Creative Cooks

Blackberry Ricotta Pizza with Basil
Serves 2

Ingredients

One pizza dough recipe (to make one 12-inch pizza)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup fresh blackberries, smashed
1 cup Parmesan, shredded
1 cup swiss cheese or mozzarella, shredded
3/4 cup ricotta
1/2 cup blackberries, whole
1/4 cup green onions, chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt, more to taste
Ground pepper to taste
2-3 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 450 degrees F. Put your pizza stone in the oven if you have one.
Roll out your pizza dough on a floured sheet of parchment paper to about 12 inches. (If you don't have a pizza stone, you should probably transfer the dough to a baking sheet now.)
Drizzle 1 tablespoon of olive oil over the top of the dough and use your fingers or a pastry brush to coat well, especially the edges.
Use a fork to mash a half cup of blackberries in a bowl. It doesn't have to be perfect. Use the fork or a slotted spoon to ladle the pulp onto the pizza. Spread it around like you would pizza sauce. (You don't need the remaining juice, but don't throw it out. Drink that sweet nectar if you know what's good for you.)
Top the smashed berries with 1 cup Parmesan and 1 cup swiss or mozzarella, making sure to get the crust.
Use a spoon to dollop the ricotta over the pizza. It doesn't have to be perfect.
Top with whole fresh blackberries and chopped green onions.
Sprinkle with salt, and add pepper to taste.
When the oven is hot, transfer the pizza to the oven. I transfer it using a flat baking sheet, still on the parchment paper.
Bake for about 8-10 minutes, or until the top has started to brown. You can broil it for a minute if you want it crispier on top.
Remove from the oven and immediately sprinkle some chopped basil on top. Slice and enjoy!

Recipe Notes

This recipe is really easy to double to make 2 pizzas, and then it would come closer to feeding a family of 4, if you include some sides.

Vegan Glutenfree Grain-free Pizza Crust
Prep Time15 mins Cook Time25 mins Total Time40 mins Servings: 12

Ingredients

1 cup (115 g) almond flour
½ cup (60 g) tapioca starch
1 ¼ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon oregano

Wet ingredients:

3 tablespoons nondairy yogurt or you can also use coconut cream, or cashew cream or thick oatmilk
1 tablespoon oil
½ cup (125 g) nondairy milk such as almond milk light coconut or oat milk

Instructions

In a bowl mix all dry ingredients really well
Press and mix to break all the almond flour lumps. Then add in the non-dairy yogurt, oil then 1/3 cup non-dairy milk and mix well. The batter will be pretty thick.
Add in the milk, 1 tablespoon at a time to make into pancake like batter. You don’t want the batter to be too thin otherwise it will make a really thin crust pizza
Line a baking sheet with parchment then spoon half of this batter onto the baking sheet then spread using large spoon to make a round or oval.
Once the batter is spread, even it out. if it’s too thick in the middle , you can spread the batter from middle outwards to keep the center thin.
Then cover it with another parchment paper lightly, it might stick in some places which is fine.
Then put the baking sheet in a preheated oven at 425F (220c). (if you’re using a thin metal baking sheet, line the baking sheet with 2 parchment sheets. Almond flour can brown really easily so you don’t want it to get sudden heat from a thin metal baking sheet)
Bake for 12-14 minutes, depending on the thickness of the crust and your baking sheet.
Remove this crust from the oven then top it with topping of choice, sauces, veggies, cheese etc toppings of choice.
Add toppings to this crust which will require less than 15 minutes of bake time in the oven. Because the crust will start to brown too much after 15 mins
After adding the toppings and cheese and whatever you like, put it back in the oven at 400F (205 c) for 8-12 minutes, depending on the toppings.
Then start the broiler for the cheese to melt for 2-4 minutes, depends on the cheese and thickness of toppings.
Then remove from oven, let it sit for a few minutes then slice and serve!
Store in the fridge for upto 4 days. Reheat in the oven or microwave

Spinach and Artichoke White Pizza (air fryer)
PREP TIME: 10 m COOK TIME: 18 m TOTAL TIME: 28 m SERVINGS: 2

INGREDIENTS

Olive oil
3 CUPS fresh spinach
1 CLOVE garlic minced
8 OUNCE pizza dough
½ CUP grated mozzarella cheese
¼ CUP grated Fontina cheese
¼ CUP artichoke hearts coarsely chopped
2 TABLESPOONS grated Parmesan cheese
¼ TEASPOON dried oregano
Salt and freshly ground black pepper


INSTRUCTIONS

Heat the oil in medium sauté pan on the stovetop. Add the spinach and the minced garlic to the pan and sauté for a few minutes, until the spinach has wilted. Remove the sautéed spinach from the pan and set it aside.

