Pizza with Chicken Sausage and Black Olives

February 5, 2011

I would say that pizza is my favorite meal to make. I’ve done it enough times now that I’ve got it down to an art. My pizza dough recipe is reliable and there is little stress involved. Even when I’m experimenting with unusual toppings, the puffed chewy crust and blanket of cheese guarantee that it’s going to be pretty good. Dustin is always happy to have pizza. He lights up at mention of the word. And it makes leftovers that we actually look forward to eating!

As much as I love pork sausage, I can’t justify eating it very often. So that’s where chicken comes in. Trader Joe’s sells an array of flavored chicken sausages that all sound delectable and so far, are. Less calories, but still full of flavor. This time we tried the roasted garlic. It paired perfectly with the black olives, roasted red peppers, and red onions. With a half-whole wheat crust and lighter sausage, you can feel a little better about pizza for dinner. And I promise you won’t miss the pork.

Pizza with Chicken Sausage and Black Olives

INGREDIENTS

1 recipe pizza dough
1 recipe pizza sauce (or jarred)
fully cooked chicken sausage, sliced (your favorite flavor- I used roasted garlic)
black olives, sliced
roasted red peppers, thinly sliced (optional)
red onion, thinly sliced (optional)
dash dried oregano
dash crushed red pepper flakes
mozzarella, shredded (or a combination of shredded cheeses such as asiago, romano, fontina, etc.)

DIRECTIONS

1. Prepare pizza dough according to recipe directions.

2. Preheat oven and pizza stone to 450 F.

3. Top prepared crust with a thin layer of tomato sauce, chicken sausage, olives, peppers (optional), and onion (optional). Sprinkle with oregano and red pepper flakes. Top with a generous sprinkling of cheese.

4. Bake in preheated oven for 10-12 minutes until the crust is puffed and golden and the cheese is bubbling. Let cool several minutes before slicing.

Makes 1 large pizza.

(Inspired by Slow Like Honey)

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White Chocolate Walnut Blondies with Maple Cream Sauce

January 26, 2011

This morning I’ll be receiving my first formal culinary training. I’ve been wanting to take a cooking class for ages, and for Christmas, Dustin granted my wish! I wanted to learn something that I wouldn’t ordinarily make at home and so I chose puff pastry. I might be able to make a near-perfect pie crust, but I always thought of flakey layered puff pastry as something you purchased. No longer! (Or at least that’s what I’m hoping.) But even if my pastry creations disappoint, the experience should be fun!

As much as I love cooking (and eating healthy), I have a weakness for baking. I guess you could say that I cook out of necessity and bake for pleasure. Breads, cookies, cakes… I’m not ashamed to play favorites.  Let’s be real- the best prepared vegetable (and I like vegetables) will never produce the same reaction as a hot buttered slice of homemade bread or a warm and gooey chocolate chip cookie. So mingled amongst the nutritious and savory, I slip in something sweet and sinful every so often.

If you’re in the mood for a spectacular treat, try this one. This recipe is meant to mimick a dessert served at Applebee’s (I wouldn’t know, we don’t won’t eat there). It consists of three essential elements: a warm blonde “brownie” base stuffed with white chocolate chips and walnuts, a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream, and a drizzle of hot maple cream sauce. You can even add more toasted walnuts on top. While each respective part is good, it’s the combination of the three that is unforgettable. Check back in a day or two for an easy homemade vanilla ice cream recipe!

White Chocolate Walnut Blondies with Maple Cream Sauce

INGREDIENTS

Blondies:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking powder
10 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
2 cups light brown sugar
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
1 cup white chocolate chips

Maple Cream Sauce:
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
1 1/2 cups heavy cream

vanilla bean ice cream, for serving
walnuts, toasted and chopped, for serving

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Lightly grease a 9×13 baking pan.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk to combine the flour, salt, and baking powder. In a separate large bowl, whisk to combine the melted butter and brown sugar until well-blended. Stir in the eggs and vanilla, mixing well. Slowly add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients, until moist throughout (be careful not to overmix). Stir in the walnuts and white chocolate chips. (The batter will be very thick.)

3. Pour batter into the prepared baking dish and baked in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool slightly before serving.

