Grilled Pizza Bianca With Mushrooms Eggplant And Two Cheeses Food

GRILLED EGGPLANT PIZZA

Steps:

• Prepare the grill and let burn down to medium coals or heat gas grill on medium heat.
• In a colander set over another bowl, salt the eggplant and let drain for 30 minutes then rinse and dry.
• Brush the eggplant slices with olive oil and season with pepper. Toss the peppers with a little olive oil. Place both on the grill and cook the eggplant until browned on the first side, about 3 minutes. The slices should be browned between the grill marks when ready to turn. Move them away from direct heat and cook on the second side until tender, about 10 minutes total. Cut the grilled slices into 1/2-inch dice.
• Cook the peppers, turning as necessary, until charred all over. Remove the peppers to a bowl. Cover and let the peppers steam to loosen the skins. When cool enough to handle, peel, seed, and tear into long, thin strips.
• Divide the dough into 6 equal balls. Working on a surface free of flour, roll each ball under your palm. As it rolls, it will stick slightly to the surface, creating tension that helps form a tight, round ball. Dust the work surface lightly with flour, pat each ball down lightly, dust the tops with flour, cover with a towel, and let rise for about 15 minutes. With a rolling pin, roll out each ball into a circle 8 or 9 inches in diameter and about 1/8-inch thick.
• Have the grill ready at medium heat. Have the 1/4 cup olive oil, eggplant, peppers, garlic, oregano, red pepper flakes, if using, olives, and cheese in bowls and ready by the side of the grill.
• Brush each dough round with about 1 teaspoon of the olive oil. Place on the grill, oiled side up, and cook until browned on the underside, about 2 minutes. Turn and, working quickly, brush each round with another 1 teaspoon olive oil. Then scatter each with 1/6 each of the garlic, oregano, red pepper flakes, if using, eggplant, bell peppers, olives, and cheese. Cover the grill and cook until the rounds are browned on the bottom and the cheese has softened, about 7 minutes. Transfer to plates and top each with an equal amount of the arugula. Spritz lightly with vinegar. Serve immediately.

INDIVIDUAL GRILLED VEGGIE PIZZAS

Steps:

• Preheat an outdoor grill for high heat.
• Place the mushrooms, zucchini, squash, broccoli, and onion in a grill pan, and brush with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Cook on preheated, covered grill until tender when pierced with a fork, about 5 minutes. Remove from grill and set aside.
• Roll out pizza dough on a floured surface to make two 8 inch circles 1/4 inch thick. Place onto pizza pans. Brush tops with remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil.
• Bake on preheated, covered grill until browned, turning once, about 3 minutes each side. Remove from grill and spread with pesto. Top with cooked vegetables. Sprinkle with blue and fontina cheeses. Return to grill, cover, and cook until cheese melts, about 3 minutes.

EGGPLANT (AUBERGINE) AND MUSHROOM PIZZA

Steps:

• Sprinkle eggplant with salt and let sit in a colander for 30 minutes.
• Rinse and pat dry.
• Arrange eggplant slices in a single layer on a lightly oiled baking sheet and bake in a preheated 400 degree oven for 3 to 4 minutes on each side, or until the eggplant is tender and lightly browned.
• Let cool.
• Divide pizza dough in half to form two pizzas, or just make one large pizza. Follow directions for dough.
• Spread tomato sauce over each pizza round and sprinkle cheese over the top, dividing if necessary for two smaller pizzas.
• Arrange mushrooms and several eggplant slices over the cheese and sprinkle with fresh or dried oregano.
• Season with salt and pepper.
• Follow baking directions for pizza dough.

GRILLED PIZZA WITH GRILLED EGGPLANT AND CHERRY TOMATOES

Steps:

• Prepare a hot grill. If you wish, marinate the eggplant slices in a vinaigrette dressing for 15 minutes before grilling (this is an optional step). Oil the hot grill rack with olive oil, either by brushing with a grill brush or by dipping a folded wad of paper towels in olive oil and using tongs to rub the rack with it. Brush the eggplant slices lightly with olive oil and season with salt. Place on the hot grill, not quite directly over the hottest heat, and grill for about 5 minutes, until charred. Turn the pieces over and grill for another 5 minutes. If they are getting too black too quickly, move away from the direct heat. They need to cook long enough so that they're charred on the outside and creamy and soft in the middle. Remove from the heat and cut into bite-size wedges. Set aside.
• Place a round of dough on a lightly dusted baker's peel or rimless baking sheet. Slide the pizza dough from the peel or baking sheet onto the grill rack. If the dough has just come from the freezer and is easy to handle, you can just place it on the rack without bothering with the peel. Close the lid of the grill - the vents should be closed --- and set the timer for 2 minutes.
• Lift up the grill lid. The surface of the dough should display some big air bubbles. Using tongs, lift the dough to see if it is evenly browning on the bottom. Rotate the dough to assure even browning. Keep it on the grill, moving it around as necessary, until it is nicely browned, with grill marks. Watch closely so that it doesn't burn. When it is nicely browned on the bottom (it may be blackened in spots), use tongs or a spatula to slide the dough onto the baking sheet or peel, and remove from the grill. Cover the grill again.
• Make sure that there is still some flour on the peel or baking sheet and flip the dough over so that the uncooked side is now on the bottom. Brush the top lightly with oil, then top with a thin layer of marinara sauce (no more than 1/4¼ cup). Arrange eggplant pieces and cherry tomatoes, cut side up or down, on top of the marinara sauce. Sprinkle with hot red pepper flakes and thyme or oregano. Season with salt and pepper if desired. Dot with feta or mozzarella or sprinkle with Parmesan. Drizzle on a little more olive oil.
• Slide the pizza back onto the grill. If using a gas grill, reduce the heat to medium-high. Close the lid and cook for 2 to 3 more minutes, until the bottom is brown. Open the grill and check the pizza; the top should be hot. If you feel that it needs more time but the bottom is getting too dark, move the pizza to a cooler part of the grill and close the top. Use a spatula or tongs to remove the pizza to a cutting board. Cut into wedges and serve. Repeat with the other two crusts.

GRILLED VEGETABLE PIZZAS

Steps:

• Prepare grill for direct- and indirect-heat cooking. In a bowl, whisk together vinegar, mustard, and oregano; season with salt and pepper. Slowly whisk in oil; set aside.
• Brush mushrooms, zucchini, kale, and onion with more oil; season with salt. Grill mushrooms over direct heat 6 to 10 minutes, depending on size. Flip mushrooms; add zucchini and onion to grill and cook 5 minutes more. Flip zucchini and onion; add kale to grill.
• Continue cooking, flipping kale once, until everything is charred in places and cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes more. Transfer to a platter or board. Top flatbreads evenly with about two-thirds of mozzarella. Divide mushrooms and vegetables evenly among flatbreads. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella and blue cheese.
• Place pizzas over indirect heat and grill, covered, maintaining a temperature of about 400°F, just until bread is charred in places and mozzarella melts, 7 to 9 minutes (if bread isn't crisping along bottom and edges, transfer pizzas to direct heat in last minute of cooking). Drizzle with vinaigrette and serve warm.