Prosciutto Pear and Lemon pizza and Fresh Tomato Basil Pizza

Ok I totally agree with Jami, we should get this food blog going again. So here is my post, Kara: you are up next! So last time I was in Utah, I found this new Pizzeria, and I got totally obsessed (I actually ate there for Lunch and Dinner my last night in UT! The restaurant is Pizzeria Limone is at 1380 East Fort Union Blvd. in Cottonwood Heights Any hoo I got home and new I had to attempt to recreate, working off a base recipe I found from then on good things Utah, this is what I came up with AND IT IS SOO GOOD! So I am not totally satisfied with a dough recipe, but i am still working on it. In the meantime just use your favorite flatbread pizza dough recipe, or if you are lucky enough to live in Columbus, just go to the Med. market by olive tree and pick up some of their fabulous flatbread.

Pre-heat oven and pizza stone to 500 or your oven max (usually 400 - 450). Ingredients: 1/2 Lb pizza dough rolled to a 10" round make sure you proof the dough for a long time so you can roll it very thin 1 Tbsp or more of good olive oil drizzled evenly on dough 3 oz whole milk mozzarella cubed Sprinkle of pecorino or Shredded Parm 1/4 c fresh mozzarella sliced and cubed very thinly sliced red onions to taste Thinly sliced garlic clove to taste 2-3 strips thinly sliced prosciutto 6-8 slices fresh pears NOT TOO RIPE 4-5 slices paper thin lemon light drizzle of olive oil Directions: Slide pizza on preheated pizza stone and bake for 5-10 minutes or until crust is dark brown. Garnish with fresh basil. For a Variation do the sane base and top with garden tomatoes, balsamic drizzle and basil after it comes out of the oven!

Chocolate Raspberry Tart

Last year when I posted this I somehow forgot to add the directions....here they are, just in time for berry season!!
It's super rich...we ate it with vanilla icecream and it was perfect!

Chocolate Raspberry Tart, serves 6-8

Chocolate Shortbread Crust:
2/3 cups AP flour
1/3 cup dark cocoa powder
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup cold butter, cut into small pieces
1/2 tsp salt

Chocolate Ganache:
8oz chocolate
¾ cup cream
2 tsp vanilla
2 Tbs butter

12 oz Fresh Raspberries

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Prepare a tart pan with baking spray.

TART SHELL:

In a food processor, combine the flour, cocoa, sugar and salt and pulse to combine.

Add the butter and pulse it till it's a moist dough.

Press it firmly into a tart shell.

Bake dough about 12 min.

When the tart is pulled out, poke a few shallow hole to release steam and then press the dough down firmly with a spoon, (or the bottom of a measuring cup).

Stick tart back in oven and bake another 5 minutes.

Stick the shell in the freezer. (Preparing everything else will take about 10-15 minutes- enough to cool the shell).

While the shell is cooling, prepare the ganache.

GANACHE:

Put 8oz of chocolate pieces in a heat proof bowl.

In a small pot, combine the cream, and vanilla and bring to a simmer.

Pour this mixture over the chocolate and whisk until smooth.

Add the butter and whisk until smooth and glossy.

Pour the ganache into a cooled tart shell.

Let the tart sit about 10 minutes while the ganache sets up.

Line up the raspberries down the tart.

Slice and enjoy!

Fresh Pesto

Seems like nobody posts on here anymore! What's the deal? Has Pinterest gotten the best of us and is now fulfilling all of our needs for new recipes?!?! I hope not!

 I love THIS site because I trust the people that post recipes here and I know that anything on here is DELISH so KEEP ON POSTING!!!!!

Basil/Pesto screams SUMMER to me!!! I just love it! I don't remember who I got this recipe from so I can't give anyone credit.

 :(

FRESH PESTO:

1/2 c. fresh spinach

1 c. firmly packed basil (wash and pat each leaf completely dry)

1/2 c. grated Parmesan/Romano cheese

1/4 c. toasted pine nuts

3 large garlic cloves

1/4 tsp salt

Combine all ingredients in food processor, then add Olive Oil till desired consistency.

