Friday, January 22, 2021

Skillet Deep Dish Pizza

Ingredients

  • 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast

  • 1/2 teaspoon brown sugar

  • 1 1/4 cups warm water

  • 4 cups flour

  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder

  • 1 teaspoon salt

  • 1/2 cube butter (left out to be soft)

  • 1 cup marinara

  • sliced pepperoni

  • 16 ounces mozzarella cut into 1/2-inch cubes

Directions

  • Preheat oven to 200 degrees then turn off

  • Sprinkle yeast and brown sugar over warm water and let stand for 10 minutes.

  • Slowly add 2 cups flour 1/2 cup at a time.

  • Stir in garlic powder, salt and butter.

  • Integrate remaining 2 cups flour and knead for around 7 minutes (until dough is smooth and elastic).

  • Coat large bowl with 1 tablespoon oil.

  • Shape dough into a ball and place in bowl, turning to coat all sides with oil.

  • Spray a piece of plastic wrap with cooking spray and loosely cover bowl.

  • Cover bowl with a towel and let rise in oven for 45 minutes.

  • Punch down dough

  • Butter 9x13 Pan

  • spread dough as far as you can in pan (without tearing)

  • Cover w/ the plastic wrap and let sit in oven for 30 mins

  • Preheat oven to 500 degrees

  • Spread dough to edges of pan

  • Best if center of pizza has minimal toppings

  • Lay the cheese cubes on top

  • Dollop marinara on top in 3 lines

  • Layer pepperoni on top

  • Bake for 30 minutes

***

Wednesday, January 20, 2021

Lasagna Soup (Instant Pot)

Ingredients:

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil

  • 1 pound ground beef

  • 1 red onion diced

  • 5 cloves garlic minced

  • 6 cups broth

  • 16oz Salsa

  • 15oz can tomato sauce

  • 15oz can black bean

  • 1 tablespoon oregano

  • 1 teaspoon chili powder

  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper

  • 1 red bell pepper chopped

  • 1 bag spinach

  • 1/2 box lasagna broken into 2 inch pieces

Directions:

  1. Saute ground beef in oil until browned

  2. Stir in red onions, bell pepper, and garlic and saute for 3 more minutes

  3. Stir in oregano, chili powder, pepper, broth, salsa, tomato sauce, black beans and lasagna pieces

  4. Cook on soup setting

  5. When done, vent out the steam then stir in the spinach

***

Monday, January 18, 2021

Italian Zuppa Toscana Soup (Instant Pot)

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1/2 package bacon

  • 1 pound Italian sausage, casings removed

  • 5 cloves garlic, minced

  • 1 onion, diced

  • 5 stalks celery, diced

  • 1 teaspoon oregano

  • 1 teaspoon pepper flakes

  • 4 russet potatoes, quartered (med) or eighthed (large)

  • 6 cups chicken broth

  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

  • 1 bunch kale, stems removed and leaves chopped

  • 1/2 cup grated parmesean

  • 1 cup heavy cream

DIRECTIONS:

  1. Saute bacon until cooked and remove

  2. Crumble sausage and saute in bacon fat

  3. Stir in garlic, onion and oregano sauteing for another 3 minutes.

  4. Stir in potatoes, celery, kale chicken broth, and pepper flakes

  5. Cook on soup setting

  6. Quick release pressure when done

  7. Stir in parmesean, crumbled bacon and heavy cream

***

Friday, January 15, 2021

BBQ Stuffed Peppers

Ingredients

2 Tbs olive oil

1 onion chopped

1 lb ground beef

1 bell pepper chopped

3 bell peppers halved and seeded

15oz can diced tomatoes

15oz can black beans drained & rinced

1/2 cup BBQ sauce

1 tsp garlic powder

1/2 cup broth

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Saute onions in olive oil

Add and brown the ground beef

Stir in chopped pepper, tomatoes, black beans, BBQ sauce and garlic powder, cook for 10 mins

Stuff each bell pepper half

Add 1/2 cup broth to pan

Place stuffed pepper halves in pan

Bake for 45 mins

***

Saturday, January 9, 2021

Chicken Gravy

 Ingredients

  • 1 cube butter

  • ½ cup flour 

  • 4 cups broth (or combo of broth & drippings to make 4 cups)

  • 1 teaspoon onion powder

  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder

  • ¼ teaspoon dried thyme

  • ¼ teaspoon dried sage

  • ¼ tsp pepper or cayenne pepper

  • ⅓ cup heavy cream

Directions

  • Melt butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat.

