Monthly Archives: June 2011

Pizza Caprese with Garlic Focaccia Crust

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I.Love.Bread. I could never cut it out of my diet – how boring would that be? A life with no bread is a sad thought 😉 I didn’t care all that much for it before I started making my own though. It makes such a difference and I’m so happy that I have my KitchenAid standing mixer to do all the grunt work. It is the most expensive toy in my kitchen arsenal, but it also gets the most use out of all my appliances. It opened up a whole new word of recipes for me and my family and I couldn’t be more excited!
Verdict: More cheese next time according to M – but I’ll have to agree. Also, I need to turn the heat up on the oven – I set it to 475 because 550 is scary-hot. We all enjoyed the flavor and the rosemary wasn’t over-powering at all. I thought the garlic flavor would come through more, but that wasn’t too strong either. M also mentioned that this dough would make tasty sandwich bread, so I’ll have to make that sometime soon for him. I’m pretty happy with how this came out, which is always a great outcome when I try something completely different for my family. Thanks for reading, enjoy!
Pizza Caprese with Garlic Focaccia Crust – adapted from goodLife(eats)
For the Crust –
  • 2 packages active dry yeast
  • 2 c warm water
  • 6 c flour, divided
  • 1/2 c olive oil
  • 1/4 c chopped fresh rosemary
  • 3 tsp salt
  • 8 cloves chopped garlic
Toppings –
  • Olive oil
  • Asiago Cheese
  • Fresh Basil, sliced thin
  • 1 1/2 cups cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
  • Fresh Mozzarella

Directions:

Combine yeast and water; let stand 5 minutes. Whisk in the olive oil and salt. Stir 4 c flour, garlic, and rosemary in a large bowl; make a well in the center. Add yeast mixture; stir until a soft dough forms. Cover and let rise in a warm place for 50 minutes. Dough will be spongy.

Sprinkle remaining 2 c flour onto a flat surface. Turn dough out onto floured surface, and knead until flour is incorporated into dough. Knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes.

Preheat oven to 550 degrees F with a pizza stone on a rack in the top 1/2 of the oven. Return to the bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm place for 35 minutes.

Divide dough into quarters. On a floured surface (I like to use a pizza peel or a sheet of parchment so I can easily transfer the pizza to the stone in the oven). Roll each portion out into rounds just under 1/2 an inch thick. Using fingertips dimple the dough all over.

Brush each crust with 1 tablespoon olive oil all over. Grate 2 tablespoons of asiago on each pizza. Top with a handful of sliced fresh basil and halved cherry or grape tomatoes. Top with chunks of fresh mozzarella.

Transfer pizza to the pizza stone in the oven. Bake at 550 degrees F for 9-12 minutes. Serve immediately.

Note: If you don’t intend to use the full amount of dough, divide it after the second rise and place the extra in a gallon sized zip top bag in the refrigerator. Use the dough within 48 hours. Punch it down and proceed with forming the crust rounds.

Pico de Gallo

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I haven’t made this in a long time – which is probably due to the fact that there is no short cut to making this. There is lots of chopping, dicing, and mincing involved; thankfully it’s totally worth the effort. This recipe comes from one of my favorite bloggers – The Pioneer Woman 🙂 She knows her stuff and she is a home cook just like me – no formal training is required when you have a love for food and a desire to try out new techniques. I have come a long way in 8 1/2 years of marriage. In the beginning, I used a lot of boxed meals, frozen and prepackaged stuff – I had to start somewhere, right? Thankfully, my husband wasn’t raised around a lot of fabulous cooks, so he didn’t know what he was missing out on! 😉 I could never go back to that kind of cooking and those fuss free, easy stuff. I get such a feeling of satisfaction and fulfillment out of giving my family the very best.

Anyway, this turned out perfectly and wasn’t too spicy when we added it to these tacos. By itself though, it has quite a kick! Thanks for reading, enjoy!

Pico de Gallo – adapted from The Pioneer Woman

  • 5 whole Plum (roma) Tomatoes
  • ½ whole Large (or 1 Small) Onion
  • 3 whole Jalapeno Peppers
  • Cilantro
  • Lime Juice
  • Salt To Taste

Directions –

Chop jalapenos, tomatoes and onions into a very small dice. (Leave seeds in your jalapenos for a hotter pico). Adjust amount of jalapenos to your preferred temperature. Next, chop up a nice-sized bunch of cilantro. Just remove and discard the long leafless stems before chopping. No need to remove the leaves from the stems completely. Place all of these ingredients together in a bowl and give it a good stir.

