Warm Quinoa with Apples, Pecans, Cheddar Cheese and A Hint of Bacon

In an attempt to make quinoa appealing to my kids, and to do something more adventurous with it, I tried lots of new things.  This one is a delicious dish that bares little resemblance to quinoa-as-side-instead-of-rice.

Warm Quinoa with Apples, Pecans, Cheddar Cheese and a Hint of Bacon

1 1/2 cups Quinoa
3 strips of bacon
1 apple (I used a gala, but any relatively firm apple will do), diced
1 small onion, diced
1/4 cup pecans
4 oz. cheddar cheese, diced
1 3/4 cup water

Toast dry quinoa 5-7 minutes in a medium saucepan on medium-high heat.  Give the pan a little shake every few minutes.  It's amazing how toasting the quinoa changes the flavor.  It will brown slightly, become fragrant, and even pop!  Once it's popping all the time and smells good, remove it to a bowl.

While toasting the quinoa on the stove, toast pecans in a 350 degree oven for 8-12 minutes, also until fragrant.  You can do this step ahead.

Add the bacon to the now empty saucepan.  Cook it up!  I prefer a crispy bacon, especially when adding it to a dish like this, but if you're a chewy bacon person that's ok too.  Remove the bacon from the pan to a paper-towel lined plate.

Now add the diced apple to the remaining bacon fat in the pan.  Brown it up for just a few minutes.  You are aiming for infusing the bacon flavor, a little brown, and a slight softening, but cooked apples can get mushy.  Remove the apples to the same plate with the bacon.

Add the onion to the pan with any bacon fat that is still there.  You want to cook it until soft and browning slightly.  Add the quinoa and water, bring to a boil.  Reduce to a simmer and cook about 20 minutes, stirring at the 10 minute mark once.  While the quinoa is cooking, chop the bacon into bite-sized pieces.

When the quinoa is cooked (toothsome, not mushy), remove from heat, add the apples.  Allow to sit for 5 minutes covered.

Stir in or top with the pecans, cheddar and bacon.

The Perfect Salad

I have had a salad for lunch almost every day for the last many months.  I've been taking better care of my body by eating more veggies and working out.  The results are that I feel great and look like a whole new person (skin is clear, clothing sizes have more than cut in half).

Not all salads are created equal.  There is certainly nothing wrong with a green salad with lettuce and cucumber, peppers and carrots... but that would not satisfy me for an every day lunch.

This salad: Juicy cantaloupe, roasted beets, pistachios, herbed goat cheese, homemade vinaigrette over spring mix

Salad secrets:
1.  Add sweet fresh fruit.  Use whatever is in season.  Right now, in Virginia, I can get fresh local blueberries and blackberries.  Cantaloupes, peaches and cherries, too!
2.  Add something crunchy.  I add a different nut to my salad each day.  I choose from pecans, almonds, pistachios, cashews and sunflower seeds.
3.  Add something creamy.  My go-to recently has been an herbed goat cheese because it goes with so many fruits and nuts so nicely.
4.  A big bed of mixed greens goes with almost anything, but choose something that you enjoy.
5.  A home-made batch of vinaigrette will keep in a squeeze bottle in the fridge for weeks.  If you pull it out when you start prepping the fruits and veggies it will be warm enough to drizzle over the salad.

This salad: Apple, blueberries, pecans, white cheddar, homemade vinaigrette over spring mix

The same principles apply easily to many salads.  

Think: Garden fresh tomato, toasted pine nuts, fresh mozzarella, and a few basil leaves, and the same vinaigrette.  Yum!

Basic Vinaigrette

The dressing will stay together better with a tiny bit of mustard (dijon), and a tiny bit of mayonnaise.  I use maybe a teaspoon of each, a clove of very finely minced garlic, and vinegar of my choice (maybe 2 tablespoons).  I mix these together with a small pinch of salt and a crack or 2 of pepper, then shake (or whisk) in about 1/4 cup olive oil.  If it's too garlicky for your tastes simply add another bit of the mustard, mayo, vinegar and oil in the same ratios.  I often quadruple this recipe to take to a potluck or even just to keep on hand in the fridge for my daily salads.

