Posts Tagged by cheese
Mushroom and Herb Polenta
| May 15, 2013 | Filled under Italian, Main Dishes, Pasta, Rice, & Grains, Vegetables |
We’ve been eating vegetarian a few times a week and I’ve been experimenting with satisfying, simple, meatless meals. I’m not a vegetarian by any means, but I enjoy eating meatless meals quite often, especially when those vegetarian meals are cheesy, herb-filled comfort meals like this mushroom and herb polenta.
This recipe is adapted from ‘Plenty‘ by Yotam Ottolenghi. Famous for his famous London food shop ‘Ottolenghi’, he became renowned for his innovative vegetarian offerings. This cookbook is full of ‘vibrant vegetable recipes ‘ that are globally inspired and full of flavour. The recipes are accessible and easy to follow with interesting stories about his inspirations and beautiful photography for each recipe. It’s one of my favourites in my vast cookbook collection.
Mushrooms are so satisfying and the perfect meat substitute. You can use any mushrooms you like, and play around with the herb combinations too. I’ve used basil and parsley before, and played around with the proportions of the herbs. The options are limitless. Taleggio melts so amazingly and has a rich, salty flavour so perfect in this dish. Because Taleggio can be quite salty, it’s a good idea to add salt sparingly to the polenta.
I love that this dish is elegant enough to serve as a vegetarian main course for guests yet simple enough for a weeknight meal – perfect vegetarian eating that’s decadent and delicious.
1. Add half olive oil and half the mushrooms to pan
2. Fry a few minutes until just browned – don’t stir too much
3. Slowly add 1/2 cup of polenta to simmering vegetable stock
4. Add garlic, rosemary, butter, Parmesan, salt and pepper to polenta and stir
5. Spread polenta in oven-ready dish
6. Top polenta with mushroom herb mixture
7. Top mushrooms with Taleggoio and place in broiler
8. Done when cheese is melted and bubbling. Serve hot.
Mushroom and Herb Polenta (adapted from Plenty by Yotam Ottolenghi)
Ingredients:
- 4 Tbsp olive oil
- 4 cups mixed mushrooms, cut into 1 inch pieces
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 Tbsp chopped tarragon
- 1 Tbsp chopped thyme
- 1 Tbsp truffle oil
- 2 ¼ cups vegetable stock
- ½ cup instant polenta
- 3 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 Tbsp butter
- 1 tsp rosemary, finely chopped
- 1 Tbsp chives, finely chopped
- 3 oz Taleggio cheese (rind removed), cut into 3/8” slices
- Salt and pepper
Directions:
- Pre-heat a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add half olive oil and half the mushrooms to pan, and fry for a few minutes until just cooked, about 5 to 6 minutes. Don’t stir too much to get more golden brown bits. Remove mushrooms from pan and place in a bowl and set aside. Repeat with remaining olive oil and mushrooms. Remove pan from heat and add first batch of mushrooms back to pan. Add two-thirds of the garlic, and all the tarragon, thyme, and truffle oil. Stir to combine and set aside.
- Bring vegetable stock to boil in a medium saucepan and reduce to simmer. Once simmering, slowly pour in polenta, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. Cooking time will vary depending on brand; polenta is done when it leaves the sides but is still runny. Remove from heat.
- Preheat the broiler. Add Parmesan, butter, rosemary, and chives. Add salt and pepper to taste. Spread polenta in oven-ready dish and top with mushrooms. Top mushrooms with Taleggio and place under broiler for 5 minutes or until the cheese is melted and bubbling. Serve hot.
Brie Pear Walnut Honey Flatbread
| April 18, 2013 | Filled under Sides, Snacks & Appetizers, Soup & Sandwiches |
Sweet, salty, gooey, and crunchy. This flatbread has a combination of ingredients that are delicious on their own, but when combined, are pure heaven.
