Margherita Pizza with Homemade Sauce

 

imageFriday Night Pizza Night with T.W.O. – yes its already that time again! This week, we are featuring a margherita pizza with home sauce. Don’t be intimidated – it’s a beginner’s recipe that tastes like a million dollars! Enjoy your pizza making!


Margherita Pizza with Homemade Sauce

Ingredients:

– 1 pizza dough
– 1 can San Marzano whole peeled tomatoes
– 2-3 cups fresh mozzarella, sliced
– 8 leaves basil
– 3 cloves garlic, diced
– 1-2 Tablespoons olive oil
– 2 teaspoons garlic powder
– 2 teaspoons cornstarch
– Salt
– Pepper
– Flour
– Cornmeal

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 415°.
  2. Roll out pizza dough on a floured/cornmeal surface. Transfer to a greased cookie sheet.
  3. Pour the tomatoes in a bowl. Chop up the whole tomatoes into quarters.
  4. Add to a heated skillet lined with olive oil. Sprinkle in garlic powder, salt and pepper. Slowly add cornstarch after the sauce has reached a bowl. Reduce heat and stir consistently. The sauce should thicken. Remove from heat.
  5. Add the sauce to the top of the pizza dough. Top with garlic cloves. Place the sliced mozzarella on top of the garlic along with the fresh basil.
  6. Place in the oven and cook for 15 minutes.
  7. Remove from the oven and let the pizza sit for 2-4 minutes. Cut and serve.

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Cheers to another great Friday Night Pizza Night!

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Potato, Kale, Garlic and Cheese Pizza + A Birthday

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Tonight is a special Friday Night Pizza Night because not only are we baking a new pizza, we are also celebrating a special birthday thats tomorrow! Cheers to our sister-in-law Becky!!!! We know your favorite pizza is Barbeque Chicken Pizza, but we are confident you will like this Potato, Kale, Garlic and Cheese pizza.  Happy Friday Night Pizza Night and HAPPY EARLY BIRTHDAY!!!


Potato, Kale, Garlic and Cheese Pizza

Ingredients

– 1 pizza dough
– 1 russet potato
– 2 cups kale, chopped and ribs removed
– 1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
– 1 ½ cups fontina cheese, shredded
– ½ red onion, sliced thin
– 2 cloves garlic, diced
– 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
– 1 Tablespoon dried basil leaves
– Salt
– Pepper
– Lawry’s Season Salt

Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
2. Roll the dough out onto a lightly floured and cornmeal surface.
3. Meanwhile, slice washed potato very thin. Put on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Sprinkle Lawry’s seasoning on the potatoes. Cook for about 15-20 minutes.
4. Spread 1 Tablespoon of olive oil on the surface on the dough, topping with garlic and dried basil leaves.
5. Spread mozzarella and fontina cheeses evenly over dough. Add chopped kale and red onion. Top with potato slices.
6. Put the pizza in the oven and bake for 15 minutes or until cheeses are melted and crust is crisp and lightly browned.


 

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Happy Friday Night Pizza Night!!


SPECIAL ADDITION – BIRTHDAY CHEERS

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Happy Birthday Becky!!
Thanks for being such a great sister-law! We have shared so many moments together- Giants playoff games, Stagecoach concerts, Sonoma wine tasting, beach bike rides, ladder golf matches, holiday family fun and most of all – being bridesmaids for the day that you married our brother! Thank you for being a joy to be around, filling the room with smiles and laughter. We love you so much and cannot wait to share many more memories with you!

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Broccolini White Pizza

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TGIF! It’s time for Friday Night Pizza Night!!! Today we are using a new ingredient on our pizza….broccolini.  This vegetable looks like mini-broccoli and is often misidentified as young broccoli,  but it is a hybrid of broccoli and kai-lan,

Ingredients:

– Pizza dough
– Cornmeal
– 2 Table spoons olive oil
– 2 Tablespoons dried basil
– 2 garlic cloves, chopped
– 4 stems broccolini
– ½ cup olives, diced
– 1 – 1 ½ cup marinated artichoke hearts, sliced
– 3 cups mozzarella

Preheat oven to 425ᴼF.
Roll out the pizza dough on a floured/ cornmeal surface. Once the dough is evenly rolled out, transfer the dough to a greased cookie sheet.

Next take the olive oil and spread it on the dough, making sure you reach all the edges. Sprinkle the diced garlic and basil evenly on top of the olive oil.

Add your mozzarella cheese, followed by the broccolini, artichokes and olives.  Spread the toppings evenly.

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Let the pizza rise for about 15 minutes. Note – you don’t want to put the pizza in a cold oven, so make sure your oven reaches 425ᴼF. Once the oven is ready, place the pizza in the oven and watch closely.  The pizza will take 15-20 minutes.

Once done the pizza is done, take it out of the oven and let it sit for 5 minutes.

