Recipe of the Week: Grilled Smoked Salmon and Goat Cheese Pizza

I've been wanting to try homemade grilled pizza for sometime now. I imagine a warm summer night on the back deck at Rebecca Lane and a light grilled pizza sounds so light and easy.

I have to admit....the idea of throwing the dough on the grill is scary - but people say it works!

Years ago, when I lived in Australia we used to dine at a placed called the Blue Train Café. They made the best smoked salmon pizza with lumps of goat cheese and topped with fresh herbs. Here is my attempt at their classic.....ala on the grill.

Blue Train Cafe Smoked Salmon Pizza (adapted for the grill)

Ingredients:

Basic Pizza Dough – store bought from your favorite pizza shop or you could use one 14-ounce can of Pillsbury Pizza Crust

2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour or cornmeal

1/4 cup olive oil

2 tablespoons pesto sauce

8 ounces smoked salmon, thinly sliced

6 ounces goat cheese

1/4 cup minced shallots or green onions

Mixed Salad Greens

1 tablespoon capers

Fresh sprigs of dill, garnish

Directions:

1. Preheat Grill - Gas: If you're using gas, preheat to medium-high. Coals: Prepare so to cook over a moderately hot fire. Grease your grill to prepare sticking (I'd spray a good coating of PAM).

2. Stretch/roll out dough on a lightly floured piece of aluminum foil. You’ll want it to be about 1/8-inch thick. Brush olive oil generously over the dough with a pastry brush.

3. Now – take it out to your grill and slap it upside down on the grill and pull the foil off. Don't worry: The dough won't fall through the grate. You'll think it will, but people say it doesn't!

4. Once the dough is on the grill, it will take about 2 to 3 minutes of cooking time before it's ready to flip. Brush on more olive oil on the exposed side. When the dough starts to bubble on the exposed side - it's time to flip. The dough should release easily from the grate at this point. Slide it loose from the grill with tongs or a large BBQ spatula and flip.

5. Now…..add the toppings quickly!!! A thin layer of pesto sauce, salmon, goat cheese and onions.

6. Once you've got your pizza topped, close the grill lid to finish warming through – an additional 2-3 minutes (check after about a minute for doneness).

7. When the pizza's ready, use tongs or spatula to remove it from the grill. Throw it on a cookie sheet – top with mixed greens, capers and fresh dill - slice and serve.

This is not your typical cheesy pizza – I like to think of it more like a flat bread.

Image courtesy of Google Images

West Seattle Flowers and Roses

When we moved into the West Seattle house - we had no idea what the yard would look like once Brian got finished with it.

Years of neglect.......vicious climbing ivy EVERYWHERE! The previous tenants planted veggies along the front yard fence (I've never been a big front yard veggie garden person).

We cleaned out the wild rhubarb and tomato and Brian planted a cute little azalea and another rose.

With all the warm weather we are having in Seattle....the established rose bloomed and bloomed BIG TIME over the past few weeks. It smells wonderful (I have no idea of the varietal) and it's a beautiful bright pink.The front planer box is going crazy with geraniums, sweet alyssum and scabiosis or pin cushion flowers. We decorated it for the 4th.
Enjoy!
Stacy

West Seattle Independence Day

Alki Lighthouse - July 4, 2009

Brian and I decided not to go to Edmonds on the 4th. It was so hot and we were tired from the July 3rd cook-out. The more we discussed it - the more we decided that we wanted to spend our day in West Seattle....close to home, our patio and Sammy.We approached the day....really off the cuff.

A walk along Alki....What a special treat to find the Alki Lighthouse open!! The lighthouse and grounds are home to a 2 star admiral so it's only open to the public on weekends during the months of July and August.Did you know......Alki, the Washington State Motto, is a Chinook Indian word meaning "by and by."

The Alki point lighthouse is one of eight lighthouses on the Puget Sound open to the public. Built in 1913 and still maintained by the Coast Guard, the lighthouse has been fully automated since 1984.Inside the house, you can see old instruments, photographs, and charts of Puget Sound. The view from the top gives you a panoramic view of the Puget Sound and lighthouse buffs will no doubt enjoy it, and others will appreciate the immaculately maintained grounds and great historical significance to this region. We ended the day with a quiet BBQ on our back patio and the Gasworks Park Fireworks on TV.

Enjoy!
Stacy

July 3rd West Seattle Cook-Out

Brian and I hosted Brian's Mom, Ann for an old-fashioned East Coast "cook-out" on Friday afternoon.

We couldn't have had a more beautiful day.....very sunny and very hot (but cool on the patio).

It was nice that Brian's Mom could spend some time with us on the new patio.I think she really enjoyed herself and we enjoyed planning and BBQ-ing. Here was our menu:

Ann's Baked Beans (secret family recipe from Elbow Lane, Pennsylvania)
Grilled Hamburgers (ala....Ken's special blend {Brian's brother} lots of Worcester sauce and onions)
Potato Salad (did you know Fred Meyer makes a pretty good salad....I was lazy)
Fresh Corn on the cob (YUMMY....the best we've had to date)
Deviled Eggs
Angel Food Cake with Vanilla Ice Cream and Fresh Raspberries
Happy 4th of July!

Enjoy!
Stacy

Menu Plan Monday: After the 4th of July Holiday

Hello everyone! I hope your 4th of July was wonderful.

If you overindulged a bit.....you've come to the right place. This week's menu is full of light, low-fat and really tasty treats.

Enjoy!
Stacy

Monday: Chili-Rubbed Pork Chops with Steamed Broccoli
Tuesday: Fend for yourself! Chick's got dinner out!
Wednesday: Grilled Cuban Chicken with Black Bean and Mango Salsa
Thursday:Teriyaki Flank Steak with Brown Rice and Stir-Fry Veggies