Best of 90s Food: Hot Pockets

This year, the Baltimore Sun's Mobbies are asking each blogger to blog about the thing that she would like to bring back from the 90s. Being that this is a food blog, I went straight for everyone's favorite snacks from the 90s. Not only have I chosen to recognize various 90s food that I miss, but I have recreated them with homemade recipes. In addition to this recipe, I will be recreating and blogging the recipes for Dunkaroos, Lunchables and Pudding Pops. Sit back and enjoy this recipe for homemade Hot Pockets.

Apple & Honey Flatbread Pizza

L'shanah Tova! Okay, I'm a couple days late in posting a Rosh Hashanah recipe, but it's so delicious, you'll be making it year-round. Here's to a sweet new year!

Side note: I'm living in a new house
with new lighting and it's taking me time
to figure out how to take good photos. Apologies!

Pistachio, Goat Cheese & Arugula Pizza

This pizza is somewhat inspired by Owl Bar's wild mushroom pizza. Instead of using mushrooms, though, I used pistachio. You'll find that these toppings together create a fresh, nutty, and filling pizza.

Pizza Quiche

This is definitely one of the weirdest recipes I've put together. In fact, I didn't even know if it would work or would taste good at all until it came out of the oven. This weekend, my friend had a pizza party/competition at his house and I brought a cauliflower crust pizza and this concoction. Surprisingly - or at least to me - the pizza quiche tasted good and even won runner-up in the vegetarian category! So, if you're feeling daring or just dying to make a weird pizza, check it out and enjoy.

Spinach, Scapes & 'Shroom Pizza on a Cauliflower Crust

The past two weeks I've received the following items in my CSA share: zucchini, cucumbers, spinach, arugula, garlic scapes, cauliflower, and radishes. I feel like I've been making pizza a lot lately, but they are a great way to showcase all of the new produce I've been getting! This pizza incorporates three of this week's items, pretty well, if I do say so myself. The pizza's base is a cauliflower crust (the first time I blogged about it was for a Kale & Pistachio Pizza). I hope you enjoy! This recipe makes a pizza the size of a 9" x 13" pan.

Garlic Scapes, Shiitake Mushroom & Goat Cheese Pizza

I have so many exciting things to share with you! First & foremost, I am now a shiitake mushroom farmer. My partner & I bought a mushroom-growing kit and last week, we harvested our first batch (about thirty mushrooms!). Keep an eye out because I am going to dedicate an entire post to this exciting venture. Second, my CSA with One Straw Farm began last weekend! Each Saturday, we meet them at one of the farmers' markets and pick our four produce items for the week. Not only that, but we have resolved to make a new recipe each week with something that we picked up. This week, we got strawberries, broccoli, radishes, and garlic scapes. In case you weren't already aware, GARLIC SCAPES ARE MAGIC. The pizza below incorporates the incredible garlic scape and our homemade mushrooms. I can't take any credit for this recipe; my partner whipped up this entire pizza. Trust me -- if you can get your hands on some scapes, be sure to make this!

Lover's Pizza

This pizza recipe is perfect for Valentines Day. I first heard of it from my partner when we met. He says that it is ironically called Lover's Pizza because all of the toppings are foods that you certainly wouldn't want to eat before kissing someone. I think it's called Lover's Pizza because it is so delicious that I want to marry it. Either way, I hope that you enjoy!

Thanksgiving Pizza

Grab all of your Thanksgiving leftovers and read on. This pizza was born last year post-holiday, and the tradition continues this year.  Also, I was in a land of no WiFi over Thanksgiving and was unable to get a bunch of recipes out to you, so keep an eye out all week for new ones! Hope your holiday was filled with good company and delicious food.

Goat Cheese, Tomato & Pesto Pizza

This pizza is easy, delicious, and a great serving size for one. Of course, there is ample opportunity to make this more homemade (by making the pesto or naan yourself). My way is, obviously, a little faster, so you can get that pizza into your mouth more quickly! Enjoy.

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 6 minutes

Ingredients
One (1) piece of naan bread -- I used garlic naan
1 1/2 tablespoons of basil pesto
2 1/2 tablespoons of goat cheese
A small handful (3-5) cherry tomatoes

Directions
Preheat oven to 350F degrees.
Place naan on a baking sheet.
Spread basil pesto over naan. Trust me, get all the way to the outer edges!
Sprinkle goat cheese in an even layer.
Slice cherry tomatoes into halves or thirds and place in an even layer across naan.
Bake for six minutes.
Remove, let cool, and devour.

Potato Skin Pizzas

I am always up for trying new ways to make pizza. Cauliflower dough, zucchini boats (recipe coming soon!), and now pizza inside of potato skins. My love for potatoes is endless, and the pairing of the two was just divine.

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 55-65 minutes

Ingredients
Four (4) large red potatoes
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/2 cup pizza sauce
Two (2) cloves of garlic, minced
Salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper to taste 
1/4 cup of baby portobellas
Cooking spray

Directions
Preheat oven to 400F degrees.
Poke holes in potatoes and bake for 40-50 minutes, or until baked through.
Remove from oven, let cool.
Slice in half and hollow out (you want to leave about 1/4"), so you're left with just the skins. -- It should look like two potato boats.
Spray with cooking spray and sprinkle with salt.
Bake skins for 10 minutes so they crisp just a bit.
Spoon in sauce, sprinkle with cheese and top with any additional toppings (I used mushrooms).
Bake for another 5 minutes, or until cheese is melted.
Let cool and enjoy!

Tips
Keep the inside of each potato for mashed potatoes! I used garlic, cream cheese, butter and a bit of almond milk to make creamy, delicious mashed potatoes.
You can use any toppings on the pizza that you want; mushrooms, spinach, roasted red peppers, or artichoke are all good choices.

Kale & Pistachio Pizza on Cauliflower Dough

Disclaimer: I love pizza. Any and all endorsements in this post will be biased based on this love.

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Finished product (on the right).
Check out the next blog post for the stuffed mushroom recipe.

Technically, I am the surrogate mother of the pizza that Juliet (of The Broken Plate) and Hersh's Pizza unknowingly created. Juliet posted this delicious recipe for cauliflower pizza crust awhile ago, and I tried and loved it. It brings a slight flavor of cauliflower, but not an overpowering amount. Additionally, it is much healthier than eating bread dough. As far as Hersh's, I tried them for the first time last week (and seriously, if you are in Baltimore, it's a must!) and my partner ordered their kale & pistachio pizza. It was amazing.

Note: this recipe makes a pizza the size of a 9" x 13" pan. If you half the recipe, you can make a pizza the size of a pie pan.

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients
Crust
Two (2) cups of grated cauliflower
Two (2) eggs, beaten
1/2 cup cheddar cheese, grated
Toppings
One (1) cup of whole pistachio nuts, shelled and crushed -- the measurement of one cup was taken while they were still shelled
One (1) cup of cooked kale -- about one bushel at the grocery store
One (1) cup of mozzarella cheese
Two (2) cloves of garlic, minced
Two (2) tablespoons of butter

Directions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Grate cauliflower into a large bowl.
Mix beaten eggs and cheese into the cauliflower.
Lay out flat in a greased pan.
Bake for 30 minutes.
Flip and bake for an additional 10 minutes. -- Just make sure it gets nice and brown, possibly crispy at the edges.
Set crust aside once it is done.
Melt the butter and garlic. Spread lightly on top of crust.
Top with mozzarella, pistachio crumbles, and cooked kale.
Put back into the oven for five to ten minutes, depending on how crispy you'd like the toppings.

Let cool & chow down!