Pizza Is Always The Answer

I have been swamped lately. I was getting home from work at a decent hour but way too tired to cook anything. I always go to my trusty pizza recipies as my standby. Even though I am tired, I am sure to make dinner every night.

I buy pre-made dough from either Giant or Trader Joes. Both stores have a pretty great selection. I typically use either the whole wheat dough or the focaccia dough. The focaccia dough has tons of herbs and spices which adds so much to your meal.

Secondly, I always use my trusty pizza stone. I bought mine from a friend's "Pampered Chef" party. Another option is just a piece of granite from a quarry or I have heard through the Web that some use a piece of slate. 

The toppings I use come from what I enjoy. My husband loves Hawaiian pizza so I have tried to do several different sweet and savory options to change things up.  With pizza, your options are limitless. Peruse the Mediteranean bar, cheese aisle, and organic foods aisle for ideas. I also have a recipe for dough at the bottom if you are have some extra time!

I have some suggestions below of pizzas I create. I urge you to try some at home. My first and foremost favorite pizza is the pear and gorgonzola pizza with truffle oil.

I bought my truffle oil in Rome, but it is available in most specialty Italian groceries. , Carlino's, and DiBruno Brothers have some great options. Some people do not care for it. It is definitely an acquired taste.  

Pear and Gorgonzola Pizza

Pre-heat the oven to 450F

• Spread the dough out on my pizza stone.
• Cover the pizza with about 2 tbs of olive oil.
• Cut the pears into thin slivers and spread across the pizza.
• Cover the pears with the gorgonzola.
• Spread about 1 to 1 1/2 tbs of truffle oil on top of the pizza.
• Bake and enjoy!

For the picky eaters I like to make a Simple Cheese Pizza.

Pre-heat the oven to 450F

• Spread the pizza dough on the pizza stone.
• Drizzle 2 tbs of olive oil on the dough.
• Chop up some fresh basil and spread on the dough.
• Spread about 2 cups of grated mozzerella cheese on the dough (cover the whole top).
• Top the dough with about 1 cup of tomato sauce (I use the organic Giant Brand).
• Bake and enjoy!

I also make a wonderful Greek Pizza which my whole family enjoys.

Preheat the oven to 450F

• Spread the dough over the pizza stone.
• Cover the dough with about 2 tbs of olive oil.
• Spread a bag of baby spinach across the entire pizza (cover the top entirely).
• Chop about 1 cup of kalamata olives and spread across the pizza.
• Spread about 1/2 cup feta cheese across the top.
• Bake and enjoy!

Lastly, sometimes when we are in a rush prior to cooking the pizza, I flip the dough over on one side of the pizza to create a calzone–bake and enjoy on the run!

Dough Recipe

2 cups of warm water
2 package of yeast
1 tsp. salt
3 tbsp. olive oil
4 cups of flour

• Dissolve yeast in warm water in bowl. 
• After dissolving, add salt, oil and flour. Mix well. 
• Put mixture on floured board and knead. 
• Add flour as needed. 
• Spread a thin layer of oil in a bowl and let rise for about 2 hours.