Heart Beets, Pesto and Feta Pizza

Happy Valentine's day! I know I've taken almost a year hiatus and... and... and... well... I really have no excuse since I'm now in my fourth year of medical school with absolutely nothing to do. Just straight chilling until match day, when we find out about which hospital we end up 😱! *nerve wracking*

I've been meaning to post at new year's for my new year's resolution :/... and then I was going to post for Lunar new year, which also didn't happen hehe. But, since it's the day of love, you guys can forgive me for being so absent, right? 😜

Here's a super cute pizza with a crust naturally colored with beet juice and topped with heart-beets, basil pesto and feta. It'll get your loved one's heart "beeting" in no time! I enjoyed this with my roommate, since the bf is in a different state :D

Heart Beets, Pesto and Feta Pizza

makes 1 large pan pizza

Pizza dough
1 packet active dry yeast
1 can sliced beets (use 1 cup of juice)
2 tsp sugar
2 cup bread flour
1 tbsp oil (plus more for greasing)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp paprika

Topping
Favorite basil and pine nut pesto recipe
Crumbled feta
Sliced beets from can
Green onions
Freshly cracked pepper

1. Drain 1 cup of beet juice from the can into a bowl. Microwave until warm temperature and dissolve sugar and yeast into it. Set aside for 10 minutes or until frothy
2. In a mixer, stir bread flour, salt and paprika together. Add the yeast mix and oil. Using the dough hook, mix until a firm and smooth (and pink!) dough forms (takes about 5-10mins). Place in a greased bowl and allow to rise in a warm place for about an hour or double in size. You can also overnight rise in the fridge and then set outside until room temperature before baking. Preheat oven to 500F
3. Punch down dough and shape into a large circle, rectangle or whatever shape you fancy. I like to use my knuckles to spread the dough thin from center out. If using a baking tray (since I have no pizza stone), lightly oil bottom and sprinkle cornmeal before placing rolled out dough over it
4. Top with pesto leaving a 1 inch border. Using a heart cookie cutter, cut out hearts from the sliced beets. Top with beets and feta.  Bake for 7-10mins. Once out of the oven, crack black pepper and toss on some diced green onions

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Roasted medley: Tomato, Mushroom, Garlic and Feta

Holy Moly, I'm freezing my buns off! I'm a live-on-the-equator kind of girl and the tropics is in my blood (does Hong Kong count?). In Richmond, it's like the North Pole decided to migrate here. I've been looking like a stuffed penguin everyday or the abominable snowman. Either way, highly attractive...

Luckily, my utility bill is included in my rent. My roommate and I have been blasting the central heating until we're almost sweating in our t-shirt and shorts. And I've been taking hot showers until I look like a prune :P Also, lots of oven usage. Roasted wintery dishes FTW!! This dish is super delish with some crusty bread or even pita chips (especially those crack-like Stacy's Pita Chips)

Roasted Tomato, Garlic, and Feta

makes 3-4 servings

Ingredients
1 small onion, sliced into thin wedges
5-6 cloves garlic, halved
3-4 slabs (5oz) of feta cheese
10 on the vine tomatoes (slighty larger than a cherry tomato)
1/2 cup button mushrooms, sliced
1/2 tsp rosemary, chopped
1/2 tsp fresh thyme, chopped
olive oil
salt and pepper
balsamic vinegar

• Preheat oven to 350F
• Place sliced onion on a greased roasting pan and drizzle olive oil over them. Roast for 15 mins.
• Place feta cheese and garlic sliced on top of the onions, crack some pepper and toss over the chopped rosemary and thyme. Then place vine tomatoes and mushrooms, drizzle a little olive oil all over.
• Put back in the oven for another 40-50mins. Serve with splashes of balsamic vinegar. Salt if needed (otherwise feta is salty enough)

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