Pear Gorgonzola Pizza

Oh why why California Pizza Kitchen?? Why must you introduce me to these delicious taste sensations and then take it off the menu?  Oh, don’t worry, I’ve convinced them ( I won’t say how) to put it back on the menu.  But now, I don’t live anywhere near a CPK!!!  When they took their pear gorgonzola pizza off the menu, I all but bribed the manager of CPK to make it for me.  They told me it wouldn’t be necessary, they would just make it because they’re nice. 

I tried a version of my own and have to say, I believe I came close to nailing it! This pizza is covered in field greens smothered in creamy gorgonzola dressing. I’m sure you can buy that, but it’s fairly easy to whip up a batch.

Creamy Gorgonzola Dressing (only makes a little bit):

 ¼ Cup Mayo

¼ Cup Sour Cream

2 tsp lemon juice

Garlic and onion powder (my house seasoning J )

Salt and Pepper

1-2 TBS crumbled gorgonzola cheese (it’s strong so it’s a personal taste)

Mix all ingredients.  I tried to break up the cheese as much as possible in the dressing to infuse the flavor and get rid of big chunks .  Cover and refrigerate.

Pizza:

Refrigerated pizza crust

1 tbs butter

2 yellow onions

1 tbs sugar

S&P

Olive oil to brush on crust

2 pears sliced thinly

½ cup toasted hazelnuts chopped

1 cup shredded mozzarella

2 TBS crumbled gorgonzola cheese

A couple handfuls of field greens J

First thing we need to do for this pizza is caramelize the onions.  They cook down quite a bit, which is why we’re using 2 whole onions.  Slice the onions thinly and set aside.  Meanwhile, melt butter in large pan over medium heat.  Add onions and sprinkle with sugar, salt and pepper.  Toss to coat and lower heat to medium low.  This is a process that takes patience.  There is a point you might think the onions have cooked long enough, but unless they are a true Carmel color, they haven’t.  They won’t be as sweet as you want them to be.  Give them time to release their sugars.  This took me about 20-25 minutes over low/med. Low heat. 

While the onions are getting sweet, unroll the pizza dough onto a pan brush with olive oil and set aside.  Preheat oven according to package directions.

Hazelnuts:  Toast in a dry pan over medium low heat.  The skins will start to slip off.  You can transfer them to a kitchen towel and rub in order to remove the lose skins.  Don’t worry if they don’t all come off.  Give those a pretty rough chop and set aside.

Pears: Core and slice thinly

Once onions are done, it’s time to assemble the pizza.  Place pear slices on the pizza dough so they’re touching. They will shrink while baking. Spread the onions over the pizza, sprinkle with hazelnuts, mozzarella cheese and crumbled gorgonzola.

Bake according to package directions.

While baking, mix a tsp or so of the creamy gorgonzola dressing with the field greens.

Pull from oven and cool just slightly enough to cut.  Plate up the pizza and top with the creamy gorgonzola salad.

Na'an Pizza.....Almost Gourmet

Friday nights mean Pizza in our house. It's the end of a long week for everyone. No one (meaning me) feels like cooking something huge and no one feels like waiting long.  Let eat with our fingers.  Sometimes we order from our favorite local pizza slinger, but most of the time I whip up some of this pizza.  If you wanna know a secret, between you and me, I'm not good with any kind of dough.  It just doesn't like me, nor does it ever cooperate.  So I used to use a premade pizza crust but always felt it had an aftertaste.  There are some I like more than others though.  BUT.... one day, while sorting through pita in the Publix bakery, I discovered Na'an.  I had had it at in restaurants before but hadn't seen it in the grocery store.  My life was transformed. It doesn't have that premade, prepackaged taste that pita bread or pizza crusts can have.  So, when using Na'an for pizza, the sky is absolutely the limit.  Here is my favorite pizza to make:

Na'an bread

Fresh Spinach

Fresh Mozzarella

Prosciutto

Pizza Sauce

Garlic

Crushed red pepper flakes

Olive Oil

Building and baking instructions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Brush Na'an with olive oil to coat.  Spread the crust with your favorite jarred pizza sauce.  Crush one small garlic clove to split between two pizzas and spread that on the sauce. Start building with the cheese.  My suggestion is to use the fresh mozzarella NOT packed in water as this will release the water while baking and you'll have pools of liquid on the pizza. I load the pizza's up pretty good with cheese.  Fresh cheese is much more mild and less salty than the bagged/preshredded kind.

Next, start tearing pieces of prosciutto to layer on top of the cheese.  Use more than you think you'd need because it does shrink down in the oven

 Once you have those goodies layered on, it's time for the spinach.  This too, you have to pile on because it will for sure wilt down in the oven.

Once you have everything on your pizza, bake at 375 for 10-12 minutes.  Because there is fresh spinach and mozzarella, you may need to dab some liquid from the top.  Also, if you want to add basil, do it once its out of the oven.  It will turn brown if baked.

Sprinkle the pizza with a pinch of red pepper flakes and enjoy with a glass of Merlot.

I have also made this pizza using tomato slices, asparagus, caramelized onions, goat cheese and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.  I don't use sauce when I make it this way.  But again, the sky is the limit!!!  

Use Na'an bread to make your own pizza.  Let me know what you did and how you liked it

Indian Naan Bread