Category: Vegetarian

Pizza with Homemade Pizza Dough

Pizza Night is a big deal in our house. And you can buy dough at Trader Joe’s or your supermarket, and it’s just fine. But why settle for just fine, when making great pizza dough is so easy to do! And when people ask if you made the dough yourself, you calmly answer, ‘Why yes I did.” It feels good.

You need at least 90 minutes of time, and preferably two hours, but 90% of that time is waiting for it to rise. Try it out!

Ingredients

4 cups White FlourIf you want to get fancy, you can use the Italian 00 flour, which is much softer and will impress your friends who know pizza. I like to substitute 1/2 cup whole wheat flour, as I think it gives the dough some nice rustic appeal.
2 tsp Kosher Salt
1.50 tbsp Active Dry Yeast(Equivalent to two packages)
1.25 cups Warm Water
1 tbsp Olive Oil
Tomato/Pesto/BBQ SauceYou choose!
Mozzarella and Parmesan Cheese
Awesome Pizza Ingredients

Directions

Mix Warm Water with yeast. Let sit for 5-10 minutes until bubbly.

Mix Flour and Salt.

In a Kitchen Aid Mixer, or with a spoon or with your clean hands, mix, then knead the flour with the yeasted water. Do this for 5 minutes in the mixer or at least 7 minutes by hand. I prefer kneading it, as my hands can feel the dough when it starts to soften up and become more pliable. Knead it for another minute after you feel that change, and you’re good.

Separate into two or three dough balls. Two makes two 12-inch pizzas. Three makes three 8-10 inch pizzas.

Let rise for at least one or two hours. Some ovens have a “proofing” mode, where you can set the temperature to 90 degrees or so. Otherwise, just cover with a cloth in the warmest place in your kitchen and let rise. It should double in size.

About an hour before you are ready to start putting those pies in the oven or Big Green Egg, start the oven at 550 (or as hot as yours will go) and put the pizza stones in there. If you have multiple pizza stones, they work great on the different levels of the oven. Also, if you have a convection oven, that works best.

I’m working on using my gas grill too, and I hope to update you on that soon.

Start in the middle and press out until you have a nice circle, or something that approximates a circle, or some kind of amoeba-like crust that will taste wonderful. 1/4 of an inch is a good thickness target – as that allows some rise an those nice bubbles in the oven. If you want it super thin, roll out with rolling pin to about 1/8″. Or, if you’re really good (I’m not) toss it and make it the artistic way!

Cover with your favorite sauce, cheese, and toppings (keep it light – pizza is not meant to be overloaded) ingredients, bake at 550 degrees ((or the highest your oven will go) on a pizza stone for 6-8 minutes, and you are ready!

One more note – there is always a debate about how to keep pizza dough from sticking to the stone. Cornmeal is a favorite answer, but it’s not my answer. Parchment paper. After you roll out the dough, put it on parchment paper and then add the ingredients. When you are ready to bake, slide the pizza WITH THE PARCHMENT PAPER STILL ON THE BOTTOM, into the oven. I take out the parchment paper after 2-3 minutes, it will be brown on the edges, and then the pie loses its stickiness and can be easily moved around on and eventually removed from the stone.

Cambodia Yellow Curry Sauce

In December of 2018, Jill, Dawson, and I took a big trip to Cambodia. Jill’s sister was living there at the time, and we took the opportunity visit their family, and travel with them around Cambodia. It was amazing! The sites, the brutal and beautiful history, and the food all made an impact.

My favorite foods there were Crab Fried Rice, Fish Amok, and Kep Fish. This mild Cambodian curry dish is a my combination of Fish Amok and Kep Fish, except that there is no fish. You choose what to serve it with – fish, shrimp, tofu, and chicken all work well. Serve over jasmine rice and you have a full one-dish meal!

Ingredients

3 tbsp Yellow Curry Paste
2 Cans, Coconut Milk
1 Sweet Onion, Diced
2 Red Bell Peppers, Diced
2 Green Bell Peppers, Diced
1 Bunch of Celery, Diced
1 tbsp Tamari or Fish Sauce*(Add more to bring out more umami taste)
Salt and Pepper
1 tbsp Corn Starch
4 Cloves, Garlic, Minced
2 cups Vegetable Broth

Directions

Sauté onions, garlic, and celery in a little vegetable or olive oil.

Add bell peppers, and sauté until a little softened.

In a separate pot, heat 1 Tbsp Olive Oil, mix in curry paste.

Mix in coconut milk with a whisk.

