Easy as Pie Pizza

As with most people I do love a good slice of pizza.  However since I married my husband I have had less of it since he does not like take out pizza but will pretty much only eat homemade.  This caused me to buy a pizza stone and peal with a gift card I had received to Williams Sonoma (we bought the Emile Henry Pizza Stone). Today our lunch was a nice hot homemade pizza fresh out of the oven.  Perfect lunch after digging out of over a foot of snow that a blizzard dumped on us last night.  I don't think I can look at the movie Nemo the same ever again.  This yummy pizza with sliced mushrooms and chorizo was just what we needed after our first round of shoveling.  Unfortunately the apartment we live in requires us to park on the street so now waiting for the plow to come around so we can go out for round two of digging out.  I think later some nice hot chocolate will be needed!

Pizza Sauce:

1 tablespoon of olive oil

1 small yellow onion diced

2-3 garlic gloves minced

1 red pepper chopped

1 tablespoon of oregano

2 teaspoons of Italian seasoning

1 teaspoon red pepper flake

1 can of diced tomatoes (fire roasted works well)

1 (small) can of tomato sauce

salt and pepper to taste

In a saucepan heat olive oil over medium heat.  Add onion and saute till golden and soft.  Add the garlic and red pepper and cook another minute or two.  Add spices and stir.  Add diced tomatoes and sauce.  Allow sauce to simmer 15-20 minutes.  Stir occasionally.  Season with additional spices and salt and pepper to taste.

Pizza:

1 store bought pizza dough

1 ball of sliced fresh mozzarella cheese (size that's fits into palm)

2 tablespoons of cornmeal

additional toppings of your choice, we went with mushrooms and chorizo since that is what we had in the fridge.  Others good be salami, pepperoni, other vegetables.

Preheat oven to 500 degrees.  Using a pizza stone place it in the oven to heat.  On the wooden peal sprinkle cornmeal, this helps keep the dough from sticking.  Now shape dough to desired size and shape.  My husband likes to go around the edges to make a little ridge.  Next take sauce and spread around the dough leaving the edges free.  Next layer on the cheese and toppings.  Using the peal to slide pizza onto hot stone in the oven.  Cook about 15 minutes. Keep an eye on it as ovens vary.  Use peal again to pull pizza out. Allow to cool and set for a few minutes before cutting. Enjoy!