My place of employment features a pizza in which goat cheese and vegetables are involved. As a disclaimer to whom it may concern, this is merely an innocent attempt to make a similar dish in my own kitchen, and uses only my taste buds and imagination for guidance (not an employee ingredient/prep list!).
That being said, this pizza is incredible.
Ingredients
Roasted Vegetables- I used Red & Yellow Pepper, Onion, and Zucchini; some may enjoy the addition of eggplant, olives, mushrooms, etc.
Goat Cheese a small package will do
Mozzarella fresh grated or bagged
Pizza Sauce from a jar is just fine for me
Pizza Dough I use Pillsbury found in the biscuit and cinnamon roll making isle
Method
Begin roasting vegetables on a non-stick cookie sheet in the oven while you prepare the dough, or sauté for a few minutes in a skillet
...sprinkle with a little EVOO to avoid sticking
Roll out dough, spread on pizza sauce, and a little mozzarella
Top with veggies and crumbled goat cheese ( I used half of a very small package-a little goes a pretty long way.)
Bake following the directions of your pizza dough!
Enjoy!
Top with roasted veggies
Tips
"Goat Cheese?" you may have said to yourself...yes I know, for those of us who have been perfectly happy with mozzarella and pepperonis for our whole lives, we tend to shy away from fancy-shmancy pizzas with weird toppings and cheeses. Trust me though, if you have any tolerance at all for new flavors, this is one so worth trying. Goat cheese has a great flavor and is an incredible variant for Italian dishes
Monday, February 18, 2008
Saturday, February 2, 2008
Easy Tomato & Couscous Chicken
This is a dish that is incredibly delcious and easy. The chicken basically poaches in the juices from the canned tomatoes which makes for an unbelievable level of moisture and juiciness retained in the meat. This is definitely for those days where you just don't have the will to do much more than open some containers and throw their contents in the oven, but it's good enough to serve to company.
Ingredient | Amount | Type | Prep |
| Chicken | about 1lb. | Breast/ Cutlet | Trimmed |
| Canned Tomatoes | 15oz | Diced/ Stewed/ Flavored/ Whatever | Not Drained |
| Couscous | 1 cup | Any (i love tomato basil) | Rinsed |
Method
- In a 8x8 glass dish
- Lay down couscous, then chicken, and cover with tomatoes
- Cover in Aluminum Foil
- Bake for 30-60 minutes at 375
Tips
Experiment by changing up the type of grain and vegetable.
Try a mini pasta or rice
Rotel, a Cream Soup, etc...
Picture to come.
Monday, January 28, 2008
Poached Chicken
Poaching is so easy- and super awesome.
I'm sure this is "so 50 years ago" but poached chicken totally rocks. It is amazingly simple and adds virtually no calories to the meat like so many marinades do.
This is what I do:
Put a liquid in a pot.
Bring to a simmer
Completely Submerge victim- er- food item... in liquid
Leave alone for 7-10 minutes
Remove from heat and let rest for a few minutes
Careful with things like Chicken...if you aren't using it immediately, it must be chilled down to a certain temperature within a short amount of time (I think 30 minutes?) An Ice bath easily does the trick.
Insanely moist. Great for salads. Perfect for shredding.
--When I use chicken stock, I use the leftover stock for soup. I'm not 100% positive that that is sanitary...but it's been heated enough to cook raw meat so it's safe...right?--
You can apparently poach fish, fruit, -all kinds of things!
What do you poach?
*stay tuned for an incredible Tomato Couscous Poached Chicken dish*
I'm sure this is "so 50 years ago" but poached chicken totally rocks. It is amazingly simple and adds virtually no calories to the meat like so many marinades do.
This is what I do:
Put a liquid in a pot.
Bring to a simmer
Completely Submerge victim- er- food item... in liquid
Leave alone for 7-10 minutes
Remove from heat and let rest for a few minutes
Careful with things like Chicken...if you aren't using it immediately, it must be chilled down to a certain temperature within a short amount of time (I think 30 minutes?) An Ice bath easily does the trick.
Insanely moist. Great for salads. Perfect for shredding.
--When I use chicken stock, I use the leftover stock for soup. I'm not 100% positive that that is sanitary...but it's been heated enough to cook raw meat so it's safe...right?--
You can apparently poach fish, fruit, -all kinds of things!
What do you poach?
*stay tuned for an incredible Tomato Couscous Poached Chicken dish*
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Steak and Potatoes
Sometimes you just need a little meat and potatoes.
