Tuesday, October 6, 2015

Autumn's glory

I do love autumn...but I am sad when summer caresses my cheek and bids farewell.  I stubbornly hold on before turning to caramel apple lattes and comforting soups.  I recently discovered the wonderfulness of homemade boursin cheese.  To me, it is sitting barefoot on the porch with a plate of apples and crackers and breathing in the heady scent of basil and rosemary.  Here's one recipe for boursin that I love:

Homemade Boursin Cheese
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1 small garlic clove
1/2 t dried oregano
1/8 t dried basil
1/8 t dried dill
1/8 t marjoram
1:8 t dried thyme
1/8 t dried chives
Pepper

I saw a recipe that also called for grated parm.  Parsley is kind of a must for me too.  Enjoy!




Tuesday, May 26, 2015

Yummy pizza recipe

Here's the recipe I just need to try next... minus the sage.  I am sadly allergic to sage.  sigh.

Sweet ‘n’ Spicy Fall Harvest Pizza w/Roasted Butternut, Cider Caramelized Onions + Bacon.


Ingredients


  • Pizza Dough
  • 1 1/2 cups flour
  • 1/2 cup warm water
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • Toppings
  • 1/3 cup + 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
  • 4 cups cubed butternut squash (or pumpkin)
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder, divided
  • 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 4 slices thick cut bacon, chopped
  • 2 sweet onions, sliced thin
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1 cup apple cider
  • 1 large chipotle chile in adobo, minced
  • 1/2 teaspoon cumin
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • 1 small apple, thinly sliced
  • 6 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
  • 2-4 ounces blue cheese, crumbled
  • 1 large bunch fresh sage
  • roasted pumpkin seeds, for topping

Instructions

Pizza Dough
In a large bowl, combine water, yeast and honey. Mix with a spoon, then let sit until foamy, about 10 minutes. Add in the flour and olive oil stirring with a spoon until the dough comes together but is still sticky. Using your hands, on a floured surface, form the dough into a ball and work the additional 1/2 cup flour into the dough if needed. All of the mixing and kneading can also be done in a stand mixer with the dough hook attachment. Next, rub the same bowl with olive oil, then place the dough inside, turning to coat. Cover with a towel and place in a warm place to rise for about 1 1/2 hours.
!To assemble
About 40 minutes before the dough is done rising, start assembling the pizza. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.*
In a small bowl whisk together 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon chili powder, cinnamon, honey and a pinch of salt and pepper.
Spread the veggies out in a single layer on one or two baking sheets. Drizzle the olive oil mixture over the veggies and toss well to coat. Roast until vegetables are tender, 20 to 25 minutes, stirring the veggies halfway through. Remove and set aside.
While the veggies roast, caramelize the onions. Heat a large skillet with high sides over medium-high heat and cook bacon until crispy. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate. Remove all but one tablespoon of bacon fat from the pan and then add the butter. Add the onions and cook about 10 minutes, stirring frequently, until softened. At this point you want to slowly add the cider, let it cook into the onions, add more and let it cook some more. Do this until the 1 cup of cider is gone or the onions are caramelized to your liking and the cider has evaporated.
In a bowl whisk together the remaining 1/3 cup olive oil, chipotle chile pepper in adobo, 1/2 teaspoon chili powder, cumin and a good pinch of salt + pepper.
Once the pizza dough is ready, lightly flour a counter. Use your hands or a rolling pin to roll the dough out until you have a flattened disk. Place the pizzas on a greased baking sheet and then use your hands to gently tug, pull and push the pizza dough into your desired shape. Spread the chipotle olive oil mixture over the dough. Add the caramelized onions and half the roasted butternut squash. You may not want to use all onions if you feel like there is just too many. I used probably about 3/4 of the onions. Add the cheddar cheese and then the sliced apples and remaining butternut. Sprinkle with the blue cheese.
Bake the pizza for 25-30 minutes or until the cheese is all melty and gooey. Remove from the oven and top with crispy sage (below) and roasted pumpkin seeds. EAT while melty and delicious!
!Sage
Heat a small skillet over medium heat and add about 1/2 inch of olive oil. Once hot, add the sage leaves and cook 30 seconds per side. Remove from the pan and set aside. Serve over the pizza.
 
I got the recipe from halfbakedharvest.com  ...  it is an amazing website!

Monday, May 25, 2015

Summer 2015

Wow, it has been a long time since I have been here!  I have been busy busy with work and book club and..just life, I guess.  I had the most amazing weekend. Friday was the end of school and a year of transition in my job.  We celebrated surviving the year with a get together fire pit gathering.  Lots of laughs.  The next day I went to a crawfish boil.  Yum!!!  Sunday, my church celebrated Pentecost with 'fire roasted pizzas' social Sunday.  I am now on a quest to find the perfect pizza.  My favorite was pear with gorgonzola, toasted walnuts and caramelized onion.  Yum... After that, I went to the farm for an afternoon of laughter at my friend Adele's.  We enjoyed a spirited archery competition which was hilarious.  It did require the use of a metal detector to find missing arrows.  My young niece is getting married this week.  I love hearing about all the pre-wedding stories and can't wait to hear about the wedding.  Tomorrow begins the first official vacation day for me and I intend to find the perfect summer read and attend a baseball game.  Check back later for the next weird pizza combo I intend to try!