Girls' Weekend Recap: phyllo crust pizza, rosemary balsamic spinach salad & my fight with a
I should start off by saying I'm typing this without use of my left pointer finger. I hot glued a leaf to my hand after successfully gluing approximately three leaves to my fall wreath and I now have a giant blister on that finger. And of course it wasn't just some cheap glue gun- it was Chase's mega glue gun that could probably attach the siding to our house. Needless to say, I spent the remaining crafting time with my hands in a bowl of cold water.
Thank god my girl B [fellow crazy fur mama + cheese lover] is AHHHHMAZINGLY creative and BONUS she can operate a glue gun without a safety incident. Some people are crafty, some are not. I'm the latter. I thanked B for her assistance (and by assistance I mean making my entire wreath) by making this phyllo crust pizza + lots of wine. Check out her wreath creations below!
I set out to make the tomato salad tart on my Friday Favorites. I ran out of time to make my own puff pastry and I couldn't find any frozen puff pastry dough. I settled with this phyllo dough and it. was. amazing. In between every phyllo layer is garlicy butter + parmesan cheese, uhm, yum. This pizza is topped with veggies & finished with herbs & goat cheese. This light dish is perfect as a main paired with a salad for when Chase is offshore and it's just me + and the gals or as a appetizer for when Chase gets home.
Phyllo Crust Pizza
Ingredients:
6 tablespoons butter
14 sheets phyllo dough (13" x 18")
7 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese, divided
1 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
1 cup thinly sliced red onion
1 pound heirloom tomatoes, sliced
1 cup thinly sliced zucchini
1-1/2 teaspoons minced fresh oregano or 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme or 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
pepper to taste
1 cup goat cheese
10 leaves of fresh basil
Directions:
Place butter and minced garlic in microwave safe container. Melt butter and let cool slightly. Brush a baking pan with some of the melted butter. Unroll phyllo dough; you need fourteen 13" x 18" sheets.
Line bottom of prepared pan with two sheets of phyllo dough. Brush with garlicy butter and sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Repeat layers 5 times.
Top with layers of remaining phyllo dough; brush with remaining butter. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese; arrange onion, zucchini, tomatoes over cheese. Sprinkle with oregano, thyme, and pepper (the finishing goat cheese will be your salt). Bake at 375° for 15-25 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Keep an eye on your pizza after 15 minutes because it goes quick and really depends on your oven. Once the edges are crispy, broil the top of the pizza for two minutes (RESIST THE URGE TO WALK AWAY FROM YOUR PIZZA WHILE IT IS BROILING! Tragedy in the form of burnt pizza will strike!) Top with fresh basil and goat cheese. Serve immediately.
Rosemary Balsamic Spinach Salad
Rosemary Balsamic Vinaigrette
In mason jar, add 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil, 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar, 1 teaspoon fresh squeezed lemon juice, 1 teaspoon dijon mustard, 1 teaspoon of minced fresh rosemary. Shake to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate until ready to use; shake well before dressing salad.
Spinach Salad
3 cups fresh spinach leaves
1/2 cup chopped strawberries
1/4 cup chopped pecans
1/2 blue cheese
Toss all ingredients together and dress with rosemary balsamic vinaigrette. Serve immediately.
