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Tag: flatbread pizza

Asparagus Potato Naan

Tender asparagus, thinly sliced baby potatoes, minced garlic, and Parmesan cheese on top of naan flatbread creates a quick, light meal or tasty appetizers.  Naan bread is endlessly versatile and can be the base for so many different types of flatbread pizzas.  This asparagus potato naan recipe features delicious, tender vegetables, and can be on your table in about 20 minutes.

asparagus potato naan on benchPotatoes and asparagus are not only in season right now, but they are also a great combination.  If you have never tried potatoes on flatbread, you should give it a try. The creaminess of cooked potatoes with melted cheese, all on top of a warm flatbread–it is delicious, especially when the tender-fresh crunch of asparagus is added.  While at first the thought of pairing of potatoes and flatbread may sound like a carb overload, it really isn’t in this case, since the naan flatbread is thin and the layer of potatoes is also thin.

DSC_0857This is a great summer meal when you are in a hurry and need to make something nourishing, or if you have guests over and want to serve them some fun, seasonal appetizers, out on the porch or deck, with a cold beverage and great conversation.  Can you tell I am wanting to invite some people over for dinner soon?  I am.  It has been a hectic spring, and we haven’t had much time to relax over our food and drinks.  Now the kids are out of school (as of today!) and their sports schedules are in somewhat of a lull for a month or so.  Our evenings and weekends are opening up.  It’s time to slow down and linger outside, letting conversations develop and quiet moments blossom.

It’s time to enjoy nature, including asparagus and potatoes, and soon the cherries and wild black raspberries growing right in our yard.  I just made the first strawberry shortcake of the season last night, and the strawberries were so fresh! Savoring the fruits and vegetables that are in season helps me feel like I am in the moment and experiencing life as it is unfolding.  Every last day of school since my kids have started school, I have felt emotional and bittersweet.  One era is ending as another is beginning.  Sometimes it can be hard to let things go, and sometimes we can’t wait to move on.  As I cannot believe how fast they are growing and sometimes want to slow time down, my kids are excited to move on to the next phase. Time passes regardless of how quickly or slowly we want it to go.  I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!  This week’s Fiesta Friday is co-hosted by Lindy @ Love in the Kitchen and Liz @ spades, spatulas & spoons.   potatoes and asparagusasparagus potato naan on baking sheetasparagus potato naan white and green 2

Asparagus Potato Naan

  • Servings: 2-4
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Ingredients:

  • 4-6 small potatoes (red or gold), thinly sliced
  • 1/2 pound of fresh asparagus, chopped
  • 3 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1-2 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 2 naan flatbreads (about 250 g or 8.8 oz in a package of 2)
  • about 1 cup of Parmesan cheese (other cheese can be used, if desired)

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and place the naan pieces on top of the parchment paper.

Wash the potatoes and asparagus.  Slice the potatoes very thinly.  Snap the tough ends off of the asparagus stalks and then chop the stalks into small pieces.  In a large skillet, heat one tablespoon of the olive oil over medium-high heat.  Add the sliced potatoes and toss gently for a couple of minutes, until the potatoes are just golden.  Remove from heat.

Pour the remaining olive oil into a shallow bowl.  Mince the garlic mix it in with the olive oil.  Brush the naan pieces with olive oil/garlic (with the bubbly side of the naan facing up).  Spread the potatoes in over the flatbread pieces in an even layer, then top with the chopped asparagus.  Sprinkle the cheese on top of the vegetables.  Place the baking sheet into your oven and bake at 400 degrees for about 10 minutes, or until the asparagus is tender and the cheese is melted.

Allow to cool slightly and slice into pieces. Enjoy!

asparagus and potato naan with dog

 

Mushroom-Sage Flatbread Pizza

Enjoy the rich, savory taste of sautéed mushrooms baked with fresh sage, cheese, olive oil and garlic, all on top of naan flatbread.  This mushroom-sage flatbread pizza is so quick and easy to throw together, yet so very flavorful.

The health benefits of mushrooms are great.  If you don’t eat meat, are trying to eat less meat, or just want a break from meat, mushrooms are a good way to give your body some of the same nutrients that meat gives it, plus some other vitamins and minerals.  Mushrooms are high in selenium, vitamin D, potassium, iron, and calcium, in addition to containing antioxidants.

mushroom pizza with sageWith my daughter being a vegetarian (actually, she eats fish, so I guess that is a pescetarian…), we eat a fair amount of portabella mushroom burgers.  For a change, I have been buying mixed mushrooms and making these flatbread pizzas for her.  They are so good!  We love the sage and mushroom combination, and sage has its own health benefits and healing properties.  It is known as the herb that imparts longevity and wisdom, and in the days when the use of herbs was more prominent, sage was used to soothe coughs and colds, ease night sweats, purify the spirit, and ward off evil.  I’m not sure if baking some fresh sage leaves in this pizza can accomplish all those things, but it can’t hurt, and it tastes so savory and earthy, so delicious with the mushrooms and cheese! In addition, sage is really easy to grow, and it comes back year after year.  We have had some in our garden for years, and I love to go out and pick the leaves as I am making dinner.

