Carmelized Onion and Roasted Red Pepper Pizza

I make pizza fairly frequently because both of us love it.  This pizza is fairly healthy because it doesn't have much cheese on it.  I make it this way when the craving for pizza hits but we don't have any mozzarella in the apartment.  It's not quite the same, but it's still delicious.

We usually top our pizza with crushed red pepper flake and garlic powder after it's baked.  This works really well with any combination of veggies or meat you have on hand.  And if you don't want to use pizza sauce, a simple drizzle of olive oil before topping is also delicious.

I've just started making my pizza dough in my kitchenaid mixer (thanks Mom!) and it's wonderful.  It's much less messy than making the dough by hand.  This dough is really nice and flavorful and easy to work with.  If you're having trouble with the dough, this pizza can also be made on a sheet tray (this also works if you don't have a pizza stone).  Just oil a sheet tray with some olive oil and press the dough into the pan.  Then top as desired and bake.  Also delicious. :)

Pizza:
1 recipe pizza dough (below)
1 onion, sliced thinly
2 roasted red bell peppers (yes, from a jar), sliced thinly
1 tomato, chopped
1 tsp. minced garlic
1/3 c. pizza sauce
3-4 tbs. parmesan cheese
1/3 c. cornmeal

1. Place a pizza stone in the middle of the oven.  Preheat to 450 degrees.
2. Spread cornmeal on a pizza peel.  Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough to desired thickness (I roll mine out to 1/4" or so).  Make sure the dough slides easily by giving the peel a few shakes.  If it's stuck to the board, add some more cornmeal wherever it's sticking.
3. Top with pizza sauce, parmesan cheese, and veggies.
4. Bake for 15-20 minutes until the crust is crispy and golden brown.
5. Remove pizza from oven with peel. Allow it to rest for 5 minutes before slicing and serving.

Pizza Dough:
1 c. warm water (about 105-115 degrees)
4 tsp. instant dry yeast (this is about 2 small envelopes if you're using that instead of bulk yeast)
3 tsp. olive oil, divided
1 tsp. sugar
~2 1/2 cups AP flour
1 tsp. kosher salt

1. In a mixer fitted with a bread hook (or a large bowl*), dissolve yeast in water.  Add 2 tsp. olive oil, sugar, 1 1/2 c. flour and salt.  Start mixer on low speed (my bread hook always runs on speed 2) and mix for 2 minutes to incorporate.  Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides.
2. Turn the mixer back on (on speed 2 or a low speed) and add the remaining flour. Allow the dough to knead for about 10 minutes until the dough cleans the sides of the bowl and it becomes elastic and springy.  (It's hard to over-knead pizza dough so just let it work.)
3. Put 1 tsp. olive oil in a large bowl.  Remove the dough from the mixer and place in the large bowl, rolling it to coat it in the olive oil.  Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise in a warm place for half an hour.
4. Once the dough has doubled in size, punch the dough down and allow it to continue to rise for 1-2 hours.  If you're not using it right away, put the dough into the fridge after punching.

* If you don't have a mixer to mix the dough in, you can do it by hand.  In a medium bowl, dissolve yeast in water.  Add 2 tsp.olive oil, sugar, 1 1/2 c. flour, and salt and mix to combine just until it's easy to handle.  Pour the mixture out onto a well-floured surface and knead the dough, adding the rest of the flour as you go.  Continue kneading until the dough is elastic and springy (probably 10-15 minutes depending on how fast you work).  Place the dough in an oiled bowl as directed above and allow to rise the same way.

Cod and Couscous en Papillote

The finished dish -- Right after opening.

I've been meaning to try to cook fish en papillote (in parchment paper) for a while.  I bought some cod at the grocery store yesterday so I decided to try it today.  It was really simple and turned out really well.  This was more food than the two of us needed... although it's all gone now.  :)

The fish stayed really moist in the packet.  It was flavorful from the veggies and herbs in the packet and was nice and flaky when done.  I will definitely make fish this way again.

The couscous cooked up well although some of the bottom was a little crunchy.  I think this may have been caused by not enough rinsing of the couscous before putting it in the packet or the need to get more of the wine to the middle of the packet.

The veggies cooked up really well.  I would have liked the onions cooked more (so I gave them to Jeremy) and he dislikes tomatoes so he gave me his slices of tomato.  Worked out well in the end. :)  Next time I might try making separate packets so each of us gets just the veggies we want.

Overall this was a really healthy and easy meal.  It was simple because all I really had to do was assemble everything in the packet and bake it.  No tending anything on the stove.  And it was quite healthy since it was just steamed together in the packet.  Definitely something I will make again.

