Deep Dish Pizza

Having grown up in the Chicago burbs, there is nothing better than a deep dish pizza. My husband and I are partial to Giordano's and my sister-in-law loves Lou Malnati's. Whatever your preference, there's no beating that first bite into cheesy, saucy, doughy goodness. I made my own version, using my pizza dough recipe from my Pizza Margharita recipe and an awesome sauce recipe. It wasn't as good as Giordano's (not sure any pizza really could be), but it was still extremely tasty, so try this recipe and get a taste of Chicago today!

You will need:
For the dough:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 (1/4 ounce) package active dry yeast
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup warm water
1/2-1 tablespoon olive oil

1-2 teaspoons of oregano

cornmeal, for sprinkling

For the sauce:

1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
6 fluid ounces warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons honey
3/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon dried marjoram
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/8 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
salt to taste

Toppings:

8 oz. mozzarella cheese

4 oz. parmesan cheese

Pepperoni, sausage, or veggies of your choosing

First, make dough according to Pizza Margharita pizza recipe (see here).

Make your sauce by combining and simmering all ingredients in a small sauce pan for 20-30 minutes to give the flavors a chance to meld.

Finally, sprinkle cornmeal into a deep dish pizza pan (I used a spring form cheesecake dish) and roll out your pizza dough into the pan, pressing the dough an inch and a half up the sides of the dish and pressing firmly into the bottom. Prick the dough with a fork to prevent dough from bubbling.

Layer the following on top of the dough:

-Mozzarella cheese and 3 oz. of the parmesan cheese

-Meat/veggie toppings

-Sauce

-Sprinkle last oz. of parmesan cheese on top

Bake at 425 degrees for 20 to 30 minutes. Allow to cool for 5-10 minutes, then cut and enjoy!

Butternut Squash Soup

This is a bit late for the season, but this butternut squash soup recipe would be a perfect beginning to a Thanksgiving Day meal. It tastes like warm pumpkin pie in soup form--and having never had squash before, I was definitely pleased! Recipe found here.

You will need:
1 butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 1 inch cubes
1 yellow onion, diced
4 cloves garlic
3-4 sprigs of fresh thyme (pull leaves off twiggy part)
4 cups vegetable stock
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp black pepper
salt & pepper to taste

First, peel, de-seed, and chop your squash. This was probably the most challenging step of the process--those things are hard to chop! Totally worth it, however. Set squash aside.

Next, chop your onion and garlic. Heat oil in a large skillet and saute the onion, garlic, and thyme until soft and fragrant (5 minutes or so). Add in the squash and continue to saute for another minute. Transfer skillet contents to a large sauce or stock pan.

In sauce pan, add the vegetable stock to the onion/garlic/thyme/squash. Bring to a simmer and cook for 30-40 minutes, or until squash is soft. Add in remaining spices and simmer for a few minutes more.

Remove from heat and use an immersion blender (or carefully transfer to a regular blender) and blend until smooth. Serve warm.

Now, the picture shows a sprinkling of parmesan cheese, as the original recipe called for. I found the parmesan cheese to be too overpowering for the sweetness of the soup, however. A sprinkling of a milder cheese, some croutons, or a dusting of paprika would have been yummy, however! Enjoy!

Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes

About seven years ago, I made a mashed potato recipe that used garlic and red potatoes with the skins left on. This past year, my mom and sister asked me to make it again. Even though I hadn't made it in seven years. And I didn't have the recipe. Oh, boy.

Luckily, the internet is a magical place, and I found a new recipe that utilized both required elements AND had a special twist: Romano cheese. I was a bit worried that my family wouldn't like the cheese--in fact, my sister tasted it right away--but it added such a depth of flavor to the potatoes, they didn't even need gravy! This will be my new go-to mashed potato recipe.

