Recipe #312: Caprese Garlic Bread

My sister was raving about this recipe, so I had to try it.  Her high praise wasn't for nothing- this is delicious.  I used four mini loaves of ciabatta and a whole stick of butter.  I also found a bottle of balsamic glaze at the store instead of having to make it myself.  This is from twopeasandtheirpod.com.

ingredients:

1 loaf ciabatta bread, horizontally cut in half
4 tablespoons salted butter
3 cloves garlic, minced
12 oz. fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
2 medium tomatoes, sliced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/3 cup chopped fresh basil

directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place both sides of the baguette on a large baking sheet with the cut side up.

2. In a small bowl, combine butter and garlic and spread evenly on bread halves. Place the mozzarella cheese slices on top of the bread, making sure the cheese covers the bread completely. Bake the bread for 12-15 minutes or until the cheese is melted.

3. While the bread is in the oven, make the balsamic reduction. Place the balsamic vinegar in a small saucepan. Bring the vinegar to a boil, decrease the heat to low, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is reduced by about half. This should only take about 5-7 minutes. Set aside.

4. Remove the bread from oven. Top the bread with tomato slices. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Add the fresh basil and drizzle with balsamic reduction. Cut into slices and serve.

Recipe #305: Caramelized Onion, Mushroom, Apple, & Gruyere Bites

Another winner from foodgawker.com.  I knew I had to try these as soon as I saw the picture.  It didn't make enough filling for all of the pastry, though. I would probably add more onion and mushrooms to balance out the apple more, but it was still delicious this way.

Ingredients:

2 tbsp. vegetable oil
1 large onion, thinly sliced
4 oz. baby bella mushrooms, sliced
2 tbsp. unsalted butter
1½ granny smith apples, cubed into ½" cubes
1 tsp. granulated sugar
1½ oz. grated gruyere cheese
2 tbsp. chives, minced
½ tsp. dried thyme
1 package (1 pound) of frozen puff pastry, thawed
1 egg, beaten

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line baking sheets with silicone baking mats. Set side.
2. In a large skillet, heat the vegetable oil and cook the onions (with 1 tsp. of salt) until they're
golden brown, about 30 minutes. Remove and set aside in a large bowl. In the same skillet,
sauté mushrooms until tender, about 5 minutes. Remove and set aside in the bowl with the
onions.
3. In the same skillet, melt the butter and add in the apples with the sugar. Cook until softened,
about 10 minutes. Remove from pan and add to the large bowl with onions and mushrooms.
4. Add the cheese, chives, and thyme to the bowl and stir to combine the mixture well. Season
with salt and pepper, to taste.
5. With a pizza cutter, cut the puff pastry into 2­inch squares and place them on the lined
baking sheets. Using a pastry brush, brush beaten egg on the squares.
6. Using a tablespoon, place filling in the middle of each puff pastry.
7. Bake for 25 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through and switching the baking sheet on
the top rack to the bottom and the bottom to the top, until the pastry is golden brown and
crisp.

Recipe #298: Midsummer's Night Pasta

I absolutely love this.  So fresh.  I had to restrain myself from going back for....fourths.  It should be served room temperature, and is great to bring to parties, like I did.

INGREDIENTS:

4 cups very ripe tomatoes, seeded and chopped
Kosher salt
4 cups rinsed and roughly chopped arugula
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
2 medium-size garlic cloves, crushed in a garlic press or minced
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/4 cup olive oil
1 pound penne
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese and more for serving

DIRECTIONS:

Place the chopped tomatoes in a colander in the sink and toss them with 1 tablespoon of salt.  Let the tomatoes drain until the liquid draws out of them, about an hour.

Place the arugula, oregano, basil, thyme, garlic, pepper, and oil in a large bowl and mix well.

Cook the pasta according to directions.  Drain well.

After the hour of draining, add the tomatoes to the arugula mixture and mix well.  Add the pasta and mix well.  Add the Parmesan cheese and mix.  Let cool to room temperature before serving.  If this is made ahead and refrigerated, let it come up to room temperature before serving.

