Vegetable Strudel

The May Daring Bakers' challenge was hosted by Linda of make life sweeter! and Courtney of Coco Cooks. They chose Apple Strudel from the recipe book Kaffeehaus: Exquisite Desserts from the Classic Cafés of Vienna, Budapest and Prauge by Rick Rodgers. However, I took another turn on this dessert and decided to make a more savory dish, using some vegetables I had leftover in the house. What I ended up with was an onion-based vegetable strudel.

The recipe for the strudel dough itself is easy, and after you let it sit for a sufficient amount of time it's simple to pull extremely thin. I washed off a flat table in our living room and went to work stretching it ever-so-gently. I made sure to get the center thinned out first, so there was extra dough around the edges as I pulled further, giving me more to work with.

You can see that the edges are a bit thicker, so they can still be pulled further. Working from the center out, using hands on both sides of the dough (one on top and one on bottom), going in a circle from the center, I was able to get the dough roughly 2-feet by 3-feet. At that point, it was tissue-paper thin. Enough so I could clearly see my hands through it.

Then I simply topped with the ingredients I had on hand, rolled, and baked. I threw in a few extras to make sure it'd be good and tasty, but I was surprised at how easily strudel could come together - it always seemed much more complicated to me.

Recipe:

Strudel dough:
1 1/3 cups flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
7 tablespoons water, plus more if needed
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more to coat the dough
1/2 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

Knead together all the ingredients, smacking harshly on a flat surface occasionally to get rid of any air bubbles. If the dough feels too dry, add water by half-teaspoons. After everything has come together, continue kneading until a soft ball with a rough surface forms. Shape into a ball and lightly oil the surface, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and allow to sit at room temperature for 90 minutes. After it's sufficiently rested, lightly flour a clean, large working space (at least 2-feet by 3-feet wide) and begin pulling the dough from the center out. There are some videos online that can demonstrate this better than words can.

Filling:
3 large onions, sliced thickly
2 large shallots, diced
Large bell pepper, seeded and diced
1/2 lb. carrots, sliced thickly
6 medium stalks of celery, sliced thickly
4 ounces Gruyere cheese, shredded
2 fresh sprigs of oregano, leaves pulled and chopped
Worcestershire sauce to taste

Preheat an oven to 350ºF. Top the pulled strudel dough on one side with the filling, working in layers to ensure that all the slices will have a little bit of everything. After adding it all together, carefully fold over the dough with filling inward towards the remaining dough. It's okay if a few holes appear in the dough here - they'll be covered up by the remaining layers of dough as you continue rolling. Continue rolling the dough onto itself until it has all been used up, then shape so it can fit onto a baking sheet. Bake for 40 minutes, or until the outside begins to turn golden brown and the vegetables inside have softened. Remove from the oven and cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing.

This can easily be either a main or side dish, and the variations you could make on it are nearly endless. You can fill it with choice vegetables of your own, and different varieties of cheese. You could add some pre-cooked beef, or even put in some sauce. Whatever you feel like putting into this, a strudel is a great way to combine all your ingredients into something that comes out with a flaky crust, and becomes easily transportable.

Ricotta Gnocchi with Pesto

This month welcomes the birth of the Daring Cooks group. Linked with Daring Bakers, Daring Cooks is very much the same premise, but everyone cooks a specific meal rather than baking (which usually focuses on dessert). The selection this month was ricotto gnocchi, from Judy Rodgers' cookbook, The Zuni Café Cookbook. It didn't turn out quite as photographic as I had hoped, but it offered itself as a pleasantly light and delicious meal.

There's a nice Italian restaurant not too far from my house, and I've often ordered their gnocchi with pesto sauce. It's such a wonderful combination that I decided I'd try it out on my own. This gnocchi is different from the standard sort (using potatoes is standard, from what I've seen at least) in that it uses ricotta as the base, but I still figured the pairing would go well together. As far as the process went of actually cooking the formed gnocchi, I found that letting the gnocchi sit in the refrigerator for 24 hours really helped them hold their form. I was having trouble with them breaking apart, even after adding extra eggs and letting it sit for an hour or so in the refrigerator.

