Grilled Pizza

The end of summer always leaves me with mixed emotions. I’m excited for fall, which is my very favorite season, and yet I never feel like I’ve gotten my fill of those only-in-the-summer things. I want more boating, more camping, more s’mores, more time by the pool, more popsicles, more long days, etc. And last night I discovered yet another item to add to this list: grilled pizza.

If there was ever a reason to curse my nasty procrastination habit it is the fact that I did not try this method of cooking pizza back in June when I first heard of it. The idea was always in the back of my mind, but somehow it wasn’t until this week that I actually got my butt in gear and threw some pizza dough on the grill. All I can say is that if I hadn’t been such a slacker, this pizza would have been a weekly summer staple. It is that good.

For those of you thinking “it’s just pizza made on a barbecue instead of an oven–how is that anything special?” trust me when I say that the flavor produced by this method is out of this world. Mike even claimed that it tasted exactly like the pizza at our favorite Italian-style pizzeria. I wouldn’t go that far, but I’m thinking that if you love the taste of pizza made in a wood-burning oven, this is the closest you’re going to come to recreating that sensation at home (unless you do in fact have a wood-burning pizza oven in your home).

So friends, this is your chance to learn from my mistakes. Don’t let these last barbecue-friendly weeks of summer go by without trying this at least once.

Grilled Pizza

The recipe for this pizza dough was given to me by my good friend Megan. I love it because it is very basic, requires no rising time, and is virtually impossible to screw up. Feel free to use any pizza dough that you love, though. Just make sure that it is homemade or good quality storebought, as a co-worker once told me that she tried to grill Pillsbury dough from a can and the results were disastrous.

1 packet active dry yeast (2 ¼ teaspoons)
1 cup warm water*
1 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. olive oil
2 ½ cups all-purpose flour

1) Dissolve yeast in warm water. Add sugar.
2) Add water mixture to flour, salt, and olive oil.
3) Stir together until a dough forms.
4) Knead the dough for a couple of minutes (or use the dough hook attachment if you have a KitchenAid).
5) Let the dough rest for five minutes. It should be fairly smooth and elastic.
*You want the water to be just barely warmer than lukewarm. Hot water will kill the yeast and turn your dough into a sticky mess.

Grilling Instructions:
OK, so these instructions aren’t going to be super specific and detailed because I mostly just fiddled around with the grill and didn’t pay too much attention to cooking times and all that. I’m thinking that instructions will probably vary based on the type of grill you have and how thick your dough is anyway so I’m just going to give a general idea of how I went about it.

1) Preheat a grill to medium-high heat.
2) Roll out pizza dough to desired thickness (I like mine really thin).
3) Lightly oil grill (I use a paper towel dipped in olive oil) and place pizza dough on it.
4) When that side is cooked (should only take two minutes or so) remove it from the grill using tongs or a spatula and place pizza on a plate uncooked side-down.
5) Turn the grill down to medium.
6) Top the pizza with toppings of your choice. For the pizza above, I brushed the crust with a little olive oil, then topped it with thin tomato slices, torn basil leaves, and fresh mozzarella.
7) Slide pizza back onto the grill and close cover.
8) Cook until cheese is melted and the bottom crust is nicely browned. (Mine took about five or ten minutes). Adjust the heat on your grill if you need to, since you don't want the dough cooking before the cheese melts. But if that does happen, just take the pizza off the grill and throw it under the broiler for a minute or two.

Buttermilk Pound Cake

Whenever I ask someone what they would like me to bring to a function, my hope is that their answer will be “dessert” or “a treat.” This is partly because I love to bake but also really love to eat, so making a pan of brownies or a batch of cookies for just Mike and I is bad news. I’m also what my friend Marianne calls a “feeder”, meaning that I love nothing more than to cook for people, and while a good salad might be appreciated, that combination of sweetness and fat we call dessert seems to be where people really feel the love.

This cake was first made in response to my Mother-In-Law’s request that I bring dessert to a Father’s Day barbecue. Strawberries were in the peak of their season so I wanted to incorporate them in a dessert but didn’t feel like going the angel food route (too sweet) or making a traditional shortcake (not sweet enough). This pound cake turned out to be a perfect compromise. It is sweet but not overly so, and has some substance and density to it without tasting excessively rich or buttery like most pound cakes. In fact, I think the term pound cake is a little misleading here, as the cake this recipe produces is more of a really moist loaf cake.