Farfalle with Creamy Mushroom Sauce

I've been super busy, but last night I finally made something new and blog-worthy!  I had a rare craving for pasta, and this was the result.  This is from Cooking Light magazine.  I had to adapt a little because the mix of wild mushrooms wasn't available, as noted.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 pound uncooked farfalle (bow tie pasta)  (I used a 12oz package)
• 1 tablespoon butter 
• 12 ounces presliced exotic mushroom blend (I used a mix of oyster, shiitake, and crimini)
• 1/2 cup chopped onion 
• 1/3 cup finely chopped shallots
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup dry white wine 
• 2/3 cup whipping cream
• 1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• Minced fresh parsley (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Cook pasta according to package directions; drain.
2. Melt the butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms, onion, shallots, garlic, 1 teaspoon salt, and pepper; cook 12 minutes or until liquid evaporates and mushrooms are tender, stirring occasionally. Add wine; cook 2 minutes or until liquid evaporates, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat.
3. Add the cooked pasta, whipping cream, cheese, and 2 tablespoons parsley, tossing gently to coat. Stir in remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Garnish with minced fresh parsley, if desired. Serve immediately.

Recipe #292: Pasta with Ricotta and Spinach

Here's a fantastic recipe from Cook's Illustrated magazine.  It somehow manages to be both creamy and cheesy AND light and fresh tasting.  Amazing.  The recipe calls for fusilli pasta, but I used rotini.  Perfection!  It's like unstuffed shells.

INGREDIENTS:

11 oz whole-milk ricotta cheese (I used a whole 16oz container)
3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper
1 pound pasta
1 pound baby spinach, chopped coarse
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 c heavy cream
1 tsp grated lemon zest plus 2 tsp juice (I used more)
1 oz Parmesan cheese, grated, plus extra for serving (I used more)

DIRECTIONS:

Whisk 1 cup ricotta, 1 tablespoon oil, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and 1/8 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl until smooth; set aside.

Bring 4 quarts water to boil in a large pot.  Add pasta and 1 tablespoon salt and cook, stirring often, until al dente.  Reserve 1 cup cooking water.  Stir spinach into pot with pasta and cook until wilted, about 30 seconds.  Drain pasta and spinach and return them to the pot.

While pasta cooks, heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil, garlic, nutmeg, and cayenne in a saucepan over medium heat until fragrant, about 1 minute.  Remove pan from heat and whisk in remaining ricotta, cream, lemon zest and juice, and 3/4 teaspoon of salt until smooth.

Add ricotta-cream mixture and Parmesan to pasta and toss to combine.  Let pasta rest, tossing frequently, until sauce has thickened slightly and coats pasta, 2-4 minutes, adjusting consistency with reserved cooking water as needed.  Transfer pasta to serving platter, dot evenly with reserved ricotta mixture, and serve with extra Parmesan.

Recipe #286: Panfried Kale

I'm going to make this.  A LOT.  I finally "get" the kale obsession.  This stuff is so simple to make with simple ingredients, and even after a little wilting, still maintains a little crunch.  Plus it's super good for you!  Delicious!!!  This is from thepioneerwoman.com.

Ingredients

• 1 whole Large Bunch Of Kale, Or 2 Regular Bunches
• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 5 cloves Garlic, Finely Minced
•  Salt And Pepper, to taste
• 1/2 Lemon, Optional

Directions

Thoroughly rinse the kale in cold water, soaking if necessary to remove grit. Tear the kale into chunks.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and quickly stir it around to avoid burning.

Throw in the kale and use tongs to move it around the skillet. Sprinkle in salt and pepper and continue cooking until slightly wilted but still crisp, about 1 to 2 minutes.

Remove the kale to a plate and serve!

Option: Squeeze the juice of half a lemon over the top.

Recipe #284: Mushroom-Barley Soup

Perfect for a cold day like today, and it was nice to come home to it all finished and ready to eat in the crock pot.  I wasn't able to find unsalted vegetable broth, but that's the only thing I'd change.  The cheese complements it perfectly.... I forgot the parsley, but I think that would be good too.

