Pizza!

My youngest daughter Kaitlin, sat me down one evening last week. She told me she missed the meals I used to make all the time for dinner. She asked me to start incorporating some of her favorites into my weekly rotation.

I missed some of the meals I used to make for them too. They used to help in the preparation in a lot of these meals. Pizza is one such dish. I don't have any pictures of either of the homegirlz making their pizzas. They made me promise not to take any pictures of them and I had to honor their request. We had a blast making pizzas Friday night.

A couple of fun things about making pizza at home is you are only limited by your imagination and everyone can make their pizza their way; there's no right or wrong.

I've posted this dough recipe before when I made Garlic Knots

This is a very easy and delicious pizza dough recipe.

Pizza Dough -

1 cup warm water (105 to 115 degrees F)1 envelope active dry yeast1 teaspoon honey2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil2-3/4 cups all-purpose flour1 teaspoon salt, yellow cornmeal, for sprinkling the baking sheet

In a large bowl, combine the water, yeast, honey, and 1 tablespoon oil, stirring to combine. Let sit until the mixture is foamy, about 5 minutes.

Add 1 1/2 cups of the flour and the salt, mixing by hand until it is all incorporated and the mixture is smooth. Continue adding the flour, 1/4 cup at a time, working the dough after each addition, until the dough is smooth but still slightly sticky. You may not need all of the flour.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth but still slightly tacky, 3 to 5 minutes.

Oil a large mixing bowl with remaining olive oil. Place the dough in the bowl, turning to coat with the oil. Cover with plastic wrap and set in a warm place to rise until doubled in size, about 1-1/4 hours.

This makes dough for 1 (15-inch) pizza.

We made a standard red sauce pizza with pepperoni, mushrooms, bell pepper and red onion.

Lauren, my oldest daughter said, "Mom, you HAVE to make these everyday for us to eat!".

These are some of the ingredients I like on a pizza.




Brush the pizza dough with extra virgin olive oil. Spread roasted garlic Alfredo sauce on the pizza in lieu of red pizza sauce. This pizza was garnished with 1/2 cup thawed frozen spinach, 4 or 5 cloves of smashed garlic, sliced red onions, sliced orange bell peppers, sun dried tomatoes, mushrooms and feta cheese flavored with tomato and basil. YUM!!!!



Lightly grease pizza pan and sprinkle pan lightly with corn meal. Bake at 425 degrees for approximately 15 minutes.

I do want to eat this every day!

Seared Cicken Breasts with Lemon Cream Sauce

Peter from Kalofagas - Greek Food & Beyond inspired this dish. Peter posted a mouth watering Seared & Braised Breasts of Chicken recipe a couple of weeks ago. I had all intentions of staying with the game plan, but as usual when I start chopping and pulling ingredients out of the refrigerator, I find things like lemons and mushrooms and start tossing them in the pan.

This is the product of Peter's inspired dish.




Season four chicken cutlets with coarse sea salt and white pepper. Dredge in all-purpose flour.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat, and add on tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil. Once the oil is heated add one bunch of chopped scallions and 1/2 lb. of sliced cremini mushrooms sear until they begin to turn brown. Remove the scallions and the mushrooms from the pan with a slotted spoon and set aside on a plate lined with absorbent paper towels.

Add another tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil and sear chicken cutlets golden brown on both sides and set aside.

Discard the oil and place your skillet back on medium heat and add the 1/2 cup of dry white wine and and simmer for 1-2 minutes while scraping up the brown bits. Add 1/2 cup of heavy cream, 1 cup chicken stock, 1 bay leaf, 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest, juice from half of a lemon and 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme and and gently bring to a boil. Carefully add your chicken cutlets back into the skillet and lower heat to simmer uncovered for about 15-20 minutes or until your sauce has thickened enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon. Add the reserved scallions and mushrooms and blend into the sauce. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper and discard the bay leaf.

Spoon some cream sauce onto the bottom of each plate and then add a layer of ziti cooked al-dente and ladle cream sauce over ziti and crown with the chicken cutlet. Garnish with some shaved Parmigiana-Reggiano.

