Fun with pizza dough

I found a very easy homemade pizza dough recipe that you make and it lasts in the fridge for seven days. The dough will make 4-5 pizza crusts depending on the thickness. Since I have a pizza stone and the Traeger grill this has been all the motivation I have needed to experiment with new pizza toppings.

In the past few weeks we have had regular traditional pizza and pesto pizza, but I have also delved into cheeseburger pizza, barbecue chicken pizza and finally taco pizza.

I have already shared photos of the hamburger and barbecue chicken pizza on Facebook. This is a shot of the taco pizza. These have all been fun to try out on my family. I have.probably been the most skeptical when making it and they all have been surprisingly tasty.

More pizza adventures and pictures coming soon.

Pork Medallions with Cherry Sauce on the Food Network

Pork Medallions with Cherry Sauce on the Food Network

We made this with bone-in pork chops. Blaine and I enjoyed the cherries with the pork and wanted more, Jess, AJ and Aaron all opted out of the sauce and cherries.

I served it with stuffed mushroom caps, whole wheat rolls, sliced apples and baby carrots.

Morning Brunch

Today I hosted a small brunch with a couple of friends who were kind enough to be my guinea pigs.  I made a recipe from the King Arthur Flour Whole Grain Baking Cookbook although I tweaked it a bit. The recipe is for Cranberry-Orange Spelt Muffins however, I did not have an orange but did have a Mineola Tangelo and used it in place of the orange and orange zest.  I had purchased the spelt flour a few weeks ago right after my cookbook arrived but the opportunity to use it had not presented itself until now. Items baked with Spelt flour need to be allowed to rest before baking for the flour to absorb the moisture from the batter.

Cranberry-Tangelo Spelt Muffins
Makes - 1 dozen
Bake at 400 degrees F
Bake for 20-25 minutes

Muffin Batter
1 Cup diced dried cranberries
1/2 cup fresh squeezed tangelo juice

1 1/4 cup whole spelt flour
1 cup all purpose flour
1 T baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup honey
2 large eggs
1 T canola oil
1 T tangelo zest
1/2 c chopped pecans

Streusel Topping
3 T butter
1/2 c dark brown sugar
1/2 c all purpose flour
2 T wheat bran
1/2 c chopped pecans

The night before you want to bake - Heat juice in microwave for 30 seconds then pour over dried cranberries in small heatproof bowl and cover then set aside to cool.

Combine flours, baking powder and salt in mixing bowl, stir with whisk to combine.  In a separate bowl mix milk, honey, eggs and oil.  Add wet ingredients to dry and stir until there are no more dry clumps of flour - do not over mix, it will look soupy which is ok.  Fold in the tangelo zest, pecans, cranberries and juice.  Cover batter and refrigerate overnight.

Make the streusel while the batter is resting.  Combine all ingredients except pecans(works best with a pastry blender) until the mixture is crumbly.  Mix in the pecans.

To bake - remove batter from refrigerator, preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Prepare muffin tin by spraying with nonstick spray or use liners and spray with nonstick spray.

Spoon batter into the 12 muffin cups - they will be almost full.  Sprinkle streusel mixture over batter (I had a lot of streussel leftover and would consider putting a spoonful in the bottom of the muffins too for the next time).  Bake until golden brown and a cake test comes out clean (mine were slightly over baked).  Remove from the oven, cool in pan for 10 minutes then remove to cooling rack to finish.

Baked Egg Casserole

1 medium yellow squash
1/2 white onion
1 red pepper
3 cups frozen hash brown potatoes
4 slices bacon (cooked then crumbled)
1 cup grated queso fresco cheese
7 eggs
1/2 cup milk

1/2 palmful Emeril essence
1 T Worcestershire sauce
Salt and Pepper to taste

This is a prepare ahead dish that is pretty easy and delicious.  The first thing I did was cut up the veggies into large pieces so I could grill them for additional flavor.  I brushed the squash, onion and red pepper with olive oil and grilled it at 325 degrees for about 20-25 minutes turning occasionally.  I let this cool and rough chopped the veggies into pieces no larger than 1/2 inch. 

Mix eggs, milk, essence, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper until frothy. 

In a casserole dish sprayed with nonstick cooking spray, layer the potatoes, grilled chopped vegetables, crumbled bacon and cheese. Pour egg mixture evenly over other ingredients in casserole dish.  Cover and refrigerate overnight. 

In the morning when ready to bake - remove from fridge, preheat oven to 325 degrees F.  Bake for 35-50 minutes - I checked and rotated mine every 12 minutes or so.  Eggs should set up.  Keep warm until ready to serve.  Serve with hot sauce or Tabasco. 

New dinner recipes

Tonight we made grilled marinated flank steak, fresh rolls, roasted garlic mashed potatoes, sauteed kale and fresh cut-up cantaloupe. The kale and the potatoes tasted fantastic if eaten together on the same forkful, Blaine finished off all of the kale.

Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Rated: Submitted By: Kathleen Burton Photo By: Marlee Prep Time: 10 Minutes Cook Time: 1 Hour Ready In: 1 Hour 10 Minutes Servings: 8

"Russet potatoes are blended with roasted garlic, butter and milk."

Ingredients:

1 medium head garlic 1 tablespoon olive oil 2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and quartered

4 tablespoons butter, softened 1/2 cup milk salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1.	Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2.	Drizzle garlic with olive oil, then wrap in aluminum foil. Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour.
3.	Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add potatoes, and cook until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain, cool and chop. Stir in butter, milk, salt and pepper.
4.	Remove the garlic from the oven, and cut in half. Squeeze the softened cloves into the potatoes. Blend potatoes with an electric mixer until desired consistency is achieved.

