Seconds Please

Thanks to Mama Gruen, this weekend we had the best homemade pizza I have ever eaten... Really, I mean it... I did cheat a little and use Trader Joes pizza dough, but really for $1.99 you can't beat it.. Actually, this whole meal can be purchased there which makes it really user friendly!

There are a few must dos when cooking this most awesomest meal.

1. This tomato sauce from Gweneth Paltrow's Goop is delish.. her singing may be debatable but she sure knows how to make a sauce.

2. Limited amounts of cheese, toppings and sauce. I tended in the past to add too much of all of these and it gets a bit soggy.

3. Use a preheated pizza stone.

4. Bake at 500 degrees on the lower rack for 10 mins.


If you do all of this you end up with mouth watering yumminess :)

Tomato Sauce
* From GOOP

Olive Oil

1 28 ounce cans of whole peeled tomatoes. San Marzanos are the BEST.. but if you can't find that then add a pinch of sugar to the sauce.

3 cloves of garlic.

Basil leaves

S & P

In a large saucepan, slowly cook three cloves of thinly sliced garlic in a couple tablespoons of olive oil for five minutes over low heat. Add two large, fresh basil leaves and stir for a minute. Add the whole, peeled tomatoes along with their juice and two more whole basil leaves. Bring the sauce to a boil, turn down the heat, season with salt and pepper and let it bubble away on low heat for 45 minutes. Cool and refrigerate.

* You are going to have a lot left over, so this is great for pasta bakes or spaghetti.








Pepperoni Pizza
* All from Trader Joes

Pizza Dough
Tomato Sauce
1/2 of a medium sized fresh mozzarella ball, sliced
1/2 cup Quatro Formaggio shredded cheese
Pepperoni

Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Make sure that one of your racks is in the lowest position in the oven.

Place pizza stone in for 1 hour prior to cooking.

Take pizza dough out of the fridge twenty minutes before cooking.

Flour a cutting board or a pizza board and roll out pizza dough. First make it into a ball and then start stretching it out by hand. Once you have your basic shape use a rolling pin. The pizza circle should be aprox 15 inches in diameter.

Use aprox 1/3 cup of sauce and spread evenly over dough.

Scatter the mozzarella, quattro formaggio, and then aprox 10 slices of pepperoni.

Then gently slide the pizza onto the pizza stone and cook for 10 minutes.

Take out of the oven and let rest for 5 mins.

* Not the best photo, but just to give you an idea :)

I Wanna Hear from YOU!

So, I hear through the grape vine that folks have been using the site, but I would love to hear more! I want to make sure that I am catering to YOUR needs, so what would you like more of? What could I do to make it easier for you to actually cook these recipes - besides coming to your house and doing it myself :) If/when you have the time, shoot me a comment or email because this blog is for you and to make your cooking experience easier and tastier!

Thanks

Tardy for the Party...

Sorry for the absence, but I was house bound for a few weeks with a terrible stomach flu and just so that I did not get too comfy with the idea of ever being well again, the mommy gods also graced me with a head cold and one trip to Urgent Care for ear pain and white dots on the tonsils...just an infection thank goodness.... but I did have about 6 hours in between where I was able to eat and actually taste my food, but the majority of my diet included a lot of saltines, Gatorade and chicken broth.. So I am back in the kitchen with some major cooking fire up my you know what and ready to dish up some uber tasty treats. Here are some really easy and family friendly meals that should give you some "hubs and kids props" but not over extend you too much...

Menu
Simple as 1.2.3
Panko crusted Fish Tacos
* I really love Panko.. It gives that extra crunch that you want!

Fried Rice
* This is great to do with leftover pork loin/chops and rice..It is like the ultimate Asian refrigerator round up meal!


Greek Chicken and Rice
* This has all the flavors of a high class meal, but it so easy and satisfying...

Delectable Desserts

Chocolate dipped strawberries
* Really, is there anything better??

Panko crusted Fish Tacos

* Adapted from Martha Stewart Fish Tacos and ingredients, inc

1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

Coarse salt and ground pepper

1/4 small red cabbage, thinly shredded (about 2 1/2 cups) *Or just use a bag of pre-cut up coleslaw mix

4 scallions, thinly sliced (about 1/2 cup)

1 egg white, beaten

1/2 cup skim milk

2 cups panko breadcrumbs

1 lb white fish fillets, cut into thin strips

1/4 cup vegetable oil

4 (8-inch) flour tortillas

In a large bowl, combine sour cream and lime juice; season with salt and pepper. Toss cabbage and scallions with sour-cream mixture. Season again with salt and pepper.

Combine egg and milk in a shallow dish. Combine panko on another plate. Dredge each fish strip in egg mixture then in panko, pressing crumbs to adhere.

Heat oil to medium heat in a large sauté pan 4 minutes on each side, turning once until until golden brown or fish flakes with a fork.

Warm tortillas in microwave 30 seconds.

To make tacos, fill tortillas with slaw, fish, and fresh cilantro leaves.

Serve immediately.

Fried Rice

1 - 2 green onions, as desired

1 cup cut up pork loin/chop. Aprox 1 pound

1/2 cup frrozen peas

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon salt

Pepper to taste

4 tablespoons oil for stir-frying, or as needed

2 cups cold cooked rice

1 - 2 tablespoons light soy sauce

Wash and finely chop the green onion.

Cut up pork into small cubes.

Lightly beat the eggs with the salt and pepper.

Heat a wok or frying pan and add 2 tablespoons until they are lightly scrambled. Remove the eggs and clean out the pan.

Add 2 tablespoons oil. Add the rice. Stir-fry for five minutes, using chopsticks or a wooden spoon to break it apart.

When the rice is heated through and a bit browned, add the scrambled egg back into the pan. Mix thoroughly. Stir in the green onion, peas, and pork and season with soy sauce.

Serve hot

Greek Chicken and Rice
2 TBLSP Olive oil
1 1/2 pounds skinned and boned chicken breast
1 medium yellow onion
1 chopped green bell pepper
1 cup long-grain white rice
2 1/4 cups Chic Stock
Juice of 1 lemon
1/4 cup kalamata olives, pitted
3/4 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste


Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large Dutch oven over medium heat, warm 1 TBSLp oil. Add chicken and brown, about 5 minutes on each side. Remove to a plate.

Add remaining 1 TBLSP oil and saute onion and green pepper until tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in rice. Add remaining ingredients.

Return chicken to pan, cover, and bake until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed, about 50 minutes


Chocolate dipped strawberries

16 ounces milk chocolate chips

2 tablespoons shortening

1 pound fresh strawberries with leaves

Insert toothpicks into the tops of the strawberries.

In a double boiler, melt the chocolate and shortening, stirring occasionally until smooth. Holding them by the toothpicks, dip the strawberries into the chocolate mixture.

Place on wax paper to set and refrigerate until 10 minutes before serving.