Breakfast Pizza

In addition to the Nutella wontons, I made a breakfast pizza for the breakfast club at work. I just randomly picked a recipe from foodnetwork.com and found this to be the most appealing.

Courtesy of Giada De Laurentiis

Ingredients

• 1 storebought pizza dough
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 4 tablespoons Cinnamon-Sugar, divided, recipe follows
• 2 cups mascarpone cheese
• 1 tablespoon heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest (from 1 lemon)
• 2 cups mixed berries

Cinnamon-Sugar

• 1 vanilla bean
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Using a rolling pin, roll out the pizza dough to a thickness of about 1/4 inch. Transfer the pizza dough to the lined baking sheet and brush the dough with the melted butter. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons Cinnamon-Sugar and bake until golden brown, about 10 to 15 minutes. Cool the pizza crust on a wire rack.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, mix together the cheese, cream, lemon juice, and zest.

For the cinnamon-sugar, cut the vanilla bean in half, lengthwise. Using the back of a knife, scrape along the inside of the vanilla bean to collect the seeds. Scrape vanilla bean seeds into a small bowl. Add sugar and cinnamon and stir to combine. Set aside in a small serving bowl.

Spread the cheese mixture over the cooled crust. Top with mixed berries and sprinkle with the remaining Cinnamon-Sugar. Slice like a pizza and serve.

Review

I didn't know what to expect from this. It just looks like an enlarged fruit tart on pizza crust. But don't let that fool you. What really sets this dish off is the mascarpone spread with the lemon and cream as well as the cinnamon-sugar topping that coats the pizza crust and is sprinkled all over the fruits. When I took my first bite, my eyes literally opened wide because it was much more than I expected. It made me wish I was I able to lick off all the spread from the mixing bowl. Honestly, what a genius idea for a breakfast dish. It's healthier than your typical sausage and eggs as a breakfast and it can even be used a dessert dish as well.

Nutella Wontons

I first saw this on Tumblr and I immediately wanted to make them. I kept making excuses and I finally found a reason to make them: for my breakfast club at work! (The breakfast club at work is basically a group of 18ish people and each Wednesday we rotate making breakfast for the group)

Courtesy of Giada De Laurentiis

Ingredients

• 16 wonton wrappers
• 1 jar of Nutella (or other hazelnut spread)
• 1 egg
• Vegetable oil
• Powdered sugar  

Directions

Line a baking sheet with plastic wrap. Place 1 wonton wrapper on the work surface. Brush the edges of the wrapper lightly with egg. Spoon 1 tablespoon of chocolate-hazelnut spread into the center of the wrapper. Fold the wrapper diagonally in half over the filling and press the edges of the wrapper to seal. Place the ravioli on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining wonton wrappers, egg, and chocolate-hazelnut spread.

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F. Add enough oil to a heavy large frying pan to reach a depth of 2 inches. Heat the oil over medium heat to 350 degrees F.

Working in batches, carefully add the ravioli to the hot oil and cook until they are golden brown, about 45 seconds per side. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the ravioli to a plate lined with paper towels to drain. Then, transfer the cooked ravioli to another baking sheet and keep them warm in the oven while frying the remaining ravioli. (The fried ravioli can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cool them completely, then cover and refrigerate. Before serving, place them on a baking sheet and rewarm in a preheated 375 degrees F oven just until they are heated through, about 7 minutes.)

Review

They turned out exactly how I had imagined: heavenly. It's such a simple dessert to make and the savory reward comes out tenfold. I don't know what else to say about them other than that these are to damn delicious. It is easy to over cook them, so don't listen to the 45 seconds that the directions tell you and just cook until they are a beautiful golden brown.

Mozzarella, Tomato, Basil Bruschetta

I hosted a dinner at my place and I decided to cook the same pasta I always cook (Cajun Shrimp Alfredo). But I wanted to complement it with an appetizer so I decided to make a simple bruschetta.

Courtesy of Giada De Laurentiis

Ingredients

• 1 (32-ounce) can whole tomatoes, drained
• 1 cup fresh basil leaves, washed and spun dry
• 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 6 cloves garlic, peeled
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 large French baguettes, sliced 1-inch thick (about 36 slices)
• 1 1/2 pounds fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced 1/4-inch thick

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

In the bowl of a food processor, add drained tomatoes, 1 cup basil leaves, olive oil and 2 cloves garlic. Pulse until smooth, but somewhat chunky. Season with salt and pepper.

On a baking sheet, line up baguette slices. Toast in oven for about 3 minutes or until light golden brown. Working quickly, rub the remaining garlic on the toasted side of each slice and then lay a piece of mozzarella cheese on top. Place bread back in oven and melt cheese slightly, about 45 seconds. Remove from oven and spread one tablespoon of the tomato mixture on each piece.

Review

This recipe is incredibly simple for how tasty and classy of an appetizer this can be. It says to use canned tomatoes, which I must admit made me a little skeptical, but it turned out really delicious. The toasted French bed with the mozzarella really sets it off, especially when it's right out of the oven. There were a few mistakes I made, though, since I was in a rush. Make sure to toast the bread first then put the cheese on after to melt it. Since I put the cheese on right away with some of them, the bread didn't have the crunch that makes it good. Also, make sure the liquid is drained as much as possible from the can so that it maintains a good consistency and color. I do want to try it with fresh tomatoes though. I'm sure it would make it taste even better. A friend, James, also suggested putting Parmigiano-Reggiano on top as well. All in all, a great appetizer.

MIA

I have been super MIA from this blog, but I haven't lost my love for cooking. I guess as a preview for things to come. I'll be making bruschetta tomorrow for the first time and I'll definitely be putting that up here. And since some awesome friends of mine gave me a slow cooker as a gift just two days ago, I'll be trying out some recipes to utilize this slow cooker.

If you have any suggestions, feel free to comment!