Consequently, I now only have one light in my kitchen instead of three. I am missing one fixture altogether. Only some of the outlets on the kitchen level work, and there are no lights in the south half of my basement (which has no windows, either, so that makes things interesting).
When I was attempting to make the sauce for the olive pizza, I wanted to make quick work of it by using my Vitamix. First task was to find it, since all of my small appliances have been moved. After it was found, I was trying to figure out where to plug it in.
I have come to realize that most small kitchen appliances have really short cords. Apparently, everyone (except me right now) has outlets at counter level - or at least that must be what the small appliance manufacturers think, because the cords won't reach from the counter to a regularly positioned wall outlet.
I thought I had a good set up going - there was a free outlet in the dining room (where most of my kitchen items have been relocated), there was a chair nearby, and a box of outlet boxes (ironic, right?) that seemed sturdy enough to hold up a running Vitamix without falling over. I got it all set up and plugged it in. I put my ingredients in and... That was one of the outlets that was temporarily out of order. Plan B was to plug it into the outlet under the coat rack and sit on the floor to blend. It wasn't ideal, but it got the job done.
I was thankful that the weather was decent again this week. It was a little humid, yes, but it wasn't raining. I was going to be able to grill the pizzas again instead of trying to work around the messes in the kitchen.
Again, I had made the crust doughs the night before. I cheated a little. I made a double batch of one of the dough recipes to cut down on time and the need for counter space. The olive pizza was supposed to have a whole wheat crust, and the turkey pizza had a white crust in the recipe. The wheat crusts have not been a hit so far, so I opted for two whites.
Last week, I had tried to grill both pizzas simultaneously, which, while the end result was fine, it was a little dicey trying not to burn the bottoms of the pizza while still attempting to brown the tops. I eventually ended up pulling one pizza off the grill to finish the other by itself over indirect heat. Once that pizza was done and off the grill, I put the other back on and finished it..
This week, I was smarter. I cooked the one side of both crusts, but when they were ready to flip, I pulled one off, uncooked side down on my board. I flipped the other one and shut the burner off underneath it. Then, I was ready to assemble.
Adapted from All the Best Pizzas by Joie Warner
Crust:
3/4 cup warm water
1-1/4 teaspoon active dry yeast
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1-3/4 cups bread flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
Sauce:
1 tablespoon minced garlic
9 ounces tomatoes
4 teaspoons tomato paste
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon fresh oregano
2 tablespoons fresh basil
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
The rest of the story:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup pimiento stuffed green olives
4 ounces grated mozzarella cheese
1 teaspoon fresh oregano
Make the crust dough: Combine the water, yeast, and sugar in a small bowl. Set aside for at least five minutes. Combine the flour and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Stir to distribute the salt evenly through the flour. Add the yeast mixture and continue to stir at medium speed until the dough comes together. Turn the mixer off and scrape the sides of the bowl to ensure that all of the ingredients get incorporated into the dough. Stir on medium speed until the dough clings to the hook and looks smooth and elastic. Place the dough in a greased bowl. Cover with a damp towel or drape loosely with a piece of plastic wrap. Set the bowl in warm, dry place for about an hour.
Make the sauce: Place the garlic, tomatoes, tomato paste, and salt in the bowl of a blender. Puree until smooth. Stir in the oregano, basil, and hot pepper.
Assemble the pizza: Preheat a gas grill to 500º F. If using a charcoal grill, build a coal fire on one side of the grill. Close lid in order to heat up the entire grill, while you roll out the dough. On a flour or cornmeal dusted pizza peel or board, roll or stretch the dough out to a 13 inch circle. Brush the dough with 1 tablespoon of olive oil all over. Place the dough, oiled side down, onto the preheated grill grates. If using gas, turn the burners on the other side of the grill off. Grill dough for about five minutes or until bottom starts to crisp and brown a little. Brush the top of the dough with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Flip the dough over onto the cooler side with the uncooked side down. Spread the sauce over the crust, leaving a small border around the outside edge of the dough. Distribute the whole olives over the sauce. Sprinkle the cheese over the olives. Close the lid of the grill and cook for another 10-15 minutes or until cheese is melted and starting to brown. Remove the pizza from the grill and sprinkle the fresh oregano over the top before slicing.
Once the olive pizza was assembled, I closed the lid and assembled the turkey and black bean pizza on the board it was resting on.
