The Lazy Woman's Pizza Pie

     I love a good slice of pizza.  Have you ever met someone who says that they don't like pizza?  Aren't you always a little suspect of these people?  Even my nephew who hates cheese and has lactose issues loves pizza.
     A few weeks ago I ordered a pizza delivery because I felt too lazy to cook.  Huge mistake.  It was not only bad for me, it tasted like it had been dipped in some weird pizza preservative chemical.  Gross.  I vowed then and there to stop being pizza pie lazy and make my own from now on.  Which is not so bad because I like my pizza way more than anything I can get delivered and my recipe is actually super easy.
     I lucked out and got the perfect, quick and delicious crust recipe from a co-worker at SLT-thanks Michael!  The only problem is you need a stand mixer to make it.  And really you need a stand mixer anyway, sorry!  So if you don't have one put it on your b-day, x-mas, v-day, tax refund day wish list and just make it happen already.

Pizza Crust Dough

• 3 cups All Purpose flour
• 1 pkg Red Star Quick Rise yeast
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1/2 tsp. sea salt
• 1 c water- 125 degrees

Add all ingredients minus water to the bowl and using the paddle attachment mix on low for 30 seconds.  Add water-make sure it is between 120 and 125 degrees no higher or lower-and mix for 60 seconds.  Change to dough hook and mix on speed 2 for 2 minutes.  Place in an oiled bowl and let rise in warm area for 15 minutes.  You can also freeze the dough once it has risen, just put in fridge to defrost and pull out 30 minutes before you roll it out.

     When the dough is ready punch it down a little and cut in two.  Each half will make 2 10-14 inch (the larger you roll the thinner the crust) pizza crusts.  I roll mine out on a pastry cloth which I shake out and keep wrapped in the fridge.  Place crust on a perforated pizza pan.  I believe this pan makes the best crust, even better than a pizza stone and it's cheaper and easier to store!

     Spread pizza sauce-I just use pasta sauce from a jar-or brush crust with an olive oil, garlic salt and herb mixture.  Top with whatever you've got hanging out in the fridge.  Here's some ideas from my fridge: sliced red onion or carmelized sweet/yellow onion, roasted red pepper(I just buy them in a jar), olives, sundried tomatoes(costco sells huge jars), artichoke hearts, garlic(best if you roast it first), steamed broccoli, cooked potato(seriously it's good!) and peperoncinis (spicy!).  Then cover with cheese.  I buy a shredded pizza blend but often I will change it up and use fresh mozzarella, sliced provolone or goat cheese.  Try it vegan style too!  I really like it vegan style brushed with the garlic oil, crushed red pepper and lots of veggies.

     Bake at 415 degrees for 12-14 minutes depending on thickness of crust.  

Pizza easily slides onto a pizza screen, see above, which is great to cut on.  Serve with a salad and it's the perfect meal.  Bon Appetit!

-Natasha

Chicken Curry in a Hurry

      We are egg lovers in our house.  That might explain these guys (gals actually)

We have a small hen house on our property where we keep 4 hens.  We had five but one stopped producing eggs.  When this happens, just like in the old days when people had family farms instead of cramming thousands of chickens on a gross crazy factory farm, we eat it.  So this weekend we made a gigantic batch of super rich chicken broth.

      I honestly didn't know what to do with it other than make chicken soup since we don't have the freezer space for all of it.  But I wanted to do something more challenging being that last month, thanks to the flu, I had already made my fill of chicken soup.  So I decided to try an Asian inspired chicken curry soup and serve it over brown rice.  Being that I am a novice at this type of cuisine, the recipe needed to be fairly simple and thanks to my mom's donation of yellow curry paste and some quick study on the internet I came up with a version that is quick, easy and delish.   Warning: this recipe makes 8 quarts so you might want to scale it down, we took it to Grandma's for Sunday dinner and had plenty of leftovers.

