Remember when I described my lunches comprised of quinoa and veggies and bragged that I never get tired of them? Well, I finally did, so I made some hummus.

I rarely eat hummus anymore because my assistant is allergic to legumes, but making it myself reminded me how much I adore it. In fact, before I started cooking adult meals, I was definitely not above munching on Wheat Thins and Sabra while watching Seinfeld re-runs and calling it “dinner.” And I may or may not still do that when no one’s around.

Considering I’ve had my favorite secret weapon, my food processor, for over a year now, it’s amazing this was my first venture into hummus making. It’s simple — just throw everything in and let the machine do the work! But I assure you it will not be my last — especially since I bought a 12-pack of garbanzo beans during my last Costco run. A sundried tomato variety is already next on my agenda.

Lemon and Thyme Hummus

Ingredients (Makes about 1.5 to 2 cups):

2 small cloves garlic

1 can garbanzo beans, drained

1 tbsp. tahini

3 tbsp. olive oil

Juice of 1 lemon

Water

1 tbsp. plus 1 tsp. paprika

1 tsp. cumin

2 tbsp. fresh thyme, chopped

Salt and pepper

Peel garlic cloves and chop in food processor for about 10 seconds, or until minced. Add beans, tahini, olive oil and lemon juice, and process until well-combined and smooth. Add between 2 and 4 tbsp. of water until you achieve your desired consistency; I like it chunky but others prefer it creamier.

Add in paprika, cumin and thyme (you may either mix it in the food processor or stir by hand). Add salt and pepper to taste.

I can remember my mother making “banana nut bread” back when I was wearing school uniforms, and she almost always has some on the counter when I go home today. To me, it’s always symbolized southern hospitality — something to give as a gift to a friend or teacher, or something just to have around in case someone stops by. It’s 2010, so in real life no one ever does that without calling, but the sentiment is still nice.

When I was little her recipe featured pecans and nutmeg (I think; I’m relying on taste bud memories here). But in recent memory she’s been making one from a cookbook called Tables of Content, by the Birmingham, Alabama Junior League, called Favorite Banana Bread.

I have the book, too, so I decided to make a version of my own based on a family tradition. I feel a little better about it since it’s made with whole wheat flour, which amazingly my assistant approves of. The wheat gives the bread a natural nutty flavor that’s welcome, since I don’t put any real nuts in mine (the crunch interrupts the cake-y texture).

My mom would never taint her (sort of) perfectly healthy banana bread with chocolate, but my assistant has been begging me for a chocolate chip banana bread for the past two years. So I obliged, and I admit I’m a convert. Sometimes chocolate for breakfast is a very good decision.

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

Adapted from Favorite Banana Bread in Tables of Content

Ingredients (Makes 1 loaf):

3/4 cup flour

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

1/2 stick butter, softened

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup thick Greek yogurt (I used Fage 0%)

1 egg

2 very ripe bananas, mashed

1 tsp. vanilla

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/3 cup chocolate chips (milk or dark, whichever you prefer)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine flour, baking powder and salt in a small bowl, and mix together.

In a larger bowl, use an electric mixer to beat together the butter and sugar for about 2 minutes. Add in yogurt, egg, mashed bananas, vanilla and cinnamon and beat for another 2 minutes. Slowly add flour mixture into the batter, mixing as you pour. Stir in chocolate chips.

Grease a 8.5-inch by 4.5-inch bread loaf pan, and pour in batter. Use a fork or spoon to make sure it’s distributed evenly in the pan (so that the bread cooks evenly).

Bake for 45 minutes on 350 degrees.

It’s no accident that even when there is absolutely no time to spend an hour cooking dinner, dessert always seems like a manageable time commitment. Such was the case the other night when I threw together a spinach salad, starving, and was fully nourished by 7:45 — and found myself with most of the evening left to spare. Naturally, I elected to spend my time wisely, ensuring that more eating would happen later.

“Later” being the operative word here. Even when my assistant and I decided we couldn’t go much longer without panna cotta on our taste buds, the laws of physics demand that one must wait to enjoy it until the next day (or at least four hours, but who makes panna cotta during the day?) It’s torturous and unfair, but everyone likes to have something to look forward to.