Pre-heat the air fryer to 390ºF.

Cut out a piece of aluminum foil the same size as the bottom of the air fryer basket. Brush the foil circle with olive oil. Shape the dough into a circle and place it on top of the foil. Dock the dough by piercing it several times with a fork. Brush the dough lightly with olive oil and transfer it into the air fryer basket with the foil on the bottom.
Air-fry the plain pizza dough for 6 minutes. Turn the dough over, remove the aluminum foil and brush again with olive oil, air-fry for an additional 4 minutes.
Sprinkle the mozzarella and Fontina cheeses over the dough. Top with the spinach and artichoke hearts. Sprinkle the Parmesan cheese and dried oregano on top and drizzle with olive oil. Lower the temperature of the air fryer to 350°F and cook for 8 minutes, until cheese has melted and is lightly browned. Season to taste with salt and fresh ground black pepper.

Pistachio Pesto Pizza with Honey and Fresh Mozzarella
YIELD: SERVES 2 TOTAL TIME: 45 MINUTES

Ingredients:
Dough
½ cup lukewarm water
½ teaspoon active dry yeast
½ teaspoon honey
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt

Pistachio pesto
1 cup shelled pistachios
¾ cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves, torn
¼ cup fresh mint leaves
1 garlic clove
1/3 cup finely grated pecorino Romano cheese
1/3 to ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
¼ teaspoon salt

Pizza
12 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, torn into pieces
2 ounces pecorino Romano cheese, finely grated (plus more for topping)
3 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons crushed pistachios
A few basil leaves for garnish

Directions:
Place a pizza stone inside you oven on the middle rack. Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F. You most definitely need a pizza peel for this - or at least something to easily transfer your dough to your stone.

In a large bowl, mix together the water, yeast and honey. Let that sit and get foamy, about 10ish minutes. During that time, I like to get out all of my pizza ingredients and measure them out - because this dough doesn’t have to rise! You want everything measured out and ready to top so you can quickly transfer the dough to the stone.

After 10 minutes, stir the flour and salt into the yeast mixture. Stir until the dough comes together, first using a spoon and then using your hands. If the dough is REALLY sticky, use a little more flour until it becomes silky, adding 1 tablespoon of flour as needed. Flour your workspace and knead the dough a few times with your hands. Let it sit for 5 minutes.

Roll the dough out as thin as you possible can - at least 10 inches. If the dough keeps springing back, let it rest another 5 or 10 minutes. Flour your pizza peel VERY well. To transfer the thin dough to your peel, I gently and quickly fold the dough in half and then in half again, pick it up, and unfold it on the floured peel. Spread a layer of pesto on the dough. Cover with the mozzarella and Romano.

Open the oven and gently slice the pizza from the peel to the stone - I use a spatula to help if needed. Bake the pizza for 10 to 15 minutes - just keep an eye on it since the oven is so hot and stones can differ. It will be done when the crust is crispy and cheese is golden.

Remove the pizza and drizzle with the honey. Cover with an additional Romano sprinkling, the pistachios and basil leaves. Slice and serve.

Pistachio pesto
Place the pistachios, basil, mint, garlic and cheese in a food processor. Pulse and blend until the nuts are coarsely chopped, then with the processor on, stream in 1/3 cup of olive oil. Add a little more if necessary, depending on how “spreadable” you want your pesto to be. I don’t mind mine a little thicker, but it means you will have to thoroughly toss the tomatoes and berries a bit more. Taste the pesto and add in the salt, blending once more. This will make a little extra pesto than needed, so store it sealed tightly in the fridge for up to a week.