Chicken Curry Soup

• 3 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 1/2 large onions or 2 small-chopped
• 8 medium size carrots-sliced about 1/4" thick
• 8 small potatoes-boiled until almost done and cut into largish pieces
• 3 large chicken breast-approx. 2 lbs.
• 1/3 cup yellow curry paste
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 62 oz. chicken broth
• 2 13.5 oz cans of coconut milk-one of the cans I used was a light coconut milk

 In a large stockpot cook chicken on medium heat in some olive oil until done.  Remove chicken but leave oil and juices from the meat then add 3 tbsp olive oil and 1 tsp sea salt of salt.  Chop the chicken into bite-sized pieces and set aside.  Add onions and carrots to the pan and saute on medium heat until onions begin to soften.  Then add curry paste, brown sugar, chicken, potatoes and stir well, cook for 2 minutes.  Pour chicken broth and coconut milk in and simmer for 30 minutes stirring occasionally.

This broth has an amazing amount of fat in it so your soup will probably look creamier on top than mine. We didn't bring the camera with us to Grandma's so there is no presentation picture but just serve it in a bowl over brown rice.  Yum!

-Natasha

Mac and Cheese Please!

     While working for SLT I won a 2 year subscription to Bon Appetit.  It's a blessing and a curse.  I love to sift through the gorgeous photos and yummy recipes, but then it just sits there on the coffee table or on the magazine rack for months tempting me and making me feel guilty for being too lazy and selfish to make any of the recipes.  There is a gigantic stack and I've only used one or two recipes.
     The March issue came and as soon as I saw it I knew I couldn't resist it anymore.  Baked pastas are featured this month and on the cover a dish of bubbling hot mac and cheese sits with a fork lifting up an ooey gooey bite.  I immediately started scheming.  Why scheming?  Because I'm officially on a diet to lose the baby weight, and mac and cheese is hardly diet food.
      I decided to combine a cream sauce recipe I have that calls for low fat cream cheese and 1% milk with a bag of a lowfat shredded Italian cheese blend and whole grain rigatoni.  I hoped that this combo would still be delicious enough to calm my craving for a "sumptuous baked pasta" while maintaining my diet integrity.
     Last Friday night we had friends over and I tested out my recipe on our guests.  I think it's safe to say they liked it...clean plates all around!  Some of us even had seconds, I had an extra spoonful ok?  It really was good and lowfat and packed full of veggies and I felt satisfied.

First you'll need to roast one large or two small bulbs of garlic for one hour, cool and pull out each clove of garlic with a fork then set aside.  Boil whole grain or semolina pasta (I used rigatoni but ziti will work well also) until al dente and set aside.

White Sauce
Use a roux whip to stir 1 Tbsp. flour into 2 Tbsp. melted butter over medium heat, then gradually add 2 cups of 1% or skim milk.  Stir constantly until it begins to thicken-about 4 minutes-and add 1 8 oz. package of lowfat cream cheese and 2 Tbsp of grated parmesan cheese.  While stirring add 1 Tbsp. Onion Powder and 2 tsp. of Garlic Salt.

Stir until all of the cheese is combined and sauce is hot.

Veggies- I used about 10 spears of asparagus and half of a large head of cauliflower cut into bite size pieces and steamed.  Then I sauteed half of a large onion and half of a red bell pepper in olive oil and sea salt.  Once onions and peppers were soft I added the other veggies to the skillet and seasoned with oregano, garlic salt, and basil to taste.

Combine all of the above plus one 8 oz. package of shredded mozzarella, or an Italian blend like I found at Smith's, in a covered casserole and bake at 350 for 30 minutes.  Serves 4-6
Bon Appetit!

-Natasha

     

Gonzo for Garbanzos

     I have a thing for the garbanzo bean.  Which is a good thing because garbanzos are packed with protein, folate, B6 and a bunch of other stuff.  A nutritious and versatile little bean.  Also known as chick peas, these guys are in a million Middle Eastern and Indian dishes including Hummus, one of the best things that happened to my lunch hour.  Another favorite garbanzo dish of mine is a simple salad that can be served on a bed of spinach or in a pita.  I make this a couple of times a month because it's so easy and nutritious-kids like it too!

