July 31st - BBQ Pizzas - BBQ Roasted Beet and Feta Salad

Woah...looked at my recent posts and noticed I wrote this and then forgot to publish it. Bad blogger :^/

BBQ Marguerita Pizza

When it is fit for BBQing in rainy Vancouver we try to do as much as possible and that includes things that you might traditionally think of being oven work. Once you have the right sort of dough that can withstand the BBQ, you need to prep the toppings at hand and ready to go because it will all go fast!

BBQ Pizza Dough

1 c Water, warm
1 t Sugar
1 pkg or 8 g or 2 1/4 t Dry Active Yeast
t T Salt
1/4 c Olive Oil
3 c (+/- 1/2 c) Flour

In a stand mixer or large mixing bowl, add the Water, Yeast and Sugar. Set aside for 5-10 minutes until it appears foamy like a mousse.  If you are doing this by hand, assume you are using a wooden spoon to mix until a ball forms and then you're rolling up your sleaves and washing your hands because you need to dive in manually.  Now, I am a full convert on the stand mixer.

Add the Salt and 1 c of Flour and mix on low for a couple of minutes.  Continue to add the flour 1/2 c at a time.  When the dough starts to gather into a ball and pull away from the bowl, start adding in 1/4 c's  You can turn the speed occasionally.  I do most of the kneading on 2 or 4 on a Kitchen Aid.  When the dough starts  climb the hook, stop the machine and peel it off and keep going.  You want the dough tender and slightly sticky, only slightly.  You do not want to over add flour and it will depend on relative humidity for where you are.  Let it knead for another 5-8 minutes.

In the same bowl or in another bowl, lift the dough out and shape into a ball.  Add 1 t of Olive oil to the bowl.  Holding the ball in one hand, swirl around the grease the bowl.  Place the Dough in and turn over so you have the greased side up.  Cover with a clean damp kitchen towel and set aside somewhere warm for 1 1/2 hours.

Gently press the risen dough down, no violence necessary. Punch if you must release some tension.  Divide the dough into thirds. Knead briefly and form into a ball by continously folding in on itself for a few minutes.  Cover and set aside to rest for 15-30 minutes.  This will make the rolling easier.  It's really tense after a knead.

On a clean floured surface, roll out each ball into a pizza about 12 x 6 inches.  You can roll however you like but you want it about a half cm thick.

You want your BBQ Hot.  You're not roasting a pig here so you do not need it nuclear so adjust your settings to see about 550-600 degrees F.

Carry the toppings for the pizza out with the dough.  We did each pizza separately.

Place the dough directly on the grill with no wrinkles.  Do not touch it once it goes down.  Close the lid for 2 minutes.  Turn over with thongs and dress with your toppings quickly.

Cover for another 3-5.  You do not want to burn the bottom so check at 3.

Slice and eat!

Marguerita Pizza Toppings:

Buffalo Mozzarella sliced
Tomatoes, sliced
Fresh Basil

BBQ Potato Pesto Pizza

Potato Pesto Pizza:

1 Potato, sliced thin, par cooked on the Grill or Microwave
2 sprigs Rosemary
1/2 c Mozzarella (now that was the plan and I accidentally used some of the cheese meant for the Pizza below, do not use as much cheese as you see in the photo!)
1/4 c Cashew Basil Pesto (I spread this one with a spatula)

BBQ Anti Pasti Pizza

Anti Pasti Pizza:

1/4 c Marinated Eggplant
2-3 c Roasted Red Bell Peppers
4 Marinated Artichokes, halved
6-8 Fresh Basil Leaves
1/2 c Mozzarella or 1 Fresh Buffalo Mozzarella sliced
Fresh Parmesan

BBQ Roasted Beet and Feta Pizza

BBQ Roasted Beet Feta Salad

4 tennis ball sized Beets, trimmed and cleaned
50-100 g Feta, crumbled
1 Lemon, juiced
2 T Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper
1 c Beet Greens, optional

Clean your Beets thoroughly.  Trim the greens off but leave about 1 cm because you do not want them too bleed too soon or you will be explaining purple fingers for a week.  Rinse thoroughly and then with a abrasive sponge (not steel wool) or a vegetable brush, scrub each one.

Now carefully cut the head off just below the greens.  You can leave them if you really want until later.  Place on a microwave safe plate.  Poke with a knife a few times. Microwave on high for 8 minutes.

Take out and drizzle with oil and rub.  Careful! They are hot!  Place directly on the Grill as it is heating up for the Pizzas.  Roast covered for 10-15 minutes until fork tender.  At the same time, I quickly grill my Potato slices for the Potato Pesto Pizza for 3-5 minutes.

Now you could just do them the whole time in the BBQ but you're looking at 35-40 minutes.  That is alot of Propane or Oven time.  No thanks!  I have tried a few different methods including BBQing them sliced already but I am pretty pleased with this method.  The BBQ sliced for 30 minutes left them a very al dente which were good if that is what you want.

On a large serving plate, spread out some trimmed, washed Beet Greens (optional). Once the Beets are slightly cooled, slice thin.  D sliced while I had a glass of wine and he sliced them a bit thick.  :^D (this is called a test to see if he is reading my blog).  Anyhoo, sprinkle the Feta over.

Whisk the Lemon Juice and the Olive Oil.  Season to taste.  Add slightly less Salt than you normally would because the Feta is already salty.  I added some of the Beet Juice from when I microwaved the Beets.  You do not have to do this and I do think I'll bother next time.  It did not do what I had hoped for from an aesthetic perspective.

MMMM I love roasted Beets.  If you hate canned Beets you will change your mind, I know it.  That said, I love jarred picked Beets too.  MMMM