Fish Tacos

Home from 17 days of not cooking and having a difficult time thinking about what to cook, the first thing that appealed to me was fish tacos.  We ate a multitude of fish, but none as tacos.  I would have cooked the fish on the grill, but the weather is so cool in the evening that I didn't mind heating up the oven.  I  find it hard to believe that the photographer stuck toothpicks into my tacos!

 Click for printable recipe

Ingredients:

Crema:

1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

3 tablespoons fat-free mayonnaise

3 tablespoons reduced-fat sour cream

1 teaspoon grated lime rind

1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lime juice

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 garlic clove, minced

Tacos:

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

1 1/2 pounds red snapper fillets

Cooking spray

8 (6-inch) corn tortillas

2 cups shredded cabbage

Directions:

 Preheat oven to 425°.

To prepare crema, combine the first 8 ingredients in a small bowl; set aside.
To prepare tacos, combine cumin and next 5 ingredients (through garlic powder) in a small bowl; sprinkle spice mixture evenly over both sides of fish. Place fish on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake at 425° for 9 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork or until desired degree of doneness. Place fish in a bowl; break into pieces with a fork. Heat tortillas according to package directions. Divide fish evenly among tortillas; top each with 1/4 cup cabbage and 1 tablespoon crema.

From Cooking Light 

Asian Lettuce Wraps

This is a new favorite, I actually repeated it in the same month.  I've made it with ground turkey and ground chicken.  Both are good.  You feel so refreshed and healthy after eating this.  Leftovers are great for lunch.  The first time I made it I used romaine rather than iceberg lettuce.  The second time I used iceberg and it was added an element of crispness that really added to the dish.

Printable Recipe

Ingredients: 

2 tsp canola oil

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger

1 lb ground chicken*

3 ounces mushrooms, finely chopped (about 8 small mushrooms)

1/2 tsp kosher salt

4 C bagged coleslaw mix or thinly shredded cabbage

1 8oz can sliced water chestnuts, drained, rinsed, and finely minced

1/2 C thinly sliced green onions

4 Tbs soy sauce

1 tsp sesame oil

1 lemon, zested and juiced (about 3-4 Tbs juice)

1/2-1 tsp sriracha or other hot sauce (1 tsp of Sriracha is fairly spicy in my opinion, so if you want less or no kick, just give it a little, or you can leave it out completely)

1/3 C roughly chopped cilantro

1-2 heads iceberg lettuce

*To prepare your own ground chicken, cut boneless skinless chicken breasts into large chunks and pulse in a food processor until ground.

Dipping/Drizzling Sauce

4 Tbs soy sauce

4 Tbs rice vinegar

3 Tbs water

2 tsp honey

1-2 tsp finely minced fresh ginger

Directions:

Heat a very large skillet to medium-high heat on the stove top.  When hot, add vegetable  oil and then garlic and ginger.  Saute for about 30 seconds, until fragrant, and then add ground chicken, chopped mushrooms, and kosher salt.  Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring often, until chicken is cooked through.  (*At this point, sometimes I have some extra liquid in the pan from the chicken.  If it’s quite a bit, I tilt the pan and spoon it out so the chicken can cook and not boil.) Add cabbage/coleslaw, water chestnuts, and green onions.  Cook for about 2 minutes, until cabbage starts to wilt.  Add soy sauce, sesame oil, the zest from the lemon and the lemon juice, and hot sauce to taste.  Remove from heat and stir in cilantro.

To prepare dipping sauce, combine all ingredients and whisk to combine.

To serve, carefully remove the individual leaves from the head of lettuce.  (The closer you get to the center, the easier it becomes!)  Place chicken mixture in the leaves and serve with sauce.

Yield: about 5 C chicken mixture.  Makes 14-16 lettuce wraps.

From:  Our Best Bites

Baked Chipotle Beef Taquitos

I'd planned to make chicken taquitos tonight, until I realized I had way to much chicken on the menu this week.  We rarely eat pot roast, but the idea of cooking it all day and having it ready for the taquitos was appealing.  I forgot to keep the extras out before baking, so we'll see how the left overs fare.  My teaching partner suggested Guerrero Tortillas to me, they really worked well in these.  3 were really filling!

