The Veggie

It is 2014, and I am a red-blooded, meat-loving American girl. So Fridays during Lent (the day we're supposed to abstain from meat) are a little bit tricky. Thank goodness, pizza makes those Fridays a bit easier.

Enter: the veggie za.

This was the last pizza of Lent in 2014, and although some sausage or bacon would have made it even more delightful, it was still a stand-alone excellent pie. And with no meat in the picture, the prep is super simple.

Above the crust:

• About 1 cup pizza sauce 
• 1 cup spinach, chopped
• 1 roma tomato, sliced
• 1/2 onion, sliced and sautéed 
• 1/2 red bell pepper, sliced and sautéed
• About 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Making it:

• Place a pizza stone into a cold oven and turn the temperature to 500.
• Slice and chop all ingredients as necessary.
• Place the sliced tomatoes on one or two layers of paper towel to absorb some of the moisture out of them. Believe me, this helps keep your pizza from getting heavy, wet, and soggy. 

• Heat a skillet with 1-2 tablespoons of oil, and sauté the sliced onion and bell pepper for about 5 minutes, until soft.

• When the oven has reached 500 and the pizza stone is hot, carefully remove it from the oven so you can begin to assemble the za on top of it. I know, I know...some fancy people use a pizza paddle and can swiftly transfer the beautifully arranged za from paddle to oven in one fell swoop. Call me primitive, but in Gloria's kitchen, that's not how business is done. 
• Anyway, place your prepared pizza dough for the crust on top of the stone. Pop it back in the oven for about 2 minutes now if you want a crispier crust. If you prefer a chewier crust then just continue with the rest of the toppings immediately. 
• Start with the sauce, spreading it evenly all around the pizza. 
• Add the spinach next. Putting it on the bottom "layer" will keep it from getting burned and dried out in the oven. I've heard of kale chips, but I don't think crispy spinach is a thing yet. 
• Add on the tomatoes, onions, and bell peppers next. Top it with the cheese. If you're sad about a pizza that has no meat on it, dry your tears and add more cheese. 
• Back into the oven! Keep an eye on it, but it should take 7-10 minutes to cook this one. You'll notice when the crust is golden brown and the cheese is all melted. That's your cue to take it out of the oven.

Slice it! Serve it! Add some red pepper flakes or balsamic vinegar if you're feeling jazzy! Such fun.

Creamy Spinach and Artichoke Pizza

Happy New Year! I'm glad to say that the first pizza of 2014 is one I can brag about.

I've been rather down with the sickness since Christmas. Apparently spending the holidays among droves of children can lead one to contract an illness rather easily. So after plenty of bed rest, gallons of chicken noodle soup, and just enough Tylenol and Robitussin to give me a good night's sleep, I'm more or less back on my feet and doing things around the house (but not ready to do things around the gym just yet).

All this sickness has deprived me of my usual appetite for the past week or so, and now that it's coming back, I decided I wanted something good and hearty. Something that sticks to the ribs. Some sort of comfort food. Yes, pizza is all of those, usually; but I really wanted it to be rich this time. And that's when I thought of spinach artichoke dip. It ranks high among my guilty pleasures, even when I make a "healthier" version of it (because let's be honest, you can only be so healthy with a cream-cheese based meal).

And alas, I developed the Creamy Spinach and Artichoke pizza. Basically, it's topped with what you'd find in a spinach-artichoke dip, but it sits deliciously atop a round of fresh dough and pizza sauce, topped with shredded, melty mozzarella.

For this culinary delight, you will need:

• 1-2 cups pizza sauce
• 1/2 medium onion, diced
• 1/2 8-oz package of cream cheese
• 1-2 Tablespoons half and half
• 2 cups fresh spinach leaves, chopped
• 1-2 Tablespoons garlic powder
• 1-2 teaspoons black pepper
• 1-2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1 6-oz jar marinated artichoke hearts, sliced

Of course I used the cream cheese with a wee bit less fat (so I can feel a wee bit less guilty about eating it). If you'd like to use heavy whipping cream in place of the half and half, that would work too. (Half and half was just a little cheaper at the grocery store for me this time around). It's a good idea to leave these ingredients on the counter for a little while so that they reach room temperature before you begin cooking. Stuff just turns out better (usually) if it's near the same temperature before you begin.

Now grab your fancy apron, and get started.

First things first: your oven and your pizza stone. Turn that machine to 500 degrees with the stone inside. Make it all nice and hot.

Next, heat a skillet over medium heat with a small bit of oil on it. Dice your onion, and toss the pieces into the skillet, stirring until slightly browned. Remove from the skillet and allow to cool slightly. 

Chop the spinach and set it aside. 

In the bowl of a mixer, place the cream cheese, half and half, garlic powder, and black pepper. Mix it on up until it's well combined. Add more half and half, slowly, if you prefer a thinner consistency. 

Next, mix in the sautéed onion pieces, followed by the chopped spinach. It should just look like a big creamy, oniony mixture with spinach in it. Yum.

