If there is one thing I learned about cooking dinner when nursing a newborn and potty training a toddler, it is don't do it! At least don't try to attempt anything more than throwing a hot dog on the grill and some baked beans in a pan...which is great in the summer...just not every night for dinner...
However, with a new grill, warm weather, and a longing to be back to my culinary playtime, I just couldn't resist giving the whole meal preparation thing a shot.
Last night's meal:
Grilled Pizza
I checked out some tips online for grilling pizza. I am not going to lie, I was really nervous. I could just envision the pizza dough falling through the grates and baking itself onto the burners of Steve's brand spankin' new grill. With the help of this little tutorial on YouTube that I (mostly) followed, pizza on the grill was a breeze.
I topped the pizza dough with a balsamic-olive oil-garlic concoction, blue cheese, caramelized red onion, steak, "pizza" cheese (in that order), and when finished topped with some arugula and grated Parmesan cheese.
Doesn't it look yummy?
The husband loved it...I loved it...Moira loved what she ate of it before she got in trouble. There were no left-overs.
A couple of tips...
-Have all of your ingredients ready to go and a clear work space near your grill. I took the dough off the grill, quickly assembled, and returned back to the grill. It worked very well.
-Split one whole pizza dough in two. This made it easier to handle.
-Make sure you flour (or use cornmeal) your parchment/wax paper when stretching your dough. Otherwise it will stick when you flip it over onto the grill and then your are risking burning your fingers as you try to pull dough off of paper.
-Get a pizza peel. We don't have one. It is on my wish-list. It would make my life easier and I won't come dangerously close to frying my digits every time I take dough off of the grill. If you don't have a peel, tongs work...but watch those fingers!
No more 500 degree kitchen in July when I'm in the mood for pizza!
Next on the grilled pizza menu:
Prosciutto and fig. A local restaurant serves it and I don't think I ever go there and not order it.
:)
Anne