Potatoes with leeks is a very popular combination. That doesn't limit the possibilities of leeks, however. The mild onion-y flavour of leeks is brilliant in many dishes - the possibilities are endless. I used one of my leeks recently for a Bacon-Leek Carbonara (without the sundried tomatoes as per the recipe that inspired the dish). Though it was delicious, I think I prefer some of my dishes simple (and sometimes traditional), including spaghetti carbonara. Carbonara is most definitely one of my favourite pasta dishes; it's so simple yet so incredibly flavourful.
I've been meaning to make a potato pizza and I had another leek that needed to be used urgently. I have been planning on making this pizza, but given my recent state of emotion with regard to food, particularly cooking, I procrastinated the dish for quite some time. The leeks were not going to wait for me however, and if I didn't use them, they would have been garbage not long from now. I had the perfect opportunity to make the pizza today. I've been regaining some of my motivation and inspiration, and attempting to rid my insecurities. At the end of the day, no one really cares as much as I think they do; people aren't really judging you. Who has the time anyway? People have their own lives, and even if they do judge, doing something you love is for you, and only you. People opinions and constructive criticism are important, but most important is what you think of you. And if I want to write, I should - I'm writing for me, no one else, really. But if you're reading this anyway, I'm happy you are! And I also apologize for my emotional ranting recently. It's Meatless Monday, so a potato pizza fits perfectly! I took these pictures at night so the lighting is terrible and my camera isn't professional either.
Potato-Leek Four-Cheese Pizza
- Pizza Dough (or any dough/base you like)
- 1 Large Potato
- 1 Leek (cut and rinsed thoroughly [white and light green parts])
- Cheddar/Mozzarella
- Cream Cheese
- Feta
- Parmesan
- Olive Oil
- Black Pepper
Use a mandoline to slice the peeled potatoes paper thin. Do so just before topping the pizza because potatoes rapidly turn brown. Roll pizza dough to desired thickness, top with cheddar/mozzarella, three to four layers of potato, leeks, cream cheese pieces and crumbled feta, in that order. Sprinkle freshly ground black pepper to taste and lightly drizzle olive oil on potatoes. Grate a fine layer of parmesan on top of the pizza and bake at 400° F until the pizza is browned and the potatoes are cooked.
I didn't bother giving exact quantities or instructions for this since it wasn't exact while I was making it, and cooking is something that is best done to taste. Everyone's taste is different, and even while cooking, sometimes we don't use recipes, we wing it. The majority of dishes people make are like that, and while baking is something that's more precise, many other types of cooking you just make up as you go along. I'm just sharing the ingredients I used (so easy, right?) and the sequence in which I used them. A little bit of bacon on top of this would be brilliant, don't you think? I didn't bother salting the potatoes since feta and parmesan are relatively salty cheeses and I didn't find it necessary.
Here's a few other great uses for leeks:
- Leek and Parmesan Frittata
- Linguine with Leeks
- Leek and Cauliflower Casserole
- Potato-Leek Soup
- Mushroom-Leek Grilled Cheese
Cleaning leeks well is very important because they are often full of dirt and grit between the layers. If you are unfamiliar with leeks, here's a short video on cleaning and cutting them for use in your dishes.
Leeks can be re-planted just like chives. After trimming the roots, leaving enough to sustain the plant, just stick it into to dirt and it'll grow!
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