And in fact, this panna cotta takes no time at all to prepare. It’s just the refrigeration time that’s lengthy, but you can spend that sleeping. We stuck it in the fridge the night before and waited until the next day to whip up the fruit compote, which also takes literally no time at all, which makes it perfect for entertaining. Just pull it out of the fridge, take 10 minutes to let the compote simmer, and you’re ready to plate.

No one’s a bigger proponent of instant gratification than I am, but it’s true that some things are worth waiting for. Especially the sweet ones.

Oh, and I may have had seconds.

Vanilla Panna Cotta with Raspberry Balsamic Compote

(Adapted from A16′s Honey Panna Cotta)

Ingredients (Serves 6):

2 tsp. powdered gelatin

2 tbsp. cool water

2 cups heavy cream

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

1.5 tsp. vanilla

1 cup frozen raspberries

2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar

1 cup water

1/2 cup sugar

12 blackberries (or preferred fruit)

Sprinkle gelatin over water in a small bowl and let sit for 3 minutes. Heat 1 cup of heavy cream in a small pot until warm, then add sugar, salt and vanilla. Stir, and bring to a simmer. Remove from heat, add in gelatin mixture, and stir in the remaining 1 cup cream slowly.

Divide the mixture among 6 cups in a muffin pan. Cover and refrigerate for at least four hours.

Heat raspberries, vinegar, water and sugar in a frying pan over medium heat. Stir and let simmer for about 10 minutes or until reduced to a slightly chunky syrup.

While compote simmers, remove panna cotta from refrigerator and uncover. Fill a wide and deep baking pan with about 1/2 in. warm water (I used one 9 in. by 13 in.) Place the bottom of the muffin pan in the water for 15 seconds, then remove.

*Note: The warm water should melt the panna cotta slightly, but just enough so that it’s easy to remove from the pan. I made the mistake of leaving it in too long once, and the panna cotta melted too much, with the cream becoming runny. For best results, err on the side of leaving it in too shortly, because you can always submerge it for a few more seconds.

Find a plate or serving dish large enough to cover the whole muffin pan. Place it on top of the muffin pan, pick both pans up, holding them tightly together, and flip quickly. The panna cotta should come out of the pan and settle neatly on the plate.

Use a thin, sharp spatula to transfer panna cottas to plates, and spoon the compote evenly over each one. Top each panna cotta with 2 blackberries, or another fruit of your choosing.

]]> http://livbites.com/2010/08/16/eat-dessert-first/feed/ 2 http://livbites.com/2010/08/10/no-substitutes/ http://livbites.com/2010/08/10/no-substitutes/#comments Wed, 11 Aug 2010 04:53:33 +0000 Liv http://livbites.com/?p=537

When you’re craving a juicy, old-fashioned, no-nonsense steak, I find there is no substitute. A delicate filet of fish can’t compete, and even a hearty pasta dish falls short. It must be the umami flavor that makes your mouth water at the mere thought of red meat (I stopped myself from writing “je ne sais quoi”).

My sincerest apologies for this post, vegetarians, but I was seriously desperate for a satisfying slab of steak this weekend. The kind that pairs best with a heavy Cabernet Sauvignon and deserves a few decadent, earthy toppings. Luckily, I had some blue cheese left over from that Arugula and Endive Salad I made before, so I knew the stars were aligning for me.

I even sacrificed a little bit of said Cab Sauv to simmer some mushrooms in for the ultimate steakhouse-style goodness. My parents spoiled me as a kid, so if I’d had it my way this would have been a beef tenderloin filet; but alas, I’m in my early 20s (mid-20s? Surely not) and can’t justify such luxuries. So flank steak it was, but to be honest, it didn’t feel like a sacrifice. The meat was every bit as tender and juicy as I’d hoped (many thanks to my assistant for acting the grill master).

I’ve now used the word “juicy” twice, so it must be recipe time.

Grilled Flank Steak with Blue Cheese and Red Wine Mushrooms

Ingredients (Serves 4):

2 lbs. flank steak, cut into 4 equal pieces

4 tbsp. olive oil, divided into two parts

4 cloves garlic, minced and divided into two parts

Salt and pepper

3 cups sliced mushrooms

1 cup deep red wine (Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot)

1 cup crumbled blue cheese

Heat the grill (or grill pan, in my case) to medium-high heat. Coat steaks evenly with 2 tbsp. olive oil and 2 cloves’ worth of minced garlic (1/2 tbsp. oil and 1/2 clove minced garlic per steak). Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper, and set aside.