This recipe is an adaptation of a popular menu item from a little brunch place in Little Italy/Portugal in Toronto called Saving Grace. It’s been years since I dined there, way before I realized I was gluten-intolerant, but I still remember the brie, pear, walnut and honey on toasted baguette. The blend of flavours were so perfect and I wanted to recreate a gluten-free version to enjoy at home. I’ve made this a flatbread here but this would be great on your favourite gluten-free bread too. Bonus, it’s super fast to whip up and fancy enough to be an appetizer, especially when served with a chilled sparkling wine. A sweet way to start summer.
Pear Brie Walnut and Honey Flatbread (makes 1 flatbread)
Ingredients
- 1 brown rice tortilla from Food for Life
- 6 pear slices
- 6 slices Brie cheese
- 12 walnut halves
- 2 teaspoons honey, plus extra for drizzling
- Arugula leaves for garnish
Directions
Preheat oven to 375. Lay brie and pear on flatbread in a circular pattern, alternating the brie and pear pieces. In a small bowl, toss walnuts and 2 teaspoons of honey until walnuts are coated. Sprinkle walnuts on top of brie and pear. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until edges are light golden brown and brie is melted. Garnish with arugula leaves and additional drizzle of honey.
Grilled Zucchini with Herb Dressing
| April 15, 2013 | Filled under Salads, Sauces & Dips, Sides, Vegetables |
Here’s an easy side for your next barbecue or weeknight dinner. This flavourful herb-filled dressing, which is a cross between pesto and salsa verde with a hint of Caesar dressing, is versatile and great on grilled vegetables, chicken, steak, or fish. The best part is that everything for the dressing gets tossed into a food processor or blender and it’s ready with the touch of a button.
Grilled zucchini reminds me of summer barbecues in my parent’s backyard with my dad at the grill and my dog Pucci on a lawn chair in the shade.
Zucchini is low in calories and high in nutrients like potassium, folate, and vitamin A. Most of the nutrients are in the skin so make sure to leave the skin on. Zucchini is also great fried in a Gwenyth Paltrow inspired pasta, and in these amazing vegan chocolate chip muffins. But I really love zucchini best when it’s grilled and simply dressed with this minty pesto dressing. Hope you enjoy.
Grilled Zucchini with Herb Dressing (serves 3 to 4 as a side)
Ingredients:
- 2 medium zucchinis, cut diagonally into 1/4″ slices
- Non-stick cooking spray or canola oil
- Parmesan cheese shavings (omit for vegan version)
Dressing Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup fresh flat leaf parsley
- 1/2 cup fresh mint leaves
- 1 clove garlic, peeled
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon anchovy paste (optional, omit for vegan version)
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 6 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Special Equipment: Blender or food processor, grill pan/outdoor grill
Directions:
- Preheat grill pan to medium-high heat. When pan is quite hot and almost smoking, spray with non-stick cooking spray or lightly brush pan with oil. Lay slices of zucchini onto grill pan in a single layer, and cook about 2 minutes each side, or until zucchini has charred grill marks. Remove from pan and place in serving dish. Repeat with remaining zucchini.
- Meanwhile, place dressing ingredients in a food processor and blend. Set aside. Add more olive oil if too thick and blend. Spoon over grilled zucchini and sprinkle with Parmesan shavings, drizzle with olive oil, and add salt and pepper to taste.
PS – I don’t have access to an outdoor grill but if you have one, I would totally recommend using it for grilling instead of a grill pan indoors. Unless it’s raining or snowing, both of happened last week.
Tuscan Kale Salad with Currants and Parmesan
| January 7, 2013 | Filled under Italian, Salads, Sauces & Dips, Sides, Snacks & Appetizers, Vegetables |
Have you ever ordered something in a restaurant and swooned with every delicious mouthful? And then wondered how they made it so delicious, even long after the meal was over. I bet that you have experienced this feeling, but I’m pretty sure it wasn’t over a salad. Now I like salad just fine, but I’m not one to get excited about them, normally that is. But then I ordered the ‘Cavolo Nero’ salad at Gusto 101 and lost it. I ate that salad so hard, with the gusto (sorry couldn’t resist) that I typically reserve for cupcakes or french fries.
