BBQ ZA

BBQ Pizza:

Annie gave me this recipe about 5 years ago and I have been trying to get all Iron Chef with it since so this is not the original but my current take.

In bowl:
- 1 packet quick rise yeast (1/4 oz Red Star)
- 1 cup warm water
- 2 tbsp olive oil

In bowl (2):
- 2 1/3 cup (give/take) flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
- I've been adding pepper and sugar with mixed reviews

Mix it up:
 - Knead dough for about five minutes

Turn on oven for 1-2 minutes then switch off

Put dough in oiled bowl with a clothe cover and let rise in oven for 1 hour

Turn on your BBQ full blast (400-450)!!

*After the dough has risen I cut it in half to make two thin crust pizzas.  Flatten out out the dough, brush oil on one side, put that side down on the the BBQ using a perforated pizza pan for 5 minutes, then take off the BBQ, brush olive oil on the top side, flip over and add sauce, cheese and toppings, back on the BBQ for 5-7 minutes!

It's getting late and I am starting to feel like Doogie Howser...have fun!!

Just for fun: Hit the The Next Blog tab above to spin the blog wheel...it might be a a dude's blog about his truck and religion or someone's star log 2043 updating us all on recent advances of a new role play Star Trek game.

Fettuccini Alfredo

So, I now have a Costco card with the worst picture I have ever taken pasted proudly on the back. The Costco membership would make more sense if there weren't just the two of us (plus a cat) in an apartment with limited storage space. We made our first official trip to Costco last Sunday. We now have a freezer stocked with chicken, steak, and the world's largest pork loins and a pantry stocked with many many many items...including a ten pound bag of baby red potatoes.. Long story short, after five days of eating potatoes paired with any of the above meats I snapped and got out the Pasta and Co cookbook ( a forgotten favorite). You'd think I'd want something light loaded with vegetables after all those traditional meat and potato dinners right? Wrong. Pasta. Cream. Garlic. Cheese. Butter. So. Good.

This is an adaptation of the Pasta and Co version and not nearly as heavy as other alfredo sauces.

You will need:

1 box of pasta (fettuccini)
1 cup cream (or half and half)
3/4 cup of chicken stock
3 Tablespoons of butter
Pinch of nutmeg
A couple grinds of the pepper mill
1 clove of garlic (chopped)
3/4 cup of parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste.

1. Cook the pasta, set aside;
2. Combine all ingredients except the parmesan cheese in a large sauce pan and simmer for 10 minutes;
3. Add parmesan cheese and whisk until the sauce is smooth and thick;
4. Add the pasta to the sauce and serve.

I grilled a chicken breast and added some diced red peppers as toppings, good, but totally not necessary.

Enjoy! Mer

Slow Cook Chili

So this is delicious and super easy. I usually will throw it all into the crock pot in the morning and then its ready to eat for dinner!

ingredients:
2 pounds soy smart-ground (or ground beef or turkey for the meatheads)
2 cans of kidney beans, but don't drain them! use the stuff they come in!
2 cans of diced tomatoes, also undrained
1 small can of tomato sauce
2 chopped onions
1 green or red bell pepper, chopped up
2 cloves minced garlic, or cheat like me and buy the pre-minced kind :)
2-3 tbsp chili powder
2 tsp salt
1 pinch of pepper
1 can of beer, I have used Rainier in the past but the last time I made this I used a Belgium lager and it was amazing.

Directions:
If you are making real meat, make sure to cook it before adding it to the chili. With the soy ground, I usually put it in a skillet and add some spices to it and then add it to the crock pot.  Add all ingredients to the crock pot and wait 6-8 hours and then enjoyyyyy! I usually add a bit of Siracha while its cooking. Super good, but I like it spicy.
Don't forget the corn bread! Some of your family members (myself and Sarah) have corn bread issues. We try to share but sometimes eat the whole pan. So, sorry about that.

Paying Homage to Grandmom: Brussels Sprouts

After Auntie Kim's post, Not your Grandmas Short Ribs, I thought it only fitting to follow it with something that Grandmom loved. As far as I know we were the only two that could say that we loved Brussels Sprouts! I prefer the ones still on the stalk, I have convinced my self that they taste even better then the ones sold off the stalk. I would try different recipes each year in hopes of finding one that maybe everyone at the holiday dinner would like. A few years ago, I made them with walnuts and it has been my go to recipe for Brussels Sprouts. However, tonight I fell in love with a new recipe. So, to honor the Brussels Sprouts lovers on the family (not sure if anyone is left) I wanted to post this for everyone to try. It is from this month's Vegetarian Times, from Greens Restaurant. Try it and let me know if it has changed your mind about the tasty little cabbages!

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

2 lb of Brussel Sprouts, large one halved and small ones left whole

3 TBS olive oil

2TBS maple syrup

2 TBS melted butter

Sea salt and fresh pepper.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Toss the Brussels sprouts with the oil, a little salt and pepper. Place on a baking sheet (I used my pizza sheet with the holes in it and it worked great!) and roast for 45 min. Stir the sprouts every 15 minutes or so.

When they are soft and slightly toasted, remove from the oven and toss with butter and maple syrup. Salt and pepper to taste. Genieten! (enjoy in Dutch)

-Sarah