Pip's Plate

I spontaneously made this for dinner last night and it was really good. I used a premade pizza dough from Pampered Chef (all you do is add water and knead the dough) and it worked really well. Just make sure to follow the guidelines for the dough you use. This particular pizza cooked for about 20 min in a 425 degree oven. Times and heat may vary.

Butternut Squash Pesto Pizza

1 pizza dough

1/2 c pesto (recipe follows)

10 oz butternut squash (I used Cascadian Farms frozen butternut squash, but you can also roast your own if you have more time)

1/4 chopped onion

1 c Pecorino Romano – grated (you can also use Parmesan Reggiano if you can’t find pecorino – any salty, hard Italian cheese will work well)

Pesto

1/4 c toasted walnuts, chopped

5 garlic cloves

2 cups packed basil leaves (you can also add spinach and/or arugula if you like)

1/4 c Pecorino Romano cheese, grated

olive oil

S&P

Blend the first 4 ingredients in a food processor until processed, but not pureed. Stream in olive oil while processing to create the right consistency (it should be smooth but not runny – spreadable).

Roll out the pizza dough onto your baking surface (I prefer to use my pizza stone to get even cooking). Spread pesto over pizza dough. Top with squash and spread out over pesto. Top with onions and cheese.

Bake pizza in a 425 oven for about 15-20 minutes – again, cooking times may vary.

I made this version of a grilled cheese sandwich for dinner last night and it was so yummy. The feta made it really creamy and the pesto gave it a rich fresh flavor. I also think this is the first non-vegetarian recipe I’ve posted. I’ve been a very bad vegetarian lately. But I’m ok with that.

Grilled Cheese Sandwich

4 slices whole grain bread

1/2 c basil pesto

4 oz fresh feta cheese (I used Israeli feta and it was delicious! Made from sheep’s milk, Israeli feta is creamier and less crumbly than regular feta. If you can’t find Israeli feta, choose another sheep’s milk or goat’s milk feta. Avoid cow’s milk feta as it is usually chalky and flavorless.)

4 slices turkey bacon, cooked (Wellshire Farms is the best there is – if you can find it, buy it)

olive oil or butter

I used spray olive oil and it worked really well and was far less messy than butter or liquid olive oil. Coat 1 side of each slice of bread with olive oil or butter; turn over onto a work surface.

Divide and spread the pesto on 2 slices of bread. Divide and spread the feta on the other 2 slices of bread. Top the feta sides with 2 slices of bacon each. Place each pesto half onto each feta/bacon half.

Warm a skillet over low heat. Place sandwiches in skillet and cook over low heat. Don’t be anxious and cook over any higher heat than low. Using the low, even heat allows the cheese to melt and blend with the other flavors. Cook each side for about 5-7 minutes, or until browned.

Cut in half and serve.

Makes 2 sandwiches.

You can vary this sandwich to whatever you have in your kitchen. Try some kalamata olives instead of bacon if you want a vegetarian option but still a little salty. Or try grilled apples, white cheddar and walnut pesto. The options are endless.