Pizza! Pizza! and Pizza Again! Ham and Peppered Garlic Onion Tzatziki Pizza

On this third day of a New Year, I thought of trying a familiar pizza but with a different twist.

The familiar angle on a Ham pizza is often a Hawaiian Ham and Pineapple Cheese Pizza.  But lacking the pineapple and not wanting to do a tomato base, I struck off on a different route.  If you have never tried Tzatziki as a sauce base for a pizza.  Do so and you will want to do so more and more.

So, armed with a flatbread from one of my favourite Flatbread makers who are found at the Saint John City Market, usually every Saturday.  Do not go and visit them on a full stomach as they will want you to "come and let me feed you!"  And feed you they will with delicious samples.

But I digress.  For this I used the following:

One Flatbread -- 14 inch

Tzatziki Sauce -- I used 4 tablespoons for this size pizza

Carmelized Onions in a Pepper Garlic Spice Mix.  This spice mix works very nicely with the Tzatziki sauce, ham, spinach and provolone cheese.

Torn Spinach Leaves -- about 2 handfuls.

8 Round Slices of Provolone -- I used the Saputo Brand.

3 Slices of Kirkland Extra Lean Ham.  Cut in three strips and then cut into about an inch pieces to put on the pizza.

I set it up as sauce, ham, spinach, carmelized onions and then provolone in the full circles to cover the pizza.

Baked in a 425 degree oven until cheese has started to turn brown.

Did not take a picture of the full product before cutting and serving but here is a picture of one slice.

Happy Eating

Grace and Peace

When Frozen....Yikes! Is Better?

Those who know my love of good food are probably cringing at what they think I might be about to suggest.  That I am now a fan of the nuke it and consume it movement of frozen meals for anytime of the day or night?

Rest easy.  I am not.

What I am becoming a surprising fan of is the wonderful results I am getting from a slow simmer  in a cast iron fry pan of a frozen beef steak or small roast in some water, your favourite steak piece and my own balsamic vinegar reduction sauce.  For this recipe I used the following:

Club House La Grille Blazin Pepper Bourbon

For this occasion of New Year's Eve, I got out a small frozen Prime Rib Roast (about 2 and 1/2 lbs), and a 12 inch cast iron fry pan.  Covered the bottom of the pan with water, a generous helping of the 

Club House La Grille Blazin Pepper Bourbon, and about 1 cup of my balsamic vinegar reduction sauce.  I will add about another 1/2 cup of the sauce when I turn the roast.

Then start the frozen roast on a double burner at 4-6 heat setting.  You will reduce it, after about 20 minutes to around a number 2 setting, on the double burner. You are looking for a slow bubbling effect.  I turned it after about an hour and all told it cooked for about two hours.  If you have longer, start it on a lower setting.

I paired the meal with some baked potatoes and a side of just turned carmelized onions and french green beans.  By just turned, I mean do not add the frozen french green beans in the fry pan, until the onions have just turned.  A nice lemon pepper and herb mixture brings out a lowly flavour to the side dish.

A caesar dressing drizzle for the potatoes and side veggies is a tasty twist and the caesar pairs nicely with the reduction sauce from the cast iron fry pan.  That was an unexpected but pleasant discovery in the journey of sharing and eating as one saw the end of 2014.

So a New Years Resolution for 2015?  Try some more frozen meat for this year.  It will force you to take time because you cannot cook frozen fast and expect good results.  Slow simmer and slow down.

You just might like what results.  In the Middle East in the time of Jesus and even today, food was to be enjoyed because as you shared food you shared life.  Not a bad idea eh?  

Oh I should share the balsamic vinegar reduction sauce sometime too?

Grace and Peace

Happy Eating