Friday, May 4, 2012

146. Taco Pizza



The year must have been 1983 when I first had taco pizza.  I lived in a small town as a teenager named Molalla.  We were known as the Molalla Indians at my high school.  It was a logging town.

Early in the morning you could hear the rumble of the large log trucks, see the steam from the mills and smell the scent of fresh cut pine in the air.

Those were the days.

I would visit my aunt in the summers before we moved there ourselves.  I would spend numerous days riding my bike on the logging roads.  Yep, they had their own roads.  The trucks did a lot of damage to the highway roads plus it kept them from driving through town.  We had one blinking light.


There wasn't a  McDonalds, grocery store chains or new subdivisions.  Our population was about 2500.  It was great.

Our place to hang out was one of the largest gathering places in town, besides the local churches. Michaello's was the place to be after football games, after dates to enjoy the ice cream bar or to just hang out with your friends.  Their pizza's were nothing fancy but you could get a huge one for a good price.  They sold pop by the pitcher and for a teenager in the 80's that was a good thing.

Of course this has all changed. The population is around 7500, Safeway and McDonalds are both in town, they have a real stop light and the property is being sold to create more housing.

Through the years I have taco pizza in other towns and I enjoyed it just as much as that first time.  My family doesn't just love it but this week they were good sports and let me make it for them.  For a family that was on the fence about having it for dinner, they sure do know how to put it away…LOL

I made one and we had a few slices left over.

I made the crust a little bit different this time.  I used some masa harina in the dough.  I was a bit leary of trying something new.  It worked and the corn flavored flour added a lot of flavor to our taco pizza.

The recipe makes enough for two crust.  I used one and put the other in the fridge.  The next day I took it out, wrapped it around a few hotdogs, let it rise and baked for a few minutes at 425.

The dough has a cool feel to it.  It's doughy like pizza dough and can be rolled very easily but it also has the feel of homemade corn tortilla dough.  It breaks off easily and kind of grainy looking.  It reminded me of homemade playdough.

As with most pizza, you can use all types of toppings to make it your own.  I will share with you what I did.  It reminds me of a 7 layer taco dip but on a crust and with mozzarella cheese.

ENJOY!


Recipe:  Pizza Taco

Dough, makes enough for two thin crust

1 tsp sugar
1 pkg. of yeast
1 1/2 cups of warm water
1 1/2 teaspoons of salt
2 cups of flour
1 1/2 cups of masa harina
1 tsp. cumin

Proof your yeast by adding the yeast and sugar to your warm water.  Wait about 5 minutes for the foam to appear on the top of your water.  If this does not happen, your yeast may not be good or your water is too hot.  Start over.

In your kitchenaid with the dough hook, add the flours, salt, cumin, and proofed yeast.   Have a small amount of flour near by in case you need to add a bit more to the dough.

Set your kitchenaid to a medium speed and knead your dough for 8 minutes.  You want the dough to look like bread dough.  If it is not pulling together into a ball add a bit more flour or water until this is reached.  You will need the dough to be worked for the full 8 minutes.

In an oiled glass bowl, add your dough and let double.  Cover with plastic wrap.  Mine took an hour and a half.

Preheat your oven to 425.  If using a stone, let the stone heat up with your oven.

Roll your dough out on a floured surface until your desired size it reached.

Bake the dough for about 10 minutes.

Remove and add your toppings.


TOPPINGS:

1 can of refried beans
1 can of black beans
1 jar of taco sauce (this is not salsa, it's similar to the sauce you might get at Taco Bell in the packets)
3 cups of mozzarella cheese, crated
1 small onion
1 small can of diced olives
lettuce, shredded
tomatoes, diced
jalapeno's, diced on the side
sour cream (optional)
corn chips, broken (optional)

Start layering your baked crust with your toppings.  I will show you with pictures the layers that I did.  You will need to bake your pizza again after you add the cheese layer.  Read below.


Heat your refried beans up first.  This makes it a lot easier to spread them onto your pizza.
I put the refried beans first so that the sauce would not all be soaked up by the crust.  This is one of my favorite parts of the pizza.

You don't have to add black beans but I already had an open can so I used them.

You can use a different type of cheese, but beware that cheddar is very greasy.  Mozzarella is a nice cheese to use even with a taco pizza.
At this point you want to bake your pizza for 10-12 minutes or until the cheese is melted.  Remove from oven and add your fresh ingredients.
Red onions and olives.

lettuce

fresh tomatoes

I served the other ingredients on the side.