The texture of the dark green bumpy leaves of raw lacinate kale (aka cavolo nero, Tuscan kale, or lacinato kale) becomes silky and velvety after marinating in the lemon vingarette, which softens the leaves. The currants add a lovely sweetness that goes perfectly with the saltiness of the parmesan shavings. Gusto 101 served the salad with pine nuts, but I’ve swapped them for sunflower seeds, perfect for those with nut allergies. I knew I nailed the recipe when D and I had this salad for dinner and it got gobbled up way before the perfectly juicy pan-roasted chicken and fingerling potatoes sharing the same plate. Buon appetito.
Tuscan Kale Salad with Currents and Parmesan (adapted from Epicurious)
Serves 4 as a starter or side
Ingredients:
- 2 Tablespoons dried currants
- 2 Tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
- 3 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 Tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon rind
- 1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 bunch lacinate kale, centre ribs and stems removed, washed and dried (about 1 pound)
- 2 Tablespoons sunflower seeds
- Parmesan cheese shavings
Directions:
- Place currants in small bowl and cover with two tablespoons white wine vinegar. Set aside.
- Lay several leaves of kale on top of each other and cut thinly crosswise. Add to a large bowl.
- Make vinaigrette: In a small bowl, combine one teaspoon white wine vinegar, lemon rind, lemon juice, honey, olive oil and salt, and whisk. Add vinaigrette, sunflower seeds, and currents, including any additional vinegar left over from soaking, to the kale and toss to combine. Let marinate for 20 minutes at room temperature, tossing occasionally. Sprinkle with cheese shavings and serve.
Mushroom Toasts
| November 20, 2012 | Filled under Snacks & Appetizers, Vegetables |
Have you ever been to Copenhagen? I was there on vacation this summer and loved the entire experience in the design-savvy chilled-out happiest city on earth. A few fun factoids that I learned while I was there:
1) People from Denmark are Danish, not Dutch, and generally speaking are a beautiful bunch with fabulous cheekbones
2) Danish folks tend to go organic, ride bikes instead of driving cars, and enjoy Carlsberg beer. Also home of Lego, Vikings, and the Danish royal family.
3) Copenhagan has amazing food, including the world’s greatest restaurant Noma, new Nordic cuisine, hot dogs, open-faced sandwiches, and of course Danishes (the pastry)
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I’ve been making mushroom toasts appetizers for years, originally created as a mushroom brushetta - they’re my go-to starter. If you’ve ever come to my house for dinner, I’ve probably served these to you. I happened to see something similar, a Danish version, on a few menus while on my trip. These open-faced sandwiches are called ‘smorrebrod’, Danish for ‘butter’ and ’bread’, and can be found in all kinds of variations. With generous amounts of butter and served atop rye toast, these beautiful savoury sandwiches were a staple on many menus in Copenhagen, usually topped with fried fish, roast beef, eggs, shrimps, deli meat, and/or cheese. I took lots of pictures of smorrebrod in Copenhagen and other delicious eats. And yes, I take lots of pictures of food when I travel. I’m totally THAT person in a restaurant.
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My take is a bit healthier, where the mushrooms are lightly coated in olive oil instead of butter and cheese toppings are optional too (I usually opt for goat or brie). A little truffle oil drizzled on top really takes the flavour to the next level and of course, gluten-free bread is great substitution for rye bread. Perfect for entertaining or bringing a little bit of Scandinavia to your home.
Recipe Mushroom Toasts (Serves 4 to 6 as appetizer)
Ingredients:
- 8 ounces cremini or white button mushrooms, thinly sliced
- 1 Tbs fresh parsley, finely chopped
- 2 Tbs olive oil
- Salt
- Fresh ground pepper
- 1/2 gluten-free baguette, cut into 3/4″ slices or 6 slices gluten-free bread, cut diagonally
- 1 clove garlic, finely minced
- 3 Tbs olive oil or melted vegan butter
- 12 slices brie cheese or 3 ounces goat cheese
- Truffle oil (optional)
Directions:
- Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, combine mushrooms, parsley and 2 tablespoons olive oil until mushrooms are evenly coated with oil.