  • Whisk in flour for 10 mins.

  • Gradually whisk in broth.

  • Stir in onion powder, garlic powder, thyme, sage and pepper.

  • Simmer for 10 mins.

  • Stir in heavy cream.

***

Spice Cake

 Mulling Spice Cake

Cake Ingredients

  • 2 ¼ cups flour

  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon

  • ½ teaspoon ground cloves

  • ½ teaspoon nutmeg

  • ¼ teaspoon ground ginger

  • ½ teaspoon salt

  • 1 cup butter (2 sticks), softened

  • 1 cup brown sugar

  • 2 eggs

  • 2 teaspoons orange zest

  • ¾ cups molasses

  • ½ teaspoon baking soda

  • ½ cup apple cider

Frosting Ingredients

  • 12 ounces cream cheese, softened

  • ¾ cup butter (1 1/2 sticks), softened

  • 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla

  • ¼ teaspoon salt

  • 6 cups confectioners’ sugar

Directions

  • Heat oven to 350 degrees.

  • Coat two 9-inch round pans with baking spray and line the bottoms with parchment.

  • In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, spices and salt; set aside.

  • Beat together the butter and brown sugar until smooth.

  • Mix in eggs and orange zest

  • In a separate bowl mix the molasses and baking soda.

  • In a small saucepan, bring the apple cider to a boil then whisk it into the molasses and baking soda

  • Beat in a third of the flour to the butter mixture until combined, then half the cider mixture. When it’s blended, add half the remaining flour, all the remaining cider, then the rest of the flour, beating to blend after each addition. Batter will be runny.

  • Divide the batter between the pans, swiveling the pans to level the batter, which will be scant. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of each cake comes out clean, rotating halfway through. Let cakes cool in pans for 15 minutes, then unmold and transfer the cakes to wire racks to cool fully.

  • Prepare the frosting: Use an electric mixer to beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add the butter and beat until smooth. Add the vanilla and salt, and mix briefly. On low speed, add the confectioners’ sugar, 1/2 cup at a time. After all the sugar is incorporated, scrape the bowl, then beat the frosting on medium-high for 15 seconds.

  • Place one layer of cake on a serving platter. Top with 1 cup frosting, and spread it to the edge of the cake. Place the second cake layer on top, and frost the entire cake with the remaining frosting. Top with a smattering of crystallized ginger bits, chocolate pearls or sprinkles, if desired. Refrigerate for 1 hour (or up to 3 days) before serving..

***


Cast-iron Spice Maple Cake

Cake Ingredients

  • 2 sticks (1 cup) salted butter

  • ¾ cup real maple syrup

  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

  • 2 large eggs, at room temperature

  • ½ cup plain Greek yogurt

  • 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour

  • 2 teaspoons baking powder

  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

  • ½ teaspoon ground ginger

  • ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom

  • ¾ teaspoon kosher salt

Maple Frosting Ingredients

  • 1 stick (8 tablespoons) salted butter, at room temperature

  • ⅓ cup real maple syrup

  • 2–3 cups powdered sugar

  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

  • Vanilla sugar for dusting (optional)

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350℉.

  2. In large 10–12 inch cast iron skillet, heat the butter over medium heat. Allow the butter to brown lightly until it smells toasted, about 2–3 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the browned butter to a heatproof mixing bowl. Let cool for 5–10 minutes.

  3. Add the maple syrup and vanilla to the browned butter and beat until combined. Then add the eggs and yogurt, beating until fully incorporated. Add the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, cardamon, and salt. Mix until smooth and no lumps remain in the batter. Pour the batter into the skillet used to brown the butter. Bake until a cake tester comes out clean, about 30–40 minutes. Allow the cake to cool completely before frosting.

  4. To make the frosting, beat together the butter and maple syrup until smooth and creamy. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla and mix thoroughly. Taste, adding more powdered sugar as desired.

  5. Frost the cake and sprinkle with vanilla sugar, if desired. Slice into wedges and serve

***