You can add more cheese or garlic for "cheese" or "garlic" pesto.

Can freeze 1/2 for another meal later.

Use some for THIS recipe!

Tomatillo Cilantro Rice

This is a little concauction that I came up with last night, and I must say- it turned out pretty dang good!!

Ingredients:

1 cup uncooked rice (not minute rice)
cooking oil
1 tomatillo, pureed
1/2 medium lime, juiced
1/2 medium lime zest
1/4 poblano pepper, seeded and pureed (may skip this or sub with any other pepper including jalapeno)
1-1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
2 chicken bullion cubes, dissolved
6-8 sprigs of cilantro, remove leaves and chop fine
1 Tbsp minced onion
salt
pepper

Directions

Fry rice in sauce pan with cooking oil (just enough oil to coat rice) on high heat. Fry rice until golden brown, stirring constantly.

Measure the amount of liquid that your particular rice calls for (mine is a 2:1 liquid:rice ratio) using lime juice, tomatillo puree, poblano pepper puree (puree these together) and chicken bullion.

Side note--I hate microwaving food, so to dissolve the bullion cubes, I will typically add just enough water to cover the top of the cubes in my pyrex measuring cup and microwave that small amount of water for about 1-2 minutes until cubes are dissolved. Then add other liquids to measuring cup and top off with water to reach desired liquid amount. Add lime juice and chicken bullion first in case your tomatillo puree is more than the required liquid amount.

Add liquid, minced onion and garlic to rice and cook according to package directions. 3 minutes before rice is done cooking sprinkle cilantro and lime zest over the top. Once rice is fully cooked, fluff with fork and salt and pepper to taste.

Now, I made up this recipe from memory of what I did to make it. So if there is something too vague or missing, let me know! :)

How to de-skin a chile pepper

When using peppers such as Poblano, Pasilla, Anaheim or even a green pepper its best to remove the thin outer skin prior to eating. Sounds easier said than done, right? Not the case. Its actually quite easily done by roasting the pepper.


There are a couple ways you can roast the peppers. 1- high heat on the BBQ grill. 2- medium/high heat on your oven broiler or 3- the flame on your gas cook top using a steaming basket.


I prefer the first option because its less mess, but have done it all 3 ways in the past.


So here is how you do it:

• Wash and dry chiles





• Get your heat source ready. Fire up the BBQ or preheat the broiler.





• Place chile on (or under) heat, turning every minute or so until the skin is blackened. Your end result should be 60% to 75% of the chile being blackened. If you think it looks like you're burning the chile, you're doing id right!





• Remove from heat (tongs are a great tool for this) and place in a plastic bag. Seal bag and let chiles sweat for about 10 minutes. This process allows the chiles to continue to cook, and will make it much easier to peel skins. My dad puts the bag in the fridge- which I have found this is useful when on a time crunch and I need the peppers to cool quickly so I can touch them to remove the skin.





• Carefully remove skins one at a time by rubbing the skins with your fingers. I do this over my sink since removing charred skins tends to make a bit of a mess. Try to avoid running chiles under water in as much as that lessens the flavor by removing oils.

For those of us who are unfamiliar with chiles and peppers here is a great visual guide.

Buffalo Chicken Enchiladas

These enchiladas are a great twist on the classic.My husband has decided this is the best meal he has ever had! (gee, that says a lot about my cooking right!) I cooked up half these, and put the other half in the freezer.







Ingredients
9 Tortillas
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
1- 10 oz can red enchilada sauce
2 tablespoons ketchup
2 tablespoons bbq sauce (optional)
1/3 to 1/2 cup buffalo wing sauce (depending on how "wingey" you want them to taste)
1 cup Mexican blend cheese, shredded
3 oz Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled (I cheaped out and used Feta and it was excellent)
1/4 yellow onion, chopped
1 red (or green) pepper, chopped
2 green onions, chopped
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

Directions



Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Whisk together enchilada sauce, ketchup, bbq sauce and wing sauce in a bowl. Set aside.
In a separate bowl, combine shredded chicken, yellow onion, red pepper, 1/2 cup shredded cheese and 3/4 cup of the sauce mixture.
Spray 9x13 baking dish with non stick spray then drizzle a bit of the enchilada sauce in bottom of pan.
Fill tortillas with a couple heaping spoon fulls of chicken mixture. Roll and place in baking pan seams down.
Pour remaining enchilada sauce over the top of tortillas, then sprinkle remaining cheese on top. Bake for 20-25 min.
Sprinkle Gorgonzola cheese over top of enchiladas immediately after removing from oven. Garnish with cilantro and green onions.

