Mexican Pizza

Who would have known that homemade pizza dough was so easy? No rise time needed! Here's my recipe - it turned out great!

Pizza dough

1 C. water
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 1/4 tsp. active dry yeast (1 packet)
3 C. flour
1 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. sugar


Heat the water and oil together until it reaches 120-130 degrees. I put it in the microwave for about 30 seconds and used a candy thermometer to test the temperature. Mix in the yeast until dissolved. In the bowl of a stand mixer whisk together the flour, salt, and sugar.  Using the dough hook, start on a low speed an slowly add the water, oil, and yeast mixture. Continue to mix until the dough comes together and there's not longer any dry crumbs. Continue mixing a few minutes more to knead. Turn off the mixer and wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use. This should make 4 extra thin crusts or 2 medium sized pizzas.

Mexican Pizza

1/2 lb. ground beef
1/2 medium onion, chopped
2 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. ground coriander
1 tsp. dried oregano
Salt and Pepper1 recipe pizza dough, divided into 2
1/2 a can of refried beans
1/2 C. taco sauce
2 Roma tomatoes, chopped
1/2 head of lettuce, shredded
4 green onions, sliced
1 sm. can black olives
Jalapeños (optional)
2 - 2 1/2 C. shredded cheddar cheese

Cook the ground meat, onion, and seasoning in a medium skillet until cooked through. Drain fat and set aside. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and start to assemble the pizza. Roll out dough into 2 rounds (up to you on the thickness - use rolling pin or hands). Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Next spread the refried beans on the dough, then spread the taco sauce on top. Top with the ground beef and cheese.  Bake each pizza 20-30 minutes until crust is lightly browned and cheese is melted. Top with the tomatoes, lettuce, green onions, black olives, and jalapeños. Slice and enjoy!

Cream of Asparagus Soup

Asparagus is in season! For less than $10 you can make this really simple and totally tasty soup. I made a half batch tonight and nearly finished it. The best part, it's guilt free when you use greek yogurt instead of cream. I hope you try this. It's one of my absolute favorites.

2 lbs. fresh asparagus, woody stems removed and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 large onion, diced
Salt and Pepper
5 C. chicken broth
Olive oil
1/2 C. greek yogurt
1/2 a lemon, juiced (about 1-2 tsp.)
1 Tbsp. butter

Saute the the onion with 2 tablespoons olive oil until soft. Add the asparagus and salt and pepper and cook another 5 minutes. Add the broth, loosely cover the pot and simmer for 20 minutes or until vegetables are very soft. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly (about 10 minutes).

Using a stick blender, puree the mixture until smooth. Add in the yogurt, lemon juice, and butter. Mix until smooth. Season with more salt and paper as desired.

Chocolate Pecan Bread

This last week I saw a Nutella breakfast bread on Pinterest that got my mouth watering. I don't mind Nutella, but when I started thinking about making this, I thought 'how delicious would this be if I used dark chocolate instead'? Then it would be more like pain au chocolat, right? Right. It was a good decision.

12 Rhoades frozen dinner rolls
5 oz. (1/2 a bag) of dark chocolate chips (I recommend the Ghiradelli 60% cacao chips)
1 (2.25 oz.) bag of chopped pecans
2 Tbsp. melted butter
3 Tbsp. brown sugar
Flour for dusting
1 Egg
Water

First off, this is an overnight recipe. Plan ahead. Assuming you'll be making this for breakfast, spray a large bowl with non-stick cooking spray and place the 12 frozen rolls inside. Cover with plastic wrap and a dish towel and let sit out overnight.

Once you've gotten your beauty rest, remove the cover from the dinner rolls and preheat the oven to 375 degrees. The dough should be really puffy and sticking together. Sprinkle some flour on a flat working surface and dump the clump of dough out. Roll out with a rolling pin to make a rectangle (roughly 9"x13").

