Easy Peezy Pizza Dough

I apologize for the title, but I just couldn't resist. It does explain it perfectly. 3.5 cups bread flour* - plus a little extra 1 tsp sugar 1 packet yeast (or 2.25 tsp yeast if you bought the mega bag at costco like me) 1-2 tsp kosher salt (depending on how you prefer to use salt) 1.25 cup water at no more than 110 degrees (this is important) 2 tbsp olive oil Combine dry ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer. I usually do this part by hand so that I can be sure there isn't any yeast or salt sitting at the bottom of the bowl. While the mixer is running with the dough hook attached, add the warm water slowly. Using warm water makes a big difference because it helps everything combine better, but if you put water that is too hot in there, you'll kill the yeast. Once the water is in, add the olive oil. Let the mixer do its thing for a few minutes. If the dough is super sticky start adding flour one spoonful at a time. The goal is to get the dough so that it looks smooth and elastic and only sticks to the very bottom of the mixing bowl a little bit. When you take it out it will be a little sticky, but nothing that well floured hands can't manage. Place dough in oiled bowl and cover with a kitchen towel until it has doubled in bulk (30 minutes to an hour depending on how warm hour house is). After the dough has risen, turn out onto a well floured surface and shape. This recipe makes 6 10 inch pizzas (normal crust) or 6 6x18 inch pizzas (thin crust) or two rectangle cookie sheet pizzas. If your dough stops cooperating while you are shaping it, just give it a 10 minute timeout, or a short cat nap. Once your dough is shaped, you can top it first and then cook at 450 degrees for about 10 minutes, or you can cook the dough first for about 5 minutes, put the toppings on and cook for another 5 minutes or so. Its all by eye. But it should be golden brown. *It doesn't have to be bread flour, but it tastes so much better!

This Chicken Needs a Fancy Name

So I was inspired by this recipe on Epicurious tonight, but their recipe name was uninspired and the instructions left a little to be desired. However, the combination of ingredients was fantastic and the process was oh so easy! I can't wait to make it again. I just need to come up with a fancy name for it so that when I serve it to company, it sounds more impressive than "chicken thighs with green olives" 4 bone in skin on chicken thighs 2 tbsp high heat oil like grapeseed oil 1 medium onion sliced thin 3 cloves of garlic minced 1/2 tsp cumin 3/4 cup orange juice 1/2 of a lemon, juiced 1/3 cup green olives sliced in half length wise salt and pepper to taste 1. Heat 2 tablespoons of high heat oil in a heavy skillet (cast iron is the bomb) over medium high heat. Brown the chicken well (but not till cooked - we're just trying to get a crispy skin). Don't fuss over then, just put them in and let them sit while you slice the onion. 2. Once the chicken is browned, set the pieces aside on a plate. remove all but about 1 tbsp of oil from the bottom of the pan and reduce the heat to medium. Add the onions and saute until limp. Add the minced garlic and saute for a few minutes more but don't let the garlic burn! Add the cumin and stir it all up. 3. Next add the orange and lemon juices and the olives and return to a simmer. Once everything is hot, add the chicken pieces and cover until the chicken thighs are cooked through (not sure how long this is, I overcooked mine at 20 minutes so it will depend on how long the thighs were browned for, how big they are and how hot you have your stove). 4. Once they are finished, arrange the thighs on a serving platter on on dinner plates and top with sauce, onions and olives and serve. A garnish of thinly sliced lemon and fresh Greek oregano would be lovely too!

Pasta with Beet Greens and Raisins

This was inspired by a Sunset Magazine recipe. I made a few changes (of course) and I think there is lots of room for variation, but the basics are unusual and yummy. After I convinced Kate and Mariah that the "lettuce" wasn't gross, they actually ate it. The raisins really helped encourage them to try.