With many of our afternoons and evenings being filled with sporting events, meetings, concerts, and now yard and garden work this spring, I have been looking for quick and easy dinners.  This recipe fits the bill of being quick and delicious at the same time.  It works great served with a salad or a bowl of soup, or just on its own for a light dinner or tasty lunch.

mushroom pizza wholeFor Mother’s Day, I walked in the woods with my mother, husband, and kids, and with it being mushroom season, I got to thinking about how I would like to learn more about foraging for mushrooms.  I know that morel mushrooms grow in my area, and I think it would be a worthwhile hobby to cultivate, and a great excuse to get out into the woods more!  I hope you all have a wonderful weekend, and enjoy spring!  Although it’s supposed to get cold again this weekend, so many trees are flowering here, and our lilacs are in full bloom.  I believe that is my favorite scented flower, so I am savoring every minute of the lilac season. mushroom pizza with sage and curtainmushrooms and sageFiesta Friday is co-hosted this week by Ahila @ A Taste of Sri Lankan Cuisine and Diann @ Of Goats and Greens.  I look forward to checking out their posts!

Mushroom-Sage Flatbread Pizza

  • Servings: 2-4, or 2 flatbread pizzas
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Ingredients:

  • 2 cups of mushrooms, your choice (I often use a mixture of shitake, oyster, and mini bella mushrooms), washed, patted dry, and thinly sliced
  • a handful or two of fresh sage leaves, washed and patted dry
  • 2 cloves of garlic, minced
  • extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 naan flatbreads
  • about 2 cups of shredded mozzarella and Parmesan cheese, or shredded cheese of your choice
  • salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Wash the mushrooms, pat them dry, and thinly slice them.  In a small skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat.  Place the mushrooms in the skillet and sprinkle them with salt and pepper.  Sautee the mushrooms for about five minutes, or until they are tender.  Pour about 1/4 cup of olive oil into a shallow bowl and mix the minced garlic into the olive oil.  With a pastry brush, brush the garlicky olive oil evenly across the pieces of naan flatbread.  Spread the mushrooms over the flatbread.  Then arrange the sage leaves on the flatbread, the amount according to your taste.  Sprinkle the shredded on top of the mushrooms and sage.

Place the pizzas on the baking sheet, and bake in your 400-degree oven for about 10-15 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the bread is golden.  Let the pizzas cool for a couple minutes, and then slice into pieces.  Enjoy!

Sunshine Flatbread Pizzas

Is there anything easier and more versatile than flatbread pizzas?  Well, there probably is, but I’m not sure what that would be.  Anyway, these flatbread pizzas are so easy, they are hardly a recipe–just a nudge in a certain direction if you are unsure about what to make for a quick dinner, or an idea if you are searching for ways to use your summer squash and zucchini.  And they taste really, really good too.  I make these when we need a quick dinner before going back out the door to our various evening activities.  They are healthy and quite light, so if you are headed out to exercise after dinner, this meal won’t weigh you down too much.

sunshine flatbread pizza on tray 2I call them sunshine flatbread pizzas because I typically make them in September and early October, when we have summer squash and zucchini in abundance, and the sun is warm and golden.  Serve them with a salad or a bowl of soup if you like.  It only takes a few minutes to prepare and bake them, and when they’re done, you have something warm and tasty, full of seasonal vegetables.

sunshine flatbread pizza on bench 2It is now officially autumn, and the following quote by writer Gladys Taber reflects how I feel about this gorgeous time of year. “We are in for a spell of perfect weather now, every day luminous, every night brimmed with stars.  Picnics at noon, supper by the applewood fire at night, a walk in the cool moonlight before bed.”   I hope to make the time to savor early autumn in the spirit of this quote, and I hope you all have a beautiful weekend! I’ll also be taking a plate of these over to Angie’s Fiesta Friday to share with the lovely bloggers there.sliced vegetablesunbaked pizzasunshine flatbread pizzas on sheet 2sunshine flatbread pizza on cutting board 3sunshine flatbread pizza on plate

Sunshine Flatbread Pizzas

  • Servings: 2-4
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Ingredients:

  • 1 small zucchini, thinly sliced
  • 1 small summer squash, thinly sliced
  • 1/2 cup red onion, thinly sliced
  • 2 flatbreads (I like to use naan)
  • extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 large clove of garlic, minced
  • shredded mozzarella cheese
  • shredded Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Wash and slice the zucchini, summer squash, and onion into thin pieces.  In a large skillet, heat one to two tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat.  Sautee the sliced vegetables until tender, about 5-8 minutes.  Set aside.

Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.  Pour some olive oil into a shallow bowl.  Mince the garlic and add it to the bowl with the olive oil.  Lay your flatbreads out on a cutting board or the counter.  With a basting brush or pastry brush, spread a layer of olive oil/garlic mixture over the top of the flatbreads.  Then arrange the sautéed vegetables evenly over the flatbreads.  Sprinkle with a good amount of mozzarella and Parmesan cheese (to your personal tastes).  Place the flatbreads on a baking sheet.

Bake in a 375 degree oven for about 10 minutes, or until heated through and the cheese is melted.  Remove, let cool a couple of minutes, and slice into pieces. Enjoy!