mexican + italian = taco pizza!!

after i finished knitting my fingerless gloves, sunday i stuck in the house with nothing to do.  i wasnt about to go out in the snow and didnt really feel like getting dressed to do so anyway.  i was hungry and pizza always sounds good.  after amanda and i's thursday night mexican adventure didnt live up to its expectations, i was still craving mexican food.  i remember having taco pizza from pizza hut when i was a kid and though... what the hell?  why not give it a shot!

before i get started... have i mentioned the newest addition to the family?  this is eleanor rigby!!  she is a maltese and the cutest damn thing i have seen in awhile.  sometimes i think she might be retarded since she runs into stuff a lot and the house training thing isnt all that great but she is lovable and cuddly... even her puppy breath kisses make me all warm and fuzzy inside.  hahah.  :)



ok, so pizza.  i made the crust from the cookbook that came with my kitchen aid mixer.  what?  i didnt mention her either?!  geez... im really slacking on this blog thing huh?

here she is... mean, green and an absolute beauty!  she fits in quite nicely in my andy warhol kitchen :)







crust

1 package active dry yeast
1 cup warm water
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons olive oil
3 cups flour

1.  dissolve yeast in warm water in warmed mixing bowl.  add salt, olive oil and 2 cups flour.  attach bowl and dough hook to mixer and mix at speed 2 for about a minute.
2.  continue on speed 2.  add the rest of the flour, 1/2 cup at a time.  mix until dough clings to hook and cleans sides of the bowl.  kneed about 2 minutes longer.
3.  place dough in oiled bowl, turning to grease top.  cover and let rise in a warm place free from draft for an hour or until doubled in bulk.  punch dough down.

while the dough was rising, i prepared everything else for the pizza.  there are 3 different recipes i used in making this.  the first one is for the actual taco pizza itself.  the second one is for the taco sauce and the third is for the pizza sauce.  i sure am glad i had everything needed in making my own sauces from scratch.  its so much better that way :)

im not going to walk you through every single step but ill walk you through how i put the pizza together.

after punching the dough down, i spread it out on a greased cookie sheet.  i like square pizza and i didnt have a round pizza pan.  i followed the directions from the recipe above pretty much exactly.  i combined the pizza sauce, the taco sauce and the refried beans.  i added more than 1/4 cup because 1/4 cup didnt seem like enough.  (it wasnt and im glad i added almost a cup instead of 1/4)  after mixing all of that together, i spread it on the dough.  i of course didnt use real meat, i used the morningstar ground beef crumbles instead.  i didnt even have to cook them, i just added the taco seasoning and water in a bowl and mixed it all together.  i spread that on top of the sauce mixture and then added a generous amount of pizza cheese and chopped onion.  i put it in the oven at 475 for about 20 minutes.  once i let it cool a little and cut it into squares, i topped it with a little lettuce and tomato.

not the greatest picture in the world since i took it with my camera phone but it will have to do.

the pizza turned out excellent and i will be making it again at some point.  :)

just the best party dip ever

i'd been wanting to make this dip for awhile now and finally had an excuse to!  now, there arent any pictures but trust me... the recipe alone speaks volumes!

blt dip

1 cup mayo (my recipe)
1 cup sour cream (low fat)
4 ounces cream cheese (neufchatel cheese)
bacon (morning star)
lettuce (pre shredded)
tomato (cherry tomatoes)

so, i used my own mayo recipe (made in my new artisan kitchen aid mixer) once the mayo was done, i added the sour cream and cream cheese into the mixer and mixed well.  i (of course) used fake bacon and i used about 2 packages of morning stars brand.  the first time i made this, i cut up the bacon using a pizza cutter thinking that was the simplest way.... no.  it wasnt.  the second time i used my ninja.  duh... i dont know why i didnt think of this the first time!!  once the bacon was chopped up, i added it to the mayo/cheese/sour cream mixture and mixed well.  i also used the ninja to chop up the tomatoes.  i didnt drain them after chopping, and now i wish i would have.  once those are chopped up, layer those along with the shredded lettuce on top of the bacon mixture.

viola!  yumminess!!!  i wasnt expecting this great of a dip but it really really was!  i used triscuits for the crackers and when those ran out, i just used saltines.

i plan on making this dip again this weekend.  this will be the third time in 2 weeks.  this time, i am thinking about mashing an avocado in with the mayo.  :)

because everyone loves cupcakes

just a little reminder to be fabulous at all times... :)

hello!!

wow, it sure has been awhile since ive posted something worthwhile on here.  i apologize for neglecting this blog for so long.... let me try and make it up to you! :)

ok, lets see.  its 2010 (crazy) so that means the holidays are over!  woo hoo!!  im not a big fan of the holidays.  i hate cold weather.  i dont like the crazed shopping (or shoppers) and all the typical holiday stress that comes along with this time of year.  but i will say, the past few months havent been too bad and i have actually enjoyed it.  so, whats been going on you ask?