Taste for spice. You can add curry paste, red chili pepper flakes, or chili garlic sauce if you want more heat. Add vegetable broth and re-taste for heat.

In a separate bowl, mix a small amount of the curry with the cornstarch. Mix back into the curry to thicken.

Add vegetable mixture to curry sauce.

Silver Palate Wild Rice Salad

My friend Kim brought this over for Friendsgiving Dinner and it was a huge hit! She told me that she got the recipe from The Silver Palate cookbook and I felt a wave of nostalgia. I used that cookbook so much in the 80s and 90s and I loved it! Somehow, I lost that book an my moves around, so I’m grateful to Kim for reminding me. The recipe feels fresh and filling, and is a great dish to serve at home or at a pot luck.

Ingredients

1 cup Wild Rice
4 cups Vegetable or Chicken Stock
2 tsp Kosher Salt
2 tsp Black Pepper
1 Orange, Zest and Juice
⅓ cup Olive Oil
¼ cup Mint, choppedThis is essential. It brightens the whole dish!
1 bunch, green onions, chopped
1 cup Pecans, chopped or halves
1 cup Dried Fruit, Raisins, Cherries, Apricots, or CranberriesCherries and Apricots open eyes and palates more than raisins and cranberries.

Directions

Cook rice in the broth, 30-45 minutes, until done. Don’t overcook!

Add all ingredients. Serve within 2 hours if you can. If refrigerating, let come back to room temp before serving.

Risotto

Risotto is one of those dishes that you don’t make ahead of time. You make it while you are talking to your guests and it’s part of the entertainment.  You have all of your ingredients ready, and there you are, cool, collected, creative and all you’re doing is making a delicious dish right in front of your guests eyes. It’s dinner and a show!

Ingredients

4 cups Vegetable Broth
1 cup Arborio Rice
2 cups Broccoli or other vegetables, chopped into smallish piecesYou can add more veggies if you like, up to 3 cups
½ cup Wine – white is better but either will red or white work.
1 tsp Kosher Salt
1 tsp Black Pepper
1 tsp Italian Seasoning
2 tbsp Olive Oil
½ Onion, finely chopped

Directions

Prepare veggies. Chop them into small pieces. You want a piece or two to fit on a fork with the rice. My friend Nancy Pallathena, who sadly passed away a few years back, is the one who taught me how to make this dish. She would cut the broccoli into the tiniest of pieces, so her son Alex would unknowingly eat vegetables. I remember her every time I do that.

Sauté onion in olive oil for 5 minutes. Add garlic for 1 minute.

Add rice.

Heat broth and set aside.

Sauté rice for 5-7 minutes, until browned.

Add 1 cup warm broth and wine. Stir occasionally until moisture is mostly absorbed. This is your routine. You are going to slowly add liquid, talking to your guests while you cook, until it is absorbed, then casually add more.

Add seasonings, then continue to gradually add broth, until rice is ready and there is some thick broth remaining. Have several clean forks/spoons handy to keep on tasting it. These are one-use utensils, since it is a group dish. Take a taste, feel if the rice is ready yet (a little al denté is perfect), see if if needs more salt/pepper/seasonings, and declare it ready when it is!

Add Parmesan cheese and sautéd veggies, mix in, and serve immediately, topped with fresh ground pepper and Parmesan cheese.

Quiche – So Hot Right Now – Quiche

Why don’t I make quiche more often? That’s what I always say after I make this quiche! There was a funny book published in 1982, Real Mean Don’t Eat Quiche, by Bruce Feirstein, that nearly destroyed the American Quiche industry. The whole point of his humor was that such thinking is male lunacy! Dudes! It’s OK! A slice of quiche and a side salad is a spectacular lunch or dinner. The problem is, two slices make it even better.

Ingredients

1 Pie Crusts, Refrigerated, or use Martha Stewart’s awesome recipe .
5 Eggs, beaten
¼ cup Milk (Whatever you’ve got – we are whole milk people) – The creamier the better.
½ tsp Salt
1 tsp Pepper
1 tbsp Italian Seasonings (or your favorite – herbes de Provence, parsley, sage, rosemary, thyme)
2 tbsp White Flour
Egg Mixture
Pick Your Cheese!
¾ cup Cheese mixture. Cheddar with a little parmesan is nice. Swiss or Gruyere works. Shredded Mexican blend is excellent. Whatever is in your fridge!)
One Cup of Any of the Following Fillings . . .
1 cup Sausage and Grilled Onions
1 cup Sautéed Broccoli
1 cup Sautéed Spinach and Mushroom
1 cup Sautéed Asparagus
1 cup Bacon and Anything

Directions

Prepare the Crust

Preheat the oven to 350.