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Cut and serve.  Once again, another successful Friday Night Pizza Night!!!

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imageCheers,

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Fig & Brie Pizza with Caramelized Onions and Spinach

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It’s Friday Night Pizza Night with T.W.O.!! This time, it wasn’t just us cooking in the kitchen – it was some of the most important women in our lives that helped us prepare this meal. Thank you to our Mom, Aunt and Sister In-Law who made this one of the best pizza making nights for the books!!! Soo – what was on the menu? Well, we had six different pizzas all made with what we had in the refrigerator. Yep, that’s right – there was no last minute rush to the market to get the ingredients. Today we are featuring the Fig & Brie Pizza with Caramelized Onions and Spinach. Check out how to make this mouth-watering, savory pizza.

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Now Show Me How Much Fun You Are Having!

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Ingredients

– Pizza Dough*
– Cornmeal
– Flour
– ¾ cup fig jam**
–  ¾ cup caramelized onions
– 6 slices brie cheese
– 2 cups spinach salad tossed in THIS dressing

*T.W.O. used pizza dough from Lucci’s Deli.
** The fig jam was homemade and jarred by our Aunt.

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Preheat oven to 425ᴼF. Roll out the pizza dough on a floured/ cornmeal surface. Once the dough is evenly rolled out, transfer the dough to a greased cookie sheet. Next take the fig jam and spread it on the dough, making sure you reach all the edges. Sprinkle caramelized onions evenly on top of the fig jam.

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Next add the slices of brie cheese to the top of the pizza. If you want your pizza to have more cheese, T.W.O. isn’t stopping you –go ahead!

Let the pizza rise for about 15 minutes. Note – you don’t want to put the pizza in a cold oven, so make sure your oven reaches 425ᴼF.Once the oven is ready, place the pizza in the oven and watch closely. Do not open the oven door, as you want to keep the heat in. The pizza will take 15-20 minutes. Once done, take the pizza out of the oven and let it sit for 5 minutes prior to cutting.

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Add the salad to the top of your pizza and you our friend have the perfect pizza!

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Happy Friday Night Pizza!

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White Artichoke Pizza

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Happy Friday Night Pizza Night!!

Just got paid…Friday night… and T.W.O. is feeling alright! Our aprons are ready for some pizza making! This week’s pizza is a delicious white pizza with artichokes, mushrooms, garlic and fresh mozzarella.

Ingredients:

– Pizza Dough*
– Cornmeal
– Flour
– Fresh mozzarella, about 9 large round slices
– 2 Tablespoons olive oil
– 1 – 1 ½ cups marinated artichoke hearts, sliced
1 cup mushrooms, sliced
– 2 cloves garlic, chopped
– 2 Tablespoons dried basil

 * T.W.O. used VJB Cellars pizza dough which is made with 00 flour.

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Preheat oven to 425ᴼF. Roll out the pizza dough on a floured/ cornmeal surface. Once the dough is evenly rolled out, transfer the dough to a greased cookie sheet. Next take the olive oil and spread it on the dough, making sure you reach all the edges. Sprinkle the diced garlic and basil evenly on top of the olive oil.

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Add your fresh mozzarella, spacing the slices equally so the cheese will melt to the edges. Next, add your sliced artichokes and mushrooms. If you are an artichoke lover like T.W.O.- you can add more as desired!

Let the pizza rise for about 15 minutes. Note – you don’t want to put the pizza in a cold oven, so make sure your oven reaches 425ᴼ. Once the oven is ready, place the pizza in the oven and watch closely. Do not open the oven door, as you want to keep the heat in. The pizza will take 15-20 minutes. Once done, take the pizza out of the oven and let it sit for 5 minutes prior to cutting.

Is it time to eat yet?!

Sure is! Hope you enjoy this light, fresh and flavorful white artichoke pizza on your Friday Night. Don’t forget to pick your movie to go along with your dinner!

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Burrata Margarita Pizza

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Burrata. Basil. Marinara Sauce. Balsamic.

Happy Friday Night Pizza Night!!

T.W.O. decided to cook a lighter pizza for this Friday Night Pizza Night. Burrata looks a lot like fresh buffalo mozzarella, but it much softer and has a cream-like filling. And it makes for a great cheese to use for a pizza! This Burrata Margarita pizza is easy to whip up for yourself, date or family night. Has T.W.O. convince you to make this pizza yet?

Ingredients
1 – Roll of pizza dough
-12 ounces Marinara Sauce*
-8 ounces Burrata**
-1 Small package fresh, basil leaves
-2 Cloves garlic, chopped
Balsamic Vinegar
Salt

*T.W.O. uses SF Capellino Low-Fat Tomato and Garlic Sauce from Molinaris Deli…don’t let the “low-fat” scare you- the texture and flavor is still there!
**T.W.O. suggests using Di Stefano – Burrata Alla Panna

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Roll out your pizza dough on a floured/ cornmeal surface. Once evenly rolled out, place dough on a pizza stone. Spread the marinara sauce on the dough making sure you get the edges.

