Zucchini Pizza Slices - Weekend Recipe

Something a bit different for the Baked Items Theme this month is this item you can make as an appetizer or a main dish.  Being winter time, you can use any summer squash that you can get at the grocery, or if you want use eggplant.  You can make these for the Big Game coming up next week.

Zucchini Pizza Slices

• 1 large zucchini (about 11 ounces), cut diagonally into 1/4 inch-slices
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 1/3 cup pizza sauce
• 3/4 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 cup miniature pepperoni slices
• Minced fresh basil

Directions

Preheat broiler. Arrange zucchini in a single layer on a greased baking sheet. Broil 3-4 in. from heat just until crisp-tender, 1-2 minutes per side.

Sprinkle zucchini with salt and pepper; top with sauce, cheese and pepperoni. Broil until cheese is melted, about 1 minute. Sprinkle with basil.

RECIPE THEME

Each month a theme is chosen and a number of recipes on that theme from my massive archive will be shared.  This year we have 12 new topics, different from the topics of last year.  

To find the recipes of last year, check out this recipe link or search the blog with the topic Recipe2018, Recipe2019, or Recipe2020.

 
You can search the monthly theme by looking for the theme keyword in the search box and it will pull up the recipes on that theme as posted, so look at the bottom of the recipe in each posting for the KEYWORD for each month.  All recipes this year will be tagged Recipe2021 so you can find them all.

The themes are:
Jan 2021 – Baked Items
Feb 2021 – Breakfast Dishes
March 2021 – Italian Dishes
April 2021 - Chicken Recipes
May 2021 - Appetizers
June 2021 – Mediterranean Dishes
July 2021 – Pork Recipes
August 2021 - Seafood
September 2021 - Pizzas
October 2021 – Mexican Dishes
November 2021 - Cookies
December 2021 – Gift Recipes

Unusual Pizza Weekend Recipe - Pork and Cabbage with Fennel Pizza

One last unusual pizza to cap the month.  This one with the tastes of fennel and celery seed bring a tasty earthy flavor to lean pork, which is perfectly balanced with cabbage and fresh sage.

Pork and Cabbage with Fennel Pizza  

Makes one 15-inch pizza

1 (12- to 14-ounce) prepared pizza dough
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
3 tablespoons toasted wheat germ
2 teaspoons fennel seed, divided
1 teaspoon celery seed, divided
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 ounces lean pork (such as top loin), cut into strips or bite-sized pieces
4 cups sliced green cabbage
2 to 3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup shredded gruyére cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Roll out dough to fit a large nonstick baking pan or pizza screen. Baste crust with 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil; set aside.

Combine wheat germ, 1 teaspoon fennel seed, 1/2 teaspoon celery seed and salt in a large plastic bag; shake until combined. Add pork cubes or strips and shake to coat with the herb mixture. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium, add pork and cook, turning often, about 7 to 9 minutes. Remove pork from skillet and set aside.

Using same skillet, heat remaining 1/2 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Add cabbage, garlic and sugar along with remaining 1 teaspoon fennel seed and 1/2 teaspoon celery seed. Cook 2 to 4 minutes or until cabbage is slightly wilted. Add balsamic vinegar and cook 1 minute more; set aside.

Sprinkle both cheeses evenly over pizza crust. Arrange herb-crusted pork and cabbage mixture over crust, spreading to the edges. Top with fresh sage. Bake 12 to 15 minutes or until crust is lightly golden and cheese is bubbly. 

RECIPE THEME

Each month a theme is chosen and a number of recipes on that theme from my massive archive will be shared.  This year we have 12 new topics, different from the topics of last year.  To find the recipes of last year, check out this recipe link or search the blog with the topic Recipe2018, or Recipe2019 

You can search the monthly theme by looking for the theme keyword in the search box and it will pull up the recipes on that theme as posted, so look at the bottom of the recipe in each posting for the KEYWORD in the () to search for each  month.  All recipes this year will be tagged Recipe2020 so you can find them all.

The themes are:

Feb 2020 - Footbal Tailgate Favorites (AppFeb)

March 2020 - Kabobs (KabobMar)

April 2020 - Brunch (BrunchApr) more in 2021 also

May 2020 - Non-Traditional Pizza (PizzaMay)

June 2020 - StirFry Dishes (StirJun)

July 2020 - Salads with no lettuce (SaladJul)

August 2020 - Pickled things (PickleAug)

September 2020 - Quiche (QuicheSep)

October 2020 - Squash Soups (SquashOct)

November 2020 - Pumpkin (again) (PumpNov)

December 2020 - Turkey Recipes (TurkDec)

Crabmeat Pizza with Dill and Chervil Weekend Recipe

This is the perfect non-traditional pizza to try.  The herbs are not your traditional pizza herbs with dill and chervil, but they combine as a great complement to asparagus and crab, the other unusual ingredients. You can mix it up by trying other fresh herbs, such as tarragon and dill, or tarragon and basil if you do not have any chervil at home.  You can click here to learn about Chervil if you want to try the celery-like herb.  

