Italian Polenta Pizza With Caramelized Onions And Kalamata Olives Gluten Free Recipes

CARAMELIZED ONION-POTATO-POLENTA PIZZA

Steps:

• Spray large cookie sheet with cooking spray; sprinkle with 1 tablespoon cornmeal. In 2-quart saucepan, mix 1 cup cornmeal and 3/4 cup water. Stir in 3 1/4 cups boiling water and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt. Cook over medium heat about 4 minutes, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and boils.
• Reduce heat. Cover; simmer about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until very thick. Remove from heat. Stir in olive oil until smooth. Spread hot polenta in 11-inch round on cookie sheet. Cover with plastic wrap; refrigerate at least 1 hour or until very firm.
• Meanwhile, in 10-inch nonstick skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion and sugar; cook 15 to 20 minutes, stirring frequently, until deep golden brown and caramelized. In 7-inch skillet, cook potatoes in hot vegetable oil as directed on package; season with 1/8 teaspoon salt and the pepper.
• Heat oven to 450°F. Bake crust 20 minutes. Spread pizza sauce over crust; spoon caramelized onions evenly over sauce. Top with potatoes and cheese. Bake 8 to 10 minutes longer or until cheese is melted and potatoes are tender. Sprinkle with oregano.

ITALIAN POLENTA PIZZA WITH CARAMELIZED ONIONS AND KALAMATA OLIVES (GLUTEN FREE)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
• Bring milk, water, ¼ cup olive oil and 1 teaspoon salt to a boil.
• Stir polenta in slowly to avoid lumps. Turn heat down to low. Stir until polenta is thick (about 5 minutes for instant polenta). Remove from heat.
• Oil a cookie sheet or pizza pan. Add polenta and press down to desired pizza thickness (I like a fairly thin crust).
• Bake in oven for about 35 minutes.
• While crust is baking, saute onions and mushrooms in ¼ cup olive oil for about 3 minutes. Add wine, ¼ teaspoon salt and thyme. Saute until liquid has dissipated (about 3-5 more minutes). Remove from heat.
• Remove crust from oven. Top with tomato sauce, onion/mushroom mixture, cheese and olives.
• Bake for another 15 minutes.

MEDITERRANEAN PIZZA WITH CARAMELIZED ONIONS

Steps:

• To caramelize the onions, heat the olive oil in a heavy skillet, add onions, garlic and herbs. Cook over low heat for 45 minutes or until onions are soft and most of the moisture has evaporated. Discard the bay leaf; add salt and pepper to taste.
• To roast the bell peppers, core, cut in half and place on broiler pan skin side up; preheat broiler to high and place peppers under broiler for 10 to 15 minutes or until skin blackens. With a pair of tongs, place the cooked peppers in a paper bag, fold top closed, and cool for 10 minutes. When cool enough to handle remove skin and slice into thin strips.
• To roast the eggplant and tomatoes, preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray an ovenproof pan with non-stick cooking spray; add the eggplant, tomatoes, basil, capers and drizzle with olive oil, place in oven and cook for 30 minutes, stirring once or twice. When eggplant is cooked, add pepper to taste.
• For the toppings, finely mince the fresh herbs or crush the dried herbs; add the herbs to 3 tablespoons olive oil and warm until herbs are fragrant. Set aside while preparing crust.
• In a small bowl, sprinkle the yeast and sugar over 1 cup warm water; stir to mix. Allow to stand for 5 minutes or until bubbly. In a medium size bowl, combine the flours and measure 1 1/2 cups; set aside. Add the salt to the remaining 1 1/2 cups flour; stir in yeast and oil. Gradually add the reserved flour until dough is soft but not sticky. Knead until smooth; place in a bowl that has been lightly oiled with olive oil. Allow to rise for 20 minutes or until double in size.
• While assembling the pizza, preheat oven to 475 degrees; oil a large pizza pan (15 inch) with olive oil. Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 8 to 10 times; roll into desired size, stretch dough to sides of pan forming crust around the edges.
• Brush dough within 1/4 inch of crust with olive oil and herb mixture, top with crumbled feta cheese, onions, eggplant mixture, bell peppers and olives. Sprinkle parmesan cheese over all and lightly drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Bake in preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes or until crust is lightly brown.
• Serve immediately with additional parmesan cheese and red pepper flakes.
• Pleasse Note: Do not put hot toppings on pizza crust. Toppings should be at least room temperature.

