Deep-Dish Pizza

SP loved the Deep-Dish Pepperoni Pizza I made on Tuesday so much that he asked me to make it again on Friday. I used the rest of the pepperoni and some sliced black olives:


Once again, the crust was crispy and golden-brown, with just a hint of chewiness.


I think I've spoiled SP - he asked me to make pizza like this for the foreseeable future.


I have to admit, it's a lot easier then the regular pizza I used to make. Less rolling, no preheating the pizza stone and then maneuvering the topped pizza onto the blazing hot stone and less mess. And the pizzas are perfect every time.

Crispy Yogurt Chicken, Crash Hot Potatoes and Broccoli

The last time I made the Pioneer Woman's Crispy Yogurt Chicken and Crash Hot Potatoes the chicken wasn't very crispy. This time I used bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts and the results were much better:


I marinated the chicken overnight in the yogurt mixture made with lemon juice and zest, fresh chopped rosemary, thyme, parsley and garlic. The chicken really soaked up the flavors and I was able to use less yogurt in the final step, which helped keep the coating crispy:


Unfortunately I ran out of panko, so there wasn't enough coating, but it was still good. Next time I'll have more panko on hand. The potatoes were also fantastic, as always:


Nice and crispy, with great flavor from the rosemary, thyme and scallions. I served the meal with simple steamed broccoli.

Pasta with Mixed Mushrooms and Thyme

As regular readers know, SP is a huge fan of mushrooms. The latest issue of Everyday Food had a recipe for Pasta with Mixed Mushrooms and Thyme, so I decided to make it for dinner on Wednesday.


When a recipe calls for mixed mushrooms I usually cheap out and use only regular white mushrooms, but this time I thought we should go all out, especially since the recipe said the dried porcini added a very important, complex flavor. It was definitely worth it - the shitake, white button mushrooms and porcini all came together to make a fantastic, earthy sauce. SP loved it, of course, so I'll definitely be making this one again.

Deep-Dish Pepperoni Pizza

Today is Election Day in the United States. SP and I love staying up late to watch the returns (probably a hold-over from our days as reporters), so we wanted a fun meal for dinner. I recently saw an episode of ATK where they made deep-dish pizza in pie pans that I'd been meaning to try.


This was a really easy meal to make. I buy my own dough (which was probably the reason the pizza wasn't very deep) but it really cut down the prep time. Microwaving the pepperoni first was a huge plus - there was hardly any grease on the pizza. And the oil in the pan gave the crust a fantastic, crispy crust.


Next time I make these I'm going to try mushroom, per SP's request. We devoured a whole pan and could have kept eating.



Deep Dish Pepperoni Pan Pizza
America's Test Kitchen

Dough
1/2 cup olive oil
3/4 cup skim milk plus 2 additional tablespoons, warmed to 110 degrees
2 teaspoons sugar
2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour , plus extra for counter
1 package instant yeast
1/2 teaspoon table salt

Topping
1 (3.5-ounce) package sliced pepperoni
1 1/3 cups pizza sauce
3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

To make the dough: Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 200 degrees. When oven reaches 200 degrees, turn it off. Lightly grease large bowl with cooking spray. Coat each of two 9-inch cake pans with 2 tablespoons oil.

Mix milk, sugar, and remaining 2 tablespoons oil in measuring cup. Mix flour, yeast, and salt in standing mixer fitted with dough hook. Turn machine to low and slowly add milk mixture. After dough comes together, increase speed to medium-low and mix until dough is shiny and smooth, about 5 minutes. Turn dough onto lightly floured counter, gently shape into ball, and place in greased bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and place in warm oven until doubled in size, about 30 minutes.

Transfer dough to lightly floured counter, divide in half, and lightly roll each half into ball. Roll and shape each ball into 9-inch round and press into oiled pan. Cover with plastic wrap and set in warm spot until puffy, about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, heat oven to 400 degrees.

While dough rises, put half the pepperoni in a single layer on a microwave-safe plate lined with 3 paper towels. Cover with 3 more paper towels and microwave on high for 30-45 seconds. Repeat with new paper towels and remaining pepperoni.