4. To prepare the maple cream sauce, melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the maple syrup and heavy cream and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat slightly and simmer for about 30 minutes, until thickened and reduced by 1/3. Let cool slightly before serving. (Or refrigerate and reheat prior to serving.)

5. Place a scoop of vanilla ice cream over top of a warm blondie. Drizzle with warm maple cream sauce, sprinkle with toasted walnuts and serve.

Serves 12.

(Adapted from Tasty Kitchen)

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Roasted Brussel Sprouts

January 22, 2011

If I were writing an editorial, I’d title this one, “How to Get Your Husband to Eat Brussel Sprouts”. (It might even work on kids, but I don’t have any experience in that area yet.) What’s the secret to accomplishing such a feat, you ask? Roasting. Yep, that’s it. No butter, no sugar, no hiding them in a bowl of ice cream (this was how my grandparents tricked my dad into eating peas). Just a drizzle of olive oil and shake of salt (kosher for superior flavor) and pepper. Then into the oven they go to roast until they shrivel and caramelize. They lose their infamous bitterness and turn soft and sweet.

Dustin begged me not to buy them. He’d been scarred by a past encounter with brussel sprouts and knew he didn’t like them. Well, I’d never tried one and I didn’t believe him. I’m never willing to write off a food just because it has a bad reputation. Plus, the opinions we form about taste when we’re children are not to be trusted. As kids we’re too picky, too easily traumatized. So I set out to prove him wrong broaden his palate. And did just that. He liked them. Brussel sprouts might not be his new favorite snack, but he admitted they weren’t half bad. As for me, I ate half the pan. Luckily brussel sprouts are nutritious, but that’s a lot of fiber for one night and it came with some regret. I’m telling you, if you’ve never had a roasted brussel sprout it’s time to reconsider this tiny cabbage and try this recipe out.

Roasted Brussel Sprouts

INGREDIENTS

1 lb. brussel sprouts, ends trimmed, yellow leaves removed, and halved
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 400 F. Line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil.

2. In a large bowl, combine brussel sprouts and olive oil and toss to coat. Season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Spread in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet.

3. Roast in preheated oven for about 30 minutes, turning frequently, until tender and caramelized. Serve immediately.

Serves 2-4.

(Adapted from All Recipes)

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Pear and Prosciutto Pizza with Caramelized Onions and Gorgonzola

January 17, 2011

It probably goes without saying that this isn’t your ordinary pizza. There’s the usual soft and chewy crust and bubbling fresh mozzarella, but that’s where the familiarity ends. You might even be used to caramelized onions by now (I love them and use them often). But how about the salty prosciutto, delicate slices of pear, and chopped toasted walnuts? Not to mention the crumbly pungent Gorgonzola. It’s a careful balance of sweet and savory, crunchy and gooey. And as strange as it all sounds, it makes for a marvelous pizza.

I’m particularly proud of the fact that I used Gorgonzola and liked it very much! I hope this means I’m beginning to outgrow my blue cheese aversion. Gorgonzola is an Italian blue cheese and I find it to be slightly milder than other types. Did you know that its characteristic blue veins are created by injecting mold spores of penicillin bacteria into the aging cheese? (Sounds pretty gross, right?) It definitely has a distinctive flavor. But interspersed with all of these other amazing ingredients the bitterness adds a pleasant contrast. So even if blue cheese makes you nervous (like me), I’m confident you’ll be surprised by how much you like this pizza!

Pear and Prosciutto Pizza with Caramelized Onions and Gorgonzola

INGREDIENTS

1 recipe pizza dough
1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 medium yellow onions, thinly sliced
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 Bartlett pear, thinly sliced
1/4 cup walnuts, toasted and chopped
1/4 lb. (4 oz.) prosciutto, thinly sliced
1 1/2 cups fresh mozzarella, grated
1/2 cup Gorgonzola, crumbled

DIRECTIONS

1. Prepare pizza dough according to recipe directions.

2. To caramelize the onions, preheat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and stir to coat. Season generously with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until the onions are soft and golden brown, about 25-30 minutes. Reduce the heat as you are cooking if they are beginning to burn.

