One of the last demonstrations that I did for my classes this year was homemade pizza dough.  It is really easy to make and my students were in awe!  I use my Kitchen Aid mixer with the dough hook, but  the dough can be made in a food processor or using the dough cycle on a bread machine.  All three work well.  You can also make the dough by hand, but it will take a little more work.

Once you make a homemade crust you’ll never go back.  It is wonderful!!!!  Here are two of my favorite homemade sauces that are great.  This one is made with tomato puree and this one is made with canned tomatoes.  They both make enough for two 24-inch pizzas.  The sauce freezes well so you can have a stash ready anytime you feel the need for pizza.

There are many types of yeast.   I like using Active Dry Yeast which is dissolved in warm water first when using my mixer to make dough.  Be sure that the water is about 115 degrees.  If water is over 120 degrees it will kill the yeast.  Use a thermometer if you are unsure of the temperature. Better safe than sorry.  I have killed my share of yeast.

Next it is important to use the correct type of flour.  Do not use all purpose flour!  Use a bread flour or a high gluten flour. I love King Arthur’s which can be ordered here on line.  Most times I just use White Lily Bread Flour.

Practice makes perfect so don’t get discouraged if your crust is not perfect the first time.

I really do love this recipe that came with my pizza pan I bought a hundred years ago.  Now I use the same recipe and bake my pizza on a stone.  Speaking of pizza stones here is a trick that I did for my classes because we don’t have a stone.   I turned a cookie sheet upside down and heated it in a 550 degree oven. It  worked beautifully.

So start a new tradition at home and make your own dough.  It is well worth it.

Pizza Dough

Yield:  1-24 in. pizza or 2- 12 in. pizzas

Ingredients:

• 1 1/3 cups warm water ( 110 – 120 degrees)
• 2 teaspoons or 1 package active dry yeast
• 1/4 cup good olive oil
• 4 cups bread flour or high gluten flour ( do not use all purpose)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon sugar

Directions:

1. Dissolve yeast in warm water.
2. Place in mixing bowl.
3. Add oil, flour, salt, and sugar.
4. Using a dough hook knead dough for about 5 minutes or until smooth and elastic.  It will form a nice ball.
5. Place in a well greased bowl.  Flip dough over and place smooth side up.  Cover with plastic wrap, then a towel.
6. Let dough rise until double in size which will be about 2 hours depending on the temperature of the room.  On a warm day I let the dough rise just on top of the range.  If the room is cool, turn the oven light on and sit the bowl of dough on a rack in the oven.
7. Punch down the dough with your fist.  At this point it can be refrigerated in a plastic bag for 48 hours or frozen for up to a month or just go ahead and  make your crust.
8. Preheat oven to 550 degrees for an hour using a pizza stone and 30 minutes using a cookie sheet.
9. Place the dough on a piece of parchment paper the size of the stone or the cookie sheet that you are baking the pizza on.  No kneading or folding of the dough is required, just pushing and stretching.
10. Don’t use a rolling pin.  Press the dough into a circle or rectangle.  The shape does not matter.  Hold the dough in front of you as if it were a steering wheel with both hands.  Let your hands travel all around the edge of the dough stretching it as it falls a little.  When you have just about the right size for the stone or baking sheet place it on the parchment paper.  Place the parchment paper on a shovel or whatever you’re using  to push the pizza on the stone.
11. Keep working with the dough to stretch to the desired size .  If you make a hole in the dough just pinch it together.
12. Let the dough rest for about 10 minutes.
13. Place a thin layer of your favorite sauce on the dough.  Here is one made with tomato puree and one I especially love using canned tomatoes.  Don’t use a heavy hand with the sauce.  Lots of sauce and toppings will weigh the dough down and make it gummy and not light and airy as it should be.
14. Top with your favorite toppings.  Don’t use pre-shredded cheese.  There is an additive that inhibits the melting of the cheese.  Again don’t weigh it down with toppings!
15. I use a pizza shovel and shake the pizza on the stone.  A cookie sheet with no rim can be used.
16.  Cook for 8 – 10 minutes.  Check the bottom for a light brown crust.
17. Enjoy!