* 1 package uncooked pennette (or penne, or whatever you've got)
* 1/2 cup raisins
* 3 tablespoons oil (not olive - something like safflower*)
* 4 cups coarsely chopped trimmed beet greens (the tops from about 3 nice sized beets)
* 4 teaspoons bottled minced garlic
* 2/3 cup slivered almonds, toasted
* 1 teaspoon salt (or 1/2 tsp fancy french sea salt because its really strong)
* a few grinds of black pepper

Cook the pasta according to package directions and drain. I used whole wheat penne and it was really great in this (I have used whole wheat pasta before and not liked it, but this time it really worked).

While pasta cooks, place raisins in a small bowl; cover with hot water. Let stand 10 minutes. Drain. (or let stand until you realize that it's time to add them and then drain them. Its not an exact science)

While pasta cooks and raisins soak, heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add greens and garlic; sauté 3 minutes or until greens are tender. Stir in pasta, raisins, almonds, salt, and black pepper; toss to combine. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese, if desired.

VARIATION IDEAS:
You could also add some apple chicken sausage to meat it up, or maybe some sauteed chicken. Or, if you wanted to get fancy and serve it at room temp, you could add some chevre once it has cooled a bit. That would be yummy with the raisins and almonds.

*A NOTE ABOUT OLIVE OIL:
Ken recently found out that you should not use olive oil for sauteing. The reason? Olive oil becomes carcinogenic at high temperatures. Reason enough for me to switch to something more heat tolerant. The suggested substitute is grape seed oil, but that was super expensive at the grocer store. I went for safflower, and aside from smelling a little like popcorn when I started to heat the pan, it was not so different from what I am used to. I think I'm going to save my olive oil for salads and dipping. Seems a shame to waste it on sauteing anyway.

Experimental Saag Aloo

We had a jar of masala simmer sauce from Trader Joes and a package of chicken breasts that had to be used. Of course, we'll just make some saag aloo to go with it right?

The web is woefully lacking in quality saag aloo recipes. This is my experiment with what seemed to be the simplest, and most intelligent version:

First make garam masala - not as challenging as it sounds:

* 1 tablespoon ground cumin
* 1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander
* 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cardamom
* 1 1/2 teaspoons ground pepper
* 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice or cloves
* 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Surprisingly, I had all of these ingredients in my pantry. I felt a little like a cooking rock star.

oil
butter
1/4 tsp cumin seeds
1 large onion chopped
1 large potato peeled and diced
1 tsp chopped garlic
1 tsp tumeric
1 tsp garam masala
1 400 gram bag of frozen chopped spinach
1 tsp chopped honey pickled ginger (or you could use fresh ginger or dry ginger and some kind of acid like lemon juice or a splash of vinegar)

First saute 1/4 tsp of cumin seeds in about a tablespoon of oil and a tablespoon of butter until starting to brown. Then before the butter and seeds burn (that's what happened with my first attempt - whatever you do, don't go looking for ginger at this point) add the chopped onion and saute until it is translucent and just starting to brown. Next add the potato, garlic, tumeric and garam masala. Saute until the potatoes start to brown and revel at the amazing Indian food smell you have just created on your kitchen stove.

Once the potatoes have started to brown, add the spinach. Once it has melted, add more water in small batches and keep stirring until the potatoes are soft. At the very end, because I felt like something was missing I added in a tsp of chopped honey pickled ginger and a half teaspoon of salt. I stirred and mixed and mixed and stirred until it looked just right.

It was fantastic!

However, the girls did not even touch it. Of course they hardly touched their gnocchi either and that is their favorite dinner. Instead, they wrestled on the banquet bench until I yelled at them. That was not fantastic.

Once I finished dinner, I had a few more ideas about what I might have done to round out the flavor a little. Definitely one to keep experimenting with.

Delectable Blackened Chicken

Oh, my goodness. Where do I begin?

I had this at a party and dreamed about it ever since.

