Friday, October 14, 2011

Eggplant, mushrooms and honey on a pizza. Really? Yes. Trust me.

Two things I never thought I'd eat together, or alone for that matter: eggplant and mushrooms. For about 15 years, I despised mushrooms. Not anymore. For the my entire 23 years, I despised eggplant. Until now.
Traditional pesto sauce uses basil and pine nuts. To make it a little more cost-friendly and unique, I used spinach and walnuts instead. Pesto is good with many other foods, such as chicken or pasta.
This recipe is crazy good, combining a few things that you don't typically eat together every day. I took a few recipes and combined them to create my own exciting dish. Enjoy!


EGGPLANT AND MUSHROOM PIZZA

Pizza crust for one 12-inch pizza, recipe follows (or a pre-baked crust)
3 T. pesto sauce, recipe follows (or already prepared sauce)
1 c. sliced mushrooms
1 1/2 c. sliced and quartered eggplant (1/4-inch slices), lightly cooked or grilled until slightly soft
2 c. mozzarella cheese
2 T. Parmesan cheese
*Plain Greek yogurt or sour cream
*Honey

Pizza crust
3/4 c. warm water (105-115 degrees F)
1 tsp. instant yeast
2 T. sugar
1/2 T. salt
1 T. oil
2 c. flour

Pesto sauce
3 c. spinach
1/4 c. walnuts, toasted
2 T. lemon juice
1/3 oil
1/3 Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper, to taste

Crust:
Combine water, yeast and sugar in a medium bowl and let stand five minutes. Mix in remaining ingredients. When the dough forms a ball, knead it for about 15-20 minutes.
Roll the dough into a smooth ball on the counter. Place it into a bowl, add 2 tsp. oil, and toss to coat. Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least one hour.
Flatten the dough into a disc, and fold into a ball. Roll the dough onto a baking pan. Bake at 425 degrees F for five minutes, just to get it going. Now it's ready for toppings.

Pesto sauce:
Combine all ingredients in a food processor until smooth.

Pizza:
Assemble sauce, eggplant, mushrooms and cheeses on crust. Bake pizza at 425 degrees F for 15-20 minutes.

*Now, if you're feeling adventurous, try the fresh pizza with a dollop of plain Greek yogurt or sour cream. Drizzle pizza with honey. Trust me. It's surprisingly good!