3. Preheat oven and pizza stone to 450 F. Form pizza crust and lightly brush with olive oil. Top with caramelized onions, sliced pear, prosciutto, mozzarella, and Gorgonzola. Sprinkle with walnuts.

4. Place on pizza stone and bake for 10-12 minutes until the crust is puffed and golden brown and the cheese is bubbling. Remove from the oven and let rest a minute before slicing.

Makes 1 large pizza.

(Adapted from All Recipes)

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Vanilla Bean Ice Cream (French-Style)

January 13, 2011

Here it is, my first batch of homemade ice cream! Naturally, I started with vanilla. Made with the real thing– a Madagascar vanilla bean! First, a word on vanilla beans. I did a little research on the subject and concluded a few things: there are several places they come from (Tahiti, Mexico, and Madagascar) and the origin of the bean affects its flavor and potency, they are expensive, and they’re best fresh. Madagascar (also referred to as Bourbon) beans tend to be bold and robust. Why I chose to use them brings us to point number two- price. A single vanilla bean can set you back anywhere from 3-10 $ at a local grocery store. So I went online and found a great deal at Amazon- 7 Madagascar beans for around 7 $ (and free shipping). Sold. But if you can’t fathom yourself using up seven beans in the next year or so, this may not be the best option for you. They’re only worth it if they’re fresh, which is evident if they’re juicy and plump and intensely vanilla-y. Store them in a airtight container (such as a zipped plastic baggie) in a cool dark place (but NOT the refrigerator or freezer). I anticipated that I wouldn’t have a problem making seven batches of ice cream in the next year. In fact, I may be out of vanilla beans by next month.

Now about the ice cream. I read up on a lot of recipes before attempting this one. Apparently there’s not one right way to do vanilla. Since it was my first try, I went with an ultra-creamy highly rated recipe from David Lebovitz. And then I switched things up by following the method from a recipe in Gourmet. I took some risks, and second guessed myself quite a bit, but in the end all was well. Here’s what I learned: you could substitute half and half or a lower fat milk for some of the cream (but the end product will be less creamy and more icy), the vanilla extract is optional (the vanilla bean provided plenty of flavor on it’s own and next time I plan on omitting the extract), and the custard can be made without a thermometer (it will just be more stressful). If you don’t have a candy thermometer, bring the custard to the point where it begins to bubble around the edges of the pot, before it reaches a full boil, and remove it from the heat. It worked for me. But I didn’t enjoy worrying about whether I was going to ruin my custard so I already went out and bought a thermometer for next time.

My last piece of advice is to make sure that the custard and the ice cream maker bowl are both properly cold before the churning process begins. Carefully follow the instructions that came with your ice cream maker. I know this seems like a lot to remember, but it’s not as complicated as it sounds. The finished product is so luxurious and infinitely better than what you’ll buy in the store that it’s worth the few extra steps. This recipe is fantastic on it’s own or perfect for topping a fudgy brownie or slice of pie. And you always have the option of adding in something extra- I’m thinking cinnamon!

Vanilla Bean Ice Cream (French-Style)

INGREDIENTS

1 cup whole milk
pinch salt
3/4 cup sugar
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
2 cups heavy cream
5 large egg yolks
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract (optional)

DIRECTIONS

1. With a knife scrape the seeds of the halved vanilla bean into a large heavy saucepan and stir in pods, milk, salt, sugar, and cream. Bring mixture just to a simmer, stirring occasionally, and remove pan from heat.

2. In a large bowl lightly beat eggs. Add hot cream mixture to eggs in a slow stream, whisking (this process is called tempering, if you add the hot cream too fast the eggs will scramble), and pour into pan. Cook custard over moderately low heat, stirring constantly, until a thermometer registers 170°F. (Do not let boil.) Pour custard through a sieve into a clean bowl (making sure to remove the vanilla bean pods), stir in the vanilla extract (if using), and cool. Chill custard, its surface covered with wax paper, at least 3 hours, or until cold (preferably overnight).

3. Freeze custard according to ice-cream maker instructions.Transfer ice cream to an airtight container and put in freezer to harden.

Makes about 1 quart.

(Adapted from David Lebovitz and Gourmet)

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