- Combine garlic and remaining olive oil in a small bowl. Add one teaspoon of garlic oil mixture to slice of bread to coat. Layer mushroom slices on toasts, so all pieces have equal amounts of mushrooms. Top mushrooms with cheese.
- Place toasts on baking sheet and bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until cheese is melted and slightly browned. To serve, drizzle toasts with a few drops of truffle oil if using.
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Berry Stuffed French Toast
| November 13, 2012 | Filled under Breakfast, Fruits |
Sometimes you want to pamper your loved ones with something special to show how much you care. For me, it’s often through food and this berry stuffed French toast is a personal favourite of mine. It’s delicate, delicious, and decadent all at the same time. I’ve served this to my beloved bridal party as part of my thank you brunch, to my mom and family on her most recent birthday, and to my closest friends at my housewarming last year. Each time I’ve whipped this out, my guests devour the toasts, shower me with compliments, and immediately ask for the recipe.
As many folks with food sensitivities know, brunch and breakfast can be a challenge in restaurants. I’m gluten-free and sensitive to dairy, which is basically the bulk of any brunch menu. By making brunch at home, I can customize the ingredients to suit my diet. The stars of this recipe are the gluten-free egg bread (challah) by Molly Bee (light, fluffy and totally un-brick-like) and dairy-free Better Than Cream Cheese by Tofutti. Go get them now. Seriously good stuff.
This is surprisingly easy to put together considering the elegant finished product. Totally doable while bleary-eyed and waiting for coffee to brew. You can even make the cream cheese the night before. And if you or your guests aren’t dairy/gluten-free, you can swap for regular challah and cream cheese. No fresh berries? No problem. Spread your favourite fruit preserves instead. So many delicious options that you can experiment and treat your loved ones to their favourite fillings, whatever’s in season, or whatever you have in your kitchen. Make this and get ready to make people happy.
This recipe is a hybrid of a couple of recipes. One is from an old back issue of Fine Cooking Magazine and the other from Donna Hay’s No Time to Cook. Both are huge sources of inspiration and have been invaluable cooking resources over the years. Beautiful photography, great recipes, and food you actually want to eat.
Also, I have to give credit to my dad for teaching me how to make the perfect French toast. He briefly worked at one of Toronto’s top hotels, and would recreate their French toast for our family on Sunday mornings. He worked a lot during the week and weekends were when he would take charge and make the most fabulous gourmet breakfasts – fancy croissant sandwiches, tasty omelets, pancakes, you name it. We always felt so special as we gobbled it up. Thanks Dad, for teaching me your breakfast skills and all the delicious memories.
Berry Stuffed French Toast (serves 4) Recipe adapted from Fine Cooking Magazine and Donna Hay
Ingredients:
Stuffing:
• ½ cup cream cheese, softened/room temperature (or dairy-free substitute Tofutti)
• 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon rind
• 1 Tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 pint fresh raspberries
French Toast:
• 8 slices gluten-free egg bread (I use Molly Bee’s)
• 4 eggs
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons butter or butter substitute
• Icing sugar (to garnish)
• Pure maple syrup (to serve)
Directions:
1. In a medium bowl, combined softened cream cheese with lemon rind and one tablespoon of sugar and stir until combined. In a separate medium bowl, combine raspberries and one teaspoon sugar. Smash berries with the back of a fork and stir until combined. Set aside.
2. Spread two tablespoons of the cream cheese mixture onto slice of egg bread. Add two tablespoons of the raspberry mixture and spread evenly. Cover with another slice of egg bread and set aside. Repeat for all the slices of egg bread to make four sandwiches.
3. Preheat a large non-stick frying pan to medium heat for two minutes. Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Melt butter in frying pan. In a deep sided dish, whisk eggs until pale yellow and stir in vanilla. Dip sandwiches into egg mixture until evenly coated on both sides and add to frying pan. Cook until golden brown, about 2 minutes, flip over, and repeat on other side. Place on tray lined baking sheet and place in oven to keep warm.