• One Year Ago   Hashbrown Casserole
• Two Years Ago  Triple Chocolate Ice Cream
• Three Years Ago  Blueberry Muffins with a hint of Lemon

I love sausage balls for breakfast.  When Syble told be about this recipe that she got from her sister Sue I knew that I had to try it.  It’s another easy one that anyone can do.   Make and freeze so you can pull them out anytime.  My freezer is my friend for so many baked goods.  Let it do some work for you.  You’ll be that much more organized in the morning when it is crunch time to get out of the door.

I made these Sue’s way and Syble’s way.  I like them both.  Syble’s way is just a little more cheesy and more like a miniature drop biscuit.  I did make mine a little spicier with a drop of Tabasco on each one.

I know that you are going to enjoy these!

Sausage Balls made with Buttermilk

Yield: about 45

Ingredients Sue’s Way:

• 4 cups Bisquick
• 1 pound hot sausage
•  1 cup Cheddar Cheese shredded
• 1 cup buttermilk

Ingredients Syble’s Way:

• 3 cups Bisquick
• 1 pound hot sausage
• 2 cups Cheddar Cheese shredded
• 1 cup buttermilk

Directions:

1. Mix all ingredients together with a wooden spoon. 
2. Place by the tablespoon on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.  These will almost double in size so place them about an inch and half apart.
3. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes.
4. Cool on a wire rack.
5. Serve warm.
6. Store in the freezer in a freezer bag for about a month.  Reheat in the microwave for about 30 seconds for every 4 biscuits.

• One Year Ago  Soft Tacos
• Two Years Ago  Parmesan Baked Potatoes
• Three Years Ago  Rice Pilaf with Spinach and Bacon

I really had a lot of fun making this layer cake for my classes.  It is so easy to make and impresses everyone.  They think that I should be some master baker making wedding cakes for royalty!  Yes, that’s what a great recipe can do for you.  It can make you into something that you really aren’t.  This is the best chocolate layer cake ever.  You can do this trust me.

 I made this cake 7 times in one day.  Be really careful when measuring the ingredients especially for the frosting.  Just a little too much milk in the frosting can make it slide off the cake.

Frosting the first layer:

Adding the second layer and frosting the sides:

Frosting the top:

Top Done:

Hershey’s Chocolate Layer Cake from Hershey’s

Ingredients:

Now just imagine what happens when you say this word Frittata to a roomful of high school students.  They think it is hilarious.  I love it!  This was a staple at my house even before I knew what a Frittata was.  If you have eggs you can do this.   This is your go to meal when you have about thirty minutes to get a meal on the table and you don’t want another sandwich or a bowl of cereal.  If you have leftover pan roasted potatoes or hash browns it will be even faster to put together.

Here’s what I did for my high school students.  I used a bag of Simply Potatoes  shredded hash browns, leftover deli ham, a few green onions, shredded cheese, and six beaten eggs.  They all thought that I was a magician. Ha!

Ham, Pepper, and Potato Frittata

Yield: 4-6 servings

Ingredients:

• 1 package Simply Potatoes hash browns
• 4 green onions slices
• 1/4 pepper red or green
• 6 eggs beaten
• handful of shredded cheese

Directions:

1. Heat skillet on medium high heat. 
2. Add couple tablespoons vegetable oil.  Add onions and peppers.  Cook for a couple of minutes or until soft.
3. Add potatoes.  Flatten with the back of a bent edge spatula.  Cook for about 7 minutes.
4. Add a couple of tablespoons of oil to the top of the potatoes.
5. Flip and cook another 7 minutes.
6. Add ham.
7. Pour eggs on top.  Cook for a couple of minutes.
8. Sprinkle cheese on top.
9. Place in the broiler for a few minutes until the cheese melts and starts to brown.
10. Cut into wedges and serve.

I have been preparing all types of vegetables this way forever.  For example, Brussel sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, peppers, grape tomatoes are just a few that have hit my skillet.  It is so easy to do and if you are in a hurry it is quick as a wink.  I love potatoes any way they are prepared, but I love this one in particular because it reminds me so much of homemade fries without the fat.  We did these in class and they were a huge hit with everyone.  And yes they did let their imaginations go wild and served them in ways that I would dare not ( bacon and cheddar cheese) !  Reminder:  their metabolism is running at the high-octane level and mine well, it is a tad slower.

