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Pizza Dough

admin — Sun, 05 Sep 2010 23:07:44 +0000

There’s so many reasons why I love this pizza dough. First of all – it’s easy. There’s virtually no way it won’t turn it out perfect – it’s deliciously fool proof. Second – it makes a big batch, which is wonderful for those of you wanting to make things ahead. This dough freezes amazingly well, and all you have to do is toss it in the fridge on your way to work, and when you get home – the dough is ready to be made into a pizza. But my favorite thing about this dough is that it’s incredibly versatile. I’ve made pizzas with it, I’ve baked it into mini-loaves for sandwiches, I’ve rolled it thin for a crispy flatbread, and I’ve baked it with onions and rosemary on top like my favorite foccacia. The bottom line is, there’s no reason not to make a batch of this stuff immediately and keep it in your freezer – you never know when you’re going to need it!

I’ve also included a recipe for this particular pizza, topped with salami, onions, peppadew peppers, and lots of fresh garlic.

Favorite Pizza Dough

Adapted from Peter Reinhart and 101 Cookbooks.

Makes enough for about 6-8 individual pizzas.

Leftover Potential: This dough freezes really well – defrost it in the refrigerator or at room temperature and then proceed with instructions from step

4 1/2 cups bread flour

1 3/4 tsp salt

1 tsp instant yeast

1/4 cup olive oil

1 3/4 cups cool water

1. In an electric mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment, mix the flour and salt to combine. Add the yeast and mix to combine.

2. Add the olive oil and water and mix for 4 minutes on low speed. Increase to medium high speed and continue to mix for 4 minutes more.

3. Divide the dough into even pieces (4 if you want large, multi-serving pizzas or 6-8 if you want individual portions). From here, you have three options:

a. Wrap the dough tightly in plastic wrap and freeze it for later use. If you do so, let it thaw then continue with step c.

b. Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate. This is for shorter periods of holding – 8-12 hours until ready to use. Proceed with step c.

c. Place on a lightly oiled baking sheet and let rise to about double in size.

4. Stipple the dough with your fingers, spreading it out into the size, shape, and thickness you want it.

5. Top the dough with toppings, and bake in a 400 degree oven until the crust is golden and the cheese is melted, about 10-12 minutes.

NOTE:

If you don’t have a mixer, this can be mixed by hand, but be warned – it’s quite sticky. You can take out the olive oil to make it less messy. Knead the dough for 8-10 minutes by hand until it’s smooth. Brush the dough generously with olive oil before and after cooking and the flavor won’t be compromised.

Pizza with Salami, Onions, Garlic, and Peppadews

3 roma tomatoes, thinly sliced

1/2 onion, thinly sliced

2 cloves garlic, minced

grated mozzarella cheese, as needed

1 cup salami, roughly chopped

1/2 cup peppadew peppers, roughly chopped

1. Place the sliced tomatoes evenly across the crust, and top with onions and garlic.

2. Top with an even layer of mozzarella. Finish with salami and peppadews, and follow pizza baking instructions.

Cranberry Almond Oatmeal Bread

admin — Sun, 05 Sep 2010 01:39:03 +0000

I’ve always been an early riser. Not only do I naturally wake up early – I just enjoy it. If sleep much past 8:00 am, I feel like I’ve wasted a huge part of my day. And now, I have a new reason to wake up – Matt and I got ourselves a dog. Her name is Ebbie Ebelskiver and she is more reliable than any alarm clock. 5:30 on the dot she is at my side, letting me know it’s time to wake up. Once, I desperately begged her for another half hour. She laid down, and at 6:00 on the dot, she was back – and this time she wasn’t taking no for an answer.

Anyway, now I have company during my early mornings, and I love it. This morning after our usual walk, I baked this simple quick bread while we waited for Matt to get up. I love quick breads, and this one had great flavor without being too sweet. And the word “quick” is in it for a reason – you don’t have to wake up at the crack of dawn like us to eat this for breakfast.

Cranberry, Almond, and Oat Bread

Makes 1 loaf.

Leftover Potential: Keeps well in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Keeps frozen for several weeks.

3/4 cup milk

1/4 cup heavy cream

1 cup oats

1 egg

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1/4 cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup cranberries

1 cup chopped almonds

1 cup all purpose flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1. In a small bowl, combine the milk, cream, and oats. Let sit for 15 minutes.

2. In a large bowl, whisk the egg, oil, sugar, and vanilla to combine.

3. Toss the cranberries and almonds with a few tablespoons of the flour. Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt to combine.

4. Add the flour mixture to the egg mixture, and mix just until combined. Stir in the oat mixture and mix just until combined.

