Cooking | onedadskitchen

You Say Potato, I Say Pan-Fried Honey Lemon Fingerling Potatoes and Leeks

Potatoes can be a really versatile side dish besides being great for mashed potatoes or your standard baked potato. There’s nothing wrong with using one of the old stand-by recipes or even just boiling up some potatoes for a really simple side dish but with so many different things you can do with potatoes I am always trying to come up with something just a little bit different to jazz up a meal. This is especially true if I am making a meal for a special occasion and want something different as a side dish that really stands out on its own. When I made the New York strip steaks for Valentine’s Day this past week, I knew I wanted to make potatoes with the steaks and mashed potatoes or even fries seemed like a good option, but I had seen this recipe just recently on Food Network for a pan-fried fingerling potato with leeks that looked like it would be perfect to go with a steak. They also had a nice honey-lemon coating on them that made them perfect and the recipe seemed really easy to make so I had to give them a try.

Pan-Fried Honey-Lemon Fingerling Potatoes and Leeks

Salt

2 pounds fingerling potatoes

2 tablespoons butter

1 leek, halved, thoroughly washed and sliced up to the pale green part

Freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon honey

1 tablespoons minced fresh Italian parsley

1 lemon, zested

Bring a medium saucepan of salted water to a boil over high heat. Gently add the fingerling potatoes and poach the potatoes for 5 to 7 minutes. Drain the potatoes, cut the potatoes in half and dry the potatoes thoroughly.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Melt the butter and add the leeks and season them with salt and pepper. Saute the leeks until they are softened, about 8 minutes. Remove the leeks to a separate bowl and set them aside.

In the now-empty skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Put the fingerling potatoes cut-side down in the pan and cook the potatoes until they are golden brown, about 5 to 6 minutes. Flip the potatoes and repeat the process on the skin side of the potatoes, cooking them for about 5 to 6 minutes to brown them nicely. Add the leeks back to the skillet, drizzle the vegetables with the honey and cook them for another 2 to 3 minutes.

Sprinkle the vegetables with the parsley and the lemon zest. Season the vegetables with additional salt and pepper to taste and serve.

It’s a very basic dish that gives you some great results. You do want to make sure the potatoes are completely dry before you put them in the skillet so you can brown them nicely and get that great crunch to them on the outside while they stay soft on the inside. The addition of the leeks is great for the dish to give it that subtle flavor that leeks have. Just remember leeks can be pretty gritty so you need to clean them thoroughly before you use them. The honey and lemon just added the final push to the dish to give that hint of sweetness that was perfect. I don’t often buy fingerling potatoes because they tend to be quite expensive compared to other potatoes for a small amount, but I did find them on sale so it was perfect timing for this dish. I think you could do this dish well with other potatoes as well as long as you cut them small enough so they poach nicely and fit well in the skillet. The potatoes went perfectly with the steak and they would be great for any beef, pork or poultry side dish.

That’s all I have for today. Check back next time for another recipe. Until then, enjoy the rest of your day and enjoy your meal!

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Posted by MikeG on February 18, 2015 in Cooking, Dinner, Potatoes, Side Dishes, Vegetables, Vegetarian

Tags: fingerling potatoes, food network, honey-lemon potatoes, Jeff Mauro, leeks, pan-fried fingerling potatoes, pan-fried honey-lemon fingerling potatoes and leeks, side dish

Let’s Strip! – New York Strip That is… Grilled New York Strip Steak with Five-Peppercorn Sauce

17 Feb

There’s nothing like a good quality steak every once in a while to make for a really great meal. Unfortunately in the world we live in today most steak is pretty darn expensive so it is something I make very often at home, saving it for special occasions. When Valentine’s Day rolled around this year and Michelle was coming home that day after 3 weeks on the road, that was all special enough for me and I went in search for some good steak. Nothing against the big local supermarkets, but I prefer to use a smaller butcher shop for good steaks. For me, they are usually a better cut of meat and very often the price is better than want I find in the supermarket. Such was the case when I picked up three 3 New York strip steaks and got them for $5 less a pound than they were at the supermarket. I sorted out among the recipes I had and decided to give this one from Guy Fieri a try for some grilled New York strip steaks with a creamy five-peppercorn sauce. I busted out the grill pan and went to work.

Grilled New York Strip Steak with Five-Peppercorn Sauce

4 cups beef stock

Four 16-ounce New York strip steaks

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

4 tablespoons butter

2 shallots, minced

2 tablespoons fresh cracked five-peppercorn blend

1/2 cup brandy

1/2 cup red wine

1/2 cup heavy cream

2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley

Bring the beef stock to a boil in a medium saucepan set over medium-high heat. Immediately lower the stock to a simmer and cook the stock until it is reduced to about 1/2 cup, about 45 minutes. Set the stock aside.