Printable Recipe

Makes 20 taquitos

3 C cooked, shredded beef roast

4oz green chilies, undrained

1/4-1/2 t minced chipotle pepper in adobo sauce (I used about 1 teaspoon)

3 t adobo sauce from the canned chipotle peppers

1 t garlic powder

1 t coriander

1/2 t cumin

1 t chili powder

zest from one lime

1 T fresh lime juice

2 cups grated pepper jack cheese

6" white corn tortillas (about 20)

kosher salt

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Take your shredded beef and slice any larger pieces across the grain so you have pieces about 1/2-1" long. Place in a bowl and set aside.

Combine chilies, chipotle pepper, adobo sauce, garlic, coriander, cumin, chili powder and lime zest and juice in a bowl. After stirring to combine, gently toss together with shredded beef.

Wrap a pile of about 10 tortillas in damp paper towels and microwave for 1 minute to soften. (after those are used, do the next 10) 

Working with one tortilla at a time, sprinkle about 1T cheese in a line across the center of the tortilla. Top with 1-2 T shredded beef mixture and roll up.

Place seam-side down on a lightly oiled/sprayed baking sheet. Use cooking spray or lightly brush olive oil on the top of each one. (I used Pam Olive Oil Spray) Lightly sprinkle kosher salt on the top of each one.

Bake at 425 for 20-25 minutes or until the edges are golden brown and your house smells like a Mexican restaurant.

Take them out of the oven and let them cool for just a few minutes. Eat 'em hot!

Freezer instructions:  Make as noted through the step where you sprinkle the tops of the taquitos with salt.  Place in a dish a single layer, not touching each other and set in the freezer.  After frozen, place in zip-top bag.  To cook, preheat oven to 425.  Place taquitos on a baking sheet in a single layer and bake until edges are golden brown.  About 30 minutes.

From Our Best Bites

Salmon Croquettes

 I came home tired on Friday night and had planned this for dinner.  Didn't want to cook at all, but didn't want to bother with anything else either.  Decided to grin and bear it and cook these as planned, boy was I glad I did.  The ingredients had been in my pantry for weeks, one of those put off recipes.  The ingredients will now be in my pantry as a delicious easy dinner.  The original recipe was for 8 cakes serving 4, I reduced to serve 2.  In the future, if it's not Friday night, I will make the whole recipe so we can enjoy the leftovers for lunch.

Printable Recipe

Preparation time:  20 miutes

Serves 2 (2 croquetttes and 1 tablespoon of sauce)

Ingredients:

2 T.  mayonnaise, divided
2 teaspoons  fresh lemon juice, divided
1 1/2  teaspoons  Dijon mustard, divided
2 tablespoons finely chopped green onions
1  tablespoon  minced red bell pepper
1/4  teaspoon  garlic powder
1/8  teaspoon  salt
Pinch  teaspoon  ground red pepper
1 (6-ounce) packages skinless, boneless pink salmon
1  large egg, lightly beaten
1/2  cup  panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
1  tablespoon  canola oil
1  teaspoon  finely chopped capers
1 small clove  minced garlic

 Directions:

1. Combine 1 tablespoons mayonnaise, 1/2 tablespoon juice, 3/4 teaspoon mustard, and next 7 ingredients (through egg), stirring well. Add panko; toss. Shape mixture into 4 (3-inch) patties.

2. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add patties; cook 5 minutes on each side or until browned.

3. Combine remaining mayonnaise, juice, and mustard with parsley, capers, garlic, and salt, stirring well.

Adapted from Cooking Light

Poblanos stuffed with Cheddar Cheese and Chicken

  I decided to make this because I had about a cup of left over rotisserie chicken and the recipe looked like a good base for some changes.  The original recipe called for 2 cups of chicken and no black beans.  I decided to add the beans as a substitute for my lack of chicken, I think it was a good choice!  Next time I might try pepper jack  cheese in place of the cheddar.  No need to change anything, they were yummy as printed!  I always put my chilies in a paper bag for about 15 minutes to steam before I attempt to peel them.