Remove plastic wrap from dough. Ladle 2/3 cup sauce on each round, leaving 1/2-inch border around edges. Sprinkle each with 1 1/2 cups cheese and top with pepperoni. Bake until cheese is melted and pepperoni is browning around edges, about 20 minutes. Remove from oven; let pizzas rest in pans for 1 minute. Using spatula, transfer pizzas to cutting board and cut each into 8 wedges.

Cashew Chicken

Another recipe for Cashew Chicken, this one from the latest issue of Cook's Country:


Even though I've never made anything I'm anxious to make again, I keep trying Chinese/Asian meals. Nothing I make really wows me. Don't get me wrong, this was a good, solid meal, but the flavors just weren't quite what I was looking for. I liked the sauce and the chicken was a gorgeous color from the marinade, but it was still missing something.


SP told me there is just no way I'm going to get the flavor I'm looking for without the MSG, but I want to keep trying. Call me crazy, but this is now a goal of mine.

Cashew Chicken
December/January 2009 Cook's Country

Marinade and Sauce
1/2 cup mirin (I used a combo of rice wine and rice vinegar)
6 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
2 tablespoons plus 4 teaspoons cornstarch
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 3/4-inch pieces
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

Stir-Fry
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
8 ounces snow peas, stems and strings removed, halved
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
6 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 8-oz can sliced water chestnuts, drained
1 cup cashews, half chopped, half left whole

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Toast the cashews on a baking sheet until golden brown, tossing occasionally, about 5 minutes.

Whisk 3 tablespoons mirin, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 2 tablespoons sesame oil, and 2 tablespoons cornstarch in a large bowl. Add chicken, toss to coat and refrigerate at least 30 minutes and up to 2 hours.

Whisk broth, Worcestershire, remaining mirim, soy sauce, sesame oil and cornstarch in a separate bowl.

Remove chicken from marinade and pat dry with paper towels. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large non-stick skillet or wok over medium heat until just starting to smoke. Brown half the chicken, stirring occasionally, until no longer pink, about 4 minutes. Remove to a plate and brown the remaining chicken.

If necessary, add more oil to the skillet or wok and add the snow peas. Cook, stirring constantly, until bright green. Add ginger, garlic and pepper flakes and cook 30 seconds. Add the water chestnuts and broth mixture. Cook, stirring constantly, until sauce is thickened, about 2 minutes. Return chicken to the pan along with any juices and heat through. Off heat stir in the cashews. Serve over rice.

Crockpot Pulled Pork Sandwiches

On Halloween night I wanted a meal that would be easy to eat while we handed out candy to all the trick-or-treaters. I've wanted to try another crockpot recipe, and when I found this one for pulled pork sandwiches I knew it would be just the thing.


I rubbed the roast with the spice mixture on Thursday and let it sit overnight. On Friday morning I put it in the crockpot. When I got home the house smelled fantastic (even our neighbors said it smelled great in our yard) and all I had to do was shred the pork and make them into sandwiches with some coleslaw.


Next time I'll use more barbecue sauce as these were a little dry. But the flavor was great and it made so much pulled pork that we had sandwiches for dinner Friday and lunch today and two pounds in the freezer for later.

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork
The Way the Cookie Crumbles

Spice Rub:
1 tablespoon ground black pepper
1-2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 tablespoons ground cumin
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon dried oregano
4 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons table salt
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 tablespoon ground white pepper

1 (6-8 pound) bone-in pork shoulder
½ teaspoon liquid smoke (optional)
2 cups barbecue sauce

Mix all spice rub ingredients in small bowl. Massage spice rub into meat. Wrap tightly in double layer of plastic wrap; refrigerate for at least 3 hours. (For stronger flavor, the roast can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.)

Unwrap roast and place it in slow cooker liner. Add liquid smoke, if using, and ¼ cup water. Turn slow cooker to low and cook for 8-10 hours, until meat is fork-tender.

Transfer roast to cutting board; discard liquid in liner. “Pull” by tearing meat into thin shreds with two forks or your fingers. Discard fat.

Place shredded meat back in slow cooker liner; toss with 2 cups barbecue sauce, and heat on low for 30-60 minutes, until hot. Serve with additional barbecue sauce.