INGREDIENTS:

8 oz fresh portobello mushrooms, cut into thirds and sliced
8 oz fresh button mushrooms, sliced
1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 cup sliced carrots
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup regular barley
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried marjoram, crushed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon paprika
3 14 oz cans vegetable broth
Finely shredded Perorino Romano cheese and/or snipped fresh flat-leaf parsley

DIRECTIONS:

Combine all ingredients in a 4-5 quart slow cooker.  Cook on low 8-10 hours.  Top with cheese and parsley.

Recipe #280: Baked French Fries

These went with recipe #279.  I would like to try getting them crispier next time, but steak fries are never really crispy.  The flavor of the spice mixture is subtle but perfect for this!  Duplicate the recipe once per person being served.  About 2-3 potatoes can fit on a baking sheet when cut up this way.

INGREDIENTS:

1 large baking potato
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Cut potato into wedges. Mix olive oil, paprika, garlic powder, chili powder and onion powder together. Coat potatoes with oil/spice mixture and place on a baking sheet.
3. Bake for 40-45 minutes in preheated oven.

Note:  I was out of chili powder, so I used a mix of cumin, oregano, and hot sauce in its place.

Recipe #279: Portabella and Gouda Burger with Garlic Mayo

So simple and delicious!!  The picture doesn't do it justice, especially since you can't see the mayo or the cheese.  I served them on pretzel buns.  This recipe is from food.com.

Ingredients:

2 large portabella mushroom caps, cleaned and stem removed
3 -4 slices gouda cheese (thin slices, smoked is good!)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 clove garlic, sliced
1 teaspoon dried thyme
2 slices fresh ripe Tomatoes (thick slices)
2 good bakery roll or 4 slices French bread, lightly toasted

Garlic Mayo
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 clove garlic, minced
2 teaspoons bermuda onions, minced
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme or 1 teaspoon fresh thyme, minced
1/2 tablespoon dried parsley or 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh parsley, minced


Directions:

Combine 2 tablespoons olive oil,sliced garlic clove and thyme in a zipper-lock bag.

Add portabella mushroom caps, zip up and marinate for at least 30 to 45 minutes.

In the meantime, combine the Garlic Mayo ingredients and allow to blend in the refrigerator.

When mushroom caps are ready, heat a little olive oil in a skillet (maybe another tablespoon or so) and saute for about 5 minutes, stem side down.

Try to include as much of the sliced garlic and thyme as possible in the skillet.

Turn mushroom caps over and top with cheese.

Cover skillet and cook for about another 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Serve with tomato on toasted rolls or French bread spread with garlic mayo.

Recipe #271: Naan (Indian flatbread)

I made this!  *giddy!*  With minimal flour messes!  The recipe calls for a cast iron skillet, which I don't have, so I used the griddle insert for my stove (for the first time!) and adjusted the times to make sure the bubbles formed by cooking the first side were blackened during the cooking of the second side.  Don't skip the butter and sea salt- SO delicious!  Perfect for swabbing up sauces (stay tuned for the next post, which was pair with this).  This is from foodnetwork.com, with my notes in red.

Ingredients
1 teaspoon active dry yeast
2 teaspoons sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/8 teaspoon baking powder
3 tablespoons plain yogurt
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon kalonji (nigella seeds), optional (I skipped this since it wasn't authentic)
1 teaspoon fennel seeds, optional (I skipped this because it wasn't authentic)
Melted butter for slathering on the finished naans
Coarse sea salt for sprinkling

Directions
In a large glass, dissolve the dry yeast and 1 teaspoon sugar with 3/4 cup warm water (about 100 degrees F). Let it sit on your counter until it's frothy, about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, sift the flour, salt, remaining 1 teaspoon of sugar and baking powder into a large, deep bowl.

Once the yeast is frothy, add the yogurt and the olive oil into the glass, and stir to combine. Pour the yogurt mixture into the dry ingredients and add the kalonji and fennel seeds, if using, and gently mix the ingredients together with a fork. When the dough is about to come together, use your hands to mix. It will feel like there isn't enough flour at first, but keep going until it transforms into a soft, slightly sticky and pliable dough. As soon as it comes together, stop kneading. Cover the dough with plastic wrap or a damp tea towel and let it sit in a warm, draft-free place for 2 to 4 hours.

