salad. We even had leftovers for the next day which were just as tasty. This makes for a light, flaky delicious pizza!

Luna Raye’s Puff Pastry Pizza

Ingredients

For Pizza Crust / Preparation

1 sheet of ready made puff pastry

1 beaten egg for the egg wash

2 x 125g mozzarella balls

For Tomato sauce

1 tin of chopped tomatoes

Drizzle olive oil

2 cloves of garlic

1 small red onion

¼ cup finely chopped zucchini (courgette)

Pinch of dried chilli flakes

Pinch of dried mixed Italian herbs (Thyme, Oregano, Rosemary, Marjoram)

For Ricotta Mixture

250g Ricotta

4 chestnut mushrooms finely chopped

300g baby leaf spinach

3 Tbsp grated parmesan cheese

1 egg beaten

Directions

Preheat oven according to puff pastry directions. Make sure pizza stone is in oven so it can gradually heat up.

Begin tomato sauce by adding drizzle of olive oil to a pan and gently caramelizing the onions.

When onions are soft add the minced garlic, chilli flakes and Italian herbs.

Mix well and add the tin of tomatoes.

Simmer on medium heat for 6- 7 minutes and then add the finely chopped zucchini.

Stir around and remove from heat.

Begin the Ricotta mixture by putting the ricotta in a large glass bowl.

Add a beaten egg and mix well.

Add the parmesan cheese, salt and pepper and chestnut mushrooms and stir to blend.

Roughly chop the baby spinach leaves and add to the mixture.

Set aside.

Prepare the pastry by rolling it out on a flat surface. I used a large chopping board.

Cut about ¼ of one of the mozzarella balls into thin strips and place them about half an inch from the outside edge of the pastry.

Fold the outside edge over the cheese strips to create a ‘thick stuffed crust’

Beat the other egg and brush it over the crust edge (this will help keep it in place and also give the crust a more golden colour)

At this point I needed to transfer the pizza base to the pizza stone – so I carefully slid it from the chopping board onto the stone (making sure the stone was on a heat proof surface)

Add about 6 Tbsp of the tomato sauce into the bowl with the ricotta mixture and give it a gentle stir. It doesn’t matter if the tomato sauce is still a little warm. (Put the rest in the fridge for an easy lunch the next day)

Spoon the mixture onto the pastry base and spread it out.

Roughly tear or chop the rest of the mozzarella into pieces and scatter over the top.

Season with a bit more salt and pepper.

Put in oven for approximately 20 – 25 minutes.

Assemble your simple green salad and pour some wine.

Enjoy!

I really loved this recipe and will make puff pastry pizza again! Check out this great site for more inspiring ways to use puff pastry!

Puff Pastry Pizza

The Autumn Harvest: Last Tomatoes Of The Year...

Well it’s that time of year again. The nights are drawing in. There’s a noticeable chill in the air. Leaves are falling from the trees. Chestnuts are strewn along the ground. Birds and squirrels are busy fattening themselves up for the winter months. All of nature is readying itself for winter.

My garden is beginning to show signs of the cooler days and nights. Leaves are turning brown and my once prolific tomato plants are no longer producing the lovely juicy tomatoes that we enjoyed so much these past few months. This is what I believe to be my final tomato harvest of the year and I would like to do something special with them.

When I was younger I had an allergy to tomatoes. Fortunately this was an allergy I ‘grew out of’ because I adore tomatoes. I have a few favourite recipes for fresh tomatoes.

One is a simple – VERY simple pasta sauce that I sometimes make for lunch when I feel the need for a Mediterranean boost.

Luna Raye’s very simple tomato sauce for one.

Ingredients

A handful of cherry tomatoes (approximately 8-9).

1 clove of minced garlic.

Drizzle of olive oil.

Pinch of salt.

Directions

Heat a drizzle of olive oil (about 1- 1 ½ tsp) in a pan over moderate heat.

Add the tomatoes. You can put them in whole or chop them in half if you prefer.

Turn down the heat, add the salt and allow the tomatoes to reduce (10 minutes or so).

Give them a stir every so often and about half way through add the minced garlic.

It will smell fantastic!

Meanwhile put on some water for pasta – Penne is a good choice for this sauce – and cook the pasta according to packet directions.

Once the pasta is cooked drain it and add it to the pan with the tomatoes and garlic and give it a quick mix on the heat.

Season with black pepper and more salt if desired.

Tuck in and enjoy!

Tomato Sauce Extras

The thing about this sauce is that you can keep it very simple. However you can also add some extra ingredients such as caramelized onions, a splash of red wine, fresh basil leaves or parmesan shavings. It does work extremely well though with just the fresh tomatoes and garlic.

Another dish I like to make with fresh tomatoes is a chunky salsa sauce for corn chips. This is a great Happy Hour snack. It is tastier (and healthier) then store bought brands and is once again a very simple recipe.