Spicy Tequila Chicken with Garlic and Lime, Roasted Potatoes and Salad with Roasted Tomato Vinaigrette

Another Mary Ellen recipe, this one for a spicy chicken dish in a tequila, garlic and lime sauce:


I wasn't in the mood for pasta, so I made this with roasted potatoes. The sauce was fantastic, but unfortunately it really needed pasta to soak it up. The potatoes probably would have been good, except that the rest of the meal was taking a long time to come together and I forgot about them in the oven. They were more like potato chips. I had a lot of tomatoes from my final harvest that needed to be used up, so I decided to try a roasted tomato salad dressing I'd seen Rachael Ray make a few times. It wasn't impressed - it was a little too sweet because of the balsamic vinegar, which also masked the flavor of the tomatoes:


I'd definitely make the chicken again, but I'd serve it over pasta instead.

Thin Crust Pizza

There's a gourmet thin crust pizza place near us that serves a great slice of pizza. It was a rough week, so by Thursday we wanted something easy for dinner. SP stopped off at the pizza place on the way home and got a few of our favorites and some new ones to try.


One of our favorites is the pepperoni and sausage:


We also love the mushroom and basil:


One of the new ones was a Thai chicken with shredded carrots, bean sprouts, cilantro and peanut sauce:


He also got one with caramelized onions, edamame and ricotta cheese:

I Guess He Found a New Spot

You know how I just posted about our cat loving the closet in the second bedroom? The other night I swore I heard him rustling around in my husband's gym bag, which he left on the floor next to his dresser, but when I looked in the bag I didn't see any obvious cat hair so I didn't think anything of it. Imagine my surprise when I got home today and this is what I saw when I walked into our bedroom:


Do you think he looks comfy? He was so proud of himself that instead of bolting when he saw the camera, he sat there preening and rubbing his face all over the bag. Nice. He left the bag for a quick head pat by yours truly, then hopped right back in. He's in there right now and quite thrilled to be there.

Buffalo Chicken Tenders with Caramelized Onion and Blue Cheese Orzo

In keeping with my week of trying recipes from Mary Ellen's blog, last night I made Buffalo Chicken Tenders with Caramelized Onion and Blue Cheese Orzo. The orzo was the recipe I got from Mary Ellen and the chicken tenders were a recipe I've made before.


I love these chicken tenders:


... because they're so easy to make and taste fantastic. I even made my own blue cheese dressing by mixing 1/3 cup mayo, 1/3 cup sour cream, blue cheese crumbles, salt, pepper and a squeeze of lemon juice. It was super creamy and really cut the heat from the tenders. The orzo:


... was the real winner, though. I absoluteley loved this recipe. It was super simple to make and the flavors were great.

Chinese Chicken with Peanuts and Vegetables

I was looking through Mary Ellen's blog recently and ended up printing out more than 20 recipes that sounded absolutely fantastic. When I made my menu for the week I decided to try three of her recipes, the first being this one for Chinese Chicken with Peanuts and Vegetables:


I did a lot of prep on Sunday, so this came together in just 30 minutes. I ended up using more veggies (a whole pepper and a whole zucchini) and increased the amount of peanuts since we love them in kung pao chicken, the dish this is based off.

I have to admit, we were a little disappointed in the final result. We liked it well enough, but like all Chinese recipes I've tried to recreate at home the flavors seemed muted. I don't understand how dishes that have soy sauce, garlic, ginger and a ton of other vibrant flavors can be on the bland side. I followed the recipe exactly, but if you look at my picture and Mary Ellen's picture you'll see that her sauce is a lot richer-looking. Mine wasn't even that spicy and I used the full amount of red pepper flakes. I'll have to try again, especially if Mary Ellen reads this and can offer some tips.

Spaghetti and Meatballs

We wanted a hearty, comforting dinner on Sunday, so we turned to an old favorite, spaghetti and meatballs:


SP was in charge of the sauce and I have to say, this batch was one of the best he's ever made. It certainly surpasses anything I've ever had in a restaurant. It was so good I can't even put it into words. It had just the right consistency, tangy but sweet, not too acidic...just perfect in every way. I made the meatballs using my usual recipe and fried them in a little oil:


... before they finished cooking in the sauce while the pasta cooked:


We also had some crusty bread slathered with butter to sop up all the gorgeous sauce:


The sauce was so good we ate all the slices I cut and SP went back for another. And the best part is I made a huge batch of meatballs so we have enough for 2 more meals in the freezer.