You can certainly change up the veggies and fish you use in this.  It would be delicious with other herbs and seasonings as well.  The whole meal tasted really fresh without a lot of other flavors covering up the goodness of the veggies and fish.  Delicious. :)

Before baking.

Served up. Not the prettiest gal at the ball...

Recipe:
1 lb. fresh cod (or other firm white fish)
1/2 green bell pepper, thinly sliced
1/2 medium onion, thinly sliced
1/2 medium tomato, thinly sliced
1/2 lemon, thinly sliced
1 c. couscous (uncooked)
1/2 c. white wine (I had chardonnay on hand)
1 tsp. dried parsley flakes
1/2 tsp. dried thyme leaves
1/2 tsp. salt, divided
1/4 tsp. pepper, divided
1 tbs. olive oil

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Place a piece of parchment paper about 20 inches long on a baking sheet.
3. Rinse couscous under cold water and spread into an even layer about the size of the fish on the parchment paper. Sprinkle1/4 tsp. salt and 1/8 tsp. black pepper over the couscous.
4. Lay the fish on top of the couscous and top evenly with the lemons and tomatoes. Season with the remaining salt and pepper and sprinkle the parsley and thyme evenly over the fish. Spread the onions and peppers around the fish.  Pour the wine over the fish and drizzle with olive oil.
5. Fold the edges of the parchment paper together and secure using a stapler.  Make sure it's as sealed as possible to trap the steam.
6. Bake for approximately 30 minutes until the fish is cooked through and the veggies are tender.  (The package will puff slightly from the steam.)
7. Cut open the parchment paper and serve.

French Toast

A few days ago I made (or attempted to make) a loaf of bread.  It was from the bread machine cookbook but it didn't rise much in the machine.  So we ended up with a very dense loaf.  We've been eating it a little but had a lot left.  So this morning I decided to make french toast.

Jeremy was reluctant at first because he thought it was really unhealthy... then I showed him that it wasn't that bad (given that I was using skim milk, not cream) so he agreed that we could have it for breakfast.  I made 2 slices for each of us and ended up giving him about a third of one of my slices.  Very filling toast - probably because I used such a dense bread.

This recipe will work with whatever bread you have on hand.  Just use a dish big enough to allow all the pieces to sit flat in the custard before cooking.  It can be doubled as needed.  It's not a picky recipe so  you can certainly adjust things to fit your taste.  I topped our pieces with powdered sugar and maple syrup.  Yum!

It's a really simple recipe that doesn't take a lot of work to put together.  And the results are delicious and comforting.  I will definitely make this again with other breads that I have on hand.

My toast -- before the maple syrup drizzle.

Recipe:
4 slices bread
2 eggs
1/2 c. milk
2 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/8 tsp. salt

1. In a large shallow dish beat eggs, milk, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt together.  Place bread in the mixture and turn to coat both sides.  Allow to sit for about 15 minutes, turning once or twice, to allow the bread to evenly soak up the liquid.
2. Heat a griddle on medium heat.  Place bread in an even layer and cook, 3-4 minutes per side, until golden brown on both sides.  (Depending on how high the heat is this may happen faster or slower... so keep an eye on the bread so it doesn't burn.)
3. Serve topped with whatever you like. :)

Pulled Pork Sandwiches with Spicy BBQ Sauce

When Jeremy and I visited his parents for Thanksgiving, his mom had earned a free item from the grocery store.  Since we didn't feel like getting another turkey, we chose a pork shoulder -- a picnic cut.  So tonight (or really today... since it took about 11 hours total to complete it) I made pulled pork.  I baked my own hamburger buns for this using our bread machine.  I served this with some buttered corn but cole slaw would also be delicious.  I just didn't have any this time.

We have a huge pile of pulled pork left -- which I'm sure Jeremy will polish off as soon as he can. The pork was really moist and flavorful.  The rub gave it great flavor -- to the point that we didn't even miss the smoky flavor of normal bbq pulled pork.

The sauce I made for this is a bit spicy, which we really enjoy.  But this would also be delicious with any sauce you wanted.  I just topped each sandwich with a spoonful of sauce rather than mixing the pork into the sauce.  That way I can keep both separate in the fridge in case one lasts longer than another.

