Creating meals from leftovers brings me tremendous satisfaction. Neither Mike nor I enjoy eating leftovers because we like variety and lack a microwave are spoiled rotten food snobs. (I will say, however, that our privileged palates have been humbled somewhat by the arrival of Miss Lucy. We are learning that when you’re exhausted and it’s late and you have to work the next day and your baby may wake up wailing at any moment, leftovers are not beneath you. Neither are scrambled eggs, takeout, or cold cereal.) And although I dislike leftovers, I despise wasting food. I cringe, feeling guilty and incompetent, as I toss wilting vegetables and week-old spaghetti into the smirking maw of the compost pail or, worse, the trash can. So, when the guilt is too strong, I summon the creativity that survives in me, somehow, suppressed as it is by worry and perfectionism, and make a game of transformation, turning leftovers–presto, change-o!–into something new and tasty. It brings me such joy and makes me feel a little like Harry Potter.
One of my best tricks is homemade pizza. You can put almost anything on pizza crust, blanket it with mozzarella, and have yourself something really good for dinner. The other night I did just that, combining mushrooms, peppers, and slivers of red onion with some slightly gray coppa salami that had been loitering in the meats-and-cheeses drawer of the refrigerator. And even though I knocked my prep bowl of finely chopped herbs and garlic on the floor and had to use garlic powder and dried herbs on the crust instead, even though I accidentally sprinkled the crust with dry mustard instead of that garlic powder and then had to scrape it off, cursing, the pizza turned out great.
I found a no-yeast crust recipe a few years ago and have been using it ever since. The flavor and texture are more like flatbread than pizza crust, but the dough is quick and easy to make, so it works well for weeknights.
No-yeast Pizza Crust
adapted from bettycrocker.com
You will need:
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 cup milk
2 tbsp olive oil
Preheat oven to 400º. Mix together dry ingredients. Stir in milk and oil to form a soft, sticky dough. You can add a touch more milk if the dough is too dry. Knead dough 10 times on a floured surface. Cover it with a bowl and let it rest at least 10 minutes. Flatten the dough slightly on an ungreased cookie sheet and then roll it out to a 12″ round. Try, at least–my crusts always come out oblong because the shape fits my cookie sheet better. I like to think it looks more rustic that way.
Bake the crust without toppings for 8-10 minutes. It will puff up and turn lightly golden. The puffiness will deflate, but if it bothers you, poke some holes in the dough with a fork before you bake it. Top the pre-baked crust with your choice of sauce, cheese, meat, vegetables, whatever, and bake at 400º for 25 more minutes or so. You’ll know it’s ready when the edges of the crust are golden and your cheese is bubbling and starting to brown. Cool slightly, sprinkle all over with grated parmesan, slice, and serve.
Some notes on sauce and toppings:
Because this crust is so light and thin, I like to brush it with olive oil and sprinkle it with chopped herbs and garlic. Traditional tomato sauce works, too, as long as you don’t smear it on too thickly. Some of my favorite topping combinations are:
chicken + zucchini + red onion
sausage + kale + mushroom
prosciutto + arugula + provolone
salami + mushroom
tomato + basil
pruneandpear 