Balsamic vinegar is a bolder flavor and not as universal, so I usually opt for red or white wine vinegar.  I've tried sherry vinegar and have found it's not much different.  I wouldn't use distilled white vinegar.  That's for cleaning windows!

Whole Wheat Pizza Crust

Like the pita bread recipe, the solution to making whole wheat pizza that doesn't have the texture of cardboard is simply adding gluten. For my local friends, our grocery store doesn't carry it (this whole gluten-free fad has influenced their shelves). You can, however, buy it at Yoder's while you visit the goats.

Whole Wheat Pizza Crust

3 cups whole wheat flour

3 Tablespoons wheat gluten

1 teaspoon yeast

2 teaspoons salt

a generous cup of room temperature water

1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more for the bowl

 

Combine the flour, gluten, yeast and salt in the bowl of either a food processor (pulse a few times) or stand mixer (on low speed to avoid wearing the flour).

Add the water and oil through feed tube of food processor, or pour in while the stand mixer is running. Increase speed gradually as the liquid is incorporated. You will likely need to add about another 1/4 cup water. The water/flour ratio is right when the dough forms a ball and pulls away from the sides of the bowl. You don't want it too wet (sticking to your fingers) or too dry (won't rise well), but have no fear, there is a nice range and you can always adjust by adding either a tablespoon of water or a tablespoon of flour.

If you're using a food processor, the machine does all the kneading in about 30 seconds for you. Just knead by hand a few times to make a ball, place in a lightly oiled bowl seam down, and cover with a warm damp towel.

If you're using a stand mixer, the mixer will knead the dough on medium for a few minutes (4-5). Then knead by hand to form a ball, place in a lightly oiled bowl seam down, and cover with a warm damp towel.

Let the dough rise 3-5 hours in a warm spot in your kitchen. If it's winter and drafty, you may want to preheat your oven while making the dough for just a few minutes, and then let it cool a bit to about 100 degrees to create a warm spot. Note: Make sure to remove the dough before preheating for the pizza!

About an hour before you want to eat, preheat the oven with a pizza stone in it to the highest temperature you can. We used to have an oven that maxed out at 500, but now use 550.

When you preheat, divide the dough into 3 or 4 pieces (how many pizzas you want to make), form them into balls, place on the counter and let rest about 30 minutes.

Stretch the dough by turning it like you're steering a car until your desired thickness. If it is tearing a lot, let it rest longer.

Place dough on a well-floured peel, put on the toppings of your choice, and slide it onto the stone for about 6 minutes, until bubbling and browning nicely.

Let cool on a rack before slicing.

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Whole Wheat Pita Bread

It's been a long time since I made a post, but have recently been adding lots of new recipes to my repertoire. I hope you enjoy!

I never thought I could make Pita Bread from scratch, but once I did it ruined store bought pita for my family.

Pita Bread

3 cups whole wheat flour

3 tablespoons gluten

1 1/2 teaspoons yeast

2 teaspoons salt

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 cup room temperature water, plus more as needed

Place the flour, gluten, yeast, and salt in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse a few times, then while the processor is running, add the cup of water and the tablespoon of olive oil. I usually need to add about 1/3 cup water, but flour can be finicky. Add enough water to bring the dough together around the blade until it starts thumping. Knead a few times by hand on a very barely floured counter. Let rise in a lightly oiled bowl with a damp towel over it for a few hours (2 or 3).

Preheat oven to 500 degrees for at least 30 minutes with a stone in the oven. Divide the dough while the oven is preheating into 6-12 small dough balls, but keep them covered with the damp towel.

When you're ready to bake them, flatten each dough ball, then roll it out very thin with a rolling pin. Do your best not to wrinkle or fold the pita, which prevents the pita from puffing.

Place it on the stone for 2-3 minutes.

Cool, huh?