Here's what you need (and pay attention! because the sugar, salt, and pepper get divided between the rub & the sauce...):

1 Tablespoon paprika

4 teaspoons sugar, divided

1-1/2 teaspoon salt, divided

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon lemon-pepper seasoning

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (I used a chipotle red pepper as a substitute, which was FANTASTIC)

1-1/2 to 2 teaspoons pepper, divided

4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves

1-1/3 cups mayonnaise

2 Tablespoons water

2 Tablespoons cider vinegar

________________________________________________________________________

Directions:

In a small bowl, combine paprika, 1 teaspoon sugar, 1 teaspoon salt, garlic powder, thyme, lemon-pepper, cayenne and 1/2 to 1 teaspoon pepper. Stir together until combined.

Take your chicken and give it a good pat with some paper towels to make sure it's totally dry. THEN, take handfuls of the rub, and massage into breasts, BOTH SIDES, until well covered. set aside.

In another bowl, combine mayonnaise, water, vinegar and remaining sugar, salt and pepper. Whisk together until mixed well. Taste, because it's delicious. Taste it again. Cover and chill 1 cup for serving. the remaining sauce is for basting while cooking.

Grill chicken, covered, over indirect medium heat for 4-6 minutes on each side or until juices run clear, basting frequently with remaining sauce.

Serve with reserved sauce....

I also served this with Zatarans (sp?) black beans & rice and a nice mixed veggie, some corn muffins. Let's just say, the whole family sat down to eat together, talked about our day, everyone had generous helpings of everything and there was only enough left overs for Daddy to take a blackened chicken sandwich and rice to work for tomorrow. I was most disappointed about that, after looking quite forward to a blackened chicken Caesar salad. NEXT time I double the recipe.

Happy eating, everyone!

4 servings

Enjoy :)

Traditional Holiday Roast Beef

No holiday gathering is complete without the traditional Roast Beef. Just think about it for a second. Mmmm.

The distinct scents of succulent, flavorful roast greets your guests as they walk through the door. Hugs and back slaps precede the trek to the kitchen to peek into the oven to see what's cooking.

"What's in the oven?" They'll ask...

"Oh, just a roast," you'll blink back with an easy smile.

"Mmm."

Have them bring side dishes and desserts. Toss a quick salad and top with a balsamic vinaigrette you've prepared from the Temecula Olive Oil company's compliment of infused oils & vinegars.

Grab a loaf of bread from the local bakery--I suggest Great Harvest Grains "Cheddar Garlic Loaf. All dressed and perfectly coiffed, as you pour a glass of wine for all, take jackets, and know that not only does the house look great but you do, too. Why? How is this possible?

Because you've prepared the most easy holiday feast in the universe.

You’ll need:

• Your butcher’s cut of Prime Rib Roast - Approximately ½ pound beef per guest
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 tbs butter
• 1 clove crushed garlic

· Seasoning rub made from of: 1 tsp each: Thyme, Montreal’s Steak Seasoning, Lemon Pepper, Parsley

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Rub your roast first with olive oil, and then pat all over with the seasoning blend until crusted with herbs. Sear all sides of your roast in EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil), crushed garlic, and butter until golden brown, turning every few minutes.

Place the rubbed, seared roast in roasting pan--fat side up. Drizzle with EVOO, and cook approximately ½ hour per pound, inserting meat thermometer to ensure proper temperature is reached.

Serve with Mashed or Sweet Potatoes, Roasted Root Vegetables, tossed salad, and pair with a peppery bottle of Ruby Syrah.

Flank Steak with onions

This was a quick dinner that we cooked after kids had eaten. We finished just in time to put them to bed. We enjoyed it with a Nuit-Saint-George from one of our favorite wineries that we are trying desperately to get in California. Dinner was perfect, even though the girls popped out of their room every 5 minutes with another request:

Bavette a L'échalotte: Bistro Steak with Shallots and Red Wine Jus

We substituted the shallots for a yellow onion (because that was what we had) and served it with a combination of peas, broccoli, sugar snap peas and spinach because those were the frozen veggies we had in the freezer.

