The mere mention of Shavuot sends images of cheesecakes dancing before
my eyes and calling my name. I love cheesecakes and they love me -- so
much they plant themselves on my hips forever.
On the two-day
festival, which this year begins on the evening of May 26, the Jewish
people became the People of the Book. When we said "yes" to accepting
the Torah, we created a bond -- like marriage, our sages say -- with our
Creator that will never be broken.
So in honor of my marriage to
a man that does not like cheesecake -- not really sure what to do about
that -- and my waistline, I'm forsaking the cheesecake and making his
favorite dairy delicacy, pizza, to satisfy the custom of enjoying dairy
delights on Shavuot.
When I met my hubby-to-be eight years ago, I
was a bachelorette on a perpetual diet; my go-to foods were salad,
fruit and yogurt. Bachelor food looks more like a slice (or two or
three) of pizza daily -- could be for breakfast, lunch, dinner or all
three.
So as a cultured pizza connoisseur, my future spouse
introduced me to pizza shops all over New York: the good, the great and
the fabulous, complete with running commentary on the specialties of
each. I discovered that a New York pizza shop is so much more than just
plain pies. It was almost surrealistic to experience -- fries and onion
rings and fried eggplant on a pizza, even salad. I pretended especially
to go for the salad pizza, but I must confess I loved, loved, loved
those onion ring pies and all the rest!
Plain pizza is so
yesterday, I concluded. And since that time, I must have my slice all
dressed up, piled with everything, like it’s going to the pizza party of
the year.
Of course, now I make my own. There’s no point to
standing in line at the pizza place when it’s so easy to do it yourself.
I have developed some amazing pizzas that are healthy and quick, and
one oh-so yummy carb-fest for my other half. You won't find these at
your local pizzeria.
First up, Onion Lovers Pizza: Eat this with
those you love and serve Listerine for dessert. This one takes the prize
for color: the red onions give it a real splash, and combined with
shallots, Vidalias and chopped chives, it’s a sure winner.
I’ve
never seen a local pizza shop put potatoes (that aren't fried) or
avocado on a pie – so I thought I should be the first. The avocado, as I
see it, is one of God’s gifts to this world. My goal, before 120, is to
try it on everything. Hey, I just saw Martha (as in Stewart) put
zucchini ribbons on a Bundt cake, so why not throw avocado on a pizza?
Heavenly!
Try this super summer concoction: Peach and Arugula
Pizza. It’s not too sweet, as the arugula has a bit of a bite, but it’s
summer perfection in a pie.
My hubby's favorite slice is piled
high with Creamy Baked Ziti. Cover your dough with sauce and top it with
as much ziti as you can handle. Bake until the crust is golden and the
cheese bubbly and browned. Bake any extra ziti in a casserole, as per
the recipe instructions. (I must admit, I kinda love that version too!).
The
idea here is to be so satisfied that you won't even crave the
cheesecake for dessert. Maybe I'll bum a slice off my neighbor.
Happy Shavuot!
ONION LOVERS PIZZA
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Ready time: 30 minutes
Servings: 4
Ingredients:
1 small Vidalia or sweet onion, thinly sliced
1 cup sliced shallots
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 frozen pizza dough, defrosted (9-ounce)
2 to 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 cup ricotta cheese
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 cup diced red onion
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
2 tablespoons chopped chives
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Preparation:
In
a medium saute pan, saute Vidalia onion and shallots in olive oil over
medium high heat for 8 to 10 minutes or until softened and beginning to
caramelize.
Meanwhile, preheat oven to 450 degrees. Sprinkle a rimless baking sheet with 1 tablespoon flour and set aside.
On
a lightly floured surface, roll out pizza dough to a 10-inch circle and
transfer to prepared baking sheet. Prick dough all over with a fork to
help prevent large bubbles from forming during baking. Spread dough
evenly with ricotta cheese and sprinkle with salt. Top with sauteed
onion mixture, red onion and mozzarella cheese.
Bake for 12 to 16
minutes or until crust is golden brown and cheese is bubbly. Garnish
with chives and pepper, and slice into 6 to 8 wedges to serve.
POTATO AND AVOCADO PIZZA
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Ready time: 30 minutes
Servings: 4
Ingredients:
1 medium Yukon gold potato, scrubbed
1 frozen pizza dough, defrosted (9-ounce)
2 to 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 green onion, chopped
1/2 medium avocado, peeled, pitted and sliced
Preparation:
In
a small saucepan, cover potato with 1/2-inch water and bring to a boil.
Simmer until just tender when pierced with a fork, about 12 to 14
minutes. Let cool until comfortable to handle. Slice into 1/4-inch thin
slices and set aside.
While potato is cooking, preheat oven to 450 degrees. Sprinkle a rimless baking sheet with 1 tablespoon flour and set aside.
On
a lightly floured surface, roll out pizza dough to a 10-inch circle and
transfer to prepared baking sheet. Prick dough all over with a fork to
help prevent large bubbles from forming during baking. Sprinkle with
sliced garlic, olive oil and salt. Layer potato slices all over pizza
and top with cheese and green onion.
Bake for 12 to 16 minutes or
until crust is golden brown and cheese is bubbly. Top with avocado
slices once out of the oven. Slice into 6 to 8 wedges and serve
immediately.
PEACH AND ARUGULA PIZZA
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Ready time: 25 minutes
Servings: 4
Ingredients:
1 frozen pizza dough, defrosted (9-ounce)
2 to 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sour cream
1 small yellow peach, pitted and cut into 10 slices
3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup arugula, washed and dried thoroughly
1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Sprinkle a rimless baking sheet with 1 tablespoon flour and set aside.
On
a lightly floured surface, roll out pizza dough to a 10-inch circle and
transfer to prepared baking sheet. Prick dough all over with a fork to
help prevent large bubbles from forming during baking. Top with sour
cream, peach slices, cheese and pepper.
Bake for 12 to 16 minutes
or until crust is golden brown and cheese is bubbly. Top with arugula
and drizzle with olive oil. Cut into 6 to 8 wedges and serve
immediately.
CREAMY ZITI
This
is it, the Geller ziti! Hubby and I are famous in our neighborhood for
this yummy dish. It's a quick prep, but it lasts long in people's
memories.
Prep time: 12 minutes
Ready time: 12 minutes
Servings: 6-8
Ingredients:
1 (1-pound) box ziti or penne rigate
2 (26-ounce) jars prepared marinara sauce
1 (32-ounce) container ricotta cheese
2 (8-ounce) packages shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease a 9-by-13-inch pan with nonstick cooking spray.
Cook
ziti about 2 to 3 minutes less than package directions for al dente
pasta. Drain, rinse with cold water to stop the cooking and set aside.
In
a large bowl, mix marinara sauce, ricotta and 1 cup of mozzarella. Pour
about 2 cups of the sauce mixture in prepared pan, spreading over
bottom.
Combine ziti and remaining sauce mixture and stir until
well combined, making sure there are no dry patches of pasta. Pour into
pan and spread to edges.
Sprinkle remaining mozzarella over ziti to cover.
Spray a sheet of aluminum foil with cooking spray and cover ziti. This will keep the cheese from sticking to the foil.
Bake,
covered, at 375 degrees for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Uncover and continue
baking until cheese is golden brown and bubbly. Serve hot, straight out
of the pan.
Tip:
One
secret to this ziti is that the pasta is slightly undercooked before it
goes into the oven, which helps prevent it from becoming too mushy.
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