Pan Roasted Potatoes

Yield:  Plan for 1/2 potato per person

Ingredients:

• 2-3 Tablespoons Butter
• 1/2 onion  diced or 5 green onions sliced
• 4 Potatoes  scrubbed clean,  cut into eighths ( smaller if you have less time) don’t peel

Directions:

1. Heat skillet to medium high heat.  I use my cast iron skillet.  In class we used an electric skillet depending on the number of potatoes needed.
2. When a drop of water dances in the skillet quickly add butter and onion.  Stir and cook for about 1 minute.
3. Add potatoes. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Cook for about 3-4 minutes or until golden brown.  Turn. Put a lid on it to help speed the cooking time.   This is easier to do with the larger potatoes.  I like them to have crisp sides.  It is not so easy to do when they are cut into smaller pieces which we had to do because of our time constraints in the classroom.
5. Cook until potatoes are soft.  Pierce with a fork to check doneness.  It will easily penetrate the potato when done.
6. Serve immediately.
7. Leftovers can be reheated in a hot skillet and taste great!

• One Year Ago  Soft Tacos
• Two Years Ago  Sophisto Joes
• Three Years Ago  Sugar Coma

If you are like me sometimes you think that more is better when it come to a recipe. But I am learning that really simplicity is the winner. When I was thinking through what to prepare for the rest of the year back in January this dish came to mind. It was a winner with last year’s crowd , but  it was more time-consuming for a forty-five minute class.  So  I threw out something super simple and am pleasantly surprised at the results.

Rice is a blank canvas that has potential for almost anything that you add to it.  It’s a great way to use leftovers.  It’s inexpensive to prepare.  The dish calls for about 8 ounces of ground beef for 5 servings.  Now that’s a way to stretch your food dollar!   Of course, you don’t really need to use meat since all vegetables will work great.  Use your imagination or what’s available and go with it.

Cooking rice can be tricky to prepare. But it so much better than the instant rice.   Here are some tips:

• Use the correct piece of cookware!  You cannot use a wide stockpot.  There’s too much surface area and all the liquid will evaporate leaving dried rice stuck to the bottom of the pan that will need a sledge hammer to remove .  Experiment until you find the right one in your kitchen.  I have a small sauce pan when I cook 1 cup of uncooked rice and a medium  one for 2 cups of uncooked rice.
• The pan should have a tight fitting lid.
• Follow the instructions on the package.  Most will say to use 2 cups of liquid with 1 cup of uncooked rice.
• Bring your liquid to a boil first then add rice.  Stir with a fork to keep it from sinking to the bottom.  When it comes back to a boil cover with the lid.  Turn the temperature to low and the timer to 20 minutes.
• After 10 minutes give it another quick stir.
• Cook another 10 or so minutes until the liquid is absorbed.
• Experiment with the temperature on your range.  The rice and liquid should just be at a low simmer.  Anything more will result in poorly cooked rice.
• Your rice should be fluffy and not stick together.
• If all else fails, buy yourself a rice cooker.  I have never used one, but I have friends that swear by them!
• If you need more information about rice here is a great article.

The Easiest Fried Rice EVER

Yield: 4-5 servings

Ingredients:

• 1 cup uncooked long grained rice
• 8 ounces  ground beef
• a little oil if you use a lean ground beef
• 1/2 onion
• 1/2 bell pepper
• 2 – 3 Tablespoons soy sauce
• salt and pepper to season meat

Directions:

1. Cook rice according to directions on package.  Refrigerate for at least an hour or make a day in advance.  Hot rice is too gooey to give you good results.
2. Chop onion and bell pepper.
3. Brown meat with onion and pepper.  Season with salt and pepper.
4. Add rice and soy sauce.  
5. Stir just until heated. 

Some of my students added a scrambled egg with the rice and it was a hit.  Just use whatever is available to you!

• One Year Ago  Bacon and Egg Rice
• Two Years Ago  Stuffed Shells
• Three Years Ago  Chocolate Pudding Pie

This is a great idea to get your kids in the kitchen.  I made these last week for my high school students and they loved them!  It is something that can be thrown together in a matter of minutes and the next thing you know you are enjoying them with a cup of Joe!  It makes about 30 at about 80 calories each with is not too bad.  So if you were like me with some canned biscuits hanging around in the refrigerator these are winners.