It is important to note that we had a thinner steak than the recipe called for (the same kind you can easily find in the U.S.) so we carmelized the onions longer and didn't put the whole thing in the oven. We cooked it a little longer on the stove top. Perfection! We ate every last bit. I guess we should have made more. We're still remembering it.

The kids might have enjoyed it too, but we were not really interested in finding out.

Paris Sole Family Style

The Fish:
---------
2 whole sole from Poissionniere Bleu (heads and all!)

1/2 thinly sliced lemon
about 1/4 cup dry white wine
1/4 tsp salt

1 egg
about 1/4 cup milk
1/4 tsp salt

about 3/4 cup dry bread crumbs (i used old not very good pita that I briefly toasted after crumbling)
2 garlic cloves
1 or 2 tbsp chopped fresh dill
1/4 tsp salt

Fillet the fish with a great deal of discussion and angst and the instructional video from BBC. Congratulate the fillet-er once he or she has successfully created 8 boneless fillets.

Marinade sole in lemon slices, white wine and salt for about 1/2 hour.

In a shallow bowl whisk together egg, milk and salt.

In a separate shallow bowl combine bread crumbs, finely chopped garlic cloves, dill and salt.

Dip fish in egg mixture and drip dry. Dredge fish in bread crumbs and set fish on a sheet of wax paper or parchment paper. In a non stick pan, heat 2 tbsp oil and 2 tsp butter over medium high heat. Carefully place 4 of the fillets in the pan and cook for about 3 minutes. Flip the fish once, and finish cooking. Keep the fish warm in an oven on a baking dish.


The Veggie:
--------
Coarsely chop about 1 large courgette (zucchini) for each three people eating. Count children as adults! They love this. Saute courgettes in olive oil and butter until its just a little brown.


The Salad:
----------
Red leaf lettuce or whatever it was we found at the market that was so yummy. Add chopped tomato, oil, vinegar, dill salt and pepper. Toss.


YUMMMMMMM.

Spaghetti con Zucchine

While Kate insists tonight that she does not like zucchini (since when?) she devoured the spaghetti and kept telling me how much she loved it while she ate! Ken and I both thought it was good enough to serve company and it was super quick to make too!

Serves 4
1/2 lb spaghetti
3 medium zucchini (about a pound)
3 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp butter
1/2 cup fresh grated parmesan
a few fresh basil leaves (optional)
salt and pepper to taste

Prepare spaghetti according to package directions. Make sure not to overcook it because at the end, you have to stir and stir and stir to make the creamy sauce.

Slice zucchini into thin rounds with the skin on. Saute the zucchini in 2 tbsp of olive oil until tender.

Reserve 1/4 cup of pasta water before draining the spaghetti. Chop butter into cubes and put in the bottom of the pan you used to cook the spaghetti, or in the bowl you plan to serve the pasta in. Place the spaghetti on the butter, add a little of the reserved pasta water and stir until the butter is completely melted. Alternate grated parmesan and reserved pasta water until it forms a creamy sauce on the spaghetti. Taste to make sure you have enough cheese. After the spaghetti is prepared with the butter/cheese sauce, add the zucchini and any oil left in the pan. Toss well to incorporate sauce into zucchini and zucchini into spaghetti. Serve with salt, pepper and chopped fresh basil leaves.

Mama's Makin Meatloaf!

Well, last night we had meatloaf. I love meatloaf. It's my ultimate comfort food--thoughts of mom in the kitchen, scrunching it together, chopping onions, letting me help by adding the "secret ingredient"... (read cheddar cheese!)

ahhhhhhhhhhh

But, I have daughters who view this sort of meal with disdain. So, what's a mama to do?

Fun it up!

I prepared the meatloaf as usual...
Preheat oven to 350

In Kitchenaid mixer (or large stainless bowl) add:

• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 cup Italian style breadcrumbs
• 1 tsp garlic salt
• 1 tsp lemon pepper
• 1 tsp ground mustard
• 1 tbs Worcestershire sauce
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup finely diced onion

Mix.

