Five Cheese & Tomato Pizza

Here is another recipe from CPK-so delish! But the cheese is expensive.

Ingredients
1 recipe Basic Pizza Dough
Corneal, semolina or four for handling
1 TBS. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 TBS. Shredded Smoked Gouda Cheese
¾ Cup Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
½ Cup Shredded Swedish Fontina Cheese
1 to 2 Roma (plum) tomatoes sliced into 1/8 thick rounds
3 ounces buffalo mozzarella or fresh ‘water-packed’ mozzarella (cut into 24 1 inch pieces )
½ cup (2 ounces) shaved Romano cheese
2 TBS. chiffonade of fresh basil

Preparation
1. Place the pizza stone in the center of the oven and preheat to 500 degrees for one hour before cooking the pizzas.
2. Brush the surface of the prepared dough with a thin application of olive oil. Evenly distribute the cheese over the oiled surface as follows: 1 tablespoon-smoked Gouda, 1/3-cup mozzarella and ¼ cup Fontina.
3. Place tomato slices over the cheeses, spaced about 1 inch apart-do not overlap or ‘blackout’ the surface. Top the tomatoes with half the pieces of buffalo mozzarella followed by half the shaved Romano.
4. Transfer the pizza to the oven; bake until the crust is crisp and golden and the cheese at the center is bubbly, 8-10 minutes. Remove pizza from oven. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of fresh basil over the hot , cheesy surface. Slice and serve.
5. Repeat with remaining ingredients for a second pizza. (The two pizzas may be prepared simultaneously if you are careful in placing the pizzas at opposite corners of your pizza stone.)

Basic Pizza Dough
Ingredients
1 teaspoon yeast
½ cup plus 1 tablespoon warm water (105 degrees to 100 degree)
1.5 cups bread flour or all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil plus 1 teaspoon for coating

Honey-Wheat Pizza Dough
1 teaspoon yeast
½ cup plus 1 teaspoon warm water (105 degree to 100 degrees)
1 cup bread flour
½ cup whole wheat flour
5 teaspoons clover honey
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil plus 1 teaspoon for coating

Note: The mixing and handling of the two types of dough are essentially identical except that the honey-wheat tends to rise more slowly.

Preparation
1. Dissolove yeast in the water and set aside for 5 to 10 miniutes. Be sure tha the water is not hot, temperatures of 120 degrees and above will kill th eyeast, and your dough will not rise.
2. If using an upright electric mixer, such as a KitchenAid, use the mixing paddle attachment because the batch size is too small for the dough hook to be effective. Combine all other ingredients (except the additional teaspoon olive oil) and combine them with the dissolved yeast in the mixing bowl. (Do not pour the salt directly into the yeast water because this would kill some of the yeast) Allow the se 2 ingredients to mix gradually, use the lowest 2 speeds to mix the dough. Mix for 2 to 3 minutes, until the dough is smooth and elastic. Over mixing will produce a tough, rubbery dough, and friction will cause dough to rise too fast.
3. If using a food processor, use a dough blade made of plastic rather than the sharp steel knife attachment, which would cut the gluten strands and ruin the consistency of the dough. Otherwise, proceed as above (Step 2). Be especially cautious not to mix too long with a food processor because the temperature resulting from the friction of mixing could easily exceed 120 degree, killing your yeast. Mix only until a smooth dough ball is formed.
4. If mixing by hand, place the dry ingredients in a 4 to 6 quart mixing bowl, make a well in the middle and pour in the liquids (reserving the teaspoon of olive oil). Use a wooden spoon to combine the ingredients. Once initial mixing is done, you can lightly oil your hands and begin kneading the dough, knead for five minutes. When done the dough should be slightly tacky (that is, it should be barely beyond sticking to your hands.)

Apple Crisp

This is from the cookbook-
California Pizza Kitchen

Apple Crisp Topping
½ cup (1 Stick) unsalted butter chilled
1.5 cups firmly packed light brown sugar
1 tespoon salt
1 1/3 cups all-pourpsoe flour plus extra for dusting

Apple Mixture
3.5 pounds granny smith apples
2/3 cup sugar
2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/3 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ tespoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon tuaca liqueur (optional)

Preparation for Topping

Generously dust a work surface with flour. Put the butter on the four-dusted surface, and using a knife, cut it into 1/8 inch dice, turning the pieces in the flour to coat them. In a mixing bowl, gently toss together the butter dice, brown sugar, slat and the 1 1/3 cups flour, do not over blend. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.

Preparation for the Apple Crisp

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

Peel and core the apples and cut them into 1/8 inch thick crescent-shaped slices. In a mixing bowl, gently toss together the apple slices, sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon, vanilla extract, and , if you like the Tuaca. Set aside at room temperature until the apples begin to give off their juices, about 10 minutes.