  

Tuesday, May 1, 2012

Mini Meatloaves and Grilled Asparagus



Meatloaf was a staple in my home.  I remember eating it often.  I think it was an inexpensive dish that could feed a family and the meat could be stretched with the added ingredients of oatmeal and veggies.

I am not complaining.  I really like meatloaf.  I feel that as cooks we have come a long way with this dish.  I have seen meatloaf draped in bacon, served on sandwiches and filled with all types of cheese.

Sounds good to me!


This recipe is pretty basic and simple though.  I kept it that way because I have kids that get tired of all the "fancy" foods we eat and this is a good peace offering…LOL

I think that you could easily change a few things and have an adult version in no time.  Some options would be to cover the top with BBQ sauce, you could add more herbs and you could use a sharper flavored cheese.  I prefer using blue cheese but my kids don't like that as much.

This is a quick meal, one that can be prepared the day before and even frozen for a later date.  ENJOY!




Recipe:  Mini Meatloaf's and Grilled Asparagus, makes 15 

2 lbs of meat ( You can use just hamburger or a combination of Pork/beef/veal)
1 tsp. chopped garlic
1/2 red onion, diced small
1 cup of oatmeal
1/2 can of diced red tomatoes
1/2 cup of ketchup
2 eggs
1 tsp. each of fresh Rosemary and Thyme


Mozzarella cheese sticks or the mini cheese balls
Ketchup for the top

Preheat your oven to 375.  You will need your cupcake pans.  A liner is not needed.

If you are using the cheese sticks, cut them into thirds and set aside.

Mix all of the ingredients until well combined.

I used a spoon and put the meat in my palm and shoved the cheese stick into the middle and then shaped it into a ball.  The little meatloaf's should stick up above the pan just a little.  They will shrink a bit when cooked.




Once you pan is filled, squirt some ketchup on top of each one.  I used a pastry brush to spread the ketchup around.



Bake the mini meatloaf's for 30 minutes.  Let them sit in the pan for a few minutes before removing them.  You want them to absorb the juices so that they are moist and not dry.


 For the grilled asparagus I used skewers to cook them on the BBQ.  I found this to be so much faster instead of turning each one individually.  Cook them for a few minutes on each side and then serve with butter or your favorite sauce.





Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Orange Bow Knots and 24 years of Wedded Bliss




Our Engagement pictures were done by a friend of the family.  Our pictures were not a priority for us and it makes me sad when I see the quality and such.  This is something I always counsel brides and grooms about, in the future the cake is all eaten, the flowers are dead, the dress is too small…BUT…your pictures are what you will have your whole life.  Spend your money wisely and hire the BEST photographer you can afford.


24 years ago today on a beautiful Thursday morning in Seattle, Washington, I married my best friend.  It was a beautiful day and we were so lucky to have blue skies and not your typical North West weather of rain, rain and more rain.

Our story is unique because it was a short and a whirlwind courtship.  I met Cory in person on January 19th,  we had our first date January 26th, we were engaged on February 14th and married on April 28th…ALL OF THE SAME YEAR!   YEP, about 3 months total.

Now, I look back and think, "how in the world did we know at such a young age what we wanted?"



I had just turned 20 and Cory was barely home from Japan.  We had nothing.  We did not know what our future would hold.  We just took that leap of faith and it worked.

With our future ahead of us we made plans.  Cory joined the Air Force, went to school and we moved to Austin, TX.  That would be the first of many, many moves for us.  I won't scare you with the double digit number of how often we have moved…LOL


Through out our time together we have remained the best of friends. People ask us what our secret is.  Is there a secret? I don't know other than I know what has worked for us.

Honesty-we are extremely honest with each other. No secrets or lies.
Lots of communication-we are open to each other, we listen, we share, we agree and learn to disagree
Friendship-we laugh, play, learn and find challenges together.
Date Nights-we still date after all these years.
Forgiveness-we have learned that nobody is perfect.  We have good days and bad.  We forgive often.
Acceptance-we never tried to change the other person.  We loved each other as they were.
Love-it was conditional in the beginning because we were young, and we have learned as time passes that to truely love, it must be unconditional and freely given….no strings attached.

This list could be much longer, but those are the basics to what make our relationship work.  I look forward to many more years together.  I still look at him, and get butterflies in my tummy.  His love is so pure and perfect, that at times, I can't believe how blessed I am to have a person that loves me so much.  It took me a long time to feel worthy of this great man in my life.  He saved me.  My life was not easy and I had a lot of issues to deal with when we first met.  He took all of it and patiently cared, loved and endured my time of healing.