Pecan Pie

I am starting to test pie recipes in preparation for THanksgiving. This one is uber yummy!
You will want to start the crust well in advance (maybe even the day before) It needs to spend plenty of time in the fridge. You will definitely wand to measure out and chill your shortening the night before.


Makes enough for one 9-inch pie
Crust
1 1/4cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for rolling out the dough
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons vegetable shortening, cut into 1/4-inch pieces and chilled
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch pieces and chilled
3–4tablespoons ice water
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Process flour, sugar, and salt in food processor until combined. Add chilled shortening and pulse until coarsely ground. Add chilled butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Transfer to large bowl.
2. Sprinkle 3 tablespoons water over flour mixture. Using rubber spatula, stir mixture until dough forms. If dough remains crumbly, add remaining 1 tablespoon water. Form dough into 4-inch disk, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 2 days. (Dough can be frozen, wrapped tightly in plastic and aluminum foil, for up to 2 months. Thaw completely at room temperature before using.)
3. Let chilled dough soften slightly at room temperature, about 10 minutes. Working on lightly floured work surface, roll dough into 12-inch circle. Transfer dough to pie plate. Trim, fold, and crimp edges.
4.place in pie plate. Cover unbaked pie shell with plastic wrap and refrigerate 40 minutes.


Pecan pie filling
3 eggs
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup light corn syrup
2 Tbsp melted butter
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup pecan halves + some to decorate top if desired
2/3 cup pecans chopped


place pizza stone on bottom rack of oven. Preheat oven to 350 degrees for at least 30 mins.

For filling. Mix eggs and first 5 ingredients. stir in pecans. if desired decorate top of pie with extra pecan halves

place pie directly on hot pizza stone bake for 55 minutes.
Baking on hot pizza stone will help ensure that the bottom crust browns properly

remove pie from oven and cool on cooling rack until completely cool about 4 hrs( or if you are super impatient like i am, until it is mostly cool, and it will still be good a touch warmish)

Raspberry Pie Bars

We made these last week for Kelsey to take to a work potluck. The original recipe calls for blackberries, but the lady that sells the blackberries at the farmer's market forgot them last Saturday, so I picked up some raspberries from her instead.

Raspberry Pie Bars
adapted from Rebecca Rather, The Pastry Queen from pink-parsley.com

Crust and Topping

•3 cups all-purpose flour
•1 1/2 cups sugar
•1/4 tsp salt
•1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, chilled

Fruit Filling

•4 large eggs
•2 cups sugar
•1 cup sour cream
•3/4 cup flour
•pinch salt
•zest of 1/2 lemon
•1 tsp almond extract
•2 (16-oz) packages frozen blackberries, thawed and drained (or raspberries or any berry)

To make the crust and topping, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x13 inch baking pan.

Combine the flour, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse a few times to mix. Cut the butter into 1/2-inch cubes, and add to the flour mixture. Process until the butter is evenly distributed but the mixture is still crumbly, 30-60 seconds.

Reserve 1 1/2 cups of the mixture to use as the topping. Press the remaining mixture into the bottom of the pan, and bake 12-15 minutes. Cool for at least 10 minutes.

To make the filling, whisk the eggs in a large bowl, then add the sugar, sour cream, flour, salt, lemon zest, and almond extract. Gently fold in the berries and spoon the mixture over the crust. Sprinkle the remaining flour mixture evenly over the filling, and bake 45 to 55 minutes.

