Leek, Mushroom, Sausage & Pesto Pizza

One of my best friends, Martha, came to Richmond Friday evening to stay with Daniel and I before we left together Saturday morning for Baltimore to celebrate Charlotte's bachelorette. Although we got back late Thursday night from skiing, and I had to turn back around and leave early Saturday morning for Baltimore, I knew I wanted to make a home cooked meal Friday evening for the three of us. What to make? Thanks to my sweet mother and father in law, I wanted to use the great cast iron skillet they gave me for Christmas. I have complied a few recipes that call for a cast iron skillet, and I finally tried one out for Friday's dinner. Man oh man, do I love it! After another 9 mile run I was craving pizza for our Friday night's dinner. Low and behold came this recipe. I have never cooked with Leeks before, yet they were delicious and I will def. do it again soon. I forgot to take a picture, so I took a picture of the magazine page in which I found the recipe. (Woman's Day) I made a few changes to the recipe so here is my version below:

Leek, Mushroom, Sausage & Pesto Pizza
Serves: 4

Ingredients:
4 oz. mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 small leek (white and green parts only), halved crosswise and lengthwise and thinly sliced
1 T. olive oil
Salt and Pepper
1 lb. pizza dough (if you are near a Trader Joe's-get their whole wheat dough!)
4 T. Pesto
4 oz. Fresh Goat Cheese, crumbled
Low-fat Sausage (one packet, sliced)

Directions:
1. Heat oven to 425. In a large bowl, toss the mushrooms, leeks, oil, 1/4 t. salt and 1/8 t. pepper.
2. Shape the pizza dough into a 12-inch round and place in the bottom and slightly up the sides of a large cast-iron skillet.
3. Spread the pesto over the dough, leaving a 1/4 inch border. Top with the vegetables, then the sausage, and sprinkle with the goat cheese. Bake until golden brown, 30-35 minutes.


For dessert...we had this cherry "cobbler" that I have now made a few times and is always a hit. I don't have a picture for you, but it is STUPID easy and so delicious.

In a crock pot add:

2 cans of low-sugar cherry pie filling
1 box of yellow cake mix
3/4 of a stick of butter
1 cup of walnuts

Pour both cans of pie filling into crock pot and spread out along the bottom. (In a separate bowl), melt the butter in a bowl and then pour it over the cake mix and mix it up. Pour the cake/butter mix over the pie filling and spread it out. Spread 1 cup of walnuts on top of cake mix. Cook for about 3 hours on low. Serve on top of ice cream or with low-fat whipped cream on top.

(side note- when you mix the butter and cake mix together, it's going to be lumpy and not at all completely mixed up)