Pizza Party!

The great thing about homemade pizzas, is you can make them often, and rarely repeat.  There are so many options with homemade pizza.  Tonight we prepared 2 pizzas, and because I wasn't thinking clearly, I provided a garlic bread...just to ensure we had enough carbs.

 

For these pizzas you may use storebought crust, or prepare your own!

Crust: You may used storebought, or prepare your own!

1 Cup warm water

1 Tablespoon sugar

2 1/4 teaspoon dry yeast

3 Tablespoons Olive oil

1 teaspoon salt

2 1/2 Cups flour

Directions: Mix water, sugar and yeast until dissolved. Next add in the olive oil and salt. Then stir in the flour until mixed together. Let stand for 10 minutes.  Pat dough onto pan or stone.



 

Pizza #1:  Margherita Pizza

Prepared by:  Kala

 

Ingredients: 1/2 Cup chopped Basil

1 Sliced Tomato

1 Ball of fresh Mozarella

Olive Oil

Salt

 

Directions:  Brush the crust with Olive Oil

Add the Mozarella, Basil, and Tomato

Top with Salt

 

Bake at 400 degrees and check ever 5 minutes after 10 minutes (varies based on crust)

 

 

 

Pizza #2: Fiesta 'Za  (okay that was made up)

Prepared By:  Stephanie

 

Ingredients:  Chili Lime Marindade( 1/2 cup olive oil, 1/4 cup lime juice, 1/4 teaspoon cumin, 1/4 teaspoon chili powder, 2 Tablespoons garlic mixed togther)

1/2 lb chicken breast in bite sized pieces

1/2 - 1 Jalapeno

1/4 Red Bell Pepper

1/4 Green Bell Pepper

1/4 Yellow Bell Pepper

1 Cup (give or take) cheese of choice

Olive Oil

 

Directions:  Cook Chicken and marinade in the chili lime sauce.  

Brush the crust with Olive Oil.  

Add a light coating of cheese. 

Add chicken.

 Add chopped peppers and chopped jalapeno (judge amount by how spicy you like it!) 

Top with more cheese!

 

Bake at 400 and check every 5 minutes after 10 minutes.

 

 

 



"Simple" Garlic Toast

Prepared By: Sabrina

 

Ingredients: I loaf French Bread

1/4 Cup Softened butter

1 Tablespoon Tastefully Simple Italian Garlic Bread Seasoning

(yes, it's true...sometimes I like to plug my own products)

 

Directions:  In small bowl mix butter and seasoning.

Cut french loaf in two (top and bottom)

Spread seasoned butter on each 1/2 of the loaf

 

Bake at 350 for about 10 minutes (add cheese if desired)

 

 

 

And so we ate until we were stuffed with delicous carb goodness as we laughed watching "The Best of Chris Farley".  What could be better?  Up next week: enchiladas!

 

 

 

 

 



Dexter Themed Night!

Our favorite premium cable show came back on, and like any good pseudo soap-opera Dexter the last season had a killer (pun  intended) ending, and we were dorkily giddy over watching the first two episodes So we decided a fitting theme for this week would be blood. Kinda gross at first consideration, but of course we didn't eat raw meat or anything crazy, we just made red foods, silly.

Pepperoni and Tomato Grilled Cheese

- Bread slices of your choice

- Harvarti with Jalapenos

- Sharp Cheddar

- Pepperoni slices

- 1 slicing tomato

- Butter to coat bread

Directions:  Assemble ingredients on buttered bread and grill like standard grilled cheese in cast-iron pan until golden brown and melted.

Oh, me, oh, my. So spicy, toasty and delicious!

Roasted Tomato Basil Soup

• -3 pounds ripe plum tomatoes, cut in half lengthwise
• -1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons good olive oil
•  -tablespoon kosher salt
• -1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
• -2 cups chopped yellow onions (2 onions)
• -6 garlic cloves, minced
• -2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• -1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• -1 (28-ounce) canned plum tomatoes, with their juice
• -4 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
• -1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
• -1 quart chicken stock or water

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Toss together the tomatoes, 1/4 cup olive oil, salt, and pepper. Spread the tomatoes in 1 layer on a baking sheet and roast for 45 minutes.

In an 8-quart stockpot over medium heat, saute the onions and garlic with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, the butter, and red pepper flakes for 10 minutes, until the onions start to brown. Add the canned tomatoes, basil, thyme, and chicken stock. Add the oven-roasted tomatoes, including the liquid on the baking sheet. Bring to a boil and simmer uncovered for 40 minutes. Pass through a food mill fitted with the coarsest blade. Taste for seasonings. Serve hot or cold. *Recipe by Ina Gartner

Can't go wrong with good ole' tomato soup! Sure beats the pants of tin-flavored Campbell's!

Bomb Bloody Mary's

• -3 cups tomato juice
• -3 tablespoons lemon juice
• -3 tablespoons lime juice
• -1 tablespoon prepared horseradish
• -1 tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce, or to taste
• -1 teaspoon minced garlic
• -3/4 teaspoon hot sauce, or to taste (recommended: Tabasco)
• -3/4 teaspoon salt
• -1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• - 1 shot Vodka per drink
• -String Cheese
• -Pickles
• -Celery
• -Beef Sticks
• - Green olives ( if you're not Sabrina) =)

Directions:

In a blender combine the tomato juice, lemon juice, lime juice, horseradish, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, and hot sauce and process until smooth. Transfer to a glass container and add salt and black pepper, to taste. Refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, at least 2 hours and up to overnight.

When ready to serve, fill each glass with ice.

Almost a meal in themselves, these beastly beauties were delicious ( albeit super filling) accompaniment to our "blood" themed meal. And making your own mix is easy and saves upwards of 900 mg of sodium in a glass. Save yourself the sausage fingers! This turned out to  be one of the best meals we've done in a while.

Next week: Pizza party!!

Fondue-licious!

Last week, we decided to treat ourselves to a feast of fondue!  Dipping all sorts of things....in all sorts of things?! What a glorious idea!

It was a grazing fest, so here are our fondue dishes, in no particular order:

Cheese Fondue

- 1 Cup Dry White Wine

- 1/2 lb Gruyere Cheese (shredded)

- 1/2 lb Swiss Cheese (shredded)

2 Tablespoons Flour

1/4 teaspoon Salt

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

-Directions:  Simmer wine in fondue pot (or do on stove top and transfer to fondue pot when finished).  Add cheese 1/4 lb at a time and stir constantly until melted.  Very important to keep stirring or it will gradually stick more and more to the bottom.  Once all the cheese is melted, add flour, salt and nutmeg. Stir.

Served with:  French Bread, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Steak

Oil Fondue

- Oil (amount depends on the size of the pot....deep enough to dip!) Broth will also work!

Optional:  Dipping Batter :

Stir together:

-1/2 Cup Milk

-2 Eggs

-1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1-Cup flour

-Directions:  Get oil to desired temperature.  Best to check with a thermometer.  The oil should not become so hot that it "spits" at you.  Make sure the steak is dried well prior to dipping in the hot oil.  Dip until cooked to your liking!  Dip in the batter first to get a fried breading!

Served with: Steak, Broccoli, Cauliflower

Chocolate Fondue:

-1 Cup Chocolate Chips

-1 14 oz can Condensed Milk

-2 Tablespoons butter

-1 teaspoon vanilla

-Directions:  Still all ingredients together on Medium heat and stir constantly.  Keep on low to medium heat in fondue pot.

Served with:  Strawberries, Bananas, Marshmallows

Beverage:  Wine Spritzers

- Wine of your choice

- Tonic Water

-Lime wedge if you please!

Happy Dipping and Sipping!