Gnocchi:
16 ounces fresh ricotta cheese
2 large cold eggs, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
1 heavy pinch of ground nutmeg
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
1/4 teaspoon salt
Flour to form the gnocchi

At least a day before you want to cook the gnocchi, place the ricotta cheese over a cheesecloth, placed into a wire mesh sieve, suspended over a bowl to catch the moisture. This will drain off a lot of the excess water that's held inside the cheese. If you skip this step, your gnocchi will fall apart easily while cooking. Once the water has been wicked away (about 24 hours in the refrigerator), place into a food processor and pulse a few times until smooth. Add the eggs, butter, nutmeg, Parmigiano-Reggiano, and salt. Pulse until everything is combined and smooth. Fill a shallow bowl with flour, and drop 2-3 teaspoons of batter into it at a time. Very gently roll it and shape it until it has an even coating of flour, then drop into a boiling pot of water. Once the gnocchi begins to float, boil for an additional 5 minutes, then gently remove from the water bath and set aside to cool. Do a practice gnocchi first, then if it holds up to the strain of boiling and removal, continue to cook gnocchi 5-6 at a time, such that the pot doesn't become overcrowded. If the gnocchi falls apart, try to add an extra egg white or allow the batter to firm up in the refrigerator. Once gnocchi are cooked, while still hot, serve with sauce of your choice.


Basic pesto sauce:
4 cups Italian (sweet) basil
1/2 cup olive oil
1/3 cup pine nuts
2 garlic cloves
1/3 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano
1 teaspoon salt

In a food processor, process the basil until finely chopped. Scrape down the sides as needed. Add the olive oil, pine nuts, garlic cloves, Parmigiano-Reggiano, and salt. Pulse until sauce comes together - it will be thick. Serve on top of the hot ricotto gnocchi.

I ended up keeping a lot of this for myself, but I was able to share a bit of it with a couple people, and the reviews were actually better than I had expected. I thought that I may have over-done it with the amount of Parmigiano-Reggiano, being in both the gnocchi and in the sauce, but it seems that it was a much-welcomed flavor. This first daring cooks challenge was interesting, and I'm looking forward for more to come.

Mom's Meat Loaf

What a better way to celebrate Mother's Day than a tribute to one of the great American past-time meals, made by moms across the country? This is the meat loaf my mom used to make for me when I was younger, and I recently made a double-batch so I'd have enough to share. I'm sure there are plenty of people who had some bad experiences with meat loaves in their childhood, and I've heard several complaints about meat loaves being too dry or bland. However, if you follow this recipe, you're sure to get moist and tasty meatloaf that will be happily devoured.

Recipe:
2 eggs
3/4 cup milk
2/3 cup finely crushed saltines
1/2 cup chopped red onion
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon rubbed sage
Dash of pepper
1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
1 cup ketchup
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

(Again, in the photograph are the supplies for a doubled recipe, making two loaves)

Preheat oven to 350ºF and set out an 8-1/2" by 4-1/2" loaf pan (not greased). In a large bowl, beat eggs until just together, then add milk, saltine crumbs, onion, salt, sage, and pepper. Add the beef and mix well, using your hands to bring everything together. Shape roughly into a loaf, then place into the loaf pan and pat down until it takes shape. In a small bowl, combine ketchup, brown sugar, and Worcestershire sauce. Stir until everything has been brought together. Spoon 3/4 of a cup of this sauce onto the top of the meat loaf. Bake for 60-65 minutes, or until there is no longer any pink in the center of the loaf. Remove from oven and drain off any excess fat. Let stand 10 minutes before slicing. Serve with the remaining sauce. Serves 6-8.

Ranch Macaroni and Cheese with Tarragon

This is one of the ultimate comfort foods, amped up with powerful ranch flavor, and easily prepared in a slow cooker. When I mention this recipe to friends, I get disgusted looks - I think the first assumption is that I'm taking macaroni and cheese, then mixing in ranch dressing and calling it a meal. The ranch comes instead from packets of ranch powder, bringing a unique set of spices and herbs to a classic dish. Given that, while this isn't exactly a healthy meal, it's not nearly as bad as my friends' first assumptions.

