Pepperoni and Cheese Stuffed Pretzel Bites

I found this recipe on Sweet Pea's Kitchen  blog and I have always loved her ideas and inspirations. She inspired me to make these because I love pretzels, all kinds of pretzels from Rold Gold to Auntie Ann's. Whenever they are at a party my hand is always in the bowl.   I had not made pretzels since 7th grade in Ms. Strayer's HomeEc class....that was 15 years ago. I also remember the pretzels looking very anemic and tasting like salted pizza dough.....This pretzel challenge changed my mind-Yes I can make real looking and great tasting pretzels! I will be repeating this recipe again in the future. I want to try stuffing with cheese, sausage, maybe even chocolate.  Here is how mine turned out. 

Recipe: 

Dough: 

1 1/2 cups warm water

1 pkg dry yeast 

2 Tbls brown sugar 

3 Tbls melted butter 

2 1/2 tsps salt

4-5 cups flour ( depending on stickiness of dough) 

( olive oil) 

Stuffing:

1 package sliced pepperoni 

1 bag shredded mozzarella

Topping:

1 egg beaten

1/2 cup water 

rock salt 

pizza sauce

Other:

1 large pot boiling water 

1 cup baking soda

Directions:  

1. Place warm water, yeast sugar and butter in mixing bowl and use your dough hook. Let rest for 5 mins. 

2. Add flour and salt until dough sticks to your dough hook. ( 2-3 mins) if needed add more flour 1 Tbls at a time.  

 3.  Remove and dough and place in a well oiled bowl and turn to coat. Cover and place in warm draft free spot in your house for 1 hour until dough doubles in size.  

4. Turn dough onto an floured surface. kneed until not sticky and divide into 8 equal parts. 

5. 

Roll each part into a long rope about 18-24 inches long.  Then cut each rope into 3 inch pieces. 

roll each piece into a flat round ( see below) 

6.  Fill each flattened round with mozzarella and pepperoni and fold into a little round/oval ball. 

7. Preheat your oven to 425.  Now here is where it gets weird.  Take  large pot of water ( I used this 7 qt cast iron pan) filled it with about 6 cups of water and 1 cup baking soda. The water will be milky. Once water starts to boil put your stuffed bites into the water.  Boil for about 30-40 seconds until they puff up and float to the top.  This seals the pretzel and make the pretzel have that chewy outside ( the missing step from my 7th grade ) 

8. drain bites with slotted spoon and brush with egg wash

9. bake on a cookie sheet for 15-20 mins. Remove when golden brown. 

10. Serve warm with warm pizza sauce.  These are amazing. Totally worth the prep and effort.  Well received by everyone. 

**Note** These are pretty time consuming. I made the dough at 7 and after the dough is risen ( about 8:30)  the prep time for 4-5 dz pretzel bites is about 2-2 1/2 hrs.  I was not done with my last batch until almost 11 on a weeknight.** 

Trader Joe's White Pizza with Prosciutto and Arugula

This recipe was modified from Martha Stewarts - Bianca Pizza. It's one our favorite pizza meals and it's a easy one stop shop to pick up all ingredients at Trader Joe's.  

Recipe and Tutorial

Pre-heat oven to 500


Ingredient list: 

• All-purpose flour, for dusting and rolling
• 1 pound pizza dough, thawed if frozen
• 1/2 cup whole-milk ricotta cheese
• 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 garlic clove, minced
• 6-7 slices thinly sliced prosciutto  ( or any kind of Italian cured meat)   
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella (6 ounces)
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan or Pecorino Romano (1 ounce)
• 2 ounces baby arugula (2 cups)

this is what my shopping trip to Trader Joe's looked like. 

1 Spread a liberal amount of flour and pizza dough on hard surface and use a rolling pin to roll crust out as thin and large as you can.  

Transfer to baking sheet and bake for 10 mins to pre-bake the crust ( not necessary if you have a pizza oven - I don't ) 

2. While crust is pre-baking mix ricotta, olive oil, garlic, pepper together  and spread on baked crust. 

3.  Put prosciutto or cured meat on pizza and spread mozzarella cheese over the - the ricotta mixture then put the  Parmesan or Pecorino

4. Bake pizza on the oven rack - do not bake on cookie sheet for 20 mins until cheese is melted and golden brown. 

5. Add arugula cut and enjoy! 

Bruschetta Pizza

You can have this pizza as an appetizer or a main course.  Bill and I had this as an after work snack.  Not a good idea when you go to the gym afterwards. 