Transfer the Apple Mixture to a 2-quart rectangular glass baking dish; spread it out well making sure to fill the corners and spaces, and leave a slight depression in the center of the dish. Remove the topping mixture from the refrigerator. Grab a handful and squeeze tightly to compress it into a solid piece, then hold the compressed topping over the baking dish and crumble it by hand into small ½ to ¾ inch pieces, strewing them over the apples, repeat with the remaining topping.

Place the baking dish directly on the oven rack and bake until the apples begin to turn a rosy color and the juices thicken, about 2 hours. (Rotate the dish occasionally so the topping browns evenly and does not burn, if it appears to be browning too quickly, loosely drape it with aluminum foil.) When the crisp is done, leave it at room temperature until it cools enough to cut into individual servings, about 20 minutes. Cut the crisp into 6 pieces and serve with your favorite ice cream. To re-warm individual servings of the crisp, place them in microwave proof dishes and heat in the microwave on high power for about 20 seconds.

Spinach Lasagna

If you or your family is a vegetarian - this is a great dish for you! If you are not - it is still a great dish and one of my favorites!



Spinach Lasagna
comes from kraftrecipes.com

2 eggs, beaten
1 container (16 oz) cottage cheese
1 pkg. (10 oz) frozen chopped spinach, thawed, well drained (you can use fresh spinach if you prefer)
3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
½ cup grated parmesan cheese, divided
1 jar (26 oz) spaghetti sauce, divided (I make my own out of two cans crushed tomatoes, 1 can tomato sauce, and 1 package spaghetti mix)
9 lasagna noodles, cooked, drained

Heave oven to 350. Mix eggs, cottage cheese, spinach, 2 cups mozzarella, and ¼ cup parmesan.

Layer 1 cup spaghetti sauce, 3 lasagna noodles, and ½ the cottage cheese mixture in 13x9 baking dish. Repeat layers. Top with remaining noodles, sauce, and cheeses.

Bake 45 minutes or until heated through. Let stand 10 min. before serving.

Brownies

I made these brownies about every other day when I was pregnant and couldn't get enough of them! They are better than a box I promise!

Best Ever Brownies

Ingredients:

½ cup butter

1 cup white sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

½ cup all-purpose flour

¼ tsp. salt

¼ tsp. baking powder

½ bag chocolate chunks (optional for more chocolaty goodness!)

Frosting:

3 TBSP butter, softened

3 TBSP unsweetened cocoa powder

1 TBSP honey

1 tsp. vanilla

1 cup confectioners’ sugar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350. Grease and flour an 8 inch square pan.

In a large saucepan, melt butter. Remove from heat, and stir in sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Beat in cocoa, flour, salt, and baking powder. Spread batter into prepared pan.

Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes. Do not overcook.

To make frosting: combine butter, cocoa, honey, vanilla, and confectioners’ sugar. Frost brownies while they are still warm.

If you double the recipe – it should cook in about 30 minutes. Put a toothpick about 2 inches from the edge of pan and it should be almost clean. This keeps them fudgy!

Cinnamon Cream Syrup

If you are looking for a homemade syrup - this is fantastic!!!!

Cinnamon Cream Syrup

1 cup sugar

½ cup light corn syrup

¼ cup water

½ tsp. ground cinnamon

½ cup whipping cream (heavy cream)

In a small saucepan, stir together the sugar, corn syrup, water and cinnamon. Stirring constantly, bring to a boil over a moderate heat; boil for two minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in cream. Cool at least 30 minutes. Syrup will thicken as it cools.

Syrup may be refrigerated for several months.

Taco Soup

Taco Soup

1 lb. cooked hamburger
1/4 cup onion
1 can diced tomatoes with juice (14.5 oz)
1 can corn with juice (8.5 oz)
1 can black beans (15 oz)
1 pkg. taco seasoning
1 can tomato paste (6 oz)
1 -3 cups water (depending on how thick you like it – I only do 1)

Cook hamburger and ¼ cup diced onion till hamburger is cooked, then add all ingredients. Simmer with lid for 15 minutes.

Serve with tortilla chips, cheese, sour cream, avocado

Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps

I'm not a huge fan of Asian Cuisine, but this is a FAVORITE at our house. I keep forgetting to take pictures, so I use that excuse to not post, but I will try and do better!

Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps

1 head iceberg lettuce

3 TBSP hoisin sauce

2 TBSP soy sauce

2 TBSP water

5 garlic cloves, minced

2 tsp grated fresh ginger (optional)

2 tsp plus 2 TBSP peanut or vegetable oil

1 LB chicken (about 2 -3 chicken breasts)

Salt and pepper

1 red bell pepper, diced

1 (8-ounce) can water chestnuts, drained and chopped fine

5 scallions, chopped

1 can mushrooms

1 zucchini, diced

Remove 8 large, bowl-shaped leaves from head of lettuce; reserve remaining lettuce for another use. Whisk hoisin sauce, soy sauce, and water together in measuring cup. Combine garlic, ginger, and 2 teaspoons oil in small bowl.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Cook chicken, stirring to break up clumps, until just cooked through, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and transfer to bowl.

