Pizza Dough

Okay, now that it is finally that season when you can have your oven on at high temperatures for long periods of time, it is pizza season. To make pizza you need a key thing that makes it pizza. That key thing is... DOUGH!

Pizza dough is one of the simplest yeasted items you can make, so don't be scared away by the oh so horribly scary yeast.

First put the warm water and the yeast in a bowl on their own for about 5-10 minutes.

Next add in all the other ingredients.

Now turn on the mixer with the dough hook attached. It may look like it cannot mix together any longer, but give it time!

Eventually it will come together in something resembling a ball. You may then proceed to move it to an oiled bowl. Then you cover the bowl with a warm wet towel to keep in the moisture. Let it sit for 1-2 hours in a warm place without drafts.

When it is done, it should have almost doubled in size.

Then you are done and it is time to make pizza, breadsticks, flat bread, or whatever you are craving!

2 1/4 teaspoons active yeast

1 cup warm water (about 105 to 115 Fahrenheit)

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons olive oil (Plus a little more to grease bowl)

2 1/2 to 3 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour 

DIssolve yeast in warm water in warmed bowl. Add salt, olive oil, and 2 1/2 cups flour. Attch bowl and dough hook. Turn on your mixer at a medium speed.

Add remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, until dough clings to the hook and the side of the bowl is clean. Place in greased bowl and turn over so it is all equally covered in oil. Cover and let rise until doubled in size, about an hour.

Chimichurri

This is my favorite condiment on lamb and steak, no competition. It is a mixture of herbs that over the course of a couple hours, melds with olive oil to leave a perfect sauce.

This is after 4 hours of sitting at room temperature.

Put all of the herbs and the red pepper flakes in a food processor. Do not worry they will shrink in size immensely.

Blend them together until coarsely chopped (This picture is about halfway through that process of chopping it).

Next you add the olive oil, slowly pouring it through the designated place in the food processor. 

It should look something like this when it has been pulsed.

Now let it sit for awhile, it gets better the longer it sits! I normally let it sit for about 4 hours.

Then you can put it on steak, lamb, or maybe even chicken. Or if you are like me it may not make it very long from somebody snacking all afternoon. Below is the recipe!

2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar

 1/2 cup packed parsley sprigs

7 garlic cloves

1/3 cup packed fresh rosemary leaves

2 tbsp. fresh oregano leaves

 1 tbsp. lemon juice

1 1/2 tsp. each red chile flakes

sea salt

 2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

In a food processor, pulse 2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar, 1/2 cup packed parsley sprigs, 7 garlic cloves, 1/3 cup packed fresh rosemary leaves, 2 tbsp. fresh oregano leaves, 1 tbsp. lemon juice, and 1 1/2 tsp. each red chile flakes and sea salt to coarsely chop. While pulsing, pour in 2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil. Let sauce rest at least 1 hour; or chill up to 3 days, then bring to room temp.

Pinterest

My Pinterest account is up and running so you can go find all the recipes with the pictures and it will bring you to my blog!

Hopefully I will have more recipes soon, but I have been super busy! If you have a pinterest account, go check it out!

Shape Boil and Bake Pinterest

Shishito/Padron Peppers

These are to die for, not to spicy, not too mild. Occasionally you will get caught by surprise, but thats why you start out with only a nibble. The hottest part of these peppers are the seeds near the stem, so if your nibble is almost unbearably hot, just nibble around the seeds or don't eat it if you are a spice wimp.

Shishito peppers originated in Japan, while Padron peppers originated in Spain. They both taste almost identical, but from our experience, the shishitos haven't been quite as spicy.

The final product!

First wash all of your peppers. Then put them in a bowl and toss them with about 1 teaspoon of olive oil (1 teaspoon per pint).

Now in a grill basket, grill until the peppers are charred, tossing them around every once and awhile.

When they are done be VERY careful because they will be super hot. Pour them into a bowl and sprinkle them with salt. 

Shishito/Padron peppers (however many you want, we usually do 2 pints for 4 pepper crazy people)

Olive Oil

Salt, to taste

Wash the peppers and then put them in a bowl. Toss with olive oil. Transfer to grill basket (over the sink for any extra oil or water that may have accumulated. Grill the peppers until charred slightly, as seen above. Put in serving bowl and dress with salt to taste. Enjoy!