Serves 4

Ingredients:

4 large poblano chiles

I can diced tomatoes, drained
1/2 medium white onion, chopped
1 large clove garlic, chopped
1 tsp. dried oregano, crumbled
1 tsp. ground cumin
Generous pinch ground cinnamon
Kosher salt
1 Tbs. olive oil
1 cup shredded cooked chicken, preferably dark meat

1 can drained black beans
1-1/2 cups cooked brown or white rice
2 cups grated sharp or extra-sharp white Cheddar (about 7 oz.)
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro (including some tender stems)
1 Tbs. lime juice

---

Directions:

Position an oven rack about 4 inches from the broiler and heat the broiler on high. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with foil.

Slit the chiles from stem to tip and set on the baking sheet. Broil, turning every few minutes, until blackened all over, 5 to 8 minutes. Let cool slightly, peel off the skins, and cut out the seed cores, leaving the stems on. Turn the chiles inside out, flick out any remaining seeds, and turn right side out. Return the poblanos to the baking sheet.

Purée the tomatoes, onion, garlic, oregano, cumin, cinnamon, and 1/2 tsp. salt in a food processor. Heat the oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Add the purée and cook, stirring frequently, until the liquid has evaporated and the mixture looks thick and pulpy, 8 to 11 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in the chicken and rice, and then 1 cup of the cheese, the cilantro, and the lime juice. Season to taste with salt. Divide the filling among the peppers, wrapping the sides of the peppers up and around the filling, some of which will still be exposed.

Broil the peppers until the cheese is melting and the top is beginning to brown, about 4 minutes. Top with the remaining 1 cup cheese and broil until the cheese is completely melted, about 2 minutes.

Click here for printable recipe

Adapted from Fine Cooking

Sweet and Sour Chicken

Last week was Chinese New Year, so something Chinese was appropriate.  When eating Chinese other than mu shu, one of my favorites is Sweet and Sour.  I've tried many versions, but they don't have the same consistency as my favorite Chinese Restaurant, until now.  Besides being authentic, this recipe is easy to make.  I managed it on a work night.  Most of the time is taken up in the baking.  The leftovers were great for lunch.  I altered the recipe and added green pepper, red onion and pineapple, they were not in the original recipe.  I don't like chunk sized pieces of pineapple so I chopped the sliced pineapple to tidbit (remember when we could buy tidbits?)  sized pieces.  If you like chunks, you could add those.  I've had sweet and sour with carrots added too, but can live without those, you could add sliced carrots.  I guess what I'm saying is the sauce and chicken  is a great place to begin!

Sweet and Sour Chicken

Yield: 4 servings

Prep Time: 30 minutes | Bake Time: 1 hour

For the Chicken:
3-4 boneless,skinless chicken breasts, cut into chunks
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 cup cornstarch
2 eggs, slightly beaten
¼ cup canola or vegetable oil

For the Sauce:
¾ cup sugar
4 tablespoons ketchup
½ cup vinegar (preferably rice or white)
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon garlic powder

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

2. Season chicken with salt and pepper.

3. Working in two batches, toss the chicken pieces in cornstarch and then coat with the egg. Heat the oil over medium-high heat and again in two batches, brown the chicken, turning it so that all sides are browned.

4. Place the chicken in a single layer in a 9×13 baking dish.

5. Whisk together the sauce ingredients in a small bowl and pour evenly over the chicken. Turn the chicken to ensure each piece is coated.

6. Bake for 1 hour, turning the chicken every 15 minutes.

Adding Vegetables:

3/4 of a large green pepper, cut in large cubes

1/2 of a red onion cut in large cubes

1 small can of slice pineapple cut in tidbit sized pieces

Add to the chicken after the first 15 minutes and stir.

