Greek Mediterranean Pizza Recipes

Steps:

• Puree ingredients for garlic sauce in a blender and store in a small covered jar.
• Top dough crust with garlic sauce, mozzarella cheese, feta cheese, olives, pepperoncini, onion, mushrooms, and oregano. Drizzle with oil.
• Bake in preheated 500° F oven on pizza stone for 8-10 minutes or until crust is golden brown and cheese is bubbly.
• Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack for 2-3 minutes before cutting into wedges and serving.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Brush pizza shell with olive oil.
• Spread pesto sauce thoroughly over the surface of the shell, leaving the edge as a crust.
• Top with olives, sundried tomatoes, artichoke hearts, wilted spinach leaves and cover with cheeses.
• Place pizza directly on oven rack for 10 minutes, or until cheese is melted from centre to edge.
• Allow to cool for 5 minutes before slicing.

Steps:

• Pat the crust dough out on two greased pizza pans.
• Combine all the sauce ingredients, stirring until smooth. Divide between crusts.
• Top each pizza with half the mozzarella cheese, followed by other ingredients in order given.
• Bake in a preheated oven at 400°F for 20 minutes or until cheese is browned and bubbly.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 400°F. Combine first 4 ingredients; spread onto pizza crust. Top with olives and tomatoes. Bake 20 min. or until edge of crust is golden brown and cheese is melted. Sprinkle with basil. Substitute: Substitute ¼ cup chopped roasted red peppers for the tomatoes.

Steps:

• For the crust: Place an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Dust a heavy baking sheet with cornmeal. Set aside.
• On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the dough into a 1/4-inch thick rectangle about 16 inches long and 8 inches wide. Transfer the dough to the prepared baking sheet.
• For the topping: In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the leeks and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds until aromatic. In batches, add the spinach and cook until wilted, about 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and add the feta cheese and mint. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
• Using the tines of a fork, prick the surface of the dough all over. Spread the spinach mixture on top and dot with butter.
• Bake until the dough is golden and crunchy, 15 to 18 minutes. Cut into squares and serve.

Steps:

• Place a seasoned (or oiled) pizza stone in the middle of the oven and preheat to 450° F, at least 30 minutes.
• Roll and spread the dough into one 13-inch or two 9-inch circles and place on a floured pizza peel. If you are more comfortable working with one piece of dough at a time, you can shape and dress the second piece while the first is in the oven. If making 2 pizzas, split all the topping measurements in half.
• Brush the dough with olive oil to within an inch of the edge, and spread the grated mozzarella to within 1/2 inch of the outer edge. Distribute the chicken over the cheese.
• Transfer the pizza(s) to the oven and bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and the cheese at the center is melted and bubbly.
• Meanwhile, prepare the Greek Salad and Tzatziki Sauce. Place the sauce in a squeeze bottle or syrup dispenser.
• Use the peel to remove the pizza from the oven. Slice as desired. Spoon the dressed salad over the pizza. Sprinkle with feta cheese, then drizzle with half the Tzatziki Sauce. Sprinkle with chopped parsley. Serve immediately, with the remaining sauce on the side.
• To Make Traditional Pizza Dough: In a small bowl, dissolve the yeast in the water (1 cup plus 1 tablespoon). Make sure the water is not too hot, as this will kill the yeast and prevent the dough from rising.
• If using a stand mixer, use the paddle because the dough hook will not mix this size batch efficiently. In the mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, salt, and 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and stir by hand just to distribute. Add the dissolved yeast and place the bowl and paddle on the mixer. Start mixing on the lowest speed to mix. Increase the speed slightly and mix for 2 to 3 minutes, until the dough is smooth and elastic. Do not over-knead, as this will build up too much gluten and make the dough difficult to shape. If using a food processor, be sure to use the plastic blade, the metal knife will cut through the gluten strands and keep the dough from developing any "body". Proceed as for the stand mixer making sure to stop kneading as soon as the dough forms a smooth ball. Over-kneading could overheat the dough because the mixing bowl is directly above the motor. If mixing by hand, place the dry ingredients in a 4 to 6 quart bowl, and stir to combine. Make a well in the middle and put the liquids, reserving 1 teaspoon of olive oil. Use a wooden spoon to combine the ingredients. Once all the flour is mixed in, turn the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and, with lightly oiled hands, knead the dough for 5 minutes. It should be smooth and elastic, but will still be slightly sticky.
• Place the remaining teaspoon of oil in a 1 quart mixing bowl and spread it with your fingertips. Place the dough ball in the bowl, move it around in the oil, then turn it over so that the oiled side is facing upward. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and allow the dough to rise until doubled in size, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
• About 2 hours before you are ready to assemble your pizza, remove the dough form the refrigerator. If making individual pizzas, use a sharp knife to divide the dough into 2 or 4 equal portions.
• Roll each portion of dough into a round ball on a smooth, clean surface, making sure to seal any holes by pinching or rolling.
• Place the newly formed dough balls in a glass baking dish, spaced far enough apart to allow for each to double in size. Seal the top of the dish with clear plastic wrap. Set aside at room temperature until the dough balls have doubled in size, about 2 hours. They should be smooth and puffy. Dress the pizza according to the recipe.
• For Grilled Greek Chicken: Place the chicken breasts between sheets of waxed or parchment paper and gently pound to a thickness of 1/2 inch. Do not pound them too thin; this is just to ensure that they will cook evenly.
• Combine the olive oil and seasonings in a large mixing bowl. Stir to mix. Add the chicken breasts to the bowl, one by one, turning each in the marinade. Place the chicken in the refrigerator for 10 to 20 minutes.
• If you have a hot grill available, grill the chicken for 3 to 4 minutes on each side. Do not overcook. If no grill is available, preheat the over to 350 degrees and bake the chicken, skin side up in a pan, for about 30 minutes. The internal temperature should be 165 degrees.
• Use the chicken immediately, as desired; or let it cool and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
• For The Greek Salad: Combine the cucumber, tomatoes, onion, and olives in a large mixing bowl. Whisk together the remaining ingredients in a small bowl and add to the vegetables. Stir well. Makes 3 cups.
• To Make The Tzatziki Sauce: Place all the ingredients in a blender or small food processor and process until smooth. This sauce will keep for up to 5 days in the refrigerator. Whisk before using. Makes 3/4 cups.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Line a large edgeless pan or pizza stone with non stick foil.
• Stretch out pizza dough.
• Mix olive oil, garlic, salt and oregano together and spread on the dough.
• Cover dough with mozzarella cheese and then top with the goat cheese, peppers, caramelized onions and olives.
• Bake for 12 minutes (pizza should slide right off, if not bake another minute) and then slide pizza directly onto the oven rack and bake for another 5 minutes.
• Remove from oven when golden brown.