Pizza Night! Blackberry-Basil-Honey, Wild Mushroom, and Pistachio-Red Onion

Welcome to the world of making brick-oven style pizzas at home! I got my husband an Ooni backyard pizza oven for his 40th birthday and suddenly we can't get enough pizza. He's eagerly mixing up dough (luckily, he hasn't yet started slinging it up into the air in the house) and playing with his pizza peel as he chars up the crust for delicious, fresh, at-home pizza. However, me being me, I quickly realized that sticking to classic pizzas wasn't going to be enough, especially if we were doing this often. I started crafting and am pleased to share three very delicious and very different pizzas: blackberry-basil-honey pizza, wild mushroom pizza, and pistachio-red onion pizza. I know it may sound a bit unusual, but trust me, give it a whirl, and let me know how it goes.

I do structure the recipes below for use in an outdoor pizza oven, which cooks very quickly. All of these can be adapted for an oven indoors, too. I tried to note where changes should be made, but mostly it means longer cooking times and that some delicate items (e.g. pistachios, blackberries) can go on sooner. You'll still want to just drizzle on things like honey, oil as a garnish, and herbs at the very end. And finally, if you're cooking on an outdoor oven, the cook process is just 60-90 seconds so make sure you have everything completely ready to go or else you'll miss out on the delicious fun!

Spinach-Salmon Wellington

I am ashamed to say that I have made poor use of my air fryer since purchasing it a couple years ago. I've concentrated on fries (delicious, of course) and perhaps some other similar items, with little attempts to explore all the myriad possibilities. Well, I realize the folly of my actions now! I was clearly missing out, as this delicious spinach-salmon wellington demonstrates. It is quick to come together, easy to prepare, and absolutely delicious. I will definitely be exploring more recipes in the future.

Keep in mind, the one trick here is to defrost your puff pastry in advance. It had been years since I'd last worked with puff pastry and forgot to remove it from the freezer the first time I planned to make this. I had to punt and try another day... so do remember to take out your puff pastry and spinach the night before and stick them in the fridge (or set on the counter about four hours in advance) so that they properly defrost!

Time: 25 min for two fillets, 40 min for four (assuming you only have space to cook two at a time)

Cinnamon Buns

Cinnamon buns! I must admit, I was pretty new to this one. Growing up, cinnamon buns weren't a feature in my house. Sure, I'd occasionally fall prey to cinnabun like any other kid, but it wasn't something we made or focused on. They were vaguely out there but not overly on my radar. I'm not entirely sure why, then, that I woke up on a weekend recently and decided to surprise my kids with them but... wow, have I been missing out. These are surprisingly not so hard to make and are absolutely delicious. They are hot, with a slight crunch on the outside but warm and soft on the inside, with a delightfully sweet without being overly sweet topping. Needless to say, my kids (and husband) now ask for them regularly.

Are they the healthiest? Nope. But... are they worse than pancakes or french toast? I think not. So, I make them sparingly. I stick to one. (My kids sometimes go for more than one...) And I serve it with a giant bowl of fresh fruit. I wouldn't recommend diving into it all of the time, but I've lightened it where I could reasonably do so while maintaining the true quality of the cinnamon buns and every so often, I think it's fair to just dig in and enjoy!

Time: 45 min

Beet Soup - Borscht!

Is it really borsht? You can tell me, but it's an absolutely delicious beet soup that can be served warm or cold and is beloved by not just myself and my husband but our seven year old daughter. (Okay, my four and a half year old son is less interested but to be fair, he's interested in little that isn't chicken nuggets. Or ketchup. He REALLY loves ketchup.)

You'll notice that the soup pictured here is a pale red. I've made it a couple times now and it's interesting how much the flavor (and color) varies with beets chosen. The first time I made it, I used all red beets. It was, unsurprisingly, a deep rich red color and it was a very savory soup. This time I used one red beet, one golden beet, and two chioggia beets, which are the sweetest kind and an absolutely gorgeous red and white swirled pattern. This soup came out quite sweet. I enjoyed both but your preference will definitely depend on your sweet/savory preferences.

Time: 50 min

Black Bean - Corn Enchiladas

In my house, enchiladas are sorely underrated. We turn to tacos, fajitas, quesadillas, but ignore the ever-so-humble enchilada... and we miss out because of it. Finally, we've started to remedy this oversight and variations on these delicious enchiladas have now appeared several times. The best part? They not only come together quickly but can use a wide variety of (frozen!) veggies making this something you can dive into last minute when it's a post-work scramble to figure out a healthy dinner.

Unfortunately, I haven't quite convinced my kids to dive into these wholeheartedly yet but perhaps yours are more adventurous... and  I hold out hope. Just keep in mind that these can have as much or as little of a kick as you want, so plan accordingly to tastes in your household. I share a relatively mild version below.

Time: 45 min (nearly all baking time)

Farro-Cauliflower Parmesan

I had to trick my husband into this one. Not a huge fan of the 'parmesan' series of dishes and doubtful of tomato sauce mixed with veggies, he hesitated when I whipped this one up for dinner... but not for long. After some encouragement (and/or threats) he gave it a shot and it immediately became one of his favorites. The roasted cauliflower, the hearty and chewy farro, the cheese that is enough without being overpowering, all work together for an absolutely delicious combination that just hits the spot on a cool or wintry day.

This meal can also come together quite quickly! I note the time below with pre-cut cauliflower since, despite knowing it's somewhat ridiculous to pay extra for it, I do buy pre-cut florets for this meal. Between kids and work, it makes life a lot easier. Just add some time if you're cutting yourself. Also, do spring for fresh cauliflower. While I'm a huge fan of frozen veggies wherever you can use them, this is a time you'd end up with a soggy mess.

Time: 1 hr 10 min (nearly entirely baking time... just about 10 min hands-on!)

Please note: This recipe is adapted from a NY Times recipe.. mostly to make it healthier!

Grilled Portobello Burger

I must admit - I might be biased on this one. I *love* portobello burgers. Or rather, I just love mushrooms of all kinds. But even for the more discerning mushroom eaters out there, I think these are worth trying. It's not because it's a meat substitute... it's just because it's good. This is a delicious meal all by itself without the need for comparing it to other things or sticking it in a group. 

The trick here, of course, is marinating the mushrooms. Give them time to soak up the delicious flavors of balsamic vinegar, rosemary, and more, before grilling them. Don't worry, while the marinading takes a few minutes to sit, the rest comes together quite quickly. I then served my mushrooms with cheese, tomato, and aioli, all of which are in the menu below, but you should feel free to embellish however you like. Grilled (or not) red onion, leafy greens of some sort, and avocado would all be great additions as well!

Time: 50 min