Lately I’ve been crazy busy, like running around like a mad woman with my shirt inside out and hair that rivals any hair-sprayed beauty queen after a night out at the bar. I am so fortunate to have a job I love but my kitchen dance card is FULL this week developing recipes and writing for 5 companies all with multiple deadlines on Friday. Yea me! A glass of wine — or two — will be needed Friday night.

So, while my family just steps back and watches the insanity that is me (seriously I poured orange juice in my coffee), I’m trying to keep it together with simple dinners. Like this one that took a whopping 8 minutes to prep.

Pesto Pizza with Tomatoes and Goat Cheese is one of my favorites. I can’t take the credit  though because this pizza was served weekly at a pizza joint I lived off of in college. The combination of pesto with tangy goat cheese and fresh tomatoes is pizza poetry.

Throw this pizza together in minutes using pre-made pesto and frozen and thawed pizza dough. When I don’t use my own dough I find that Whole Foods, Central Market, or Jimmy’s (if you live in Dallas) have the best doughs with all natural ingredients. Cheers!

I’m not going to give you a story that normally accompanies a post today because I want to get to this recipe as fast as possible. We’ll talk about the fact later that my daughter just walked in covered head-to-toe with rhinestones and asked where the hot glue gun is.

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There are days when you just need a cheesy, creamy, crunchy, fall on the floor fast comfort meal or a quick snack for game day. This is one of those days and this is one of those meals. It’s simply pure awesomeness on a piece of toast.

Chicken Artichoke and Spinach French Bread Pizza makes 4 servings

• 2 Tablespoons butter
• 1 Tablespoon all purpose flour
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• pinch of fresh grated nutmeg
• pinch of fresh ground black pepper
• 1 loaf French bread
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• cooked chicken (grilled, broiled, baked, roasted…)
• fresh baby spinach, shredded
• artichoke hearts cut in half (canned or frozen/thawed)

Once the bread is toasted, spread the white cheese sauce on each slice of bread.

On top of the sauce, add cheese, chicken, spinach, artichokes and top with an additional pinch of cheese. Place the baking sheet in the oven and set the oven to broil. Broil until the cheese has melted and turned golden, about 3 to 5 minutes.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly. Serve and be happy.

Eat whole, or slice and serve with your favorite marinara for dipping.

In our family pizza night is one of the meals that brings us all together in the kitchen. We turn the music up, put on our aprons and get to work. Everyone creates their own pizzas and we all share slices making it a great and memorable night. To us there is no need to order pizza, unless it has just been one of those days, but even then a boxed pizza can never come close to what you can make at home.

If you are reading this thinking, “Lady there is absolutely noway that I could ever create an artisan pizza crust in my kitchen” or “I’ve tried it and didn’t like the tough, thick, and doughy crust” now with this recipe you can and it is as easy as throwing a few ingredients in a bowl and letting it sit overnight.

I’ve been making my own pizza dough for three years now. I’m no expert but I know a good recipe when I see one. Although I enjoy a kneaded crust (the Tartine meathod is my favorite) there is practice and a knowledge of dough to achieve that perfect bubbly chewy texture. But of course, there are some days when I just don’t have the time, patience, and there’s a 70 pound dog at my feet, a child tugging on my apron, and a husband who’s nose is always in the pantry. That’s when this fantastic recipe comes in hand.

Brilliantly created by Jim Lahey—owner of New York’s Sullivan Street Bakery and Pizza Spot Co., this recipe for a no-knead pizza crust has been around for a few years. But it wasn’t until I saw it in a recent issue of Bon Appétit that I immediately gave it a test. Like I threw down the magazine, pushed the dog out of the way, and ran to the kitchen.

The results: The most simple but chewy, bubbly, and crisp crust that I have ever made without time consuming kneading and a seven day starter. The ingredients and technique are surprisingly simple but it is the overnight fermentation that give this dough it’s character. The only problem I had was creating a thin crust, I don’t believe the gluten really gets enough work to get that super thin bite but I’ve found if you keep it in between a medium to thin you will get the best result. I highly recommend trying this out tonight and have pizza night tomorrow.

No-Knead Pizza Dough makes 6 – 8″ pizzas
recipe form Jim Lahey published in Bon Appétit

• 7 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (1000 grams) plus more for shaping dough
• 4 teaspoons fine sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon active dry yeast

In a medium bowl, whisk flour, salt, and yeast.

While stirring with a wooden spoon, slowly add 3 cups of room temp water. Stir until well incorporated.

Mix dough gently with your hands and form it in a rough ball. Transfer to a large clean bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and place the bowl in a draft free area. Let it rise at room temperature (about 72°F) for 18 hours until the surface is covered with tiny bubbles and the dough has more than doubled in size.

Transfer dough to a floured work surface and gently shape into a rectangle.

With a knife, cut the dough into 6 equal portions.

Working with 1 portion at a time, gather 4 corners to the center to create 4 folds.

Flip it over seam side down and gently mold it into a ball. Dust dough with flour and set on a floured work surface or baking sheet. Repeat with all portions. Cover the dough with plastic wrap or a slightly damp kitchen towel. Let rest for 1 hour.