4. Slice in half to serve. To garnish, sift icing sugar over French toast. Serve with maple syrup.
Fast Flatbread Pizza
| April 19, 2012 | Filled under Italian, Main Dishes, Pasta, Rice, & Grains, Snacks & Appetizers, Soup & Sandwiches |
Everyone loves pizza. It’s the ultimate comfort food and I dream about the amazing pizzas of my gluten-eating past. Specifically, Neapolitan pizza with its thin, slightly charred crust, San Marzano tomatoes and cheesey topping, these pizzas are a fond yet distant memory.
Here’s a homemade flatbread pizza that’s gluten-free, fast, and delicious. The uber-thin crust is nice and crispy and pretty light in calories, yet once loaded up with your favourite toppings, it totally satisfies the pizza craving. So next time you’re at the grocery store, forget those expensive frozen gluten-free pizza crusts and look for these tortillas (sometimes in the frozen health food aisle), which are also perfect for making wraps and crackers. While it’s no Neapolitan pizza, this flatbread can be made at home in a toaster oven. I used to be a line cook at my university pub where we would make a gazillion pita bread/garlic butter/shredded cheese appetizers that inpired my gluten-free version - just one of the many useful things I learned during my quest for a higher education.
I’m not even sure you call this a ‘recipe’ but you take a brown rice tortilla from Food for Life, add your favourite toppings, and bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 8 to 12 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the edges are golden brown. Slice and serve.
The pizza in this post was made with garlic butter, sliced mushrooms, and goat mozzarella and garnished with fresh arugula, basil, chili flakes and truffle oil. All of my fave ingredients and perfect with a bowl of tomato soup or a fresh salad.
Goat Cheese Fundido
| October 27, 2011 | Filled under Sauces & Dips, Sides, Snacks & Appetizers, Southwestern, Vegetables |
It’s getting cold out and that means it’s time to stay inside a little more. More sofa nights, more friends coming over for dinner or drinks, plus a solid fall season of prime time TV. And time for more delicious cheesy appetizers. This one is very different from my last post, being a little spicy and savoury, but it’s no less satisfying. Enter the yummy goat cheese fundido.
I discovered this fundido (Spanish for ‘melted cheese’) at Elote Cafe up in Sedona. It’s basically a warm homemade salsa topped with goat cheese on top, baked, and served with corn chips or folded up into warm soft tortillas. A tasty and hearty appetizer perfect for cold nights and best served with an ice-cold Margarita or Mexican beer. It’s a delicious and comforting alternative to the standard 7 layer dip and much easier to make.
This is super easy to whip up too – the ingredients just get some saute action before being topped with goat cheese and baked. You can totally prepare this ahead of time before your guests arrive and just pop in the oven to serve. While it’s baking, lightly pan fry the corn tortillas and place in a kitchen towel-lined plate to keep warm. You can serve with some with some crispy corn tortilla chips too.
The jalapeno peppers add a nice bit of heat without being too spicy. Just remember to remove the seeds before adding. But if you want more fire, leave the seeds in. Either way, this fundido will be a huge hit like it was at my cousin Kim’s birthday fiesta. I only got a picture of it right before I served it and by the time I went back for more shots, it was gone-dido.
Recipe (served 4 as starter) Adapted from Elote Cafe Cookbook
Ingredients:
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 cup diced onion
- 3 cloves garlic, diced
- 1 jalapeno pepper, de-seeded and sliced
- 1 cup chopped tomato
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 1 cup or 8 oz. goat cheese
- corn tortilla chips and soft corn tortillas for serving
Directions:
- In a medium non-stick saucepan or wok, heat oil on medium-high heat. Saute the onion, garlic, and jalapeno peppers until lightly browned, about 5 – 6 minutes. Add the tomato, salt and pepper and simmer until slightly thickened.