In a small bowl, mix the butter and brown sugar together to form a paste. Spread the paste on the rolled out dough and sprinkle with the chocolate chips and pecans. Cut the dough in half lengthwise with a pizza cutter to create two sections. Starting on the long edge of the dough, begin rolling towards the center to form a tight log. Do this for both pieces of dough and then life the logs onto a parchment lined cookie sheet. Twist the dough logs around each other and tuck the ends in. I made mine into an "S" shape. Cut slits in the dough to expose some of the filling. I like it when bits ooze out while it bakes. Cover, and let rest of an hour. The dough should puff back up slightly. Whisk together the egg and a little water and brush the dough with the mixture. Bake at 375 degrees for 20-30 minutes.

Here's a replay in photos:

The night before, place the frozen dough in a grease bowl. Cover and sit overnight.

The next morning the dough should look like this.

Roll out on a floured surface.

Spread with the butter and sugar paste.

Sprinkle on the toppings. Don't go overboard. Nor possible you say? Yeah, I know, but trust me on this.

Slice lengthwise into two pieces and start rolling.

The two logs.

Move to the cookie sheet and twist together tucking the ends in. Cut slits in the dough if you like.

Cover and let rest for an hour.

After a rest...

Voila! Golden deliciousness out of the oven.

Quiche

I can't believe I'm making this post. This recipe has been a personal favorite of mine for years, and I wanted to keep the fame to myself by never sharing. But it's too easy and delicious.

World, you are welcome.

One of my all-time favorite cookbooks holds this beloved recipe. It's the most unusual cookbook but has some of the most amazing recipes I've ever tried. It's called The Best of France by Evie Righter. I'd highly recommend her other book The Best of Italy too. If you've ever wanted to try any of the classics, these are the recipes to start with...French Onion Soup, Creme Brulee, Meatballs, Alfredo sauce, etc.

So here it is. You can switch up the ingredients any way you like. Today I used ham, onion, spinach, and cheddar cheese. Try using bacon, leeks, tomatoes, Gruyere, Parmesan, fontina...the possibilities are endless. My favorite part about this recipe is that its egg-hater friendly. As much as I detest eggs, there are only 3 in the entire dish, and the texture is perfect. Word of advice, you may want to make two...

1 recipe pastry dough (store bought refrigerated or frozen in a tin are perfect)
3 eggs
1 C. milk
1/2 C. heavy cream
2-3 tsp. Dijon mustard
Freshly grated nutmeg (vital!!!)
Salt and Pepper

For the filling:
1 C. diced ham
1/2 C. thawed frozen spinach, drained and squeezed dry
1/3 C. minced onion

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees and prepare the pastry dough by pressing into a pie pan and pricking with a fork to help vent (if using the frozen shells already in the pan, no extra steps needed!). Bake the crust for 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from oven and allow to cool. Reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees.

In a large bowl, whisk together the egg, milk, cream, mustard, nutmeg and salt and pepper. Sprinkle the toppings into the cooled pastry shell and pour the egg mixture over the toppings just up to the rim of the crust.

Place pie dish on a baking sheet and bake 30-45 minutes until the quiche starts to puff and brown. I like to cook the quiche well so that the middle no longer jiggles. Remove from oven and serve warm.

Balsamic Crock Pot Roast Beef

Adapted from this recipe
Serves 6

2-3 lb. beef round roast (I used round tip roast)
4-5 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
1 small can beef broth
1 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbsp. honey
1/2 C. balsamic vinegar
1 medium onion, sliced
Buns
Blue cheese and horseradish cream sauce (recipe below)


Combine the garlic, broth, soy sauce, Worcestershire, honey, and vinegar together in a bowl. Place roast in a slow cooker and pour sauce over. Cover, and cook on low for 5-6 hours. Remove from slow cooker, wrap in tinfoil and let rest for 10 minutes. Keep the broth for au jus dipping! When ready to serve, remove foil, and pull apart using a fork.  Spread blue cheese horseradish sauce on the bun, top with beef and caramelized onions. Be sure to use the leftover broth -- drizzle on top of the sandwich or dip. Enjoy!

Blue Cheese and Horseradish Cream Sauce

1 (8oz.) small container sour cream
2-4 Tbsp. horseradish (to taste)
2-3 Tbsp. blue cheese crumbles

Combine all ingredients together. Add horseradish to taste - depending on how hot you like it. Be careful not to add too much cheese as it can be overpowering.

