Vegetarian Tex-Mex Pizzas

Happy Friday! It's been a long week 'round these parts, and even though Jacob and I both have to work over the weekend, I am excited for the chance to sleep in a little tomorrow morning and enjoy a little quality time with the husband and the pup. Running shorts, coffee, and sitting out on the porch will be involved.

Last night Jacob and I had an awesome dinner that I just had to share with you all. Mexican pizzas! These guys are so quick and easy to make, and can be topped with whatever ingredients you have on hand. Jacob would admit, he was skeptical of these guys at first, but I'm pretty sure he liked them, judging from the three inhaled. Also, I just remembered that the last recipe I posted was for enchiladas - I promise we eat things that don't involve tortillas, we've just been on a tex-mex kick lately, I guess.

This whole thing started when I found these organic refried black beans at Harris Teeter. I knew I could find a use for them.

Mushrooms, green pepper, and kale were sautéed and drained to be used as topping for the pizzas. I drained them after they were cooked because I didn't want any extra moisture to make the pizzas soggy. No one likes soggy pizza.

Fajita size flour tortillas were used.

Refried beans + veggies...

 + cheese...

I love using cucumber as a fresh and crisp topping for mexican dishes like this.

Salsa and sour cream are a must.

The finished product!

Along-side some steamed green beans and cauliflower. 

Vegetarian Tex-Mex Pizza Recipe

Serves 4

- 6 fajita size flour tortillas

- 1 can refried black or pinto beans

- 2 cups sautéed and drained veggies

- 1 tsp salt

- 1 tsp chili powder

- 1.5 cups shredded cheddar cheese

- 1 cucumber, peeled and diced

- Sour cream

- Salsa

Directions:

- Line a large sheet pan (or two small sheet pans) with aluminum foil for easy clean up.

- Place tortillas on the sheet pan(s).

- Divide the refried beans along the tortillas and spread on the tortillas.

- Once the veggies of your choice are cooked and drained, season with salt and chili powder.

- Top the pizzas with veggies and cheese.

- Bake at 400 degrees for 8-10 minutes or until the cheese is melted and pizzas are crispy.

- Serve with cucumber, sour cream, and salsa.

Caprese Pizza Bread

There aren't many things more delicious than a freshly prepared caprese (pronounced "ka-prey-say") salad - vine ripened tomato topped with a big slice of fresh mozzarella, a drizzle of good olive oil, fresh basil, and sea salt. I had this craving for a fresh summer meal a few nights ago, but wanted a warmed version that was a little more substantial than the typical caprese salad.

So, I took a nice loaf of fresh bread, sliced it in half, and topped each side with all the typical caprese salad ingredients (replacing the fresh basil for basil pesto). Then, I tossed it in the oven so the mozzarella could melt and the bread could get all toasty and crisp. 

The end result?

Served with a big green salad and a nice glass of red wine - it almost felt like summer!

Caprese Pizza Bread Recipe

- 1 loaf french bread

- 1 large vine ripened or heirloom tomato (I got an heirloom from the grocery store and it was surprisingly good, for a winter tomato)

- 1/4 cup basil pesto

- 1/2 lb fresh mozzarella

- A generous drizzle of olive oil

- A few pinches of sea salt (regular salt would work fine)

- Fresh or dried basil for garnish

Directions:

- Slice the loaf of bread long ways and divide into desired sized sections.

- Place bread pieces open side up onto a cookie sheet or into a baking dish.

- Spread pesto on bread pieces and top with thick slices of tomato and mozzarella.

- Sprinkle with sea salt.

- Bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the bread is crispy on the bottom.

- Drizzle with olive oil and top with fresh or dried basil for garnish.