I wanted to share a special recipe with you today that would signify a union.  Cory's Mom introduced me to the original recipe many years ago. I have updated it a bit. It is a special treat in our family and they get made once a year.  I usually share them with our neighbors and friends.

A knot has several meanings and is symbolic of love, eternity and togetherness.  I found a few definitions of various knots that I liked.

1. Symmetrical knots that tie into themselves; without beginning or end; are a universalsymbol of the eternity of life, the eternity of nature, and the eternity of love. Original quote here.

2. The knot is an ancient heraldic symbol of longevity, commitment, and permanence.

3. The marriage-knot or knot of Hercules, a strong knotcreated by two intertwined ropes, originated as a healing charm in ancient Egypt, but is best known for it’s use in ancient Greece and Rome as a protective amulet, most notably as a wedding symbol, incorporated into the protective girdles worn by brides, which were ceremonially untied by the new groom. This custom is the likely origin of the phrase “tying the knot.” Original quote found here.

We did tie the knot and for that I am so grateful ever day to have this very special man in my life. 

I love you more than ever Cory!




Recipe:  Orange Bow Knots, makes about 50

1 T. dry yeast
1/2 cup of sugar
2 cups of warm water
1 tsp. salt
1/2 cup of orange juice
2 eggs, beaten
3 T. grated orange peel
1/4 cup whole milk
1 cup of melted butter (not hot)
9-11 cups of flour

1 stick of butter for later usage

In a small bowl, add 1 T. of sugar, yeast and warm water.  Let sit until foam is visible on top. (5 minutes)

Add the yeast/sugar/water liquid to the Kitchenaid.  

In your kitchenaid with the dough hook attached, add remaining sugar, salt, butter, milk and 6 cups of flour.  Mix on medium speed until well combined.  

Add the orange juice, orange peel, eggs and butter.  Start adding more flour.  Add one cup at a time.  You want the dough to not stick to the bottom of the bowl.  Depending on the humidity in your area you could easily end up adding 3-5 more cups of flour. 

Set your timer for 10 minutes and let your kitchenaid knead the dough on medium with the attached bread hook.  The dough should not stick to the bottom of the bowl.   If this is happening keep adding a little bit more flour until the 10 minutes is up.

The dough will be heavy yet pliable when you remove it from the bowl.  Transfer it to a large glass bowl that has been oiled with butter. Cover with plastic wrap.

Let the dough double.  Mine took 1 1/2 hours but it was a cool day in MD.  



Lightly dust your work area and dump the dough onto the table.  I use a metal scrapper to cut chunks of the dough so that I can work with smaller pieces.  Melt a stick of butter in a bowl. Roll each piece out into the shape of a rectangle.  I like the measurements to be in the area of 6X12 with the thickness being about 1/2 inch.


I use my pizza cutter to make strips of the rectangle.  With the bowl of melted butter close.  I dip the middle of the strip in the butter and proceed to tie a knot.  You can dip the whole strip into the butter but it's a lot of butter and I find that if I dip a portion of the strip, that by tying the knot the butter spreads to the whole strip anyways.


This will make about 50 knots.  It took 4 cookie sheets for my last batch.  Let the rolls double in size.  Mine took about 1 1/2 hours.


Bake at 400 for 12-15 minutes.  You want the rolls to be golden brown on top.  Remove rolls to a wire rack to cool.

Drizzle each roll with an orange icing.


Recipe:  Orange Icing

2 cups of powdered sugar
1 T. orange rind, grated finely
1/3 cup of orange juice

Mix all three ingredients together and drizzle atop the orange bow knots.  Let icing set.


April 28, 2012

Friday, April 20, 2012

Gluten Free Waffles



Eating waffles for breakfast is a fond childhood memory of mine.  Pancakes are easier to make. Getting the waffle iron out was a bit more work and reserved for special occasions.  This gluten free version takes me back to being a kid in my home in California.

I expect my waffles to be:  crispy on the outside, soft in the middle and thick.  I feel that this recipe has all three attributes.  In fact my daughter came home from school and had a couple and loved them. I asked her if she would eat them again and she said YES, I said "GOOD, they were gluten free".

There are a few things to remember though.  You can't eat them right out of the waffle iron.  For some reason the mix (and this is normal with a lot of gluten free items) needs to sit and cool slightly. If you don't do this, then it is gummy and not good.  In fact, for me, I prefer to make them and have them cool completely then microwave them for a few minutes.  That is just me though.

