Filed under: Breads, Food and Recipes | Tags: homemade pizza, homemade pizza dough, Jamie Oliver, Pizza crust
Pizza is all about the crust, and this crust is top notch. It makes homemade pizza an awesome weeknight staple, can get the kids involved in helping with dinner by adding toppings, and makes enough to feed a large hungry family or enough for leftovers the next day.
My favorite breakfast?? Cold leftover pizza and coffee…
Jamie Oliver’s Pizza Dough
Recipe courtesy of The Wednesday Chef
3 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons table salt
1 packet (1/4 ounce) active dry yeast
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/4 cups lukewarm water
1. Combine yeast, sugar, oil, and water in a bowl, stir, and let sit until it’s foamy. Mix together your flour and salt together in a large bowl, make a well in the middle, and pour in your liquid yeast mixture. Using a fork, stir your liquid mixture, bringing in small amounts of flour, until you have a shaggy kind of mess. Dump out onto a floured board and knead all together for about 5 minutes, until it comes together into a smooth dough.
2. Wash out your bowl you mixed the dough in, dry it, and drizzle in a little olive oil to coat the bowl. Place in the ball of dough, turning it over to coat it with oil as well, cover it with a towel, and stash it in a warm space in your kitchen. Let it rise an hour until doubled in size.
3. After the rising, turn the dough out onto a floured surface, slightly punching down the dough, or pushing some of the air out of it. Cut the dough into two equal portions. Each piece is enough to be stretched and pressed into a sheet pan that has been coated with nonstick spray. Will make 2 thin pizzas. If you prefer a thicker pizza dough, just use the whole ball of dough in one sheet pan instead of dividing it between two.
4. Cover with toppings of choice, crank your oven up to 500 degrees, and bake your pizza on the sheet pan until browned, bubbly, and delicious.
Filed under: Food and Recipes, Main Dishes | Tags: boneless fried chicken, boneless skinless chicken breasts, cast iron skillet, Fried chicken, garlic fried chicken, skinless chicken breasts
It’s been way, way too long since sharing a recipe or two on here.
Here’s what’s been going on lately: a family surgery, a bug infestation in the garden that resulted in ripping out my zucchini plant, a malfunctioning coffee maker, my dog ate my favorite undergarments, sleeping in the guest bedroom because of new house construction next door, a re-discovered love of reading, car shopping, bidding Harry Potter farewell, and my husband is a year older!
Yes, from the everyday mundane details to the big events, July is quickly escaping. Before we know it, we’ll be bundled by the fire, ringing in the new year, and wondering where the past one went. It never ceases to amaze me how with each passing year, life continues to whiz by at a faster rate.
It makes me want to seize life, grab it for all it’s worth, and eat fried chicken. This was my husband’s birthday requested dinner this year. Paired with some mashed potatoes and green beans, and with fried green tomatoes, we had a comfort food feast fit for two. Just how we like it.
Garlic Fried Chicken
Recipe adapted from Southern Living Ultimate Quick and Easy Cookbook
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into approximately 3-4 strips each
2 cups flour
1 cup milk
2 eggs
Tabasco, to taste
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tbsp salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
Cayenne, to taste (I used 1 tsp)
Oil, for frying
1. Cut all chicken into strips. Mix together milk, eggs, and desired amount of Tabasco. I use several dashes. Soak chicken in milk mixture while prepping other ingredients.
2. In a large zip-top bag, mix flour, salt, pepper, and other spices. Shake to mix well.
3. In a 9 inch cast iron skillet placed over medium-high heat, pour in oil until 2/3 full. Allow oil to heat until glistening, slightly bubbling, and a small amount of flour dropped in as a test sizzles well.
4. Move chicken pieces from milk mixture to zip-top bag, seal, and shake to coat well.
5. Working in batches, place about 5-6 pieces of coated chicken into the hot oil, being careful not to splash. Turn occasionally, and cook until golden brown on all sides. Place on a paper towel lined plate to drain and cool. Continue until all chicken is cooked. Serve.
Filed under: Dessert, Food and Recipes | Tags: buttercream, cupcakes, hummingbird cake, hummingbird cupcakes, vanilla cream cheese icing
Cupcakes are all the rage these days. There’s a cupcake store on nearly every corner with a delicate cake, piled high with frosting, calling your name.
Maybe with nursing I’m in the wrong business. I long to be covered and flour and powdered sugar serving delectables to the public. But, for now, I cook for those I love, the families and friends that make life sweeter.
I made these for a wedding shower not too long ago, and they were a hit! Better than your cupcake store on the corner, you can serve up a little portioned controlled sweet from your oven (unless you eat more than one, which is possible with these!).
Hummingbird Cupcakes
Recipe courtesy of marthastewart.com
INGREDIENTS:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 cup mashed ripe bananas (from about 3 large bananas)
1 tablespoon clover honey
1 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup crushed pineapple, drained
1/4 cup hot water
1 batch of vanilla bean cream cheese icicng (see recipe below)
1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a standard 12-cup muffin tin with cupcake liners; set aside.
2.In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt; set aside.
3.Place butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; beat on medium speed until fluffy. Add sugar, and cream together until well combined, 2 to 3 minutes.
4.Add eggs, one at a time, beating slowly after each addition. Add banana and honey and mix on low until well combined. Add pineapple; mix on low until combined. Add 1/2 cup pecans; mix on low until well combined.
5.With the mixer on low, slowly add one-third of the flour mixture, followed by one-third of the hot water. Repeat process twice, alternating flour mixture and hot water, and ending with hot water. Mix until just combined.
6.Fill each muffin cup two-thirds full with batter. Transfer to oven and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 24 to 26 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack; let cupcakes cool completely.
7. Top with icing and remaining chopped pecans.
Vanilla Bean Cream Cheese Icing
Recipe slightly adapted from marthastewart.com
INGREDIENTS:
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
4 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
6 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1 vanilla bean, split, seeds removed
Combine butter, sugar, vanilla extract, cream cheese, and vanilla bean seeds in a mixer and mix until well combined and fluffy.