Mmm. Onions n stuff.

Next, slice up the artichoke hearts. The ones I buy are already chopped into pieces, but I prefer to make those a little thinner so they're easier to eat and I can spread more of them around the za.

Now given that your dough and sauce are ready, your pizza is ready to assemble.

Remove the pizza stone from the hot oven and place it on a stable, heat-proof work surface. Hot pads on the counter serve me just fine. Place the prepared dough on that and spread as much pizza sauce as you care for on top of your dough.

Next is the creamy, oniony, spinachy mixture. Using a teaspoon, scoop up spoonfuls of the stuff and drop them evenly around the pizza in little globs. It's okay if there are spots that you missed or if the globs aren't quite equal in size. That will all even out when it goes back in the oven. Once you've used all the creamy mixture, sprinkle shredded mozzarella all around on top of that. Finally, place the sliced artichoke hearts on top. If you'd like a little more mozzarella (or noticed that you missed a spot), now is the time for touch-ups with that cheese.

Now pop the whole thing back in the oven and set the timer for 10 minutes. You will be delighted at the results.

Delightful, no?

This za lends itself to many different flavors and options to "dress it up." You could add some red pepper flakes for some spice, parmesan cheese for more of a bite, or any other herbs and spices that you like. Cream cheese is rather plain and takes well to many sweet, savory, and spicy variations. I just kept it simple (partially because I didn't want to irritate my sore throat and sinuses any more, partially because I was lazy), but it was definitely the perfect meal with just enough of each flavor element to bring me out of the sickness and back into the pizza eating frame of mind.

Turkey, Bacon and Spinach Pizza with Old Bay

Have you ever tried food seasoned with Old Bay? If you have, you've probably tried it with seafood. And it was probably delicious. But I say...ignore the conventional, add this to your pizza! I don't remember specifically the last time I had any food seasoned with Old Bay, but I will remember this turkey, bacon and spinach za forever.

Does the picture have you convinced at all? I know you can't taste it through the screen, and even if you try really hard you probably won't be able to smell it either. But if I might just fill in those blanks for you, the taste is like no pizza you've ever experienced. This is one for the top 10 list for sure. A quote after the husbands first bite: "Wow. I think you did it again." That was a proud moment for me. And the smell is just outta control. Like whoa. Old Bay has got a savory, spicy, earthy aroma that you'd most likely encounter in restaurants around the Gulf Coast. But bring it into your kitchen, and oh my! And did I mention that there's bacon in it? That alone should get your tasters and smellers in gear.

So, gather your ingredients for the za toppings:

• 1-2 cups pizza sauce
• 6-8 slices of bacon
• 1/2 chopped onion
• About 1/2 lb. ground turkey
• 1-2 tablespoons Old Bay seasoning
• About 2 cups spinach, roughly chopped
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1-2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Get cooking, good looking!

• Place your pizza stone into a cold oven. Turn the temperature to 500. 
• Fire up the stove with a skillet on one burner. I love my cast iron skillet, but if you don't have one you can still cook these foods in a normal sort of pan. While the skillet is heating, chop your bacon into small pieces - smaller than bite-sized. Place those pieces in the hot skillet and begin to cook these, but don't cook them all the way through just yet. Maybe keep them on there for about 2 minutes.
• While the bacon is in the pan, chop up your onion. Add those pieces to the pan and cook with the bacon until the onion pieces are translucent, about 3-5 minutes. 

Bacon + Onions = Divine smelling kitchen

• Add the ground turkey to the pan and keep breaking it up so you don't have any large chunks. 

Use about 1/3 of a package of ground turkey

• Now add the magic. (Cue to add the Old Bay.) You don't need a ton of this - really less than a tablespoon would be fine. I didn't measure mine specifically - just sprinkled a smattering on there until it was fragrant!

Oh, hello back there, Old Bay.

• When your turkey is cooked through, turn off the heat. Add the chopped spinach to the mix and stir it around until it wilts. You may have to do this in batches, as raw spinach tends to occupy a lot of volume. 
• Now get your stone out of the oven and place it on your work surface. Place prepared pizza dough on top of the hot stone, followed by the sauce. Spread the sauce evenly on the dough working it as far to the edges as you can. 
• Top that with the bacon/onion/turkey/spinach mixture, evenly topping the pizza. Sprinkle the mozzarella on next, followed by the chopped parsley. 
• Place it back into the oven and bake for about 10 minutes. I did a bit of a thinner crust with this one, so mine cooked in under 10 minutes. Just keep an eye on it and you'll know it's done when the crust and the cheese on top turn golden. 

Yummy yum-ness. You'd better come with your appetite and your pizza party hat on. You've just made a real masterpiece, friend. You really don't understand the magic and wonders Old Bay can bring until you've tried this pizza. During the eating of this pizza I constantly asked myself...what is this sorcery? But all I can figure out is that I will need to stock my kitchen with some new Old Bay very soon if this za making continues. 

Za and beers for two, thank you!