Working with gluten free flours and starches takes a bit to understand which flours work well and how much to use.  I did make a batch of waffles with some buckwheat and oat flour that I loved.  The kids thought the flavor was too strong.  I LOVE buckwheat.  When substituting these flours think in terms of percentages.  I try to only replace about 25% of the rice flour with the grain flours (teff, quinoa, oat, etc).

Baking breads, muffins and other goods requires the use of xanthum gum at times.    When you decide to venture into this area of baking I would recommend buying a cook book or searching out recipes on the web.  There are lots of gluten free sites that have wonderful recipes.

Bake to the waffles…..they are good and I hope that you enjoy them too!

I purposely left off the syrup so that you could see how fluffy the waffles were.

Recipe:  Gluten-Free Waffles
Makes 8 waffles


(170 g)1 cup of white rice flour
(81g) 1/2 cup of potato starch
(30g) 1/4 cup of tapioca flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. sugar
1/4 cup of canola oil
2 eggs (at room temperature)
1 1/2 cups of buttermilk


1.  In a small bowl combine dry ingredients and whisk to blend flour/starch.  In a second bowl combine remaining ingredients and beat well.

2.  Combine the wet into the dry and stir until smooth.

3.  Heat your waffle iron, spray with your favorite cooking spray and add mix.

4.  Cook each waffle until golden brown, about 3-5 minutes.

5.  Let cool on a cookie rack until ready to eat.  Store in baggies and refrigerate.  Microwave for a few seconds and serve with syrup.  I have been told they also work well warmed up in the toaster.

Written by Sherron Watson




Sweet Potato Chips with Blue Cheese



Last week my hubby and I went out for dinner and we ended up trying a new restaurant.  One of the things on the menu was an appetizer made of homemade chips, drizzled with a cream sauce, topped with chunks of blue cheese and green onion.  The grand finale was a reduction of balsamic vinegar drizzled across the top.

Now you would think it would have been heavenly.  For me, it was just okay.

I felt that the sauce was bland and they served way more chips than the sauce, so towards the end, you ended up eating just that…chips.  I was a bit disappointed because I felt that they could have taken this dish from a 5 to a 10 with just a few adjustments to the recipe.

Today, I saw my two lonely sweet potatoes and thought I will take their dish from a 5 to a 10.  LOL  and I did.  It was really good and I could have done way more damage, but I was trying to eat a small portion and eat more of the grilled veggies.

Honestly, it was hard…really hard.

Along with these tasty chips, I served grilled veggies and an oven-baked side of cipollini onions drizzled with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

Veggies tossed with olive oil and added to the grill for 10 minutes on medium heat. If you cook with the lid down, they cook a bit faster and the steam from the veggies helps the cooking process.


I peeled the Cipollini onions and placed them into a glass dish.  Set my oven to 350.  Sprinkled salt and pepper on top of the onions.  I then added olive oil and balsamic vinegar and baked for 30 minutes.  These onions are sweet and bite-size.

I am pretty sure this sauce and the goodies would work great on a big dish of sweet potato fries.  These could be baked or fried depending on how you like to make them for your family.


Recipe:  Sweet Potato Chips (or fries)

1 large sweet potato ( I usually get enough chips for my family of 5)
Canola or Peanut Oil

I use a mandolin to cut my slices very thin.  A little less than a 1/8th of an inch.  If they are too thin, like you can see through them, then they will burn.  If they get too thick it may be hard to get them crispy.

I heat my oil to 350 degrees.  You can use a thermometer to make sure your temp is right.  Just keep in mind that the pot needs to be large enough to handle the chips boiling and bubbling up.

I don't do a lot at the same time.  Maybe 10 slices.  I use a pair of tongs to constantly push the chips into the oil.  If they sit on top then you only cook one side.

I have some paper towels set out on a cookie tray.  Let the chips cool slightly and sprinkle with salt.

NOTE: Sweet potato chips are harder to make than a regular potato chip, or maybe it is just me.  Your sweet potato chips will be soft in the middle and crispy on the edges. There is a fine line between too down and under done.  Just be patient and try a few single chips so that you can see how you like yours cooked.