Squeeze the juice of half of one lime into the bowl. Add salt to taste and stir again.

Grilled Corn with Chili Lime Butter

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Quick Post: I was so sad when I finished this…I love grilled corn, but this made it extra special. I will make this again, and make sure that I buy extra ears for us. Thanks for reading, enjoy!

Grilled Corn with Chili Lime Butter – adapted from Meatwave

  • 6 ears corn, husked
  • 1/4 pound butter at room temperature, plus 3 tablespoons
  • 2 teaspoons chili powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • Zest of 1 lime
  • Juice of 1/2 lime
  • Kosher salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • Lime wedges for serving
Directions –

1. In a small bowl, whisk together 1/4 pound of the butter, chili powder, cayenne pepper, lime zest, and lime juice until thoroughly combined. Set aside.

2. Lightly butter the corn with the remaining butter and season with salt and pepper to taste. Wrap ears individually in aluminum foil.

3. Light one chimney full of charcoal. When all the charcoal is lit and covered with gray ash, pour out and spread the coals evenly over the charcoal grate. Clean and oil the grilling grate. Place the foiled corn on the grill and cook until tender and slightly charred, about 20 minutes, turning 4 times during cooking. Remove from the grill and let cool for 3 to 5 minutes.

4. Open the foil, slather each ear in the chili-lime butter, and serve with the lime wedges.

Vanilla Extract

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I was inspired to make another type of vanilla extract today while watching a show called “Unique Sweets”. A bakery on the show boasted several different house vanilla extracts that were made with different types of alcohol. I had never heard of  one made with tequila, rum or brandy. I already made a vanilla extract a few months ago with vodka, but I still had about five Madagascar vanilla beans I needed to use. Today I decided to use one of my 8 ounce Ball jars and rum for vanilla extract number two. I filled the jar with rum and then added three of the beans that I split length-wise and in half so they would fit nicely in the jar. Next, just screw the cap onto the jar, shake, label and let sit in your pantry for 6 to 8 weeks for curing. Every few days give the jar a shake to help the process along. What is so great about making your own extract is that there is no corn syrup or other fillers in it, you can replenish your stash with more alcohol and vanilla beans and it wont spoil. And the best part is that it is so much cheaper than buying the really expensive top quality extracts online or in specialty stores. Thanks for reading!

* My new vanilla extract made with rum is the one on the left. The darker one is made with vodka and is about 4 months old *

Homemade Hot Dog Buns

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I went and did it – I finally made hot dog buns. Yes, it is easier to just spend the couple of dollars to buy hot dog buns, but why do that when I know how much better homemade tastes? Not to mention, the fact that I know what went into these…have you read ingredient lists on store bought breads? I know these aren’t as smooth and uniform-looking as the packaged kind, but I do know that these taste and smell a whole lot better. And yes, I am a food snob – and I’m totally fine with that! 😉

These make a nice, hearty bun for your hot dog and toppings. M had his with lots of chili and cheese and the bun held up really nice and didn’t get soggy at all. The kids enjoyed these too, and my pickiest eater ate hers faster than her big brother. This recipe made 18 hot dog buns, so I was able to freeze half of these. Next time I use this recipe, I might try to use half the dough for hamburger buns so I can have plenty on homemade buns on hand. Thanks for reading, enjoy!

Hot Dog Buns – adapted from King Arthur Flour

  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 2 packets or 2 scant tablespoons active dry yeast
  • 1/2 cup warm water (105°F to 115°F)
  • 2 cups warm milk (105°F to 115°F)
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 6 to 7 1/2 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
Directions –

Mixing: In a large bowl, dissolve the sugar and then the yeast in the warm water. Add the milk, oil, salt and 3 cups of flour to the yeast mixture. Beat vigorously for 2 minutes.Gradually add flour, 1/4 cup at a time, until the dough begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl. Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface.

Kneading: Knead until you have a smooth, elastic dough. Because this dough is so slack, you may find that a bowl scraper or bench knife can be helpful in scooping up the dough and folding it over on itself.

Rising: Put the dough into an oiled bowl. Turn once to coat the entire ball of dough with oil. Cover with a tightly-woven dampened towel and let rise until doubled, about one hour.