Click here for printable recipe

Adapted from The Brown Eyed Baker

Chipotle Bean Burritos

  

It's a long story  why this burrito looks like a flat tortilla.  When I decided to try this recipe from Cooking Light Magazine I bought the low fat tortillas for the first time.  Knowing I had a whole package of tortillas and the salsa to use up I decided to make egg burritos for breakfast.  Needless to say, low fat tortillas didn't impress Mark.  He thought if he fried it then it would be edible.  The picture is his fried, unrollable burrito.  I suffered through the low fat tortilla enjoying all the other good things.  When eating the leftover beans I was to lazy to stop at the market on the way home to get real flour tortillas so I sprayed corn tortillas with Pam and baked for about 15 to 20 minutes to make a tostada.  It was much better than a low fat tortilla burrito, so I've adjusted some of the low fat aspects of the original recipe.  The bean mixture is so easy and delicious, so long Rosarito Refried Beans.

Serves 6

Ingredients:

1  tablespoon  canola oil
1  garlic clove, minced
1/2  teaspoon  chipotle chile powder
1/4  teaspoon  salt
1/3  cup  water
1  (15-ounce) can  black beans, drained
1  (15-ounce) can  kidney beans, drained
3  tablespoons  refrigerated fresh salsa
6  (10-inch)  flour tortillas 1  cup  shredded pepper jack and cheddar cheese
1 1/2  cups  chopped plum tomato (about 3)
1 1/2  cups  shredded romaine lettuce
6  tablespoons  thinly sliced green onions
6  tablespoons  light sour cream

Directions:

 1. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add garlic to pan; cook 1 minute, stirring frequently. Stir in chile powder and salt; cook 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Stir in 1/3 cup water and beans; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in salsa. Partially mash bean mixture with a fork.

2. Warm tortillas according to package directions. Spoon about 1/3 cup bean mixture into center of each tortilla. Top each serving with about 2 1/2 tablespoons cheese, 1/4 cup tomato, 1/4 cup lettuce, 1 tablespoon onions, and 1 tablespoon sour cream; roll up.

Click here for printable recipe

Adapted from Cooking Light

Lemon Caper Calamari Steaks with Broccolini

That’s just so good, how good is that? I found calamari steaks at the super market for the first time in ages bought them and put them in the freezer. They used to be a regular at Trader Joes, but disappeared, as things do there. We use to eat these often when we were first married and on an tight budget. We love lemon and capers and broccoli, so what’s there not to like? It reminds me of the wonderful abalone we had prepared by a chef at Russian Gulch about 10 years ago, he needed eggs and we had them, so we bartered eggs for his deliciously prepared abalone!

Lemon Caper Calamari Steaks with Broccolini

Serves 4

Prep time:  10 minutes

Total Time 20 minutes

Ingredients:

1/4 cup olive oil

3 garlic cloves, crushed in a garlic press

1/4 teaspoon dried hot red-pepper flakes

1 lb Broccolini, trimmed

1/3 cup water

1/4 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/4 cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1 large egg

1 tablespoon water

4 frozen calamari steaks (1 lb total), thawed

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon bottled capers in brine, rinsed and drained

Accompaniment: lemon wedges

Directions:

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat until hot but not smoking, then cook garlic and red-pepper flakes, stirring, until golden, about 30 seconds. Add Broccolini and cook, turning with tongs, until coated with oil, then add water and salt and cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until crisp-tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a platter with tongs and keep warm, loosely covered with foil.

Heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a 10-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking. While oil heats, stir together flour, cheese, and pepper in a wide shallow bowl, then lightly beat egg with water in another wide shallow bowl. Dredge 1 calamari steak in flour mixture, shaking off excess, then dip in egg mixture, letting excess drip off, and transfer to a plate. Dredge another steak in flour and dip in egg in same manner, then sauté coated steaks over moderately high heat, turning over once, until golden, about 1 1/2 minutes total. Transfer to platter with Broccolini and keep warm, loosely covered. Dredge, dip, and sauté remaining 2 steaks in same manner, transferring to platter.