Luna Raye’s very simple chunky salsa served warm (for two).

Homemade Chunky Salsa and Tortilla Chips

Ingredients

A handful of cherry tomatoes chopped in half (approximately 8-9).

½ Spanish onion chopped in long thin strips.

1 tsp brown sugar.

1 pepper chopped in bite sized chunks. (green or orange peppers are great for added colour)

½ fresh chilli (or a pinch of dried chilli flakes).

1 ½ Tbsp of frozen sweet corn.

1 clove minced garlic.

Drizzle of olive oil.

Salt and Pepper to taste.

Directions

Heat a drizzle of olive oil (about 1- 1 ½ tsp) in a pan over moderate heat.

Add the onions and the brown sugar. Mix well and allow the onions to caramelize. Make sure the heat isn’t too high.

Once the onions have softened gradually add the minced garlic, a pinch of salt, and the chilli.

Stir until mixed in and then add the tomatoes and pepper.

Cook over a moderate heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

At the last moment add the frozen sweet corn and mix in well.

Season with salt and pepper is desired.

Turn off heat and cover the pan.

Allow the mixture to rest while drinks are prepared.

Serve on individual plates with a side of plain salted corn chips.

Enjoy!

I am still undecided as to what to create with this final harvest of tomatoes! Sometimes however, it is nice to just enjoy the simple flavour of something as beautiful and perfect as a tomato grown in your own garden. I may just eat them exactly as they are while dreaming of what next year’s harvest will bring!

I wish all my fellow Canadians a happy, peaceful and abundant Thanksgiving weekend.

Final Tomato Harvest of 2010

Spaghetti with Tomato Sauce and Caramelized Onions...

Cooking really changed for me when I finally mastered the fine art of caramelizing onions. Although it may seem like a simple thing to do I usually ended up with charred bits of onion stuck to a heavily smoking pan and lots of little burns on my hands and arms. I think the main culprit in this was my love of cooking everything in butter (and lots of it!). Apparently the dairy solids in butter have a tendency to burn which I didn’t realize. You can use clarified butter but using olive oil seemed a much simpler (and healthier) solution. So I made the switch and the rest is history.

My onion of choice is the large yellow Spanish onion which has a beautifully sweet flavour when cooked. However I personally like to add a sprinkling of brown sugar or for a special treat, a drizzle of maple syrup, which gives the onions a deep rich colour and really brings out the smoky sweetness in flavour. By cutting the onion cross wise in large round slices you get lovely long strands of onion which look quite elegant. To caramelize them add to a pan with some olive oil and a sprinkling of brown sugar or maple syrup. Cook over a moderate heat until soft. It’s as easy as that!

I am very proud of the fact that I can now easily whip up this tasty delight adding a whole new dimension to a variety of dishes. No more charred onions or smoking pans for me, although I still burn my hands from time to time, but then again I can be a real klutz (I am an Aries after all)!

Caramelized onions are a fantastic condiment and can be added to:
• Burgers
• Hot Dogs
• Sausages
• Steaks
• Sandwiches (grilled cheese is especially good)
• Salads (they work really well with hummus or goats cheese)
• Mashed, Scalloped or Jacket Potatoes
• Salsas, chutneys and gravies

You can also add them to:
• Pasta sauces. (my favourites are tomato or carbonara)
• Quiches or vegetable tarts.
• Omelettes.
• Soups.

Here is my recipe for Spaghetti with Tomato Sauce and Caramelized Onions.

Ingredients
1 large yellow Spanish onion, cut crosswise in large round slices.
1-2 cloves of garlic, minced.
2-3 Tablespoons of olive oil.
1 (28 ounce) can Italian-style diced tomatoes.
2 teaspoons of dark brown sugar or pure maple syrup.
3-4 Tablespoons of freshly grated Parmesan or Romano cheese.

Directions
1. Add olive oil and chopped onions to a large skillet and stir to coat onions in the oil. Sprinkle the brown sugar or drizzle some maple syrup over the onions and continue to cook over a medium heat until the onions become soft.

2. Once the onions have been cooked set them aside on a plate. Don’t wash the skillet!

3. Add the tomatoes and minced garlic to the unwashed skillet (there will still be some lovely flavours from the onions lurking there). Cook over a low heat stirring occasionally so it doesn’t stick.

4. While the tomatoes and garlic are cooking get a pan of salted water on the boil for the pasta. You can use any kind of pasta but I love using spaghetti or linguine for this dish.

5. Once the water is boiling and the pasta is cooking, add the caramelized onions back into the skillet with the tomatoes and garlic. Gently stir to mix the onions, garlic and tomatoes together.

6. When pasta is al dente, drain it and add it to bowls.

7. Generously spoon the sauce and top and grate some Parmesan or Romano cheese on top.

8. Serve on its own or with garlic bread and enjoy!

Spaghetti with Tomato Sauce and Caramelized Onions

Caramelizing Onions