The freshness and lightness is amazing! I've also successfully made this recipe in the stand mixer, switching from the paddle attachment to the dough hook once the dough ball comes together.

 

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Homemade Mozzarella

Playing with cheese-making is pretty fun.  Recently, I've been snagging raw cow's milk from a friend's dairy farm, since making mozzarella from supermarket milk is tough... it's pasteurized at a higher temperature and isn't anywhere near as fresh.  We've succeeded with supermarket milk, but the fresher it is, the better.

Checking for clear separation between the curds and whey

Cutting the curd before reheating

Unfortunately, I didn't have an extra hand to take pictures with during the stretching and forming steps. It's a learning process that I certainly haven't mastered yet.  The joy is in the experimentation, the minor successes, and the tasting of the best-so-far.

Ricotta and Calzones

Making things from scratch "ruins" us for the store bought version more often than not.  This experiment was no exception.

We got the necessary gear to make our own homemade mozzarella and ricotta online.   It's actually very easy to make ricotta.  The recipe said to hang it to drain, and we rigged this set up with kitchen twine, butter muslin, a carabiner and an s-hook over a bowl.  Included in the kit is a 30 minute recipe, plus draining time, but completely reasonable to do while the dough is rising.  All it takes is 1 gallon of milk, 1 tsp. citric acid, and 1 tsp. cheese salt.  Really!  You don't need to be a master cook to be able to do this.

Hanging ricotta to drain 

A steady drip

Drained ricotta

Closing up the calzones

Sealing the calzones with a "pico" I learned making empanadas in Bolivia

Baked to golden and delicious

The filling is the perfect consistency, not runny like with store bought ricotta

While we love our weekly Friday night pizza, we thoroughly enjoyed a slight change of pace.  I still made the same pizza dough, the same tomato sauce for dipping, but this time I mixed the ricotta with mozzarella, parmesan, and two of our favorites (pepperoni and pesto/spinach).

For dipping, I made one change to the marinara.  I still let the garlic, pepper flakes, and basil cook in the olive oil, then remove them.  But I add tomato paste to the oil before adding the canned tomatoes.  I let the tomato paste cook in the oil, turning the oil red, then add the tomatoes.  If you use crushed tomatoes, you can skip the blending step.

Calzones

1 recipe pizza dough 
2 cups ricotta
1 cup shredded part skim mozzarella (fresh mozzarella is too moist for this recipe)
1 cup grated parmesan
1 cup filling of your choice (I always make 2 different kinds, dividing the cheeses in half)
salt and pepper to taste

My favorite filling is:  finely chopped spinach (cook it down and drain it well) mixed with a few tablespoons of pesto.  Yum!

Preheat oven to 350.  Roll out half of the dough with a rolling pin on a lightly floured counter.  If the dough is not retaining its shape, let it rest under a kitchen towel for 10 minutes or so.  Fill with half of the filling mixture.  Fold the dough over the filling, and seal closed with a moist fingertip.  Then you may crimp it to seal (just make sure it's not going to split open in the oven).  Repeat with the other half of dough and filling.  Bake on a baking sheet for 35 minutes or until golden and delicious.  Let it cool for a few minutes to help keep the cheese from oozing out.  Cut with a serrated knife.  Serve with warm tomato sauce.

A New Approach

I'd like to try a new approach to updating this blog.  I've already posted so many of my favorites, and sometimes forget what is already on the blog.  I've also been a little less creative recently with a 4 month old baby who is still not consistently sleeping through the night.... so I think I'll post some highlights of our week's menu with links (as appropriate) to my posts of those recipes and include any new ones.

This past week we enjoyed:

1. Panko Breaded Tilapia

2. 3 non-traditional pizzas:

      Barbecue sauce, turkey and cheddar

      Refried Beans and cheddar topped with corn salsa and sour cream

      Peanut sauce (see below) with basmati rice, grated carrots and snow peas

3. Cheeseburgers and mashed potatoes

4. Grilled cheese on homemade rye bread with a fried egg on top

5. Hummus and homemade pita bread (to take to a potluck) 

Of course, these don't include the veggie sides, which this week were often simple salads or frozen veggies that I threw in the microwave.

