Tomato, Basil, Mozzarella Tart

I recently got a tart pan and went searching for tart recipes. I knew I was making a sweet tart for Mother's Day so I looked for something more savory. I found this recipe on Annie's Eats.

There really isn't much I can say about this tart other than you absolutely have to try it. The crust is amazing - the fresh basil and garlic really make it delicious - and the combination of tomato, mozzarella and basil is always fantastic.

I used fresh basil from my container garden and used roma tomatoes instead of the cherry tomatoes in Annie's version. I also blind baked it before adding toppings like she suggested.

Please try this. You will not regret it!

Tomato, Basil, Mozzarella Tart
From: Annie's Eats

Ingredients:
Crust:
1/3 cup fresh basil leaves

1-2 cloves garlic

1¼ cups all-purpose flour

½ tsp. kosher salt

8 tbsp. unsalted butter, chilled and cut into 8-10 pieces

4-5 tbsp. ice cold water

Topping:
8 oz. fresh mozzarella, sliced

Ripe cherry tomatoes

Salt and pepper

1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1-2 tbsp. minced fresh basil

Directions:
Using your food processor, process the basil and garlic until it is finely minced. Add the flour and salt and pulse until well combined. Add in the butter a few pieces at a time pulsing between additions. Mix until a crumbly dough forms. Begin adding water - 3 tbsp's to start - and pulse. Add more water - 1 tbsp at a time - until dough forms ball. Remove from bowl, flatten into a disc, about 5 inches across, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour.

To bake - preheat oven to 425. Roll out dough on a floured surface until is is about 12 inches across. Lay it on top of your tart pan and press the dough into the edge and up the sides. Lay a piece of aluminum foil over the top of the tart and place baking beads on top - or dried beans, rice, pennies, etc. Anything heavy). Bake for 10-12 minutes. Remove foil and beads and bake for another 5 minutes.

Lower oven to 375. Top tart shell with sliced mozzarella and then sliced tomatoes. Drizzle on olive oil, then sprinkle on salt, pepper and basil.

Bake for 30-35 minutes until cheese is lightly browned. Depending on your oven you may need to rotate it halfway through baking. You also may need to dab the top with a paper towel halfway through to remove excess moisture.

Cajun Chicken...Pizza?

So a few years ago, my husband decided to make me a special dinner for Valentine's day. I was pregnant that year and craved pasta all. the. time. He found a recipe for a cajun chicken pasta that we both fell in love with and have continued to make regularly.

I will blog that recipe next time I make it.

But last night I decided to change it up a bit and make a cajun chicken pizza. I was pretty much wingin it on this one and using stuff I had on hand. I also 'cheated' and bought a pre-cooked rotisserie chicken. I love getting one of those and chopping the meat for several meals.

I used a whole wheat pizza crust recipe from GoldMedal Flour. It's pretty good and gives us a few whole grains with our meal.

I wish I would have taken more photos along the way, but I only have one of the finished product. It was SOOOO good and tasted almost exactly like the pasta.

Cajun Chicken Pizza

Crust:

from: Gold Medal Flour

(makes 2 pizza crusts)

Ingredients:

1 package active dry yeast

1 cup warm (100-110 degree) water

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

2 tbsp olive oil

1/2 tsp salt

1 tbsp sugar

Directions:

Add water, yeast and sugar to the bowl of your stand mixer. Allow to sit for about 5 minutes until foamy. Using the dough hook, turn mixer on low and add olive oil and salt. Add flour in slowly. Once mixture is combined increase the speed and knead the mixture for 3-5 minutes.

Add a tablespoon or so of olive oil to a bowl. Once dough is formed, move it to the bowl and roll it around to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and place in a warm, non-drafty spot for at least an hour.

Topping - for 1 crust:

Ingredients:

1-2 chicken breasts - diced and cooked

cajun seasoning

1 red pepper - diced

1 green pepper - diced

3 stalks green onion - diced

1 cup alfredo sauce

1 tbsp basil

1 tsp lemon pepper

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp salt

Mozarella cheese

Parmesan cheese

olive oil

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425.

Add a tbsp or less of olive oil to a skillet. Dice up the peppers and onion and add to oil. Sautee until vegetables are soft. Add chicken and cajun seasoning to taste. We use about 1 tbsp of cajun seaoning. Cook until chicken is warmed through.

In a small sauce pan mix alfredo sauce with basil, lemon pepper, black pepper and salt. Heat through.

Punch down dough. Use half for this pizza and refrigerate the other half or top with other ingredients. Roll out dough into 12 inch circle. Sprinkle baking sheet with cornmeal to avoid sticking.

Spread sauce on dough. Add chicken/veggie mixture and top with cheese. Bake for 15-20 minutes.