... lets start with thanksgiving.  i stayed in town instead of going to my moms like i usually do.  richards bff, bobby, came down from cleveland and stayed with us for awhile.  there was a massive amount of cooking going on and it was awesome!!  bobby is a chef so it was a lot of fun.

this is most of the food that was made for thanksgiving dinner.

i made a very excellent pot pie-ish type dish.  it was basically a pot pie that wasnt pie shaped and i used biscuits for the crust.  it was awesome.  so awesome in fact, i made it again for christmas :)

not the greatest picture in the world but i promise you... looks are deceiving.  it was sooo yummy!!

i used a recipe from my friend johanna and made my own modifications.  this such a simple dish and it is so versatile.  and simple and versatile are two of my favorite words in cooking :)

so, i cut up green, yellow and red bell peppers.  (nicer dicer style)  i also used some frozen veggies i had like green beans, corn, broccoli, carrots... probably some other stuff that i cant remember. i put all of that in a baking dish and threw some olive oil and a little seasoning on them.  i roasted them for about 15 mins or so.  now, the sauce is really the best part.  i think there are a million ways to make a sauce/gravy but this is how i made mine.

i melted a little over a half a stick of butter in a cast iron skillet.  i added some flour until it was kinda pasty.  i added about 2 cups chicken broth (veggie) and some shredded cheddar cheese.  after mixing all of that i added quite a few different seasonings and that is what made it so good.  a little salt, black pepper, oregano, rosemary, basil, garlic, thyme... no set amounts, just adding a little here and a little there.  once you have that all mixed in you have to make sure it is a good consistency.  i usually add more flour or broth depending on how thick it is.

i like pot pies with a crust on top and bottom.  so on this one i used biscuit dough in the can.  i had to stretch those out to cover the pan and honestly, that was probably the worst part about making this dish.  next time i will know better...

so, once i had the dough spread out i covered it with the veggies and then covered those with the sauce.  i threw some cheddar cheese on top and then once again, stretched out more dough to cover the top.

i did make two of these but only because i had too much to put into one dish.  (i froze the smaller one for later)

i put them in the oven for about an hour at 350.  just check on them every once in awhile to make sure the "crust" isnt getting too brown.

well... there you have it!!  i guess it is a pot pie casserole :)  i also made a pumpkin roll, blueberry lemon cheesecake bars, mashed potatoes and gravy and a few other goodies.  but, those will have to wait until another time... i feel the wii calling my name :)

well... i must have drank too much.

i had a great blog.  really... i did.

i cant figure out how to post everything i want, in the order i want without going crazy.  i tried using the new editor but its just not working out for me.

i promise i will try again soon.  i am sorry i have been gone so long... i hope you all had a wonderful thanksgiving!

It's not delivery, it's Dig....HOME MADE PIZZA!

Well what few of you readers are left after months of non-posting, we're back, or at least I'm back and I have a new friend whom you'll meet soon. After much traveling back and fourth from Louisville to Evansville with a spectacular 30th birthday to celebrate in New York (Wild as Mink, it was by far the best party I've been to), I finally had the chance to hang out in my own tiny kitchen where I cooked to my heart's desire. The menu was pizza, delicious, thin crust, tangy sauce pizza. And boy was it amazing. And with a side of O'Fallon Pumpkin Ale, what a Sunday.

I got the hankering for some thin crust and being far to stubborn to order out, I decided to whip up my own. I had all the ingredients for the crust but lacked the tomato base for the sauce, so I hopped in my car and drove to the Target. The newly remodeled Target that I had to go an entire year without. I was so excited, I actually went there twice on opening weekend.

Now to the good stuff. I suggest getting your beverage of choice ready, you're going to be kneading that dough like no body's business. You'll probably work up a sweat.

The Crust:

• 1 1/2 cup warm water
• 2 1/2 teaspoons granulated sugar
• 2 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon active dry yeast
• 1/2 cup cornmeal

In a large bowl, dissolve sugar and salt in water. Add oil and flour to bowl and stir like you mean it for 1 minute.

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and press into a circle. Sprinkle yeast evenly over dough and knead for 12 minutes. Luckily, I had the help of 'Lil Homie.

Divide dough into portions 3 equal portions. Place dough balls in a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and allow to rise for 1 1/2 hours in a warm location.

Now is the time to refill your drink, clean up your mess, and begin making your sauce and planning your toppings. I also suggest you begin preheating your pizza stone as to not waste time getting this pizza into your stomach.

Place a dough ball on a lightly floured surface and sprinkle a light coating of flour on top. Working from the edges to the center, press dough into a paper thin circle (or at least into the size of your pizza stone).

Coat a large cutting board with cornmeal and place the flattened dough onto the cornmeal. * A tip from my cousin: Cook your dough on the pizza stone for about 10 minutes before topping to ensure your crust gets crisp while your cheese stays un-blackened.

