Tuesday, December 20, 2005

Quick Snacks - Part III

So much to do - so little time. We're taking the train to Montreal tomorrow to visit family for a couple of days. It's about four and a half hours and we thought it would be fun. It also means we don't have to worry about crazy snowfalls that often materialize out of nowhere between Toronto and Montreal. We once got stranded in a white out and, while it was an adventure, it's not one I'd want to repeat.

I really planned on doing a bunch of different quick treats for you, but between laundry, writing, and cooking for the holidays (we'll be back in time to celebrate), all I could do was throw together these little pizzas. Don't worry, the delicious Baco Noir helped relax me.

Speedy Mini Pizzas
I usually keep pitas on hand, and of course, my pesto and some tomato sauce (today I used a bought Porcini tomato sauce and added some garlic), so they really are easy to prepare. Just preheat your oven to 450°F/230°C, cover a cookie sheet with aluminum foil and leave it in the oven until the pizzas are prepared (about 5 minutes).

It's hard to see, but there are 3 different kinds of pizzas here:
Shrimp & cooked asparagus over pesto - one pizza had Boursin cheese and the other had feta crumbled on top (I liked that better) Peel raw shrimp and if they're large, cut them in half, sprinkle with a little lemon juice, toss with some fresh herbs if you have, if not don't worry the pesto will do just fine. The pizza is ready when the shrimps are pink
Roasted red peppers and grilled artichoke hearts over tomato sauce, extra garlic and grated mozzarella cheese
More Roasted peppers, but this time with slivers of Italian salami and spicy Proscuitto with mozzarella.

For inspiration, just stand in front of your fridge, or look to your pantry and go crazy!!!

Then just pop the pizzas on the hot baking sheets, put them in the oven for 8-10 minutes - the cheese should be melted and they're done.

More quick goodies when I get back from Montreal, so stay tuned. In the meantime, remember, this is supposed to be a fun time of year so don't stress yourself out too much.

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3 comments:

Joycelyn said...

hi ruth, what a terrific idea! they look like the perfect thing to munch on while watching tv...thanks for sharing...

mary grimm said...

English muffins are also good for making mini pizzas.

Ruth Daniels said...

Lucette, J, thanks for dropping by.

Now that the "Big" holiday is over, there's still lots of casual dropping by to do and relaxing after some major sale shopping, so English muffins, pita breads and tortillas are all handy to have around to make a base for pizza and grilled sandwiches, quesadillas, open-faced melts......

I'm getting hungry just writing this.