Shrimp and Goat Cheese Pizza

For me, it seems as though this past month has been filled
with beautiful flowers. From reds, purples and pinks to blues, yellows, and
whites, I have been surrounded by spring-filled flowers of all shapes and sizes.

A few Saturdays ago, I woke up in the mood to garden. This sort of
thing seems to happen to me every spring. All it takes is a little bit of
sunshine and some warm weather on a Saturday morning during early spring. The
first time that I wake up on a Saturday with temperatures rising, birds
chirping, and the sun shining, you can usually find me walking the aisles of my
local nursery, with all sorts of gardening ideas running through my head.

Once my husband left for work on that day, I threw on
scrubby clothes, hopped in the car, and drove to the nursery. More than a few
hours later, my entire SUV was filled with hanging plants, flowers, soil,
mulch, and containers. After getting home, I looked up at the sky, noticed that
I still has some daylight left, and immediately got to work planning, digging,
planting, potting, and mulching.

With the dogs keeping me company on the porches and the
neighborhood kids stopping by to ask all sorts of questions about the flowers
and sprinkler, I had quite a fantastic evening. As the street lights came on to keep me company, I turned on the string lights and music in the back yard to
create a little bit of ambiance as I continued to create my gardens.

By the time 10:00 p.m. rolled around, my work was complete.
I planned and purchased my flower, herb, and vegetable garden and then
proceeded to plant everything…all in a day’s work. I couldn’t wait for my
husband to get home to show him what I did while he was away.

A few days later, I said “see you soon” to my flowers and
found myself surrounded by the mountains of Utah. Even though that week
was filled with team meetings, work, and a conference, our team was able to
find some time to walk the gardens of Thanksgiving Point and take in the beauty
of their grounds. Their tulip festival was an incredible sight to see and it
was amazing to be surrounded by such amazing color.

I was able to spend some time with my gardens as I tried to feed, nourish, and water my little beauties. However, work pulled me away to Florida where I enjoyed fun, sun, friends, co-workers, bloggers, pools, and oceanic views on the shores of Key Biscayne. Coming back to the concrete jungle was no easy feat but it sure was nice to see that my husband definitely has a green thumb. My flowers were in full bloom and waiting to welcome me home!

To go along with all of the beautiful colors that spring has to offer, I thought I would share this colorful pizza that is simple to make and bursting with all sorts of amazing flavor. The purple of the onion, red of the tomatoes, pink of the shrimp, and green of the herbs kind of reminded me of my flower, herb, and vegetable gardens. Don’t you agree?

Shrimp and Goat Cheese Pizza

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 10 shrimp
• 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1 pizza dough
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Pinch of Kosher salt
• 3 tablespoons Pesto sauce
• 10 cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
• 1/4 of red onion, sliced
• 1/2 cup crumbled goat cheese
• 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
2. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a saute pan. Carefully place uncooked, thawed shrimp in the hot oil. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of Italian seasoning on the shrimp. Saute the shrimp for 2-3 minutes, or until cooked through.
3. Sprinkle flour over flat surface such as a cutting board. Roll out pizza dough into a circle. Sprinkle the dough with Kosher salt.
4. Pour 2 tablespoonfuls of olive oil and 2 tablespoonfuls of Pesto on the dough and brush all over the top of the dough.
5. Place tomatoes and onions over the dough. Top with cheese. Place cooked shrimp on top of cheese. Sprinkle 1 tablespoonful of Italian seasoning over the pizza toppings.
6. Place in the oven and bake for 18-20 or until the dough and cheese are slightly browned.
7. Serve warm.

What’s your favorite kind of pizza?