It’s February, it’s Valentine’s Day week, it’s cold outside and there’s snow on the ground – pretty typical here in the Midwest. What’s not typical here in the Midwest, at least in this house, is that The Professor and I began a new exercise program in January and . . . I can’t believe I’m saying this but . . . we’re still at it. As in, getting up every day and actually doing a full exercise routine, sweating and everything. I know. Who are we?!! The truth of the matter is, we are actually enjoying the process. I know. Again, who are we?!!
The Professor and I found some of the most lovely mushrooms at one of our local winter farmer’s markets – beautiful Oyster and Shiitakes that were just begging to be made into one of our very favorite pizzas, creamed mushrooms and fresh thyme. It’s really a riff on a decades-old appetizer – creamed mushroom toast points; instead of using toast as a base, we use pizza crust.
And lest you think pizza and exercise don’t go hand-in-hand, I offer this: a bit of white wine, a glug of cream, a few pieces of torn buffalo mozzarella (it’s super creamy and spreads beautifully so you don’t need much), a drizzle of olive oil and you’ve just created one of the most favorite pizzas we make. Start with a fresh, crisp salad, pour some fizzy water in a pretty glass, light a few candles, make sure your playlist includes a bit of Nora Jones, Donny Hathaway, Etta James, Van Morrison, Carole King, Eric Clapton, Ray LaMontagne, Bonnie Raitt and Alicia Keys and you have a beautiful meal that beats any pizzeria, Valentine’s Day or not.
GLUTEN-FREE CREAMED MUSHROOM & FRESH THYME PIZZA
Makes 1 pizza
INGREDIENTS:
- Pizza crust – your favorite gluten-free mix (we like Cup-4-Cup for pizza dough) or purchased GF crust
- 2 Tablespoons butter
- ¼ cup purple onion
- 2 Cups rough chopped mushrooms – a mix is nice: Oyster, Shiitake, Portabello, Button
- ¼ Cup white wine
- ½ Cup heavy cream
- Fresh Thyme
- ¼ Cup Buffalo Mozzarella, pieces
- Parmesan Cheese (optional)
- Salt/Pepper
- 1 Tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil, plus more for drizzling
METHOD:
- Preheat oven to 500 degrees with rack in the lowest position and pizza stone on the rack
- In a large cast iron skillet, melt butter over medium heat; add purple onion and cook until softened, about 2-3 minutes
- Add mushrooms, season with a few pinches of salt/pepper and saute until softened and browned, stirring occasionally – roughly 5-7 minutes
- Add wine, bring to boil and cook until wine has evaporated; it happens quickly so stay close by
- Add cream; cook, stirring until the liquid has been mostly absorbed into the mushrooms, 4-6 minutes
- Remove from heat and cool
ASSEMBLING THE PIZZA:
- Lightly oil two pieces of parchment paper, or spray with baking spray. Using a rolling pin, gently roll out 200 grams of dough between the two pieces of parchment paper until about ¼ inch thick. Carefully remove the top piece of parchment paper and discard or use for another pizza (if you’re making more than one)
- Brush dough with a little olive oil and top with the mushroom mixture, scatter the chunks of mozzarella over the top; add another pinch of salt and a few grinds of black pepper
- Trim the parchment leaving about 3-inches around the dough – this keeps the parchment from getting too hot and burning
- Transfer pizza, still on the parchment, to a baking stone and bake until golden and crisp (about 7-9 minutes); the bottom of the crust should be a nice deep brown color and crisp
- Remove from oven and drizzle with a little more oil, some grated parmesan (if desired) and thyme leaves
- Cut into wedges and serve immediately
I love pizza, and with the creamed mushrooms, I bet this is absolutely delicious. It looks so tempting. Thanks for this one!