5. Fold in the cranberries and almonds. Pour the finished batter into a lightly greased loaf pan. Bake in a 350 degree oven until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean, about 25-30 minutes.

Baked Eggs with Leeks, Mushrooms, Parmesan, and Bechamel

admin — Sun, 29 Aug 2010 22:58:30 +0000

When I go home to Kansas, my mom used to ask me what to have on hand. I would give her a generic list, but she eventually got the drill. Except recently she’s begun telling people that no matter how much she prepares, she never buys enough eggs.

It’s usually because I’m doing a lot of baking, and because I love to cook breakfast for my family. The last time I was home, this meant I cooked a giant breakfast each and every morning. 8 cartons of eggs later – I guess she was right. As usual.

So this week I cooked a big breakfast for Matt and I – it wasn’t quite the same as the whole family all around the table, but it was still delicious – and it made us look forward to our next trip home.

Baked Eggs with Mushrooms, Leeks, and Bechamel

Served 2.

Leftover Potential: I had leftover mushrooms, so I used it later in a salad!

Baked Eggs

6 strips bacon, diced

1 bunch leeks, thinly sliced

1 basket mushrooms, thinly sliced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

salt and pepper, to taste

4 eggs

Bechamel

2 Tbsp butter

2 Tbsp flour

2 cups milk

1 tsp salt

lots of fresh ground pepper

pinch cayenne pepper

fresh chopped basil, as needed for garnish

1. In a large saute pan, cook the bacon over high heat until the fat is rendered and hte bacon is crisp, about 5 minutes.

2. Remove the bacon from the pan, and set aside. Add the leeks and mushrooms and saute until tender, about 4-6 minutes.

3. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute more. Stir in the parmesan and season with salt and pepper.

4. Lightly grease two individual casserole dishes (or 4 ramekins) and fill with the mushroom mixture. Crack the eggs on top, and season with salt and pepper.

5. Bake in a 375 degree oven until the egg whites are set, but the yolks still giggle slightly (about 4-6 minutes).

6. Meanwhile, make the bechamel. Melt the butter in a medium pot. Add the flour, and whisk to combine. Cook until the roux is golden, about 2-3 minutes.

7. Slowly at the milk, and whisk to make sure there’s no lumps. Continue cooking until the sauce thickens. Season with salt, pepper, and cayenne.

8. Pour the sauce over the finished baked eggs, and garnish with basil.

Ranger Cookies

admin — Sat, 21 Aug 2010 21:58:36 +0000

This was one tough week. And when the going gets tough, the tough make cookies. Well, at least in this house they do. The only problem was, I couldn’t decide what kind of cookies to make. So I took out everything in my cabinets that sounded good, and realized I had all the ingredients for ranger cookies – an everything but the kitchen sink type recipe that makes chewy, delicious cookies. So good, that I forgot all about my bad week. Seriously.

Ranger Cookies

Makes about 2 dozen

Adapted from Epicurious

1 1/3 cups butter, softened

1 1/3 cups brown sugar, packed

2/3 cup sugar

2 eggs

2 tsp vanilla extract

2 cups all purpose flour

3/4 tsp baking powder

3/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

pinch nutmeg

2 cups oats

1 cup corn flakes

1 1/4 cups sliced almonds

1 1/4 cups shredded coconut

1 cup chocolate chips

1. Cream the butter and sugars together until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and vanilla, scraping well after fully incorporated.

2. Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg together. Add it to the butter mixture, and mix just until incorporated.

3. Add the oats, cereal, almonds, coconut, and chocolate chips, and mix just until incorporated.

4. Bake in a 350 degree oven until the edges begin to brown, about 7-9 minutes. Transfer the cookies to a cooling rack.

Watermelonade

admin — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 00:25:34 +0000

Love, love, love this recipe from Food52. Its crisp, refreshing, and not too sweet – the perfect use for your best watermelon. Or, the watermelon that you picked out as soon as you walked into the supermarket – terribly excited to make your watermelonade – and didn’t realize until you were lugging it to the car, looking at the receipt that it was a 16 pound watermelon and cost you almost $15. Oh, that was me? Oh, shoot.

On a side note, it makes a great cocktail – with vodka or sparkling wine. Yum!