You will need:
5 pounds unpeeled red potatoes, quartered
1.5 sticks of butter, room temperature
5 ounces Romano cheese, grated
2-1/2 teaspoons salt (plus an extra pinch)
2-1/2 teaspoons dried oregano

Head of garlic

2 tablespoons of olive oil

3-4 tablespoons of milk

First, while the original recipe didn't call for this, I decided to roast the garlic because raw garlic can have a strong flavor; roasted garlic is a more mellow and sophisticated flavor. To roast garlic is actually really easy, too. Simply preheat your oven to 400 degrees, cut off the heads of your garlic cloves, and remove all the extra layers of skin surrounding the cloves (just be sure to leave enough of the skin to hold the cloves together). Drizzle with olive oil, cover with aluminum foil, place on a baking sheet, and bake for 30-35 minutes. Break down of process here. Garlic will be soft and look carmelized when done! See here:

Mmmm...soft and yummy. While the garlic cools, put your potato water on to boil and quarter your potatoes. When the water is ready to go, add the potatoes and boil until soft. Make sure you set your butter out to soften by now--I always forget to do so, and it makes it so much easier to work with the butter when it is already soft. Grate the Romano cheese.

When the potatoes are ready, drain and place in a large bowl. Add butter and use a potato mashed to mash the potatoes and integrate the butter into the potatoes (apparently, you should always add the butter before the milk so the two can better bond--the things one learns while reading!). Add in cheese, salt (all of it except for the extra pinch) and oregano and mix well.

And now the fun part--the garlic. I saw this on both Rachel Ray and Giada DeLaurentiis's shows: carefully remove the cloves of garlic from the skin. Roughly chop the cloves and sprinkle with the pinch of salt. Then, using the wide, flat part of your knife, drag your knife across the garlic, smearing it into your cutting board and making a paste. Doing this ensures that everyone gets the taste of garlic in their potatoes without biting into a hunk of garlic. Add garlic paste to potatoes.

Finally, if potatoes are too thick, add milk one tablespoon at a time until you reach your desired consistency. Serve warm and enjoy at your next holiday dinner!

Cinnamon Rolls

My amazing husband turned 28 this past November 21st. So first, let me again wish a very happy birthday to the world's greatest hubby (as should you, reader, since he suggested this blog in the first place!).

Now then. I decided to make some cinnamon rolls for my husband's birthday breakfast, as he LOVES those Cinnabon cinnamon rolls they sell at the mall. It's been awhile since I've had a Cinnabon, but I think that these are a bit less dense than Cinnabon--though every bit as delicious. Huge, soft, cinnamon-y, and with loads of gooey frosting, these are sure to become a staple in our breakfast line-up! (And if you can't eat 16 at once, you can freeze them for future breakfasts, too!). Original recipe found here.

 You will need:

For dough:

1/4 cup warm water
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/2 (3.4 ounce) package instant vanilla pudding mix
1 cup warm milk
1 egg, room temperature
1 tablespoon white sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 cups bread flour
1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast

For cinnamon filling:

1/4 cup butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3/4 cup chopped pecans (optional: I did not use these)

For frosting (doubled from the original recipe--I like a lot of frosting):
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 cups confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 teaspoons milk

First, add yeast to warm water (be sure the water is warm--the yeast needs warm temperatures to activate). Set aside for ten minutes or until it becomes foamy. Meanwhile, cream together the pudding, butter, and sugar. Add milk, egg, and vanilla. Add the yeast mixture. Finally, add the salt and flour, one cup at a time until combined. Knead by hand on a floured surface until dough is elastic. Place dough in an oiled bowl for an hour and allow to rise until double in size.

While the dough is rising, prepare the filling. Cream together butter, sugar, cinnamon, and, if desired, pecans or raisins. Set aside.

When dough is ready, roll out the dough into a 17x10 inch rectangle. I am terrible about guesstimating sizes, but this is about the size of a large cutting board. Sprinkle the cinnamon filling on the inside of the rectangle. Next, roll the dough from the longer side until you have a cinnamon roll log. Cut into 16, one-inch slices and place in a greased pan for an additional hour, until the rolls have doubled in size. (You may want to refrigerate the rolls first to make cutting a bit easier).