POLENTA PIZZA (WITH VARIOUS TOPPINGS)

Steps:

• Polenta: Start by making a basic polenta. Pour the water into a large pot. Heat the water but don't let it come to a boil (it helps against the formation of lumps). Add the salt. Slowly add the cornmeal while stirring or whisking (with an egg beater, not a mixer) all the time (Note 2).
• Simmer: When all the cornmeal is incorporated, continue stirring or whisking shortly to ensure that there are no lumps. Turn the heat down, place a lid on top but leave a crack open. Stir every 2-3 minutes or so, but there is no need to stir all the time.
• Cooking time: Read the cooking instructions on the polenta packet to know how long the cornmeal needs to be cooked. For example, I cook the polenta made with coarse cornmeal for 40 to 50 minutes and the polenta made with medium cornmeal for about 15 minutes.
• Add cheese: When the polenta is cooked, stir in the freshly grated cheese of choice.
• Let cool: Line a baking tray with baking paper and pour the polenta on the tray. Spread it evenly with a spoon and let it get cold.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit (200 degrees Celsius).
• Top pizza: Mix the tomato sauce with dried oregano and spread it over the polenta. Halve and slice the red onion, cut the tomatoes into small wedges and thinly slice the pepper and the sausage. Spread everything on the pizza and add the olives and the crumbled feta cheese.
• Bake for 20-30 minutes in the hot oven until the cheese on top starts to get golden. Serve immediately with a green salad and Greek yogurt or sour cream dollop.

CARAMELISED ONION & FETA PIZZAS

Steps:

• Peel, then slice the onions into thin wedges. Thinly slice the garlic. Heat the butter and oil in a large wok or frying pan, tip in the onions and garlic and cook over a medium-high heat for 15 minutes, stirring every now and then until golden. Stir in the sugar and cook a minute or two longer. Season with salt and pepper. Preheat the oven to fan 200C/conventional 220C/gas 7.
• Put the pizza bases on two oiled baking sheets. Spoon the onion mixture over the pizza bases. Now crumble over the feta and scatter with rosemary. Grind over some black pepper and drizzle with a little oil. Bake for 10 minutes and serve with a green salad.

CARAMELIZED ONION PIZZA

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan cook the onions and garlic in hot olive oil over medium heat.
• Cook, covered for 10-15 min or until the onion is very tender, stirring occasionally.
• Set the onions aside.
• Heat grill to medium heat.
• Toast one side of each bread round directly over the heat for 1-2 minute.
• Remove from the grill.
• Top the toasted side of each bread round with the onion mixture, sliced tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, and Romano cheese.
• Return bread rounds to the grill, over indirect heat.
• Cover the girll and cook for 5-10 min or until the cheese is melted and toppings are heated through.
• Remove from the grill and top with basil before serving.

BAKED POLENTA WITH SICILIAN PEPERONATA AND OLIVES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 500°F. Spray baking sheet with nonstick spray. Brush both sides of polenta slices with 1 tablespoon olive oil and arrange on prepared sheet. Bake until polenta is crusty, turning over after 7 minutes, about 14 minutes.
• Meanwhile, heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and sauté 3 minutes. Add tomatoes and vinegar and cook until tomatoes soften, about 3 minutes. Add roasted peppers, olives and basil and simmer 2 minutes. Season sauce with salt and pepper.
• Arrange polenta on plates. Spoon sauce over and serve.

POLENTA 'PIZZA' WITH PANCETTA AND SPINACH

Steps:

• Heat oven to 450 degrees; brush a layer of olive oil on a pizza pan or cookie sheet. In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, combine milk with 2 1/2 cups water and a large pinch of salt. Bring just about to a boil, reduce heat to medium, and add cornmeal in a steady stream, whisking all the while to prevent lumps from forming. Turn heat to low and simmer, whisking frequently, until thick, 10 or 15 minutes. If mixture becomes too thick, whisk in a bit more water; you want a consistency approaching thick oatmeal.
• Stir 1 tablespoon oil into cooked cornmeal (polenta). Spoon it onto prepared pan, working quickly so polenta does not stiffen; spread it evenly to a thickness of about 1/2 inch all over. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, cover baking sheet with plastic wrap and put it in refrigerator until it is firm, an hour or more (you can refrigerate polenta overnight if you prefer).
• Put polenta in oven and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until it begins to brown and crisp on edges. Meanwhile, put two tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and pancetta and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is soft and pancetta is nicely browned, about 10 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to take onion and pancetta out of pan; set aside. Add spinach to skillet and sauté until it releases its water and pan becomes dry; sprinkle with salt and lots of pepper.
• Take polenta out of oven, sprinkle with Gorgonzola, then spread onion-pancetta mixture and spinach evenly on top of cheese; drizzle with another tablespoon olive oil. Put pizza back in oven for two minutes, or until cheese begins to melt and pancetta and vegetables are warmed through. Cut into slices and serve hot or at room temperature.