Recipe | Wild Mushroom & Potato Pizza on

Whole Grain Naan

There’s a little song by a band called Cinderella that’s called “Don’t Know What You’ve Got Till It’s Gone.” (Stop judging me for my encyclopedic knowledge of hair metal! Every rose has its thorn.) And when it comes to restaurants, my husband and I didn’t know how good we had it in Madison until we moved to Raleigh.

It’s not that Raleigh doesn’t have good restaurants–we’ve found a few. But it doesn’t seem like there are as many, or at least not as many with creative vegetarian offerings. And I find myself missing a lot of my favorites from Wisconsin. I’ve been trying to recreate some of these dishes myself, and I’ve had some hits and some misses. Despite this whole food blogging thing, I’m not very good at recreating foods I’ve tasted elsewhere–even when my recreation tastes good, it always misses the mark slightly when it comes to duplicating the original flavors.

This recipe is one of those recreations–it’s a combination of a potato and walnut puree pizza from one restaurant and a truffle oil and mushroom pizza from another restaurant. Rather than using traditional crust, I made this pizza using Stonefire Whole Grain Naan. I like making pizzas on naan when I don’t have the time to mess with dough–the key is to make sure any veggies you add to your pizza are cooked beforehand because you need to heat your naan at a lower temperature than you’d cook a pizza made with raw dough.

Like everything else I try to re-create, this Wild Mushroom & Potato Pizza isn’t exactly like the original potato and mushroom pizzas I modeled it after. But it’s pretty good in its own right–good enough that it’s become one of our favorites. (We’ve made it three times already!)

Disclosure: I received a sample of Stonefire Naan to use in this recipe.

Copyright 2011-12 OhMyVeggies. Recipes may not be republished without permission.

My Mom bought some eggplant from the farmer’s market last week and never cooked it. It looked as though they were about to kick the bucket so I searched for a recipe using ingredients I had in my kitchen. Bangan ka Bhurta is what I came up with. Bangan ka Bhurta is an Indian dish using eggplant and tomato. It’s supposed to have a consistency of mush and is best eaten with naan or roti. There are many varieties of what to use in your Bangan ka Bhurta so I just went with what I had and hoped for the best.

Eggplant, tomatoes, onion, olive oil, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper, cilantro (not shown), and of course I had to throw in some Garlic Gold for more flavor.

I started by rinsing the eggplant under water and then broiling it for 5 minutes in the oven, flipping it over half way. Then I nuked it in the microwave for 6 minutes. Once it was cool enough to handle, I cut it in half and cut away the skin. While the eggplant was getting its radioactive rays, I sautéed a chopped onion in some olive oil. I added the chopped eggplant, tomatoes, salt and pepper, Garlic Gold, and cayenne pepper and cooked it till it looked like this…

Approximately 10-15 minutes.

Then I mashed it up to a mushy consistency.

It was flavorful with a slight kick…thanks to the cayenne pepper.

This was my first time cooking with eggplant and it wasn’t as scary as I had imagined. I’m looking forward to cooking with it again and using it in a different recipe.

We ate the Bangan ka Bhurta with some naan.

Shaina and Kimberly from Stonefire Authentic Flatbreads sent me some samples to try. Their naan is baked in the only commercial Tandoori Oven in the world. It’s made with fresh buttermilk and a clarified butter called Ghee. There are no additives, no artificial preservatives, and they only use natural ingredients. The naan is hand-stretched and are great to use with appetizers, dipping, wraps, Panini, and pizzas. There are 3 varieties… Original, Garlic, and Whole Grain.

I used the Garlic for the Bangan ka Bhurta. It was simple to heat up and really delicious. I enjoyed the smoky flavor which comes from the way it is baked in the Tandoori Oven. It’s cooked in extremely high heat which creates airy bubbles in the bread. This gives it a fun texture.

I loved using the flatbread naan and since it’s so versatile I’ll be using it to make many more tasty dishes. You can heat them up in the oven, the grill, or a gas stove top. Since they are perishable, it is recommended to eat them within a week unless you freeze them, which then they can stay frozen for up to 6 months.