Bake cinnamon rolls at 350 degrees for 12 to 16 minutes. When they come out of the oven, the dough should be firm but not brown and look something like this:

Finally, prepare the frosting. Cream together the butter and cream cheese. Add milk and vanilla extract. Then, in batches to avoid a sugar explosion, add in the powdered sugar until the frosting thickens. Spread liberally over all cinnamon rolls while rolls are still warm. See below:

And that's all there is to it! With the wait time for the dough rising, the process does take a few hours. BUT, most of it is not active cooking time, and if you have a family of four, you can enjoy delicious, homemade cinnamon rolls four times for only one day's worth of cooking. And since the husband ate two, the recipe passes the seconds test--so you won't regret the effort once you bite into one! So, break out your rolling pin and inner baker, and enjoy!

Ham and Split Pea Soup

I hate peas. Growing up, I had parents who belonged to the "Clean Your Plate" club style of eating. And understandably so--their own parents lived through the Great Depression, so you didn't waste perfectly edible (if slightly gross-tasting) food. However, I could not NOT stomach some of my mother's dishes, and once, I negotiated with my father to get out of eating her Hungarian short ribs. What did I have to eat instead? An entire can of peas--my dad bargained hard. It took me three hours, and I still to this day consider the trade a fair one--but I also still hate peas.

That said, I adore split pea soup. I know, I'm weird. But split pea soup delivers all the comforting qualities of any other cream-based soup with TONS of nutritional value--add to that how insanely easy it is to make, and you will love it too! Original recipe found here.

You will need:
16 oz. bag of dried split peas
2 cups of chopped ham (or the ham off a ham bone, if you have the time)
3 large carrots (peeled and sliced)
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 ribs of celery (chopped)
2 cloves of garlic
1 Tablespoon of Lawry's seasoned salt
1/2 teaspoon of pepper
2 teaspoons dried parsley
1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram (note: original recipe called for one bay leaf--I just substituted this since I was leafless)
1.5 quarts HOT water

Are you ready for the simplicity of this recipe?
1) Rinse and sort your peas on a dish towel. (Bags of dried peas often still have a few small stones scattered among the peas, and you don't want to bite into these)
2) Spray a crockpot with non-stick spray. Layer the following into the crockpot in the following order:

• Rinsed split peas
• Ham
• Vegetables
• Spices
• Hot water

3) Do not stir. Cook on high for 4 to 5 hours (4 if you still want some of the peas to maintain their shape, 5 if you want the peas completely broken down and creamy).

4) There is no step 4 because you're already DONE!

Note that this recipe can easily be made vegetarian by omitting the ham. Either way, enjoy a bowl of creamy split pea soup the next time you want a bowl of comforting and healthy deliciousness!

   

Roast Beef and Cheddar Sandwich

This sandwich is fairly simple, but the combination of flavors was so delicious, I had to post this. When looking for a sandwich to pair with the Savory Vegetable Soup, I scoped out Panera's website (since they have some pretty tasty sandwiches), and came across their Asiago Roast Beef sandwich. Roast beef and cheese are always delicious, but the horseradish sauce added a spicy kick that really made it something special. Give it a try!

Sandwich ingredients (makes 4 sandwiches):
-Ciabatta bread (4 rolls)
-1-2 packages of thin-sliced roast beef (we used pre-packed lunchmeat)
-4 slices thick-sliced sharp cheddar cheese
-1 red onion (sliced)
-1 Roma tomato (sliced)
-Lettuce or spinach leaves (if desired)

Horseradish sauce (recipe found here)
-1/2 cup sour cream
-3 tablespoons mayonnaise
-2 tablespoons creamy horseradish
-1 teaspoon dry mustard
-1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
-Salt and pepper to taste

Assemble sandwiches as follows: bottom of roll, roast beef, lettuce, tomato, onion, cheese, horseradish sauce, top roll. Place sandwich in panini press until cheese is melted and sandwich is warmed through. Serve immediately and enjoy!