Waiting tables for the past 6 years hasn't exactly been my favorite. I'd say that the worst part about it though is that it just wears me out. That is one big restaurant, and when you're in a station far away from the kitchen, it's like working out- for 6 hours. I'd like to cook a nice meal every night but I just don't have the money or the energy right now. So, I'm currently exploring ways to stretch my time and my budget.
I've found that baking potatoes are pretty versatile and when I'm tired and hungry and just don't want to move, I can pop one in the microwave, top it with a little smart balance, and the world is right again. I'm sure you low-carbists cringe at this but, I care not.
Last weekend I bought a package of what I thought was one giant steak, but it turned out to be two giant steaks. We grilled one for fajitas then, and froze the other. Foreseeing a busy weekend full of lovely customers and oh-so-lovable co-workers :) , I put the other steak in the fridge to thaw on Saturday.
Steak is awesome and delicious, but grilling on a night like this is just not in the cards. I watch a good bit of Food Network before work and I've seen them do steak in the oven so I figured I could do it too. And well, I did! One big steak and one big potato was more than enough for the two of us who are, on a normal basis, not gigantic eaters.
This is how I did it:
EVOO a skillet and get it pretty hot
Cover both sides of steak in sea salt and cracked pepper
Toss the steak in the hot oil and let it sizzle for about 1-2 minutes on each side
Pop in the broiler for oh, I'd say 10 minutes.
And- Viola!
The Potato, that is easy enough for the cat.
Wrap in Press n' seal.
Poke holes with fork
Microwave for 5-6 minutes.
It's just meat and potatoes- nothing fancy. No sauteed or scalloped this and no herb crusted that. But, it is tasty. It is filling. It is crazy easy. (And really, it's crazy cheap.)
After serving people expensive and complex concoctions all day, there's something about a meal like this that hits the spot
Waiting tables for the past 6 years hasn't exactly been my favorite. I'd say that the worst part about it though is that it just wears me out. That is one big restaurant, and when you're in a station far away from the kitchen, it's like working out- for 6 hours. I'd like to cook a nice meal every night but I just don't have the money or the energy right now. So, I'm currently exploring ways to stretch my time and my budget.
I've found that baking potatoes are pretty versatile and when I'm tired and hungry and just don't want to move, I can pop one in the microwave, top it with a little smart balance, and the world is right again. I'm sure you low-carbists cringe at this but, I care not.
Last weekend I bought a package of what I thought was one giant steak, but it turned out to be two giant steaks. We grilled one for fajitas then, and froze the other. Foreseeing a busy weekend full of lovely customers and oh-so-lovable co-workers :) , I put the other steak in the fridge to thaw on Saturday.
Steak is awesome and delicious, but grilling on a night like this is just not in the cards. I watch a good bit of Food Network before work and I've seen them do steak in the oven so I figured I could do it too. And well, I did! One big steak and one big potato was more than enough for the two of us who are, on a normal basis, not gigantic eaters.
This is how I did it:
EVOO a skillet and get it pretty hot
Cover both sides of steak in sea salt and cracked pepper
Toss the steak in the hot oil and let it sizzle for about 1-2 minutes on each side
Pop in the broiler for oh, I'd say 10 minutes.
And- Viola!
The Potato, that is easy enough for the cat.
Wrap in Press n' seal.
Poke holes with fork
Microwave for 5-6 minutes.
It's just meat and potatoes- nothing fancy. No sauteed or scalloped this and no herb crusted that. But, it is tasty. It is filling. It is crazy easy. (And really, it's crazy cheap.)
After serving people expensive and complex concoctions all day, there's something about a meal like this that hits the spot
Sunday, January 20, 2008
Appetizer and Cake
Who needs a main course?
Ladies night is so good for new recipes. And if something isn't a big hit, I usually just get drunk and eat it anyway...but you know, it's a good excuse for that.
Tonight I tried out a Buffalo Wing Dip and a Pineapple Upside Down Cake
The dip sounded a bit odd, and Kristin and I determined that either it was going to be god-awful or super-awesome. I personally think that it was the latter. I used fresh poached chicken instead of canned, Fat-Free Cream Cheese, and Light Dressing. I also did the suggested layering and baking in the oven to avoid freaky coloring, and I served it with Celery.
The Cake..
I soaked the Pineapple Rings in Rum, used half the amount of butter, used a Cherry Brook Farms White cake Mix, and baked it in a bunt pan.
I don't know if it was the cake mix or what, but it was way stickier than I was expecting. I still thought it was pretty tasty though, which is good because I ended up eating about 80% of it.
