Cuisine Diva

Individual Gourmet Pizzas

Above: Individual, whole wheat pizza crusts by Boboli.

Fun With Cheese

Yesterday I wrote a review of Alouette's Soft Spreadable Cheese. Here is an idea for an easy to prepare, gourmet pizza, featuring the sundried tomato with basil flavor of their spreadable cheese.

Above: A variety of toppings to add to gourmet pizzas.

Gourmet Pizza Ingredients

• Boboli, or other premade, individual pizza crust
• Alouette soft spreadable cheese
• Pizza toppings
• Parmesan cheese
• Fresh basil

Above: I used a perforated, metal pizza pan to make my gourmet pizza.

Gourmet Pizza Directions

1. Preheat your oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Spread the bottom of the pizza crust with a layer of spreadable cheese. I used Alouette's sundried tomato and basil soft spreadable cheese.
3. Top the pizza with your favorite pizza toppings.
4. Sprinkle a layer of grated Parmesan cheese on top of the toppings.
5. Add a handful of chopped, fresh basil leaves to the top of the pizza.
6. Cook in the preheated oven for 8-10 minutes, until the cheese has melted and is lightly brown on top.
7. Cut into 4 pieces using a pizza wheel.
8. Serve immediately.

Above: Spread a layer of cheese spread on top of the pizza crust.

Gourmet Pizza Toppings

Choose from your favorite pizza toppings to top your individual gourmet pizzas. Here are a few suggestions:

• Kalamata olives
• Green olives
• Capers
• Minced garlic
• Marinated mushrooms
• Anchovy fillets
• Sundried tomatoes
• Thin sliced green onions
• Feta cheese
• Crumbled bacon
• Diced Canadian bacon
• Fresh herbs such as basil, parsley, oregano

Above: Sprinkle the toppings of your choice on top of the pizza.

Pizza as Appetizer or Dinner

Serve individual gourmet pizzas as the main course for dinner. You can also cut up a couple of pizzas to serve as an appetizer.

Above: Hot, homemade pizza fresh out of the oven.

Salad Topping

I've seen a few chefs adding fresh greens, such as baby arugula, to the top of their pizzas, after they come out of the oven. I decided to give it a try, kind of a neat way to eat a salad along with your pizza.

• Mixed greens such as baby arugula, spinach and radicchio
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Fresh ground black pepper
• Course sea salt

Above: Salad topping on top of individual gourmet pizza.

Sprinkle the greens on top of the pizza, as soon as you remove it from the oven. Then drizzle on a bit of good quality, extra virgin olive oil and top with a few grinds of black pepper and some course sea salt.

Above: Gourmet pizza, topped with salad greens, ready to eat.

Take care,
Lynn Smythe AKA the Cuisine Diva

Cuisine Diva Reviews Alouette Cheese Spread

Above: Alouette Sundried Tomato & Basil soft spreadable cheese.

Alouette All Natural Cheese Spread

I recently had a chance to try the sundried tomato and basil flavor of Alouette's soft spreadable cheese. The cheese is soft and spreadable directly from the refrigerator. The cheese can also be heated in the microwave, to make a hot cheese spread. The inner wrapper of the cheese package contains a recipe for Alouette Mediterranean Bruschetta. Additional recipe ideas can be found on the Alouette website.

I enjoyed the flavor and consistency of the cheese, and tried it on a number of different crackers. The cheese spread would also taste great, spread on a couple of slices of bread, and used in place of mayonnaise when making a sandwich. I'm also going to try spreading it on the base of a premade pizza crust, to create a sauceless pizza with a variety of toppings; I'll post photos and details of the pizza in a day or two.

A variety of raw vegetables, such as carrots, bell peppers and celery could also be served along with the cheese. Try using a spoonful of the spreadable cheese on top of burgers or grilled chicken or fish. I bet the cheese spread would also taste great on top of a baked potato.

Alouette Tomato Basil Cheese Spread Details

• Size: 6.5 ounces
• Suggested retail price: $5.49
• Serving size: 2 tablespoons = 80 calories
• All natural; no artificial flavors, colors or preservatives

Additional Cheese Flavors

Alouette cheese spread is available in 9 flavors:

1. Sundried tomato and basil
2. Creamy onion & shallot
3. Light cucumber dill
4. Peppercorn Parmesan
5. Savory vegetable
6. Garlic & herbs
7. Light garlic & herbs
8. Sweet & spicy pepper medley
9. Spinach artichoke

Above: Alouette cheese spread taken directly from the refrigerator.

From the Alouette Cheese Website

Introducing innovative packaging.In the 1990s, Alouette^® Spreadable Cheese underwent a packaging change to address requests for a convenient and attractive container that users could take directly from the refrigerator to their cheese platters. As a result, the widely recognized, French-style ramekin cup was introduced. This attractive container, unique to Alouette^® Spreadable Cheese, is perfect for every occasion. Consumer requests for recipes and serving suggestions led to the printing on the inside of the sleeve that surrounds the ramekin cup.