Stonefire is also sponsoring a Cooking For Real Sweepstakes. Each week Stonefire will give out prizes from cookbooks to cookware. To enter the Cooking For Real Sweepstakes, visit Stonefire on Facebook and enter your email address. Good Luck!

(Disclosure)

Today is supposed to be my weekly weigh in but I have decided to quit them. I know that if I continue to eat healthy I will soon reach my goal weight. I’ve been too stressed and so frustrated about not losing the baby weight as quick as I had liked to but I’m concentrating on something that isn’t worth it. I have a beautiful baby to focus on. My body beat cancer and then miraculously created a healthy living being. I shouldn’t be so down on my body for being overweight or not in shape. I went through a lot in 2 years… Cancer, depression, pregnancy, losing a job…so it’s time I focused on happiness and letting go. It’s not easy being a full-time stay at home Mom… It’s hard, tiring, frustrating, emotional, draining…blah blah blah but I wouldn’t change it for all of the money in the world.
I thought I was 10 lbs away from happiness… Boy was I wrong.

Happiness is knowing that I have a beautiful son to watch grow up, many milestones to witness with him, and a lifetime of memories to make.

I’m now comfortable and happy in my skin… my “Mommy” skin.

It was just a few years ago that I first learned about naan bread. Naan is flatbread that is baked in an tandoor oven and is usually soft and teardrop shaped. While originating in India, thanks to companies like Stonefire Authentic Flatbreads, we can get the authentic taste of Tandoori Naan bread at home – no oven required.

About Stonefire Authentic Flatbreads

The Review

Stonefire uses the only commercial Tandoor Oven in the world to bake up three different flavors of naan – Original, Garlic, and Whole Grain. Each package contains two sizeable pieces of naan which can easily be split in half to serve up to 4 people. Unless you’re really hungry and decide you want to eat a pie by yourself (which I’ve admittedly done.)

To heat up your naan, sprinkle with water or brush with olive oil, then use a preheated oven (preheat to 400F and heat for 2-3 minutes) or grill it. There’s also a third, totally fun option to heat it on your gas stove top. Just turn the burner to medium-low heat, sprinkle the Naan with water and then heat directly on the burner. I rotated the bread every 15-20 seconds to make sure it didn’t burn, then flipped and heated the other side.

Once it’s heated, you can use the naan as is or slather it with some butter to take it over the top. The original naan was simple and tasty, but I also loved the garlic infused flavor of the garlic naan as well. Not too garlic-y or too mild. The whole grain option is a great option as well and has a whole wheat bread flavor.

One of the things I love about Naan is that it is multi-purpose. Stonefire Authentic Flatbreads can be used in so many different ways and recipes. Over the course of a few days, I used it as a side for my soup, to eat with a salad, and as the wrap for some meatballs. We even used them to make Philly Cheesesteak Naan sandwiches. So tasty. I actually just got back from the grocery store where I picked up a few more packages (from the bread section) which will be used to make breakfast sandwiches.

If you’re looking for a way to add some variety to your breads, take a look at Stonefire Authentic Flatbreads, available in a grocery store near you.

Did you know that Flatbreads are the world’s oldest breads?  They’ve been around for over 6,000 years!!!

Ever since I first tried Naan at a local Indian restaurant, I’ve been in love with this wonderful, versatile bread.  I’ve always wanted to make it at home, myself, but it’s darn near impossible to get it to come out right without the proper oven.

Then I was introduced to Stonefire Authentic Flatbreads.  One of the very special things about Stonefire is that it’s a family run company, founded by the Ajmera family, who have over 40 years of experience.  They use traditional cooking methods and every Stonefire Authentic Flatbread is made with natural ingredients and no preservatives.

When you read the Stonefire ingredient labels you will see that there are no artificial colors or flavors, 0g trans fat and no hydrogenated oils. Plus, and this is my favorite part, all Stonefire flatbreads are made so that you can throw them in the freezer and pull them out when you are ready to enjoy.  They can be frozen up to 6 months which is great for stocking up, or planning ahead dinners for busy nights during the week! :)

What is Naan?

