This week we put gold and red beets in our recipe box. They are one of my personal favorites to cook with. They have such an amazing flavor when roasted. The gold beets are an especially nummy treat in my opinion. If you haven't ever cooked with beets here is your chance! You will love them roasted I swear!
I have to say, I have had such a fun time designing the recipes for Winder Dairy's recipe boxes for the last three weeks. It has been super time consuming, but it's forced me back into the kitchen and has allowed me a new chance to be creative with fresh produce. I love this job!
I have been a sucker for pizza lately. There is a little pizza joint near my parents house called Big Apple Pizza that I have haunted on the regular for the last year. I don't know what has sparked the new found love of this American staple, but something has. (I swear I'm not pregnant...) Since I have become an avid eater of thin crust pizza, I thought I would make my own for a change. I went the non-traditional route going for a more gourmet taste rather than my usual Hawaiian slice. :)
This pizza is chock full of so many of my favorite ingredients. Ooooh baby. Get ready for some goodness!
Here is a peek at the final product. I know it's almost 10pm but this is making me hungry.
To get started we need to prep our pizza dough. First you mix together the yeast and water. It has to sit for 10 minutes to get started.
Then in a mixer with a paddle attachment add the flour and salt. Turn on the mixer to low and slowly add the olive oil. Stir until combined.
Then you add the yeast mixture and mix on medium until it all comes together nicely. If you need to, use clean hands to knead it well. Oil a bowl and toss the dough inside, cover with plastic wrap and keep it in a fairly warm place to rise for an hour.
Now onto roasting the veggies while our dough boy gets all big. :) We start with the beets. Preheat your oven to 450 degrees. At this point put your pizza stone into the oven. We need it to be preheated to bake the pizza on. Put it on the lowest rack and just ignore it while roasting your veggies! The beets need to be peeled. I use your run of the mill potato peeler. Make sure to wear gloves and an apron. Unless you like hot pink hands, then by all means have at it baby!
After you have all the beets peeled, cut them into quarters and keep the red and gold separate or the red will stain the gold.
The best way to get even thickness on the slices is to use a food processor. It help in the roasting step for them to be a similar thickness.
When you have all the beets sliced, put them in separate bowls and coat each color in 1 teaspoon olive oil. Season with a little salt and pepper, then they are ready to get roasting!
Arrange the beets on a wire rack over a lined baking tray. This will help with the crispy factor. Which matters. A lot. Ya know?
I roast mine until they are slightly charred and crispy but not too floppy either. It takes me about 20 minutes.
Voila! Gorgeously roasted bowl of goodness, ready to make your pizza dreamy. Unless you eat them all while your dough is rising. Then you are just out of luck my friend. It could happen to the best of us.
Then our asparagus needs to take a turn in the oven. Beets can't hog all the fun forever right? Just wash your asparagus and snap off the woody ends. Then arrange them on a lined baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Pop them into your 450 degree oven and roast them for about 7 minutes. They shouldn't take too long. You don't want wet noodle asparagus, so I like to take them out just before they are perfect since they keep cooking for a bit once removed from the oven.
Oh baby! Those are looking mighty fine. Just right for our ritzy pizza! Now we need to turn up the oven temp to 500 degrees.
Your pizza dough should be just about ready. Let's get the mozzarella sliced up thin, and while your are slicing, get your prosciutto sliced as well.
OK. Now our dough boy should be just fat enough. Let's roll him out thin as we can, and top him with all manner of deliciousness. Yes please.
Get your pizza stone out of the oven. If you have it on hand you could sprinkle some ground flax seed on your pizza stone before you put the dough on. If not, use flour or corn meal. Roll out the dough in a large thin rectangle. Or whatever shape fits your fancy. Spread your fig preserves over the dough surface. Be smarter than me and leave a CRUST though!! I was so excited about my pizza that I forgot the simple yet important detail of the crust. IF you are slightly brain dead like I was then put it all the way to the edge and have it overflow into your oven. That's lots of fun!
Next lay out your cheese. Again. Leave a crust. The cheese will melt over the edge if you don't. :(
Put your pizza in to bake on the lowest rack. The good news is, pizza is still good even if it overflows. I would know, since I just ate some.
Bake for 15-20 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and crust is slightly browned.
Remove from the oven and decorate with your roasted beets and asparagus.
Then top with arugula and crumbled feta cheese. Sprinkle with salt and pepper if you want a little extra boost and serve it up with a smile! You are going to dig it, and dig in! Enjoy!
CLICK ON THE RECIPE TO VIEW AN ENLARGED PRINTABLE PDF
Here's to pizza without the delivery boy. And no, its not Digiorno. It's made by your own two hands, and that is what makes it taste sooo dang good! Happy cooking!
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