Recipe:
1 cup milk
1/4 cup butter
2 ounces (2 packets) ranch powdered dressing mix
1 teaspoon lemon pepper
1 teaspoon garlic pepper
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1 cup cubed Colby Jack cheese
1 cup cubed Monterey Jack cheese
1 pound elbow macaroni
8 ounces sour cream
Grated parmesan cheese
1/2 cup crushed saltines
Tarragon to top

In a dutch oven, combine milk, butter, dressing mix and spices, then cheeses. Heat over the low setting and stir periodically until the cheese is fully melted. In the meantime, bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook the macaroni according to the package directions, leaving them a bit al dente - this makes sure the cheese fills all the little holes in the macaroni; if they're overcooked, the shapes may collapse. Drain the macaroni and set aside. Fold sour cream into the cheese sauce, then add saltine crackers and macaroni. Stir together, then cook over low heat until heated through - about 30 minutes. Sprinkle the top with parmesan cheese, then fresh tarragon. Serves 6-8.

Spinach and mushroom lasagne al forno

This month's Daring Bakers challenge was to make spinach lasagne (the pasta), then to create a lasagne al forno (the dish) using the homemade lasagne, along with a bechamel sauce, and additional ingredients of the cook's preference. The March 2009 challenge is hosted by Mary of Beans and Caviar, Melinda of Melbourne Larder and Enza of Io Da Grande. They have chosen Lasagne of Emilia-Romagna from The Splendid Table by Lynne Rossetto Kasper as the challenge. However, as usual, I made some adjustments (from sheer laziness? maybe) to make this dish my own.

Recipes:

Spinach Lasagne:
3 large eggs
10 oz. chopped spinach, thawed and dried
3 cups all-purpose flour

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the ingredients and stir with a wooden spoon until everything comes together. Use your hands to incorporate any dry pieces that aren't going in. Attach a hook to the stand mixer, and knead the dough for 10 minutes, until satiny and elastic. Add flour if the dough is too wet, and water if it's too dry, each by the teaspoon to make sure you don't add too much. After it has been kneaded thoroughly, wrap in plastic wrap and set aside to rest for 30 minutes. Cut the dough into quarters and slowly roll out until thin. I found it helpful to roll one side until it didn't seem it could stretch any further, then flipped the sheet over and rolled the other side. Continue rolling until the pasta is very thin, to the point that you can readily see light through it. Cut into 4-inch by 8-inch slices, then set aside until you're ready to assemble the lasagne.

Bechamel Sauce
4 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 2/3 cups milk
A pinch of nutmeg
Salt and pepper

Melt butter in a heavy pan over medium heat, then add flour and stir with a whisk until combined. Continue stirring until the roux begins to darken and releases a nutty smell. Add the milk, then bring to a boil and continue stirring until thickened. Add nutmeg, then salt and pepper to taste. I added quite a bit of pepper, giving the final Bechamel the appearance of country gravy.

Lasagne al forno:
1 recipe Spinach Lasagne
1 recipe Bechamel sauce
15 oz. Ricotta cheese
1 lb. Button mushrooms
1 lb. Crimini mushrooms
3 ounces basil, chiffonade
1 1/2 cups Parmigiano-Reggiano

Preheat oven to 350ºF and butter a 5-quart baking dish. Bring at least a gallon of heavily salted water to a boil, then boil your lasagne pasta for 2 minutes (only do 4-5 at a time). Gently remove from the boiling water and set onto paper towels to wick away extra water. Repeat until all the pasta has been cooked. Spread a thin layer of bechamel sauce across the bottom of the baking dish, then add a layer of cooked lasagne, overlapping slightly. Top with 5 ounces of Ricotta cheese, and 8 ounces of mushrooms (you can mix them together, or keep the different varieties apart). Add 1 ounce of basil, 1/4 cup of Parmigiano-Reggiano, and 1/4 cup of the bechamel. Top with another layer of overlapping spinach lasagne, then press down gently, yet firm enough to make the surface relatively flat. Repeat two more times. To the top of the outer layer of spinach lasagne, spread the remaining mushrooms and bechamel. Cover with a generous amount of Parmigiano-Reggiano. Cover with a tented piece of foil, taking care that the foil doesn't touch the lasagne. Bake for 40 minutes, then remove the foil and bake for an additional 10. Turn off the oven and wedge the door open with the back of a wooden spoon, and allow to gradually cool down for another 10 minutes. Remove the lasagne from the oven and serve warm. Serves 8-12.