Shaping: Turn the dough out onto a lightly oiled work surface. Divide into 18 equal pieces. This is done most easily by dividing the dough first into thirds, then those thirds into halves, then the halves into thirds.

Shape each piece into a ball. For hot-dog buns, roll the balls into cylinders, 4 1/2-inches in length. Flatten the cylinders slightly; dough rises more in the center so this will give a gently rounded top versus a high top.

For soft-sided buns, place them on a well-seasoned baking sheet a half inch apart so they’ll grow together when they rise. For crisper buns, place them three inches apart.

Second Rising: Cover with a towel and let rise until almost doubled, about 45 minutes.

Baking: Fifteen minutes before you want to bake your buns, preheat your oven to 400°F. Just before baking, lightly brush the tops of the buns with the egg wash and sprinkle with whatever seeds strike your fancy.

Bake for 20 minutes or until the internal temperature of the bread reaches 190°F. (A dough thermometer takes the guesswork out of this.)

When the buns are done, remove them from the baking sheet to cool on a wire rack. This will prevent the crust from becoming soggy.

My Go-To Pizza Sauce

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Quick Post: This is my favorite, and more importantly – my kids’ favorite pizza sauce. I always double this so I can freeze the leftovers for future pizza nights. We like saucy pizzas, but once I portioned it out, I can probably get 8 pizzas worth of sauce, if that makes sense. It is zesty, rich and thick thanks to all that tomato paste. This is so convenient because I always have these ingredients on hand and it is so freezer friendly. I love that I can have this dough and this sauce on hand at all times in case I have no idea what to make for dinner; and who doesn’t like pizza night? I know my kids always appreciate it! Thanks for reading, enjoy!
Zesty Old School Style Pizza Sauce – adapted from The Cooking Photographer
  • 1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce (without sugar)
  • 1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground sweet paprika
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • Fresh cracked pepper to taste
  • 2 Tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon white vinegar

Place all the ingredients in a medium sized bowl and stir together.

Makes 1 1/2 cups of pizza sauce.

Chipotle Shrimp Taco with Avocado Salsa Verde

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I bookmarked this recipe a long time ago but M didn’t get the whole “shrimp on a taco” thing. Woo – he was wrong because this was so good. I was a little worried about what the salsa verde would taste like because I’ve never had raw tomatillos. Normally, salsa verde’s are cooked down but this didn’t have any weird, raw taste to it. The salsa was an excellent compliment to this meal, and had the right amount of spice from the jalapeno. My family loves shrimp, so I bought one and a half pounds for this, which was more than what we needed. The shrimp is simply seasoned with the chipotle powder and some kosher salt; but I added a little chili powder, coated them in olive oil, and squeezed fresh lime juice over top all of them. Also, I didn’t grill these, but I sautéed them in a little olive oil and butter. Thanks for reading, enjoy!

Chipotle Shrimp Tacos with Avocado Salsa Verde – adapted from Food Network

Avocado Salsa:

  • 1 small onion, quartered
  • 1 jalapeno, quartered, seeds optional
  • 1 garlic clove, smashed
  • 4 medium tomatillos, (about 8 ounces) husked, cut into chunks
  • 1/2 Hass avocado, peeled, seeded, and cut into chunks
  • 1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1/4 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro leaves, coarsely chopped

Shrimp:

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 TBSP butter
  • 1 teaspoon chipotle or blended chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • the juice of one lime
  • 1 pound medium shrimp (about 20), peeled and deveined
  • 8 fajita size tortillas
  • 8 sprigs cilantro for garnish
  • 2 limes, cut into wedges
Directions –

Put the onion, jalapeno, and garlic in a food processor and finely chop. Add the tomatillos, avocado, and salt and pulse until chopped but still chunky. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the cilantro.

Heat a large skillet to med-high heat, then add butter and olive oil. Mix the olive oil, chipotle, chili powder, and salt in a large bowl. Add the shrimp, and lime juice then toss to coat.

Grill tortillas, until slightly charred and pliable, about 20 seconds per side. (Alternatively, wrap in a damp paper towel and heat in a microwave.) Spoon sauce on the tortilla, then top with about 2 or 3 shrimp and a sprig of cilantro. Serve 2 tacos per person, with a lime wedge on the side.

Creamy Orzo

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This was a great side dish for the tilapia we had last night. I bet it would be a great compliment to chicken or even a beef main course. It is an easy recipe to throw together, and there are no specialty or uncommon ingredients in it. Hopefully the leftovers are nearly as tasty because this makes a lot!