Make ahead: Can be made up to 3 days ahead. Wrap each dough ball separately in plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator. When ready to use, unwrap and let it rest at room temperature, covered with a towel or plastic wrap for 2 to 3 hours.

To make a pizza:

During the last hour of dough’s resting, prepare oven: If using a pizza stone, arrange a rack in upper third of oven and place stone on rack; preheat oven to its hottest setting, 500°–550°, for 1 hour. If using a baking sheet, arrange a rack in middle of oven and preheat to its hottest setting, 500°–550°. (You do not need to preheat the baking sheet.)

**note: I have used both a pizza stone and a baking sheet. The results were almost identical. Usually I would say always use a pizza stone but in this case it did not make a difference. I recommend using a baking sheet especially if you are working with children in the kitchen.

Working with 1 dough ball at a time, dust dough generously with flour and place on a floured work surface. Gently shape dough into a 10″–12″ disk.

Mia and Tim’s favorite pizza: tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella, olives, mushrooms, and bell peppers.

My favorite pizza: garlic infused olive oil, fresh mozzarella, topped with prosciutto, arugula and shaved Parmesan.

Simple, easy, and perfectly dinner.

I have also formed the remaining dough into baguettes. Not perfect as a bread but still pretty awesome when you need a baguette in a pinch.

So, yesterday morning my alarm goes off to get me out of bed and to the gym. I take one look at it and throw it to the ground. Screw the butt busting stair climber, this mama needed her sleep. I lay in bed and of course can’t get back to sleep but now it’s to late to go to the gym. I finally get out of bed, say hi to my good for nothing cat, and get my jeans from the closet. I think to my self I should have really gone to the gym because I can already tell this day is going to be a rough one. I put one leg into my jeans. Then the next. This should be simple, right? But oh no, my foot gets stuck in the crotch of my jeans. Out of nowhere my body revolts against me and refuses to move my stuck foot. So I start hopping around the room like a bunny on crack. It wasn’t long before the inevitable happened and I came crashing down hard on the wood floors. Yes, it hurt but not as much as the humiliation did. At least only the cat was watching and of course did nothing to help. He could have come down to save me from humiliation and act as if I purposely did it for him so I could pet him on his level. Worthless, I tell you.

I know it’s weird, but it was in this moment that I had an epiphany, no a craving. A craving for the best pizza in the world or Texas at least. A pizza only found in downtown Fort Worth in a place called Taverna. From then on I knew my day would follow down the road it started on if I did not have this pizza. Unfortunately, I live far away from Cowtown so I was left to my own devices. I had no other choice but to make my own version. What happened to the rest of my day you ask? Pure freakin’ bliss. All because of this holy pizza.

Pizza Bianca

Pizza Dough from Cooking for Seven adapted from New Best Recipe

• 1/2 cup warm water (about 110°)
• 2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast,or 1 packet (1/4 oz)
• 1 1/4 cups water, at room temperature
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 cups (20 ounces) white whole wheat flour (or regular your choice)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
• Olive oil or butter, for greasing the bowl

Pizza Bianca makes 1 medium pizza

• pizza dough
• flour, for rolling out dough
• dash of cornmeal, optional
• 5 to 7 oz fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1/8 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 pound prosciutto, about  6 slices thinly cut
• handful (about a cup) of  arugula
• parmesan shavings, about 6 or so depends on your love of the parm

For the pizza dough:

Place the 1/2 cup warm water in a small bowl. Add the yeast and stir. Let sit for about 5 minutes, or until the yeast begins to swell. Add to the room temperature water and oil and stir.

Place the flour and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix briefly until combined. With mixer on low speed, slowly add the liquid ingredients. Mix just until a cohesive dough forms. Let the dough rest for 5 minutes. I’m not this fancy so I just used my hand mixer fit with beaters and a later a hook. I’ve also used a spoon and later used my hands to knead the dough.

Change to the dough hook attachment. Knead the dough until it becomes smooth and elastic, about 5-10 minutes.

Oil or butter a medium-sized bowl. Transfer the dough to the prepared bowl. Cover with a kitchen towel or plastic wrap and place in a warm spot. Allow to rise for 1 ½-2 hours, or until double in volume. The dough is now ready to be used in your recipe.  Makes enough dough for approximately 3 large thin-crust pizzas. With a knife, cut the dough ball into thirds and separate. Just wrap whatever you don’t use in plastic wrap and freeze for a later date. It might seem intimidating but it really is easy. if I can do it with an active toddler around so can you!

Now for the pizza!

Preheat oven to 500°

Place a handful of flour on a counter and on a rolling pin. With a rolling pin, roll out the dough until thin and about 10 to 12 inches in diameter.

Put a small handful of cornmeal on a pizza stone or baking sheet and transfer the pizza dough onto it. Drizzle olive oil on top and brush on dough. Sprinkle salt on top of dough.

Place the mozzarella on top and put in the oven for 13 to 15 minutes.

How awesome does this look already! Allow to cool for a second. Next, place the prosciutto, arugula and parmesan on top. Slice and serve!

Thank you Taverna I hope to see you soon but for now this will do!