Meatballs
Recipe from Lidia Bastianich

1/2 pound ground pork (I use meatloaf mix)
1/2 pound ground beef (I use meatloaf mix)
1 cup fine bread crumbs
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup chopped Italian parsley
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 egg
1 teaspoon salt, and more to taste
1/4 teaspoon pepper, and more to taste
Flour (for coating)
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup vegetable oil

In a large bowl, crumble the pork and beef (or meatloaf mix). Sprinkle with bread crumbs, 1/3 cup grated Parmesan, the parsley, and garlic.

In a small bowl, beat the egg with the 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Pour over the meat mixture. With your hands, work the meat until it is evenly blended. Shape the mixture into 1 1/2-inch balls. Dredge the meatballs in flour until they are lightly coated.

In a large heavy-bottom skillet, heat the olive and vegetable oils. When the oil is hot, place as many meatballs in the pan as you can without crowding. Fry for about 6 minutes or until golden brown on all sides. Remove from the pan to drain on papertowels. Repeat with the remaining meatballs.

Add the browned meatballs to the tomato sauce and cook, stirring gently, for 30 minutes or until they are cooked through.

Breakfast Sandwich

We had some leftover biscuits from the batch SP made on Saturday so Sunday morning (after a very long but very productive trip to the wholesale club) I made us breakfast sandwiches:


These were like a kicked-up version of a McDonald's biscuit sandwich, with scrambled eggs, cheddar cheese (SP had Swiss) and two slices of crispy bacon. These were so good we didn't speak to each other the entire time we were eating.

Fall Dinner

My parents invited us over for dinner on Saturday and since the weather is decidedly fall these days my mom thought a roast chicken dinner with all the fixings sounded like a great idea. Here are the two beautiful birds she stuffed and roasted:


But I'm getting ahead of myself. We started with some snacks while we had drinks, including sundried tomatoes and mozzarella on little toasts:


I really love these tomatoes and mozzarella.


In addition to the chickens my mom roasted carrots, steamed green beans and sliced some cranberry sauce:


Yes, we like the jellied cranberry sauce from a can. Don't hate us. She also made creamy, buttery mashed potatoes and gravy from the pan drippings:


SP made his amazing, buttery biscuits:


Here's the table all laid out for dinner:


My plate, with a little bit of everything:


This was one fantastic meal! The chicken couldn't have been more tender or juicy and all the sides were delicious. This was a good trial run for Thanksgiving since we have pretty much the same meal on that day as well.

After dinner we played Scrabble (I won, yay!) and then everyone enjoyed the pumpkin cupcakes with cream cheese frosting I'd made earlier that day.

Pumpkin Cupcakes

Look what I made:


Yes, it's a cupcake. And I made it from scratch. Even the frosting. Go me! I wonder how long I can claim not to be a baker...

I had a lot of pumpkin leftover from the pumpkin roll I made last weekend, so when my mom asked me to bring dessert for dinner tonight I asked my cooking board for recommendations for pumpking cupcakes. Here they are hot out of the oven:


While the cupcakes cooled I made the cream cheese frosting:


After the cupcakes cooled completely:


... I frosted them with a liberal amount of the cream cheese frosting:


Yum! They smelled fantastic while they were baking, but I haven't tried them yet because I don't want to spoil my dinner.

I ended up combining two of the recipes recommended by my cooking board since I didn't want to buy anything I didn't already have on hand.

Spiced Pumpkin Cupcakes
Recipe from Annie's Eats

2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon salt
1 can (15 oz.) solid-packed pumpkin (about 1 ¾ cups)
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1 cup canola oil
4 eggs

Preheat an oven to 350°F. Line muffin tins with decorative cupcake papers.

In a bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and salt. Set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together the pumpkin, granulated sugar, brown sugar and oil. Add the eggs one at a time, whisking after each addition.