Dill, Chervil and Crab Meat Pizza

MAKES ONE 15-INCH PIZZA

1 (12- to 14-ounce) prepared pizza dough

1/2 cup prepared Alfredo sauce
1/4 cup Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon whole-grain mustard
1 tablespoon minced fresh dill
1 tablespoon minced fresh chervil  (if you don't have fresh, use 1 Tablespoon BYP Seafood Seasoning to substitute for these two herbs)

1 teaspoon sugar
3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup shredded Monterey jack cheese
12 ounces lump crab meat, flaked
1 cup chopped fresh asparagus
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Place pizza dough on a nonstick baking sheet or pizza screen. In a medium bowl, combine Alfredo sauce, yogurt, mustard, dill, chervil and sugar until thoroughly mixed. Spread sauce evenly over prepared pizza dough, leaving a 1/2-inch border for the crust.

Sprinkle both cheeses evenly over the pizza, then top with crab meat and asparagus. Sprinkle chives over toppings. Bake 12 to 15 minutes or until crust is golden and cheese is bubbly.

Unusual Topping Pizza with herbs and Summer Squash - Weekend Recipe

Today’s pizza leans toward the traditional style with a slight twist, using a tomato-based sauce as the base and broccoli as an unconventional, but tasty, topping. 

Pizza with Summer Squash

MAKES ONE 12-INCH PIZZA

1 cup prepared marinara or spaghetti sauce

2 to 3 tablespoons tomato paste (depending on how thick you like your sauce)

1 (10-ounce) prepared pizza dough or crust
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
1 summer squash, sliced 1/3-inch-thick (about 1 cup)
1/2 cup diced red onion
1 tablespoon snipped fresh rosemary
1 to 2 teaspoons snipped fresh summer savory
1 to 1 1/2 cups chopped broccoli florets (chop into 1/2-inch pieces)
4 to 6 slices turkey bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces then cooked (optional)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Combine marinara sauce and tomato paste. Spread sauce evenly over crust, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese and distribute small dollops of ricotta cheese evenly over pizza.

Arrange squash slices on pizza as you would for pepperoni. Sprinkle red onion, rosemary and summer savory over the summer squash. Top with chopped broccoli and cooked bacon. Bake for 12 to 16 minutes or until crust is golden and cheese is bubbly.

RECIPE THEME

Each month a theme is chosen and a number of recipes on that theme from my massive archive will be shared.  This year we have 12 new topics, different from the topics of last year.  To find the recipes of last year, check out this recipe link or search the blog with the topic Recipe2018, or Recipe2019 

You can search the monthly theme by looking for the theme keyword in the search box and it will pull up the recipes on that theme as posted, so look at the bottom of the recipe in each posting for the KEYWORD in the () to search for each  month.  All recipes this year will be tagged Recipe2020 so you can find them all.

The themes are:

Feb 2020 - Footbal Tailgate Favorites (AppFeb)

March 2020 - Kabobs (KabobMar)

April 2020 - Brunch (BrunchApr) more in 2021 also

May 2020 - Non-Traditional Pizza (PizzaMay)

June 2020 - StirFry Dishes (StirJun)

July 2020 - Salads with no lettuce (SaladJul)

August 2020 - Pickled things (PickleAug)

September 2020 - Quiche (QuicheSep)

October 2020 - Squash Soups (SquashOct)

November 2020 - Pumpkin (again) (PumpNov)

December 2020 - Turkey Recipes (TurkDec)

Meatless Monday - Veggie Pesto Pizza

We are trying to adopt one day a week of meatless meals.  That is the whole day from breakfast thru dinner. This pizza recipe, keeping to our monthly recipe theme, is a step toward that.  It is perfect for lunch or dinner. We used regular broccoli, because broccoli rabe is a bit out of season this time of year. 

I was experimenting with improvements to my Pesto blend, to which I have added sun dried tomato, so we actually used Backyard Patch Pesto Blend to make this.

Smokey Vegetable Pizza

2 Tbls olive oil

3 cloves garlic, chopped

½ bunch broccoli rabe, cut in 1-inch slices

½ sweet red pepper, seeded and sliced

4 oz. cremini mushrooms, sliced

¼ tsp salt

¼ tsp black pepper

1 lb. pizza dough at room temperature (make your own or use refrigerated)

1 cup pesto sauce (see our recipe here)

½ pound mozzarella

Directions:

Heat oven to 500 degrees F. Coat a 14-inch pizza pan with non-stick cooking spray. Heat olive oil in large skillet.  Stir in garlic, broccoli, red pepper, onion and mushrooms, season with salt and pepper.  Cook stirring for about 4 minutes.  On a lightly floured surface roll out dough into 14-inch circle.  Gently roll up onto a lightly flowered rolling pin and unrolled onto prepared pizza pan.