Cool at least 1 hour before cutting into bars, or scoop out of the pan to serve cobbler-style.

Cucumber-Tomato Sandwiches on Artisan Bread

These are one of my favorite things to eat in the summer...my grandma always used to make them for us when we were at her house during the summer time.

Cucumber-Tomato Sandwiches on Artisan Bread

Artisan Bread
Cucumbers
Tomatoes
Mayo
Lemon Pepepr


Artisan Bread
from theitaliandishblog.com
(this is seriously the EASIEST and TASTIEST bread I have ever made and it's $.40 per loaf!)

makes four 1 pound loaves

3 cups lukewarm water
1-1/2 tablespoons granulated fast acting yeast (2 packets)
1-1/2 tablespoons kosher or other coarse salt
6-1/2 cups unsifted, unbleached all purpose white flour *

Mixing and Storing the Dough

1. Warm the water slightly. It should feel just a little warmer than body temperature, about 100 degrees F. Warm water will rise the dough to the right point for storage in about 2 hours.

2. Add yeast and salt to the water in a 5 quart bowl or a plastic container with a lid (I used an ice cream bucket).

3. Mix in the flour - kneading is unnecessary. Add all of the flour at once, measuring the flour by scooping it and leveling it off with a knife. Mix with a wooden spoon - do not knead. You're finished when everything is uniformly moist, without dry patches. This step is done in a matter of minutes. The dough should be wet and loose.

4. Allow to rise. Cover with a lid (not airtight). You want the gases to be able to escape a little. You can also do this in a large bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap and puncture a small hole in the top. Allow the mixture to rise at room temperature until it begins to collapse (or at least flattens on top), about two hours. Longer rising times will not hurt your dough. You can use a portion of the dough any time after this period. Fully refrigerated wet dough is less sticky and is easier to work with than dough at room temperature. So, the first time you try this method, it's best to refrigerate the dough overnight (or at least 3 hours) before shaping a loaf.

Baking

5. Shape your loaf. Place a piece of baking parchment paper. Sprinkle the surface of your dough in the container with flour. Pull up and cut off about a 1-pound piece of dough (about the size of a grapefruit), using scissors or a serrated knife. Gently stretch the surface of the dough around to the bottom on all four sides, rotating the ball as you go. Dust your hands with flour if you need to. This is just to prevent sticking - you don't want to incorporate the flour into the dough. The top of the dough should be smooth - the object here is to create a "gluten cloak" or "surface tension". It doesn't matter what the bottom looks like, but you need to have a smooth, tight top. This whole step should take about 30 seconds! Place the dough onto your parchment paper.

6. Let the loaf rise for about 30 - 40 minutes (it does not need to be covered). If it doesn't look like it has risen much, don't worry - it will in the oven. This is called "oven spring".

7. Preheat a baking stone on the middle rack in the oven for at least 20 minutes at 450 degrees F. Place an empty rimmed baking pan or broiler pan on a rack below the baking stone. This pan is for holding water for steam in the baking step. (If you don't have a baking stone, you can use a baking sheet, but you will not get the crisp crust on the bottom. You will still have a great loaf of bread.)

8. Dust the loaf with a little flour and slash the top with a knife. This slashing is necessary to release some of the trapped gas, which can deform your bread. It also makes the top of your bread look pretty - you can slash the bread in a tic tac toe pattern, a cross, or just parallel slashes. You need a very sharp knife or a razor blade - you don't want the blade to drag across the dough and pull it. As the bread bakes, this area opens and is known as "the bloom". Remember to score the loaves right before baking.

9. Bake. Set a cup of water next to your oven. Slide the bread (including the parchment paper) right onto the hot baking stone. Quickly pour the water right into the pan underneath the baking stone and close the oven door. This creates the necessary steam to make a nice crisp crust on the bread. Bake at 450 F for about 30 - 35 minutes, depending on the size of your loaf. Make sure the crust is a deep golden brown. When you remove the loaf from the oven, you will hear it crackle for a while. In baking terms, this is called "sing" and it is exactly what you want.