Ladies night is so good for new recipes. And if something isn't a big hit, I usually just get drunk and eat it anyway...but you know, it's a good excuse for that.
Tonight I tried out a Buffalo Wing Dip and a Pineapple Upside Down Cake
The dip sounded a bit odd, and Kristin and I determined that either it was going to be god-awful or super-awesome. I personally think that it was the latter. I used fresh poached chicken instead of canned, Fat-Free Cream Cheese, and Light Dressing. I also did the suggested layering and baking in the oven to avoid freaky coloring, and I served it with Celery.
The Cake..
I soaked the Pineapple Rings in Rum, used half the amount of butter, used a Cherry Brook Farms White cake Mix, and baked it in a bunt pan.
I don't know if it was the cake mix or what, but it was way stickier than I was expecting. I still thought it was pretty tasty though, which is good because I ended up eating about 80% of it.
Wednesday, January 9, 2008
Mock Sausage Sandwich Loaf
Tonight I went in the kitchen and decided to completely wing it.
First I whipped up some quick and easy Pasta Salad and let it chill
All you do is cook some rotini- drain and rinse 'till it has cooled off and then mix this stuff in:
red wine vinegar
little bitty bit of olive oil,
fresh black pepper
and a package of Fetta cheese crumbles ( I like the reduced fat with sun-dried tomato and basil)
Then I made some sort of sandwich creation that we will call
First I whipped up some quick and easy Pasta Salad and let it chill
All you do is cook some rotini- drain and rinse 'till it has cooled off and then mix this stuff in:
red wine vinegar
little bitty bit of olive oil,
fresh black pepper
and a package of Fetta cheese crumbles ( I like the reduced fat with sun-dried tomato and basil)
Then I made some sort of sandwich creation that we will call
Mock Sausage Sandwich Loaf
Ingredients | Amount | Prep |
| Frozen Bread Dough | 1 loaf | Thawed; rolled to 1/4" on prepared baking sheet |
| Ground Turkey | 1 lb. | Browned & seasoned generously with garlic, basil, & oregano |
| Bell Peppers | 2 | any color (i like red & yellow) Diced |
| Onion | 1/4 | Diced |
Method
Prepare bread dough
Prepare turkey
put peppers and onions in a skillet on med/low and let them get almost soft
Place turkey and peppers and onion mixture, and cheese on top of half of the dough (long-ways)
Fold the remaining dough on to the top of the mixture (this works best when you don't actually break the dough into two pieces- it makes a nice pocket effect so that the stuffing doesn't fall out)
Top with garlic oil
Bake at 375 for 30 minutes
Enjoy!Prepare bread dough
Prepare turkey
put peppers and onions in a skillet on med/low and let them get almost soft
Place turkey and peppers and onion mixture, and cheese on top of half of the dough (long-ways)
Fold the remaining dough on to the top of the mixture (this works best when you don't actually break the dough into two pieces- it makes a nice pocket effect so that the stuffing doesn't fall out)
Top with garlic oil
Bake at 375 for 30 minutes
Monday, December 17, 2007
Holiday Baking part 3
I also made some little things here and there..
Chocolate Mint Brownies
Ok these were insane. No special recipes but omg were they good.
I just made a batch of Ghirradelli brownies with special fudge topping packet.
Before I put the batter in the pan, I added about 1 cup of "Andie's mints for baking"
They are small enough pieces that the melted in the batter leaving nothing but delicious mint chocolate flavor.
And of course Fudge which i basically just used to recipe on the marshmallow creme jar.
My grandma says the secret to good fudge is to cook it as directed EXCEPT for the adding of the chocolate..which seems to work!
Wait until all of the other ingredients are cooked to stir in the chocolate...she says the less you have to cook the chocolate, the more flavor it keeps.
Oh and Chewy Chocolate Cookies with White Chocolate chips of which I got the recipe from Allrecipes.com
and just exchanged white chocolate chips for regular ones. My sister says peanut butter chips are even better.
Chocolate Mint Brownies
Ok these were insane. No special recipes but omg were they good.
I just made a batch of Ghirradelli brownies with special fudge topping packet.
Before I put the batter in the pan, I added about 1 cup of "Andie's mints for baking"
They are small enough pieces that the melted in the batter leaving nothing but delicious mint chocolate flavor.
And of course Fudge which i basically just used to recipe on the marshmallow creme jar.
My grandma says the secret to good fudge is to cook it as directed EXCEPT for the adding of the chocolate..which seems to work!