                   

When you're ready to roll, make sure you have two bowls on your counter: one with extra flour in it, and one with water. The dough will be extremely soft and sticky-this is good! Separate the dough into 6 equal portions and lightly roll each one in the bowl of extra flour to keep them from sticking to each other.

Shape the naan. Using a rolling pin, roll each piece of dough into a teardrop shape, narrower at the top than at the bottom. It should be 8 to 9-inches long, 4-inches wide at its widest point and about 1/4-inch thick. Once you've formed the general shape, you can also pick it up by one end and wiggle it; the dough's own weight will stretch it out a little. Repeat this method with the rest of the dough. (If you're making the gluten-free version, you'll have better luck pressing the dough out with your fingertips, than rolling.)

Warm a large cast-iron skillet over high heat until it's nearly smoking. Make sure you have a lid large enough to fit the skillet and have a bowl of melted butter at the ready.

Dampen your hands in the bowl of water and pick up one of your naans, flip-flopping it from one hand to the other to lightly dampen it. Gently lay it in the skillet and set your timer for 1 minute. The dough should start to bubble.

After about 1 minute, flip the naan. It should be blistered and somewhat blackened, don't worry - that's typical of traditional naan! Cover the skillet with the lid and cook 30 seconds to 1 minute more.

Remove the naan from the skillet, brush with a bit of butter and sprinkle with a little coarse sea salt. Place the naan in a tea towel-lined dish. Repeat with the rest of the naans and serve.

Recipe #266: Mushroom-Spinach Baked Eggs

Heres one from foodnetwork.com, another breakfast.  Very savory and filling.  I liked how the bread was crusty to complement the soft mushrooms and eggs.  The cooking time here will give you eggs that are fully cooked, including hard yokes (which I didn't expect).  If you'd prefer over-easy with runny yolks, cook for about 15 minutes instead of 25-30.  Also, I cut them apart through the overlap instead of trying to separate the 6 slices of bread.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing
1 small onion, chopped
1/2 pound white mushrooms, sliced
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
6 cups baby spinach (about 6 ounces)
6 slices potato bread, lightly toasted (no need for toasting)
6 large eggs
1/2 cup whole milk
3/4 cup shredded gruyere cheese

Directions

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 8 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook, undisturbed, until they begin to brown, about 2 minutes. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper to taste; continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 4 more minutes. Stir in the spinach and cook until wilted, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool.

Brush a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with olive oil. Arrange the bread in the dish in a single layer with the edges slightly overlapping, then spoon the mushroom-spinach mixture on top. If making ahead, cover and refrigerate overnight.

When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Crack an egg onto each piece of bread; season with salt and pepper. Pour the milk evenly over the top and sprinkle with the cheese. Bake until the egg whites are set, 25 to 30 minutes

Recipe #265: French Toast Casserole

It's Christmas morning!  Had to step up the breakfast options today!  This is a Paula Deen recipe, and I forgot the pecans.... so here's what it looks like without pecans.  Still tasted delicious!

Ingredients

1 loaf French bread (13 to 16 ounces)
8 large eggs
2 cups half-and-half
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Dash salt
Praline Topping, recipe follows
Maple syrup

Directions

Slice French bread into 20 slices, 1-inch each. (Use any extra bread for garlic toast or bread crumbs). Arrange slices in a generously buttered 9 by 13-inch flat baking dish in 2 rows, overlapping the slices. In a large bowl, combine the eggs, half-and-half, milk, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt and beat with a rotary beater or whisk until blended but not too bubbly. Pour mixture over the bread slices, making sure all are covered evenly with the milk-egg mixture. Spoon some of the mixture in between the slices. Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight.

The next day, preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Spread Praline Topping evenly over the bread and bake for 40 minutes, until puffed and lightly golden. Serve with maple syrup.

Praline Topping:
1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup chopped pecans
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and blend well. Makes enough for Baked French Toast Casserole.

