I can’t believe it has been over a month since I blogged!! We have had a busy summer, traveling, working on the backyard and handling an almost 2 year toddler and her ever changing moods 🙂 The weather in Seattle has been a little warmer than usual, so I’ve been cooking on the grill rather than using the oven or stove. This week is going to be in the 90s all week, so I’m definitely not turning on the oven if I can help it!
Last week I grilled a pizza for the first time and I’m going to do it again tonight! It was a success. Here’s how I did it:
(1) Take the pizza dough out of the fridge about 20 minutes before you want to grill it. I used Trader Joe’s whole wheat pizza dough. Have the grill at about medium heat.
(2) Roll out the dough on a well floured cutting board and then brush one side with olive oil. Place the oil side down on the hot grill.
(3) Brush oil on other side of dough. After about 20 seconds, use 2 spatulas to flip the dough. After about 20-30 seconds flip the dough again. Do this 1 or 2 more times.
(4) With the least cooked side down, place toppings on pizza and close grill. Check every 20-30 seconds and make sure the bottom isn’t burning. After about a minute or two the cheese will melt and use the 2 spatulas to slide the pizza off onto a platter.
For toppings I used: fresh mozzarella, heirloom tomato (sliced) and roasted red pepper (which I roasted on the burner of the grill while the dough was coming up to temperature). I added some fresh basil, a little olive oil, salt and pepper once off the grill. Delicious!
Tonight I am going to use what I have in the house: cherry tomatoes, fresh mozzarella and maybe some salami and fresh basil from my herb garden. Hopefully our umbrella will provide enough shade to sit outside.
A couple of months ago a lot of blogs were talking about “eating down the fridge” or the pantry. Specifically, two blogs I follow: (1) A Mighty Appetite, Kim O’Donnell and (2) family. friendly. food, Nurit. In line with how things seem to be going in my life right now, always a few months behind :), I am now going through and trying to use up all the food in our freezer, fridge and pantry. For example, last night we had some curry puffs made from leftover ground beef and pork curry that I rolled inside of Pilsbury crescent rolls and some bbq pork on the grill with vegetarian succotash (a frozen mixture of edamame, corn and red pepper). Karina had a great time dipping the curry puffs in some mango chutney.
Karina has been getting more picky and only wanting to eat what she can ask for. Luckily, this includes edamame (“mameh”), but mostly she wants craisins (“ay”), cheerios (“yeerios”), apple (“bopple”) and bananas (“namna”). At least she is still eating at each meal and asking for snacks though, so I cannot complain.
I buy trader joes whole wheat dough all the time. I have a new pizza stone 🙂 I wish I Had a BBQ, but maybe at my parents house we will try to grill it. I'd be nervous about the dough falling thru the slats…
I was too, but it doesn't! As soon as you put the oiled side down on the grill, it sears it. Much easier than I thought it would be. Definitely try it!