10. Cool. Allow the bread to cool for the best flavor and texture. It's tempting to eat it when it's warm, and that's fine, but the texture is better after the bread has cooled.

11. Store the remaining dough in the refrigerator in your lidded (not airtight) container and use for up to 14 days. Every day your bread will improve in flavor. Cut off and shape more loaves as you need them. When your dough is gone, don't clean the container. Go ahead and mix another batch - the remaining bits of dough will contribute flavor to the next batch, much like a sourdough starter does!


Tip: If your bread is gummy on the inside, try either increasing the amount of flour by 1/4 cup and/or increasing the baking time by 5-10 minutes.

Stuffed French Toast

This is for Jame!

Stuffed French Toast
from sixsistersstuff.blogspot.com via pinterest



Ingredients

Batter:
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Filling:
1 1/2 cups cream cheese
1/4 cup dark chocolate chips
1/2 cup medium-diced banana
1/8 cup orange juice
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Syrup:
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
3 cinnamon sticks
Butter, as needed
4 (2-inch thick) pieces challah bread (I just used a loaf of french bread from the bakery!)
Vanilla ice cream, for serving, optional (We used whipped cream)
Fresh berries, for serving, optional

Directions
Batter:
Combine all ingredients in a large bowl, mixing well until incorporated. Keep refrigerated until ready to use.

Filling:
Fold all ingredients together in a bowl until well incorporated but not completely smooth.

Syrup:
Combine all ingredients in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir until sugar dissolves. Bring to a boil and let reduce by 1/3.

French Toast:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Heat a large saute pan and then add butter. Dredge the bread in the batter and place in the pan. Cook until golden brown on both sides, approximately 2 minutes. Remove from pan and let cool. Divide filling between 2 pieces of the bread top with the remaining 2 pieces of bread. Transfer french toast to oven and bake for 8 minutes.
Cut each French toast in half and serve with the cinnamon syrup and, if desired, a large scoop of vanilla ice cream and fresh berries.

Chocolate Banoffee Tart

Another one made by Landon (from the Baker's Bible), it is fast becoming one of our VERY favorite desserts EVER!

Chocolate Banoffee Tart

9-in deep pie pan lined with chocolate pie crust
2 15-oz cans sweetened condensed milk
6 oz good-quality milk chocolate, chopped
2/3 c heavy cream
1 T corn syrup
2 T unsalted butter
3 ripe bananas

White Chocolate Whipped Cream
1 3/4 c whipping cream
6 oz good-quality white chocolate, grated
1/2 t vanilla extract
cocoa powder, for dusting

Puncture each of the cans of milk (prevents possible explosion while cooking). Put them in a medium saucepan and add enough water to cover. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for about 2 hours. Be sure to top up with water. (Some milk may leak but this does not matter.) Carefully remove tins from water and cool.
in medium saucepan over a medium-low heat, combine until smooth and melted, stirring constantly. Pour into prepared crust and refrigerate until set, which should take about 1 hour.
Prepare white chocolate whipped cream. In a small saucepan over medium heat, bring 1/2 cup of cream to a boil. Remove from heat and stir in grated white chocolate all at once, stirring until completely smooth. Stir in vanilla essence. Strain into medium bowl and cool to room temperature.
Scrape condensed milk into bowl. Whisk thickened "toffee" until smooth. Immediately spread evenly over chocolate layer in the pie shell.
Slice the bananas thinly and arrange them in the overlapping concentric circles over the toffee layer in the tart case. In a medium bowl, whisk the remaining cream until stiff peaks form. Fold a spoonful into the white chocolate cream to lighten it, then fold in the remaining cream. Spoon over the banana layer and spread to the edge. Dust the top with cocoa if you like. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Mexican Crullers (Churros)

Do you know how much Landon LOVES churros?! He made these for us a couple of weeks ago for breakfast. Don't let the shape deter you, they were better than the real thing, we just don't have a cookie press to make them pretty...This one came from

Mexican Crullers (Churros)
from foodnetwork.com

Ingredients
Crullers:
1 cup water
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup all-purpose flour
4 to 5 eggs

Canola oil, for frying
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions
To make the crullers: In a medium saucepan, heat 1 cup water, the butter, sugar, vanilla, and salt over medium-high heat until the edges of the liquid start to bubble. Add the flour all at once and stir briskly with a wooden spoon until well mixed and no lumps of flour remain.

