Pizza Sausage and Favorite Toppings plus friends

Hello loyal follower(s)


      Cyndy's music friend and Mr Nut's activity partner gathered together at Applebee's for a causal dinner.  Thought it would be nice to share with you who they are.  They are Snowbirds from northern Utah (Logan).

Linda Kemp (on left) is Cindy's stand partner in the Southwest Symphony Orchestra.  

    


Mr Nut and his hiking and biking partner, Jim Kemp.  the Kemps were some of the first people we met when we moved to St George in 1994.




















     Yesterday was Mr Nut's pizza making night.  But first it was time to make the great pizza sausage that was first mentioned in the Jan 9, 2011 blog.

First the ingredients.  The Jimmy Dean reduced fat sausage came in 12 ounces packages. 
    Notice the Mortar and Pestle, Mr Nut broke the pestle from Cyndy's set. She had them for about 50 years.

Just look at the different in size between Cyndy's wimpy  mortar on the left and the macho man size on the right. Mr Nut is almost glad the petit  pestle was accidentally broken.

After the sausage was cooked it was placed on paper towel and all excess fat was patted out.

Pizza Sausage 

    When I buy Italian sausage, I sauté the whole package and freeze it in about 4 ounce amounts. A 12 ounce reduced fat package is equivalent  to a 16 ounce  regular sausage.

Seasonings for sausage per lb. or 12 ounce reduced fat sausage.

1 1/2 tsp paprika;

1tsp crushed fennel;

1/2 tsp garlic powder; 

3/4 tsp oregano; 

1 1/2 tsp mixed Italian herbs.  

Brown sausage and then add the seasonings and cook well. Drain and press out grease on paper towels.  For a twelve inch pizza about  4 ounces seems to be enough.  therefore the sausage is packaged in about 4 ounce amounts and placed in the freezer for future pizzas.

Also  I buy  a large bag of shredded Mozzarella and then freeze it in one cup amounts.

   Now Mr Nut would like to share with you his favorite topping choices for deep dish or regular thin crust pizzas.

Mr Nut has given up trying to transfer the pizza dough to the oven for partial  baking using a peel.  Instead leaving the dough on a rimmed cookie sheet and placing the whole works in the oven worked much better. 

This is the partially baked crust with all the toppings, and it is on my peel, ready to get the heat.  When the crust has been browned it slides off the peel easily especially with some cornmeal on the peel.

The finished pizza  with a thin so crisp it was like a cracker.  the toppings were about and inch thick. However it was baked at 500℉ and 450℉ probably would have been better.






À bientôt,


Mr Nut


Favorite toppings  recipe follows:

       Toppings:

1/2 cup chopped red/green pepper

1/2 cup chopped onion

1/4 cups tomato sauce, 2 oz

1/4 cup tomato paste 2 oz

1/8 teaspoon Italian seasoning

1/2 cup sautéed Italian style sausage 4 oz 

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1/2 cup sliced mushrooms 

1/2 cup grated Italian Style Parmesan cheese

1/2 cup sliced pepperoni 

1/4 cup red pepper pieces 

1/4 cup red onion pieces

1/4 cup crumbled Feta cheese

1/4 cup ripe olives

1 Roma tomato sliced

Oven Preparation;   Twenty minutes before baking time, place the rack and the pizza stone in the upper third of the oven.  preheat to 450°F.

Sauté the brown ingredients, then add the green ingredients to the brown ingredients.

1. Place a layer of the mozzarella cheese on the bottom of the crust. 
2. Add the brown- green mixture.
3. Another layer of mozzarella cheese.
4. Microwave the red onion and red pepper pieces for about ten seconds.
5. Add the Roma tomato slices, mushrooms, pepperoni, Feta Cheese, onion and pepper pieces and Italian Style Parmesan cheese.
6. More mozzarella cheese topped with the black olives.

5. Place in the oven until the cheese has melted.  The baking time will vary based upon the choice of toppings. (probably about ten minutes).