Recipe (Re)creation: Butternut Squash, Kale + Manchego Pizza

You can think of this one as the ultimate harvest pizza.  As fall is upon us and the leaves are starting to change, I begin to crave all my favorite fall and winter veggies. Roasting vegetables and throwing them in pastas, salads, and soups is always a delicious option, so why not throw them on pizza? I found this delectable recipe here and made a few changes to suit my tastes.  I love manchego cheese, so I used that instead of fontina, and omitted the salsa.  I also cheated and used store bought pizza dough from Whole Foods.  While I do love the idea of making the dough from scratch, it just isn't realistic for me on a weeknight.  Otherwise, I stuck to the original recipe and just love how this pizza turned out.  Happy eating!

Serves 2

Ingredients:

• 7 oz. pizza dough
• 1 head of garlic
• 2 tbsp. butter
• 1 1/2 cups butternut squash, cubed
• 1 tbsp. brown sugar
• 6 sage leaves
• 1 tbsp. pine nuts
• 2 tbsp. grated parmesan cheese
• 4 tbsp. olive oil
• 8 oz. shredded manchego cheese
• 1 small bunch of kale, torn

Directions:

-Preheat oven to 400 degrees F and remove pizza dough from fridge.

-Cut 1/4 inch off the top of the garlic and place in tin foil.

-Drizzle with olive oil and roast in the oven for about 40 minutes.  

-Meanwhile, heat butter in a medium skillet and add the butternut squash.

-Sprinkle with brown sugar and cook, stirring often, for about 20 minutes. 

-Remove from heat, season with salt and pepper, and set aside.

-Once the garlic is tender, remove from the oven and let cool.

-Preheat oven to 450 degrees F for the pizza. 

-Place the sage, pine nuts, 4 cloves of garlic, 3 tbsp. olive oil and 1 tbsp. parmesan cheese in a food processor and blend until a thick pesto is formed. 

-Knead the dough and form it into a flat disk about 12 inches wide.  

-Place on a greased baking sheet lined with tin foil.

-Brush the dough with olive oil and spread evenly with pesto.

-Top with shredded manchego, then add the butternut squash, and top with more manchego.

-Place pizza in the oven and bake for about 10 minutes.

-Meanwhile, place kale in a bowl and toss with 1 tbsp. olive oil and 1 tbsp. parmesan.

-Remove pizza from oven, top with kale, and bake for another 5-6 minutes.

-Once the pizza is done and the kale is crispy, remove from oven.

-Allow to cool, cut into slices and serve immediately. 

Recipe (Re)creation: Manchego + Rosemary Flatbread

This recipe is shockingly easy.  It is the perfect nibble for a cocktail party and it will disappear in minutes. I always think I'm making a lot of them, and then wish I had made more.  They are that good, and that easy.  The key is that you use tortillas for the crust (shhhhh! It's a secret).  Bake them in a hot oven, and "Voila," they are ready for feasting.  Sprinkle with truffle salt for a little extra flair.

Serves 4

Ingredients:

2 Large Tortillas (white or whole wheat)
Shredded Manchego cheese
Truffle salt (optional)
Rosemary sprigs
Olive Oil

Directions:

Preheat oven to 500 degrees F.
Brush tortillas with a little bit of olive oil and place on a baking sheet.
Top with grated manchego cheese and a few leaves of rosemary.
Bake for 3-4 minutes, watching closely.
Remove from oven, sprinkle with truffle salt, cut into wedges.
Serve immediately.

Recipe (Re)creation: Chard, Leek, Corn + Manchego Flatbread

This will be my last corn addition for the season- I'm just thrilled I keep finding it! This recipe is partially inspired by my favorite flatbread dish at Contigo, and partially inspired by a recipe from Smitten Kitchen.  One of my favorite things about Contigo is that they ALWAYS have a flatbread on the menu and it always has manchego cheese on it.  The fun part is, they add a new seasonal ingredient on top, so its a surprise every week.  I just got leeks and rainbow chard in my Albert & Eve delivery, so I decided to combine them (and add corn, of course).  In order to make it "weekday friendly," I cheated and used tortillas instead of making pizza dough, but it created the perfect crispy flatbread that I have been seeking. The result- OMG, this might be my favorite flatbread combination!  I know that is a bold statement, but you'll have to try it yourself to prove me wrong.  Take that as a challenge.

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 3 leeks, stalks removed
• 1 bunch rainbow chard
• 1 ear of corn, cut off the cob
• 4 whole wheat tortillas 
• 3/4 cup freshly shaved manchego
• 1/2 cup crumbled goat cheese
• Salt & Pepper
• Olive oil

Directions:

-Preheat oven to 450 degree F.
-Cut the green stalks off the leeks, and cut the remaining white parts lengthwise.
-Next, cut those halves in 1/2 inch rounds.
-Soak leek slices in cold water to remove dirt and scoop them out onto a paper towel to dry.
-Wash and dry chard and cut into 1/2 inch ribbons.
-Heat a medium skillet over low heat and add 1 tbsp. olive oil.
-Toss in leeks and cover.  Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes.
-Add the chard and cook until the chard is tender.
-Next, add the corn and cook for 1-2 minutes.
-Season with salt & pepper.
-Meanwhile, brush tortillas with a scant amount of olive oil and place on a baking sheet.
-Sprinkle tortillas with manchego cheese shavings.
-Spoon the corn, leek, and chard mixture on the tortillas.
-Top with crumbled goat cheese and place in the oven.
-Cook for about 10 minutes, or until the tortillas begin to brown and the cheese melts.
-Serve immediately.

*Any extra chard, leek & corn mixture makes for an excellent side dish*