This is one top-shelf dish bursting with the bright flavor of lemon and thyme.

Thanks Peter for the inspiration!

Sauce for Green Beans

Have I got a treat for you! It's this sauce! I was thumbing through River Roads Recipes, my old friend, my standard, looking for my favorite no fail hollandaise sauce recipe. Below the hollandaise sauce recipe, I found a recipe labeled "Sauce for Broccoli". In the spirit of "trying" to eat a tad more healthy, I thought it would be fantastic on steamed green beans and it was.

This has a much thinner consistency than hollandaise but the burst of taste is amazing but it is also delicate enough that it does not overpower the wonderful flavor of the green beans. I strongly recommend trying it on your steam green veggies of choice.

Sauce for Green Beans -

2 tablespoons real butter

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1-1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire Sauce

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 tablesppon vinegar ( I used Apple Cider vinegar)

Dash of red pepper

Combine all ingredients except butter in a small sauce pan. Add the butter and heat slowly, stirring occasionally until butter has melted. Pour over steamed veggies. Enjoy!

The sauce gently coated the beans, but the majority of it went to the bottom of the dish.

I took this picture so you could get a closer look at the sauce.

I hope you try and enjoy it as much as I did!

Chicken Salad with Maple Dressing

Picture a chilly, dreary, rainy Monday; the first day back to school for the homegirlz and the first day back to work for their mother after the Christmas holidays. Mom arrives home from work, the house is dark and strangely quiet, both girls are sound asleep.

This was the scenario yesterday at our house. I tried to wake the girls but I could not stir them. I've been a little under the weather since New Years Eve, and really did not feel like cooking. I decided to take advantage of this opportunity and prepare one of my favorite salads.

This is a simple combination of iceberg and romaine lettuce, sliced red onion, sliced fontina cheese strips (oh how I love the nutty taste of this cheese), some of Gigi's pecans that I toasted on the stove and some leftover boneless, skinless chicken from the fridge. But this isn't all...

What REALLY makes this salad feel so warm and cozy is the salad dressing. It goes so well with the toasted pecans and the nutty fontina cheese. Warm over low heat about 1/4 cup of real maple syrup on the stove. Pour the warm syrup into a measure cup and add 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar and whisk in some extra virgin olive oil to taste. Now pour this delectable dressing over your salad and enjoy with a glass of wine.

You'll sleep really well, I promise!

Baked Cornish Game Hens

It sure seems like everyone had a wonderful Christmas and New Year! Hopefully I can get back on track with posting.


I cooked cornish game hens for Christmas dinner. Unfortunately, I do not have a lot of pictures of this dish. It did get a little hectic in the kitchen which I'm sure most of you understand since it was probably like that at your house.

The method I used to prepare these cornish hens made way for a fall off the bone tender, juicy and really tasty treat! I cooked five game hens, but depending on the size of the Dutch oven you use, you may be able to cook six at one time.


Wash each of the hens thoroughly inside and out, remove all of the debris from the inside cavity. Pat them dry with paper towels and set them aside. Heat a Dutch oven (5-quart size) on the stove to medium-high heat. Pour in 1/4 cup of peanut oil and heat it until it begins to "ripple". The oil needs to be at least this hot in order to sear the game hens, and seal in their juices.

While the oil is heating, generously season the hens with salt, black pepper and red pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, poultry seasoning, and dried basil.

One or two at a time, lower the hens into the hot oil and fry them down until they are richly browned all over (be extra careful that you don't tear the skin). Once browned, remove them from the pot and allow them to drain on several sheets of paper towels.

After browning all of the hens, immediately drop into the Dutch oven immediately 2 cups of sliced oyster mushrooms and fry them down until they too reach a golden-brown color. Then add in 2 cups of diced onions onions, 3/4 cup of diced bell pepper, and 6 cloves of garlic mashed and fry down these seasonings until they wilt, soften, and pick up the rich brown color of the mushrooms.