- Pre-heat oven to broil. Transfer the sauce into an oven-proof dish and crumble large chunks of the goat cheese on top of the dish. Place the dish in the oven and broil until the top is browned, about 8 minutes. Meanwhile, pan fry the soft corn tortillas in a clean frying pan on medium heat. Place in a tortilla warmer or wrap in a clean kitchen towel to keep warm.
Baked Brie and Artisan Crackers
| October 24, 2011 | Filled under Sauces & Dips, Sides, Snacks & Appetizers |
Gooey brie with a caramelized brown sugar walnut topping is a decadent and delicious appetizer that will disappear in moments. That’s what happened when this appetizer appeared at my cousin Amy’s bachelorette dinner in Blue Mountain. A member of her bridal party made a steering wheel-sized version of this and served it as an appetizer to the dozen girls there and in mere minutes, the behemoth brie was devoured.
When making my own version, I opted to use a significantly smaller wheel of goat brie which feeds about 2 to 4 as an appetizer (depending on how hungry everyone is). Using a sharp knife, remove the rind from the top and sprinkle the brown sugar on top. I’ve seen a brie baking kit that’s a mixture of cinnamon and brown sugar which sounds yum and I will try next time. Add the walnuts and bake for 25 minutes and voila – easy yummy appetizer.
To go along with this decadent appetizer, I served a combination store-bought and homemade rice crackers. To make the rice crackers from scratch, I put some brown rice tortillas in the toaster oven heated to 300 degrees for about 5 to 10 minutes, until lightly browned, and break into large pieces. Because they’re so crispy, you tend to get jagged edges which makes it look more fancy schmancy and artisan-like. You can even make flavoured crackers by brushing on a little flavoured olive oil or some oil and dried herbs – be creative.
I kind of over baked mine (honestly I ran out of timers and forgot about it) but it was still delicious. So it’s basically idiot-proof which is my type of appetizer, especially if company’s coming. I read an article in the Globe over the weekend saying that nuts on baked brie, along with cocktail shrimp rings and artichoke dip, are cliché. The writer offered some great ideas for updates, but this version is super fast and is a unique twist on a tasty classic.
Recipe Baked Brie with Artisan Crackers (Serves 2 to 4 as starter)
Ingredients:
- Brown rice tortillas (I used 10″ ones from Fit for Life)
- 1 small brie wheel (this is goat brie)
- 2 Tbsp brown sugar
- 2 Tbsp walnuts
Directions:
- Pre-heat oven to 300 degrees. Lay tortillas on a rack and bake for about 5 to 10 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool slightly and break into pieces. Set aside.
- Lower oven to 375 degrees. Remove rind from top of brie wheel and place on oven-safe dish. Sprinkle brown sugar and nuts on top and bake for 20 to 25 minutes until sugar is caramelized. Serve with crackers.
Pesto Eggplant Brie Pizza with Truffle Oil
| August 31, 2011 | Filled under Italian, Main Dishes, Sauces & Dips, Vegetables |
On my way back from Montreal, I stopped by the airport bakery cafe MBCO where I always go to pick up a dozen Montreal style bagels for my dad. I love that bakery – it’s always full of lovely and tempting goodies including gorgeous fresh breads, sammies, and wraps. But what really caught my eye was the eggplant brie pesto pizza in the display. Of course, I had to pass and munched on my gluten free granola bars instead while longingly eying that pizza.
Inspired by the MBCO’s pizza, I went to WholeFoods in Toronto and picked up their ready to bake gluten free pizza crusts. I’ve never tried them before but thought I’d give it a go. Although I love making my own dough, sometimes convenience just wins out. The crusts are a tad on the thick side, but I’m a fan of super thin pizza crusts. The flavour is nice and it’s not too chewy or hard once baked. I’d definitely buy these again.