• Press 2/3 of ground beef mixture into foil lined loaf pan, and create depression in center
• Fill with generous amounts of shredded cheddar cheese
• "Top" with remaining beef mixture
• Cover top with barbecue sauce (It's delicious, I promise)
• Bake at 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes.
  

When 13 minutes to done... fill a pan with pilsbury ready-made buttermilk biscuits
Turn up heat to 375 and finish cooking.

They should be golden brown by the time the timer goes DING!

And, we use instant mashed potatoes, but if you feel the need to boil them and mash them yourself, have at it. Crash Hot Potatoes would also work well here, but are harder to FUN UP.

I diced the meatloaf, gave each kid a biscuit, and created "mashed potato men" with a baby carrot nose, and eyes, and broccoli arms.

I should have done ghosts, I thought afterward, but my daughter insisted the "mashed potato men" were great.

There was laughter. There was harmony. No one argued. Everyone ate. Including their dad. AND, we made it to cheer leading practice on time. Overall, this one was a slam-dunk. Adding to the Fall Arsenal!

Gnocchi and Pie

Tonight's special request was pie. Berry Pie to be specific. Its super easy, but still, I had 45 minutes to get dinner ready and two toddlers who wanted to help. So I opted for Trader Joes Gorgonzola Gnocchi that takes just 7 minutes to make. Of course, I had to embellish.

Gorgonzola Gnocchi with Spinach and Crimini Mushrooms
One bag Trader Joes Gorgonzola Gnocchi
One package of Brown Crimini Mushrooms washed and cut in half
Half a bag of baby spinach

Saute the mushrooms in olive oil - they can be chopped up more than in half if you prefer but I was holding a baby at the time so in half was a good as it was going to get. When they are cooked, add the package of Gorgonzola Gnocchi. I didn't bother adding the tablespoon of oil that they said to add because I figured that between the moisture from the mushrooms and the oil I had already put it, we were clear. Once the gnocchi looks finished (all of the clumps of frozen cream sauce are melted) add the spinach. Cook until the spinach is wilted. Takes about 15 minutes.

Three Berry Pie (or Google Berry Pie in honor of Noddy)
1 package of frozen pie crust from Trader Joes
1 1/2 packages of Very Berry frozen berry mix from Trader Joes
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup corn starch

Defrost the pie crust (be sure to take them out of the box) and the berries for about a half an hour. Or if you're not that together, stick the pie crust on top of the stove while you preheat the oven to 375 and defrost the berries for 2 minutes on 6 in the microwave. This plan works well for me. Combine the berries, sugar and corn starch. Line the bottom of your pie plate with one of the pieces of the pie crust. Fill with berry mixture. Cover with other pie crust, crimp and poke. This is a fun one to do with a three year old but a one year old really can't manage to do more than make a terrible mess and fall off the stool. Bake in a 375 degree oven for about 50 minutes with the edges covered with foil or until it looks bubbly.

Corned Beef and Cabbage

Ok - I know. How weird that nice a jewish boy from BH and an original valley girl living just outside of weho with their two little girls would opt for corned beef and cabbage for dinner in early June. Here's the thing. We were at Costco on Friday (Ken's birthday treat since he loves Costco way more than any normal person should) and they were sampling Corned Beef. The girls LOVED it - they asked for more! So of course we had to buy some.

Here's the low down on our menu for tonight:

Bill Bailey's Corned Beef Brisket (in the refrigerator section)
Cook it for 7 minutes in the microwave - straight from the freezer. Directions are on the box. Couldn't be easier.

Sauteed Cabbage
Here's the recipe - http://www.home-ec101.com/back-to-basics-sauteed-cabbage/. We cheated and got a bag of shredded cabbage. Evidently its actually good for you!

Mashed Potatoes and Peas
Some nice small potatoes like Yukon Gold or creamers are good, but any will do. Boil them Mash them. Add some cooked peas, milk to make them as creamy as you like, butter and salt to taste.