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Next, cut the burrata into pieces and distribute evenly on the pizza dough. (See below) It’s okay that the marinara is showing; the cheese will melt. Next, place your basil leaves and chopped garlic on the pizza. Last step- drizzle balsamic vinegar over the pizza and add salt to taste.

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Let the pizza rise for about 15 minutes while the BBQ is heating up. Note –you don’t want to put the stone on a cold BBQ. The temperature should reach a medium-high heat before placing the pizza on. Watch the pizza closely; you don’t want your crust to burn! It should take about 15-20 minutes, depending on your grill.

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Happy Friday Night Pizza Night!!!

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BBQ Chicken Pizza

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Friday Night Pizza night!

T.W.O. had some leftover chicken in the refrigerator, so why not make a BBQ Chicken Pizza?!

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 Ingredients:

– Pizza Dough
– Cornmeal
– Flour
– Chicken breast, shredded
– BBQ sauce
– 1/2 cup olives, sliced
– 1 cup mushrooms, sliced
– 1/4 cup cilantro, diced
– 1/2 cup red onions, diced
– 2-3 cups mozzarella

Roll out the pizza dough on a floured/ cornmeal surface. Once the dough is evenly rolled out, transfer the dough to the pizza stone. Next take the BBQ sauce and spread it on the dough, making sure you reach all the edges.

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Then, add your mozzarella! Take the sliced olives, mushrooms, cilantro and red onions and spread it on the cheese. In a bowl, mix the shredded chicken breast and BBQ sauce. Once mixed, put the chicken on the pizza.

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 Let the pizza rise for about 15 minutes while the BBQ is heating up. Note – you don’t want to put the stone on a cold BBQ. The temperature should reach a medium-high heat before placing the pizza on. Watch the pizza closely; you don’t want your crust to burn! It should take about 15-20 minutes, depending on your grill.

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Bon Appetite!

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Friday Night Pizza

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Friday Night Pizza has been a tradition in T.W.O.’s family for decades.  It’s one night of the week that everyone partakes in the preparation of dinner by creating his or her own pizza.  It’s all about the dough, the ingredients and the cooking style that makes every week a unique experiment.  We aren’t afraid of trying new recipes and of course making it our own….T.W.O.!

T.W.O.’s first featured Friday Night Pizza was taken place in San Francisco with family.  Around 6pm, everyone was in the kitchen chopping, shredding and dicing their favorite ingredients.

The chefs made a total of 4 pizzas:

1. Peach & Ricotta Pizza with Arugula
2. BBQ Chicken Pizza
3. Deep Dish Pizza
4. Chicken & Pesto Pizza

PHOTOS BELOW:

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T.W.O. will be featuring the Peach & Ricotta Pizza with Arugula

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Ingredients:

1 – pizza dough (T.W.O. suggests using SF’s Molinari’s pizza dough or Whole Food’s brand)
1 – yellow peach, ripe
1 – cup ricotta cheese
2 – tablespoons honey
½ – cup balsamic vinegar
1- tablespoon olive oil
¼ – cup lemon juice
8-10- fresh basil leaves
1 ½- cups arugula
¼ – cup cornmeal
Flour
Pizza Stone

The key to having a perfectly rolled out pizza is to make sure the dough is at room temperature.  Roll out the dough on a floured surface that is lightly sprinkled with cornmeal.  Once rolled out evenly in a circular shape, place the dough on a pizza stone.  T.W.O. decided to bake their pizza on a stone so that the crust would be thinner and the peaches would not be buried inside the dough.

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In a separate bowl, mix the arugula, olive oil, ¼ cup balsamic vinegar and lemon juice.  Place aside for later.

Now it’s ricotta time! First, add the honey to the ricotta and mix well.  Spread the ricotta/ honey mixture evenly on the dough. Make sure your spread it all the way to the edges. Thinly slice the peaches and remove the stems from the basil.  Next, place the peaches and basil on the ricotta.  Once the pizza is “dressed,” start the BBQ.  It is important to make sure the BBQ is pre-heated so that it cooks at the set temperature.  (The temperature should be around 414° – 450° depending on your BBQ)

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BBQ the pizza for about 15 minutes, depending on how you like your crust.  T.W.O. highly suggests that you take your glass of wine out to the BBQ and watch the pizza, so you achieve the perfect crust and not a charbroiled crisp!

Once the pizza is done, drizzle ¼ cup of the remaining balsamic vinegar on the peach, ricotta and basil topping.  To finish, add the arugula salad to the top of the pizza.  Now you are ready to serve! Bon Appetit!

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Wine Pairing Suggestions: Kaz, Winemakers Red Blend (of course, signed by the winemaker himself!)

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