Pizza Night!

Calzones and Pizza are something I know that both I and my picky eater of a boyfriend will eat when I want something quick and easy to make, not from the dining hall and something we can both agree on. Not to mention it is very cheap.

Because my kitchen is still lacking a rolling pin, Mike hand-stretched the dough on the counter, giving it the rustic shape. I used my homemade tomato sauce (I'll provide the recipe) on the pizzas. The sauce is also fairly chunky and rustic-looking.

For Mike I made a simple pepperoni pizza, also topped with sauteed onions and mushrooms. For myself, I got a little more adventurous. I diced up some ham, used the rest of the onions and mushrooms, put this on top of a swiss-gruyere mix. And for the final touch, apple slices. The result was delightful. The mildness of the cheese, the tartness of the apples, the saltiness of the ham, and the woodiness of the onions and mushrooms was delightful.

My pizza, of course is a more expensive option, and a simple pepperoni will more than satisfy your dominoes cravings, as well as keeping your wallet out of their grasp.

Now for the recipes

Rustic Tomato Sauce
Ingredients
28 oz can of Chopped/Diced/Pureed Tomatoes (depending on how smooth you like your sauce)
6 cloves of garlic, 4 finely diced and 2 crushed (adjust according to taste, but the flavor is more mellow than you would think)
1/2 yellow or vidalia onion
3 tbsp of olive oil
5 large leaves of basil, chopped

Method
1. Pour the olive oil into a sauce pan. When heated, add the garlic, onion, basil.
2. When the onions become clear, added the tomatoes. After it comes to a boil, reduce to a simmer and keep on the burner for 1-2 hours.

Pizza
Ingredients
1/4 package of pizza dough
olive oil
tomato sauce
cheese
assorted toppings
flour (to cover the surface for rolling out the dough)


Method
1. Preheat the oven to 350 and grease a baking sheet with olive oil.
2. Cover the counter, or other surface, with flour, then roll out the dough on the surface, either using a rolling pin, or stretching it with your hands.
3. Drizzle olive oil on the stretched dough and then pour on tomato sauce, leaving about 1/2 inch between the crush and the sauce.
4. Add cheese and then toppings according to taste.
5. Bake in the oven for 10-12 minutes, remove, then allow to cool.

Breakdown of Costs by Recipe:

Tomato Sauce
Can of Crushed Tomatoes (at Trader Joe's) - $2.29 for a 28oz can
Pack of Fresh Basil - $1.99 (expect to use 1/4-1/2 of the package)
Fresh Garlic - $1.99 for 4 heads (expect to use 1/2 a head, ~6 cloves)
Olive Oil - $5.99 for a 17oz bottle (expect to use 2 oz)

Total Cost - $4.25 for fresh, homemade tomato sauce

Pizzas
Pre-made Dough - $0.99 for about 4 servings
Pack of quattro formaggio - $4.99 for 12 oz (used about 3 oz)
Pack of Swiss-gruyere cheese - $5.99 for 12 oz (used about 3 oz)
Pack of Pepperonis - $2.99 (expect to use 1/6 of the pack at a time)
Onion - $0.79 each (used 1/2 the onion for the both of us)
Mushrooms - $1.99 for 1 pint (expect to use 1/4)
Pack of 5 apples - $3.99 (used 1/2 of one apple)

Mike's Pizza - $2.94
My Pizza - $2.59*

*I saved because the ham was leftovers given to me by my mom from a trip home, otherwise I would expect the expense to be ~$3.10 Take this as an example of how leftovers can be made into fresh creations

P.S. I had a salad on the side of my pizza. It's a mix of baby spinach, crumbled feta cheese, chopped walnuts, diced apple, craisins, and balsamic vinaigrette.

P.S.S. - Those glasses are filled with kool-aid. Yeah, we did.