Blackberry Basil Ricotta Pizza

When I recently saw this recipe at The Stay at Home Chef, I wanted to make it. It was like nothing I have ever eaten before. It's easy, yet turns out looking elegant. 

Used basil from my plant and blackberries from the farmers market. Just make your favorite pizza dough or a refrigerated one. I had rolled mine out to a perfect circle, and then when I transferred it to the pizza stone, it stretched out of shape, leaving me with a rustic look, and that's okay. 

Have your ingredients all ready before you put the pizza crust on the hot pizza stone since it will immediately start to bake. I warmed my stone at 500°, but then lowered it to 400° since the crust was already browned on the bottom when I put it in the oven.

Blackberry Basil Ricotta Pizza

1 (14 to 16-inch) unbaked pizza crust
1 T. olive oil
1 (6-oz.) pkg. fresh blackberries, halved
1 c. shredded mozzarella cheese

1 c. shredded Parmesan cheese

1 c. ricotta cheese

10 large basil leaves, sliced into strips

Preheat a 14 to 16-inch pizza stone in an oven at 500°.

Carefully place pizza crust on hot pizza stone. Rub the olive oil over the pizza crust. Smash half of the blackberries and spread out over the crust.

Top oiled crust with mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. Scatter remaining blackberries over the pizza. Place spoonfuls of ricotta randomly over the pizza.

Bake on the pizza stone for 10 to 15 minutes, until cheese starts to brown. Scatter basil leaves over the pizza during the last few minutes of baking. Remove from oven and slice into 8 large slices.

Vegetable Enchiladas

I got this filling recipe from my sister Tiffany years ago. I was searching my blog for the recipe and couldn't believe I hadn't shared it yet. Each enchilada is like a cornucopia of goodness and flavor. No meat needed here. Just use corn tortillas to make this a gluten-free recipe. 

Vegetable Enchiladas

2 t. olive oil
1 small zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 med. red peppers, chopped
1 med. onion, chopped
2 (15 - 19-oz.) cans white kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 c. vegetable broth
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 (15-oz.) can whole kernel corn, drained
2 jalapeño peppers, minced with seeds (optional)
1 c. loosely packed fresh cilantro, chopped
6 (8-in) tortillas
15 oz. salsa 
1/3 c. shredded Monterey-Jack cheese
Lime wedges for garnish 

Preheat oven to 375°. In skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add zucchini, onion and red pepper and cook until vegetables are tender, about 10-15 minutes, stirring frequently. Meanwhile, in a food processor or blender, blend half of the beans with broth until almost smooth. Transfer bean mixture to bowl; stir in remaining beans and set aside. 

To vegetables in skillet, add garlic and cook 1 minute. Stir in corn and jalapeño; cook 2 minutes. Transfer vegetable mixture to bowl with beans. Stir in cilantro. Spoon about 3/4 cup mixture along center of each tortilla and fold tortilla up. 

Spoon about 1/2 cup salsa onto bottom of 9x13-inch pan. Place enchiladas seam side down on top of salsa. Spoon remaining salsa over enchiladas. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake for 20 minutes or until cheese is melted. 

Fudge-Filled Vanilla Bundt Cake

I made this surprise-inside cake months ago and I'm finally getting around to blogging the recipe to share with you and to remind me to make it again. The chocolate tunnel in the cake is fudgy and the black and white make this a stunning cake. My tunnel wasn't in the middle on this first try, but maybe I'll do better on the next try. Either way, this cake was scrumptious. Find the original at Cookie & Cups.

Fudge-Filled Vanilla Bundt Cake 

Cake:
1 c. butter, room temperature
1 c. granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 T. vanilla
2 t. baking powder
½ t. salt
½ c. milk
1½ c. flour

Filling:

5 oz. cream cheese, room temperature

6 oz. semi- sweet chocolate chips, melted

1 egg

Glaze:

1 c. powdered sugar

1- 2 T. milk

Mini chocolate chips to garnish

Preheat oven to 325°. Heavily grease a Bundt pan with butter or shortening and dust with flour, set aside.

In bowl, beat the butter and the sugar together for about 2 minutes on medium speed until fluffy, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed. Add eggs and vanilla and continue mixing until smooth and combined. Add baking powder and salt and mix to combine.

On low, add flour and milk in alternating amounts, beginning and ending with the flour. Mix until smooth. Transfer batter into a medium sized bowl, because you will need a clean mixing bowl for the next step.

In the clean bowl of your mixer beat the cream cheese until smooth. Next mix the melted chocolate into the cream cheese until it's smooth. Beat in the egg into the mixture until creamy.

To assemble the cake spread half of the cake batter into the bottom of the prepared Bundt pan. Next spoon the chocolate filling into the center of the batter, keeping the chocolate in the center of the batter so it doesn't touch the edges. Finally spread the remainder of the batter on top of the chocolate, covering completely. Bake for 50- 55 minutes or until the cake is set.

Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 10 minutes and then invert pan onto a serving platter or cake stand.

Whisk together the glaze ingredients and drizzle this onto the warm cake. Sprinkle with mini chocolate chips, if desired.

Serve warm or at room temperature.