Naan is an all natural baked flat bread with no preservatives or additives. Stonefire naan are baked at extremely high heat, in an authentic tandoor oven. The extremely high heat produces the big bubbles, airy texture and delicious smoky flavor of an authentic Indian naan.  Hand stretched and made with all natural ingredients including traditional and fresh buttermilk and ghee (clarified butter), Naan is simply delicious on it’s own,dipped in chutney and sauces or is a great addition to any meal.

It comes in 3 great flavors: Original, Garlic (fire roasted garlic and cilantro), and Whole Grain (Made with stone ground, whole grain flour, a good source of fiber).

Everyone in my family loved all 3 flavors.  I tried to pick a favorite – and honestly I just couldn’t.  Ben commented immediately on how “easy” it was to make a snack quickly.  Whistler loved the Whole Grain Naan and asks for it repeatedly.  I love that it’s a wholesome snack that I don’t feel guilt about my toddler being addicted to!

There are some wonderful Naan Recipes listed on the Stonefire site.  This is my favorite!

Tandoori Grilled Vegetable and Pesto Naan Pizza 

Tandoori Grilled Vegetable and Pesto Naan Pizza

Serves: 4 to 8
Prep Time: 120 min
Cook Time: 10-12 min

Ingredients
Assorted vegetables suitable for grilling (mushrooms, eggplant, zucchini, red onions, red peppers) – chopped
Tandoori sauce (store bought)
Roasted garlic
Cilantro and mint pesto-store bought
Shredded fresh Mozzarella cheese
Stonefire Authentic Flatbreads Original Naan

Directions
Marinate the chopped vegetables in the Tandoori sauce for at least 2 hours, grill or roast in the oven, set aside. Top the Naan with the cilantro and mint pesto, roasted garlic,grilled vegetables and shredded mozzarella. Bake in a preheated 400 F oven for 10-12 minutes, or until cheese is melted and starting to brown.

Sweet-Spicy Turkey Flatbreads

These easy baked flatbreads are a perfect way to use up leftover roast turkey (or chicken) without feeling like you're eating a rehash of the same meal. The sweet and spicy combination of curry powder, mango chutney, jalapeno and fresh cilantro adds lively, fresh flavor to the already cooked meat.

Ingredients

• 1-1/2 cups cooked turkey (or chicken) cut into small pieces
• 1/2 cup plain yogurt, divided
• 2 teaspoons curry powder, divided
• 1/4 cup mango chutney, divided
• 2 naan flatbreads (see notes)
• 4 scallions, thinly sliced
• 4 ounces mozzarella cheese
• 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped

Recipe Notes:

We used Stonefire Naan Flatbreads (garlic flavor) for this dish and they worked out beautifully. They added some nice garlic flavor and crisped up nicely in the oven without getting dry and crumbly.

These easy baked flatbreads are a perfect way to use up leftover roast turkey (or chicken) without feeling like you’re eating a rehash of the same meal. We used Stonefire Naan Flatbreads (garlic flavor) for this dish and they worked out beautifully. They added some nice garlic flavor and crisped up nicely in the oven without getting dry and crumbly.

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:

1-1/2 cups cooked turkey (or chicken), cut into small pieces

1/2 cup plain yogurt, divided

2 teaspoons curry powder, divided

1/4 cup mango chutney, divided

2 naan flatbreads

4 scallions, thinly sliced

1 jalapeño, seeded and thinly sliced

1/4 red bell pepper, thinly sliced

4 ounces mozzarella cheese

2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Place the naan on a parchment-lined baking sheet and set aside. In a small bowl, combine the cooked turkey, 3 tablespoons of the plain yogurt, 1-1/2 teaspoons of the curry powder and 1 teaspoon of the chutney. Mix well and set aside. In a separate bowl, combine the remaining yogurt, chutney and curry powder (1/2 teaspoon), mix well and spread evenly over both of the naan. Top with the turkey mixture, scallions, jalapeño, red bell pepper and mozzarella cheese. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until the naan is crisp and golden and the cheese has melted. Remove from the oven and top with chopped cilantro. Allow to cool for 3 minutes, then cut into pieces.