Roll out the crust into a pie dish – not too deep of a pie dish, this is not a deep dish apple pie! (Although, that would be really good too!) Try to have the crust go over the edge of the dish. This helps.

Bake the crusts for 10 minutes at 350 degrees.

Prepare the Egg Mixture

Mix all the ingredients together with a whisk. Set aside.

Prepare the fillings

You get to decide! Either go with what you want, or what’s in your fridge.

I like to sauté veggies until they are almost done. They can finish in the oven.

Putting it all together – It’s so easy

Take the crusts out of the oven.

Add your chosen filling, sprinkle the cheese over that, then pour the egg mixture over everything.

Smooth it all out so that no filling is sticking out of the mixture.

Bake at 350 for 40 minutes. Take it out when a knife comes out clean. Enjoy!

Chimichurri Sauce

Pesto sauce is to Italian cuisine what chimichurri sauce is to Argentinian and Uruguayan cuisine. But this sauce is meant to accompany the amazing meats served at South American asados. Want to make almost anything better? Add chimichurri sauce! It’s beautiful on the table, and spectacular on almost anything. It features parsley and garlic, and as much heat as you want to add. And it’s better after it’s been sitting and blending for a few days. Try it out at your next event where meat is a feature of the meal!

Ingredients

2 Bunches Italian Flat Leaf Parsley (1.5 – 2 Cups)
1 Bunch Cilantro (0.5 – 0.75 Cups)
1 tbsp Dried Oregano
10 Cloves Garlic (In a pinch, you can use 1 tsp dried minced garlic in place of each clove – just add it to the water)
1.50 tsp Salt
1 tsp Red Pepper Flakes
⅓ cup Red Wine Vinegar
¾ cup Olive Oil

Directions

Mix Dried Oregano and Salt with 1/3 Cup Hot Tap Water and let sit for 15 Minutes

Pick leaves off cilantro and parsley, eliminating any large stalks.

Place parley, cilantro, garlic, and red pepper flakes in a food processor or blender, give it about ten pulses, until coarsely chopped.

Pour water/oregano/salt mixture into food processor/blender. Pulse until mixed in.

Pour mixture into a bowl, and stir in olive oil. I’ve seen chimichurri sauce made where it is thick and green, or I’ve seen it where it has much more olive oil, and it looks like an infused olive oil. I prefer the thicker version, but I love both!

Sit at room temperature for one hour. Hold for up to 5 days, but it won’t last that long. Take out of refrigerator 1 to 2 hours prior to serving.

“Put Some Mustard On That!” Warm (or cold!) Potato Salad

My friend Michelle is an amazing cook. She’s also a fantastic teacher and principal, but cooking has remained a big part of her life, and she has been a wonderful source of information and inspiration for me over the years. This is based on one of her PUBLISHED RECIPES! The only reason my recipes are published is that I make this website! She’s the real deal and you can find the original recipe here . I love this recipe. It’s a fantastic go-to potato salad for dinner or a picnic/bbq lunch. My friend Maggie, who is both a great artist and fantastic cook, took the picture below when she made this for a lunch she was hosting. Thanks Maggie!

Ingredients

2 lbs Small Red Potatoes
⅔ cup Mayo
⅓ cup Mustard (I use a mix of grain and dijon)
¾ cup Chopped Red Onion
5 Garlic Cloves, Crushed or Chopped
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Course ground black pepper)
½ Lime, freshly juiced
3 tbsp Freshly chopped dill or parsley or some fresh herbThe original recipe calls for dill, but I prefer the parsley.
3 Green Onions (chopped, for garnish)

Directions

Boil potatoes for 25 minutes – test as they get close. Drain and rinse. If you are a food temperature fanatic (Thermapen fans, unite!) – somewhere between 200 and 210 degrees.

While the potatoes are cooking, prepare the mixture.

Mix all ingredients together except for green onions. This is a mustard heavy version of the recipe. If you’re not a huge mustard fan (I won’t judge), you can replace some of the mustard with Mayo. The original recipe had a 1 cup of mayo and 1/4 cup of mustard.

Cut potatoes into the size you want them. Don’t go too small – the texture is great. I tend to quarter them.

Mix together, add green onions for garnish, and serve warm, or cool down and serve cold. It’s great either way!