This did take a long time to make.  But for about over 10 hours I did nothing but walk into the kitchen to turn the roast or remove foil every few hours.  I did make the sauce just after lunch, but that meant that I had very little to do when dinner was finally coming together (albeit a bit late tonight).  And the result was definitely worth the work. :)

The whole roast

The pile o' pork

Pork:
7 lb. pork shoulder (I had a picnic roast but boston butt would be just as good)
1 1/2 tbs. salt
1/2 tbs. black pepper
1/2 tbs. paprika
1/2 tbs. chili powder
1/2 tbs. cayenne
1/2 tbs. garlic powder
1 tbs. cumin
1/2 tbs. onion powder
2 tbs. brown sugar
1 12 oz. beer (I had Saranac Black and Tan)

1. Preheat oven to 225 degrees.
2. Mix all ingredients except the pork and beer together.  Rub the pork with the mix, pressing it into the flesh on all sides.  Place the pork roast on a rack over a roasting pan (fat/skin side up).  Pour beer into the bottom of the roasting pan.
4. Cover pork with foil.  Roast for 6 hours, turning the pork over every 2 hours.  Remove foil and continue to roast until the internal temperature reaches 190 degrees. (It took 4 1/2 hours post-foil for me.)
5. Allow the meat to rest for 20 minutes.  Then remove skin/fat and shred the rest using two forks or chop it finely with a knife.
6. Serve topped with bbq sauce in a bun.

Sauce:
1 tbs. olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 tsp. garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1 c. apple cider vinegar, divided
2 c. ketchup
3 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/4 c. brown sugar
1 tbs. soy sauce
1 tsp. parsley flakes
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. cayenne

1. Heat a small saucepan over medium heat.  Add olive oil.  Add onion and garlic and saute until slightly softened, 4-5 minutes.
2. Add the rest of the ingredients, except for 1/3 c. apple cider vinegar.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, for 1 1/2 hours.  Turn off the heat and allow to cool.
3.  Blend the sauce in a blender.  Return to pan and thin, as needed, with the additional 1/3 c. apple cider vinegar. Adjust seasonings as desired.

Lemon and Thyme Roast Chicken

Tonight I decided to roast a chicken.  It takes almost no tending once it's in the oven so it's a great choice when I'm just home all day studying.  I went fairly simple on the seasonings and used just salt, pepper, lemon, and thyme.  I decided to try roasting the chicken without adding any oil or butter to the skin (every other time I've used a tablespoon or two of butter or oil to crisp up the skin).  It turned out great!  The skin was surprisingly still crispy and delicious.  And the chicken tasted fantastic -- very clean and delicious.

I served this with stuffing and green beans.  My mother-in-law sent us home with stuffing from Thanksgiving that just needed to be baked.  It is fantastic.  This year she made a sausage stuffing with lots of veggies and herbs.  It's one of the first things to go during the leftover meals.  But luckily this year she made extra.  And we enjoyed it tonight.  :)  As for the green beans, they're just frozen beans, cooked in the microwave, with a little butter added for taste.

This gave us quite a bit of chicken left over.  We had one whole breast, both thighs, and a lot of random pickings.  Overall a very good meal.

Recipe:
1 chicken (mine was 5.4 pounds)
1 lemon, quartered
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. dried thyme

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
2. Rinse the chicken, inside and out (remove giblets etc. if necessary).  Pat dry.  Cut off any extra fat or skin.
3. Place, breast side up, in a roasting pan.  Tuck the wings under the chicken.  Squeeze half the lemon onto the skin.  Place the whole lemon inside the cavity.  Sprinkle the salt, pepper, and thyme over the skin and inside the cavity.
4. Roast for approximately 90 minutes (depends on size of the chicken -- a good rule of thumb is 20 min. per pound, plus 15-20 minutes).  The chicken is done when a thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the thigh registers 165 degrees and the juices run clear.

Rotini with Spinach Sauce and Roasted Red Peppers

Yay for post #2 in November!  It's been a busy month... not that I haven't been cooking, but I've had no time to write up a post.  I don't really have time to write one tonight... but I don't want to work.  So procrastination wins. :)

Jeremy and I bought a bag of spinach at the grocery store this past weekend and I wanted to use some.  I don't like the texture of cooked spinach but didn't want a salad tonight - hence spinach sauce!  It had great flavor and was a lovely green color.  Made me think I was eating the Grinch or something... with the addition of the roasted red peppers, maybe I should call this Christmas pasta.  But since it's still November, I won't.

This took me only about half an hour to make.  It would have been even quicker if I'd made the pasta while making the sauce.  But since I had started dinner a bit before we wanted to eat, I had the sauce completely made before I put the pasta water on.  It would probably take only about 20 minutes if everything was started together.

This had a lot of veggies in it and was an overall healthy meal.  I will certainly be making it again.  I have one serving left in the pot so one of us will have some great leftovers tomorrow.  (And since I leave earlier, I'll probably get to them first.  Yay!)

When I first asked Jeremy how he felt about it he said, "I'm not sure."  After two minutes he said, "I like it."  I just looked over at him and I don't see any food in his bowl and he was licking his fork... I call that a success. :)

You could adapt this to your tastes - tomatoes in addition to or in place of the roasted red peppers, or other veggies altogether.  It would also probably be great with some grilled chicken.  Overall a very easy and tasty meal. And now that I don't really have any excuse not to work, back to the grind.