What's the purple stuff you might ask? Mashed potatoes using blue and yellow new potatoes. Add a little greek yogurt, butter, ranch dressing, and caramelized onions.

Banana Gingersnap Pudding

The Butcher and the Boar. It's the talk of Minneapolis for a reason. If you haven't been, make a reservation -- it's a must!

Everything we had during our meal was delicious, but the one dessert that I was against getting has actually been on my mind for the last two days it was so good. It was called Gingersnap Banana pie. Here's my cheap and healthier version of this recipe.

My favorite pudding mix -- I got this at Whole Foods

Gingersnaps. You can't go wrong no matter who makes them. I could eat this box all by myself.

Banana Gingersnap Pudding
1 large box vanilla pudding
2 C. almond milk (or milk of your choice)
10-15 Gingersnap cookies, crushed
1-2 bananas, peeled and sliced thin

Make the pudding according to the package directions. Set aside. In five 1/2 cup ramekins, sprinkle the crushed cookies (about 2 per ramekin). Place sliced bananas on top, then pour the warm pudding over the bananas. Cover and chill until ready to eat. If you use almond milk, it's only 225 calories per serving!

Layer 1 - cookies

 Layer 2 - bananas

Layer 3 - it's getting tricky here...j/k. Pour in the pudding. Ta-da!

Porchetta (Italian Pork Roast)

'What the heck is porchetta?' you might ask. Well, it's the most delicious pork roast you'll ever have. Don't be fooled by grocery store or butcher shop imitations. The only way to make this authentic dish is to do it yourself.

Porchetta brings warm memories of my childhood. Every once in a while, my dad would bring home a porchetta roast from a co-worker's grandma. These were true authentic Italian Pork Roasts. My mom would roast it in the oven and the house would fill with the aroma of spices and fennel. I'm pretty sure we never had any leftovers when we had it for dinner...

This was my first attempt at the recipe after researching recipes online. I knew that the key ingredient was fennel seeds, but the rest I wasn't sure about. Let me tell you, the salt, and especially the smoked salt, was just as critical as the fennel. Throw it in the crockpot and in a few short hours the roast is falling apart. I paired the roast with a low-carb version of mashed potatoes using celery root and rutabaga.

Porchetta (serves 6)

4-5 lbs. bone-in pork shoulder

1/2 C. dry white wine

1/2 C. chicken stock

Rub:

8 garlic cloves

2 Tbsp. fresh rosemary

1 Tbsp. dried parsley

1/2 Tbsp. sea salt

1 tsp. smoked salt

1 tsp. dried oregano

1 Tbsp. fennel seed

1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes

olive oil

In a food processor or using a stick blender, grind up the rub ingredients into a paste. Poke holes into the roast and stuff pockets with the rub. In a large pan, heat the olive oil and sear each side of the roast (about 3-4 minutes per side). Remove from the pan and rub with the remaining paste mixture. Place into  a crock pot (cut up if you need to) and add in the wine and chicken stock. Turn the crock pot on high and cook for 4-5 hours until meat falls apart.

Celery Root and Rutabaga Puree (serves 6)

2 lbs. celery root, peeled and cut up into large pieces

2 lbs. rutabaga, peeled and cut up into large pieces

2 oz. goat cheese

2 Tbsp. butter

chicken stock

Salt and Pepper

Boil the celery root and rutabaga in water until tender (about 20 minutes). Drain. Add the goat cheese, butter, chicken stock, and salt and pepper. Puree with a stick blender.

Chino Bandito

This post is long overdue…When visiting Arizona last March, my friend’s husband recommended we eat at a local dive called Chino Bandito. In normal circumstances, I’d avoid a restaurant that is known for serving food in pie tin plates and uses folding furniture, but when I heard that Chino was featured on Triple D, I wanted to give it a try.

