Long time, no blog.
I know. Again!
We are just in the busy season of our lives and it's kind of hard to sit down and document it when you are waist-deep in it. I seriously don't get how other bloggers find time to do all the things they do and blog about it no less. Kudos to you.
We have been up to the usual - lots of practices, games, work, homework (seriously, my kids seem to have a ton - and my brain seems to have misplaced geometric and chemistry formulas so I am having to re-learn it all again), and just well life.
Plus I have been gone a lot. I have been to California 3 times in the last 6 weeks. One weekend to convert a room into a nursery, one weekend to throw my sister a baby shower, and a few days to meet my new nephew, help my sister get settled at home, and to photograph the little guy. Plus throw in Spring Break and Easter, several projects, and the fact that I am working on losing 60 pounds and trying to train for a marathon, that leaves little time for much. And to be honest, with that little free time, I have opted to read a book, do some random web-surfing, or just sit my butt on the couch and do nothing.
One of the things I enjoy doing is cooking. I also enjoy eating. I also think food should be flavorful and colorful. Last weekend, when my mom and I were in Pasadena with my sister, my mom made these . . .
Naan bread is a type of East Indian flat bread.
photo source: vorty
Our pizzas featured chicken sausage, broccoli pesto, roasted red peppers, mixed greens, kalamata olives, onions, and manchego cheese. However, I think you could get all creative like and put together other stuff - grilled chicken, bacon, various different types of veggies and cheeses, basil pesto, chipotle mayo, bbq sauce, spicy mustard. . . Go crazy with the flavor and textures. In fact, my next experiment with Naan is going to feature creamy horseradish, thin-sliced marinated grilled steak, red onions, smoked cheddar, and arugula. Sounds divine doesn't it?
Enough yada yada yada. Here's there recipe:
Naan pizzas w/broccoli pesto (adapted from Sunset magazine)
The Pesto Part
1/2 cup pine nuts
2 cups broccoli florets
2 cups coarse chopped parsley
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup fresh grated Parmesan
kosher salt to taste
The Pizza
4 or more Naan Breads (you can find these at Trader Joe's or Whole Foods)
Chicken Sausage (at Trader's Joes and Sam's Club - these come in different varieties)
One Red Bell Pepper (roasted and diced)
8 Pitted Kalamata Olives, quartered
1/4 cup slivered red onion
2 cups of mixed greens
1 cup of manchego cheese, shaved with a veggie peeler
Balsamic Vinagrette dressing or Oil/Vinegar Dressing to taste or you can use the Salad Spritzers
1. Preheat oven to 400'. Toast pine nuts for about 3-5 minutes.
2. Steam broccoli florets for about 4 minutes until tender-crisp. Drain in colander, cool in ice water, dry.
3. In food processor, throw in your toasted pine nuts, broccoli, parsley, garlic, and olive oil. Pulse til it is almost smooth. Add parmesan. Pulse again. Add salt to taste. Pulse to blend.
4. Bake naan breads on baking sheet for about 5 minutes or til lightly toasted. While the bread is toasting, you can brown your sausage and then slice it.
5. Assemble your pizza. Spread the naan bread with the pesto, then arrange the sausage, red pepper, olives, and layer the shaved manchego on top. Bake until cheese softens and melts on top.
6. Toss your mixed greens with a bit of balsamic vinagrette. Finish off your pizza by arranging you greens on top of the pizzas.
7. EAT and ENJOY!