Savory Vegetable Soup

A friend of mine recently asked if I could teach her how to make vegetable soup--to which I said, of course! That said, my love of vegetables has never quite mirrored my love of cheese, so I needed to locate a recipe. And in trying to find one, I must admit--I felt a bit bad for vegetarians! Finding a vegetable soup that does not contain some sort of meat product is quite a challenge. Even this one, which I used, had to be modified slightly due to its call for chicken broth. That said, this soup took about 10 minutes to put together and was delicious, so I now have an exciting way to get my veggies in the future!

Here is what you will need:

1 (14 ounce) can vegetable broth
1 (11.5 ounce) can tomato-vegetable juice cocktail (I used V-8)
1 cup water
1 large potato, diced
2 carrots, sliced
2 stalks celery, diced
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 cup chopped fresh green beans
1 cup fresh corn kernels
1/2 tsp of Cajun/Creole seasoning
salt and pepper to taste

First, dice your vegetables. Second, pour everything into a large sauce pan. Finally, bring to a boil, then simmer for 40-45 minutes. That's it! And, if you're a bit pinched for time, you can always use frozen or canned vegetables and save yourself the prep time on chopping the vegetables.

The Cajun seasoning really makes the soup, because it gives an added depth to the flavor and a slight hint of heat. You can even alter the recipe to add in your favorite vegetables or some orzo for a carbohydrate--and no matter what, you will have a healthy dish to serve yourself and your loved ones. So grab some V-8, your favorite veggies, and give this a try!

Elyse--and everyone else--I hope you enjoy this recipe! :)

Risotto with Chicken Sausage and Peas

There is a restaurant near our apartment which serves a variety of foods, from steak to macaroni and cheese. Everything is delicious. The last time my husband and I ate there, however, they had a sausage risotto as one of their specials. Now, the sausage was a bit greasy and there was a lot of it, so it was a bit too rich to finish. So I made a *slightly* lighter version of the dish to eat at home based on this recipe. Risotto is a bit more time-consuming than a standard pasta, but the creamy texture that results makes it so comfort-foody, you'll forget how the deliciousness even made it into your bowl.

You will need the following ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 (16 ounce) package Sweet Italian Chicken Sausage
1 cup chopped sweet onion
1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 1/4 cups Arborio rice
1 cup Chardonnay or other dry white wine
3 1/2 cups chicken broth, low-sodium
1 cup frozen petite sweet peas
Salt and pepper to taste

First, chop your chicken sausage into bite-sized pieces and chop your onion, garlic, and herbs. Heat your oil in a dutch oven or large skillet, then add your onions and cook until softened. Add in your garlic, herbs, and chicken sausage and heat through.

Next, add the rice and wine to the skillet. Cook until wine is absorbed by the rice, and begin adding chicken broth one cup at a time. Once the rice has absorbed a cup of the chicken broth, add another cup to the rice mixture. Repeat until all 3 1/2 cups have been absorbed. As soon as you are on your final 1/2 cup of broth, add the frozen sweet peas to the mix. 

Add salt and pepper to taste, and enjoy!

Pizza Margharita

 In our house, Sunday is pizza night. Since we usually spend the day grocery shopping, catching up on work, and getting ready to watch The Walking Dead (zombies are intense and require mental preparation), I usually like to just pop in a frozen pizza and relax on Sunday nights. That said, I have lately been fascinated by all the things I can just make myself, and I had yet to make homemade pizza dough....add to that the fact that my husband's favorite pizza, Pizza Margharita, is best when fresh, and I decided to see what I could whip up at home with this dough recipe. Turns out, making a pizza dough is actually incredibly quick and delicious, so give it a try!