I am always on the look-out for a new bread to try, and happened upon these garlic-flavored naan packages from Stonefire during the early summer. They have just the tiniest hint of garlic infused into them, and my favorite way for using them is by making flatbread pizzas. Caramelized mushrooms and onions, melted Cambozola cheese, and a smattering of fresh herbs, and it’s seriously, hands down the best homemade lunch ever. Like I could totally eat it every day and not complain a lick. That good. And my girls who love Cambozola will agree.

The bread is soft, with a nice chew, and stays fresh forever. Especially if it gets buried on your counter amongst all your other bread finds and you discover it some time later.  Yep, still good!

It’s not that Raleigh doesn’t have good restaurants–we’ve found a few. But it doesn’t seem like there’s as many. And I find myself missing a lot of my favorites fromWisconsin. I’ve been trying to recreate some of these dishes myself, and I’ve had some hits and some misses. This recipe is one of those recreations–it’s a combination of a potato and walnut puree pizza from one restaurant and a truffle oil and mushroom pizza from another restaurant. Rather than using traditional crust, I made this pizza using Stonefire Whole Grain Naan. I like making pizzas on naan (it’s so much easier than messing with dough!) and the rustic flavor of this whole grain naan paired perfectly  with the potato and wild mushroom topping. This pizza is really decadent and filling and should most certainly be served with a generous side of salad to atone for your truffle oil-and-cheese  sins.                                                                                                

 Wild Mushroom & Potato Pizza on Whole Grain Naan

Prep Time: 20 minutes                                                                                                                                                                                        

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

Yield: 4

 A rustic wild mushroom and potato pizza made on Stonefire Whole Grain Naan and drizzled with truffle oil.

Ingredients

• 1-2 piece package of Whole Grain Naan (like Stonefire)
• 1 small Yukon Gold potato, sliced paper-thin (use a mandolin slicer)
• 4 oz. wild mushrooms
• cooking spray
• 3/4 c. walnuts
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste
• 3 oz. Fontina cheese, grated
• 1 tsp. white truffle oil

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Rinse potato slices in colander and sprinkle with salt. Let sit for 15 minutes, rinse again, and squeeze out water.
3. Add walnuts to food processor and pulse until finely ground. Add olive oil and salt and pepper to taste and pulse until well-combined.
4. Spray a small skillet with cooking spray (I use olive oil in a mister) and heat at medium. Add mushrooms and sauté about 7-8 minutes, or until just beginning to brown. Season with salt and pepper.
5. Spread walnut mixture onto naan. Add 1/2 of the grated cheese, a layer of potato slices, the remaining cheese, and the mushrooms. Bake in oven for 10-12 minutes or until naan is crispy and potatoes are soft. Drizzle each pizza with 1/2 tsp. of truffle oil just before serving.

I started by slicing two medium yellow onions. I heated some butter and olive oil in a large skillet and added the onions over medium high heat.  I let the onions cook on medium high heat for a couple of minutes, just until they became golden and fragrant, then I reduced the heat to low.

I cooked the onions on low for about 40 minutes, stirring occasionally.  This is the part that isn’t so quick, but I swear to you that I was watching TV on my couch while this was happening.  No kitchen time, except for the occasional stir.  Promise. When the onions had cooked long enough to be sweet and sticky, I added some balsamic vinegar and honey.  I stirred to combine, cooked for a couple minutes more, then removed from the heat.

The hard part, meaning the waiting, is over.  I lined a baking sheet with foil and got my naan bread ready for assembly.  I used Stonefire Naan Bread from my local grocery.

I layered the Naan bread with some pesto, then the onions, and then the creamy, lovely, melt-my-heart goat cheese. I topped with Parmesan cheese, seasoned with black pepper and red pepper flakes, and put it in the oven just until the cheese had melted and the Naan bread was brown around the edges.

I sliced the flatbread into four pieces and, dinner was served. 

I really liked the Naan as the base for this flatbread, instead of pita, because it was more tender and less dry.  I’m a huge fan of Naan bread anyway, so I’m happy I went this direction. I love everything about this, least of all being that it was ridiculously simple to make.  You should have this for dinner this week even if it is after a long day and all you want is cereal.  Have this instead!