I'm also going to try to remember to take pictures sometimes to include.  I guess I'll start with that next week since I completely forgot this past week.



Peanut Sauce

This is something I completely made up and I'm guessing on the quantities, and I'm sure it could be made a variety of ways.

2 tablespoons Peanut Butter
2 cloves garlic
1 inch piece of fresh ginger- grated
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon fish sauce
maybe a few drops of water

I start with the garlic in a tiny food processor, and then add the remaining ingredients.  This makes a really thick paste which is fine for the pizza application, but if you're using it as a sauce (like for stir-fry) I recommend thinning it with coconut milk.  You could also add honey, sriracha, scallions or even pre-made hoisin sauce.  

Favorite resources

I recently found myself explaining my love of cooking to a friend.  Making things from scratch can be fun, less expensive, and healthier.  It can also be a huge time commitment.  I started making a lot more "from scratch" when I became a stay at home mom.  My firstborn was wonderful at taking very long naps.  I was in the house, couldn't leave, and had time on my hands.  I also had a smaller budget since I had stopped working.  I learned to open the pantry door, do a little research, and make something fabulous for dinner.   As our family has grown, my idle time seems to be disappearing, and my budget ever-shrinking, but it's a huge blessing to have a few things up my sleeve that I know I can fall back on.

So many of the things I cook are not my original recipes.  Most of the ones I use regularly I have made my own over time.  Sometimes, though, there are recipes that cannot be improved upon.

My most favorite recipes come from:
1.  Cooks Illustrated 
      We have a subscription for online.  We use it.  My only complaint about this (and it doesn't apply to all recipes is that they can take forever.  We joke that the first step of their pumpkin pie recipe should have said, "Take a pumpkin seed, plant it in fertile soil, and water."  It was, however, the best pumpkin pie I've ever eaten.

2.  How to Cook Everything by Mark Bittman
      When we started getting a farm share a few years ago with produce that was completely new to us, this was the best resource to get us started.  He also wrote Best Recipes in the World, which is a great companion to the standby.

3.  Food Network
    As you can imagine, loving food like we do, we have seen our fair share of food TV.  I think there are wonderful recipes from food network, some are better than others... and some chefs have strengths in certain areas.  When I was looking for a good scone recipe, I thought Ina Garten would be a good bet.  She was!  When I wanted to make fresh pasta from scratch, I consulted Anne Burrell.  She also made the most amazing focaccia.  I try to keep in mind what any one chef is known for, and when I'm looking for a recipe in that area, I'll select one from that chef.  Bobby Flay= Southwestern
Paula Deen= southern, etc.  If you don't know where else to start, Alton Brown has put in tons of research into his recipes.  He also writes them like a scientist, and less like a cook.

4.  The Bread Bible by Rose Levy Beranbaum
    I love my basic boule recipe, but when now that I can make it with my eyes closed, I'm ready for bigger adventures to see if I can make something even better.  I got book for Christmas, and my husband has already made a homemade sourdough starter with her recipe.  This book takes a little getting used to, as she explains the many options of how to make something (by hand, in a stand mixer) and explains how to use special equipment AND how to make due without it.  Sometimes it takes a few times of reading it through to know which steps might apply to you with your chosen method and equipment, but it's worth it.  She's done so much of the trial and error for you.

Granola

I've made this recipe for several friends, who often want the recipe.  I've finally decided that it should probably go on this blog.  The world might just be a better place with this recipe in more hands.  This recipe is not difficult and is fun to do with kids (at least combining the ingredients), but does require quite a bit of patience.  One batch of granola makes 20 cups, and toasting that much without burning it is the hardest part of this recipe.

