I was looking through my newest issue of Runner's World magazine when I came across this one. The article talks about how asparagus is rich in bone-building vitamin K, immune-boosting vitamin C, and heart-healthy folic acid. Using Canadian bacon instead of bacon saves 10 fat grams and has 1/3 fewer calories. Besides all of this, it just looked yummy! I just got done serving it and it got the thumbs up from the family. The recipe calls for a 9-inch store-bought naan. I used a homemade wheat crust. Anyone who wants a part of my wheat crust starter dough, just let me know and I am happy to share some. Otherwise, you can use the naan bread or any pre-made pizza crust. It also called for fontina cheese and all I had on hand was Provolone, which I just sliced (I used three slices).
What you need:
2 9-inch store-bought naan
1/3 cup ricotta cheese
1/4 cup prepared pesto
8 asparagus-spears (bottom ends snapped off and discarded), cut into 11/2-inch lengths
1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
3 slices Canadian bacon, cut into thin strips
2/3 cup (or about 2 ounces) grated fontina cheese
Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 425. Place naan on a baking sheet. Mix ricotta and pesto and spread onto crust.
Toss asparagus with oil and a lightly sprinkle with salt and pepper. Evenly distribute spears, along with Canadian bacon, over naan.
Bake until breads are warm throughout and asparagus is bright green, about 10 minutes. Remove from oven; divide the cheese evenly on top of the naans (or pizza crust). Return them to oven and continue to bake until breads are crisp and cheese has melted, about five minutes longer. Cut pizza into quarters, serves four.
4 comments:
Hey Susan! Wendy Eason here... I love your blog, my Mom told me about it a few weeks ago and now I have the girls in my office reading it too- they all think you deserve a cape- you are Super Hero Mom!
Saw your husband yesterday at the coffee shop, and think we may have come up with a plan! I suggested you be the deli/bagel/food partner for Dave's store- I have not found a wholesale deli for Dave to work with yet and I was begining to get worried about not finding the right kind of relationship with a local business I had hoped he could have. I think you would be perfect!
I would love to chat with you. I work untill 5pm but am available tonight- if you could call me I would love to see what we can dream up! My cell phone is 734-626-0890. I look forward to chatting! And thanks for all the great receipes and ideas! I think I might make this pizza tonight!
Oh, and I wanted to recomend a book to you- it is called "the art of eating in" and is a memior of a young woman living in New York who decided to commit to not eating out for one year. It is an amazing funny story with receipies and so much information- I think you would really like it!
My first adventure cooking with Susan!
Wendy Eason here- I checked your blog this morning to leave you a message and found the recipe for the pesto asparagus pizza which looked really good and easy- due to my lack of cooking skills this looked like a good one for me to start with.
So I went to the grocery store at lunch to buy all the ingredients, because the only thing I had on the list in my pantry was the olive oil. Got all the stuff and headed back to work.
I was so excited to get home and make dinner- but as I was driving home I thought to myself- I wonder where my grater is- I had bought a block of cheese. I wondered what I would do if I couldn't find it- would I chop the cheese, would I go ask the coffee shop next door to borrow one? (I live downtown- don't really have neighbors). Sure enough, no grater to be found at home. Then I remembered that I had a small gift buried in my closet somewhere that was for one of those times when you need a gift without notice. It was a coffee mug with some special coffee and attached to it was this little tiny grater to grate cinnamon on top of your coffee, the size of a thimble. so I dug it out, dusted it off and although it took a while and looked really silly, it worked like a pro!
I had planned to use the brand new convection toaster oven I acquired recently to make the pizza. Which was a great idea until I realized that there was a lot of smoke in my kitchen. I opened doors and windows and thought oh, it's just new. But it didn't stop blowing smoke everywhere. When I could no longer see and started dropping blobs of ricotta on the floor I aborted the toaster oven and turned on my regular oven and cleaned up the spilled ricotta I was crying about (only cause there was smoke in my eyes).
Finally everything fell into place and right now I am eating this wonderful dish that I can hardly believe I made- with a little practice and the right tools, I could have it on the table by 6pm!
thanks Susan for this blog! It will be fun to experiment and cook along with you... but I have a feeling my attempts may have a bit of comic relief!
Thanks so much Wendy for your comments. I would be so incredibly honored to be a part of the coffee shop. I will call you later to talk things through. Your adventure with the asparagus pizza was hilarious! I have such a visual of you trying to use that tiny grater for cheese, very funny!
Susan your pizza looks delicious. I am going to have to give it a try. Hey, Wendy do you think I could borrow your grater? I could just picture you with that little cheese grater in a room full of smoke eating your pizza. Very funny!!!!
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