Proud Italian Cook

Heart Shaped Pizza with Egg for Valentine’s Day Breakfast

February 7, 2018 by Marie 4 Comments

Valentine’s Day is right around the corner so here’s an idea to turn a regular breakfast into something special, serve your special someone a heart shaped pizza with an egg on top!

A simple margherita pizza consisting of tomato sauce, mozzarella and basil is a nice backdrop for the egg and it tastes super delicious when the cooked yolk oozes out all over the heart shaped pizza.

Of course pizza is a blank canvas so feel free to put any of your favorite toppings on, but since this is for a special breakfast I made the egg the focal ingredient as well as the heart shape.

You can shape the pizza dough into a heart shape many ways, I usually just take my time and shape it by hand, but this time I tried something different.

I rolled the dough out into a circle, folded it in half, then took a pizza cutter, sliced the V in the center along the crease and did a little trimming around the top to shape it.

When the shaping is finished, place the dough onto a baking sheet and pull the bottom down slightly into point. I always pre-cook the dough for a few minutes so the shape gets set, then I’ll put the toppings on and stick it back into the oven to finish.

A few minutes later you’ll have a perfectly cooked egg with the yolk ready to break open and mingle together with the sauce and cheese.

Serve some mimosa’s with this and you’ll have a wonderful, thoughtful Valentine’s Day breakfast or brunch for your special someone, if you’re making it for kids of course omit the booze!

Here’s a link to another version I made some years ago using ham, spinach and cheese, equally delicious and fun to serve on Valentine’s Day, or any day you just want to show some love to someone.

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5.0 from 1 reviews

Heart Shaped Pizza with Egg for Valentine's Day

Author: Marie

Ingredients

1 ball of pizza dough, store bought or homemade cut in half or thirds to make smaller, individual size pizza's, room temp for easy rolling..
pizza sauce
mozzarella, fresh or shredded
1 egg per pizza
fresh basil

Instructions

Heat oven to 500F.
grease a baking sheet with olive oil and a dusting of polenta or cornmeal. Note: (If making 2 pizza's and you can't fit both on 1 baking sheet use 2 baking sheets.)
Take your dough ball and cut it in half or thirds rolling one at a time into a circle.
When circle is formed fold dough in half and with a pizza cutter cut the v shape and trim out the top of the heart, then open the dough and you should see a perfectly formed heart, then pull the bottom into a point.
You can also shape the heart by hand, just take your time doing it.
Place the heart shaped dough onto the prepared baking sheet, prick it in a few places with a fork.
Put it into the hot oven for 3 minutes, then remove it, if the dough bubbled up no problem, just prick it so it settles down.
Add the sauce, leaving a little edge bare all around, scatter the cheese around and fresh basil leaves.
In a separate little bowl crack your egg so as not to break the yolk.
Gently pour the egg onto the pizza.
Pop the pizza into the oven and finish cooking until crust is golden and egg is set.
Time will vary depending on how thick your dough is rolled out.
Mine was fairly thin and took ten minutes total, 5 minutes on bottom rack and another five on top rack.
Add more fresh basil and serve immediately.

4 Comments Filed Under: Eggs, Pizza, Winter Tagged: breakfast, egg pizza, pizza, Valentine's Day breakfast

Pineapple Party Dip for Super Bowl and Beyond

January 30, 2018 by Marie 2 Comments

This pineapple dip is perfect for game day this Sunday, actually it’s fun to serve at any party, so keep it in mind down the road.

The presentation is fun and it really stands out on your buffet table plus it tastes really delicious. Cream cheese with fresh pineapple chunks and other savory ingredients get molded into the shape of a pineapple then studded with whole pecans, when finished it will take on the look of a whole pineapple, you can swipe it on crackers, raw veggies, fruit, chips, whatever you like.

The process is simple, buy one pineapple, cut the crown off then split the crown in half lengthwise so it can lay flat on your serving platter.

Your cream cheese mixture can be whipped up the day before so all the flavors meld together nicely, you can even pre-shape it into the pineapple barrel shape beforehand, cover it with plastic wrap and refrigerate it the night before.

You’ll be using raw, unsalted pecans halves for your pineapple dip, once I counted and it took 70 to cover the cheese mixture which came from an 8 oz. bag, this time I bought a container full and I had extras, which is a good thing.

Just remember whatever kind of platter you’re going to serve it on to make sure you position the barrel of cream cheese with enough room for the crown piece to be placed back on top.

You can start from the top and work your self down placing the pecans on making sure to overlap them and cover the sides and bottom as well, you can also place them from the bottom up, trying your best to cover as much surface as you can.