Bruschetta Pizza 

Preheat Oven to 450


Ingredients: 
Dough:
1/2 package pre-made pizza dough  * use whole package double ingredients below*
1 Tbls toasted sesame seeds
olive oil


Pesto:
1/2 cup freshly packed basil
2 Tbls lemon juice
3 garlic cloves chopped
1/4 cup nuts ( any kind you have) 
1/4 cup olive oil 
salt and pepper


Toppings: 
2 ripe roma tomatoes
1/2 white or yellow onion
1/2 cup fetta cheese
balsamic salad dressing 


1. roll out dough to desired shape and size, brush edges with olive oil and sesame seeds. 

2.  Make Pesto: 
Basil, lemon juice, garlic, nuts, olive oil, salt and pepper  in food processor - blend until pesto consistency. Spread on crust. 

Chop onion and tomatoes


3.Compile pizza 

 Finish with feta and balsamic dressing ( drizzle dressing on top) 

Bake for 15-20 mins until golden brown and crispy.  I took pizza off silpat when it could support itself on the oven rack. 

Let rest for 5 mins and cut and serve! 

California Pizza Kitchen's Carnitas Pizza with Habanero Salsa

This pizza was inspired by the California Pizza Kitchen's -Carnitas Pizza with Habanero Salsa .  Many of you know that when I go out to eat I can be somewhat of an embarrassment and always ask the server "what's in this?".  Usually they will tell me, I have even had the chef come out and tell me what is in dishes and how he made it......or I have them tell me it was a "secret". I usually get the "secret" line when the restaurant is trying to sell their own sauce, salsa and cookbooks. Nevertheless I will still try to re-create the dish at home.

Last month Bill and I went to CPK and had this new menu addition. It was amazing with a great blend of cilantro pesto and the Mexican spiced pork....with sweet hot salsa.


Here is the recipe and tutorial :

Pizza Details: Base: Cilantro pesto  fixings: Slow roasted Mexican style pork on a bed of mozzarella  and jack cheese garnished with red onions and cilantro.  Served with Habanero Salsa  


Final product was amazing!  I can't wait to hear what you think when you try it.

Ingredients:

Dough:
1 pkg of pre-made dough or make your own ( I used Trader Joe's $1.69 can't beat the price)

Toppings:
1-1 1/2 cup shredded pork- (Mexican spiced pork any kind will do butt/top round /shoulder see recipe below)
2 bunches cilantro
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
1/2 cup roasted chopped almonds
1/2 cup olive oil
3-4 cloves chopped garlic
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 Tbls white vinegar
1 cup mozzarella cheese
1 cup jack cheese
1/2 red onion sliced
garnish with cilantro


Salsa:
1 seeded Habenero finely chopped ( use gloves)
1/2 red onion finely chopped
1/4 cup orange juice
2 Tbls white vinegar
dash salt
finely chopped cilantro


Directions:

Preheat Oven to 400

1. Roll pizza crust out to desired shape and size - I use cornmeal as my base instead of flour it gives the crust more of a crunch.  Bake on corn meal dusted cookie sheet, pizza stone or silpat for 10 mins until softly cooked.

2. While pizza crust is cooking assemble your cilantro pesto. Using your food processor or blender.  Combine 1 whole bunch cilantro stems removed and washed and roughly chopped, 3-4 rough chopped cloves of fresh garlic, parmesan cheese, roasted almonds ( or any nut you want) a few shakes slat and pepper, cup olive oil, vinegar. Blend until pesto consistency.

3. Spread pesto on crust:

*you might have extra pesto - save for pasta or sandwiches*

4.  Add jack cheese, then onions, then pork.

Pork See Recipe below * I use this pork for pork tacos too and the meat freezes well so you can have tacos on Monday and this pizza on Wednesday*

5. Finish with mozzarella it locks everything in.

6. Bake at 400 for aprox 20 mins.  ( check at 15 and gauge from there)

7. While cooking make salsa:
Dice as fine as you can possibly dice with your knife. habanero, red onion, cilantro and orange juice. Should like something like this...... don't blend it or it will turn grey.

 8. Final Product

Pork Recipe :

In your crock pot take a 2-3 lb pork roast and rub with taco seasoning and a chopped onion. Set 6 hr setting and check when pork can fall off the bone or shed with fork.  This can be made in advance and used for tacos, enchiladas, taco salad, nachos and other Mexican dishes.