Asparagus Bacon Herbed Cheese Pizza Food

BACON AND ASPARAGUS PIZZA

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Adjust oven racks to the middle of the oven. Place a cast iron pizza stone or pan in the oven to heat for 1 hour.
• Blanch asparagus 1 minute in a large pot of boiling salted water, then remove and shock in a bowl of ice water. Drain well.
• Place asparagus in a bowl and drizzle with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Toss to combine well.
• Flour your work surface and roll the pizza dough into a 12-inch diameter. Carefully remove the cast iron pizza stone from the oven and put the dough on top.
• Ladle the sauce to cover the bottom of the pizza and top with mozzarella, red onion, bacon, and asparagus coins. Arrange the 8 whole pieces of asparagus fanned out from the center the pizza, like spokes on a bicycle.
• Bake until golden and crisp and the cheese has melted, about 20 to 25 minutes.
• Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic slices, and red pepper flakes, and saute until the edges of the garlic begin to turn golden, about 3 minutes.
• Stir in the crushed tomatoes, salt, and pepper and let simmer 15 minutes.
• Turn off the heat and stir in the torn basil. Taste for seasoning and adjust if necessary.

ASPARAGUS PIZZA

Steps:

• Trim 1/2 pound asparagus. Cut each stalk in half lengthwise, then crosswise into 2-inch pieces. Form 1 pound refrigerated pizza dough (at room temperature) into an 11-by-15-inch rectangle on an oiled piece of parchment. Top with the asparagus and 1 cup shredded fontina. Slide the crust (on the parchment) onto a preheated pizza stone or inverted baking sheet. Bake at 475˚ until the bottom is crisp, 12 minutes. Top with pesto and red pepper flakes.

ASPARAGUS, BACON & HERBED CHEESE PIZZA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450°. Place crust on an ungreased 12-in. pizza pan or baking sheet; brush top with 4 teaspoons oil. Top with mozzarella cheese, asparagus and bacon. Drop spreadable cheese by teaspoonfuls over pizza. Sprinkle with pepper flakes; drizzle with remaining oil., Bake 12-15 minutes or until cheese is lightly browned.

ASPARAGUS WITH HERB BUTTER

Steps:

• In small saucepan, melt butter.
• Stir in tarragon and lemon peel.
• Simmer 2 minutes over low heat.
• Pour over warmed asparagus spears.

BACON-WRAPPED ASPARAGUS

Steps:

• Wash and trim asparagus spears.
• Cut bacon strips in half crosswise.
• Wrap one-half strip bacon around each asparagus spear, leaving tip and end exposed.
• Lay on a cookie sheet with sides.
• Bake in a preheated 400 degree Fahrenheit oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until bacon is cooked.
• Serve warm or at room temperature.
• **Note: You may want to try my Baked Bacon recipe #187790 for 10 minutes, to avoid over cooking asparagus.

ASPARAGUS WITH HERBED GOAT CHEESE SAUCE

Steps:

• 1. Bring water in the bottom of a steamer to a boil. Place the asparagus in the top of the steamer, cover, and steam until the asparagus is tender but not soft, about 11 minutes.
• 2. Whisk the goat cheese until it is light. Whisk in the olive oil until thoroughly incorporated and smooth.
• 3. Mince the herbs, and whisk them into the goat cheese mixture. Season to taste with salt.

BALSAMIC ONIONS, ASPARAGUS, & GOAT CHEESE PIZZA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (or according to pizza crust directions on package).
• In a frying pan, heat oil over medium-high heat; saute onion and garlic until softened and golden, about 8 minutes.
• Add vinegar and sugar; stir.
• Add asparagus; cook for 3 minutes.
• Add tomato, basil, salt, and pepper; cook for 1 minute.
• Spread asparagus mixture over whole-wheat pizza crust; top with goat cheese.
• Place pizza directly on middle oven rack (for softer, chewier crust bake on cookie sheet).
• Bake for 6 to 8 minutes or until crust browns.
• Broil for 2 minutes or until cheese begins to bubble.

SHAVED ASPARAGUS PIZZA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450°F.
• If not already shaped, stretch your pizza dough into a large circle 12-16 inches in diameter and place on your pizza pan or stone. Drizzle dough with a thin stream of olive oil.
• Slice fresh mozzarella as thinly as possible and arrange in a single layer over dough.
• Using a vegetable peeler shave your asparagus into thin ribbons. Use the entire bunch, as you might only get 3 or 4 good ribbons from each spear. Pile asparagus shavings on top of the mozzarella. The asparagus WILL cook down so you want to use more than you think is necessary.
• Top asparagus with several cranks of black pepper and dot generously with Boursin cheese. (I tend to use 1/4-1/2 a package per pizza.).
• Bake on pizza stone or baking sheet for 15-20 minutes or until crust is golden brown. Let cool for 2-3 minutes before slicing and serving.

CHICKEN BACON ASPARAGUS FLATBREAD PIZZA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Preparing Toppings:.
• Arrange bacon on a aluminum foil lined cookie sheet.
• Place each chicken breast between sheets of parchment paper and tenderize/flatten with a mallet or small sauce pan. Move chicken to a baking pan, drizzle each breast with 1 tbsp olive oil, coating both sides. Salt and pepper to your own taste or use a premixed seasoning.
• Place bacon and chicken in the oven. Bake bacon for 10-12 minutes or until crisp enough to crumble. Bake chicken for 25-30 minutes or until cooked through and no longer pink in the center.
• While the bacon and chicken bake, heat the remaining 2 tbsp olive oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Halve and slice the onion and mince the garlic. Add to the skillet once the oil has heated (shimmering). Cook onions and garlic until the onions have begun to turn translucent. Remove to a bowl.
• Chop the asparagus into 1 inch pieces, set aside. (You only need to use the top two inches, discard the rest).
• When the bacon is cooked, move to a paper towel for a minute or two to drain any excess grease. Crumble/break apart each piece and set aside.
• When the chicken is cooked, remove from oven and let rest for 5-10 minutes or until cool enough to handle. Move to a cutting board and slice into bite size pieces.
• Increase oven heat to 400.
• Assembling Pizza:.
• Place two flatbreads per cookie sheet. Coat with a thin layer of pizza sauce. Place 1/4 of the chicken, onion mixture, bacon and asparagus on each flatbread. Top each with 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese.
• Bake at 400 for 7-8 minutes or until the flatbread is crispy and the cheese melted.