When the Moon Hits Your Eye Like a Big Pizza Pie That’s aMargherita Pizza

It’s pizza time again! Here’s a timeless classic, I know it’s a change of pace from my usually uniquely exciting pies but I like normal stuff too, stuff without kale and yuzu juice 😉 Enjoy and HAPPY EASTER! 

Prep: 1 hr

Cook Time: 20-25 min

Serves: 2-3

Ingredients:

Toppings

• 2-3 Roma tomatoes
• 1/2 C. Crushed tomatoes (to make a sauce)
• 1/4 C. Fresh Basil
• 1 tsp. Fresh basil (for sauce).
• 8 oz Fresh Mozzarella, sliced into medallions
• Olive oil, about 1 TBS
• Salt, pepper, fine herbs (whatever you like).
• 1/4 C. Parmigiano reggiano, the GOOD stuff!

Crust/Dough

• 1 (1/4 ounce) Package active dry yeast
• 1 C. Warm water
• 1 TBS. Sea salt
• 2 tsp Olive oil
• 2 1/2-3 1/2 cups Bread flour
• 1/4 C. Cornmeal

Instructions:

1. Dissolve yeast in warm water in warmed bowl.
2. Add sea salt, olive oil, and 2 1/2 cup flour.
3. Attach bowl and dough hook, turn to speed 2 and mix 1 minute.
4. Continuing on speed 2, add remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, until dough clings to dough hook and cleans sides of bowl. Knead on speed 2 for 5 minutes. If making 2 pies split dough into 2 balls.
5. Place in greased bowl, turning to grease top.
6. Cover, let rise in warmest place in house away from draft until doubled in bulk (about 1 hour).
7. Punch dough down each ball.
8. Roll out dough as you like and place on your cooking surface. (stone, tin, pan, etc.) Use cornmeal to prevent sticking
   To Top: lay down oil, crushed tomato and herbs (with that TBS of basil) process it briefly, then place mozzarella on top, Then romas, Finally sprinkle with Parmigiano reggiano. Bake until golden and top with fresh basil chiffonade.
   Bake for 20-25 min until bubbly and golden!
   Enjoy and Cheers!

Venison Sausage Stuffed Empanadas

These are a little time intensive but worth it!  I like that they are baked and not fried and that I used butter rather than lard.  Butter makes a dense dough, lard creates a flaky dough.  There’s just something about lard that makes me uneasy.  I’ll eat it (tortillas) but if I’m cooking… I’d rather cook with butter personally 🙂

Prep: 2 hrs

Cook: 1 hr

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

Dough:

• 2 1/4 C. flour
• 1 very cold stick of butter
• 1 large egg
• 1 TBS white vinegar
• 3/4 C. of ice cld water
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 1/2 tsp sea salt, finely ground
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp fresh finely ground pepper

Venison Sausage Mixture:

• 1lb Venison pan sausage (from a hunter friend)
• 1/2 Large yellow onion, diced
• 1 large shallot, diced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1TBS parsley, dried
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
• Sea salt and fresh ground pepper

Dough Instructions:

1. Sift flour with salt, pepper, smoked paprika, and garlic powder into a large bowl and blend in butter with your fingertips or a pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse meal with some (roughly pea-size) butter lumps.
2. Beat together egg, water, and vinegar in a small bowl with a fork. Add to flour mixture, stirring with fork until just incorporated. (Mixture will look shaggy.)
3. Turn out mixture onto a lightly floured surface and gather together, then knead gently with heel of your hand, just enough to bring dough together. Roll dough out into a large rectangle on a floured space and cut out 10-15 circles with a large cup or cookie cutter.  (I use a cup that’s about 4″ diameter).
4. Refrigerate floured dough circles for about 30-45 min before filling.

Sausage Instructions:

1. Use fresh pan sausage:  Heat large skillet on medium high and add meat, onions, shallots, and garlic.  Cook thoroughly, 15-20 min.
2. Drain fat/juices
3. Add spice and then salt and pepper to taste.
4. Set aside in bowl

Additional/Optional Ingredients

• Cheese
• Mashed sweet potatoes
• 1 Egg, beaten for wash

To make the empanadas:

1. Take a circle of dough and add a mound of meat mixture to center (add a pinch of cheese if desired) and fold circle in half and seal with a dull fork (pressing down all the way around the dough to make a half circle).
2. Continue until meat or dough is gone.
3. Brush empanadas with egg wash. (Beaten egg)
4. Bake for 25-35 min @ 350 degrees

Serve with Sriracha

I filled some of the empanadas with mashed sweet potatoes, they were good too!

Venison