Irish Soda Bread

When I was 16, my family ventured to Ireland for a 3-week bike trip.  It was not a tour, but just my adventurous dad leading us around the country.  We camped half the time.  We were always hungry after a big ride, and we would love anything our parents would make at camp.  This is where my dad uttered his wisdom that I repeat often: “There’s nothing like food when you’re hungry!”  Truer words have never been spoken.

When we stayed in bed and breakfasts, which was a nice break from camping, we loved the breakfasts we were served, at least at first. Eggs, bacon (kind of soft, but very tasty), two sausages, a small glass of orange juice, and brown soda bread. After a while, the lack of variety got a little old (definitely a first world problem), but the brown Irish soda bread was something I looked forward to every day.  It filled me up and gave me energy for the day, and I absolutely loved it with good creamy butter.  40+ years later, I still do!

I found this recipe many years ago at recipeland.com.  I have not changed it, and it is a super easy bread to have in the house any time.It makes spectacular toast in the morning, and goes well with any soup or salad.

Enjoy.

 

Ingredients

3 cups Whole Wheat Flour
1 cup All Purpose Flour
1.50 tsp Salt
1.50 tsp Baking Soda
1 cup Oats (Old Fashioned is best!)
2 tbsp Dark Molasses
2 cups Buttermilk (or milk with 2 Tbsp lemon or white vinegar that sits for 10 minutes)

Directions

Mix whole wheat flour, white flour, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.

Stir in oats, make a indentation in the middle

Mix buttermilk and molasses together

Pour buttermilk/molasses into middle of dry ingredients. Mix well with sturdy spoon or even your hands.

Knead 4-5 times on a floured surface.

Shape into round loaf, cut the classic cross on top of the bread with a sharp knife – about one inch deep.

Bake at 425 for 15 minutes. We like to bake it on a pizza stone.

Reduce heat to 350 for 30 minutes

Take it out of the oven and let cool. It’s excellent served with butter or reheated as toast.

Thai Red Curry

I love Thai Gang Ped (Red Curry). When you go to Thai restaurants and order this, all you do is pick what protein to go with it. Tofu is my favorite, but you can’t go wrong with shrimp or chicken. If you can learn to make the sauce, you have a ready made meal sitting in your pantry at all times.

Ingredients

The Curry
2 oz Red Curry Paste. Start with half of the can – you can add more later if you want.I have been using the 4 oz cans of Maesri curry paste.
2 14.5 oz. cans, Coconut Milk
2.50 tbsp Brown Sugar
Optional Ingredients (Choose any or all!)
1.50 lbs Protein, Tofu, Cooked Chicken, Any other cooked meat
1 Can, Bamboo Shoots
1 Can, Water Chestunuts
0.50 lb Spinach Leaves
2 Bell Peppers, Cut into thin 1″ strips
4 Carrots, peeled and cut into rounds or 1″ thin strips
1 cup Broccoli and/or Cauliflower Florets
1 cup Green Beans
1 Bunch, Basil or Cilantro leaves for garnish on top
4 Green Onions, Sliced Thin, for garnish
1 Jalapeño, sliced very thin, for garnish
2 Jasmine Rice

Directions

Whisk in 2 ounces of curry paste with 1 can Coconut Milk over low heat. Stir until mixed.

Add 2nd can of Coconut Milk and 2.5 Tbsp Brown Sugar.

I think this is a pretty good mix, but this is where you taste, and add additional curry (it will get spicer) and/or any of the other suggested ingredients below. You won’t get another chance to make this right after you add the protein and vegetable ingredients.

You can set the curry aside, even refrigerate it, until you are ready to do the cooking.

Make the rice according to directions. Use my foolproof rice recipe if you don’t have a favorite.

Heat the curry sauce until simmering. Add protein and all vegetables and cook for 6 to 8 minutes.

Serve over rice. Add parsley/basil/cilantro/green onions or other fine toppings.

Pasta with Garlic and Oil (Aglio e Olio)

This is such a great classic dish, and you almost always have the ingredients for it right in your pantry. We always have peeled garlic in our fridge, and we have a few fresh or frozen veggies. That’s all you need. And the secret ingredient is the pasta water. Adding that at the end has a crazy amazing impact on the consistency of the dish. Don’t forget to save some!