Preheat a grill or grill pan to medium-high heat. Sprinkle the New York strip steaks with kosher salt and black pepper and allow them to sir for about 15 minutes.

Place the steaks on the grill or grill pan, evenly spaced, and grill the steaks for about 2 1/2 minutes. Rotate the steaks a quarter-turn and cook them for another 2 1/2 minutes to create crosshatch sear marks on the steaks. Flip the steaks over and repeat the process on the reverse side of the steaks. Remove the steaks to a baking sheet and allow them to rest for 5 to 10 minutes.

While the steaks are resting, combine 2 tablespoons of the butter, the shallots and the five-peppercorn blend together in a medium saucepan set over medium heat. Cook until the shallots and peppercorns are fragrant and the butter is beginning to bubble, about 2 minutes. Off the heat, add the brandy and the red wine. Carefully place the saucepan back on the burner (at this point you could flame the mixture if you want, provided you safely have the room to do so in your kitchen and are familiar with the process; I skipped this in might tight-quartered kitchen). Add the reduced beef stock and the heavy whipping cream, bring the mixture to a boil and immediately lower it to a simmer. Cook until the liquid has reduced by about two-thirds, about 8 to 10 minutes. Prior to serving the sauce, whisk in the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter into the sauce, then remove the sauce from the heat.

With a sharp knife, slice the steaks into 1/2-inch thick slices, cutting on the bias. Transfer the steak slices to a large serving platter and spoon over the five-peppercorn sauce. Garnish with minced parsley and serve, passing the reserved sauce on the side.

To me there is nothing like a steak that is cooked perfectly to medium or medium-rare. You get the softness of the meat with that nice pink color and the flavor burst in your mouth. Add in this peppercorn sauce, which has a nice mix of red wine, brandy and the peppercorns to add a nice little bite and you have perfect steaks for the night. I forgot to take a picture of the sauce itself but it came out nicely. I served the steaks with some sautéed mushrooms, roasted Brussels sprouts and a recipe for pan-fried fingerling potatoes and leeks with a honey-lemon sauce that I will share with you tomorrow. Overall it was a very nice meal and a good way to cap off Valentine’s Day and Michelle coming home.

That’s all I have for today. Check back next time for another recipe. Until then, enjoy the rest of your day and enjoy your meal!

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Posted by MikeG on February 17, 2015 in Beef, Cooking, Dinner, Grilling, Sauce

Tags: five-peppercorn sauce, food network, grilled new york strip steak with five-peppercorn sauce, grilled NY strip steaks, Guy Fieri, New York strip steaks, New York strip steaks recipe, peppercorn sauce, Valentine's Day

When Michelle’s Away the Bacon Will Play – Bacon-Wrapped Meatloaf

15 Feb

Okay, this recipe is definitely not for the health-conscious, but it is for the bacon lover in all of us. Sean had seen this recipe in my recent issue of Cook’s Country and knowing his love for all things bacon asked when I was going to make it. The problem is that Michelle and bacon don’t always play nicely together, so I really needed to wait for her to be away on business before I could break out the recipe and give it a try. When she went away recently, the first night she was gone Sean asked me if I was going to make this. I broke out the recipe for bacon-wrapped meatloaf and gave it a try. This recipe seems a lot like a standard meatloaf recipe, with the addition of bacon in, on and around the meatloaf itself.

Bacon-Wrapped Meatloaf

1/4 cup your favorite bottled barbecue sauce, plus extra for serving

1 tablespoon cider vinegar

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon spicy brown mustard

17 square or 19 round saltine crackers, crushed (about 2/3 cup)

4 slices coarsely chopped bacon, plus 8 whole slices

1 onion, chopped coarse

3 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 cup milk

2 eggs plus 1 egg yolk

1/3 cup minced fresh parsley

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 1/2 pounds 90 percent lean ground beef

Adjust an oven rack to the upper-middle position and heat the oven to 375 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and set a wire rack in the baking sheet. Whisk the barbecue sauce, Worcestershire sauce, cider vinegar and mustard together in a bowl. Set aside the glaze.

Process the saltines in a food processor until they are finely ground, about 30 seconds,; transfer the ground crackers to a large bowl. Pulse the chopped bacon and the chopped onion in the now-empty food processor until both are coarsely ground, about 10 pulses. Transfer the bacon mixture to a large non-stick skillet and cook over medium heat until the onion is soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook until the garlic is fragrant, about 30 seconds. Set the mixture aside off the heat.

Add the milk, eggs and egg yolk, parsley, salt, pepper and 2 tablespoons of the glaze to the saltines and mash the ingredients together with a fork until a chunky paste forms. Stir in the bacon mixture until everything is well combined. Add the ground beef and knead with your hands until the ingredients are blended.