And here is where this dish really comes together! While continually stirring the pot, drop in the 1/4 cup of parsley finely chopped, 1/2 cup fin chopped green onions, 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce, 1/2 teaspoon Kitchen Bouquet, 1/4 cup dry sherry, 1 cup of chicken stock, 2 bay leaves, 1/2 teaspoon paprika, and 1/4 cup all-purpose flour.

Lower the heat to simmer and cook the mixture for approximately 10 minutes, whisking it occasionally to keep the flour from lumping. When the seasoning base is completely blended and smooth, turn off the burner and spoon half of the mixture from the Dutch oven into a heat safe bowl.



Nestle the game hens down into the pot (stand them on their heads, breast-side down and drumsticks up). They should fit and hold each other upright.




Evenly ladle over the game hens the mixture you previously removed from the Dutch oven.

Cover the pot and place it into a pre-heated 350-degree oven and roast the hens until they are tender and basted in their own juices. They should be done to perfection in about an hour and a half.

Notes:

1. The hens create their own juices as they pot-roast, but if you'd like more than what is rendered out naturally you can always stir into the pot a little extra chicken stock after the poultry is cooked.

2. Be careful when removing the hens from the Dutch oven. Chef's spoons work great for lifting them out of the pot.

Happy New Year

I haven't fallen off the face of the earth; the holidays and the aftermath have kept me away and left this blog to lay here and languish.

We did have some munchies Christmas Day before the big meal. I saw this olive dip recipe on 30 Minute Meals. This is a must if you're an olive lover which I am in a big way. The luscious crackers are from Dawn's Vanilla Sugar blog. They are a must try too.




Olive Dip -

1 cup large olives with pimiento
1 clove garlic
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 cup ricotta cheese
celery and carrots, cut into sticks

Place olives in food processor and grate in garlic, add cream cheese and ricotta cheese. Pulse the cheese and olives into a fairly smooth spread. Transfer to a serving bowl.

Savory Italian Crackers -

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup Parmesan, grated
1 stick salted butter, cold & cut into chunks
½ to 1 ts Rosemary (depending on taste preference)
3 sun-dried tomatoes (on oil)
2 dashes of cayenne (optional)
1/2 ts salt
a dash or two of half & half or cream (if needed)

In a food processor combine flour, cheese, butter, rosemary cayenne, salt, and sun-dried tomatoes.Pulsate a few times until the dough forms dough-likeness, take it out of the food processor and place it on your kitchen counter or cutting board.Shape the dough into a log and place it on a piece of plastic wrap. Wrap tightly. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Use a really sharp knife, slice the dough into ½ inch thick slices. These are supposed to look rustic, so no need to shape them into some sort of uniformity.

Bake the cookies for 10 - 12 minutes, until lightly golden brown. They do cook fast, keep an eye on first batch until you see how fast they do brown because the bottoms brown a lot faster than the tops.

Let them cool a bit before eating. As they cool they will harden a bit.

Note: If dough batter is very dry and hard to form into a log, add a dash or two of half & half and it will come together perfectly. If you do add in the half & half please make sure to add in as little as possible as it only takes a tiny amount; add too much and you can ruin the dough.

Deviled Eggs - Boil 1 dozen eggs. Peel boiled eggs, cut eggs in half lengthwise, place yolk in a bowl and set white aside. Mash egg yolks with a fork. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add 2 tablespoons of mayo, 1/2 teaspoon yellow mustard and 1 teaspoon dill pickle relish. Fold mixture with fork until thoroughly blended. Add a touch more mayo if needed. Spoon mixture into egg white and garnish with paprika. Great retro appetizer!






Before the carnage!

Ok, this is the real reason I haven't been posting much. I have turned into a video game junkie!

After Santa's visit...

Happy New Year!

The Story of Mr. Bingle

Hope you ar eenjoying the Christmas videos I have been posting. These are sentimental to me and it's just not Christmas without watching these at least once each Christmas Season.

I hope you and your families and a wonderful and blessed Christmas.

Merry Christmas!!!!






Love,