Every year, come fall then winter, we all feel let down. The grey and cold weather is the main cause for it ; a close second would be the end of summer produce. Bye-bye, juicy tomatoes, sweet courgettes, crunchy bell pepper. It was nice having you around.
Fear not ! I give you the perfect little cold season treat, cute, sweet and comforting : my autumn mini-pizzas ! Plus, they’re for everyone (almost), as they’re vegetarian, and can easily become vegan if you use vegan dairy (cheese, butter and cream).
I found that there are many vegetables that can make you actually look forward to getting in autumn and winter. Squash is the queen bee, with its unique sweet and nutty taste. Its texture is great for many uses, from roasting to blending into a smooth cream.
Picture this smooth cream onto a soft pizza pillow ; some garlicky mushrooms on top, to get a stronger, earthy taste ; a bit of cheese ; then top it off with pickled onions and crushed nuts. You reach a great balance here, both it terms of taste and texture.
My companion and I love sharing these in front of a good movie, buried under one or two blankets.
I hope you will, too !
Autumn mini-pizzas – Recipe
Ingredients – Advice & key points
- Mushrooms :
- I try to use a mushrooms mix to make for a richer taste. Here, I used oyster mushrooms, girolles (be careful, they are not the same as chanterelles, which are cheaper : you can definitely use them instead) and brown mushrooms.
- If you can use a cast-iron pan, it might yield a better taste. If not, it’s still fine.
- Squash :
- I used Butternut squash here, but you can replace it with Red kuri squash. Red kuri squash is tasty and doesn’t need to be peeled ! That’s great when you’re feeling lazy !
- Please salt your cooking water heavily, then adjust if needed after blending. Salt is your asset here, as there are no seasonings besides it.
- Cheese : I used mozzarella (for cooking : those are usually tubular) slices here, but you can also use shredded cheese if that’s what you have on hand. I wouldn’t recommend cheddar here, though.
- Pizza dough : I used a very basic premade dough here, available at your classic grocery store. I wanted this dish to remain quite quick to make. By all means, do it yourself if you feel up for it !
Let’s pizza !
Autumn mini-pizzas
Description
Candy-like cuties ! Creamy blended butternut onto a soft pizza dough, with garlicky, buttery mushrooms on top. Drown in cheese, top it off with pickled onions and crushed nuts. Now we're talking.
Ingredients
Instructions
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Prep your ingredients
Fill half a pot with water and bring it to a boil.
Meanwhile, peel and dice your butternut in chunks.
Add your butternut to your pot with your sage leaves.
While it cooks :
- Brush your mushrooms if they're not too dirty (otherwise use a bit of water), then slice them (if using brown mushrooms) or tear them (if using chanterelles, girolles or oyster mushrooms) in smaller pieces.
- Mince your garlic and chop your parsley.
After around 15 minutes of cooking, strain your butternut and allow it to cool. Then blend your butternut using a mixer. Add your heavy cream ; mix again. Adjust for salt if needed. Your cream is done !
Don't forget to heavily salt your butternut water (12g/liter of water), else it will be tasteless. -
Cook your shrooms
To a cold pan, add a tablespoon of butter and a tablespoon of neutral or olive oil.
Preheat your oven to 220°.
Add your mushrooms. Let it cook for 5 minutes, add some salt. Cook an additional 4 minutes. Add your garlic, let it cook for about a minute, stir, add your parsley, turn off the heat, then stir again.
While your mushroom cook :
- Slice your mozarella in thin slices, so that they melt correctly.
- Using a small glass, divide your premade dough into circles.
-
Assemble !
Once your mushrooms are cooked, assemble :
- Add to eat pizza circle about 1 tsp butternut purée, 2-3 mushroom slices, then cover with mozzarella cheese.
- Put it in a preheated oven at 220 degrees for about 15 minutes.
While it cooks, chop up a few hazelnuts.
Remove your mini-pizzas from the oven. Add your hazelnuts and around 2 pickled onions per pizza.
Et voilà !! You're done !
Note
- I advise you to cook the whole butternut or red kuri and repurpose your leftover purée later, to make this recipe again, go with a piece of fish or to make my butternut pasta with guanciale (ajouter lien). Besides, it freezes well.