The down side is that some of the cans of biscuits are a little difficult to separate into three parts.  I found that it is much easier to separate the dough when it is very cold.  Take them out of the refrigerator when ready to use.  To speed up the process get yourself some help.  Three to four helpers is not a bad idea.

Cinnamon Sugar Snackers from Pillsbury

Yield : 30 to 40 snack chips

Ingredients:

• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1 Tablespoon cinnamon
• 1/3 cup melted butter or margarine
• 1 (12-oz) can Pillsbury Grands Jr. Golden Layers refrigerated buttermilk biscuits

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper or lightly grease.
3. In a small shallow bowl, combine sugar and cinnamon.  Mix well.
4. Separate dough into 10 biscuits.  Separate each biscuit into 3 to 4 layers.
5. Dip each layer into melted butter.
6. Coat both sides with cinnamon sugar mixture.
7. Place each 1 inch apart on the prepared cookie sheet.
8. Bake at 400 degrees for 6 to 8 minutes or until golden brown.  Serve warm.
9. Enjoy!

• One Year Ago  Strawberry Lemonade Muffins
• Two Years Ago  Balsamic Vinaigrette
• Three Years Ago  Lisa’s Chocolate Chip Cookies

It’s spring break for me!   The weather here now is just about perfect, but let’s wait a couple of days and I’m sure that it will change.  You know we are at 32 degrees one day and the next is 75!  Anyway it is so nice to be off for a few days.

Our ALTA tennis season is going strong and this is what I made for the match.  By the way,  my partner Maria and I won!  It was just a gorgeous day to be outside and I will have to say that I enjoyed every minute of the win.  These Lime Squares are a winner,too!  Martha Stewart just amazes me.  I receive her newsletters in my email everyday.  If you have not seen them go here and look at all the gorgeous stuff that she and her staff put together.  I am sure that you will find something to inspire you today.

Now about these Lime Squares they are really easy to put together and very good.  Be forewarned that they are tart.  I love them that way, though.  The hardest part of this recipe is shelling the pistachios.  I just took a bowl with me while watching TV and shelled them with no problem. The rest is super simple.  Don’t try to make these without the parchment paper though.  Parchment paper is your friend and will make it super easy to just pull them out of the pan.  No crumbs whatsoever will be wasted in the pan nor on the paper.

All of you enjoy your spring in any way that you choose, but I’m off to organize my closet and a few other spring cleaning jobs.  Happy Cooking!

Lime Squares with Pistachio Graham-Cracker Crust  from Martha Stewart Living

Yield: 16 servings

Ingredients:

For the crust:

• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) Butter, melted and cooled, extra for buttering the pan 
• 2/3 cup shelled pistachios ( I used unsalted)
• 1 cup graham-cracker crumbs
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon grated lime zest

For the filling:

• 2 large egg yolks
• 1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
• 1/2 cup fresh lime juice

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 
2. Brush the bottom of 8-inch square baking pan with melted butter.  This will help keep the parchment paper in place.  Line the bottom with parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch overhang on two sides.
3. In a food processor, finely grind pistachios with graham-cracker crumbs, sugar, and zest.  Blend in melted butter.
4. Press mixture into bottom and 1 inch up the sides of the pan.  Bake until lightly browned, 8 to 12 minutes.  Cool crust for 30 minutes.
5. To make the filling:  In a large bowl, whisk together egg yolks and condensed milk.  Add lime juice; whisk until smooth.  Pour filling into cooled crust:  Carefully spread to edges.
6. Bake until set about 15 minutes.
7. Cool in pan on a rack.
8. Chill at least 1 hour before serving.
9. Using the parchment paper overhand lift the bars from the pan.
10. On a cutting board using a serrated knife cut into 16 slices.  These are very rich.  To serve my tennis team I cut each slice again making 32 small servings.  Wipe the blade between each cut.

• One Year Ago  Pinto Beans in the Slow Cooker
• Two Years Ago  Strawberry Stacks
• Three Years Ago The Great American Bake Sale

My students absolutely loved these!!!!  A couple of my friends told me that I should try this recipe in my class.  It is quick and easy!  Just right for a 45 minute class period.  When I started doing a little investigation about baked eggs lo and behold they are everywhere.  I missed out on this one earlier, but now I am on the bandwagon.  Perfect for a quick breakfast.  My students came up with endless ideas making these the almost perfect food.  That is what eggs are anyway – the almost perfect food!  So now go get your muffin tin buttered and cook up some eggs for breakfast.  Store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days (if they last that long) and pop in the microwave for about 30 seconds.  Eggs are a great protein source that will keep you satisfied all morning.