This dish could easily include different flavors, maybe with a ragu sauce and Italian sausage. Lasagne is one of the great dishes to play around with, so feel free to adapt this to however your tastes may be.

Chile con Pollo

In my quest to use my slow cooker more often, I came across several recipes for chile con carne (standard issue chili). They all had their own mix of spices, ratios of meat to beans, types of beans, random ingredients - and I came to the notion that I should just make something of my own. While in the grocery, I picked up a couple new spices and decided to experiment. I also switched to chicken, but that's just a preference. You could just as easily make this with beef (like a chuck roast).

Recipe:
1 lb. dry kidney beans, soaked in water overnight
1 lb. chicken breasts, cubed bite-size
2 medium sweet onions, chopped
Pinch of salt
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 jalapeños, seeded, ribbed, and chopped
3 strips bacon, chopped
1 14-oz. can whole tomatoes
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
1 tablespoon chipotle chili pepper powder
1 tablespoon red chili pepper powder
2 teaspoons cumin
3 cups + 2 tablespoons water, divided
Juice of 1 lime
Toppings (cilantro, red onion, shredded cheese, sour cream, etc.)

Soak the kidney beans in water overnight. The next morning, drain them and place into a slow cooker. Add the cubed chicken. Chop the onions and sweat over medium heat, and sprinkle with salt. After about 10 minutes, add the garlic and jalapeños and cook for an additional 10 minutes. Pour into the slow cooker, then add the bacon and tomatoes. Combine the spices and add 2 tablespoons of water, then mix together to form a paste. Scrape into the slow cooker, then add the remaining 3 cups of water and lime. Give the mixture a few good stirs to bring everything together, then cook over low heat for 8 hours.

You'll come home to the smell of a delicious meal sitting there waiting for you. At this point, you can add more water if it's too thick for your liking, or you can make a paste from cornstarch to thicken it. For me, the dish was just right, and I topped it with just a bit of cilantro. This is a fairly mild chili, so if you'd prefer spicy, add another tablespoon or so of red chile pepper powder.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

There's a plethora of great reasons to go over to my brother's house. Quality time with family, hilarious stories, delicious free food, and great lighting. Erm...understand that my kitchen has horrible lighting, which is why a lot of my pictures end up coming out rather dark. I could fix this with photoshop, but I lost my last copy. My roommates stopped asking me what I'm doing when I start moving and leaning lamps towards the kitchen so I can get enough light for a decent picture. Most of my favorite pictures that end up on this blog were taken instead at my brother's house. What can I say, I love the electricity there.

I was at my brother's house a couple weekends ago, helping to paint a nursery for my future niece (8 weeks now? She's coming so soon!), and my sister-in-law put together this soup in a slow cooker. The meal was fantastic, so I copied the recipe (out of a family cookbook her close friend gave her). As with most things crock-pot, the dish is both easy to put together and delicious.

Credit must be given where due - my brother assembled the behemouth in this picture. I didn't even think about taking pictures when I topped the soup, and it was to my chagrin that my brother suggested I take some pictures - after I had already started eating. I knew my bowl wouldn't do this soup any justice. Fortunately, he saved the day by topping his in a very photogenic fashion.

Recipe:
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 (15-oz.) cans black beans in liquid
2 (15-oz.) cans Mexican stewed tomatoes (such as Ro*tel)
1 cup salsa
4-oz. can chopped green chiles
15-oz. can tomato sauce
Tortilla chips
Assorted toppings (shredded cheese, sliced avocado, sour cream, guacamole, onions, etc.)

Combine chicken breasts, black beans, tomatoes, salsa, green chiles, and tomato sauce into a slow cooker and set to cook on low heat for 8-10 hours. After it has finished cooking, remove the chicken with tongs and allow to rest for 10 minutes. Cut into bite-sized pieces and scoop back into the soup. Ladle the soup into bowls and top with tortilla chips. Top with your choice of toppings.

If you're in a rush and didn't quite plan as far ahead as possible, you can cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces before you cook the soup, and cook on high heat for 4 hours. This is exactly what we did this time around, and the chicken was still tender.

This soup is truly a great comfort food. Its warmth combines with the symphony of flavors and spices to produce a delicious melody reminiscent of summer in soup form. Next time I need some good winter comfort food, I'm going to shy away from macaroni and cheese or mashed potatoes, and make myself a nice batch of this chicken tortilla soup.