     Canned garbanzos are far too convenient for me to think about it but if you're hardcore go ahead and cook your own.  Add sour cream (reduced fat works great) to a can of drained beans until they are covered.  Then mince one slice of red onion and add to beans along with lots of dill, sea salt, and pepper to taste.  If your kids freak out at the sight of onion, omit and add onion powder or onion salt (if so omit sea salt) instead.  Last step is to add the feta, also to taste.  I like to add a lot of feta so to watch the calorie content I use a fat free feta (available at Costco for cheap!).
     You can add fresh tomato-in season only don't bother with the crappy grocery store tomatoes-or some radish or green onion to switch it up.  It has a great fresh flavor and is super filling.  Love it!

-Natasha
       

The Incredible Edible Omelette

     I love to start off the day with a delicious, filling breakfast.  It just makes me feel pampered like a movie star or a Real Housewife.  For me every good breakfast starts by sauteing onions in olive oil.  Onions make everything taste better.  Especially eggs.  So I often make a mostly egg white omelette with fat free feta and random veggies from the fridge.
     Julia Child has an entire chapter in Mastering the Art of French Cooking dedicated to the egg.  While I would like to attempt the French Omelette sometime, I like my method for it's ease and flexibility.  After sauteing 1/4 cup onions until almost transparent on med-low heat, I add 2-3 beaten eggs (it's what Julia recommends also), but if I want to go lo-cal and low cholesterol I'll use 2 egg whites and 1 egg, beat eggs with a fork or a small roux whip works great.  You can also add some milk, just 2 Tbsp., and spices-I like paprika, onion salt, thyme, and pepper-but it really depends on the day and my mood, just add the milk and spices before beating the eggs.
     Once you add egg mixture to the onions in an 8" omelette pan, swirl it around to get maximum coverage.  You're still on med-low heat but keep checking the around edges of omelette for their release from the pan.  When the edges release just slowly finesse your spatula under the omelette until you get a full release from the bottom.  At this point your just waiting for the center to cook enough that you can successfully fold it in half.  Right before I fold it in half I add about 1/8 c of feta, but feel free to use more!
     Now that the omelette is folded in half just tip skillet toward open end and let excess egg run out a little to ensure it gets thoroughly cooked.  After a minute or two flip over (I use one of those huge pancake spatulas which also works well for grilled sammies too), top with feta, cover and let cook for another 1-2 minutes.  Voila, the perfect omelette!

     I like to add julienned red pepper to the onions at the beginning, it softens them while killing the bitterness.  Spinach can go in towards the end of the saute, right before adding egg.  Feel free to change up the cheese and spice combo accordingly.  

     The real secret is to use a good pan.  Teflon is bad news for many reasons but mainly because everyone but you is probably going to use metal utensils and ruin the coating.  Then you have issues with it flaking into your food (gross) and it starts to stick.  I use a Scanpan.  

This is a Danish product that is made from a ceramic and titanium composite.  It is non-toxic, durable and is totally amazing.  Just make sure you actually read the directions (yes I'm serious) to get optimal performance.  Oh and you can use metal in it so no more yelling at the people in your house who don't care about your dammit pan.

Bon Appetit!

-Natasha

Whirley Pops

      A few years ago a couple of my girlfriends introduced me to stovetop popcorn.  I was surprised at how delicious it is compared to an air popper.  Back in the 70's, before microwave popcorn, my family used an air popper and then melted butter over the top.  I was never that impressed.  Then came along microwaves and I fell for microwave popcorn.  For years it was my snack of choice, low fat versions of course, and I always had a box in the cupboard.
     After the diacetyl flavoring disaster, when it came out that inhaling the fumes could kill you, I cut myself off cold turkey.  I'll admit I'm a little neurotic and maybe that was an extreme reaction, but like I said it was my favorite snack food...for years!  So my girls on Jefferson Street taught me that by simply adding some canola oil and kernels to a covered pot you could shake your way to an even better, unadulterated popcorn flavor.
     Now, I'm a kitchen gadget girl and to be honest the whole shaking the pan with hot oil where the lid could come off at any time causing a third degree burn method kind of freaked me out.  So I was glad to discover The Whirley Pop while working at Sur La Table.  It makes gourmet popcorn quick and easy and no burns.

