Fiesta Friday #14 and Fiesta Friday Challenge #1

Tags

beet greens, broccoli, edible centerpiece, Fiesta Friday, Fiesta Friday #14, pizza, recipe

This unpurposeful blog keeps chugging along, if nothing else, for Fiesta Friday. That, ladies and gentlemen, will stay for at least another year. I’ve already paid for the link tool for the entire year! I want all of us to take full advantage of it. You are having fun, aren’t you?

If you have any suggestions on how to make this event even more fun and meaningful, by all means let me know. Fiesta Friday belongs to all of us, you hear? We can make it what we want it to be.

For instance, Catherine@Catherine Cuisine came up with the idea of a monthly Fiesta Friday Challenge. Remember when we talked about Fiesta Friday Part Deux aka Fiesta Friday 2nd Degree? Well, it’s finally time to reveal our First Fiesta Friday Challenge. The challenge for the month of May is to make something that uses yeast and herbs, both, together, in a single recipe. Remember, this is just a friendly challenge just to get us more comfortable working with yeast.

I will create a separate post and link-up for this challenge, put up a badge on the sidebar, and talk about it in detail, if it’s well-received. Right now, I just want to see a show of hands of how many are interested in entering the challenge.

Several of you have also suggested ideas for “Special Edition” Fiesta Friday, sort of like a “kick-it-up-a-notch” Fiesta Friday if you will, such as cooking up Featured Recipes, cooking a buddy’s recipe, or themed Fiesta Friday, etc. Thank you for all these great suggestions. I will try to incorporate them in future Fiesta Fridays. How ’bout we start with a Luau Fiesta Friday? How does that sound to you? I’d go to Hawaii with you anytime. Lemme know.

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And now, I’m super excited to reveal to you our Fiesta Friday #14 co-hosts, Saucy@Saucy Gander and Sir Johnny@Flours n Dainty buns and Kitschnflavours. You’d better dress up for this round. They are very posh people and quite the fashion plates. I fully expect for this fiesta to reek of Hollywood or Bollywood or whatever your idea of glamour is. I myself am fully prepared.

I’m putting on my red lipstick and recycling my Marilyn Monroe mermaid gown. Hopefully, I look less like a sausage this time. I managed to lose 2,000 candareens. What is that? Like 2 pounds? 2,000 candareens sound much more impressive, but hey, 2 pounds of sausages is still a lot of meat!

If that doesn’t impress you, this pizza with beet greens, broccoli stalks, and carrot tops should. Oh, come on, I’m utilizing parts of vegetables that get otherwise tossed out. That’s glamorous, yes?

pizza with beet greens and broccoli stalks

broccoli stalk pizza

Veggie Scraps Pizza aka Glamorous Pizza

Difficulty: easy
Print

Amount of toppings is dependent on the size of pizza. Add as much or as little as you like.

Pizza dough
Pizza/tomato sauce
Broccoli stalks, peeled and cut into thin coins
Beet greens, blanched and chopped
Cherry tomatoes, cut into thin slices
Fresh mozzarella balls, cut into slices
Shredded mozzarella
Grated parmesan
Carrot tops, torn
Oregano, torn
Salt, pepper, and garlic powder

1. Heat oven to 400°F.
2. Heat a pizza stone or an upturned cookie sheet in the oven for at least 10 minutes.
3. On a lightly floured surface, roll out pizza dough into rounds. Transfer to a pizza peel.
4. Spread pizza/tomato sauce on each round. Sprinkle oregano, carrot tops, salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
5. Scatter fresh mozzarella, shredded mozzarella, and grated parmesan.
6. Layer all the vegetables on top of the cheese.
7. Add salt, pepper, and garlic powder as needed.
8. Slide pizzas onto the heated stone or cookie sheet and bake until crust is brown, about 10 minutes for 6-in rounds.
9. Garnish with carrot tops.

No, not impressed? What about the centerpiece I created using tomatoes and broccoli and weeds?

centerpiece using vegetables

Very glamorous, no? Oh, come on, I’m using vegetables and weeds. The vegetables will be eaten when the party is over, there’s no waste! Besides, broccoli is a flower, you know. Still not impressed? Okay, then, moving right along, onto features.

Thank you, Prudy@butter, basil and breadcrumbs and Indira@I’ll Cook, You Wash for their excellent work as co-hosts and features selectors. They should do another round, don’t you think, since they were obviously perfect as co-hosts? Give them a hearty round of applause, please.

Our FF13 Features are:

Chocolate Tiramisu from Sadia@Savory and Sweet Food. Now, who can refuse tiramisu? It’s the perfect pick-me-up for any occasion. Chocolate version may even be better than espresso, yeah? Okay, coffee lovers, I’m not talking to you. If you must, you can always have your slice with a cup of coffee. Seriously, tiramisu maybe the perfect dessert of all time. And Sadia’s version is a 10!

Two of our friends brought crab cakes to the fiesta. Both equally mouth-watering and drool-worthy. How could we pick one over the other? There’s no way! So, this spot is shared by both Petra@Food Eat Love with her Cod and Crab Cakes and Nancy@Feasting With Friends with her Crabby Patties. I think Sponge Bob and Patrick Star both agree.

Cod and Crab Cakes from Petra

Crabby Patties from Nancy

Juicy Red Salad, Buttermilk Dressing from Sue@Birgerbird. Why do we love this post so much? I’ll let Prudy tell you. “Picture this… it’s a gorgeous sunny day, and you go to the farmer’s market and pick up some beautiful and colorful fruits and vegetables… and decide that you’re going to throw a pretty salad together at work. You’re all excited because the sun is shining perfectly through the windows, and you realize that you’re going to get some gorgeous photos of your salad… And then… Miss Negativity [shows up]… and is mocking you for eating such a healthy salad… and maybe taking photos… and maybe your blog. All of a sudden, a shadow is cast upon that sunny disposition that you had just moments before… but you carry on. You continue to take beautiful photos despite the negativity trying to creep its way around you. And you enjoy that beautiful salad. Perseverance my friend… perseverance. The sunshine wins. It always does.”

Small rolled tahini buns from Margy@La Petite Casserole. Prudy’s words once again (I think you should be a permanent features selector, Prudy!), “There is no doubt in my mind that this girl cooks with her heart. She lives with her heart. A most touching story she wrote to go with her tahini buns… about the airport, and how she will shed tears for people who are leaving, or coming home to their families whether it is personal for her, or whether she is watching other families greet their loved ones! I know that we all cook with love…but I truly believe that these tahini buns were made with pure love… love for her friend who she was so eager to see again. Love and Food. They just belong together. So touching. And the buns look spectacular.”

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Saucy and Sir Johnny have given me the signal that Fiesta Friday #14 is officially on. Come on down and party with us, Hollywood-style (or whatever your idea of glamour is).