Recipe:
1 box (13.25 oz.) rotini
1 onion, diced
2 tsp. minced garlic
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flake
1 tsp. dried basil leaves
1 tbs. dried parsley flakes
5 oz. fresh spinach
1 jar (15.5 oz) roasted red peppers, drained and diced
1/4 c. chicken stock
1/2 c. milk (I used skim)
2 tbs. grated parmesan (plus more for serving)
1 tbs. olive oil
salt and pepper

1. Heat a large saute pan (w/ a lid) over medium heat.  Add olive oil.  Add crushed red pepper flakes and swirl to heat for 20 seconds.  Add onions and saute for 5-6 minutes until translucent.  Add garlic, basil, and parsley.  Cook for 1-2 minutes to heat through.  Add chicken stock and scrape the bottom of the pan to remove any bits.  Add spinach and mix.  Cover with lid to allow spinach to wilt.  When wilted turn off heat.
2. Place spinach mixture in a blender and add milk and parmesan cheese.  Blend until smooth.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Set aside until pasta is done.
3. Heat a large pot of water over high heat.  When boiling, add salt (to taste, you don't need to add it... I added about 1 tsp.)  Add rotini and cook until al dente, 9-10 minutes.  Drain and return to pan. (You could do this step while making the sauce if you wanted.)
5. Combine pasta, sauce, and roasted red peppers and heat over low heat until hot through.  Serve topped with extra parmesan cheese.

Lemon-Garlic Roast Pork with Sauteed Cabbage and Oven-Roasted Carrots

A couple weeks ago, pork was on sale at the grocery store, so I bought a roast even though I didn't have time to cook it then.  I froze it and thawed it out this weekend for tonight.  I decided to marinate it in garlic, thyme, and lemon and serve it with a lot of veggies.  It was awesome.  The lemon gave it a really fresh, bright flavor.

Since most of the time it took to make dinner tonight was roasting the pork, I got some work done while it sat in the oven.  The cabbage and carrots didn't take too long so it was a fairly easy meal.  I gave the pork roast about a 40 minute head-start before I started the sides. The sides were still done a little early but they stayed hot so it wasn't a problem.

The cabbage had a great (slightly sweet) flavor and the roasted carrots were almost succulent.  There's almost nothing I like better than roasted vegetables. The caramelized edges they get are delicious.  And they're so easy since you just stick them in the oven until they're tender.

The pork was tender yet crunchy on the outside. I used a probe thermometer to monitor the temp while it was cooking.  That has probably been one of the best investments I've made.  It only cost about $20 but it makes all the difference when roasting a large cut of meat or a whole bird.

Overall a very successful meal. And one that was fairly healthy with all the veggies.  I know we'll enjoy eating up all the leftovers. :)

Pork:
zest and juice of 1 lemon
1 tsp. minced garlic
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. dried thyme
1.5-2 lb. pork roast (mine was 1.76 lbs.)

1. Mix lemon zest and juice, salt, pepper, and thyme together in a large ziploc bag, add pork roast and zip closed.  Massage the marinade into the meat.  Refrigerate overnight (or a few hours if that isn't possible).
2. Preheat oven to 325.  Place pork roast on a rack over a roasting pan.  Roast for 1-1 1/4 hours until the temperature inside is 160 degrees.
3. Remove from oven and cover loosely with foil.  Allow the meat to rest for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

Cabbage:
1 medium onion, diced
1 lb. (about 1/2 head) cabbage, sliced thinly
1 tbs. olive oil
1 tbs. margarine
1 tbs. cider vinegar
1 tsp. chipotle tobasco (optional)
salt and pepper to taste

1. Heat a large frying pan over medium high heat.  Add 1 tbs. olive oil.
2. Add onion and saute until mostly carmelized, 10-12 minutes. Remove from pan.
3. Add 1 tbs. margarine, cabbage, and salt and pepper to taste.  Saute until cabbage is to desired tenderness, approximately 10 minutes. (I like mine slightly firm so if you want it softer, keep cooking.)
4. Add the onions back to the pan.  Add cider vinegar.  Mix to combine and cook for 1-2 more minutes until liquid is gone. Add chipotle tobasco if using (if you don't want it spicy, leave it out... but it's delicious) and mix to combine.
5. Serve.

Carrots: (I had them mixed and then cranked the heat on the oven up as soon as the pork came out. The carrots were done just about when I finished slicing the pork.)
4 medium carrots, quartered and then cut into 2" sticks
1 tbs. olive oil
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Mix everything together on a baking sheet.
2. Bake for approximately 10-15 minutes (turn/stir the carrots once halfway through) until tender and slightly browned on the edges.
3. Serve.