Dinner: Pizza Crust/Garlic Bread

Sorry it's been such a long time since my last blog (getting married, buying a home, having a baby can do that to you, lol!).

I love love love this pizza crust recipe. It really is fail-proof (somehow). I came across this on Pinterest and have made both the dough and the garlic bread several times (the kids love them). Here's the link to the blog that it came from (helpful for step by step visuals): http://www.laurenslatest.com/fail-proof-pizza-dough-and-cheesy-garlic-bread-sticks-just-like-in-restaurants/

Ingredients:
Pizza dough...

• 1 cup warm water
• 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
• 1 tablespoon honey (or sugar)
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 tablespoons olive or canola oil
• 3 cups bread flour (give or take 1/2 cup...depending on the heat & humidity)- I have used a mix of wheat and bread flour without any issue- if you use all wheat flour it tends to be a little on the dry side

Cheesy Garlic Bread...

• 1/2 recipe Fail-Proof Pizza Dough from above
• 2 tablespoons softened salted butter
• 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese (don't use the preservative-heavy cheese, it tastes so much better with the real stuff)
• 1/4 pound grated mozzarella cheese
• salt & pepper, if desired

Directions:

For the pizza dough (*note, you can freeze this dough for future use)...

1. In a large mixing bowl, preferably that of a stand mixer (don't forget to use the dough hook), stir yeast and honey into warm water. Sit for 5-10 minutes or until bubbles form and mixture starts to foam. This tells you that the yeast is alive and kicking. 
2. Pour in salt, oil and half the flour and mix. 
3. Once the flour is incorporated, start adding flour in bit by bit until you get the pizza dough to the consistency you want: slightly tacky, but when you touch it it doesn't stick to your hands. 
4. Once you reach this stage, knead for 6 minutes. Turn a timer on and walk away! Resist the temptation to stop earlier than 6 minutes! That seems to be the magical number. The dough should be smooth and easy to work with. And the bowl should be clean! (*This is the point when you could freeze your dough. Divide into portions, place into freezer bags, seal removing all air and freeze. To use, remove from freezer and let sit out to get to room temperature and double in size; 6-8 hours. Then use as you'd like) 
5. Lightly grease the bowl & the dough so it doesn't dry out, cover with plastic wrap and let it rise 1-2 hours. Use as desired.

For the Cheesy Garlic Bread...

1. Preheat oven to 500 degrees with pizza stone inside (I used a regular pan and didn't preheat the pan and it was fine)
2. Mix butter and garlic in a small bowl and set aside.
3. Spread pizza dough out into a 12-inch circle on parchment paper (this makes it easier to transfer to the pizza stone)
4. Spread the butter and garlic mixture over dough and top with Parmesan and mozzarella cheeses. Top with a light sprinkling of salt and pepper, if desired.

Notes:

• Everyone's oven temperature-time ratios vary. For me we baked both Garlic Bread and Pizza around 15 minutes (depending on our toppings)
• For toppings, I love to use olive oil instead of pizza sauce and add cooked chicken and broccoli. The kids love turkey pepperoni and peppers (obviously the more cheesy it is they devour, but watch out the dough isn't too gummy with all those toppings)
• For the Garlic Bread, we have used just mozzarella and still tastes amazing!

Enjoy! 

Appetizer: Brocamole

This is one of my favorite new recipes that I found on Pinterest. I made this for one of our work "Podlucks" and a lot of people loved it. I plan to make this whenever I have a gathering of sorts. This recipe comes from the blog The Novice Chef (http://www.thenovicechefblog.com/)

Ingredients:

• 2 cups cooked broccoli
• 1 garlic clove
• 1 small jalapeno, seeded
• 1 green onion stalk
• 2 oz asiago cheese, shredded (I end up using Parmesan if I can't find this)
• 1/4 cup light sour cream
• 1/4 cup light mayo made with olive oil
• 1/3 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon curry
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients in a food processor (or blender). Process until smooth

I have only served this cold, but it can be served warm. Also, if you can serve with the multi grain tortilla chips or pretzel chips, they complement this very well. 

***Sometimes it's even more amazing with an extra jalapeno (be careful seeding this with your bare hands)!

This is what happens after about 20 minutes after being served (need to double the recipe next time)

Dessert: Molasses Cake

One of my friends gave me a book to read and it was one I couldn't put down! In it the characters make molasses cakes and they are something made special for holidays. The author included the recipe and they taste so amazing...

