Meatless Pizzas

We had company from Cincinnati last night and a big request for pizza. Since we follow the dictate of – no meat of Fridays during Lent, I made three excellent meat-less pizzas.

1. Caramelized Sweet Onion and Baby Bella mushrooms with homemade pizza sauce and provolone cheese – got rave reviews on that one.

2. Greek Pizza – with the obvious – homemade pizza sauce, pre-cooked spinach w/garlic, chopped Kalamata Olives (pitted), fried eggplant, and Feta cheese.

3. Pepper Pizza – Slivers of Red and Green Bell Peppers with rings of Cubanelle Peppers – homemade sauce, provolone cheese as well.

I always dust the pizza (no matter what the toppings are) with garlic powder and dried oregano before putting them in the oven at 400 (for 25 minutes).

Try these… they were a real hit last night.

Sorry I don’t have any photos – I was so busy serving – and I might have had too much wine 😉

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TOURTIERE – French Canadian Meat Pie

This Tourtiere is very popular in Maine.  My aunt comes from Rumford, Maine and my uncle was French Canadian – she used to make this for New Years Day.  Supposedly it is good luck to have a meat pie on New Years.  Well, its still January, so GOOD LUCK TO ALL!!

TOURTIERE 

1 lb. ground pork

1/2 lb. ground veal

6 slices bacon, diced

1/2 c. chopped onion

1/2 c. chopped celery

1 clove garlic, minced

Dash of nutmeg

Dash of mace

Dash of salt

Dash of pepper

1 1/4 c. water

2 tbsp. cornstarch

Pastry for double crust pie

Brown the meat with the bacon pieces. Drain off the fat and stir
in the onion, celery, garlic, and spices. Add 1 cup water and bring the mixture
to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 10-15 minutes, stirring frequently, until the
onion is tender.

Combine the cornstarch with remaining water and stir into the
hot meat mixture. Cook over medium heat, stirring, until bubbling and
thickened, 1-2 minutes more. Remove from heat and cool slightly.

Fit half the pastry into a 9-inch pie plate and fill with the meat
mixture. Top with remaining crust and decorate with leaves cut out of extra
pastry, if desired. Seal and flute edges; cut slits for vents. Bake in a
preheated 400 degree oven for 25-30 minutes. Serves 6.

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