Heat the remaining 2 tbsp.

olive oil in a large frying pan, and add remaining 2 cloves’ worth of minced garlic. Let cook for one minute, then add mushrooms. Sauté for 7 to 8 minutes, or until tender. (Note: The mushrooms soak up a LOT of oil, so you may have to add a bit extra in this step to keep them from burning).

Add wine to pan, and reduce the heat to a simmer. Simmer for about 15 minutes, or until most of the liquid is evaporated and the wine takes on a thicker texture, like a thin syrup. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Keep the mushrooms on very low heat while you cook the steak.

Place steak on grill or grill pan. Cook for 3 minutes if you prefer it rare, or 4 minutes if you prefer it medium. Flip the steaks, and top with crumbled blue cheese, 1/4 cup per individual steak. Let cook for another 3 minutes (if rare) or 4 minutes (if medium).

Divide mushroom mixture equally into 4 parts and spoon over steaks to serve.

I was flipping through my new Southern Living the other morning before work, and my coffee cup stopped en route to my lips when I saw their featured seasonal ingredient. I love fresh figs, and it seems like they are one of those tricky fruits that’s only good for about a second out of the year. I knew time was running out, so I threw together this salad in an enthusiastic frenzy.

I’m a sucker for an antipasto plate, so the salad is inspired by the major components: Thinly-sliced prosciutto from my favorite neighborhood market and a mild but musky, creamy blue cheese. For some variety I made the base of the salad arugula (adds tons of peppery flavor to a fruity salad) and red and white endives, because they always feel like a treat. Bright chopped fennel finished out the salad, because I love how nicely it cuts the sweetness of fruits (see also: Apple and Fennel Slaw. Mm.)

I made this for dinner, but it really feels more appropriate for a summery lunch with friends. As soon as I land an apartment with a luxurious backdoor patio…

Arugula and Endive Salad with Fresh Figs and Prosciutto

Ingredients (Serves 4):

6 cups packed arugula

6 red and white endive bulbs

1 large fennel bulb

2 cups quartered fresh figs

3 oz. blue cheese

4 tbsp. balsamic vinegar

3 tbsp. olive oil

1 tsp. dijon mustard

1/2 lb. thinly sliced prosciutto

Salt and pepper

Place arugula in a large salad bowl. Tear off endive leaves from bowl, then add them to the salad bowl.

Trim the stalk off the fennel, then thinly slice it and give it a rough chop. Cut figs into quarters, then add fennel and figs to salad bowl. Add in cheese, as well.

In a small bowl, whisk together vinegar, oil and mustard. Pour dressing over salad and toss to distribute evenly.

Serve prosciutto on top or to the side of salad.

Ever since we made that delicious pork tenderloin in our Napa Valley cooking class, I’ve been dying to try some more pork dishes of my own. The catch, of course, is that I couldn’t just rip off the same recipes we cooked in the lesson, so this time I went in a completely different direction.

What I did learn in my first pork experience was the value of the pre-cooking prep work: Be very liberal with seasonings! The way Chef Gary explained it, even if you drown the meat in salt, it’s still only covering a relatively small percentage of what you’re eating. So my assistant mixed up a rub with olive oil, fresh garlic, salt and pepper and covered the pork completely before we put it on the heat.

I subscribe to the daily recipe emails over at CHOW.com, and their Pork Chops with Cherry Sauce caught my eye the other morning. Though I’d never tried it myself, I’ve heard repeatedly that almost any fruit complements the flavors in pork, so this was just the inspiration I needed to dream up my own recipe.

I used peaches in this dish, but cherries, raspberries or even plums would likely work just as well. Just keep in mind that the ripeness of the fruit will have a big impact on the taste of the finished sauce. The peaches I used were ready to eat but not juicy and sweet, so they created a slightly more tart sauce; I loved the flavor, but my assistant was hoping for something sweeter.

You’ll also notice an ingredient that I don’t often cook with made the list this time — beer. I was running low on balsamic vinegar and wanted to add more volume to the peach reduction sauce, so I poured a bit of dark, hoppy ale into the skillet.

Beer is almost more fun to cook with than wine — maybe it’s just the novelty? — and it added a deep, almost mocha-like flavor to the end result. Definitely something I’d recommend! And the good news is you only need about half a beer, so the rest is yours to drink.

