Mexican Pizza

I love Mexican food. It's one of my favorites. Actually, I think it is my favorite (in a two-way tie with Italian food). I could eat some type of taco, burrito, or enchilada every day of the week. When I do my menu planning I find myself struggling to not to make Mexican food recipes every day. Because I would, I love it that much.

For this Cinco de Mayo recipe, I decided to marry my two favorite cultures into one dinner: Italian and Mexican. It even has a Crust. Be still my heart.

It's a pizza with Mexican flavor. A Mexican Pizza. And it was so good.

I started with a Crust recipe I'd never tried before. I saw it on Baked Bree. The recipe was for Overnight Pizza Crust and it was just that; it proofed in the refrigerator overnight.  I usually use my standard crust recipe when I make pizza, but I wanted to try something new and I'm glad I did. The flavor was awesome. The only complaint I had was that the dough was VERY wet and somewhat hard to work with, but totally worth it. Of course, when making this pizza, you can use whatever crust you want. You can even use Boboli or a canned crust if you like. The overall idea of the recipe is super simple and can be customized to your liking.

Instead of red pizza sauce, I use refried beans mixed with a little salsa for kick. Let me tell you, I can eat an entire recipe of those beans in one sitting all by myself. They are that good. Like regular pizza, it's coated in cheese and delicious. (That part down in the right-hand corner? It's the bean-free section for my picky daughter who won't eat beans. Or anything except bread and cheese.)

You can top your pizza with whatever you like: shredded lettuce, tomatoes, onions. Serve it with the usual Mexican food accompaniments: salsa, sour cream, and guacamole. Then grab yourself a few slices and watch it disappear quickly!

Happy Cinco de Mayo!

Mexican Pizza

Printer-Friendly Recipe

Ingredients:

1 recipe Overnight Pizza Crust or your favorite pizza dough

1 can black beans

2 cloves garlic

1 teaspoon vegetable oil

¼ fire roasted salsa

2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded

2 cups Monterey Jack cheese, shredded

Shredded lettuce, tomatoes, guacamole, sour cream, and salsa for garnish

Directions:

1.       Add your vegetable oil to a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add your garlic and cook for about one minute. Add the can of baked beans (including the liquid). Stir to combine with garlic. Using a potato masher, mash the beans to your desired consistency. Continue to cook over medium-low heat until some of the liquid evaporates, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in salsa. Turn off heat and set pan aside.

2.       Preheat your oven to 450 degrees. If you are using the Overnight Crust recipe, place your cookie sheets in the oven to preheat. Separate the dough into two balls and press out onto parchment paper with your fingers.

3.       Cover each crust with half of the bean/salsa mixture. Top with cheese. Place on preheated cookie sheets and bake for 10-12 minutes until crust is browned and cheese is melted. Remove from oven and cool for five minutes before cutting.

4.       Cut into slices and top with shredded lettuce and chopped tomatoes. Serve with sour cream, guacamole, and additional salsa.

Yield: Serves 4-5

Source: Overnight Pizza Crust recipe from Baked Bree

White Bean Dip

I know, I know. Two posts in one week with NO SUGAR. What is this world coming too?  No fear, desserts will be back soon. I've got a couple things in the works for this weekend that I am very excited for.

In the meantime, you need to try this dip. It's awesome! I made it for a party a couple years ago and it is now my go-to recipe for any gathering. Even my husband, who's not a huge bean fan, likes this dip. It will remind you of hummus, but is made with white beans (cannellini beans). I love hummus, but always forget to buy the tahini. (And when I want to buy it I wander the aisles of the grocery store for hours trying to find it.) This white bean dip is easy to make and the ingredients are easy to find.

Another great thing about it is that you can make it a day before you need it. Maybe even a couple days. I know I've eaten the leftovers for two or three days after I've served it. The flavors just get better (read: the garlic gets stronger!) over time. The recipe says to serve it with pita chips, but it's also great with pretzels. I've never tried it in a pita (as a sandwich) like you would with hummus, but that sounds really good too.

It's super simple to make. All you have to do is put your ingredients into a food processor, chop, then add the olive oil and blend until smooth. I know you can buy dips like this in the grocery store, but for about five minutes of work you can have a fresh product and you control the ingredients.

I just had to show the blended picture. You have no idea how much I love my new food processor. It's a 12-cup size. Probably a little overkill, but so much better than just the teeny-tiny one I've used for the past 10 years.

 

Wow, I need a manicure... Sorry, lost my train of thought there. Yummy!

Enjoy!

White Bean Dip

Printer-Friendly Recipe

Ingredients:

1/3 cup olive oil

1/2 teaspoon salt (plus more to taste)

1/4 teaspoon pepper (plus more to taste)

1 (15-ounce) can cannellini (white) beans, drained and rinsed

1/4 cup (loosely packed) fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves (Be careful you don't buy cilantro! When buying, smell it first - you can smell the difference between the two.)

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (from about 1/2 lemon)

1 garlic clove

Directions:

In the bowl of a food processor, combine the beans, parsley, lemon juice, garlic, salt, and pepper. Pulse until the mixture is coarsely chopped.  While the food processor is running, add the olive oil slowly until the mixture is creamy. Taste and season with more salt and pepper if needed.  Serve with pita chips.

The dip can be made one day ahead. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Bring to room temperature before serving.

Source: Everyday Italian by Giada DeLaurentiis