Thursday, November 4, 2010

CEIMB: Mushroom, Onion, and Basil Pizza


This week's Craving Ellie in My Belly recipe was chosen by Joanne of Apple Crumbles. It was the Mushroom, Onion, and Basil Pizza from Ellie's The Food You Crave book. It's funny; I don't think I ever realized this recipe was in there! It was kind of a nice surprise, discovering it for the first time.



This is a very simple, very tasty pizza. And, like so many of Ellie's dishes, it can be adapted to suit your family's preferences. I happened to have plenty of green bell peppers on hand, so I added some to the veggies on the pizza. Also, I had some leftover turkey pepperoni in my fridge, so I just used one servings' worth on this. I knew the pepperoni would go over well, and frankly I don't know if my oldest son would have even tried the pizza if it hadn't been for the fact that he knew there was pepperoni! I'm glad he did try it, though, because he ended up liking it, and he even declared that he loved mushrooms. Thanks for that, Ellie!




I decided to use a pizza crust that I made myself, and I wish I could say we loved that, too. Unfortunately, I messed it up. I guess this particular crust should have been cooked at a higher temperature than Ellie's pizza, or cooked for much longer, because the center of the dough was pretty much completely raw the first time I removed it from the oven. I had even already cut two slices before realizing that it wasn't merely cheese stringing and stretching between the pieces; it was raw dough! Ugh. So back in went the pizza. Finally I was able to salvage the rest of the pizza, although I did kinda burn the basil, having already scattered it over top the first time I removed the pie from the oven. I think you can tell from a couple of the pictures. It was fine, though; we still thorougly enjoyed it. Next time I know to use a different crust recipe, or just buy one at the store!


Thank you for the pick, Joanne! This was a really yummy pizza and I even learned that my son likes mushrooms because of it! That is victory to me. Be sure to check out the other members' pizzas by stopping by the blogroll. The original recipe can be found here.

5 comments:

  1. OMW, I thought this looked so great until I read about the raw dough part...lol. Sometimes these things just happen. I tried to stay true to the recipe just to see what that whole tube dough was all about, but in the end, I was not a fan of that crust. I was a fan of the toppings, though. Yes, it is possible to get tired of basil occasionally. I tend to cook with it a lot, and there reaches a point this year after having a fresh basil plant at my disposal all summer, that I am just tired of it. I probably should have gone with fresh oregano on top...that would have been nice. Like you said, recipe very adaptable. Was fun to make. Yours does look really good...let's just forget about that dough, okay? LOL.

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  2. I still think it is meritorious that you used your own crust. It is just a shame that your hard work didn't work out. Soggy crust is not the best.

    Your pizza looks great, despite this. Your add-ons sound terrific. I thought it was a great pick, also.

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  3. So glad you liked it. I figured it was tough to go wrong with pizza because, like you did for the family, you can add your favorite toppings to customize.
    Thanks for cooking along. :)

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  4. Hey that looks really good!! Unfortunately, I did not get to make it yet. I am really running behind lately. I'm not a slacker - I'm NOT. Just life got in the way. Yours looks so good.

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  5. Oh, no! The raw pizza crust is exactly the kind of thing that happens to me every time I try to make any kind of dough. I'm just not meant to be a baker, I suppose. So I always cheat with premade crusts. Not quite as good as homemade, but they work pretty well :)

    Glad this was a success otherwise! I'm like your son in that I usually tend to prefer my pizza covered in pepperoni, but I'm learning to enjoy veggie versions as well. Good for him for learning about vegetables at a young age!

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