Wait until all of the other ingredients are cooked to stir in the chocolate...she says the less you have to cook the chocolate, the more flavor it keeps.
Oh and Chewy Chocolate Cookies with White Chocolate chips of which I got the recipe from Allrecipes.com
and just exchanged white chocolate chips for regular ones. My sister says peanut butter chips are even better.
Holiday Baking part 2
That post was getting too lengthy.
Cake Balls
Ingredients
1 box of cake mix
1 can of frosting
1 package of almond bark
*+ ingredients on back of cake box (usually vegetable oil, water, and eggs which I've found can be substituted with apple sauce, milk, and eggbeaters respectively-er..i think)
*+optional toppings
Method
Bake cake mix as directed.
When you pull it out of the oven, smoosh it up with a fork while it's still hot and mix in the can of frosting while it's still warm.
Roll into balls (I wear powder free doctor gloves for this step!) and place on aluminum foil to cool
By the time they're all balled up, they'll be good to go into a container and into the freezer.
Freeze for at least a few hours (I froze for 2 days because I wasn't ready to finish them yet)
Then, dip each ball in melted almond bark and coat with a topping of your choice if you'd like.
Tips
-The cake mix, frosting, and almond bark flavor is totally up to you and the posibilities are endless. This is definitely a use your imagination recipe. Here are some of the one's I've heard of and/or made:
Red Velvet Cake, Cream Cheese Frosting, White bark, and drizzles of red chocolate.
Devil's Food Cake, Chocolate Fudge Frosting, Chocolate bark, drizzles of white chocolate.
Coconut Cake, white frosting, white bark, toasted coconut topping
Also, mint chocolate chip, german chocolate, carrot cake, strawberry, funfetti, etc etc
-Optional Toppings are also endless: toasted coconut, crushed nuts, drizzles of melted chocolate, cocoa powder, etc.
-A little shortening thins almond bark for easier dipping
-Use powder free doctor gloves for rolling the balls
-Smoosh up the mixture while it's warm or you'll get clumps that won't stay in balls.
-You could use your own cake and frosting recipes but this recipe calls for so much work already that I wouldn't go that far unless I were going to sell them.
Please post a comment if you have a favorite or neat idea of your own!
Cake Balls
Ingredients
1 box of cake mix
1 can of frosting
1 package of almond bark
*+ ingredients on back of cake box (usually vegetable oil, water, and eggs which I've found can be substituted with apple sauce, milk, and eggbeaters respectively-er..i think)
*+optional toppings
Method
Bake cake mix as directed.
When you pull it out of the oven, smoosh it up with a fork while it's still hot and mix in the can of frosting while it's still warm.
Roll into balls (I wear powder free doctor gloves for this step!) and place on aluminum foil to cool
By the time they're all balled up, they'll be good to go into a container and into the freezer.
Freeze for at least a few hours (I froze for 2 days because I wasn't ready to finish them yet)
Then, dip each ball in melted almond bark and coat with a topping of your choice if you'd like.
Tips
-The cake mix, frosting, and almond bark flavor is totally up to you and the posibilities are endless. This is definitely a use your imagination recipe. Here are some of the one's I've heard of and/or made:
Red Velvet Cake, Cream Cheese Frosting, White bark, and drizzles of red chocolate.
Devil's Food Cake, Chocolate Fudge Frosting, Chocolate bark, drizzles of white chocolate.
Coconut Cake, white frosting, white bark, toasted coconut topping
Also, mint chocolate chip, german chocolate, carrot cake, strawberry, funfetti, etc etc
-Optional Toppings are also endless: toasted coconut, crushed nuts, drizzles of melted chocolate, cocoa powder, etc.
-A little shortening thins almond bark for easier dipping
-Use powder free doctor gloves for rolling the balls
-Smoosh up the mixture while it's warm or you'll get clumps that won't stay in balls.
-You could use your own cake and frosting recipes but this recipe calls for so much work already that I wouldn't go that far unless I were going to sell them.
Please post a comment if you have a favorite or neat idea of your own!
Holiday Baking
HOW WONDERFUL!
Christmas is officially my new favorite cooking season. It gives me an excuse to try out a ton of different recipes, and actually have places to take- and people to eat- the product. Friend parties, family parties, work parties, drop in company, and of course gift plates. I love it.
So here's a run down of the hits.
Addictive Chex Mix
Ingredients
White chocolate
Unsalted peanuts
M&M's
Rice Chex
Method
Melt chocolate
Mix all ingredients
Lay out on wax paper or aluminum foil and allow to cool
When the chocolate has hardened, it's ready to eat!
