Proud Italian Cook

Strawberry and Nutella Dessert Pizza

February 11, 2020 by Marie 2 Comments

Just in time for Valentines Day, I give you this decadent and delicious strawberry and Nutella dessert pizza! Gooey, warm Nutella slathered on top of pre-cooked, crunchy pizza dough, it’s scrumptious!

This is a fun dessert that you can share together with family, friends or a certain someone. It’s unbelievably easy to make and it tastes like a million bucks!

I was thinking how fun this dessert would be in the summertime cooking the dough out on the grill and finishing it off right on the table, it’s that easy.

All you’ll need is a jar of Nutella, a good store bought pizza dough, some fresh strawberries and a can of whipped cream. Of course you can make your own dough and whip your own cream but you really don’t need to in this case.

There’s no exact recipe, here’s what you do.

I used half of a 1 pound dough ball so that would be 8 oz.

Roll it out on a lightly oiled pizza pan that is sprinkled with cornmeal.

Brush some melted butter all over the top then sprinkle it lightly with sugar, then prick it all over with a fork so it doesn’t bubble up.

Place dough into a 475F pre-heated oven and bake it for around ten minutes, you want the crust to be golden but not dark.

Take it out when finished cooking, let it cool down a bit and then while it’s still warm spread the Nutella all over but not on the crust.

Arrange your sliced strawberries all over in whatever design you like, you can even add bananas as well, but I think it’s good to keep it simple.

You can also add a sprinkling of toasted hazelnuts if you so desire.

Adorn it with a dusting of powdered sugar and slice it up just like a pizza!

I do recommend a nice dollop of whipped cream right before serving, sweet pizza heaven!

I hope you make this easy, scrumptious dessert!

2 Comments Filed Under: Desserts, Fruit, Pizza Tagged: chocolate hazelnut, dessert pizza, Nutella, Nutella pizza, Valentines day

Orange Honey Garlic and Thyme Chicken Thighs

February 3, 2020 by Marie 8 Comments

This is a one pan dish that I make very often during citrus season. The flavor combinations of orange, honey, garlic and thyme are just amazing and you won’t believe how simple and fuss free this is to make.

Let’s talk about chicken for a minute, the quality of chicken you purchase really makes a difference. I always buy organic chicken, mostly Amish organic when I can find it. Organic chicken is not only healthier but it tastes so much better, therefore it really adds to the taste and quality of the dish.

For this dish I would recommend sweet, juicy in season navel oranges or cara cara which is another variety that I love. You want the citrus to taste super sweet so I would not suggest using blood oranges which sometimes have a tangy flavor.

Bone in, skin on is the way to go for this delicious orange honey chicken. Browning and crisping up the skin is a critical part of this recipe, so make sure you see a deep golden color in the browning process. Also, you want to use a pan that can go from the stovetop to the oven at a high temperature.

Don’t use any non stick type pan, in my opinion you’ll never acquire a deep golden crust on the skin.

A few briny olives compliments the sweetness of the juice which results in a sweet and salty thing going on with the orange honey mix, as well as the savory taste of thyme.

I highly recommend this dish, you can make it quickly during the week or get it together for a nice weekend meal, the flavors are out of this world!

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4.0 from 1 reviews

Orange Honey Garlic and Thyme Chicken Thighs

Author: Marie

Ingredients

1 package of good organic chicken thighs, bone in and skin on ( i had 5 in my package)
6 whole garlic cloves
1 big orange for the juice, maybe additional if needed
A big squirt of honey, like 3 tablespoons
Additional orange slices with the peel on, thinly sliced
dried thyme for seasoning
a handful of olives, a mix of 2 different kinds with the pits, like Castelvetrano and kalamata
olive oil
salt and pepper

Instructions

Pre-heat oven to 450
Heat an oven proof skillet on the stove on medium til it gets nice and hot.
Pat your chicken with paper towel to make sure they are dry.
Salt and pepper both sides of the chicken, then sprinkle dried thyme on the skin as well.
Drizzle olive oil in hot pan then place chicken skin side down and don't move it until you get a deep golden crust on the skin side.
While crust is browning add a little thyme to the other side.
When deep golden flip over chicken, add the garlic cloves, letting them cook til they start to smell nice and garlicky.
Add olives and the juice of one large orange, if not juicy enough squeeze another orange into the pan, you want to see the juice.
Now squeeze your honey into the pan, whisking it into the juice.
Lay your orange slices all around, sprinkle them with a little salt, pepper and thyme.
Brush some of the orange and honey juice on top of each thigh.
Place the whole pan into the oven to finish cooking, (it should only take maybe 15 more minutes but test with meat thermometer to make sure) taking it out and basting it again with the orange and honey mixture, which will thicken in the oven.
Let it rest for 5 minutes then serve.

8 Comments Filed Under: Fruit, Poultry Tagged: chicken thighs, honey and orange, orange chicken, oranges, sweet and savory

Orange Citrus Tart with Mascarpone Custard

January 25, 2020 by Marie 3 Comments

This orange citrus tart is the perfect remedy for the doldrums of winter. It’s bright, citrus-y and it looks like sunshine! If you want a nice light dessert, here’s your answer! Yes, there is a custard made with creamy mascarpone cheese, but it doesn’t require much, just enough to give the sliced oranges a delicious, creamy base.

I made this tart using a prepared pie crust which made it quite easy to pull together. If you have a Trader Joe’s near you, that’s the one I use (not sponsored).

Because there are so few ingredients in this tart make sure you use quality mascarpone and good quality vanilla. I made a batch of my own vanilla back in September and I just started using it now.

I also love the flavor and quality of vanilla bean paste which is easy to find, just don’t get any thing that says “imitation vanilla”.

As far as what type of oranges to use, that’s your choice. I always have a surplus of citrus laying around this time of year so I used some navels along with cara cara and a Sumo orange, if I had a blood orange I would have added that because of it’s gorgeous color!

Keep in mind this is not a rich dessert, it’s fresh and light tasting, so if you’ve had a heavy meal you can end it on a light note with a slice of this orange citrus tart.

Calling all orange lovers, this one’s for you!

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5.0 from 2 reviews

Orange Citrus Tart with Mascarpone Custard

Bright and citrusy and brimming with bright flavors!

Author: Marie

Ingredients

1- 12 inch tart pan
3 large oranges, outer peel and pith removed then sliced for layering. You can mix up any variety you like
1 pastry crust, you can also use puff pastry and phyllo but all crusts need to be placed into a tart pan for stability
3 eggs beaten
¼ cup sugar plus 2 tablespoons to sprinkle on top
¼ cup plus 2 heaping tablespoons of room temperature mascarpone cheese
1 heaping teaspoon of good quality vanilla or vanilla bean paste
1 tablespoon orange zest

Instructions

Pre-heat oven to 375
Place your crust into your tart pan. ( if using phyllo use 6-8 sheets brushed with butter in between the layers). Then place the tart pan onto a rimmed baking sheet for easy in and out of the oven.
FOR THE CUSTARD
In a bowl add the mascarpone, grab your hand mixer and make sure there are no lumps, then add in ¼ cup of sugar and mix in 1 egg at a time then the vanilla and zest.
Pour the mascarpone mixture all over the pastry crust then place your sliced oranges all around, single layer.
Sprinkle remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar all around.
Place the tart into the oven until the top is slightly golden, the mascarpone mixture sets and the crust is nice and golden. 30 minutes or so, but ovens do vary so watch and test it.
Let it cool down completely before serving, refrigerate any leftover.
Optional: While still warm you can brush on a thinned out orange marmalade all over the oranges.