Recipe #262: Spaghetti Squash with Feta, Olives, Tomatoes, and Basil

I made this for lunch today.  Quick and easy and even more delicious than I expected!  Lots of flavor and the ingredients complemented each other perfectly.  From allrecipes.com...

INGREDIENTS:

1 spaghetti squash, halved lengthwise and seeded 2 tablespoons vegetable oil  (I used olive oil) 1 onion, chopped 1 clove garlic, minced

1 1/2 cups chopped tomatoes (I used grape tomatoes) 3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese 3 tablespoons sliced black olives 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

DIRECTIONS:

1.	Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a baking sheet.
2.	Place spaghetti squash with cut sides down on the prepared baking sheet, and bake 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a sharp knife can be inserted with only a little resistance. Remove squash from oven and set aside to cool enough to be easily handled.  (It took another 10 minutes for mine to be done enough)
3.	Meanwhile, heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Cook and stir onion in oil until tender. Add garlic; cook and stir until fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in tomatoes and cook until tomatoes are warmed through.
4.	Use a large spoon to scoop the stringy pulp from the squash and place in a medium bowl. Toss with the vegetables, feta cheese, olives, and basil. Serve warm.

Recipe #255: Stuffed Shells

I heavily modified a recipe I found on allrecipes.com (where else?!?) based on recommendations from others, and it turned out great- fresh ingredients make a big difference.  Maybe some day I'll make my own ricotta cheese.  The original recipe called for cottage cheese, but that just didn't seem authentic.  I didn't quite use all the shells I cooked, and the fresh ingredients are rough estimates to replace the dry ones from the original recipe.  I also added the spinach and black pepper.  This made a lot of food, and even after some second helpings, the dish was still about 2/3 full!  I edited the recipe to reflect how I customized it.

INGREDIENTS:

1 (16 ounce) package jumbo pasta shells 4 cups ricotta cheese 12 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese 2 eggs, lightly beaten Black pepper, to taste

1 tablespoon garlic powder 1-2 tablespoons minced fresh basil 1-2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley 1 (26 ounce) jar spaghetti sauce 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese 2-3 tablespoons chopped fresh spinach

DIRECTIONS:

1.	Cook shells according to package directions. Place in cold water to stop cooking. Drain.
2.	Mix together ricotta cheese, mozzarella cheese, 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, eggs, and garlic powder. Add basil, parsley, and spinach, and stir into the cheese mixture. Stuff mixture into the shells by piping with a plastic sandwich (or bigger) bag with the corner cut off.
3.	Spread 1/3 of spaghetti sauce in the bottom of a 9x12 inch pan. Place shells open side up, and close together in pan. Layer some of the extra shells on top where there's more space.  Spread remaining sauce over top, and sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese.
4.	Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 25 to 35 minutes, or until bubbly. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Recipe #247: Easy Taco Dip

I wanted to make something to snack on for when we went to my Aunt and Uncle's house, so I looked through one of my books titled What Can I Bring? Cookbook.  This was super easy and really hearty- we all had to force ourselves to stop eating it so we'd have room for dinner!  This is my adapted version of the recipe.  Use as much of the ingredients as you need to create a layer.

INGREDIENTS:

1 can re-fried beans
1 large or 2 small-ish tomatoes, diced
16 oz sour cream
2 tbsp taco seasoning
1-2 ripe chopped avocados
2 cups Mexican blend cheese
1/2-1 cup chopped scallions
1/2 cups sliced black olives (the little can)
1 can chopped green chilies
1-2 cups iceberg lettuce, shredded
Fresh cilantro leaves
Tortilla chips, for serving

DIRECTIONS:

In a square casserole dish, layer as follows:

1.  Refried beans
2.  Mix the sour cream and the taco seasoning.  Layer half of it on top of the beans
3.  Tomatoes
4.  Avocado
5.  1 cup cheese
6.  Scallions
7.  Olives
8.  Green chilies
9.  The rest of the sour cream mixture
10.  1 cup cheese
11.  Lettuce
12.  Cilantro

Cover and refrigerate until ready to eat.  Serve with tortilla chips.