For the toppings I used my pesto recipe (you can also use store bought of course) and spooned a layer on the crust followed by the mushrooms. I grilled up a few slices of eggplant that were lightly brushed with olive oil and put those on with some thick slices of goat brie. I tossed it in the oven for 15 minutes at 375 degrees and voila – pizza pie. A bit of chopped flat leaf parsley added a nice freshness. The truffle oil is completely optional, but I love the taste of it on my pizza so I drizzled a few drops and some hot chili flakes before I gobbled it up. All I was missing was my hubby (who was on his way home but got stuck in Newark because of hurricaine Irene) and a glass of red wine. He made it home safely the next day and got to have the pizza for lunch. 
A note about tuffle oil – there are 2 kinds available, black and white. White truffle oil is more delicately flavoured and white truffles are harder to find so this variety is typically more expensive. I like the bold flavour of the black truffle oil which also happens to be a tad cheaper. The sticker shock of how pricey either variety is enough to jolt just about anyone (this bottle was $15USD back in Scottsdale) but you really only need a few drops on your pizza. D was not impressed when I went on a ‘save money’ kick and came home with the truffle oil claiming it would save us loads of money since we could stay home and enjoy truffle-y things instead of going to fancy restaurants. In the end I was right, but at the time, it was a tough sell.
This airport carry-on sized bottle should last you many meals and months if you use it sparingly. So if you like the flavour, I encourage you to splurge and treat yourself/your family and invest in a bottle. It’s still more cost effective than going out and buying anything in a restaurant that is ‘truffled’ and definitely gives the ‘wow’ factor to your homemade pizza/pasta/brushetta. D now enjoys it regularly on his pizza and our friends and family have been ‘wowed’ whenever we bust it out for them.
On my way back from Montreal, I stopped by the airport bakery cafe MBCO where I always go to pick up a dozen Montreal style bagels for my dad. I love that bakery – it’s always full of lovely and tempting goodies including gorgeous fresh breads, sammies, and wraps. But what really caught my eye was the eggplant brie pesto pizza in the display. Of course, I had to pass and munched on my gluten free granola bars instead while longingly eying that pizza.
Inspired by the MBCO’s pizza, I went to WholeFoods in Toronto and picked up their ready to bake gluten free pizza crusts. I’ve never tried them before but thought I’d give it a go. Although I love making my own dough, sometimes convenience just wins out. The crusts are a tad on the thick side, but I’m a fan of super thin pizza crusts. The flavour is nice and it’s not too chewy or hard once baked. I’d definitely buy these again.
For the toppings I used my pesto recipe (you can also use store bought of course) and spooned a layer on the crust followed by the mushrooms. I grilled up a few slices of eggplant that were lightly brushed with olive oil and put those on with some thick slices of goat brie. I tossed it in the oven for 15 minutes at 375 degrees and voila – pizza pie. A bit of chopped flat leaf parsley added a nice freshness. The truffle oil is completely optional, but I love the taste of it on my pizza so I drizzled a few drops and some hot chili flakes before I gobbled it up. All I was missing was my hubby (who was on his way home but got stuck in Newark because of hurricaine Irene) and a glass of red wine. He made it home safely the next day and got to have the pizza for lunch.
A note about tuffle oil – there are 2 kinds available, black and white. White truffle oil is more delicately flavoured and white truffles are harder to find so this variety is typically more expensive. I like the bold flavour of the black truffle oil which also happens to be a tad cheaper. The sticker shock of how pricey either variety is enough to jolt just about anyone (this bottle was $15USD back in Scottsdale) but you really only need a few drops on your pizza. D was not impressed when I went on a ‘save money’ kick and came home with the truffle oil claiming it would save us loads of money since we could stay home and enjoy truffle-y things instead of going to fancy restaurants. In the end I was right, but at the time, it was a tough sell.
This airport carry-on sized bottle should last you many meals and months if you use it sparingly. So if you like the flavour, I encourage you to splurge and treat yourself/your family and invest in a bottle. It’s still more cost effective than going out and buying anything in a restaurant that is ‘truffled’ and definitely gives the ‘wow’ factor to your homemade pizza/pasta/brushetta. D now enjoys it regularly on his pizza and our friends and family have been ‘wowed’ whenever we bust it out for them.
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