Mediterranean White Pizza

     I was on the treadmill at the gym watching Food Network, of course, and I came up with this delicious white pizza recipe. Sure people find it odd that I workout to Food Network but honestly that's when I get my best ideas! Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives was on and Guy was visiting this great pizza place, right away I knew what was for dinner. I am huge fan of veggies on pizza and this time I was thinking more of a Mediterranean mix. In order to keep the pizza easy I used Pillsbury pizza dough. I usually opt for that or whole wheat dough if I can find it in the store. Another option is to stop by your local pizza joint and get fresh dough from them. It is much easier than making it yourself and especially if you are in a pinch. After I precooked my dough for 5 minutes I spread the part-skim ricotta over the top. Next I covered the ricotta with part-skim mozzarella and layered the toppings of artichokes, kalamata olives and arugula. I baked the pizza at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes until it was cheesy and crispy. This pizza was so delicious that I am already planning to make it again.

 Ingredients

Pillsbury Pizza dough
1cup Part-skim Ricotta
2-3cups Part-skim mozzarella
1/2cup sliced artichokes
1/2cup kalamata olives halved
1/2cup arugala
Pepper and garlic powder for seasoning

Enjoy!!
     

French Onion Soup

I found this French Onion Soup recipe on Foodnetwork.com and decided I had to try it. This soup was so unbelievable and I can guarantee it will be even better tomorrow!! This recipe was created by Tyler Florence and it was a hit!! I followed the recipe and made a few slight changes as I went along. I added a few shakes of Worstershire to deepen the flavor of the broth and  to add depth. As opposed to plain baguette I opted for the whole wheat version. This soup was rich and savory, and finished off with the melted Gruyere, it was an absolute bowl of heaven!! This is a perfect cozy soup for Winter!

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 4 onions, sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 fresh thyme sprigs
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup red wine, about 1/2 bottle
• 3 heaping tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 quarts beef broth
• 1 baguette, sliced
• 1/2 pound grated Gruyere

Directions

Melt the stick of butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onions, garlic, bay leaves, thyme, and salt and pepper and cook until the onions are very soft and caramelized, about 25 minutes. Add the wine, bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer until the wine has evaporated and the onions are dry, about 5 minutes. Discard the bay leaves and thyme sprigs. Dust the onions with the flour and give them a stir. Turn the heat down to medium low so the flour doesn't burn, and cook for 10 minutes to cook out the raw flour taste. Now add the beef broth, bring the soup back to a simmer, and cook for 10 minutes. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper.
When you're ready to eat, preheat the broiler. Arrange the baguette slices on a baking sheet in a single layer. Sprinkle the slices with the Gruyere and broil until bubbly and golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes.
Ladle the soup in bowls and float several of the Gruyere croutons on top.
Alternative method: Ladle the soup into bowls, top each with 2 slices of bread and top with cheese. Put the bowls into the oven to toast the bread and melt the cheese.