Chocolate Pudding Cake

I don't know what about chocolate pudding cake makes it so good, but I don't think anybody could resist it.

It is simply cake-like on top with molten pudding consistency on the bottom! It is like your perfect cake with built in frosting on the bottom.

First whisk together the dry ingredients.

Then, using my favorite stirring utensil, use a wooden spoon or spatula to combine the wet ingredients.

Now you put the batter in an UNGREASED pyrex dish. Next comes the more complicated part, the part that makes this cake a pudding cake.

Mix together the sugars and cocoa in a separate bowl and sprinkle evenly over the top of the batter.

Next pour water over the dry ingredients and do not mix, no matter how tempting.

It should look like this before you put it in the oven. I repeat, do not mix. Now put it in the oven VERY carefully and try not to spill.

Check to see that the top is hard and isn't jiggling wildly, or you will have pudding instead of pudding cake. It should not move from side to side.

Voila! Dessert is served! 

Prep Time:20 min

Inactive Prep Time:15 min

Cook Time:30 min

Level:

Easy

Serves:

about 9 servings

Ingredients

Pudding Cake:

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup cocoa powder

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

1/2 cup milk

1/3 cup butter, melted

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Topping:

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

1/4 cup cocoa powder

1 1/4 cups hot water

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

For the cake: Whisk together the sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Whisk in the milk, butter and vanilla. Stir together until smooth with a wooden spoon or spatula.

Pour the batter into an ungreased 9-inch square baking pan. Use an offset spatula to level into pan.

For the topping: Whisk together the sugars and cocoa and sprinkle it evenly over the batter. Pour the hot water over the top, resist the temptation to stir it into the batter.

Bake about 30 minutes, you want the center to bubble and look almost set, almost like an undercooked brownie. Take out of the oven and let stand 15 minutes. Serve in dessert dishes, spooning sauce from bottom of pan over top. 

This recipe was altered from Food Network

Orange Creamsicle Soda

This soda is basically the homemade version of a creamsicle popsicle, which I don't know about you but I only got those as treats! You do need a carbonator where you can carbonate juice but, unfortunately the one I use went out of business! Alternatively you could just not carbonate the juice but it won't be the same if you've tried the real thing!

Creamsicle Soda:
Squeeze 3 cups of orange juice. Put it in the carbonator and carbonate according to your machines instructions. Put 2 scoops of vanilla ice cream into a tall glass. Pour orange juice over it! And you are done! Pretty simple!

Enjoy!

Pumpkin Pie Spice

One of my essentials is pumpkin pie spice but more often in the winter when I am baking with lots of pumpkin, which I absolutely adore! This is for if you 1) can't find it or 2) don't have any. It is a simple recipe without much other than simple spices. Personally I find this almost better because you can really taste all the spices, but it is THAT much extra work!

Pumpkin Pie Spice
Yield: 1 tablespoon

1½ teaspoons cinnamon

¾  teaspoon ginger

½  teaspoon nutmeg

½ teaspoon ground allspice

½ teaspoon ground cloves 

Mix all together than add to your recipe!

Chocolate Chip Cookies

When somebody says cookie, it brings a certain image to mind. The most common cookie is the chocolate chip cookie, and it is the most popular for a reason! If you have never made chocolate chip cookies from scratch, I am proud to say that they are almost impossible to mess up! My second or third time making them I forgot to put in the dry ingredients, but that is a story for another time!

Here we go!

First, Mix together the dry ingredients in a small bowl. 

Next combine the butter, the sugars, and the vanilla!

Add the dry ingredients into the butter mixture.

Here is what it should look like, beat it until it is fluffy!

Ass the chocolate chips to the dough and mix until just combined.

Now you have two options:

Scoop the cookies onto a cookie sheet, or put them in a container for later!

And now you have plenty of cookies! I like them fresh so I make 8 or so at a time and keep the others in the refrigerator.

Below is the recipe:

• 
  
• Ingredients:
• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• 2 cups chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 375 F. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in morsels and nuts. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets. 

Bake for 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely. 

Recipe courtesy of Nestle