Combination Couscous

I'll call this Combination Couscous because it combines so many various items that you wouldn't normally thing would come together. Sweet, sour, salty, savory, soft, crunchy, and everything between - but at the same time, surprisingly, nothing loses its own flavor in the mix. Everything stands out on its own, yet melds together perfectly with the corresponding ingredients. If you have any spare couscous laying around the house, I suggest you give this recipe a try.

Recipe - adapted from Bon Apetit, August 2005
3 3/4 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 1/2 cups couscous
1 cup golden raisins
1 bunch (about 8 total) green onions
3 slices pancetta
1 cup hulled sunflower seeds
1/2 cup butter
Salt and pepper to taste

Place the chicken broth into a large pot and add the salt. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Add the couscous and raisins, then remove from heat. Allow it to sit, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes or until all the liquid has been absorbed by the couscous. Chop the green onions into 1-inch long sections, and roughly chop the pancetta. Combine green onions, pancetta, and sunflower seeds in a large bowl and mix. Cut the butter into 8 pieces and add to the bowl. Pour the hot couscous on top and stir (using tongs helps to get everything mixed in well) until combined. Add salt and pepper to taste, and serve hot.

This recipe can very easily be adapted to whatever extra things you may have lying around the kitchen. Have pecans but no sunflower seeds? No problem. Don't want to make a trip to the store for pancetta? Don't worry about it. I still have some leftover couscous, and I'm planning on cleaning out my cupboard a bit with the help of this recipe.

Spicy Sausage and Parmesan Risotto

I have found a new favorite recipe. This is the first risotto to make that list. This being a hypothetical list, I can't go back and check what else exactly makes it, but this one definitely does. This dish is pretty simple to put together, but the taste is magnificent. It has an aura of comfort food, with a little kick of spice, and everything comes together brilliantly in this meal.

Recipe - adapted from Bon Appetit, December 2007
4 tablespoons butter, divided
4 hot Italian sausage links, casings removed
1 small white onion, chopped
1 cup Arborio rice
1/2 cup California chardonnay or similar white wine
3 cups chicken broth
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
1/3 cup parsley

In a heavy (I prefer cast iron) skillet, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and onion, breaking up any large pieces. Saute until the onions are translucent (4-5 minutes). Add rice and wine, then bring to a boil until all the liquid evaporates. Add the broth, bring to a boil, and then reduce heat to a simmer until risotto is tender (15 minutes). Mix in the Parmesan cheese and top with parsley. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

With a total preparatory time of about 30 minutes, this meal is fast to put together and sure to please. If you don't like spicy, you can substitute another type of flavored sausage to adapt the recipe to your own.

Lemon Pancetta Risotto

This dish throws various vegetables together with a bit of pancetta, and melds the flavors together with the strong use of lemon and Parmesan cheese. As with most risotto recipes, it's fairly easy to put together and takes little time. It's warm and filling, perfect for the winter months.

Recipe:
5 cups chicken broth
1 clove garlic
1 medium onion, quartered
3 ounces pancetta
2 (2x1-inch) strips of lemon zest
1 tablespoon olive oil
10 ounces frozen peas
1 cup dry Arborio rice
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Bring broth to a boil, and then turn temperature down and simmer. In a food processor, chop the garlic, then add the onion and pancetta. Process until roughly chopped. In a heavy pan, add lemon zest and oil, then heat over medium-high. Add the onion mixture and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft and golden. Pour frozen peas into the simmering broth, and allow to cook for 2 minutes before straining and setting aside. Pour the chicken broth into the cooked onion mixture, then add the rice. Turn heat to high and cook 10-12 minutes, or until it has thickened. Stir in the cooked peas, Parmesan cheese, butter, and pepper. Remove lemon strips, give the mixture one more stir, and serve warm. Serves 4-6.

If you are not particularly fond of lemons, I would suggest altering the recipe a bit, perhaps adding more pancetta in their stead. This is a very adaptive sort of recipe, so you're free to add whatever vegetables you might have lying around if peas are not convenient.

Spiced Chicken and Cinnamon Onions on Couscous

I was in the mood to try making some sort of international fare - something different from what I've made in the past. Most of my other cooking has been Italian, so I decided to turn south and try something African. I searched Epicurious for something appealing, and came across this recipe - with a few changes to better suit my tastes.