Watermelonade

Adapted from Food52

Makes about a quart

1/3 cup sugar

2 1/2 cups warm water

5 cups cubed watermelon

3/4 cup fresh lemon juice

1. In a big pitcher, stir the sugar into the warm water until it dissolves.

2. Puree the watermelon until smooth, then strain. You’ll have about 2 1/2 cups juice.

3. Stir the watermelon and lemon juices into the water and sugar. Chill before serving.

Tomato Galette with Caramelized Onions, Goat Cheese, and Bacon

admin — Sun, 15 Aug 2010 20:14:55 +0000

Ok. So I’m about to go on a serious rant. Just warning you – if you aren’t prepared to read several gushing paragraphs about perfect produce, turn away now.

Yesterday I bought the best tomato I’ve ever had. Make that tomatoes. And ever since, I have been feverishly cooking and eating them ever since. This tart was the perfect application for such flavorful, juicy, and (let’s just say it) amazing tomatoes. It was simple, rustic, and really highlighted how awesome summer tomatoes can be.

Ok – you tired of the gushing yet? What can I say – it was a really amazing tomato – life changing. So life changing, it fact, that I went back to that market and bought the rest of them.

Tomato Galette with Goat Cheese, Caramelized Onions, and Bacon

Makes 1 tart.

Leftover Potential: Reheat it in the oven to re-crisp the crust – or top it with a fried egg for breakfast!

1 1/4 cup all purpose flour

1/2 tsp salt

8 Tbsp cold butter, cubed

3 Tbsp ice water, or more as needed

5 strips bacon, diced

1 onion, thinly sliced

1 cup goat cheese, crumbled

1 heriloom tomato, thinly sliced

freshly ground pepper, as needed

egg wash or olive oil, as needed for brushing

1. In a food processor, process the flour and salt until combined. Add the butter and continue to process until the butter is pea-sized.

2. Add the water gradually and continue to process until it forms a smooth dough. Wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate until chilled.

3. In a saute pan, cook the bacon over highly heat until the fat renders. Add the onion and continue to cook until the onions caramelize and the bacon crisps. Set aside.

4. Roll out the dough into a rectangle about 1/4″ thick. Sprinkle/spread half of the goat cheese over the base of the dough, leaving about 1/2″ border around the outside. Top with the bacon and onion mixtuere, and top with tomato slices.

5. Crumble remaining goat cheese on top, and season with pepper. Fold the edges over the middle, pressing lightly to seal. Brush the outer crust with egg wash or olive oil.

6. Bake in a 375 degree oven until the filling is bubbly and the crust is golden brown, about 15-20 minutes. Let cool slightly (or completely) before serving.

Baked Ricotta with Bacon and Caramelized Onions

admin — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 01:01:06 +0000

Whenever my mom has unexpected guests, she pulls a simple appetizer recipe out of her pocket. She sautes bacon and onions or shallots and pours it over soft cheese, warming it and making a delicious spread. In addition to being quick and easy, it’s a huge crowd pleaser.

So when I had guests this weekend for a dinner party, I decided to make my own version. I seasoned ricotta and baked it until it set – and then topped it with the same bacon and caramelized onion mixture. I served it with warm foccacia, and it was, well, it was delish! Plus, it was just as easy and quick – and no one would ever know!

Baked Ricotta with Caramelized Onions and Bacon

Serves 4-6 as an appetizer

Leftover Potential: Leftovers can be reheated or eaten cold – just as tasty!

1 1/4 cup whole milk ricotta cheese

3 cloves garlic, minced

3/4 tsp red pepper flakes

2 Tbsp fresh chopped herbs (such as rosemary, thyme, chives, etc.)

salt and pepper, to taste

1 egg white

7 strips bacon, minced

1 onion, minced

1. In a small bowl, combine the cheese, garlic, pepper flakes, herbs, salt, pepper, and egg white.

2. Grease 2 ramekins with olive oil, and pour the ricotta mixture into the ramekins.

3. Bake in a 350 degree oven until the top begins to brown lightly, about 20 minutes.

4. Let cool slightly. Meanwhile, heat a skillet over medium heat. Add the bacon and saute until the fat renders, about 3-5 minutes.

5. Add the onions and saute until the onions are caramelized and the bacon is crisp, about 5-7 minutes more.

6. Loosen the ricotta from the ramekin using a butter knife or an offset spatula. Top the ricotta with the bacon and onion mixture. Serve with bread or crackers.

Farro Risotto with Sausage, Tomatoes, Mushrooms, and Goat Cheese

admin — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 22:16:20 +0000

This is one of my favorite, heartiest meals. The creaminess of risotto with a nutty, rich flavor from one of my favorite grains: farro. One of the best parts of risotto is the creamy texture with that little bit of bite – farro accomplishes that perfectly and it pairs really well with so many flavors. Matt’s favorite is sausage, and I always like to stir in some cheese – parmesan, mascarpone, ricotta, or (in this case) goat cheese. As with any risotto, it’s a blank canvas – so get creative!