Creamy Orzo – adapted from Giada De Laurentiis

  • 1 pound orzo
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 large shallot, finely chopped
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, juices drained
  • 1 1/4 cups whipping cream
  • 1 cup frozen peas, thawed
  • 3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions –

Bring a heavy large saucepan of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the orzo and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring often, about 8 minutes. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a heavy large frying pan over medium heat. Add the shallot and garlic, and saute until tender, about 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook until they are tender, about 8 minutes. Stir in the cream and peas. Add the orzo and toss to coat. Remove the skillet from the heat. Add the Parmesan to the pasta mixture and toss to coat. Stir the pasta mixture until the sauce coats the pasta thickly, adding enough reserved cooking liquid to maintain a creamy consistency. Season the orzo with salt and pepper, and serve

Whitefish with Lemon Vinaigrette

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Quick Post: I was at a loss as to what I should make for dinner…again. Last night I used my get out of jail free card, and we ordered Chinese. Tonight that wasn’t an option. Yet again, Publix was selling tilapia for $5.99 so that was what I went with. It’s seasoned simply and paired with a fantastic vinaigrette. The family enjoyed this, and I enjoyed the simplicity of the dish and the speed at which it came together; and I will definitely make this again. Thanks for reading, enjoy!

Whitefish with Lemon Vinaigrette – heavily adapted from Giada De Laurentiis

  • 3 TBSP extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 TBSP unsalted butter
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 pounds tilapia
  • Lemon Vinaigrette, recipe follows
Directions –
Meanwhile, heat 3 tablespoons and butter of oil in a 14-inch (or 2 smaller) nonstick pan over medium-high heat. Sprinkle the fillets with salt and pepper. Fry 3 fillets in each pan until they are golden brown and just cooked through, about 3 minutes per side.
Drizzle the vinaigrette over and serve immediately.
Lemon Vinaigrette –
  • 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
  • 2 TBSP dried parsley flakes
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Blend the lemon juice, parsley, garlic, lemon zest, salt, and pepper in a blender. With the machine running, gradually blend in the oil. Season the vinaigrette, to taste, with more salt and pepper. (* I used my stick blender and it worked great*)

Vermont Whole Wheat Oatmeal Honey Bread

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Quick Post: I haven’t posted a yeast  bread recipe in a long time. Anyway, I owe someone a loaf of this, and I’m glad because I haven’t had an excuse to make this one since December. It’s so good and it is the perfect bread for toasting. I like that it makes two loaves so I still get to keep one 😉 The cinnamon and brown sugar are such a warm and comforting combination. While the oats soak in the butter/sugar/cinnamon mixture – try to stop yourself from licking the bowl. I kind of wish that maple sugar wasn’t so darn expensive and that it was easier to find because I would love to try it. I have only seen it available online, and I can’t justify the cost, especially the 8 dollar shipping! Blah… Thanks for reading, enjoy!
Vermont Whole Wheat Oatmeal Honey Bread – adapted from King Arthur Flour
Ingredients –
  • 2 cups boiling water
  • 1 cup rolled oats (*aka “old fashioned”)
  • 1/2 cup maple sugar (*I don’t have any of this but brown sugar is the best substitute)
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
  • 1 tablespoon kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon Saigon-type cinnamon
  • 1 tablespoon instant yeast
  • 1 1/2 cups King Arthur 100% White Whole Wheat Flour
  • 4 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour

Directions –

In a large mixing bowl, combine the water, oats, maple sugar, honey, butter, salt and cinnamon. Let cool to lukewarm.

Add the yeast and flours, stirring to form a rough dough. Knead (about 10 minutes by hand, 5 to 7 minutes by machine) until the dough is smooth and satiny. Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl, cover the bowl with lightly greased plastic wrap, and allow the dough to rise for 1 hour.

Divide the dough in half, and shape each half into a loaf. Place the loaves in two greased 8 1/2 x 4 1/2-inch bread pans. Cover the pans with lightly greased plastic wrap and allow the loaves to rise till they’ve crowned about 1 inch over the rim of the pan, about 1 hour.

Bake the loaves in a preheated 360°F oven for 33 minutes.* Remove them from the oven when they’re golden brown, and the interior registers 190°F on an instant-read thermometer. Yield: 2 sandwich loaves.

*If your oven can’t be set at 360°F, set it at 350°F and bake the bread for 35 to 40 minutes