Pour off fat from skillet, then add butter, lemon juice (to taste), and capers to skillet and cook over moderate heat just until butter melts, about 45 seconds. Pour lemon caper sauce over calamari steaks and serve immediately.

Click here for printable recipe

From Epicurious

Farfalle with Tomatoes and Cream

Browsing for ideas for the weeks menus I came across a recipe listed as one of the “best” pasta recipes on Epicurious.  It sounded easy and delicious, but made a lot more than we would have eaten in a week without never wanting to eat it again.  After reading all the comments I adapted the recipe to fit our tastes, cut it in half and lightened it.  When I took the last of the leftovers to work for lunch Mark complained that I’d taken his leftovers, the whole recipe might not have been a bad idea!     

Farfalle with Sausage Tomatoes and Cream

Ingredients:

              1 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 pound hot Turkey Italian Sausages, casings removed

1/2 cup chopped onion

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes mashed with a potato masher.   

1/4 cup whipping cream

1/2 pound farfalle (bow-tie pasta)

1/2 cup (packed) chopped fresh basil

Freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese

Directions:

Heat oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add sausage and crushed red pepper. Sauté until sausage is no longer pink, breaking up with back of fork, about 5 minutes. Add onion and garlic; sauté until onion is tender and sausage is browned, about 3 minutes longer. Add tomatoes and cream. Reduce heat to low and simmer until sausage mixture thickens, about 3 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to bite. Drain, reserving 1 cup cooking liquid. Return pasta to same pot. Add sausage mixture and toss over medium-low heat until sauce coats pasta, adding reserved cooking liquid by 1/4 cupfuls if mixture is dry. Transfer pasta to serving dish. Sprinkle with basil. Serve, passing cheese separately. 

Serves 3

 

Adapted by Carol from Epicurious

Mu Shu Chicken and Plum Sauce

When I made the maple pork loin, I planned to have leftovers to make the Pork and Mushroom Wraps that I was linked to on Fine Cooking's site.  Mark gobbled up all the left over pork for lunch before I found an evening at home to make them.  I was left with cabbage and mushrooms that needed to be eaten, so when planning the weeks meals I purchased half a boneless chicken breast, roasted it the night before and made this for dinner when I got home from work.  This made dinner for the 2 with leftovers for another meal, hopefully!

Mu Shu Chicken

Ingredients:

3 cups of thinly sliced cabbage

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 tablespoon hoisin sauce

1/2 tablespoon soy sauce

1 teaspoon Asian sesame oil

1/2 teaspoon rice vinegar

1 1/2 tablespoons canola oil

1 cup of cooked chicken breast cut match-stick size

3 scallions trimmed, white and light green part thinly sliced, green part cut in 2 inch slivers (keep separate)

about 2 cups of mushrooms, stemmed and  thinly sliced, I used both shiitake and cremini

1 large egg, beaten

1 teaspoon of minced fresh ginger

1 teaspoon of minced garlic

4 flour tortillas

1 /4 cup Plum Sauce or Hoisin Sauce for serving

Directions:

Place the sliced cabbage in a colander over the sink and toss with 1/4 teaspoon salt.  Let sit for 10 minutes.  Pat dry.

In a small bowl, combine the 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce with soy sauce, sesame oil and vinegar.  Set aside.

In a 12-inch heavy duty nonstick skillet, heat 1/2 tablespoon of the oil over medium het until shimmering.  Add the chicken (optional:  sprinlkle with salt) and cook stirring until it starts to brown around the edges, about 3 minutes.  Transfer to a large plate.

Add 1/2 tablespoon of the remaining oil to the pan and once it is shimmering, add the scallion whites and the mushrooms, cook stirring occasionally, until they brown and soften, 2 to 3 minutes.  Push the mushroom mixture to one side of the pan and add the egg.  Cook, scrambling and breaking up with a wooden spoon or spatula into small pieces,  until just set, about 1 minute.  Transfer to the plate with the chicken.