Granola
Makes 20 cups

10 cups rolled oats
3 cups chopped nuts (almonds, pecans, walnuts)
1 cup raw sesame seeds (these can end up in the bottom of the dregs of the container, if you prefer, use less and add pumpkin seeds)
2 cups raw sunflower seeds, rinsed
1/2 pound shredded coconut (unsweetened is better, but use what you find)
1 cup wheat germ

1 1/2 cups water
1 1/2 cups canola oil
1/2 cup molasses
1/2 cup honey
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. cinnamon
3 tsp. vanilla

Preheat oven to 300.

Combine oats, nuts, sesame seeds (and optional pumpkin seeds), sunflower seeds, coconut, and wheat germ in a huge bowl (or 2 large bowls).

Combine water, oil, molasses, honey, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon and vanilla in a small saucepan over medium low heat.  Warm this until the sugar dissolves, stirring frequently.  Do NOT boil this.... you aren't trying to make caramel.  Once dissolved, pour this over the dry ingredients, stirring to coat thoroughly.
Spread a thin layer of the granola in several parchment lined rimmed baking dishes.  Check after 12 minutes, stir, then rotate baking dishes in the oven.  I check and stir the granola about every 6 minutes until it starts to dry out, darken slightly, and smell delicious.  This is the step when you can end up burning it... so pay close attention.  You will not be able to toast all of this recipe at once, but should be able to do so in 2 rounds.

Store in air tight containers for up to 6 months.  Enjoy on yogurt with fruit, by the handful, or on ice cream (yum!).

Crock Pot BBQ

Again, for my big sister's new crock pot.  This one benefits from cooking all day long on low.  I'm famous for starting something that could be really easy (like this recipe) and turning it into a huge project. This recipe is so incredibly hands-off that I almost always make homemade rolls to eat it on, homemade BBQ sauce, AND cole slaw from scratch too.  Part of that is that I usually have all the ingredients in the house, so it seems easier to make it myself than to load all the kids in the car and head to the store.  If you want those recipes too, just post a comment.

Crock Pot BBQ

1 Pork Loin or Pork Butt
salt
pepper
generous 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
2-3 Tablespoons brown sugar
red pepper flakes
1 Tbsp. dry mustard
a dash liquid smoke

Season the meat, put it in the crock pot, add the remaining ingredients.  Cook on low all day.  If you're home about halfway through the day, turn the meat over.  Pull apart with 2 forks (or just with tongs).  Enjoy!

Yogurt

This post is for my other sister who just got a crock pot and called to ask what I like to make in mine.  Admittedly, I don't use my crock pot as much as I should, but this is a favorite.

Yes, you can make your own yogurt.  I was surprised by how easy this is to make, and how much cheaper it is than supermarket yogurt, and especially greek yogurt.   I've made all of our yogurt for months now, and haven't had to buy any.

Crockpot Yogurt
8 cups milk (don't use ultra-pasteurized, I use 2%)
1/2 cup plain yogurt
a little dry milk powder (this helps make it a little thicker).

Heat all 8 cups of milk in your crock pot on low for 2 1/2 hours.  Turn it off for 3 hours, leaving the lid on.  Take 2 cups of warmed milk, whisk in 1/2 cup yogurt, then return this mixture to the crock pot.  Put the lid back on, cover the whole crock pot with a big towel, and let it sit overnight.  By morning this will be yogurt.  Reserve 1/2 cup of this yogurt for your starter to make it next time.
My family likes thicker yogurt than this, so I strain it through paper coffee filters for a few hours in the fridge.  It takes about 4 filters full to get through the whole batch, so I have 2 going at once.  Strained, this recipe makes a quart of yogurt.

If you're into making smoothies, I think the thinner yogurt would be perfect for smoothie making.  We eat this nearly daily with blueberries and cereal (or homemade granola if we have some in the house).

Best Macaroni and Cheese

I know, the best mac and cheese is the one you grew up on.  I pretty much love all mac and cheese.... I'll eat the blue box stuff with plenty of black pepper on it, and the really soft stuff they make in the south has its place.... BUT this is the macaroni and cheese recipe I'd choose every time (and I do!).

It's pretty much the one I grew up eating that was in one of those church cookbooks around the house, but I've made it my own over the years.