Adapted from The Everything Pizza Book by Belinda Hulin
3/4 cup warm water
1-1/4 teaspoon active dry yeast
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1-3/4 cups bread flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup picante sauce (I used Pace Medium)
2 ounces diced red bell pepper
2 ounces yellow onion, diced
7-1/2 ounces canned black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 lb cooked, shredded turkey
2 ounces shredded cheddar cheese
2 ounces shredded Taco cheese (blend of monterey jack, queso fresco, colby, cheddar, and spices)
4 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 teaspoon hot pepper flakes
4 ounces diced tomatoes
1 teaspoon cumin
1/4 cup minced cilantro
Combine the water, yeast, and sugar in a small bowl. Set aside for at least five minutes. Combine the flour and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Stir to distribute the salt evenly through the flour. Add the yeast mixture and continue to stir at medium speed until the dough comes together. Turn the mixer off and scrape the sides of the bowl to ensure that all of the ingredients get incorporated into the dough. Stir on medium speed until the dough clings to the hook and looks smooth and elastic. Place the dough in a greased bowl. Cover with a damp towel or drape loosely with a piece of plastic wrap. Set the bowl in warm, dry place for about an hour.
Preheat a gas grill to 500º F. If using a charcoal grill, build a coal fire on one side of the grill. Close lid in order to heat up the entire grill, while you roll out the dough. On a flour or cornmeal dusted pizza peel or board, roll or stretch the dough out to a 13 inch circle. Brush the dough with 1 tablespoon of olive oil all over. Place the dough, oiled side down, onto the preheated grill grates. If using gas, turn the burners on the other side of the grill off. Grill dough for about five minutes or until bottom starts to crisp and brown a little. Brush the top of the dough with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Flip the dough over onto the cooler side with the uncooked side down. Spread the picante sauce over the crust, leaving a ¼ inch border around the outside edge. Sprinkle the red peppers, onions, and black beans over the sauce. Distribute the turkey over the beans. Cover the turkey with the cheeses. Sprinkle the tomatoes over the cheese. Dust the cheese with the cumin. Close the lid of the grill and cook for about 10-15 minutes or until the cheese is melted and starts to brown. Remove the pizza from the grill and sprinkle it with the cilantro. Slice and serve.
This crust had gotten a little misshapen on its journey. It started out round, but with the humidity, it had stuck to the board. Pam and I loosened it with the spatula, but it didn't really want to slide off of the board and onto the grill, so I picked it up with my hands and laid it on the (hot) grill. It stretched a little on the way and landed in a strange shape. Because the grill was hot, the crust immediately started setting when it hit the grates. So, this one is what I like to call especially "rustic". Jeff said it looked like the shape of Montana. Either way, I was sure that it would taste relatively the same as a round one.
The olive pizza was done just about the same time I was done assembling the turkey pizza. The cheese was just starting to brown up, and the crust was getting a little crisp on the bottom.
Now, I am normally not a fan of green olives. They are starting to grow on me, but they wouldn't be my topping of choice. However, this pizza was outstanding. I loved that the olives were still whole. It gave them a nice chew. There was very little salt in the rest of the pizza, so their brininess wasn't overwhelming. I am not sure that I noticed the pimentos or would miss them if they were gone, but I really liked this pizza. The olives were nicely nestled in the pools of mozzarella, and the sauce was sealed in nicely by the cheese as well. It was simple and delicious.
I think I was a little too impatient to let the turkey and black bean pizza get the lovely browning that the olive pizza achieved. We had already tried the olive pizza and were definitely ready to dive into the next flavor. It looked good, it just didn't have as much browning in the middle as the olive pizza had.
I thought the taste, though, was outstanding. This is definitely going to be one of my go-to recipes for leftover turkey. The turkey stayed moist and juicey. The beans were soft and creamy. The picante added a little zip (I may add jalapenos next time), and the tomatoes and cilantro on top were nice finishing touches.
We really should have paired these pizzas with a nice tequila drink of some sort, but I had to find a drink that I had all the ingredients for and could get to through my kitchen construction (or de-struction, since that seems to be the phase we are in right now). I settled for Goldmember - a slightly spicey, appley concoction that was probably more suited to fall. It was a little sweet for me to have more than one, which might not be a bad thing in the long run.
GOLD MEMBER
2 measures apple juice
1 measure cinnamon vodka
1/2 measure butterscotch schnaaps
1/2 measure sour apple schnaaps
Pour ingredients into an ice-filled shaker. Close lid and shake vigorously. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
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