Recipe - adapted from Bon Appétit, December 2002

Cinnamon onions:
4 tablespoons olive oil
3 medium sweet onions, chopped
1 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar (packed)
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Heat the olive oil in a heavy (I prefer cast-iron) skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chopped onions and saute, stirring every 5 minutes, until browned. Add the sugar and cinnamon, and continually stir for an additional 5 minutes, or until the onions are soft. Scrape out of the skillet and set aside.

Spiced chicken:
1 medium sweet onion, roughly chopped
Juice of 2 lemons
1 tablespoon cumin
3/4 teaspoon ginger
3/4 teaspoon paprika
5 thinly sliced chicken breasts
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 cups diced tomatoes (1 can)
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 handful cilantro, chopped
2 cups couscous

In a food processor, add the onion, lemon juice, cumin, ginger, and paprika. Turn the processor on to high, until all the ingredients are puréed. Pour this marinade into a plastic bag, and add the chicken. Squeeze out any excess air and place in the refrigerator for 30-90 minutes. Heat the olive oil in a large non-reactive skillet (not cast iron - the tomatoes will react with it) over medium-high heat. Remove the chicken from marinade and cook until lightly browned, about 2 minutes on each side. Remove the chicken from skillet and pour in the marinade. Add the diced tomatoes and broth, and boil until thickened. Return chicken and braise until cooked (cut into the thickest part of each chicken to make sure there's no remaining pink). Remove chicken and set aside. Add cilantro and continue cooking sauce, stirring frequently, until thickened to an almost paste-like consistency. Pour the sauce into a separate bowl. Prepare couscous according to package directions.

Spoon out a bed of forked couscous, a bit over 1/3 c. for each serving. Add a spiced chicken breast, and spoon on some sauce. Add the cinnamon onions, and sprinkle with cilantro for presentation.

I'm very happy with how this recipe turned out. The chicken is moist, and all the spices together work perfectly. While the chicken and sauce are delicious, when it's combined with the onions and couscous, the flavors combine wonderfully. The meal isn't too heavy, and would be a great course any day.

Country Pizza

This month's Daring Bakers challenge was to create a pizza of our own. The general way to make the pizza dough was given, but the selection of sauces and toppings were up to each blogger. Having made pizza dough in the past, I decided the shining point of this recipe would be finally emanating an old favorite of mine - a pizza from a gourmet shop in my hometown that was topped with country gravy, fried chicken, mashed potatoes, and mozzarella.

Because this was such a favorite of mine growing up, I was real worried that I'd be disappointed with my own end result. It's hard to live up to something you remember being so delicious. To be honest, while adding the ingredients on top, things weren't looking too great. The flavors just didn't seem to be coming together as well as they could have been, and I was worried it would come out bland. Something magical happened when it was all smashed together and baked in the oven though, and the pizza came out tasting exactly the way I remembered. I nailed it on my first try, and loved every bite. Now that I know how to make this pizza, I'm sure I'll be making it once in a while as a good treat.

Recipe:

Country gravy:
8 pork sausage links
2 T. unsalted butter
1 T. flour
1 c. milk

Cook the pork sausages as per directions on container. Using tongs or a fork, remove the sausages, leaving behind all the baked-on bits and grease.

Add the butter and melt. Sprinkle the flour on top, and whisk together to make the roux. Make sure to scrape up all the bits leftover from the sausage - that's where the gravy gets its flavor. Continue stirring over medium heat until a light nutty smell is coming from the roux, and it turns blonde. Whisking well, slowly add the milk and turn the temperature to high. Continue stirring, and whisk until thickened to the point of nappe, then remove from heat. Cut up the sausage links into small pieces and add to the gravy.

Crust:
4 1/2 c. flour
1 3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon yeast
1/4 c. olive oil
1 3/4 c. water
1 tablespoon sugar

Combine the flour, salt, and yeast. Mix together lightly and place into a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Add the olive oil, water, and sugar. Mix until the dough begins to come together, and then replace the paddle attachment with a kneading hook. Knead together for 10 minutes. The dough will be wet enough to stick to the bottom of the bowl, but it should be dry enough that it no longer sticks to the sides. Add flour or water as needed to get the right consistency. Let the dough rest in the refrigerator for 12 hours before punching down. Remove from refrigerator 2 hours before baking so it comes to room temperature.