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © 2011 Allrecipes.com

Printed from Allrecipes.com 9/13/2011

Sauteed Kale

Bobby Flay

Rated 5 stars out of 5

Total Time: 15 min

Prep 5 min

Cook 10 min

Yield: 4 servings

Level: Easy

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds young kale, stems and leaves coarsely chopped
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, finely sliced
• 1/2 cup vegetable stock or water
• Salt and pepper
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

Directions

Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook until soft, but not colored. Raise heat to high, add the stock and kale and toss to combine. Cover and cook for 5 minutes. Remove cover and continue to cook, stirring until all the liquid has evaporated. Season with salt and pepper to taste and add vinegar.

Lemon Curd Pie

I created my own recipe for the crust on this pie using a formula I found in the Baking text book.  The recipe is as follows:

Crumb crust
1 cup Honey Nut Cheerios
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup toasted pecans
3 T butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Place butter in pie dish and melt it in oven, make sure it does not burn.  Add Cheerios, brown sugar and toasted pecans in food processor and pulse until the mixture is a fine crumb.  Pour crumbs into the melted butter, mix completely and press into pie dish.  Bake for 10-12 minutes.  Cool.

Lemon Curd Filling
(recipe is prepared by weight except where noted)

4 fluid oz. of fresh lemon juice
6.5 oz. white sugar
2 tsp sugar
2 eggs
6 oz. unsalted butter at room temperature

• In a saucepan, bring to boil - lemon juice, 3 oz. of the sugar and the lemon zest.
• Mix eggs and remaining sugar in glass bowl.  Do not aerate.
• Temper egg mixture by adding 1/4 of boiling juice to egg mixture.  Then add remaining juice and return the whole mixture to the saucepan then return to stove.
• Whisking vigorously, bring mixture to boil.  Continue whisking and cook 1 minute.
• Remove from heat, leave in pan, chill over an ice bath until mixture cools to 120 degrees.
• Make 5 additions of the butter mixing thoroughly after each addition.
• Fill pie shell, cover and chill.
• Serve with whipped cream.

Chocolate Chunk Cookies

I have been trying to find a decent chocolate chip cookie recipe other than just the one on the bag of chocolate chips.  I found this recipe in the cookbook The Culinary Institute of America's Gourmet Meals in Minutes and on the website Culinary Institute of America.

I love the idea of making up a batch of dough and freezing it so that whenever the occasion arises I can offer my friends and family freshly baked chocolate chip cookies.  It makes a small batch of cookies which is good because I think they tasted best when still slightly warm right alongside an ice cold glass of milk.

Although I didn't add any nuts since most of family doesn't care for them in baked goods, I think that these cookies would be fantastic with the addition of chopped and toasted walnuts or pecans.


Chocolate Chunk Cookies - yield 16 cookies

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 egg
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chunks

• Sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugars on medium speed with the paddle attachment, scraping down the bowl periodically, until the mixture is smooth and light in color, about five minutes.
• Combine the eggs and vanilla. Add to the butter-sugar mixture and blend until fully incorporated, scraping down the bowl as needed. On low speed, mix in the sifted dry ingredients and the chocolate chunks until just incorporated.
• Shape the dough into one sixteen-inch log on a piece of waxed or parchment paper, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate or freeze until firm enough to slice into sixteen pieces. (Dough can alternatively be scaled into two-tablespoon portions and baked immediately.)
• Arrange the cookies on the parchment-lined baking sheets in even rows.
• Bake at 375 degrees F until golden brown around the edges, about twelve to fourteen minutes. Cool completely on cookie sheets.

Friday Afternoons = Baking time with my Grandma and Cousins

We made easy and delicious Applesauce-spice Cupcakes frosted with Brown-Sugar Cream-Cheese Frosting.  The recipes we tried came from the cookbook Martha Stewart's Cupcakes: 175 Inspired Ideas for Everyone's Favorite Treat.

I loved that the ingredients were things that I usually keep around so if  someday I decide to bake cupcakes this would be a great recipe to go to.



Applesauce-Spice Cupcakes - Makes 18

2 Cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp cloves
1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup light-brown sugar
4 large eggs, room temperature
1 tsp vanilla (her recipe does not call for it, we added it)
1 can unsweetened applesauce
1 cup toasted and chopped pecans

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Prepare muffin tins with liners.  
• Sift or whisk together dry ingredients
• Cream butter and sugars together with electric mixer on medium speed until mixture is pale and fluffy
• Add eggs one at a time, scraping down bowl as necessary
• Reduce speed to low adding applesauce then flour mixture until combined.
• Stir in pecans by hand
• Spoon mixture into cups, we were able to bake 20 although the recipe calls for 18.  
• Bake, rotating tins halfway through cooking to ensure even browning (we skipped this step) and toothpick comes out clean, takes appx. 20 minutes. 
• Cool completely on wire racks before frosting.
• Store frosted cupcakes in refrigerator and allow to warm to room temperature before serving

Brown-Sugar Cream-Cheese Frosting - 2 1/2 cups


1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
8 oz cream cheese room temperature
1 cup light-brown sugar

Place all ingredients in mixing bowl and mix on medium-high speed until mixture is smooth. Frost cupcakes.  Frosting can be store for 3 days in refrigerator, allow to warm to room temperature before serving.