Recipe:  Blue Cheese Sauce

2 T. butter
2.5 tsp. of flour
1 cup of cream
1/4 cup of milk
1/3 cup of crumbled blue cheese
salt to taste
dash of pepper
1/4 tsp. of garlic powder ( use more if you want a stronger flavor)

In a small pan, melt butter and add flour.   Cook for 1 minute.  Add cream and milk.  Continue cooking on medium, stirring often, until the sauce is creamy and bubbly.

Season sauce with salt, pepper and garlic powder.

Add blue cheese and stir.  Turn heat off and let sit for 10 minutes.  This gives the blue cheese a chance to melt slightly into the sauce.

Drizzle on top of chips.  Serve chips with green onions and balsamic vinegar.

OPTION:  Add crisp bacon!

Thursday, April 19, 2012

Pretzels and Cooking with Kids


I have mentioned before that some of my fondest memories with my grandmother and Mom have been cooking together in the kitchen, for holidays and at the restaurant.

I find that as my older kids prepare to leave the nest in the next few years I am more focused on making sure they have recipes available that they can easily find (the blog), they have the basics down (rice, steamed veggies, smoothies, etc) for healthy eating in college and that they have memories to cherish.

I hope that they understand and know that homemade food taste better and it's often times, better for you.  I do realize that life happens and they will have to figure out busy schedules, budgets and roommates and at times food may not be that big of a priority as it is to me.

We have tried to teach them to read labels, shop as local as they can (Farmers Markets, CSA's), choose lean meat, eat plenty of fish, drink lots of water and exercise every day.

Isabella, our 5 year old, loves to cook and be in the kitchen.  As we planned out her homeschooling weeks, I felt it was important that she have some class time in the kitchen.  I needed a recipe that could be done in about an hour, one that she could help with her hands and that would teach her a few things (measuring, portions, time management).

I was thrilled when Melissa from Chindeep shared on her blog that she and her daughter, Gracie had made pretzels.

I would be able to teach Isabella how to measure flour, to read all of the instructions of a recipe FIRST ( I helped her with most of the reading) and how to use a timer.  It was a great first recipe for us.

 I am here to promise you that these pretzels are the best!  There is that taboo word, but, they quite simply are the best that I have ever made.  In my past attempts at making pretzels, they always lacked something….the chewy tender texture.

Well, this is what I love about this recipe.  It taste just like any pretzel you buy at the mall and even better!

The batch makes 12 and Isabella and I were surprised when they quickly disappeared in about 30 minutes. The family wanted more!

Today, we decided to make them again.  This time I was hoping to switch out some of the plain white flour for spelt (a type of whole wheat flour that some people can eat easier than regular whole wheat).  It's always a bit nerve wracking when you take a perfect recipe and try to change things a bit.  You just never know what you will get.

My house soon smelled like fresh wheat bread was baking in the oven.  This was a good sign.  They baked up great.  The taste was just like a wheat pretzel.

 Success!



Recipe:  Homemade Pretzels
Adapted from Chindeeps recipe

for the dough:

5 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons sugar

1 tablespoon of yeast

2 cups warm water

Soda wash:

1/4 cup of baking soda

1 cup of warm water


Add yeast and sugar to warm water. Let rise for about 4 minutes.

In Kitchenaid, add flour and salt.  When yeast has activated, add to the flour.

Mix until combined and then knead for 6 minutes. Turn your oven to 500 degrees.


 I had Isabella measure everything into its own bowl and then I went back and double checked as I added the ingredients to the Kitchen Aid mixer.  She did really well measuring everything.


Let dough rise for 30 minutes.  When a few minutes are left on the rise time, prepare your warm water and baking soda mixture.

 For some reason, my kitchen cupboards are ice cold.  I microwaved my glass bowl for 45 seconds so that the dough went into a warm bowl.



Have two cookie sheets ready to go.  Dump your dough onto your table and cut it into 12 sections.  I usually cut the dough in half, then those halves are split in half again. From the four quarters on the table, you should be able to get three smaller sections which will total 12 small mounds of dough.




Spray your table with Pam and start rolling your dough into long "snakes, about 20 inches. 




Dip each pretzel in the soda wash, and place 6 on each baking sheet.



Have your oven trays so that one is in the middle and one below that.  Add your sheets together.  Let them cook for 4 minutes and then switch the trays.  If you want your pretzels to be darker then just add an extra minute or two.  Remove from the oven and transfer to a cooling rack.


 I brushed with butter when they got out of the oven and then sprinkled them with cinnamon and sugar or salt.




Enjoy your day!

Sherron













Donut Breakfast Casserole

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1.  Share  this pos...

Popular Posts