Their food isn’t what I’d called fusion but more a mix and match combination of Chinese and Mexican. There are two meal options – a small plate with one entrée and rice and the large plate option with 2 entrees, beans, and rice. Each entrée is a protein that can be ordered plain or in either a burrito or quesadilla. I was happy to learn that they have a “tasting station” where you can try bites of their most popular dishes. When ready to order you fill out their form and hand it to the cashier – not only are there a number of entrée choices, but there are also 2 types of beans and 4 types of rice.

I went for the Jade Red Chicken by itself, carnitas quesadilla, refried beans, and chicken fried rice. It was really strange to go between bites of sweet and sour chicken to refried beans. I ended up eating each item separately since the mixing of bites started to weird me out. Everything was really good…I’d definitely go back. Good recommendation TJ!

Diners Drive-Ins and Dives Segment

Lemon Pancakes

Lemon. Pancakes. Pancakes so good syrup isn't needed.

After numerous local write-ups and reviews, I finally had a taste of Hell's Kitchen's Lemon Ricotta Hotcakes. I now know what all the fuss is about. However, I ordered Heuvos Rancheros instead of the hotcakes, so I was left with just a taste from a friends plate. This morning I couldn't help but think about this delicious dish and how I could re-create it...and with a healthy twist.

My attempt was a success and I needed to share the recipe with you. One batch makes roughly 6 pancakes, or 3 servings (2 if you've got an appetite). Total caloric damage? Only 365 calories. Add a few strawberries and round it up to 400. Not bad for a weekend indulgence!

Lemon Pancakes
Adapted from the "Joy of Cooking"

3/4 C. AP Flour (I used GF Bob's Red Mill)
1/4 C. Ground flaxseed (mmm good ole fiber -- you can sub flour if you don't have flaxseed)
1/3 C. Granulated sugar
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. sea salt
3/4 C. Greek yogurt
1/3 C. milk (I used Almond milk)
1 egg
3 Tbsp. melted butter
Zest of one large lemon
1/4 C. lemon juice
1 tsp. lemon extract

Mix your dry ingredients with a whisk: flour, flaxseed, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In another bowl combine the remaining wet ingredients. Slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry mixture until well mixed (no lumps with this recipe).

Scoop into 1/2 cup dollops and cook on a medium heat griddle or frying pan. Serve with diced strawberries and powdered sugar. If you must, use real maple syrup.

Christmas Cookies 2012

Tis the season! Have you started your baking yet? I scaled back a little this year, but that's not to say that these aren't fabulous recipes! What's even better about the cookies this year is that I used gluten free flour. Too bad these won't travel well...only my local friends will get to savor these tasty bites this year since 2 of the 3 recipes need to be refrigerated. Hopefully the besties aren't too upset that they won't be getting the usual tin full of cookies this year.  Here's the short and simple list of 2012 Christmas Cookies.

Lemon, Cranberry, and Pistachio Wreaths
(adapted from Martha Stewart - she's kinda my idol)
Original Recipe

1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 C. flour, plus more for rolling out dough
3/4 C. cornstarch
1/2 C. (1 stick) butter, softened
1/2 C. sugar
2 egg yolks
5 tsp. finely grated lemon zest
1 tsp. lemon extract
2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 3/4 C. powdered sugar
3/4 C. shelled unsalted pistachios, toasted and chopped
3/4 C. dried cranberries, chopped

Whisk the first 4 dry ingredients together in a bowl. Set aside. Using a stand or hand mixer, beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the egg yolks, zest, and lemon extract. Slowly add the dry mixture until the dough pulls together. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for 20 minutes.

Lightly flour a work surface and roll out the dough until it's about 1/8 inch thick. Cut out wreaths using a Linzer cookie cutter (or similar cutter) and lay out on a parchment lined baking sheet. Cookies will not spread that much while cooking but should be at least 1 inch apart from each other.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 8-9 minutes. Allow to cool.

In a bowl whisk together the lemon juice and powdered sugar. Add more lemon juice to get to the right "icing" consistency. Fill a ketchup style bottle with the icing or a plastic baggie with a corner snipped off. Swirl the icing around each cookie and quickly sprinkle the chopped pistachios and cranberries on top so they stick. Let cool and store in a airtight container.