Pizza:
1/2 Crust recipe
1/2 recipe Classic Mashed Potatoes
1/2 Country Gravy recipe
2 Pan-Fried Chicken Breasts, sliced
8 oz. mozzarella, shredded

Preheat the oven to 500ºF with a pizza stone on the bottom rack. Work the pizza dough with your knuckles and slowly form the circular pizza shape. Form a 12-inch circle on top of parchment paper, leaving a little extra dough on the outside edge for a thick crust. Spoon on the mashed potatoes and spread evenly. Drizzle the country gravy on top, including some sausage chunks. Place the chicken breasts on top, and top with the mozzarella. At this point, the pizza looks overloaded. Press down lightly on the top to compact the toppings. Slide the pizza and parchment paper onto the pizza stone and bake for 5 minutes. Pull from the oven and allow to sit for an additional 10 minutes before slicing.

The pressed down toppings end up even with the thick crust on the sides, resulting in a thick pizza. A single slice of this is like a meal on its own, so one pizza got me through several lunches. The flavors mash perfectly on this giant of a pizza. This is certainly one of my favorite recipes to date.

Pizza Soup

It's been a long time since I broke out my crock pot, and we had a cold weekend in San Diego, so I decided to make some soup. As with any crock pot recipe, this is a great way to throw a bunch of ingredients together and let them cook while you're at work. When you get back, dinner's hot and ready to eat, and you get a great smell moving throughout the house.

This pizza soup has just the right amount of spice, and is packed with great flavor. It has everything you could want in a pizza, except the dough.

Recipe:
16 oz. spicy chicken sausage, sliced
1 large white onion, chopped
8 oz. crimini mushrooms
1 red bell pepper, chopped
3 c. basic tomato sauce
1 c. chicken broth
Mozzarella cheese, shredded (to top)

Combine all the ingredients in a slow cooker, and stir. Cook on low heat for 4-5 hours. Serve while hot, and top with mozzarella cheese. Serves 6.

It's really as simple as that. The end result is a great pizza filled with lots of different "toppings" that give it a lot of texture. This recipe is very adaptive, so you could add any sort of thing you'd normally want on a pizza instead. Instead of chicken sausage, use pepperoni. Instead of mushrooms, use hot peppers. Opt out the bell pepper. The choices are all up to you.

Picadillo Tacos

I was planning on making a meal at my brother's house and really wanted to try to make something cultural I've never tried before. I started scanning epicurious and looked through the different recipes under the international browsing, but nothing really got me excited. Then I remembered Elle had a post where she made a Cuban inspired dish by making faux picadillo. I grabbed that recipe and adapted it to what I had on hand, then threw some tortillas in the mix to make some delicious picadillo tacos. Note - I'm aware it's not authentic.

Recipe - Adapted from Elle's New England Kitchen: Cuban Style Picadillo

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound lean ground beef
1/2 pound chorizo, removed from casing
1/2 large red onion, diced
1 large red bell pepper, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon cumin
2 teaspoons chili pepper
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 (14-ounce) can diced tomatoes
3/4 cup beef broth
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 cup raisins (optional)
1/4 c. green olives with pimentos, chopped
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
3 hard boiled eggs, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup slivered almonds
1/4 cup chopped hazelnuts
Juice of 1 lime
Salt and pepper to taste

24 small tortillas
Shredded lettuce
2 limes, sliced
Sour cream
Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
2 avacados, skinned and sliced

In a large skillet over medium heat, add the meats and cook until browned, about 10 minutes. Add the onion and bell pepper to the meats, and periodically stir for another 10 minutes. Add the garlic and all the spices, saute for 1 minute. Add tomatoes, broth, and sugar. Stir until combined, then cover and cook for 20 minutes. Remove the cover and add the raisins, olives, and apple cider vinegar. Simmer for 5 minutes, and then add the eggs, almonds, hazelnuts, and lime juice. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Warm the tortillas and set out the sides. Scoop some picadillo onto each tortilla, then add the toppings of choice.

