Veggie Pizza from Scratch

If you think making homemade pizza from scratch is too hard, stop thinking that way. Homemade pizza takes about an hour, but most of that time is waiting for the dough to rise. The dough really consists of four ingredients (yeast, water, flour and oil) and the toppings are all up to you. I never thought about making my own dough until my friend and attorney partner at my law firm, Emily, taught me how to make pizza from scratch. I was amazed at how easy and delicious the result was!

Today, I am sharing my pizza dough recipe with you. The toppings are really up to you, but I used veggies and Italian cheeses.  I also used pesto as my pizza sauce, mostly because my husband is obsessed with pesto. You can go sauce-less or use a tomato-based sauce if you prefer.  All the other ingredients in the dough, like the herbs and spices, are up to you and completely optional. I like to put a lot of stuff in my dough, because why not? Make your pizza with toppings you love and sauces and herbs you enjoy.

I also was lucky enough to feature this recipe as a guest post on a blog that I enjoy, A Girl I Know. Please check out her blog!

Vegetarian Mushroom Risotto

My husband LOVES risotto. I mean, he really, really loves my risotto. I cannot remember the first time I made it, but after he had it, he looked at me like I was a five-star chef. And you know the best thing? It is really, really easy to make. Risotto sounds really fancy and hard to make, but it is not. I am not a trained chef, and I think I make a good risotto. One of my favorites to make is my mushroom risotto. I thought I would share my recipe for you today!

One thing you should know is that risotto does take a lot of care and a decent amount of time. I would say you need to block out about 30-45 minutes of cooking time, where you are actively in the kitchen stirring the rice. This is not a "put in the oven and walk away" type of meal. But, if you take the time to make it, the payoff is worth the care.

I am a vegetarian, so I make a vegetarian version of risotto using vegetable broth. If you are not a vegetarian, and you prefer chicken or beef broth, feel free to substitute. Also, if you are not a fan of onions, garlic, or mushrooms, use another ingredient you enjoy, like asparagus.

This recipe makes about 2-4 people's portion. I cooked this exact recipe for my husband and I, and we managed to eat it all. I should mention one more time, however, how much my husband loves this recipe. I think this portion could feed four people. If your family eats like us, then I would suggest doubling the recipe.