Chocolate Balls (aka Kathy's Cookies)

2-8 oz. Hershey's Milk Chocolate with Almond bars
handful of semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/4 C. whole almonds
1 tsp. vanilla
1-8 oz. container Cool Whip
Nilla Wafers or Graham Crackers, crushed

In a double boiler, melt the chocolate bars and chocolate chips. Remove from heat and stir in the almonds. Allow to cool to room temperature then add the vanilla. Carefully fold in the Cool Whip until combined. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate 4 hours or overnight.

To assemble the cookies, use a melon baller to evenly scoop each cookie. Roll the chocolate ball in the crushed cookies. Once all cookies are rolled, enjoy or refrigerate until ready to serve.


Seven Layer Cookies
These are deliciously almond!
Recipe from Epicurious

Amuse Bouche!

This week I was traveling for work in LA, and I was fortunate enough to enjoy dinner at Wolfgang Puck's restaurant at the Hotel Bel Air. Dinner was amazing: a fixed price menu equipped with amuse bouches, homemade bread, and a three course meal. I'm sorry to say I didn't take any pictures of the food (my heart hasn't been in the blogging mood for a while), but this one snapshot may have inspired me to come back! If you can't tell, the chef himself greeted us during our meal, and I was speechless! I was grinning ear to ear in awe of him coming to chat with us. Everything inside me was dying to say "I love you!" "I have your cookware at home!". Thankfully, I kept my mouth shut. :)

I'm hidden here, but he's looking at me! :)

Needless to say, the one of the amuse bouches from the evening inspired me to create my own. Here I've put together a fig, olive oil, pepper, prosciutto, and a candied walnut. There's a lot of flavors all wrapped up in one. Try it for yourself!

-M

Breakfast Burritos

I'm not much of a breakfast person, but every once in I get on a kick where it's all I crave. Lately, I'd say it's any sort of breakfast scramble or mexican inspired dish. And the more vegetables you can sneak in there, the better I feel about skipping my usual cereal and coffee routine.

This recipe was inspired by my recent trip to French Meadow Cafe, a local restaurant that specializes in local and organic food here in Minneapolis.

If you like crisp hashbrowns and Mexican spices, I think you'll really enjoy this one. It got 2 thumbs up from my college roommates this weekend!

Canola or Safflower oil
1 (20 oz.) pkg. Simply Potatoes O'Brien has browns
8 eggs, beaten and set aside
1 can spicy black beans
1 1/2 - 2 C. shredded cheddar cheese
4-6 large flour tortillas
2-3 thinly sliced green onions
1/2 C. sour cream
2 canned chipotle peppers in Adobo sauce, finely minced
Salsa
Salt and pepper

Combine the sour cream and chipotle peppers in a small bowl Set aside until ready to serve.

In a large non-stick skillet, heat a good 2-3 tablespoons of the oil and add the hashbrowns. Cook over medium-high heat adding more oil to increase crispiness (if desired) until fully cooked. Set aside. Add another tablespoon of oil to the pan and add the eggs. Stir/scramble the eggs until almost cooked through. Add back the potatoes, and then the beans, cheese, and salt and pepper. Stir until the eggs are fully cooked and cheese is melted.

To assemble the burrito, scoop a healthy portion of the egg and potato mixture onto a tortilla. Then either add the green onions, chipotle sour cream, and salsa to the inside before folding or add to the top of the burriton once rolled up.

Italian Pasta Salad

1 (16 oz.) box spiral pasta, cooked
1 (2.25 oz.) can chopped black olives
1/3 C. finely minced red onion
1 diced green or red bell pepper
1 jar quartered artichoke hearts
1 (4 oz.) bag Hormel Bite Size Mini Pepperonis
1 tsp. Suddenly Salad seasoning
Wishbone Italian Dressing (16 oz. or smaller)

Cook the pasta per the directions or until al dente. Drain, rinse, and pour into a large bowl. Add in the black olives, red onion, bell pepper, artichokes, and pepperoni. Stir to combine. Add seasoning and dressing to taste. I usually stir in half of the dressing, allow to sit, and then add more if needed. Refrigerate 4 hours or overnight. Keep chilled until ready to eat.