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 cup molasses
• 2 cups flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 2 dashes ground cloves
• 1/4 tsp salt

Directions:

1. Preheat oven at 350. Grease an 8-inch square baking pan
2. In a large bowl cream butter and sugar
3. Beat in egg
4. In a separate bowl combine the milk and the molasses
5. In another bowl combine the flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, cloves and salt
6. Add each of these alternately to the butter mixture beating well between additions
7. Spoon batter into the prepared pan
8. Bake for approx 45 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean (I ended up baking for 36 minutes, but I have a gas oven)

Reference Note:

This book is the reason I made this: The Kitchen House by Kathleen Grissom. Such a good read and she has such a cool way that she writes (check out the interview with the author at the end)

Dessert: Grandma's Peanut Butter Cookies

So I am not sure where I got this from, but it's one of my favorite peanut butter cookie recipes. Whoever's grandma this is, thank you! (I found this written in my collection of recipes, so I must have kept it from my college days)

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup peanut butter (you can use extra crunchy if you want)
• 1/2 cup shortening
• 1 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• 3 TBSP milk
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 egg
• 1 3/4 cup all purpose flour
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 3/4 tsp baking soda
• Granulated sugar (set aside for later, says it's optional- but why would you? That's what makes them Grandma's cookies!)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven at 375
2. Combine peanut butter, shortening, brown sugar, milk and vanilla. Beat with mixer on medium speed until well blended
3. Add egg and beat well until blended
4. Combine dry ingredients (flour, salt, baking soda). Add to peanut butter mixture on low speed until blended
5. Form into balls and roll in sugar. Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Flatten slightly in a criss-cross pattern with fork
6. Bake in oven for 7-8 minutes, until brown

Note:

I usually like to double the recipe, since I always seem to bring them to work. They tend to go quickly.

Dessert: Cornflake Turtles

Another super easy recipe from Real Simple, that's actually really simple and tasty!

Ingredients:

• Pecans (recipe says 36)
• Small Caramels (12)
• Semisweet Chocolate, melted (2 ounces, although I usually use more)
• Cornflakes (1/4 cup)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350
2. On parchment lined baking sheet (or spray with cooking oil) form 12 groupings of 3 pecans
3. Place a caramel on top of each grouping
4. Bake until caramels melt (7-9 min) and then let cool
5. Dividing equally, spoon the chocolate over each caramel cluster and sprinkle with cornflakes
6. Refrigerate until set (about 15 minutes)

Such a fun recipe and unique when it comes to taste. Enjoy!

Lunch: Asian-Tofu Pasta Salad

Sorry it's been so long since my last post. I have lots of recipes to post on here. I am starting off with the prefect recipe to pack for your picnic (I have to give credit to Real Simple for this recipe)...

Ingredients:

• Spaghetti
• Carrots
• Kirby Cucumber
• Firm Tofu
• Roasted Cashews
• Canola Oil
• Fresh Lime Juice
• Toasted Sesame Oil
• Kosher Salt

Directions:

1. Cook spaghetti according to directions (recipe says 5 oz, about 1/3 of a box); drain and run cold water to cool
2. Toss with shredded carrot, sliced/chunked kirby cucumber, tofu cut into cubes (recipe says 4 oz), and 1/4 cup chopped cashews
3. Then toss in canola oil (1 Tbsp), lime juice (1 Tbsp), sesame oil (2 tsp), and kosher salt (1/2 tsp)

*I usually end up making a whole box of spaghetti and tripling the ingredients.

Enjoy!

Christmas Recipe: Fruit Cake

Well I have been slacking a bit on posting recipes but I really wanted to post this one. I was going through a dresser at my parent's home and found a recipe box. As I started going through it I realized I was looking through my grandmother's recipes that were most likely used for her holiday cooking. I think some of the recipes were most likely given to her during her wedding shower or passed along from her church friends over the years. I am posting the fruit cake recipe (given to my grandmother from Alice and Goldie) in honor of Christmas and honoring the tradition of passing along good tidings to friends. (Please note, I have not actually made this recipe before so feel free to comment if you do try)

Ingredients & Directions:

• 1 cup brown sugar or white sugar
• 1/2 cup Crisco
• 1 cup raisins and any other fruit you like
• 1 cup dates (Alice said she likes just the dates and Goldie likes the dates and raisins)
• 1 cup cold water
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp cloves (I assume ground cloves. Goldie doesn't use cloves in her version)
• 1 tsp nutmeg

1. Mix all ingredients and boil 3 minutes. Let cool

2. Sift together well and add to mixture...

• 2 cups flour
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda

3. After pouring into pan you can sprinkle nuts over the top before baking

4. Bake at 300 or 325 degrees in a slow oven (not really sure what a slow oven is) for 45 minutes

Merry Christmas! Happy New Year! Enjoy!