Remove from the heat. Add 4 of the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well with a wooden spoon after each. The dough should look soft and glossy and keep a "hook" shape when the spoon is pulled from the dough. If not, beat in the last egg.

Scrape the dough into a pastry bag fitted with a star tip. Pour enough canola oil into a deep heavy skillet (cast iron is ideal) to fill 1-inch. Heat over medium heat until the tip of the handle of a wooden spoon gives off a slow steady stream of tiny bubbles. Carefully pipe the dough into the oil, forming 6-inch crullers. Pipe only as many crullers into the oil as fit comfortably. Overcrowding the pan will result in soggy crullers. Fry, turning once, until golden brown on each side. Drain on paper towels. Repeat with the remaining dough.

Put the sugar and the cinnamon in a paper bag. Crimp the top and shake well to mix. Drop a few crullers at a time into the bag and shake until coated. Best served as soon as possible.

Stuffed Zucchini

This recipe comes from kayotic kitchen.

Stuffed Zucchini

Ingredients:
1 tbsp sour cream
1/4 to 1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp curry powder
1/2 tomato
1 tsp thyme
2 zucchinis
1 onion
cheese (we used a combo of whatever we had in the fridge)
pepper

Optional: bacon (this is mandatory in our home!)

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 400 (200C).
Give the zucchini a good scrub.
Slice them in half length-ways. You can trim the ends if you like. I never do, I kinda like how rustic it makes them look.
Spoon out the guts. Now give the zucchini pulp a good chop, also chop a small onion and 1/2 a tomato while you’re at it. Sautee the onions in one tbsp oil or butter. It’s ok for them to brown a little.
When the onions are almost done, add 1/4 tsp curry powder and cook everything for an additional 30 seconds. No longer or the curry powder will turn bitter. When they’re done, transfer them to a big bowl.
Now this is completely optional. If you want to stick with a vegetable dish, fine, just leave the bacon out. I personally like the crunch and saltiness it gives, so I cook a few slices and let them drain on a paper towel.
Now (in no particular order), add 1 tsp dried thyme, 1/4 to 1/2 tsp salt, 1 heaping tbsp sour cream, a good pinch of pepper, the zucchini pulp, the tomato and crumble the bacon in as well.
Lightly butter a baking dish and put the zucchini boats in.
Grab a spoon and fill the shells with the mix. Sprinkle some aged cheese on top.
Put them in a preheated oven, give them about 20 minutes and then turn on the grill until the top is golden brown. Sprinkle some coarsely chopped curly leaf parsley (the most underrated herb there is) on top and you’re done.

Stuffed Focaccia with Roasted Pepper Vinaigrette

This recipe comes from myrecipes.com .

Stuffed Focaccia with Roasted Pepper Vinaigrette

Ingredients
1 (9-inch) round loaf focaccia bread (we used this recipe)
Roasted Pepper Vinaigrette, divided
1 (3-ounce) log goat cheese, crumbled
1/4 cup pine nuts or slivered almonds
1 deli-roasted chicken
3 cups mixed baby lettuces
1/2 pint grape or cherry tomatoes, halved

Preparation
Cut bread in half horizontally, using a serrated knife; place, cut sides up, on a baking sheet. Drizzle evenly with 1 cup Roasted Pepper Vinaigrette. Sprinkle evenly with goat cheese and pine nuts.
Bake at 400° for 6 to 8 minutes or until lightly browned.
Remove meat from chicken, and coarsely chop. Sprinkle chicken over bottom bread half. Top with lettuce and tomatoes; cover with top bread half. Cut into 6 wedges. Serve immediately with remaining 1/2 cup Roasted Pepper Vinaigrette.