Lightly spray an 8 1/2 by 4 1/2-inch loaf pan with vegetable oil spray, Line the pan with a large sheet of plastic wrap with some extra plastic wrap hanging over the edges of the pan. Push the plastic wrap into the corners and up the sides of the pan. Line the pan crosswise with the remaining 8 bacon slices, overlapping them slightly and letting the excess hang over the edges of the pan. You should have at least 1/2-inch of overhanging bacon. Brush the bacon with 3 tablespoons of the glaze. Transfer the meatloaf mixture to the bacon-lined pan and press the mixture firmly into the pan. Fold the bacon slices over the mixture.

Using a metal skewer or the tip of a paring knife, poke 15 holes in one 14 by 3-inch piece of foil. Center the foil rectangle on top of the meatloaf. Carefully flip the meatloaf onto the wire rack set in the baking sheet so the foil is on the bottom and the bacon is on the top. Gripping the plastic, gently lift and remove the pan from the meatloaf. Discard the plastic. Gently press the meatloaf into a 9 by 5-inch rectangle.

Bake the meatloaf in the oven until the bacon is browned and the meatloaf registers 150 degrees on an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of the meatloaf, about one hour. Remove the meatloaf from the oven and heat the broiler. Brush the top and sides of the meatloaf with the remaining 2 tablespoons of the glaze. Broil the meatloaf until the glaze begins to char and the meatloaf registers 160 degrees, about 3 to 5 minutes. Using the foil as a sling, transfer the meatloaf to a cutting board and let it rest for 15 minutes before slicing. Serve with the extra barbecue sauce.

While it may seem like a bit of work to create the loaf itself, it really doesn’t take that long and it makes a difference in getting the right shape and having a way for some of the fat to drain off the meatloaf while it cooks. The meatloaf gets great flavor from the bacon both inside and outside, but to me the real winner of the meatloaf recipe is in the glaze. You get this really great smoky flavor to the meatloaf that makes it extra-special. You can use whatever barbecue sauce you like for this one and I actually added 1/2 teaspoon of liquid smoke to the glaze to enhance it a little more. I also put the meatloaf in the pan and then refrigerated it for about 15 minutes to let the shape set more before I flipped it out onto the wire rack prior to baking. It seemed to help in having the meatloaf hold its shape better. The other thing to remember is that you will get better slices of meatloaf if you allow it to sit and rest after taking it out of the oven. I often wait up to 30 minutes before slicing it to get the best slices. I can see using this glaze on other meatloaf recipes even without all of the bacon in and out to get the flavor. Sean and I both liked the meatloaf and he loved it with all of the bacon and the bacon in the meatloaf does add extra smokiness but I can see where this can be bacon overload for some people.

That’s all I have for today. Check back next time for another recipe. Until then, enjoy the rest of your day and enjoy your meal!

2 Comments

Posted by MikeG on February 15, 2015 in Beef, Cooking, Dinner, Sauce

Tags: bacon meatloaf recipe, bacon-wrapped meatloaf, Cook's Country, Cook's Country bacon-wrapped meatloaf, meatloaf recipe

Easy as Pie… well, Cake… Easy Lemon Pound Cake

14 Feb

there are always going to be times where you wish you had some dessert around and you just don’t have anything available. Maybe it is some last-minute visitors stopping by for coffee and you just wish you had something you could put out. Or maybe you are like me and you have a teenager complaining that there are no desserts in the house and they would like something to have as a snack or dessert. At times like this you need to have an arsenal of desserts that you can put together easily, typically in under an hour and without creating a lot of fuss or mess. Sure, cookies are always an option, but for me it means dragging out a lot of ingredients, the mixer, cookie sheets and more and it means a lot of clean-up. Brownies are always a good option too, but maybe you don’t have the chocolate on hand to do them fast. it is at times like this that I often find myself turning to a trusty pound cake recipe I got from America’s Test Kitchen. it is a classic recipe, easy to put together, requires only a few ingredients and minimal clean up and produces a great and versatile dessert.

Easy Lemon Pound Cake

1 1/2 cups cake flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/4 cups sugar

4 eggs, room temperature

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 tablespoons grated lemon zest

2 teaspoons lemon juice

16 tablespoons (2 sticks) butter, melted and hot

Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour and 8 1/2 by 4 1/2-inch loaf pan. Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt together in a bowl.

Process the sugar, eggs, vanilla, lemon zest and lemon juice together in a food processor until the ingredients are combined, about 10 seconds. With the food processor running, add in the hot melted butter in a steady stream until it is incorporated. Pour the mixture from the food processor into a large bowl.

Sift the flour mixture over the egg mixture in 3 additions, whisking to combine the ingredients after each addition until only a few streaks of flour remain. Continue to whisk the batter gently until almost no lumps remain. Try not to overmix the batter. Scrape the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth out the top. Wipe any drops of batter off the sides of the pan and gently tap the pan on the counter to release any air bubbles from the batter. Bake the cake in the oven until a toothpick in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached, about 50 to 60 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through the baking process.

