Veggie Pizza and Caesar Salad

Hello, friends! It has been a busy summer. Two great friends got married, another is expecting their first baby (yay!) so we have had showers and parties galore!  While we may have taken a brief break from the blog, I assure you, there was no shortage of brewing or baking, so we have lots of catching up to do!

Up first- a veggie pizza and Caesar salad with homemade croutons. Pizza and salad is a great, quick meal any time of year, and it an easy way to use ingredients that you already have on hand. Artichoke hearts, kalamata olives, red onions and bell peppers topped with Feta and Parmesan cheeses made for a light, Greek-inspired pizza. We served with a side of greens topped with homemade croutons. Easy as pie!

Ingredients:

1 pre-made pizza dough (we used whole wheat)

1 bell pepper, sliced

1/2 red onion, sliced

1 can artichoke hearts, sliced

1/4 cup kalamata olives, sliced

Feta cheese

Parmesan cheese

Salad:

Romaine lettuce

1/4 loaf french bread, cubed

olive oil

salt

caesar dressing

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

Croutons: slice the french bread into bite sized pieces, drizzle with olive oil and salt. Bake in oven for 8-10 minutes, or until golden brown. Set aside to cool.

Pizza: Slice all your veggies roll out your pizza dough. Drizzle a little olive oil on the bottom of the dough and layer on the veggies and cheese. Bake 12 -15 minutes in preheated oven, or until crust is golden brown and cheese is melted.

While the pizza is baking, chop the lettuce, top with croutons, Parmesan cheese and dressing.

Enjoy!

Butternut Squash Quesadillas

On a recent dinner out with some friends I went to a local vegan restaurant, Gracias Madre. If you are in San Francisco, you should definitely check it out. I promise you will not miss the meat or cheese (double promise!!). They are known for a number of their dishes, but the one that stood out was the butternut squash quesadilla. I noticed it being made in the open kitchen as we walked by to be seated and was immediately sold.  When the plate hit the table, it did not disappoint. Fast forward a few weeks and I was searching the internet trying to find their recipe so I could recreate them and curb my craving. No such luck. This recipe is under lock and key! So, I had to do the unthinkable... I had to create a recipe from scratch. Being a baker, this is typically not my thing. After a few tries (2, to be exact) and a very willing taste-tester, I have what I think is very good, albeit non-vegan, replica.

Ingredients:

1 butternut squash, peeled and cubed (rinse and set the seeds aside)
1 shallot sliced thin
1Tbsp olive oil
2 brown rice tortillas (or any tortillas you want)
cotija cheese, crumbled
cilantro
lime

Directions: 

Peel and cube the squash, reserving the seeds. Place the squash in a pot of salted water, bring to a boil, and let cook until fork tender. While the squash is boiling, clean the seeds and place in a dry pan. Roast over medium heat until lightly toasted and golden brown. (I forgot to take a picture of the seeds.)

In another pan, saute the olive oil and shallots until they are soft and translucent, about 7 minutes.

When the squash is done, drain (make sure to shake the colander and get all the water off) and put back in the pot. add the shallots, salt and pepper, and mash with a whisk until it is smooth. (I used an immersion blender the second time and it made it too liquidy.)

Heat a skillet or a second pan with some non-stick spray. Add 1 tortilla, filling one-half of it with the squash mixture, then folding it over. Cook on both sides until golden brown.

Garnish with cheese, cilantro, roasted seeds and a squeeze of lime.