Seriously, everyone ate well, and we didn't even starve them all day!!!

P.S. I don't know what wine would go well with this because the BV Signet Collection Cabernet I had open really didn't work - it did go nicely with the dark chocolate I used to sedate myself with before bath time though.

Homemade Bread - no seriously...

So this has become a totally fail safe way to entertain Kate while I start dinner. I just set her loose with the ingredients and the mixer and somehow she manages with just a little supervision. Plus she loves kneading the dough and its totally safe for her to take tastes of it.

Hot Crusty French Bread


The rapid rise yeast is the key. I've been adding a tablespoon of sugar too.

Pioneer Woman - Crash Hot Potatoes

In honor of All or Nothing's release (shameless plug inserted here)

I'm posting this recipe for Pioneer Woman Potatoes. They just look AWESOME. I'm not overly sure that pioneer women had access to olive oil. IN ANY CASE...

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2008/06/crash-hot-potatoes/

I just love how this site is laid out, the images just make me want to reach in, and recreate this fantastic meal. I'm going to get some rib eyes tonight, a head of iceberg lettuce (does anyone eat iceberg lettuce anymore? We're totally romaine over here...)

At any rate -- Rachel loves beef. Ellie loves beef. Perry & I do, as well - so should be a fun, albeit expensive dinner for all. Shoot. Maybe I should go for flank steak. Any suggestions?

Let me know your thoughts!

Give me a little Quiche!

Quiche is a favorite of my family's - and by my family - I mean the Rather clan. Maybe it's the English thing. Or the Scotch-Irish thing. It certainly isn't the German thing, as Perry will tell you, he's not a Quiche fan.

My favorite quiche recipe comes from the days I catered for a small coffee shop in Tucson, Arizona called "Cuppacinos."

For Ashley's Veggie Quiche, you'll need:

* Pillsbury Ready Made Roll Out Crust
* 6 eggs
* 1/4 cup 1/2 & 1/2
* Julianned Red Pepper
* Yellow Banana Squash, Thinly sliced
* Italian Squash, Thinly sliced
* defrosted, squeezed out, chopped spinach
* 1 cup cheddar shredded cheese
* 1 cup swiss shredded cheese
* 1/3 cup minced onion
* 1 clove garlic, minced
* 1 tbs EVOO
* 1 tbs butter
* pinch of salt & pepper

Using a spring form pan, if you've got one, line bottom with one crust, and tear 2nd crust in half, building up the sides.
Bake crust in 350 degree oven for 15 minutes, until golden (poke bottom with a fork, if it puffs up)
In a heated pan, drizzle EVOO and melt butter
Sautee onion & garlic together
Add red peppers & squash & zuchini, tossing with salt and pepper

Defrost (do not cook) chopped spinach, and squeeze out all extra water (salt leaves liberally)
Place in pan with sauteed veggies and stir together.

Place veggie mixture in browned crust.
Top with shredded cheese.

Whisk eggs and 1/2 & 1/2 together, and pour over top, poking down into the veggies for even distribution.

Bake at 350 for 40-45 minutes, until top is firm to touch.

Serve up with a caesar salad! If you have a Fresh & Easy nearby, pick up their caesar dressing! it's divine...

Happy Eating!

Burritos!

Well - that went pretty well with only minimal food "manipulation."

Due to the fact Perry (bless his heart) put the Taco Casserole in the oven without a generous topping of cheese, and neglected to add the sour cream which was sure to make the meal a hit... it didn't have the...um, visual that we were going for.

With my kids, it's all about the presentation. If it doesn't look good enough to eat, then you might as well not even try.

SO... instead, he made a quick adjustment, and served "Instant Daddy Burritos!"

* Flour Tortillas
* Prepared Refried Beans
* 3 Cheese Mexican Cheese

Wrap like a diaper, roll, and serve.

These were summarily devoured by both girls. Who knew?