But what’s in a name? The bottom line here is that, if you are a feeder like myself, you should make this cake the next time your cooking skills are called upon. Serve it with some fresh berries and whipped cream, or even just a scoop of good ice cream. Jazz it up with different flavorings or glazes if you’re feeling adventurous. And rejoice in the fact that, if your friends and family are anything like mine, you’re making them very, very happy.

Buttermilk Pound Cake

(I would like to tell you that one day this site will contain beautifully styled food photography, but I'm afraid these hastily taken phone shots are as good as it's gonna get).

1 cup butter, softened
2 cups sugar
4 eggs at room temperature*
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk
2 teaspoons flavoring of your choice (I used vanilla)

1. Cream butter, gradually add sugar, beating at medium-high speed of an electric mixer until well blended (about 5 minutes).
2. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition.
3. Combine flour, soda, and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture ( I keep my mixer on low when I do this).
4. Stir in flavorings.
5. Pour into greased and floured 10-inch tube pan (I used my bundt pan).**
6. Bake at 325 degrees F (163 degrees C) for 1 hour, or until inserted tester comes out clean.

*I used to ignore this instruction but I've found that room temp. eggs really do make my cakes better. If you've forgotten to take the eggs out of the fridge prior to starting your recipe, just put them in a bowl of barely warm water (not too warm or you'll cook the poor things) for about five minutes. That should do the trick.
**I think this cake would actually be better baked in two loaf pans, asthetically speaking. If you go this route, watch the bake time. I'm guessing it will be about 40 minutes or so.

Black Bean Burgers and "Fries"

As I’ve mentioned before, I was raised by vegetarian parents and didn’t eat meat until I was about twelve or so. I guess you could say that my adolescent rebellion took the form of chicken nuggets and, like most adolescent rebellions, was pretty short-lived. Turns out that my early tofu-filled years resulted in my not really having a strong hankering for meat. I love barbecue ribs and chicken wings, but more often than not I pick the seafood or veggie option if given a choice.

I made these burgers because I wanted a meatless alternative to hamburgers that wasn’t overly processed and filled with all kinds of crazy ingredients. Needless to say, these are not the thing to eat if you’re craving beef (because, obviously, they taste like beans), but if all you’re after is the burger experience (bun, patty, toppings) then give them a try. I’ve been surprised to see how many people have preferred this option when we’ve offered both the bean and beef varieties at barbecues this summer.

The beauty of this recipe is that it’s very adaptable to your personal tastes. Want spicy burgers? Add a diced jalapeno or chili powder to the equation. Don’t like garlic? Leave it out. I like the mix of spices listed below but if you don’t then feel free to change it up. I usually serve these burgers on Earth Grains thin buns, topped with a spread of either hummus or mayo and some fresh veggies (or sauteed onions and peppers are absolutely divine).

Black Bean Burgers (from food.com)


1 (30 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 onion, minced
3/4 cup breadcrumbs
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoon sweet basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 eggs
salt and pepper to taste

1. Place black beans in a bowl and mash with a fork or potato masher until of desired consistency.
2. Add remaining ingredients and mix well.
3. Divide into 6-8 equal portions and shape into patties.
4. Place patties on a medium-hot grill for several minutes per side.


Oven-Baked Fries
I hesitate even calling this a recipe because it is so simple, but here you go. You can use this same method for Sweet Potatoes as well.

2 medium-sized russet potatoes (or however many you need)
Scant tablespoon olive oil (or enough to lightly coat the potatoes)
Seasoning of your choice (I use Johnny’s seasoning salt).

1)Scrub potatoes well and cut into wedges, strips, whatever you want.
2) Toss potatoes in olive oil until thinly coated and place on a baking sheet. (you may be tempted to just toss the potatoes and oil on the baking sheet but I find that the potatoes get soggy if they have any excess oil on them).
3) Sprinkle liberally with seasoning and bake at 450 degress for 30-40 minutes, or until potatoes are tender on the inside and crispy on the outside.