On that note, I’ve been intimidated in the past by the fancy-sounding word “reduction,” but making one is as easy as boiling water. Literally. You pour it into the skillet and let it simmer until the water evaporates and you’re left with a sweet syrup — simple and impressive.

Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Balsamic Peach Reduction

Ingredients (Serves 4):

2 tbsp. olive oil

1 large clove garlic, minced

1 tbsp. each salt and pepper, plus more

1.5 lbs. pork tenderloin

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar

1/2 cup dark, hoppy ale (I used Lagunitas Undercover Investigation Shut-Down Ale, but any IPA will work)

2 peaches, chopped

1 small yellow onion, chopped

2 tbsp. brown sugar

Combine garlic and olive oil in a small bowl, then coat the pork with the mixture using your hands. Cover generously with salt and pepper. Grill on medium-high heat for about 7 minutes on each side (or to desired doneness).

In a large sauce pan, combine vinegar, ale, peaches, onion and brown sugar. Let simmer for about 15 minutes; sauce should be a syrup-y texture. If it’s too watery, keep simmering. Season with salt and pepper and serve over pork.

Although most people imagine Mississippi as a hub for consuming grits, my mom only makes them once a year, at Christmas brunch. Along with about a hundred other side and main dishes, she whips up her version of gruyère grits that I adore, topped with mouth-watering grillades that take her all day to make (it’s worth it, trust me).

So my grits experience may be more limited than you’d guess, but they’re still close to my heart. I’ve been wanting to personalize them and make them my own, so I decided to try a simple shrimp and grits meal for dinner this week. Grits for dinner was a welcome change of pace from the usual grains (pasta, risotto, etc.), but keep in mind it’s a perfect brunch and lunch meal, too.

There’s no wrong way to make shrimp and grits. In fact, I read several recipes for it while looking for inspiration, and no two were quite the same — so you have plenty of freedom to experiment with different vegetables in the mix, and even different proteins (andouille sausage sounds awesome in here).

Oh, and I did cheat a little. I used polenta from the bulk foods aisle, because it’s just a little tricky to find grits in Northern California. I know they’re not quite the same, but it was the best I could do. Don’t hate.

Shrimp & Grits

Ingredients (Serves 4):

2.5 cups low-sodium chicken broth

2.5 cups water

1 cup stone-ground grits or polenta

1 cup white cheddar cheese, grated

1 tbsp. honey

1 tsp. cayenne pepper

1 lb. bacon, chopped into bite-size pieces

2 tbsp. sugar

4 small cloves garlic, minced

2 bunches collard greens (about 20 stems), torn or chopped

2 yellow peppers, chopped

2 small yellow onions, chopped

About 2 cups chopped okra

1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth

Juice of 4 lemons

1 lb. shrimp, peeled and deveined

For the grits:

Bring chicken broth and water to boil in large pot. Slowly whisk in grits or polenta, and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook for about 15 to 20 minutes, whisking occasionally. Remove from heat and stir in cheese, mixing well. Then stir in honey and cayenne pepper. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

For the shrimp:

Cook bacon and sugar in large pan on high heat for about 5 to 7 minutes, or until the bacon is cooked through and caramelized. Remove bacon from pan and set aside, keeping the drippings. Pour out about half of drippings, and reserve the rest in the pan.

Reheat drippings in pan and add garlic and collard greens. Sauté for 3 to 4 minutes or until greens begin to soften and wilt. Add peppers, onions and okra, and sauté for another 7 to 10 minutes, until vegetables start to brown slightly. Add broth and lemon juice and let simmer, stirring, for 5 more minutes.

Once most of the liquid has evaporated from the pan, add in shrimp and sauté, stirring, for 3 to 4 minutes, until shrimp is pink and cooked through.

Serve shrimp and vegetable mixture over grits.

Served with a Golden Beet and Goat Cheese Salad

]]> http://livbites.com/2010/07/25/southern-style-shrimp-grits/feed/ 0 http://livbites.com/2010/07/20/farmers-market-lunch/ http://livbites.com/2010/07/20/farmers-market-lunch/#comments Wed, 21 Jul 2010 04:59:13 +0000 Liv http://livbites.com/?p=489

I tend to blog about my farmer’s market creations more than my grocery store ones, probably because I’m just more excited about the former. Aisles of flour and dishwashing detergent don’t do too much for me. But on Saturday my assistant and I built a lunch entirely based on our findings at the market, a challenge that I’m sure we’ll replicate next weekend if we have the time. What’s more fun than scoping out all the produce, buying the best stuff and going home to make a huge mid-day meal? I feel like a kid in a candy store.

