Smoked Salmon and Asparagus Pizza

I picked up some smoked salmon at Whole Foods this past weekend and was searching for a creative way to use it and came up with this recipe. I been meaning to make pizza for a while and wanted to something more than the veggie or BBQ chicken pizza that I usually make at home. Both salmon and cream cheese and salmon and asparagus are natural pairs to me and I rounded out the recipe with a bit of garlic and cheese, which every pizza needs. While there may be recipes out there similar to this one, this recipe isn't inspired by anything other than what I had in the house and my own creativity.

Smoked Salmon and Asparagus Pizza

One 12-ounce prepared pizza crust (I prefer whole wheat Boboli)
4 oz. cream cheese or Neufchâtel, softened
2 cloves garlic, pressed through a garlic press or finely minced

8 oz. asparagus, trimmed and cut diagonally into 1-inch pieces
2 oz. smoked salmon, cut into bite-size pieces
1/2 c. shredded mozzarella cheese

1. Spread softened cream cheese evenly on pizza crust. Sprinkle garlic evenly over crust.

2. Boil asparagus pieces for 2 to 3 minutes or until just tender. Plunge into an ice bath or rinse with cold water (to stop the asparagus from cooking further) and drain thoroughly. Distribute asparagus evenly over crust.

3. Divide salmon evenly over the pizza and top with shredded cheese. Bake at 450 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes or until cheese is melted and golden.