Spread pesto sauce over dough to within 1/2 inch of the edge.  Sprinkle with 1 ½ cups cheese over sauce.  Evenly spoon the vegetables over cheese.  Scatter the remaining cheese over vegetables.  Bake at 500 degrees F for 18 to 20 minutes or until nicely browned on bottom. Cool slightly before cutting to serve.

RECIPE THEME

Each month a theme is chosen and a number of recipes on that theme from my massive archive will be shared.  This year we have 12 new topics, different from the topics of last year.  To find the recipes of last year, check out this recipe link or search the blog with the topic Recipe2018, or Recipe2019 

You can search the monthly theme by looking for the theme keyword in the search box and it will pull up the recipes on that theme as posted, so look at the bottom of the recipe in each posting for the KEYWORD in the () to search for each  month.  All recipes this year will be tagged Recipe2020 so you can find them all.

The themes are:

Feb 2020 - Footbal Tailgate Favorites (AppFeb)

March 2020 - Kabobs (KabobMar)

April 2020 - Brunch (BrunchApr) more in 2021 also

May 2020 - Non-Traditional Pizza (PizzaMay)

June 2020 - StirFry Dishes (StirJun)

July 2020 - Salads with no lettuce (SaladJul)

August 2020 - Pickled things (PickleAug)

September 2020 - Quiche (QuicheSep)

October 2020 - Squash Soups (SquashOct)

November 2020 - Pumpkin (again) (PumpNov)

December 2020 - Turkey Recipes (TurkDec)

Grilled Pizza with Pesto & Feta - Weekend Recipe

I have a great simple summer grill-out recipe, perfect for a light appetizer or to serve as an entrée. No baking required!

Grilled Pizza With Pesto and Feta

Prepared pizza dough
Pesto (make your own with this recipe; or use BYP Pesto Blend)
garden fresh tomatoes, sliced
Peppers, diced or sliced
Feta cheese

Directions:
Place pizza dough on grill and grill both sides for 3 minutes. Spread with a layer of pesto and top with feta cheese and vegetables. Grill for 3 minutes more.

Optional: Serve with torn basil leaves.

To find any recipe featured this month - use the search box and type: GardAug

To find any theme recipe from this year type: recipe2018

For 2018 the monthly recipe themes will be:

   January - Chicken Soup (ChickJan)

   February - Beef Stew (StewFeb)

   March - Jambalaya (JambMar)

   May - Ham and Shrimp Dishes (ShrHamMay)

   June - Bread recipes (BreadJun)

   July - Grilling (GrillJul)

   August- Garden Delights GardAug

   September - Salsa, Corn and Jelly 

   October - Squash Dishes 

   November - Pumpkin Recipes 

   December - Herbal Cocktails 

Herb Garden Design - Pizza Garden

January gave me great weather for herb garden designing.  It was cold and snowy, and I was trapped in my apartment with nowhere to go and a book shelf full of books on landscaping, flowers and herbs.

Since this year we plan to get back into a house and I can actually have a pretty garden in addition to my production garden, I am pondering, scheming and planning.  I thought I would share some of the garden ideas I have pulled together.

I do not know what the yard will look like in the home we choose, so I have opted for theme gardens, some of which are small and cute, that I can plug into the landscape once I know what it is.  These are perfect for someone who want to start experimenting with herbs and does not have much space or time.  In the next few weeks I will share other theme garden ideas.  I will draw plants and shapes out on graph paper to help plan proportions, so I will have those to add to these garden plans for you to enjoy.  Plant lists and quantities will also be included to help your shopping.

A pizza garden at Michigan State University

Today I have for you a garden in a fun shape and theme – A Pizza Garden.

Make this garden leap out by creating a shape that is a circle with a wedge missing. That visual will communicate the intent of this garden.  You can also layout the plants in such a way to look like toppings on the pizza with purple basil in circular pots, or onions and chives in small groupings.  This is a great garden for a sunny spot near a deck or patio and will be a great conversation starter.

Plants to grow here in the Pizza Garden make up the ingredients: tomatoes, onions, peppers, parsley, basil, marjoram and Greek oregano. One can add marigolds around the outside to represent the cheese or the crust.

The scale for this drawing is each 1/4 inch square on the graph is about 3", so 4 squares is a foot. This Garden is approximately a 7 foot diameter circle.  The clay pots are to 12 inch diameter holding one plant each. I suggest a mix of Basil and Chives, but you can use your imagination.

To make this smaller, say 3 to 4 feet in diameter, use a scale of 8 squares to a foot and use only one example of a plant in any given location.

This garden can be edged in plastic garden edger to give it the round shape.  Or you can make it more permanent with cast tuffa or concrete.

Plant Shopping List

3 Purple Basil plants for the pots, I suggest Basil ‘Dark Opal’

2 Basil “Lettuce Leaf’

4 Chive plants for the pots

2 Onion “Spartan Banner’

4 Tomato ‘Roma’

3 Greek Oregano

2 Green Or Red Peppers

3 Parsley ‘Italian Flat Leaf’

3 Marjoram