Tomato Macaroni and Cheese
Start by cooking a box of elbow macaroni to al dente in really really salty water.  Remember that the noodles will be cooking in the oven too.... unless you like the mushy noodles thing.

Preheat the oven to 375.  Butter a casserole dish, and set aside.

3 Tbsp. butter
3 Tbsp. flour
1/4 tsp salt
fresh cracked black pepper to taste
1 tsp. dry mustard
dash cayenne pepper
1 can diced tomatoes
2 cups grated extra sharp cheddar cheese
2 tsp worcestershire sauce
3 or 4 cups cooked noodles
crumbled Ritz crackers

While the pasta cooks, grate the cheese, mix the seasonings together, and open the tomatoes.

As soon as you drain the pasta, put the butter in the pan over medium heat to melt it.  Once it's melted whisk in the flour, salt, pepper, mustard, and cayenne.  Gradually add the tomatoes and break them up in the roux.  Turn the heat to medium low, then gradually add the cheese until it's all melted.  Turn off the heat and add the worcestershire sauce and noodles.  I add noodles until they're all coated, but certainly not dry.  Top with the crackers and put it in the oven until hot and bubbly, about 30 to 35 minutes.  If you can bring yourself to wait, it'll set up a little after about 10 minutes.

I can never wait that long!

New Feature

I just added a search feature for this blog.  I was thinking about a recipe I might add later, and couldn't remember what I'd posted last year around this time.  So, if you want to make something with chicken.... now you can search chicken and see just the recipes that have chicken as an ingredient.  How about that?

Long overdue recipe (Chicken Soup)

I took a break from most of the cooking around our house for much of the summer.  My husband was home from work (he's a teacher), and being pregnant has left me with much less energy.  Since he went back to work, I've been back in the kitchen more.  We'll see how creative I get while I'm cooking and still pregnant!

We've been cleaning out the freezer, fridge, and pantry recently.  Who doesn't need to do that?!  We almost always cook whole chickens since they're so much less expensive than chicken breasts, and we love the dark meat too.  Over the summer, we don't want the oven on long enough to roast a whole bird, so we often cut out the backbone, pound it down and that way it can grill or cook on the stovetop in a much shorter time.

All of those backbones (and sometimes wing tips) were waiting in our freezer to become stock.  So, as the weather starts to cool off a little, soups start to come back into the picture.

Chicken Stock 

All the frozen chicken parts
A couple of carrots, peeled
A couple of ribs of celery
An onion, quartered
A few bay leaves
As much water as will fit in your pot without boiling over

Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a bare simmer and leave it alone for 3 or 4 hours.  Let it cool for a while before handling it.  Strain out all the solids and discard them.  You also may get a layer or fat on top when it cools, which once refrigerated it really easy to skim off.  Stock can be refrigerated or frozen.  We like to freeze it in a variety of sizes (from ice cubes up to a quart or so) to be used in different recipes without having to thaw more than you need.

Chicken Soup

1 onion, diced
1 or 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 rib celery, chopped
A couple garlic cloves, minced
As much leftover chicken as you can pick off the bone from a previous roasting OR a small package of chicken, chopped really small
Thyme
Salt
Pepper
Noodles (I like egg noodles)

1.   In the pot where you'll cook the soup....if you're starting with cooked chicken, I like to saute up the onion, carrot, and celery in a touch of olive oil, then add the garlic, the chicken.
If you're starting with raw chicken, season it with salt and pepper, start it in the pan first, then add the veggies.  

2.  Simply pour over some stock, bring to a boil, add a sprig of fresh thyme and cook until the veggies are softened to your liking.

3.  Add the noodles and cook according to the package.  Noodles can easily become very soggy.  If you're making a huge batch of soup, you may want to pull out what will be leftovers and cook the noodles in them when you're ready to eat that portion of soup.

Best Cookies!