Farro Risotto with Sausage, Mushrooms, Tomatoes, and Fresh Goat Cheese

Served 2.

Leftover Potential: Risotto does not reheat of course, but never fear – leftover risotto is the perfect excuse to make Arancini. I always love leftovers that encourage me to deep fry something.

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

3/4 cup farro

1/2 cup white wine

2 1/2 cups chicken broth, or more as needed

1 Tbsp butter

1 1/2 cup sliced mushrooms

salt and pepper, to taste

1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

4 sausages, cooked and sliced

1 Tbsp butter

2 Tbsp fresh chopped parsley

goat cheese, as needed for finishing

1. In a medium pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and saute until translucent,

about 4-5 minutes. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant, 1 minute more.

2. Add the farro and cook until parched, 2-3 minutes. Deglaze the pot with the wine, and bring to a simmer. Continue to cook until the wine is absorbed.

3. Add the broth gradually (a ladleful at a time), and cook until the broth has been absorbed. Continue this process until the farro is tender.

4. Meanwhile, heat the butter over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and saute until tender, about 3-4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

5. Add the tomatoes and saute until tender, about 2 minutes. Stir the mushrooms, tomatoes, and sausages until heated through.

6. Stir in the butter and parsley. Serve with the goat cheese.

Gazpacho

admin — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 00:44:43 +0000

There’s not much in this world I love more than a great summer tomato. And though I can eat tomatoes by themselves with just a little salt and pepper, gazpacho is one of my favorite summertime tomato vehicles. The juiciness of the tomatoes and the freshness of the cucumber is just one of the most refreshing foods – perfect for hot, humid weather. Add a hint of jalapeno for spice, and lime juice to brighten the flavors, and it’s perfect – and keeps well in the fridge for up to a week!

Gazpacho

Makes about 1 1/2 quarts

Leftover Potential: The flavor boosts as the gazpacho sits, and it freezes well.

5-6 medium tomatoes, diced

1 cucumber, seeded and diced

1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced

1 bunch green onions, minced

1 jalapeno, seeded, minced

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 limes, juiced

salt and pepper, to taste

1/2 cup cilantro

avocado, as needed for garnish

1. Toss the tomatoes, cucumber, bell pepper, and green onions together. Transfer half of the vegetables to a food processor or blender. Add the jalapeno and garlic and puree until smooth.

2. Add the pureed vegetables to the reserved diced vegetables. Season with lime juice, salt, pepper, and cilantro.

3. Let the gazpacho sit, refrigerated, for at least 1 hour before serving. Garnish with avocado.

Green Enchilada Sauce

admin — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 22:01:38 +0000

One of my favorite things about the kitchen in my new apartment is my gas stove. It’s not a fancy one, but it enables me to do something I love to do – roast chiles over an open flame. I have already done it a dozen times (or more) since moving in, and I love that this recipe allows me the perfect vehicle for roasting my chiles.

Yes, it’s one of my favorite go-to (and make ahead) meals – enchiladas. My favorite is just simple chicken enchiladas with lots of green onions, but I make variations all the time. Now that I’ve got my roasting peppers addiction, I naturally had to make a few cans of this stuff: green enchilada sauce – just as saucy and delicious, but made with roasted green chiles.

It tasted great with several types of enchiladas – chicken, cheese, and my NEW favorites – spinach and mushroom. Be forewarned – this stuff can get spicy. Feel free to eliminate the jalapeno, and use a combination of peppers (some hot, some mild) or all mild to get the right combination. You can also replace some of the peppers with tomatillos, if you like.

Green Enchilada Sauce

Makes about 3 cups

Leftover Potential: Keeps well – can be refrigerated for up to 1 week.

5-6 Anaheim chiles

1 jalapeno, seeded, minced

1 tbsp oil

1/2 onion, minced

3 cloves garlic, minced

salt and pepper

1/4 cup vegetable broth, or as needed

1. Roast the chiles over an open flame until blistered and blackened slightly. Put the finished chiles into a plastic bag. Seal the bag and let the chiles steam for about 15 minutes.

2. Once the chiles have cooled, remove the skins from the chiles, seed and dice them. Set aside.

3. Heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onions and saute until tender, about 4-5 minutes. Add the garlic and continue to cook until fragrant, about 1 minute more.

4. Season the mixture with salt and pepper. Add the peppers and broth and simmer until the whole mixture is very tender.

5. Puree the sauce until smooth. Adjust the consistency with more broth if necessary.