When completed with the pecans, just place the crown back in position then scatter your crackers and veggies all around.

You still have time to gather up the ingredients to make this party pineapple dip for Sunday game day, it’s a show stopper and your guests will love it!

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5.0 from 1 reviews

Pineapple Party Dip for Super Bowl and Beyond

Recipe adapted from The Healthy Foodie Blog

Author: Marie

Ingredients

1 fresh, ripe pineapple
1 cup or so of pineapple, finely chopped and drained or squeezed of juice if overly juicy
2 - 8 oz bricks of cream cheese, softened
at least an 8 oz. bag of raw unsalted pecan halves, a little more just in case some are cracked. You'll need 70 or so to cover your cream cheese barrel
1 tablespoon, grainy mustard
¼ each of a red, orange and yellow pepper, small dice
⅓ cup of black olives, canned, drained, sliced and chopped ( optional)
2 or 3 green onions, finely chopped
¼ cup chopped pecans
2 heaping tablespoons, fresh chopped parsley
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Cut the crown off of your pineapple, slice the half lengthwise so it lays flat and save. Pick a pineapple crown that's not so big, otherwise it won't look in proportion.
Chop up a cup of so of the pineapple flesh.
In a medium bowl add the softened cream cheese and grainy mustard, beat with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy.
Now fold in with a spatula the reserved pineapple, colored peppers, chopped pecans, olives, onions and parsley, making sure everything gets incorporated.
It's important to taste at this point, you might want to add more of something to your liking.
Now you can either refrigerate the mixture overnight in the bowl covered with plastic wrap, or on plastic wrap shape the mixture into the barrel shaped pineapple, covered completely with plastic wrap and refrigerate that overnight.
When ready to serve place cream cheese mixture onto your serving platter, remember the crown is going to be placed on top so make sure you allow for that on your platter when positioning the cream cheese.
Place the pecan halves from top to bottom or bottom to top covering the sides as best you can, overlapping the pecans to cover most of the cheese mixture.
Position the crown in place and scatter all your dipping veggies, crackers and chips all around.

2 Comments Filed Under: Appetizers, Fruit, Party Foods Tagged: party dip, pineapple, Super Bowl foods

Italian Specialty Sausage and Beans

January 24, 2018 by Marie 10 Comments

Here’s a quick mid week meal that comes together really fast, it has just a few ingredients, uses only one pot, and you don’t even have to turn on your oven.

What makes this recipe stand out a little more than the traditional sausage and beans was the fact that this time I used a specialty sausage, you know the ones behind the case that the butchers stuff with unique combinations.

The base was a standard pork Italian sausage that was stuffed and filled with hot giardiniera and provolone cheese, don’t get me wrong you can certainly use your favorite Italian sausage, with or without a specialty filling, but why not change it up a bit and try something a little different, there are so many different varieties of sausages.

You’ll use canned beans in this dish which is the reason the cooking process is so speedy and of course the beans of choice are cannellini.

Browning the sausage is your first step, that process will leave you with nice brown bits that will form at the bottom of the pan, perfect to saute the garlic and tomatoes in and eventually creating a delicious sauce.

Canned beans go into the pot along with the browned sausage, then all you have to do is let all the flavors simmer and meld together.

Finish it off with some fresh torn basil and a side of crusty bread and this meal is complete!

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Italian Specialty Sausage and Beans

This recipe was inspired by an episode I watched on Extra Virgin

Author: Marie

Ingredients

4-6 Italian sausage links, either traditional or to try something different using the specialty, gourmet kind that the butcher stuffs with various combinations of ingredients.
1 lb. of cherry tomatoes, sliced in half lengthwise
2 15 oz. cans of cannellini beans that have been drained and rinsed
4 large garlic cloves, shaved
basil leaves
olive oil

Instructions

Heat a heavy bottom high sided saute pan, cast iron pan or a smaller size dutch oven, drizzle the bottom with olive oil.
Place the sausage links into the hot pan and brown both sides, then remove and set aside.
Add the shaved garlic, moving it around until it's nice and golden.
Toss in the sliced cherry tomatoes along with the shaved garlic, toss to coat the tomatoes.
Now add the drained beans to the pot, stirring to make sure they get coated with the garlic and tomatoes.
Drizzle some olive oil on top, a little salt and pepper.
Add back the sausage and nestle them into the pot.
Throw some torn basil leaves in.
Simmer with a lid on until the sausage is all cooked through and the tomatoes break down and thicken.
Add fresh torn basil leaves for garnish and added flavor.
Enjoy with some crusty bread!