9 July 2008

Grilled Pizza with Pesto Sauce and Herb Salad

Grilled Pizza with Sun-Dred Tomato Pesto Sauce and Herb Salad
The talented duo Holler of Tinned Tomatoes and fellow Canadian Lisa of Lisa's Kitchen have a fabulous vegetarian blogging event No Croutons Required . Each month they are looking for our vegetarian soups or salads. Both of these ladies follow a vegetarian and healthy lifestyle which is evident in each of their feature stories. They are both such sweeties that I have to participate in their event as often as I can!!I have missed the last couple of events but we know how that goes....the best of intentions or the best laid plans.....

I have had 3 days off so it may seem like I have been a blogging machine in the past few days...but it just means I have more time to do the things I love like cooking up a storm...and heading to the beach. This months challenge for No Croutons Required is a vegetarian soup or salad made with HERBS.



This pizza topped with herb salad is a combination that is so tasty you just have to try it!!!! I have wanted to try barbecued pizza for a while now so finally got around to attempting it. It was very simple to do and cooked up quickly over the flames. I have given you a recipe for your own homemade pizza dough, but, certainly if you have a favourite use that. Since I have a part time job in a gourmet take out pizza place I cheated and used their dough....after all theirs is arguably the BEST!!!!

**Grilled Pizza with Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto 
Sauce and Herb Salad**

Note: Purchased pizza dough can be used instead of homemade, if time is short.

Dough

1- 1/4 cups warm water (105°F to 115°F)
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1 envelope (1/4 ounce) active dry yeast
3 cups (or more) all purpose flour, divided
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil plus additional for brushing
2- 1/2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt

Pesto

125 mL (1/2 cup)each packed fresh basil leaves and ½ cup packed parsley
4 whole peeled garlic cloves
30 mL (2 T) pinenuts
60 mL (1/4 cup)sun-dried tomatoes drained and ¼ cup julienned
coarse black pepper to taste
mL (1/2 tsp) salt
60 mL 1/4 cup)extra-virgin olive oil
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

Pizza

1- 1/2 cups (packed) coarsely grated 3 cheese blend including provolone, mozzarella and Parmesan

Herb salad

4 cups mixed baby greens
1 cup fresh Italian parsley leaves
1 cup fresh basil leaves, coarsely torn
1/2 cup coarsely chopped assorted fresh herbs (such as chives, chervil, tarragon, and dill)
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
1/4 cup pine nuts, lightly toasted

Dough: Mix 1 -1/4 cups warm water and sugar in large bowl; sprinkle yeast over. Let stand until yeast dissolves and mixture looks spongy, about 10 minutes. Whisk in 1 cup all purpose flour; let stand in warm draft-free area until mixture is bubbling, about 35 minutes.Stir whole wheat flour, 1 tablespoon olive oil, and coarse salt into yeast mixture, then stir in 2 cups all purpose flour. Knead dough in bowl until almost smooth and beginning to pull away from sides of bowl, adding more all purpose flour by tablespoonfuls if dough is very sticky. Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 7 minutes. Form dough into ball. Place dough ball in oiled large bowl; turn dough to coat with oil. Cover with plastic wrap and let dough rise in warm draft-free area until doubled in volume, about 1 1/2 hours. Punch down dough; divide into 6 equal pieces. Roll each dough piece on floured surface into ball. Cover dough balls loosely with plastic wrap and let rest 30 minutes.

Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat). Sprinkle 2 large baking sheets with flour. Roll out each dough ball on lightly floured work surface to 7- to 7 1/2-inch round, letting dough rest briefly if springing back. Transfer to floured baking sheets. Brush tops lightly with olive oil. Working in batches, grill dough rounds, oiled side up, until bottoms are firm and grill marks appear, watching to avoid burning, about 3 minutes. Turn crusts over, grilling until dough is set, about 2 minutes. Transfer crusts, grill-marked side up, to baking sheets. DO AHEAD Can be made 8 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature.

For Pesto: Combine all ingredients except Parmesan in food processor and process until well combined. Recipe makes about 10 tbsp (150 mL) of pesto. (Use desired amount in this recipe. Cover and refrigerate the remainder for up to 3 days for another use).

For Pizza: Spread pesto very thinly over top of each pizza crust. Sprinkle each with 1/4 cup cheese mixture. Return pizzas to grill; cover and grill just until cheese melts, about 4 minutes.

For herb salad: Combine baby greens, parsley leaves, basil leaves, chopped assorted fresh herbs, rice wine vinegar and olive oil in medium bowl; toss to coat thoroughly with oil. Place pizzas on platter. Divide salad among crusts; sprinkle with pine nuts.

Makes 6 individual pizzas

You are reading this post on More Than Burnt Toast at http://morethanburnttoast.blogspot.com. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to the author/owner of More Than Burnt Toast. All rights reserved by Valerie Harrison.
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38 comments:

  1. You are full of surprises! A part time job in a gourmet pizza restaurant?...Anyway I love how you made this "vegie" version on the bbq...great combo again Val with herbs and pesto...I'm drooling!