Add remaining tablespoon oil to skillet and heat until just smoking. Add bell pepper, water chestnuts, and scallions and cook until peppers soften, about 3 minutes. Clear center of skillet, add garlic mixture, and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add chicken and sauce and stir until thickened, about 30 seconds. Spoon mixture into lettuce leaves and serve.

Meatballs in Sauce with Creamy Polenta

Maybe this doesn't sound or look good to you, but the picture had me and I had to try it. It was sooo good. Granted, polenta is not the healthiest thing in the world for you, but when we paired it with meatballs (protein), marinara (veggie), and fresh green beans (veggie) on the side cooked in just a little bit of EVOO, it was delicious. The polenta just added a little bit of heavenly texture and you really don't need that much underneath the meatballs. This was a little more time consuming than I anticipated (what with smashing the tomatoes and all - I may just use another homemade marinara next time), so next time I will not do it in the middle of the week. Save it for Sunday.

I found it here.

Meatballs and Marinara Sauce

adapted from Pioneer Woman

Ingredients:

Meatballs:

• 3/4 pounds Ground Beef
• 3/4 pounds Ground Pork
• 3/4 cups Fine Bread Crumbs
• 2 whole Eggs
• 3/4 cups Freshly Grated Parmesan
• 1/4 cups Flat-leaf Parsley, Minced
• 1/4 teaspoons Salt
• Freshly Ground Black Pepper
• Splash Of Milk
• 1/2 cups Olive Oil

Sauce:

• 1 whole Yellow Onion, peeled
• 2 whole (28-ounce) Can Whole Tomatoes
• 1/4 teaspoons Salt
• 1 teaspoon Sugar
• a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
• Freshly Ground Black Pepper
• 1/4 cups Flat-leaf Parsley, Minced
• 8 whole Fresh Basil Leaves, Chiffonade (optional)

Preparation:

Start sauce. Put all the ingredients for the sauce except the fresh herbs (parsley and basil) in a Dutch oven or large pot. Cook for about 45 minutes (or longer…the longer, the better), mashing up the tomatoes with a potato masher or back of the spoon as they cook. Add chopped parsley after sauce has become less chunky and more saucy.

To make the meatballs, combine meat, garlic, breadcrumbs, Parmesan, eggs, salt, pepper, parsley, and a splash of milk in a mixing bowl. Mix together well with hands. Roll into 25 1 1/2-inch balls and place on a cookie sheet. Place cookie sheet into the freezer for 5 to 10 minutes to firm up.

To brown the meatballs, heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add meatballs 8 at a time, turning to brown. Once browned on both sides, put in marinara sauce. Continue until all the meatballs are browned and in sauce. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes, stirring very gently a couple of times during the simmer.

Just before serving, stir in basil if using.

Serve over polenta (recipe below). Sprinkle with extra Parmesan.

Polenta

by Tyler Florence

• 2 cups water or chicken stock
• 3/4 cups finely ground cornmeal or polenta
• 1/8 cup heavy cream
• 1/8 cup freshly grated Parmesan
• 1.5 tablespoons unsalted butter
• Pinch kosher salt

In a large saucepan bring the chicken stock to a slow simmer. Quickly whisk the cornmeal into the stock and lower the temperature to keep it from splattering. Stir in the cream, Parmesan, butter, and salt. Turn off the heat and keep in a warm place until the meatballs are ready.

(Servings: 6 for sauce and meatballs, 2-3 for polenta, Prep time: 45 min., Cook time: 75 min., Difficulty: Easy)

BLT Pasta

This pasta, I literally could not stop eating it was so good!

BLT Pasta
from my kitchen cafe


*Serves 4-6

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 3 slices hearty or artisan bread, cut into 1/2-inch cubes, about 4 cups total (ciabatta loaf)
• 12 slices bacon, chopped
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, finely minced
• Salt and pepper
• 1 pound radiatore pasta (or other small pasta shape)
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 (6 ounce) bag baby spinach
• 1 cup grated parmesan cheese

Preparation

Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot. While the water comes to a boil, melt the butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the bread cubes and cook, stirring frequently, until golden brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and wipe out the skillet.

Cook the chopped bacon in the empty skillet over medium-high heat until crisp, about 5 minutes. Transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate and leave a small amount of the bacon fat in the skillet (about 2 teaspoons). Cook the onion in the bacon fat until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

While the onion softens in the skillet, add 1 tablespoon salt to the boiling water then stir in the pasta. Cook until just tender (al dente). Reserve 1 1/2 cups of the pasta water by ladling it into a bowl before draining the pasta. Drain the pasta and return it to the pot. Stir in the tomatoes, spinach, Parmesan, bacon and onion mixture, and 1 cup reserved pasta water. Stir quickly and completely so the cheese doesn't melt in large clumps. Add additional water as needed. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Ladle pasta onto plates or bowls and top with croutons. Serve immediately.