You will need:
For the dough:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 (1/4 ounce) package active dry yeast
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup warm water
1/2-1 tablespoon olive oil
cornmeal, for sprinkling

For the sauce:
28 oz. can of whole tomatoes, drained
6 oz. tomato paste
6 oz. tomato sauce
2 tablespoons of Italian seasoning (oregano, basil, etc.)
1 tablespoon of sugar
1 teaspoon of salt
*My sauce measurements are always by taste, so the spice amounts are an approximation

For the toppings:
Ball of fresh mozzarella cheese
Fresh basil leaves

First, get your sauce going. Simply mix all ingredients together in a medium saucepan, and use a wooden spoon to chop up the whole tomatoes. Bring sauce to a boil, then simmer on medium-low heat for at least half an hour (longer is better....but I was hungry).

While your sauce is simmering, preheat your oven to 425 degrees, then make your dough. Add sugar and yeast to the cup of warm water and allow to sit for ten minutes, or until the yeast gets foamy. Pour into a large bowl, and add the oil, salt, and flour.

Combine the ingredients until they start to form a mound of dough, then turn the mixture out onto a floured surface. Knead the dough for 5-8 minutes, until smooth and elastic. If the mixture is still sticky after a few minutes of kneading, add more flour.

Cover the dough and allow it to rest for 20-30 minutes (I think I lasted for 19; don't judge me). In the mean time, wash, thoroughly dry, and chop some fresh basil leaves. Cut your mozzarella ball into thin slices. Set aside.

After it has finished resting, divide the dough in half. I froze one ball of dough. The other I rolled out to fit my 13" pizza pan (using my rolling pin--dough tossing is a skill I will learn some other day). You can always use all of the dough if you are making two pizzas, of course. Sprinkle your pizza pan with cornmeal and place your dough on top, pierce all over with a fork, then pre-bake your soon-to-be pizza crust for 10 minutes.

Take your sauce off the stove and spoon over the top of the baked crust (be careful not to add too much, or your pizza will be watery; remember that the tomatoes still have a good deal of water). Layer the cheese slices and basil on top. Finally, bake for an additional 8-10 minutes, or until cheese is melted and the crust is slightly golden.

                                               

Pair with a good wine and an episode of The Walking Dead, and you're in for an intensely delicious meal. Enjoy!

                                       
                                           

Orzo and Chick Pea Salad

There's something really exciting about trying out new ingredients. That's why this orzo-based salad was so fun to make (well, that and the goat cheese), since I've never really had orzo before. So what is orzo? Well, orzo is basically tiny little rice-shaped pasta bits--like spaghetti minus the effort of twirling around a fork. Add to that some really good-for-you ingredients--and did I mention the goat cheese??--and this recipe provides you with a delicious side salad or light lunch for your next meal!

Here's what you will need:

• 1/2 pound orzo (cooked according to package instructions)
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 small to medium zucchini, diced (I also peeled mine first, but this is totally personal preference)
• 1/2 red onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 (15-ounce) can chick peas, drained
• 1/2 cup parsley leaves, chopped
• 1/4 cup mint leaves, finely chopped (I didn't have these, so I left them out--I'm sure they would have been delicious, however!)
• 1/2 cup feta or goat cheese, crumbled (I used goat cheese--yum!)
• 
  
• How simple is this dish to make? 
• 
  
• First, cook your orzo according to package instructions, and prep your veggies.
• 
  
• After prepping your veggies, give them a quick saute in olive oil in a large skillet until your onion and zucchini are soft, and your garlic is fragrant. Toss in your salt, pepper, chickpeas, parsley, mint, and orzo to allow the remaining ingredients to warm (and the flavors to meld). Stir.
• 
  
• The last step is your choice. I added in my goat cheese here so that it melted and provided a creamy, sauce-like consistency for the salad. I also ate my salad warm for lunch. However, you could also choose to let the salad cool and crumble the goat cheese into it. Either way, it will be delicious.
• 
  
• Enjoy!