The Sauce

• 8 ounce can tomato sauce
• 6 ounce can tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon ground sweet paprika
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• A splash of vinegar
• Secret Ingredient: 2 tablespoons brown sugar

Place all the ingredients in a bowl and stir together.

Since this recipe makes about 3 pizzas, I opted for some cheesy garlic toast, a pepperoni, and a ham, green pepper, tomato, and pineapple (this one was by far the tastiest). Go crazy, it's your own creation!

Making Whoopie...pies, pumpkin whoopie pies

My sister is on her way to Louisville which can only mean one thing, I have to whip something creative up for her judgemental taste buds. While on a run earlier this week, which just happens to end at the Wine Rack no matter the millage or the day, I noticed pumpkin beer in the window, a favorite between the sisters. I came home and begin looking for that extra special pumpkin recipe when I stumbled upon one of my favorite blogs. After reading the list of ingredients, there was no way I could compete to make it my own so I present you with Pumpkin Whoopie Pies, from Erin's Food Files.

While you're there, check out her other amazingly delicious treats. Erin is a good friend of Megan and from what I hear, quite the chef. My whoopie pies are in the cooling stage but from licking the bowl throughout the process, I can already tell these are going to be a hit!

* This is not a picture of the Pumpkin Whoopie Pies as my camera is toast. However, this is my jack-o-lantern from last Halloween, so it counts.

For you meat lovers

So, I am by no means a vegetarian. I just have a strong distaste for touching raw bloody carcass prior to gnawing on its bones, that, and I do feel bad for the little guys. However, I am a huge huge huge fan of bacon and bison. Thus I present you with this:







If you haven't tried bison, it is much less fatty and greasy than beef and is huge here in Kentucky, that and fried green tomato blt's which I will attempt one of these days. Back to the bison, simply season with salt and pepper and throw it on the grill with some potatoes and veggie kabobs and you have yourself a well balanced meal. I prefer mine medium to medium well, but if charred is your thing, by all means go and ruin it. Now to the veggie goodness, I opted for eggplants and squashes from my CSA basket, added in green pepper and tomato with minced fresh garlic. Mmm mmm good.

Veggie Burger Deliciousness

So this one I totally stole from Megan, but since she's much too busy to entertain you, I am taking the credit. While I have not quite mastered the stability of these yet, the taste is there and that's really what counts.

2 cans black beans (rinsed, drained, and mashed)

1 onion

1 green pepper

1 red pepper

2 eggs

1 ear corn, off the cop

3-4 garlic gloves minced

1 package saltines

salt

pepper

chili powder

cumin

squirt hot sauce

small handful shredded cheese

Finely chop up the onion and peppers and drain them as much as possible. Wrap them up in towels being careful not to spill them on the floor to soak up some of the moisture. Mix all the ingredients with the mashed black beans and make yourself some patties.

Tips

Things you can add to help keep the patties as patties: flour, oats, cooked rice, sweet potatoes. egg whites, etc. etc.

If you plan on grilling these, which is by far the tastiest method, freeze them in patties first.

Basically throw everything together and make patties.

Vegetarian French Onion Soup

Hellooooooooooooooooooooooooo blog world, I'm back, camera or not. After many weekend away, I have decided to spend this one indoors cooking, except for that little stint with blogging buddy Megan in which we drank champagne and visited the many Louisville festivals. My favorite of the recipes was French Onion Soup. I mean, come on, who doesn't love a delicious bowl of tasty goodness and wait until you see the soup crocks I bought in Chicago.

After much google searching for the perfect recipe I came across the following from Cooking Light. I halved this recipe and substituted fake beef broth for the real deal. At Whole Foods I discovered Vegetarian Better than Bouillon fake beef paste stuff in a jar. To make a long story short, it's delicious. So here it goes:

Ingredients
2 teaspoons olive oil
4 cups thinly vertically sliced Walla Walla or other sweet onion
4 cups thinly vertically sliced red onion
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup dry white wine
8 cups less-sodium beef broth (I used the fake stuff, no cows for me)
1/4 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
8 (1-ounce) slices French bread, cut into 1-inch cubes
8 (1-ounce) slices reduced-fat, reduced-sodium Swiss cheese (such as Alpine Lace)

Preparation
Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add onions to pan; sauté for 5 minutes or until tender. Stir in sugar, pepper, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Reduce heat to medium; cook 20 minutes, stirring frequently. Increase heat to medium-high, and sauté for 5 minutes or until onion is golden brown. Stir in wine, and cook for 1 minute. Add broth and thyme; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 2 hours.

At this point I divided my recipe into the cute little crocks shown above and placed them in the fridge for individual indulgences.

Before Service

Warm soup in oven. Remove from oven.

Place bread in a single layer on a baking sheet; broil 2 minutes or until toasted, turning after 1 minute. Or if you're me the bread is already stale and you can skip this step.

Place bread on top of soup and layer with cheese. Broil 3 minutes or so or until cheese begins to brown. You might place a pan underneath these so you don't burn the dripping cheese.

Enjoy, it's delicious