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  2. Rustic, no fuss - no muss is the way to go on these lazy summer days.

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  3. This is the greatest idea!! I love grilled pizza - what could be better than adding a salad on top too??!! Fabulous!!

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  4. That sounds delicious! A wonderful idea!

    Cheers,

    Rosa

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  5. This looks totally delicious! I love pesto.

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  6. Your pizza looks yummy! I'm a big fan of salad on top of pizza. It's like the best of both worlds!

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  7. I love grilling pizza! I think it is a way to really get close to "real" pizza - because it is so hot in a grill. I also love fresh greens on my pizza! It's like pizza and salad all in one! :) beautiful Val!

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  8. Sis, I always learn new things from you. Grilled pizza is new to me, so is the use of pesto on pizza. Sounds very interesting so I have stored it on the hard disc of my head, under Val :)

    Thanks for reminding me again as I have to get ready for the No Croutons Required event.

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  9. Great photo! That really does look delicious. I just love pizza and pesto sauce so what could be better?

    Have fun at the beach!

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  10. You know I just made up a huge batch of dough from that book Artiisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day. The dough is wet and lasts up to 12 days in the fridge. I have been just baking globs of it on a stone. Now you give me some ideas to top with pesto and a salad. Thanks1

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  11. There has been a lot of pizza grilling happening in the blogging world lately. I haven't tried it yet, but this pizza looks too good to pass up!

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  12. This looks like my kind of pizza! Delicious!

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  13. AnonymousJuly 09, 2008

    What a cool event but what a great recipe. Takes Pizza to a whole other level.

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  14. Wow, you really are on a roll here. Glad you are enjoying your days off. I'll be cooking for a youth camp in August. I am so excited!!!!

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  15. thank you!! i'm on a quest to find the perfect pizza dough and was just running out of recipes - will try this one next! the pizza looks amazing!

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  16. This reminds me of my favorite dish at California Pizza Kitchen - the tricolore pizza salad!

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  17. Thanks for this fabulous entry Val. I wish I had this in front of me right now. It's hot just now and I haven't been cooking as much as usual. Tonight, I had toast and cheese for dinner :)

    By the way, did you email us your entry? I don't see it in our inbox.

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  18. Oh man, I just read and fell in love with your salmon burgers, and now this! I haven't had gruyere in a long time, and this is such a great way to bring it back into my menu!

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  19. Nice pizza. I'm back from an Holiday and have lot's to read on your blog. Everything looks so good. Enjoy your time off.

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  20. What a lovely pizza, Val! I could almost imagine the crunch of the vegetables with the pizza crust. Great idea!

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  21. Yum! I love pesto on pizza and the dough looks fab. I have yet to tackle my own pizza dough but perhaps this recipe will be "the one." lol

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  22. This looks completely wonderful. We have an organic pizza place in town, run by an Italian family, and they have a wonderful arugula pizza. The whole pizza crust with salad thing is food of the gods, IMHO.

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  23. this looks sensational!! bookmarking this one to try soon!!

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  24. Grilled pizza has long been on my list to do but our outside grill has given up it up. This is so good looking with all the summer herbs!!

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  25. i love sun dried tomatoes. love them. your recipe for pesto is fantastic, and who doesn't appreciate a big ol' slice of warm pizza? great post!

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  26. Tremendous Val, looks great.

    I'm using one of your recipes very soon as inspiration for something I've been thinking about - watch this space (or my space, or whatever...)
    Cheers
    Dave

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  27. I love having pizza parties in the summer -- everyone gets to choose their toppings from a whole "pizza bar" of veggies, cheeses, and sauces. Pesto (made from my own garden basil, of course) is always one of the options.

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  28. AnonymousJuly 10, 2008

    Bellini V - We are celebrating reaching the end of the alphabet -with another attempt at a worldwide vegetable face project…
    It would be lovely if you would enter - there is a prize for children and for adult who makes the best face!!
    Would you let people know?
    Thank you Charlotte
    xx

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  29. It looks like that dough puffed up beautifully and grilling it is definitely the way to go. This looks like a really tasty, summery pizza.

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  30. I'm glad you had some days off Val.
    Your pizza looks great! We grill pizza all summer long, the crust turns out perfect, and I like the use of lighter ingredients too.

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  31. I love pizza with a pesto base, this looks wonderful!

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  32. Ouuuu, I love the toppings on this pizza!

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  33. Ooh, I envy the pizza eaters in the world! I haven't had "real" pizza in 3 years... enjoy yours for me!

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  34. Yum Val! Now I just need some sunshine so I can get the bbq out!

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  35. AnonymousJuly 13, 2008

    Grilled pizza is the best. Now if only I had a grill...

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  36. Delicious!!! Drool....

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  37. I love it when I see that "optional" beside the Parmesan cheese to make the pesto sauce :D

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  38. Grilled pizza with pesto is one of all-time favorites. How did you know? This is just my kind of summer food.

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Welcome to my home. Thank you for choosing to stay a while and for sharing our lives through food. I appreciate all your support, comments, suggestions, and daily encouragement.

Val

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