Since it was sunny and relatively warm (for San Francisco, at least) I knew we had to fire up the grill. It’s only appropriate in the summertime to take advantage of these days, I feel. There’s a little market near my house that I visit literally every day, and they make a mean grilled eggplant sandwich that I’ve been dying to try myself. I have to say, I think we did it justice.

They layer grilled eggplant, fontina cheese and tomato chutney on a soft roll, which is every bit as scrumptious, hearty and tangy as it sounds. But since I had no intention of making tomato chutney from scratch (today, anyway), we grilled some zucchini to go along with it and topped the veggies with goat cheese, which added an extra punch of flavor.

For a side — since every good sandwich needs a side — I made a very simple crab and avocado salad. My assistant impulsively bought some lump crabmeat at the farmer’s market, and I shamelessly egged him on, knowing it would be worth every penny. Especially with avocado in the mix, since I’m convinced those two ingredients were made for each other.

Just like Saturday lunch and a glass of dry rosé. I feel spoiled.

Grilled Eggplant and Zucchini Sandwich

Ingredients (Makes 2 sandwiches):

1 medium eggplant

2 zucchini

3 tbsp. olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

2 loaves Ciabatta bread

About 4 tbsp. goat cheese

Slice eggplant into disks about 1/2-inch thick, and zucchini into 1/3-inch strips. Coat evenly with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper, tossing to make sure the seasoning is evenly distributed. Grill on high heat for 5 minutes on each side, or until lightly browned with nice grill marks.

Slice bread loaves in half and place each on the top rack of your grill, if you have one (these cook quickly!) Grill for about 2 minutes, until the bun is just lightly toasted.

Layer grilled vegetables on the bottom half of the Ciabatta loaves, top with goat cheese, and cover with the other half of the loaves.

Simple Crab and Avocado Salad

Ingredients (Makes about 1.5 cups):

8 oz. lump crab meat

1/2 avocado, cubed

Juice of 1 lemon

1 tbsp. mayonnaise

3 green onions, chopped finely

Salt and pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients together in a small bowl and serve.

]]> http://livbites.com/2010/07/20/farmers-market-lunch/feed/ 2 http://livbites.com/2010/07/14/indoor-grilling/ http://livbites.com/2010/07/14/indoor-grilling/#comments Wed, 14 Jul 2010 20:35:37 +0000 Liv http://livbites.com/?p=471

My complaints about not having an outdoor area to grill in have been well-documented on this site, and I guess my generous dad took note! He sent me a very cool product, the Sanyo Electric Indoor Barbeque Grill, so I can fire up some meat and veggies in my little one-bedroom.

The grill doesn’t get super hot, so it does take a little while for everything to cook — namely tough vegetables like onion and bell pepper. But the upside of that, as my assistant pointed out, is that you have a little more control over how “done” the food gets.

For my first grilling experiment, I knew I wanted plenty of vegetables. Nothing says summer to me like squash and zucchini with deep grill marks, probably because my parents ate them almost every night when I was growing up (I passed on the veggies and ate crescent rolls instead, naturally).

I was inspired by a recipe I saw in Bon Appétit for a grilled vegetable salad, so I put my own twist on their idea, adding fresh basil and a little cumin to my dressing. I also blackened a couple of tilapia filets to go on top of the bed of veggies, and the result is definitely something I’ll be coming back to this summer: a healthy and wholly seasonal plate of yummy flavors.

I’d recommend making the dressing early on and letting it sit while you grill the vegetables and fish, because it’s best when the garlic and basil infuse in the olive oil.

Oh, and the blackening powder was completely the brainchild of my assistant. He intends to market it someday, so attribution is necessary.