Add remaining 1/2 tablespoon oil to pan, once it's hot, add the scallion greens, cabbage, ginger, and garlic (optional:  sprinkle with salt).  Cook, stirring occasionally until softened, about 2 minutes.  Add the reserved hoisin sauce mixture and the chicken mixture to the  to the cabbage and stir to distribute the sauce.  Cook, stirring for 1 minute to meld flavors.

You can use purchased plum sauce or hoisin sauce.  Here's my favorite recipe for plum sauce if you want to make your own:

To serve: 

Place one 1 tablespoon of plum sauce (or hoisin sauce) down the center of a heated flour tortilla.  Arrange a generous amount of chicken mixture over the sauce and wrap the tortilla, burrito-style.

Adapted by Carol from Fine Cooking

Plum Sauce

Ingredients:

12 ounces plum jam

2 cloves garlic

1 Tablespoon dry mustard

2 slices ginger (or 1/2 teaspoon dry)

1/4 c. red wine vinegar

Directions:

Mix in food processor until smooth, store in refrigerator.

Thanks to Audrey Bashaw of Riverside, CA in the early 80's.

I love the idea of a Sunday night dinner that can then easily be made into something else later in the week.  I bought a pork loin roast with the idea of stuffing it and roasting it until I ran across this recipe in Fine Cooking for a brined pork loin served on a nest of fennel and apple.  Besides being easy it was delicious.  Later in the week I'll use the leftover roast for Mu Shu.  I had a roast that was a little over 2 pounds so I meant to cut the recipe in half and forgot!  Seemed to still be the right amount of every thing.  This made more than enough for the 2 of us, leftovers for lunch and another dinner.

Roast Pork with Maple Mustard Crust

Serves 4

For the Brine:
8 cups cold apple cider or juice
3/4 cup kosher salt
1/4 cup light brown sugar
2 cloves garlic, smashed
3 sprigs fresh thyme
One 4-lb. boneless pork loin roast (or two 2-lb. loins), trimmed only if it has a thick layer of fat

For The Roast:
1/4 cup maple syrup
3 Tbs. whole-grain Dijon mustard
2 tsp. chopped fresh thyme
3/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper; more to taste
1 large fennel bulb or 2 small bulbs, quartered, cored, and thinly sliced
1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 Tbs. olive oil
1/2 tsp. kosher salt

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Brine the pork: Combine 2 cups of the apple cider or juice with the salt, brown sugar, garlic, and thyme in a 3- to 4-quart saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat, stirring so the salt and sugar dissolve, about 3 minutes. Add the remaining apple cider or juice and cool to room temperature. Transfer to a large container, add the pork, cover, and refrigerate for at least 8 hours and up to 18 hours.

Roast the pork: Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 450°F. In a small bowl, mix the maple syrup, mustard, thyme, and pepper. Drain the pork and pat dry with paper towels. Brush the pork all over with the mustard mixture.
In a medium bowl, toss the fennel and apple with the oil, salt, and a few generous grinds of pepper. Scatter the mixture in the bottom of a large roasting pan (large enough to hold the pork with a couple of inches of space around the perimeter). Put the pork, fat side up, on top of the fennel and apples. Roast the pork until the crust just starts to brown, about 15 minutes. Reduce the heat to 350°F and continue cooking until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the loin registers 145°F, 30 to 50 minutes more.
Let rest for 10 minutes and then thinly slice a quarter to a third of the pork. Serve, topped with the fennel, apple, and juices. Allow the remaining pork to cool to room temperature, wrap well with foil, and refrigerate for up to 5 days.

Source:  Fine Cooking

Spinoccoli Pizza

As I stated when I began this blog, I was inspired by Annie's Eats to write about what I'm cooking  as a record for myself, and an easy way to share recipes with friends and family.  I was surprised to find home made pizza on Annie's list of easy dinners, it's easy when Papa Murphy does it, but all that dough preparation easy?  I looked at her recipe, which reminded me of the recipe that I used when I was not working and had lots of time to cook by Jeff Smith in The Frugal Gourmet Cooks Italian.  I had two of his books and used them often when Kaci was a baby.  I was intrigued to try Annie's method for prepping the dough ahead and freezing it.  I also love white sauce on pizza rather than tomato based sauce and am trying to make as many meat free meals a week as I can, so this pizza fits the bill.