Yields 24 soft tacos, which will probably serve 8 people if not more when accompanied by side dishes. This only took about 45 minutes from start to finish, and is wonderfully delicious. The olives and nuts in the mix give it some texture and good flavor without you really noticing it. You can easily make the picadillo and then stuff it into enchiladas, omelettes, et cetera.

Spinach Lasagna

I was trying to think of something new to make with a friend of mine, but nothing was coming to mind. While at work, moowie suggested I try making a lasagna, and fortunately I took her up on that idea. This lasagna came out wonderfully, and will definitely be made again next time I'm in need of a large dish to serve.

Recipe - Adapted from Giada De Laurentiis' Everyday Italian, Episode EI1A10 "All About Lasagna"

Mixed Sauce:
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
4 cups whole milk
1 1/2 cups tomato sauce
Salt and pepper

Layers:
1/2 pound lean ground beef, browned and drained
1/2 pound ground turkey, browned and drained
salt and pepper
22.5 ounces ricotta cheese (1 1/2 [15-ounce] containers)
3 large eggs
1 pound lasagna sheets, al dente
20 ounces frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
3 cups shredded mozzarella
1/4 cup fresh shredded Parmesan

Preheat oven to 375ºF. Melt 5 tablespoons of unsalted butter in a small pot over medium-high heat. Once completely melted, add the flour and whisk to make the roux. Cook this a few minutes to remove the flour flavor. Slowly add the milk while whisking and turn down the heat to medium. Continue whisking until the sauce thickens, about 5 minutes. Add the tomato sauce and continue stirring over medium heat until nappe. Add salt and pepper to taste, then remove from heat and set aside while you assemble the rest of the lasagna.

Place the ricotta cheese into a stand mixer with paddle attachment, add the eggs and stir until combined. Add a pinch each of salt and pepper.

Pour 2 cups of the mixed sauce into a 13 by 9-inch glass baking dish, move it around to coat the bottom evenly. Place a layer of the lasagna sheets on top of the sauce, then cover with the ricotta mixture. Spread out evenly, then add the chopped spinach evenly on top. Cover with another layer of lasagna sheets, then spread the meats on top of this. Top the meats with 1 1/2 cups of mozarella, then pour another 2 cups of the mixed sauce on top. Cover with the final layer of lasagna sheets, top with the remaining mixed sauce. Mix the remaining mozzarella with the Paremesan and add this on top. Melt the remaining 1 tablespoon butter in microwave with 1 tablespoon water. Brush this along the edges of the baking dish, concentrating on the corners, to make sure it doesn't dry out while baking. Tent with foil and place into the oven with a baking sheet underneath. Bake 30 minutes or until cheese is bubbling, remove foil, and then bake for another 15 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 15 minutes to let everything set up. Serve warm, yields 12 servings when accompanied by side dishes.

This keeps in the refrigerator, covered, for about a week. I've always found that pasta tends to be better the next day after all the flavors have been absorbed.

Cottage Pie

This is an easy dinner to make, and packed with a ton of protein. Lots of veggies, too. The only unhealthy part would probably be the pie crust, but you can make that however healthy you choose.


Recipe:
1 pie crust (up to you)
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
3 sticks of celery, chopped
1/2 onion, diced
1/2 lb. ground beef
1/2 lb. ground turkey
2 potatoes, peeled and sliced
1/2 c. sour cream
salt and pepper to taste

Pre-bake the pie crust according to directions. You want it to be lightly browned, but not completely done as it will be returning to the oven later. Remove from the oven and turn the temperature to 350ºF. In a heavy skillet, combine the carrots, celery, onion, meats, and salt/pepper. Add a little olive oil and cook it all together until browned. Spoon off this mixture and allow to drain to avoid having excess grease before putting into the pie crust.

You can make the mashed potatoes however you please. I was in a hurry, so I just boiled the two potatoes, drained them, threw in the sour cream and mashed them. No need to be specific with following this recipe. Bake until the top develops a thin crust, about 15 minutes, then remove from the oven and allow to cool a bit before serving. Serves 6.

Very simple to throw together, and you can easily vary the recipe as you choose to fit what you might have lying around the house. Mine actually fell apart as soon as I started slicing them - I think if I had added some tomato paste into the mix or something to hold it all together, it would have turned out much neater. Don't be afraid of using a lot of salt and pepper - it's easy to make this pie too bland.