Above: platter featuring Alouette sundried tomato & basil cheese spread with an assortment of crackers.

Additional Information

• Alouette Cheese USA, LLC
• 400 South Custer Avenue
• New Holland, PA 17557
• 1-800-322-2743 
• [email protected]

Website: www.alouettecheese.com

Take care,
Lynn Smythe AKA the Cuisine Diva

Quick and Easy Tortilla Pizza

Individual tortilla pizza.

Here is an idea for making a quick and easy pizza. I usually keep a package of Boboli mini pizza crusts in my pantry, but the other day I was craving a pizza and didn't have any Boboli left. I took a quick look around my kitchen and found a package of flour tortillas in the bread drawer. I thought I could use the flour tortillas to make a thin crust, individual pizza.

Package of flour tortillas.

Children's Pizza Party

Tortilla pizzas would make the perfect snack at your son or daughters sleep over or birthday party. Each child can choose the exact ingredients they want to put on their own individual pizza. Kids love helping out in the kitchen and will have a lot of fun picking out and placing their favorite toppings on top of their own tortilla pizza.

Flour tortillas brushed with olive oil and sprinkled with a pizza spice blend.

Tortilla Pizza Ingredients

• Flour tortillas
• Olive oil
• Pizza sauce
• Mozzarella cheese
• Toppings

Spread each tortilla with tomato sauce.

Tortilla Pizza Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Place one to three flour tortillas on a pizza baking sheet.
3. Lightly brush each tortilla with a small amount of olive oil.
4. Spread each tortilla with a bit of the tomato sauce.
5. Sprinkled shredded mozzarella cheese across the top of the tortilla.
6. Add toppings as desired, such as black olive slices, capers and fresh herbs.
7. Place the pizza pan in the oven and bake for 8-10 minutes or until the cheese has completely melted and the tortilla has started to brown.
8. Remove from the oven, let cool, then use a pizza wheel to cut each tortilla pizza into 4 pieces.

Add cheese and toppings to each tortilla pizza.

Pizza Topping Ideas

Cheese

• Mozzarella
• Parmesan
• Cheddar
• Pepper jack
• Provolone
• Mexican cheese blend

Vegetarian Toppings

• Black or green olive slices
• Capers
• Sun dried tomatoes packed in oil - chopped fine
• Thin slices of mushrooms
• Thin slices of onions
• Chopped green onion
• Fresh herbs such as basil, oregano, parsley, chives

Meat Toppings

• Browned ground beef or ground turkey
• Pepperoni
• cooked sweet or hot Italian sausage
• Bacon bits
• Ham steak - cut into small pieces

Platter full of tortilla pizza slices.

Take care,
Lynn Smythe AKA the Cuisine Diva

Lemon Bar Recipe

Close up of a delicious lemon bar.

Lemon bars are a delicious and easy to make bakery treat. Serve lemon bars at your next luncheon, tea party or bridal shower. To make lemon bars, first make the shortbread crust, and pre-bake it in the oven before adding the lemon bar filling and returning to the oven.

Fresh lemon juice tastes best, but in a pinch bottled lemon juice can be substituted. This recipe makes 20 lemon bars. For an interesting flavor variation, try substituting another citrus juice, such as orange or lime, to make orange bars or lime bars.

Making lemon bars.

Lemon Bar Shortbread Crust Ingredients

• 1 cup, i.e. 2 sticks unsalted butter - room temperature
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 2/3 cup all-purpose flour

Preparing shortbread crust.

Lemon Bar Shortbread Crust Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. In a large bowl, add the softened butter and sugar, then cream together with a large spoon until smooth and creamy.
3. Sift in the flour and mix until well blended.
4. Add the shortbread crust to a greased 9 x 11 inch rectangular glass pan.
5. Smooth and press the crust evenly across the bottom of the pan.
6. Place the pan in the oven and bake until light brown, approximately 18 to 20 minutes.
7. Remove the pan from the oven and place on a heat proof surface.
8. Continue following the recipe to prepare the lemon bar filling.

Preparing lemon bar filling.

Lemon Bar Filling Ingredients

• 4 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 6 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1/4 cup confectioner's sugar

Dust completed lemon bars with powdered sugar.

Lemon Bar Filling Directions

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar and eggs.
2. Stir in the baking powder and flour.
3. Add the lemon juice to the bowl, and mix until well blended.
4. Pour the lemon bar filling into the pan with the prepared shortbread crust.
5. Place the pan back in the oven and cook for 17 to 20 minutes.
6. Remove the pan from the oven and place on a heatproof surface.
7. Let the lemon bars cool slightly, then dust them with the confectioner's sugar.
8. Once the lemon bars are completely cooled, cut them into 20 pieces.

Cut cooled lemon bars into squares.

Take care,
Lynn Smythe AKA the Cuisine Diva