My husband loves almond macaroons, not coconut. He would likely choose them over almost any other. I found out several years ago that they are remarkably easy to make if you do a couple of things. Those things are: use parchment paper, have a food processor, and buy blanched slivered almonds, can effectively separate eggs. Blanching whole almonds isn't difficult, but when you peel them, be mindful that you may end up shooting them across the kitchen. Yes, it really is that easy!

Almond Macaroons

Makes 2 dozen two inch cookies

3 cups (12 oz) blanched slivered almonds

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

egg whites from 3 large eggs (if you're measuring: 1/3 cup plus one tablespoon)

1 teaspoon almond extract

1. With racks in the upper-middle and lower-middle levels of the oven, preheat to 325. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment.

2. Put almonds in food processor, turn it on for about a minute. Add sugar, let it go for another 15 seconds. Finally, add the egg whites and extract. You may need to scrape down the sides. Let it process until it forms a wad around the blade. It will make a paste that is stiff but malleable. If it's dry, add drops of water through the feed tube while it's running. It won't take much.

3. Roll scant 2 tablespoon scoops of the paste per cookie into a ball. They will spread, so leave about 1 1/2 inches between them. Your hands will get sticky, so when you can't handle it anymore, rinse them with water and begin rolling again.

4. Bake, swapping baking sheet positions halfway, for 20 to 25 minutes until golden brown. Let them cool on the parchment. They'll keep about 4 days.

To make extraordinary cookies even better:

Once the cookies are cool, melt dark chocolate in a double boiler. I dip the cookies in so that the chocolate is only on half of the cookie and just on the top. It doesn't take much to round out the flavors.

Pizza from Scratch

Friday night at our house is usually pizza night. We don't order carry out, delivery or pop in a frozen pizza... We make it from scratch. We have go-to favorites, but we're finding new ways to use up leftovers and enjoy great pizza combinations.

Dough Recipe

I start this right after lunch to give the dough time to rise.

2 1/2 cups bread flour

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1 teaspoon yeast

2 teaspoons salt

1 scant cup water

2 tablespoons olive oil

Combine the flours, salt and yeast in the bowl of a food processor or work bowl of a stand mixer. Add the water and oil until it becomes a dough ball and allow the machine to knead it for you for a little while. If it's really sticky add a little flour, or if it doesn't come together into a dough ball add a little more water.

Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface to form a ball. Grease a bowl with olive oil, place dough ball inside, cover with a damp towel and allow it to rise in a warm place until about an hour before you're ready to eat.

Divide the dough into 3, roll into balls and let rest for about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to at least 500 degrees with a pizza stone on the lowest rack(my oven is old and unpredictable over 500, but heat your oven to as hot as it will go).

One at a time pull each of the dough balls into a circle, taking care not to tear a hole in it. If you have a pizza peel, dust it with course corn meal, then put down the pizza crust. Top with your favorites. You can use traditional Sauce, pepperoni, mozzarella, parmesan cheese. We love pesto, avocado, fresh tomato with mozzarella and parmesan. I often make a "mexican pizza" with leftover refried beans, cheddar cheese, and tomato, if I have some. Recently, I made a pizza with indian flavors using an eggplant relish as the sauce with leftover chicken, and the traditional mozzarella and parmesan. Each pizza bakes for 6ish minutes until the cheese melts and starts to brown and the dough cooks through.

You can also cook the pizzas on the grill. To make sure you don't burn the crust before you melt the cheese, make sure your cheese is room temperature when you're putting the toppings on, and leave the lid closed on the grill to create an oven-like environment for the heat to get to the cheese.

Hope pizza night becomes a regular on your menu too!

Yummus

I grew up eating homemade hummus, and learned to make my own version somewhere along the way. There are some really great store-bought versions available now, but once you compare the cost of making your own, you'll never buy it again. All you need is a food processor to make this simple dish.

Hummus

All these amounts are my best guesses...