Recipe #244: Margherita Pizza

I think I found this recipe when drooling over foodgawker.com, which linked to http://backtoherroots.com/2013/08/20/hearty-margherita-pizza/.  I'm used to popping a frozen Digiorno in the oven without a second thought and 22 minutes later, having something somewhat, well, ok, for pizza.  Sometimes I'd try to be fancy and put fresh toppings on a Boboli crust with some pre-made pizza sauce.  This is the first time I've used dough (pre-made but still had to be baked), made my own sauce, and topped it with very fresh toppings, all at once.  Definitely worth the effort.  My notes are in red.

Ingredients:

For the Sauce

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 large onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh oregano  (I only had dried)
• 1/3 cup packed basil leaves, sliced into ribbons, divided
• 4 large roma tomatoes, chopped

For the Pizza

• 1 batch prepared whole grain pizza dough
• 4 ounces fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced  (Or more, especially if you keep eating it while prepping...)
• 1/3 cup packed basil leaves, sliced into ribbons
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Salt and pepper

Directions:

1. To prepare the sauce, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add in the onion and garlic and cook until tender and fragrant, about 5 minutes.
2. Add in all remaining sauce ingredients, bring a boil, reduce heat and simmer until the tomatoes have lost their shape and it begins to resemble a chunky sauce, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat.  (Straining the excess juice with a mesh strainer helped a lot- this helped prevent the crust from getting soggy)
3. To prepare pizza, preheat oven to 475°. Spread the crust into a lightly-greased pizza pan and parbake for 10 minutes, or until the crust just begins to brown.  (I preheated my pizza stone for 20 minutes at 450 and then baked just the crust for 8 minutes, combining this recipe and the recommended cooking tips from the stone's manual)
4. Remove from oven, spread on tomato sauce, layer on the cheese slices and half the basil ribbons, then drizzle with the olive.  (All of the basil went on at this point....)
5. Continue baking in oven for an additional 10 minutes, or until the cheese is browned and melty. During the last 2-3 minutes of baking, slide the pizza off the pan and directly onto the oven rack for a crispier crust, if desired. Remove from oven and sprinkle with remaining basil ribbons and season with salt and pepper.  (I didn't bother putting the pizza directly on the rack.  The pizza stone made it the perfect crispness)

Recipe #232: Potatoes Dauphinoise

I normally post recipes that are main dishes, but here's a side to go with any meat.  I made these with my beloved lamb chops (fried on the stove after coming to room temp with light olive oil, garlic powder, and dried thyme, 4 minutes per side or so).  I poured this soupy slop into the casserole dish and it didn't look very pretty, but the result after cooking was amazing.  So much flavor for a basic recipe!  This is from the BBC (http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/).  My changes/comments are in red.  It made enough that tomorrow, I'll have leftovers to go with the fish I'm making.

Ingredients

• 1 kg/2lb 4oz baking potatoes, peeled and placed in a bowl of cold water to prevent them from browning (use floury potatoes such as Russet,King Edward, Maris Piper or Desiree) (I used Idaho- that's all that was available.... four of them was just about the right weight)
• 3-4 cloves garlic (I also supplemented with a little garlic powder)
• 500ml/17½fl oz double cream (you may need a bit extra)  (This is about 2.5 cups.  I didn't use that much)
• salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preparation method

1. Preheat the oven to 160C/320F/Gas 2.  (320F is sort of an unusual mark for us, but trust me, this is correct.)
2. Slice the potatoes into thin slices, about 3mm/⅛in thick. Place the slices into a bowl as you cut them. (Make sure your knife is nice and sharp!  Put water into the bowl to keep them from browning, and then dump the water before the next step.)
3. Trim the ends off the garlic cloves but don't peel. Grate the cloves on a grater. The flesh will go through the fine holes and the skins will be left behind. Scrape the grated garlic flesh into the bowl with the potatoes.  (I didn't think there was enough garlic, so I shook on some garlic powder too.)
4. Season the potatoes, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
5. Pour the cream over the potatoes and mix well again.
6. Place the potato slices into the gratin dish. They should come to just below the top of the dish. Press the potato down with the back of a spoon or your hands so it forms a solid layer. The cream should come to just below the top layer of potato (top up with more double cream if necessary).  (I put these into a 9x13 ceramic casserole and they came up to about half way.  Only pour as much cream as needed for it to not be swamped.  I didn't use the full 2.5 cups.... maybe less than 2)
7. Place the potatoes in the oven and bake for 1-1½ hours, or until the potatoes are completely tender. (If the cream looks like it's splitting, your oven is too hot, so turn it down a bit.)  (After about an hour, stab a fork into the dish and grab one to see how done it is.  Mine were good after about an hour 15.)
8. Serve the dauphinoise as a side dish to roasted meat or poultry.  (My lamb chops, of course)
   