Tips
-Melt the chocolate in the microwave and it won't burn.
-One box of chex, a medium can of nuts, and large bags of m&m's and white chocolate makes an insanely giant bowl of this snack mix. Enough for me to have to have to mix it in my bowl that won't fit in the dishwasher and serve it in my biggest serving bowl. Enough for a family of 12 to snack on all weekend and still have a little left.
-This is a use your imagination recipe. Use peanut butter chips or butterscotch chips instead of white chocolate, add pretzels, whatever. Post a comment if you have a suggestion!
Christmas is officially my new favorite cooking season. It gives me an excuse to try out a ton of different recipes, and actually have places to take- and people to eat- the product. Friend parties, family parties, work parties, drop in company, and of course gift plates. I love it.
So here's a run down of the hits.
Addictive Chex Mix
Ingredients
White chocolate
Unsalted peanuts
M&M's
Rice Chex
Method
Melt chocolate
Mix all ingredients
Lay out on wax paper or aluminum foil and allow to cool
When the chocolate has hardened, it's ready to eat!
Tips
-Melt the chocolate in the microwave and it won't burn.
-One box of chex, a medium can of nuts, and large bags of m&m's and white chocolate makes an insanely giant bowl of this snack mix. Enough for me to have to have to mix it in my bowl that won't fit in the dishwasher and serve it in my biggest serving bowl. Enough for a family of 12 to snack on all weekend and still have a little left.
-This is a use your imagination recipe. Use peanut butter chips or butterscotch chips instead of white chocolate, add pretzels, whatever. Post a comment if you have a suggestion!
Saturday, December 8, 2007
Birthday Cake Update
I have baked, and I am back.
AH!! that cake was delicious!
I don't know that I have ever been more impressed with myself (bake-ly speaking).
It was chocolate cake with vanilla frosting. Not very nice to my tummy because I forgot to take lactose blockers but all things considered, worth eating anyway!
Cake: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Too-Much-Chocolate-Cake/Detail.aspx
Frosting: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/White-Cake-Frosting-I/Detail.aspx
I followed suggestions to substitute 1/4 cup unsalted butter and 1/2 cup shortening for the recommended 2/3 cup shortening. Then I used one of those store bought frostings in a can that comes with decorator tips just to decorate the edges. I'd like to make it look nicer next time by trying to figure out how to keep cake bits from de-coloring the frosting...the only thing I can think of is use lots more frosting.
Bottom Line- It was a hit.
AH!! that cake was delicious!
I don't know that I have ever been more impressed with myself (bake-ly speaking).
It was chocolate cake with vanilla frosting. Not very nice to my tummy because I forgot to take lactose blockers but all things considered, worth eating anyway!
Cake: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Too-Much-Chocolate-Cake/Detail.aspx
Frosting: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/White-Cake-Frosting-I/Detail.aspx
I followed suggestions to substitute 1/4 cup unsalted butter and 1/2 cup shortening for the recommended 2/3 cup shortening. Then I used one of those store bought frostings in a can that comes with decorator tips just to decorate the edges. I'd like to make it look nicer next time by trying to figure out how to keep cake bits from de-coloring the frosting...the only thing I can think of is use lots more frosting.
Bottom Line- It was a hit.
Friday, December 7, 2007
Birthday Cake
I'm going to start a blog for no reason at all. And probably not tell anyone about it.
I like to document things.
I like to bake. (and cook)
I am forgetful.
I like to remember what worked and what didn't and what tasted good and what didn't.
Hence the birth of my blog.
Today is dear friend Beau's birthday and I have decided to make a cake.
First step: Call restaurant to be sure they allow bringing in of outside cake.- done. I have been a waitress for far too long to know that while the customer is always right, the customer is also very often an ass hole- so be extra nice and considerate to your wait-staff. They work hard.
So I'm going to try a cake and frosting recipe...each from the wonderful www.allrecipes.com I will bake, and I will be back.
I like to document things.
I like to bake. (and cook)
I am forgetful.
I like to remember what worked and what didn't and what tasted good and what didn't.
Hence the birth of my blog.
Today is dear friend Beau's birthday and I have decided to make a cake.
First step: Call restaurant to be sure they allow bringing in of outside cake.- done. I have been a waitress for far too long to know that while the customer is always right, the customer is also very often an ass hole- so be extra nice and considerate to your wait-staff. They work hard.
So I'm going to try a cake and frosting recipe...each from the wonderful www.allrecipes.com I will bake, and I will be back.
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