Blackened Tilapia with Grilled Vegetable Salad

For Grilled Vegetable Salad (Serves 4):

5 tbsp. olive oil, divided

1 clove garlic, minced

1/4 cup packed, chopped fresh basil

Juice of 1.5 lemons

2 tsp. cumin

1/2 tsp. honey

2 yellow squash

2 gold zucchini

2 zucchini

2 baby eggplant

2 bell pepper (whatever color you choose)

1 white onion

Salt and pepper

Combine 3 tbsp. olive oil with next five ingredients (garlic through honey) in a small bowl. Mix well, and set aside.

Slice squash, zucchini, eggplant, bell pepper and onion into thin strips or squares for grilling — the shape doesn’t matter, as long as the vegetable is relatively flat and large enough to rest on the grill. In a large bowl, toss veggies with 2 tbsp. olive oil and sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper. Grill until you get some nice, dark marks on each piece (about 7 minutes each side on this grill, but others will cook faster). Once they’re cooked, slice the vegetables into smaller, bite-size pieces.

Drizzle dressing over vegetables and toss well.

Blackened Tilapia (Serves 4):

4 filets fresh tilapia

Olive oil for brushing

4 tbsp. blackening powder, plus more for sprinkling (see recipe below)

Brush fish with olive oil, then cover generously with blackening powder. Grill for 5 minutes, flip, and cook for another 4 minutes on the other side — again, that’s with the special indoor grill, so be prepared for the tilapia to cook much faster on a hotter one. Two minutes each side would be a safe bet.

Blackening Powder (Makes about 1/2 cup):

2 tsp. onion powder

2 tsp. garlic powder

2 tsp. paprika

2 tsp. black pepper

2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. cumin

1 tsp. sugar

1 tsp. dried thyme

1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper

Mix all ingredients together.

I love pizza. Especially the fancy Neapolitan kind with the rich, moist cheese and crispy crust that bubbles up. In fact, I love it so much that I gave it extra attention on my About page, but I’ve never made it for the blog before.

Truthfully, I’ve been waiting for a very special ingredient that only rears its head in the late summertime: squash blossoms. I dreamed up this pizza month ago, long before they were available at the farmer’s market, and I’ve been biding my time ever since.

This weekend my dreams came true when a man at the Ferry Building told me to fill up a brown paper bag full of squash blossoms in exchange for one measly dollar. Bargain-hunting isn’t exactly my specialty, so I knew fate was finally on my side.

And let me tell you, it was worth the wait. My assistant and I devoured this pizza in relative silence, speaking only to declare that this one was among the Best Pizzas We Have Ever Had. How’s that for a hard sell?

Squash Blossom and Shaved Asparagus Pizza

*The crust for this pizza is adapted from the A16 cookbook; theirs is much more involved, but I followed the basic instructions.

Ingredients (Makes 2 pizzas):

1/8 tsp. active dry yeast

3/4 cup warm water

3 tsp. olive oil, divided into 1 tsp. and 2 tsp. (plus extra for drizzling)

1 tsp. salt

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 small cloves garlic, minced

16 oz. fresh mozzarella cheese (packaged in water), grated

10 stalks asparagus

24 squash blossoms

2 tsp. chili flakes

6 tbsp. goat cheese

Salt and pepper

Pour water into a small bowl and sprinkle yeast. Let rest for about 10 minutes, or until the yeast dissolves. Stir in 1 tsp. olive oil and salt, then combine the water mixture with flour in a larger bowl.

Mix well until a dough forms (I used my hands for this part). Knead for 10 minutes, then divide into two equally-sized balls. Cover each with a damp towel and let rest for about 2 hours, or until the dough has risen and nearly doubled in size.

Lightly grease two 9- to 10-inch pizza pans and stretch each ball of dough until it covers the whole thing. Be patient with this part — I was stretching and pressing for about 15 minutes, but I was careful and didn’t tear the dough.

In a small bowl, combine the remaining 2 tsp. olive oil with the minced garlic. Distribute the mixture evenly over the two pizzas. Top with the freshly-grated mozzarella, 8 oz. on each pizza.

Use a vegetable peeler to create thin asparagus shavings, starting at the thick bottom of the stalk and ending at the top. Once they are all shaved, drizzle with olive oil (about a tbsp.) and toss with a generous amount of salt and pepper. Coat all of the shavings evenly.

Arrange asparagus shavings on top of pizza, then arrange squash blossoms in a circle. Sprinkle chili flakes and crumble goat cheese on top. Here’s what it looked like before going into the oven:

After was even better!