Add the flour mixture in three additions, stirring with a large wooden spoon until just combined. Fill the muffin tins about three-fourths full. Bake until the cupcakes are golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer the tins to a wire rack and let cool for 10 minutes, then remove the cupcakes from the tins and let cool completely.

Cream Cheese Frosting
Recipe from Sherri

4 oz. unsalted butter, softened
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 tablespoon vanilla
5 cups confectioner's sugar

Cream butter and cream cheese until fluffy. Add vanilla and beat. Add sugar one cup at a time and continue to beat an additional 5 minutes.

Comfy Closet Cat

As any cat owner knows cats love to find new and interesting places to sleep. Recently we couldn't find our cat, until we looked in the closet in the second bedroom. We had left the door slightly open and he'd made himself a little bed using my fleece jacket that had fallen off the hanger. Seeing as the temperature keeps dropping, I needed to reclaim my coat. The other day he was sleeping on our bed, so I swapped the fleece for a large towel I got at my work conference. The cat must not have minded the switch because he was back in the closet this afternoon:


He just looks so cute all snuggled up in there.

Orzo with Sausage, Peppers, and Tomatoes

I saw this recipe for Orzo with Sausage, Peppers, and Tomatoes in the Serious Eats Newsletter a few weeks ago. Since we had a pound of sausage in the freezer I figured I'd give it a try.


It was a very, very easy recipe that came together in less than 30 minutes. It had good flavor, but neither of us thought it was craveable. I like sausage, but I've never found myself saying, "Wow, I'm really craving some sausage right now." That being said, this meal was very good. I used spicy Italian sausage and added red pepper flakes as well, so the dish had a nice kick. I've always been a fan of the creaminess of orzo and it didn't disappoint. My only real complaint was that I couldn't quite taste the roasted red peppers or the tomatoes. And I added way more then 2 plum tomatoes. I had about 6 whole peeled tomatoes leftover from a can I opened earlier this week and I used them all, but unfortunately they got lost in the shuffle.

Fellow Bloggers: I Need Your Help!

One of my goals for this year is to improve my photography skills. I've been using the same camera (a Sony Cybershot) since 2004 and while it works just fine, I know a lot of advances have been made in digital photography since we purchased this camera. I'm hoping to get a new camera for Christmas so this is where you guys come in. There are way, way too many choices in digital cameras and wading through the reviews got overwhelming. Then it dawned on me - why not ask my fellow bloggers what they use. Who better to recommend (or not recommend) a camera then the people who use it every day to do exactly what I do.

I have only a few requirements:

1) Must be less than $300
2) Takes good photos in all types of settings
3) If it had a food photography setting that would be a plus
4) Small enough to fit in a purse so I'm not lugging around a behemoth

If you have a recommendation I would greatly appreciate it. Just leave me a comment!

Rigatoni with Spiced Meat Sauce

The latest issue of Everyday Food had a lot of great recipes, including this one for Rigatoni with Spiced Meat Sauce.


The recipe is really easy and took a little less than 30 minutes to put together, including making the salad. I used beef instead of lamb because we have so much in the freezer and it was fantastic.


I loved the spiciness from the cayenne and the kick from the vinegar. And the cinnamon added a nice flavor in the background. For the salad I thinly sliced some red onion and mushrooms and tossed them with baby arugula:


Simply dressed with red wine vinegar and oil, this was a fantastic weeknight meal.

Chicken Braised in White Wine

I saw this recipe for Chicken Braised in White Wine over at Good Things Catered and knew it would be a winner. What's not to like about bone-in chicken cooked slowly in a pool of yummy wine? Add in some onions, mushrooms and potatoes and you've got a one-pot meal (which I'm all about these days!) I also steamed some green beans for an added vegetable.


The chicken was a gorgeous golden-brown color from the initial cooking, but once it was covered in delicious sauce it looked even better. I served this family-style on a large platter with the chicken and all the vegetables.


The steamed green beans were crisp-tender and provided a nice color contrast.


My plate:


... with a piece of chicken, potatoes, mushrooms and onions and green beans. It was a delicious meal. Thanks Katie!