1-2 garlic cloves

1 can chick peas, drained with liquid reserved

1-2 Tablespoons tahini (sesame paste)

Juice from 1/2 lemon

1 teaspoon soy sauce (tamari is best)

1 teaspoon olive oil

Toss garlic cloves into food processor and let it mince them for you. Add the chickpeas, tahini, soy sauce, some lemon juice and process until smooth. Scrape down the sides as necessary. I add about a teaspoon of the bean liquid and a drizzle of olive oil to aid in the blending process. The most important step is tasting the hummus. It may need more soy sauce (the salty flavor), or more lemon juice (acidity and freshness), more tahini (nutty), or olive oil (viscosity). I blend it for a really long time until it's very smooth and almost fluffy.

Refried Beans

Our family loves mexican food. We have great memories of our mom (who doesn't speak any Spanish, and is by no means Mexican) making this recipe of refried beans when we were kids. Beans are the perfect way to stretch that pound of ground beef you turned into taco meat. My kids will eat these for lunch and dinner several days in a row (I haven't ever offered them for breakfast).

This is another all day meal that costs pennies to make. Most of the time required very little attention, so you can still get your laundry done while this one is bubbling away on the stove.

Basic Beans

2 cups dried pinto beans, soaked overnight, then drained and rinsed

2 medium onions, chopped fine

2 or 3 cloves garlic, minced

1 bay leaf

2 tablespoons peanut or corn oil

1 Tbsp. salt

freshly ground black pepper

Cover the beans with an inch of cold water and bring to a boil. Add onions, garlic, and bay leaf. Lower the heat to a simmer. Cook gently, loosely covered for about 2 hours. As the water evaporated, add a little more.

When the beans are soft, wrinkled, and breaking open, add the oil, salt, and pepper. Continue cooking, uncovered, for 30 minutes, without adding more water. The beans should be soft, almost mushy, and there should be a good amount of bean gravy.

Refried Beans

1 recipe of basic beans

6 tablespoons corn or peanut oil

1 medium onion, chopped fine

4 cloved garlic, minced

1 fresh, ripe tomato, peeled, seeded and chopped (I use ones that I froze from the garden last year that were about to turn)

Heat 2 tablespoons of oil over moderate heat in a large cast iron skillet. Add the onions, saute until translucent, add the garlic for about another minute. Add the tomato, cook for 2 or 3 more minutes. Add a little of the remaining oil, then several tablespoons of the beans. Use a potato masher to mash them directly into the pan. I can usually add several spoonfuls of beans before adding more oil (in fact, sometimes I don't use all 6 tablespoons). Gradually add all of the beans, mashing and stirring as you go. This will make a thick, creamy, and somewhat dry paste.

Serve in tortillas, with avocado, chopped tomato, cheddar cheese, sour cream, lettuce, and even thinly sliced radishes.

Samosas

I can't claim this as a personal recipe (if only I were really this talented), but want to encourage folks to realize that you can make anything at all that appeals to you. A few years ago, I would have thought that making something like samosas was completely out of the question for a home cook. With a little bit of practice, planning, and a great recipe nothing is out of the question. My very favorite resource for great recipes is Cooks Illustrated. They have all the resources (and use them) to make sure that it's the very best version of any recipe. Unfortunately, their recipes also often require most of the day.

We live in a small town with a limited number of restaurants and ZERO indian restaurants. If we want indian food, I'm making it from scratch. I like this meat filling almost as much as the sooka keema in Julie Sahni's Classic Indian Cooking. The samosa wrappers were easier to make than I had feared, and stretchy enough to be fairly easy to fill. Of course, this is a special treat.... and it was wonderful!

Focaccia Heaven

My dear husband requested focaccia to go with our split pea soup for dinner tonight.... and I remembered having watched Anne Burrell rock it out on her show, so I looked it up. Here's the

Focaccia recipe for a heavenly pillow of dough.

Focaccia can be so versatile, adding rosemary, olives and cheeses, or cutting it as sandwich bread. It's not an everyday staple, but a really nice substitute for regular old bread.

I didn't have the kind of yeast she specified (I have Rapid Rise in a jar), but used 2 1/4 teaspoons of yeast. I also have tons of bread flour, so I used that instead of the all purpose. The results were better than expected.