Pesto Tomato Pizza



You need:
Pizza crust
Pesto sauce
2 tomatoes, sliced
2 cups of your favorite pizza cheese (I like the Mozzarella, Asiago, and Provolone blend.)

Pizza Crust (Thanks, Jamie!)

1 packet active dry yeast
1/4 tsp sugar
3/4 cup warm water
1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt


Dissolve yeast and sugar in water; allow to rest for 8 minutes. In a seperate bowl, combine flour and salt. Pour yeast mixture over flour mixture and mix well. Turn dough onto a floured surface and knead for 2 minutes. Coat hands with olive oil and pat dough into a ball. Working from the edges to the center, press dough into a 12" circle. Place dough on a lightly greased pizza pan or baking stone and stretch dough to edges, leaving dough a little thicker around the edges.

Bake 8 minutes or until slightly golden and puffy. Meanwhile, make pesto:

1 cup firmly packed fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons pine nuts
1/4 cup olive oil
1 clove garlic

Place everything into blender or food processor. Cover and blend on medium speed for about 3 minutes, stopping occasionally to scrape sides, until smooth.

Spread pesto on crust.

Top with tomato slices and your favorite shredded pizza cheese. Bake for an additional 12 minutes, or until cheese is melted and pizza top is golden and bubbly.

Coconut-Crusted Shrimp With Curried Peanut Sauce
(Everyday With Rachel Ray -- June/July 07)



1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 small white onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 tablespoon curry powder
1/4 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1 13.5-oz can unsweetened coconut m ilk
juice of 1 lime
salt
12 jumbo shrimp (3/4 pound) peeled and deveined
pepper
2 cups shredded coconut, preferrably unsweetened
3 yeads bok choy, thinly sliced (about 3 cups)
1/2 pint (about 1 cup) cherry tomatoes

1. In a small saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until tender but not browned, about 6 min. Stir in the curry powder. Add the wine, scraping any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Whisk in 2 tablespoons peanut butter until smooth. Add the coconut milk and simmer, stirring, until thickened, about 15 min. Remove from the heat and stir in the lime juice. Season to taste with salt. Keep the sauce warm over low heat.

2. In a small bowl, whisk the remaining 2 tablespoons peanut butter with 3 tablespoons warm water until smooth. Season the shrimp with salt and pepper and brush with the thinned peanut butter. * Spread the coconut on a baking sheet, add the shrimp and press gently to coat; refrigerate.

3. In a medium skillet, warm 1 tablespoon oil over high heat. Add the bok choy and tomatoes, season with salt and pepper, and cook until the bok choy and tomatoes are wilted, 2-3 min. Keep warm

4. In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium heat. Add the shrimp and fry until the bottoms are golden, 2-3 minutes. Using tongs, gently turn each shrimp over; drizzle remaining 1 tablespoon of oil around the edge of the skillet. Lower the heat and fry until the other sides are golden, about 1 more minute. Spoon the reserved sauce into the cnter of 4 serving plates. Divide the bok choy mixture among the plates, and top each serving with 3 shrimp.

* Idea -- use 1/4 cup shredded coconut and 2 cups katafi (shredded phyllo dough) to coat the shrimp.

** The only coconut I had was frozen and very damp. It didn't stick well to the shrimp. I think you need fluffier coconut. It was still crazy good.

Garden Ratatouille

1 medium eggplant, peeled and cut into 1" cubes

2 medium zucchini, cut into 1/4" thick slices

2 tsp kosher salt

1 large onion, chopped

2 bell peppers, seeded and cut into strips

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 Tbsp. oregano

2 Tbsp olive oil

2 Tbsp basil

3 medium tomatoes, chopped

1 tsp salt

1/4 cup black olives, pitted

Place eggplant and zucchini in colander and sprinkle with kosher salt. Let drain for 30 minutes. Rinse and dry veggies and set aside. Heat oil in skillet over medium heat. Cook the onion, peppers, and garlic until tender, stirring often. Add the eggplant, zucchini, basil, and oregano. Cover and cook, stirring often, about 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes, cover, and cook for about 5 minutes, until the tomatoes are soft. Add the salt and season with pepper to taste. Garnish with olives. This dish can be made ahead and served warm or cold. Good with parmesan cheese on top.