Ingredients

1 lb Dried pasta of your choice
½ cup Olive Oil
1 Head of Garlic – Minced. At least 12 cloves. (It’s a lot, but look at the title of this dish and stop complaining!)It's a lot, but look at the title of this dish and stop complaining!
½ tsp Salt
3 tbsp Fresh Basil (Or 3 tsp dried Italian Seasoning)
2 tsp Lemon Juice
½ tsp Red Pepper FlakesMore to taste
1 tsp Black Pepper
½ cup Parmesan Cheese (For the Table)
1 Fresh tomato, or some cherry TomatoesThese are optional, but them in a bowl on the table and they make a great topper

Directions

Preparing the Oil/Garlic/Herb Mixture

In a small skillet or saucepan, heat 3 Tbsp olive oil (not too hot!). Add salt and 2/3 of garlic, then gently saute for 7-8 minutes. Turn off the heat when it gets nice and gold, but not yet brown.

WITH THE HEAT OFF, add the remaining olive oil, the remaining garlic, pepper, red pepper flakes, lemon juice, and herbs. Set aside.

Preparing the Pasta.

Boil enough salted water (2 tsp salt) for 1 pound of pasta.

Cook pasta according to directions.

Just before your drain the pasta, take out 1 to 2 cups of the water and set aside.

Drain pasta, then return to pot.

Making It All Happen!

Add every last drop of the Garlic/Oil/Herb mixture to the pasta and stir to coat.

Add 1/2 cup of the reserved pasta water. It will create a looser dish with a nice saucy consistency. Add a little more if you like.

Serve onto plates or bowls. Parmesan cheese, fresh ground black pepper, red pepper flakes, fresh chopped tomatoes, and/or freshly chopped basil all make nice toppings here.

Skillet Cornbread

I love cornbread. Always have. I’ve gone through phrases in how I made it. My recipe for years was the Marie Calender’s mix, which was a little sweet, but so easy, and really, really good. Then, my mom made this recipe for me a few years ago. It is a non-sweet cornbread with a super crispy kissed-by-butter exterior. And on top of being the best-tasting cornbread I’ve had, it’s yet one more opportunity to utilize your cast iron skillet. Bring this to a pot luck or your own table and once again, you are a hero for the day!

Ingredients

1 cup Yellow CornmealI used Bob's Red Mill Brand Medium Grind Corn Meal
½ cup All Purpose Flour
1 tsp Salt
1 cup ButtermilkIf you don't have buttermilk, you can use milk with 1 lemon squeezed and set aside for 10 minutes, or 1/2 cup sour cream & 1/2 cup milk
½ cup Whole MilkLowfat is OK too. We're a whole milk family.
1 Egg
1 tbsp Baking Powder
½ tsp Baking Soda
1 tbsp Canola Oil
3 tbsp Butter

Directions

Mix Cornmeal, Flour, and Salt in a large bowl.

Add (without stirring) all remaining ingredients except butter and canola oil.

Hand stir (no mixer) and mix well with a large spoon. A few lumps are good. It’s not as thick as you think it should be – thinner than pancake batter – but that’s OK.

Place 9″ or 10″ cast iron skillet and in 450 degree oven for 5 minutes. It will begin to smoke.

Note: If you are doubling the recipe, a 12″ cast iron skillet is perfect.

Take the skillet out, then add butter and canola oil. Let the butter melt, then pour in the cornbread mixture.

Bake for 15-20 minutes at 450 degrees, until the top is brown and the sides pull away from the edges of the skillet. If you are a Thermapen temperature geek like me, the center should be at least 185 degrees.

Sheri’s Spanish Rice

Our friend Sheri loves to entertain in her beautiful home.  One of the dishes we have ‘stolen’ from her is her Spanish Rice.  It is spectacular and it’s now a regular in our home.  The pineapple juice element adds so much to the recipe!

Ingredients

1 tbsp Canola Oil
1 cup Jasmine or Basamati RiceI've been using Basamati more recently – It's less sticky, and seems better for fried rice recipes.
1 tsp Garlic Powder
1 tsp Salt
2 tbsp Taco SauceLa Victoria Taco Sauce is a great refrigerator staple and works perfectly here. Sheri's original recipe calls for tomato sauce, which is really good. But we are taco sauce people now. And when I make it for Asian food, I often use chili garlic sauce!
2 Bay Leaves
2 Water
¼ cup Pineapple Juice. This adds fantastic taste. Do it if you can!

Directions

Heat Canola Oil in a skillet or pot that has a cover.

Add rice, salt, and garlic powder to the hot oil. Saute for 5-7 minutes until just browning.

Add taco sauce/tomato sauce/chili garlic sauce Stir to coat all rice.

Add water, pineapple juice, and bay leaves. Stir. When water begins to boil, cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 20 minutes.