Chicken Burrito Pizza

Pizza Dough

1/2 c bread flour
1/2 c whole wheat flour
1/4 t active dry yeast
1/4 t salt
1/2 t sugar
6 T cold water

In large mixing bowl, combine dry ingredients, then create well in center and add the water. Using your hands, gently combine dough for about 3-4 minutes or until it comes together.
Move dough to lightly floured surface, knead for 10 min. or until firm and smooth. Form into ball. Cover with clean dish towel; let rest for 5 min.
Using rolling pin, roll out dough to form 11-in circle; place on round metal pizza pan with small holes so dough just reaches but doesn't overlap edges. (We used a baking stone.) Let rest for 45 min. before adding toppings.

Chicken Burrito Pizza

Pizza:
2 T salsa
1 11-in pizza crust
1 c shredded low fat mozzarella
1 4-oz chicken breast, grilled and diced
4 T black beans
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced

Pico de Gallo:
1 large tomato, diced
1 small green chili, diced
1 T chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 red onion, diced
salt

Preheat oven to 450*. Spread salsa evenly over prepared dough, then sprinkle with mozzarella. Top with chicken, black beans, and onion, bake for 7-10 min or until edges of crust are golden.
Meanwhile, combine tomato, chili, cilantro, and onion in small bowl; season with salt and set aside.
Remove pizza from oven, cut into 12 slices, place on serving tray. Top with pico de gallo and guacamole.

Pina Colada Smoothie

Pina Colada Smoothie
from smoothieweb.com

Ingredients

■5 Tbs. Coconut milk
■2 1/2 cups pineapple juice
■1/2 cup vanilla ice cream
■1/2 frozen banana (chunks)
■1 1/2 cups frozen pineapple chunks

Pour all liquid ingredients into the blender. Add all frozen ingredients.
Blend at MIX setting for 30 seconds then blend at SMOOTH setting
until smooth. While the machine is running, movethe stir stick around
counter-clockwise to aid mixing. Serve immediately. Each recipe
serves 3-5.

Creamy Sweet Pea & Pancetta

This recipe comes from Rachael Ray:

Creamy Sweet Pea and Pancetta Soup

1 T olive oil
4 thick slices pancetta, chopped (we just use cubed ham sometimes)
1 small onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, chopped
Leaves from 3-4 thyme sprigs
2 c chicken stock
1 10-oz box frozen peas
1/4 c mascarpone cheese
salt and pepper

Heat medium sauce pot over medium high heat with oil once around pan. Add pancetta and cook til crisp, 3-4 min. Remove pancetta and drain on paper towel. Return pot to stove over medium heat then add onions, garlic, thyme and cook, stirring frequently, for 5 min. Add the chicken stock and turn heat up to high. When stock boils, reduce to simmer and cook 5 minutes more. Add peas and cook for another 2 minutes. Transfer soup to a blender or food processor along with mascarpone and puree until smooth. Do this in 2 batches in order to avoid mess. Return soup to pot. To thicken, turn heat back on and reduce to desired consistency, 3-5 min. Season with salt and pepper, serve topped with crispy pancetta.

Summer Vegetable Crepes

Summer Vegetable Crepes

Ingredients
1/3 cup reduced-fat sour cream
1/2 cup chopped fresh chives, divided, plus more for garnish
3 tablespoons low-fat milk
2 teaspoons lemon juice
3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 cups chopped zucchini
1 1/4 cups chopped green beans
1 cup fresh corn kernels (from 1 large ear)
1 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
4 9-inch “ready-to-use” crêpes (we made our own)

Preparation
1.Stir sour cream, 1/4 cup chives, milk, lemon juice and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a small bowl until combined. Set aside.
2.Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add zucchini, green beans and corn and cook, stirring, until beginning to brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Reduce heat to low; stir in ricotta, Monterey Jack, the remaining 1/4 cup chives, the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper. Cook, stirring gently, until the cheese is melted, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from the heat.
3.To roll crêpes, place one on a piece of parchment or wax paper (or leave it on the piece of plastic separating the crêpes in the package). Spoon one-fourth of the vegetable-cheese mixture (about 3/4 cup) down the center of the crêpe. Use the paper (or plastic) to help you gently roll the crêpe around the filling. Place the crêpe seam-side down on a dinner plate. Repeat with the remaining crêpes and filling. Serve each crêpe topped with 2 tablespoons of the reserved sauce and more chives, if desired.

