Summer Veggie and Pesto Pizza

While reading my Family Fun magazine I came across this recipe for a Veggie & Pesto Tart made with pie crust. It looked so amazing I just had to make it. Also being that we were knee deep in squash I thought it a perfect time. Instead of doing a tart I made a pizza, using the whole wheat pizza dough from Fresh & Easy, which is in my opinion the best way to do pizza dough ($1.50 for a spectacular dough either white or wheat).

This Veggie & Pesto Pizza was absolutely incredible! I loved every last bite of it. I will be making this many more times and am hoping to introduce it to as many people as I can.

Summer Veggie & Pesto Pizza

8 servings

Ingredients:

1 pizza crust ( mine was a wheat one from Fresh and Easy)

2 tsp. olive oil

2 small zucchini, sliced into thin rounds

2 small yellow squash sliced into thin rounds

Kernels cut from ear of 1 sweet corn

salt and pepper

2 Tbsp. of your favorite basil pesto

2 oz. fresh goat cheese or cream cheese at room temp ( I did a combination of both)

1 large egg

5 to 10 grape or cherry tomatoes, halved

1/4 cup shredded parmesan

5 basil leaves thinly sliced

Heat oven to pizza instructions or 450. Roll out pizza dough onto pizza stone or sheet.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add zucchini, squash, corn and season with salt and pepper. Cook vegetables until the they are lightly browned, about 5 min.

Transfer to a bowl to cool, then toss with the pesto

In a small bowl, whisk together the goat cheese and or cream cheese with the egg until almost smooth. Season with salt and pepper.

Use a spatula or the back of a spoon to spread the egg and cheese mixture over the crust. Spread the cooked veggies on top then scatter on the tomatoes and parmesan cheese. Bake until crust is golden about 20 min. Let it cool slightly on a wire rack. Sprinkle it with basil before serving.

Make your own Take-Out

A couple posts ago I shared my love of the Carmelized Onion & Sausage Pizza from Sauce.

Being the adventurous cook and cheap girl that I am, I decided to try and make my own. It was quite a bit longer and more tedious than I had expected it would be, but the end result was just what I had hoped for.

DELICIOSO!

The process starts with a pad of butter and some EVOO in a skillet.

Next the cutting of the onions. I used 3 small onions and that was perfect for a small pizza crust.

Cut the end off

flip it over and slice in half

Peel off skin

then cut thin strips

throw em in the tub and coat

after about 20 min. at med high heat put about 1-2 tsp. sugar on.

The whole key to the carmelizing process is letting them brown but not burn.

About 20 min. in I turned down the heat to med to low and continued stirring about every min. or so.

another 10 min.

10 min. more

and about 50 min. in.

They took about an hour- with almost continual stirring and watchful eye. I kept thinking I was burning them, but they tasted awesome, so I guess I didn't

Then I lightly browned up some mushrooms

Then I pulled out my Boboli Thin crust.

Now sometimes I will buy dough from a pizza place,but mostly I loved to use Boboli - it is very good and so simple. But whatever you like best works.

Then I covered it in some Ricotta and some store bought sauce. ( no reason to make it more difficult than it already is ). I probably won't use the Ricotta next time- I really didn't like it on the pizza but everyone else really seemed to like it with it.

Then I started adding toppings; mozzarella cheese, onions, mushrooms and some hot sausage i cooked up.

I also did a pepperoni and mushroom for the kids

My future "Chef"

Fresh out of the oven.

my mouth is watering all over again!

While I was attending to the onions I also whipped up a batch of crepes for dessert.

After I made it I let it set for about and hour ( a little tip I got from the "Crepe Man" from our cruise)

Here is my handy dandy crepe maker that my MIL gave me. It is sooo easy to use, I highly recommend getting one.

This last year my family & I went on a cruise to Alaska, and every night they had "Crepe Time"

I of course was all about it and made sure I would get one every night.

They served them up with fruit in the middle and then mini choc. chips, that would melt on the warm crepe and then topped with whip cream.

So I tried to recreate this little slice of heaven. I used homemade peach jam in the middle and then mini chips and homemade whip cream on top.

Well I did it, it tasted exactly the same and so heavenly I thought I might not be able to stop eating, luckily everyone else thought so too, so I didn't even get the chance.

Easy Crepes

1 C flour

2 eggs

2 Tbsp. sugar

1 tsp. baking powder

1/4 C butter

1 C milk

1 Tbsp vanilla

Beat together sugar and eggs. Add flour and baking powder. Melt butter and add to mixture. Finally add milk and vanilla to be the same thickness as buttermilk.