Here’s the recipe!

Caramelized Onion and Goat Cheese Flatbread (serves 2)

 Ingredients 

2 medium sized yellow onions, sliced 

3 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1 teaspoon honey

2 pieces of Naan Bread

4 tablespoons prepared pesto, divided

5 oz log of goat cheese

Salt

Pepper

Red pepper flakes

Parmesan cheese for grating on top

Method

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with foil and set aside.

In a large skillet, melt butter and olive oil.  Add onions and cook on medium high heat for 3 minutes, just until softened and starting to brown.  Reduce heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally, for 40 minutes.   After 40 minutes, add balsamic vinegar and honey.  Increase heat to medium,stir to combine and cook for 3 minutes more.  Remove from heat.  To assemble the flatbread, place Naan on prepared baking sheet.  Spread 2 tablespoons pesto on each piece of Naan.  Top with onions, then pieces of goat cheese.  Season with black pepper and red pepper flakes.  Grate Parmesan on top to your liking. Place in the oven for 10-15 minutes, until cheese is fully melted and Naan has started to brown on edges. Cut into pieces and serve.

 My eating habits have changed, too. I usually crave leafy greens and dense nutrients throughout the day, but on non-school days (when I don’t have to pack my lunch) I’ve been taking the lunch platter route and grazing on random things (fried leeks and potatoes, caramelized Brussels sprouts) throughout the day.

Mostly, though, I’ve been craving carbs like whoa. Pizza, pasta, pastry. In the past three days, I’ve had pizza four times. And three of those have been the past three meals! Yes, it’s true: breakfast, lunch, and dinner today have been pizza. But don’t blame me, blame Stonefire Flatbread. They sent me samples of their Whole Grain, Garlic, and Original naan breads on Thursday, and friends, they’re already half gone.

There are a lot of things you can do with flat breads: cut them up and make pita-style hummus dippers, grill an open-faced grilled cheese, eat with Indian food. But I had one thing on the brain, and one thing only: PIZZA.

 Egg Parmesan Pizza

• 1/2 garlic naan
• 1/3 cup marinara sauce
• shredded mozzarella cheese
• baby spinach
• 1 egg
• fresh pecorino or parmesan cheese
• sea salt to taste

Preheat oven to 400. Meanwhile, start cooking your egg. I fried mine over hard, but you may want yours with a runny middle. Sprinkle naan with water and spread marinara evenly over the bread. Cover with cheese and top with spinach. Slide your egg on top and grate pecorino/ parmesan over it, with a pinch of sea salt. Bake in oven for 3-4 minutes, until crust is slightly crusty.

Brussels Sprouts Pizza (inspired by Motorino’s)

• 1/2 garlic naan
• shredded mozzarella
• 1/2 cup roasted Brussels Sprouts
• fresh pecorino
• sea salt to taste

Preheat oven to 400. Sprinkle naan with water and spread with mozzarella. Add Brussels Sprouts and grate fresh pecorino on top. Add a pinch of salt. Bake for 3- 4 minutes.

Tasty complement: kale chips! Toss two handfuls of kale with 1 tsp coconut oil + 1 pinch sea salt. Bake at 400 for 5-10 minutes or until crispy.

Autumn Pizza

• 1/2 whole grain naan
• 1/2 sweet potato, pre-cooked
• shredded swiss cheese
• 1 handful kale
• sea salt
• olive oil

Preheat oven to 400. Sprinkle bread with water and spread sweat potato across the top. Cover with shredded cheese, kale an salt, and drizzle with olive oil. Bake for 3-4 minutes, or until crispy.

New York Sunday Breakfast Pizza

• 1/2 whole grain naan
• 1 oz. goat cheese
• 2 oz smoked salmon

Preheat oven to 400. Sprinkle bread with water and spread goat cheese evenly across the top. Add salmon and bake for 3-4 minutes, until crispy.

These have protein, veggies, carbohydrates and fat… so what’s wrong with eating pizza thrice a day?