   
   
   
   

Recipe #229: Kale Chips

I have lots of vegetarian, vegan, and super-health-conscious friends who have mentioned kale in their posts on Facebook, but I was always skeptical that this thick dark green leafy veggie would actually taste as good as they raved.  Eventually, I realized that between my love for the burned leaves from the brussels sprouts I roast and the super-delicious grilled romano leaves I made recently, maybe I should try kale.

Today I was obsessing over new recipes and somehow stumbled across another kale recipe for these chips and thought, eh, what the hell.  Kale is.... well, just check this site for reasons why you should eat it.  I decided to take the plunge, and I'm so glad I did.  THESE ARE DELICIOUS.  They're like super fragile potato chips with more flavor.  I don't know how else to describe them.

Trust me.  Try this, even if you aren't into veggies or super healthy or whatever other reason you should try kale.  If you just want to eat something different and delicious, this is something to try.

INGREDIENTS:

1head green kale
1 tablespoons sunflower oil or coconut oil (I had sunflower and used that liberally.  Be light or the leaves will be soggy and not as crispy as the others with less oil)
Coarse sea salt

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees and lightly oil a baking sheet.

Wash and pat dry the kale leaves.

Tear the leaves off the stems.  If you make smoothies, save the stems for those.

Put all the leaves in a large bowl or two and drizzzle oil over them.  Toss to coat (I just laid them on the sheets and brushed oil on them)

Spread the leaves on the baking sheet, salt and bake for 20 minutes until crispy.  (THEY SMELLED DELICIOUS!)

Remove chips from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes.  Don't try to take them off of the sheet too early or they will break.

Eat right away.

Recipe #224: Gazpacho Soup

I was scrolling through the Facebook newsfeed the other day and stopped dead in my scrolly-tracks when I saw this recipe posted by Bizarre Foods, the TV show hosted by Andrew Zimmern.  The picture was gorgeous and it reminded me of the day we tried gazpacho soup in Spanish class in highschool, and I had loved it then, long before I learned to cook.  This involves NO cooking though, just chopping and blending- you can't go wrong!  It makes a LOT (more than half of a very large pot) and is so fresh tasting.  The only changes I made were to leave the skins ON the cucumbers and tomatoes for more nutrition....and also because I was being lazy.  I added some hot sauce to mine too once I started eating it for a little kick.

INGREDIENTS:

• 7 medium tomatoes (about 3 pounds), peeled and seeded
• 2 cucumbers (about 1 pound)—peeled, halved, seeded and coarsely chopped
• 1 green bell pepper, coarsely chopped
• 1 small red onion, coarsely chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1/4 cup chopped parsley, plus whole leaves for garnish
• 6 basil leaves
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 1  1/2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon Tabasco
• One 46-ounce jar tomato juice
• Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Finely chopped yellow bell pepper and snipped chives, for garnish

DIRECTIONS:

In a large bowl, toss the tomatoes with the cucumbers, green bell pepper, onion, garlic, chopped parsley, fresh basil, dried basil, oregano, olive oil, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice and Tabasco.

In a blender, puree the mixture in batches until nearly smooth. Transfer to a large bowl. Stir in the tomato juice and season with salt and pepper. Refrigerate the gazpacho for at least 4 hours or overnight.

Season the soup again if necessary and transfer to bowls. Garnish with yellow bell pepper, chives and parsley leaves and serve.

MAKE AHEAD The gazpacho can be refrigerated for up to 2 days.