     This is a 6 qt model and makes tons of popcorn, however it never seems to be enough.  The trick is to read the directions and follow them.  If you do that it's no fail.  They recommend 1-3 Tbsp. of oil, I use 2 Tbsp. and 1/2 c organic popping corn-I think it's the perfect amount.  Then sprinkle with sea salt and pepper.

     You can add hot sauce, soy sauce, I even heard a girl say she puts maple syrup on hers(?).  My favorite is your basic salt and peppered popcorn.  No need for butter and amazing flavor, yay!

-Natasha

Be the MasterChef of Your Domain

     This past fall MasterChef came to America.  It was super fun for me to watch because being that I don't have cable I've never seen an episode.  I loved how crazy the competition was and how not crazy(for once) Chef Ramsey was.  It was nice to see him talking to people in a calm, courteous fashion as opposed to screaming obscenities and spitting all over the place, ewww.
     My favorite moment had to be at the end when Whitney, a 22 year old girl from the South, beat out this cocky dude who had the nerve to use Beef Wellington(Gordon Ramsey's signature dish) in the finale.  Whitney, on the other hand, chose a very homey dish-Chicken Fried Steak-and added her own variations on the prep while deciding to cream the collard greens to help elevate the dish.  Sounds amazing and looked it to!
     In my opinion every home cook operates more like Whitney and rarely like the dude who lost.  It's inevitable that we will be missing some ingredient that will force us to be creative in order to save the dish.  Sometimes it's not even an ingredient but the lack of culinary equipment that will trip us up.  Instead of wigging out when these things happen we should consider it a challenge!  Practically every dish I make on a regular basis has two or three different incarnations depending on what's in my cupboards.
     For example, a few years ago I had to make a large cake for a party.  My chocolate cake recipe can be a little labor intensive and requires the use of a stand mixer.  Being that I only had a hand mixer at the time, I didn't know how I was going to make it happen.  So I decided to use a devil's food cake mix(Duncan Hines) and do a little elevating by substituting butter for the oil and adding finely chopped snobby chocolate at the tail end.  It worked so well that I can't remember the last time I used my chocolate cake recipe.  Whenever there is a sale on Duncan Hines or Betty Crocker cake mixes I always buy one of the super chocolatey varieties because I know one day I'll need it.

     Here are a few tips if you ever need a delicious cake and don't have a lot of prep time.

• Soften your butter to room temp, I pull it out of the fridge the morning of.
• Line your cake pans with parchment or wax paper, but you'll still need to butter and flour the pans under and on top of the paper. 
• Use a sweetened or milk chocolate, you can also do a 70/30 blend of sweet and bittersweet if you want to tame the sugar content. Don't be frugal with chocolate, buy the most expensive one on the shelf.
• I usually add about 1/3-1/2 cup of chocolate per box.
• Finely chop the chocolate-you can also use a small cuisinart just pulse it so you get an even consistency without melting the chocolate.
• Add chocolate right after your final scrape down of the bowl.
• Follow the directions on the box, but watch baking time it might need 5-10 extra minutes. 
• Turn cakes out onto wire racks while still warm and pull liner off of the bottoms.
• Let cool and if your not frosting right away freeze them, it's so much easier to frost a frozen cake.
• I like to make a cream cheese frosting or ganache-please make your own frosting nothing ruins a cake faster than the gross, sugary canned stuff. 

     I guarantee no one you serve this to will know it came from a box...maybe even Chef Ramsey.

-Natasha