Spinach, Artichoke & Bacon Pizza

My sister and I made homemade pizza for the first time this past weekend and it was such a success! It is pretty simple as well.. The following recipe for the dough makes two large (about 16") pizzas.

Ingredients:
[For the dough]
1 1/4 cup water (105 degrees Fahrenheit)
3 1/2 cups of flour
1 packet of dry yeast
1 tablespoon of salt
1 tablespoon of sugar
1 tablespoon olive oil

[For the toppings]
Marinara sauce
About 1/2 cup of shredded Italian blend cheese
3 cloves of garlic
About 1/2 cup of chopped artichokes
About 1/2 cup of spinach
3 slices of bacon

To start, mix the dry yeast and and 1 1/4 cup of water that is 105 degrees in temperature and let it sit for 5 minutes.

Next, add the flour, olive oil, sugar and salt into the mixer and let it knead on the lowest setting for 10 minutes.

Take the dough out of the mixing bowl and add extra virgin olive oil, along with some italian herbs (such as oregano, thyme, basil, etc) Then cover the dough and let it sit at room temperature for 1 hour - 1 1/2 hours.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Now it's time for the toppings! Take three slices of bacon and chop them into smaller pieces

Cook the bacon until they are crispy!

Arrange the artichoke, spinach and bacon on separate plates and put aside.

After the hour, take out the dough and roll it into two equal balls of dough. We wrapped up the other ball of dough and saved it for the next day to make pizza again:)

In the meantime, put the marinara in a large sauce pan and simmer. I added 2 extra cloves of chopped garlic to add more flavor.

Next, roll the dough out into a large circle, drizzle olive oil on a large oven pan and put the dough on the pan. Drizzle more olive oil on top of the dough (and you can sprinkle more oregano on top)


Next, add a layer of marinara sauce, then cheese, then artichokes, spinach and bacon. Sprinkle more cheese on top.

Bake in the oven at 425 degrees Fahrenheit for about 10 minutes, and then when the crush is hard enough, push it off of the baking tray and put it directly on the oven rack and let it cook for another 4-5 minutes (or however crispy / soft you like your pizza to be)

And here's the final product!!!! It turned out so delicious and yummy!!! ^_^

Smoked Salmon Penne Pasta

This dish is so easy to make and is really good. I learned it from my favorite Italian, Matteo Milllone! ^__^

[Serves 4]

Ingredients:

- 3 cups of uncooked Penne Pasta

- 1/2 quart of heavy cooking cream

- 5 oz Smoked Salmon - make sure you get free-range raised fish. Farm-raised salmon doesn't taste as good, and it has less than half of the OMEGA 3's that are so healthy for your body!

- 1/2 white onion

- 1 tablespoon butter

- Crushed Black Pepper

- Salt

1. Boil water and add the pasta, and salt to taste. Cook exactly the amount it says on the box for al dente.

2. In a large sauce pan melt the butter and saute the chopped onion until translucent. Add the cut and sliced smoked salmon and a dash of crushed black pepper, and saute with the butter and onion for 1-2 minutes.

3. Pour the cooking cream into the sauce pan and stir with the butter, onion and smoked salmon. Let it simmer until it reaches a light boil (do not let it boil for too long or the sauce will become too thick)

4. Drain the pasta and add it to the sauce pan, mix and stir the ingredients together (turn the heat down to one of the lowest settings)

5. Serve and enjoy! (and sprinkle some freshly grated black pepper on top)

Smoked Salmon-Rucola- Parmigiano Reggiano Salad

I made this at 1 in the morning because I was hungry and craving something light and healthy. The ingredients are:
- Wild Smoked Nova Salmon
- Organic Baby Rucola
- Vine tomatoes
- Parmigiano reggiano cheese
- Capers
- Balsamic Vinegar
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Black pepper and salt to taste

Put a bundle of the organic baby rucola leaves at the bottom of a bowl. Add the sliced smoked salmon, cubed tomato chunks, capers, parmigiano reggiano cheese- grated and some chunks, along with some salt and pepper to taste, a splash of extra virgin olive oil, and balsamic vinegar. Mix and enjoy:)

Caprese Salad w/ Sourdough Bread

I also made my favorite Caprese salad.. So simple yet so flavorful and delicious ^_^

Ingredients

• 2 vine-ripe tomatoes, 1/4-inch thick slices
• fresh mozzarella, 1/4-inch thick slices
• fresh basil leaves
  
• Extra-virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar, for drizzling
• salt and pepper
• sourdough bread loaf
  

Directions

Layer alternating slices of tomatoes and mozzarella, adding a basil leaf between each, on a large, shallow platter. Drizzle the salad with extra-virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt & pepper to taste. Cut pieces of the sourdough bread loaf and serve.

Parmigiano-Reggiano Mushroom Chicken Pasta

(i got impatient cutting the chicken, hence the huge block of chicken on top :P)

I lived with Italians for a while and learned lots of good pasta sauces made from scratch. Here is an easy, tasty, hearty pasta dish that takes you back to Italy.

Ingredients:
- Half a bundle of fresh parsley
- 2-3 cloves of garlic
- 1/2 cup Freshly grated parmigiano reggiano cheese (essential and key!)
- 1/2 pint of whole foods organic light cream
- Extra virgin olive oil
- mushrooms
- white chicken breast (I used 2 Perdue Perfect Portion Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts)
- 3/4 box of spaghetti noodles (Barilla) (Serves 4 people)

Recipe:
1. Boil water, add salt to taste, add pasta and cook for exactly however long it says to on the box for al dente.
2. Add the minced garlic and olive oil into a sauce pan on high heat. Put the cut chicken in the pan and cook until white, adding salt and pepper to taste.
4. Add cut mushrooms and saute them with the chicken
3. Lower the heat to medium and add the cream and let it simmer to a light boil.
4. After 3-4 minutes of letting the sauce thicken, add the grated parmigiano reggiano cheese and stir.
5. Add the chopped parsley, and cook for 30 more seconds.
6. Mix the pasta and the sauce. Add more grated parmigiano reggiano cheese on top and sprinkle with black pepper.

Buon appetito!