NutritionPer serving: 302 calories; 17 g fat ( 8 g sat , 6 g mono ); 46 mg cholesterol; 25 g carbohydrates; 15 g protein; 3 g fiber; 687 mg sodium; 485 mg potassium.

Indoor Pulled pork

This is yet another America's test kitchen Recipe
IT IS FANTASTIC!! Beware your oven will be on most of the day so it is better for a cool day!
http://www.americastestkitchen.com/recipes/detail.php?docid=21331

INGREDIENTS
Pork
1cup plus 2 teaspoons table salt
1/2cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
3tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons liquid smoke
1 boneless pork butt (about 5 pounds), cut in half horizontally (see step by step below)
1/4cup yellow mustard
2tablespoons ground black pepper
2tablespoons smoked paprika (see note)
1teaspoon cayenne pepper
Sweet and Tangy Barbecue Sauce
1 1/2cups ketchup
1/4cup light or mild molasses
2tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1tablespoon hot sauce
1/2teaspoon table salt
1/2teaspoon ground black pepper
INSTRUCTIONS
1. FOR THE PORK: Dissolve 1 cup salt, 1/2 cup sugar, and 3 tablespoons liquid smoke in 4 quarts cold water in large container. Submerge pork in brine, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 2 hours.

2. While pork brines, combine mustard and remaining 2 teaspoons liquid smoke in small bowl; set aside. Combine black pepper, paprika, remaining 2 tablespoons sugar, remaining 2 teaspoons salt, and cayenne in second small bowl; set aside. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees.

3. Remove pork from brine and dry thoroughly with paper towels. Rub mustard mixture over entire surface of each piece of pork. Sprinkle entire surface of each piece with spice mixture. Place pork on wire rack set inside foil-lined rimmed baking sheet. Place piece of parchment paper over pork, then cover with sheet of aluminum foil, sealing edges to prevent moisture from escaping. Roast pork for 3 hours.

4. Remove pork from oven; remove and discard foil and parchment. Carefully pour off liquid in bottom of baking sheet into fat separator and reserve for sauce. Return pork to oven and cook, uncovered, until well browned, tender, and internal temperature registers 200 degrees on instant-read thermometer, about 1½ hours. Transfer pork to serving dish, tent loosely with foil, and let rest for 20 minutes.

5. FOR THE SAUCE: While pork rests, pour 1/2 cup of defatted cooking liquid from fat separator into medium bowl; whisk in sauce ingredients.

6. TO SERVE: Using 2 forks, shred pork into bite-sized pieces. Toss with 1 cup sauce and season with salt and pepper. Serve, passing remaining sauce separately.

TECHNIQUE
CUTTING PORK BUTT IN HALF

Halving the pork increases its surface area, which creates more flavorful bark.


Holding your knife parallel to the cutting board, press one hand flat against the top of the pork butt while cutting horizontally

Baked Potato and Broccoli Soup

Okay...so I'm sorry that I have been MIA for months now but to be honest with you...I don't cook in the summer. But now that Autumn is officially upon us, I am in the kitchen more. And yesterday I made homemade soup to celebrate the first of Fall. So easy, so fast, and so less fattening than the original...enjoy!!

Prep: 20 minutes, Cook: 20 minutes

1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 (14 1/4 ounce) cans low-sodium fat free chicken broth, divided
3 cups peeled, cubed potatoes (about 1 1/4 pounds)
2 cups broccoli florets, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1 1/4 cups 2% reduced fat milk
1 (8 ounce) block 2% reduced fat sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

cheese, fully cooked bacon pieces and green onion for garnish

Whisk together flour and 1/3 cup chicken broth until smooth.

Combine remaining chicken broth and next 3 ingredients