I removed the pizza dough from the freezer in the morning and it was ready to go when I arrived home.  The recipe was on the table in an hour and was the best pizza I've had in ages.  The texture and flavor of the dough was marvelous.  I was concerned that making a white sauce would be a pain, but it went together easily while the pizza dough sat out to rest.  No more Papa Murphy's Pizza or TJ's dough for us, this is just too good.  Can't wait to try other versions on this pizza, and I still have enough for 1 pizza in the freezer!

Check out Annie's Eats for step by step directions for the dough.

Basic Pizza Dough

Yield: enough dough for 2 medium pizzas or 4 calzones

Ingredients:

½ cup warm water

2¼ tsp. instant yeast

4 cups (22 oz.) bread flour, plus more for dusting

1½ tsp. salt

1¼ cup water, at room temperature

2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

Directions:

Measure the warm water into a 2-cup liquid measuring cup.  Sprinkle the yeast over the top.  In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the bread flour and salt, mixing briefly to blend.  Measure the room temperature water into the measuring cup with the yeast-water mixture.  With the mixer on low speed, pour in the yeast-water mixture as well as the olive oil.  Mix until a cohesive dough is formed.  Switch to the dough hook.  Knead on low speed until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes.  Transfer to a lightly oiled bowl, turning once to coat.  Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled in size, 1½-2 hours.

Press down the dough to deflate it.  Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface.  Divide the dough into two equal pieces.  Form each piece of dough into a smooth, round ball.  (If freezing the dough, wrap in plastic wrap and freeze at this point.)  Cover with a damp cloth.  Let the dough relax for at least 10 minutes but no longer than 30 minutes.

To bake, preheat the oven and pizza stone to 500˚ F for at least 30 minutes.  Transfer the dough to your shaping surface, lightly sprinkled with cornmeal.  Shape the dough with lightly floured hands.  Brush the outer edge lightly with olive oil.  Top as desired.  Bake until the crust is golden brown, and cheese is bubbling, 8-12 minutes.

Spinoccoli Pizza

Ingredients:

For the white sauce:

1 tbsp. butter

1 tbsp. flour

¾ cup heavy cream or half-and-half

1 clove garlic, smashed

Salt and pepper, to taste

6 tbsp. freshly grated Parmesan cheese

For the pizza:

Pizza Dough

Olive oil, for brushing

½ cup packed baby spinach leaves, torn

1 cup very small broccoli florets

2 oz. shredded mozzarella cheese

2 oz. shredded cheddar cheese

Grated Parmesan

Directions:

To make the white sauce, melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium-high heat.  Whisk in the flour and cook, whisking constantly, until bubbling and light golden, about 1 minute.  Whisk in the heavy cream and garlic, and season with salt and pepper to taste.  Cook, stirring frequently, until the mixture thickens and bubbles.  Remove from the heat and whisk in the grated Parmesan until completely melted and smooth.  Discard the garlic clove.  (Note: This will make a bit more sauce than you need for the pizza, but with a little extra cheese it makes a great dipping sauce for crust.)

To make the pizza, preheat the oven and a pizza stone at 500˚ F for at least 30 minutes.  Roll out the pizza dough into a 12-14 inch round.  Lightly brush the perimeter of the dough with olive oil.  Spread a thin layer of the white sauce over the crust, leaving a border clear around the edge for the crust.  Sprinkle the torn spinach leaves over the white sauce.  Evenly distribute the broccoli florets over the dough.  Layer evenly with the shredded mozzarella and cheddar cheeses.  Finish with additional grated Parmesan, if desired.  Transfer the pizza to the preheated pizza stone and bake until the cheese is melted and bubbling and the crust is lightly browned, about 10-12 minutes.  Remove from the oven and let cool slightly before slicing and serving.

Source:  Annie's Eats