There’s really not a recipe for these.  Just let your imagination go wild.  Think about an omelet made in a muffin tin.  By the way the hardest part of this whole thing is cleaning the muffin tin at the end!

Ready to bake.  If your are wondering I put the bacon in the bottom of this dozen.  I like it better on top of the eggs.

These ready to eat topped with cheese.

Baked Eggs by Everyone    

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Butter muffin tins liberally.
3. Crack an egg in each tin.
4. I used 3 slices of cooked bacon chopped and topped each egg with a small amout .
5. Place a generous drop of Frank’s Hot Sauce on each egg.
6. Bake for about 15 min.
7.  Take out and top with tablespoon of cheese.  I think that white cheese works best.  It has less fat and won’t make your eggs greasy.  I used Monterey Jack and it was delicious, but Swiss was good, too.
8. Bake for about 3-4 more minutes.
9. Run a spatula around the sides to loosen and pop them right out.
10. Baking times will vary greatly depending on your muffin tin and your oven, so check eggs periodically especially if you like them on the soft cooked side.

Other ideas:

• Make sandwiches using English Muffins or bread that you have cut with a biscuit cutter and toasted
• Use any type of leftover meat such as taco meat or chopped chicken.
• Thinly sliced green onions always adds flavor
• Chopped spinach
• Chopped peppers
• Mushrooms
• The list is endless

• One Year Ago  Pinto Beans in the Slow Cooker
• Two Years Ago  Chicken Fingers
• Three Years Ago  Tuna and Shells

This recipe is nothing fancy, but it will be one that your family will ask for time and time again.  You know the one that makes your husband smile when he finds out what’s for dinner or when half your son’s baseball team shows up at your house and they are all starving!   It’s quick, easy, and above all cheesy good!  Again, I am loving Katie Workman’s Cookbook The Mom 100 Cookbook.  This is one of Katie’s recipes that I have made many times.  It is so good and it will be a favorite of yours once you put it on your dinner table.

Another good reason to make this is you can do it in one skillet.  That’s right.   You know we love it when we have less to clean up and it does not compromise the taste.  So here’s your dinner for tomorrow.  I’ll give you a little leeway here to pick up a pepper because I know you have the rest of the ingredients in your kitchen now.

In Katie’s cookbook this recipe is for 12 servings,  I easily halved it.  Feel free to double if needed for the entire baseball team.

One Skillet Cheesy Beef and Macaroni from Katie Workman

Yield 5-6 servings

Ingredients:

• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 1/2 teaspoons oil
• 1/2 cup chopped red, yellow, orange, or green peppers ( I use a mixture)
• 1/2 cup peeled chopped carrots
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 2 cloves minced garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes in juice
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1 cup water
• salt and pepper
• 1 1/3 cups or 6 ounces elbow macaroni
• 1 cup grated cheddar cheese

Directions:

1. Heat a large skillet over medium high heat.  Mine is 10 inches wide and 2 1/2 inches deep stainless steel.
2. Add beef and brown stirring until no pink remains. Drain.  Set aside.
3. Add oil and heat over medium heat. Add the pepper, carrots, onion, and garlic.  Cook until almost tender, about 5 minutes.
4. Return beef to the skillet.
5. Add basil, oregano, tomatoes with juice, Worcestershire sauce, chili powder, and 1 cup water.
6. Season with salt and pepper.
7. Add elbow macaroni., stir, and cover the skillet.
8. Reduce the heat to medium and let simmer.  Stir occasionally until macaroni is stender and most of the liquid has been absorbed, 8 to 10 minutes.  You may have to add a little water depending on the amount of juice in your tomatoes.
9. Taste for seasonings.
10. Top with cheese.  Cover the skillet and let the cheese melt.  About 1 minute.
11. Serve!

• One Year Ago  Milk Chocolate Pudding
• Two Years Ago  Bacon Mandarin Orange Salad 
• Three Years Ago  Savory Seafood Penne