Let the cake cool in the loaf pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Run a small knife around the edge of the cake to loosen it from the pan, then flip the cake out onto a wire rack.Turn the cake right side up and allow it to cool completely, up to 2 hours, before serving.

What you end up with in just about an hour is a moist pound cake that is not thick and dense like many can be. The process of adding the hot butter in the food processor allows the ingredients to emulsify quickly before there is a chance of anything curdling that can make the cake dense. if you prefer not to have the lemon you can simply leave the zest and juice out and get a nice, plain pound cake or you can substitute something like orange juice and zest for an orange flavor or use some almond extract and slivered almonds for an almond pound cake. you can then serve this nicely by itself or with some ice cream, serve with berries or other fruit, or even serve it in chunks with some chocolate fondue.

That’s all I have for today. Check back next time for another recipe. Until then, enjoy the rest of your day, have a Happy Valentine’s Day and enjoy your meal!

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Posted by MikeG on February 14, 2015 in Cakes, Cooking, Dessert

Tags: America's Test Kitchen pound cake, americas test kitchen, easy lemon pound cake, lemon pound cake, pound cake recipe

Valentine’s Day – NYT Cooking

13 Feb

Valentine’s Day – NYT Cooking.

Valentine’s Day is tomorrow and if you are still looking for some ideas of what to make for you and your special someone, the New York Times has put together a great list of recipes for your dinner, chocolate, desserts, cocktails and more so that you can have a nice romantic meal right at home. Check it out!

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Posted by MikeG on February 13, 2015 in Appetizers, Beef, Beverages, Cakes, Candy, Cookies, Cooking, Cooking Websites, Dessert, Dinner, Holidays, Lamb, Pasta, Pork, Potatoes, Poultry, Salad, Seafood, Side Dishes

Tags: chocolate desserts, NYT Cooking, NYT Cooking Valentine's Day, romantic dinners for two at home, Valentine's Day cocktails, Valentine's Day dinner ideas.Valentine's Day recipes, Valentine's Day meals

Romantic Dinners for Two | Epicurious.com

12 Feb

Romantic Dinners for Two | Epicurious.com.

With Valentine’s Day this weekend, you might be looking for some ideas to make a nice, romantic meal at home instead of spending time at a noisy restaurant perhaps not getting as a good of a meal as you can make on your own. Epicurious has some great ideas for a romantic dinner for two followed by some nice chocolate dessert ideas as well to cover everything you need. Get yourself a nice bottle of wine and cook at home to enjoy some quiet time with your sweetie. Check it out!

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Posted by MikeG on February 12, 2015 in Beef, Cooking, Cooking Websites, Dessert, Dinner, Holidays, Lamb, Pasta, Pork, Poultry, Seafood, Vegetables

Tags: cooking Valentine's Dinner at home, Epicurious romantic dinners for two, romantic dinners for two, Valentine's Day dinner ideas

Kicking Some Chicken – Open-Face Buffalo Chicken Sub Sandwiches with Ranch Slaw

11 Feb

Since Sean and I have been on our own for the last couple of weeks while Michelle is away on business, we have been trying to make dinners a little simpler than normal since it is just the 2 of us. This means making a lot of much smaller meals and a few things that we might not make all the time because they may not necessarily be among Michelle’s favorites. I had a bunch of chicken I had purchased recently and was looking for something easy to do with it when I decided to make some chicken sandwiches. At the same time, I have been craving Buffalo chicken ever since the Super Bowl and was looking for a way where I could combine the 2 into a nice sandwich. I came across this particular recipe at Kitchen Daily for an open-face Buffalo chicken sub sandwich with a very simple ranch slaw dressing that makes use of yogurt instead of mayonnaise. It does take a little bit of planning ahead to cook the chicken and then shred it for the sandwiches but it is still quite easy to put together.

Open-Face Buffalo Chicken Sub Sandwiches with Ranch Slaw

1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 1/2 cups chicken broth

1 cup beer, your choice (you can also use an additional cup of chicken broth in place of the beer)

1 1/4 cup Buffalo wing sauce

2 cups very thinly sliced green cabbage

2 ribs celery, julienned

1 medium carrot, julienned (or shaved with a vegetable peeler)

1/4 red onion, very thinly sliced

1/2 cup non-fat Greek yogurt

1/4 teaspoon dried parsley, crushed

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

1/8 teaspoon onion powder

1/8 teaspoon dried dill weed

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

1/8 teaspoon salt

Grinder or submarine sandwich rolls

1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese (optional)

To prepare the chicken, pat the chicken thighs dry with paper towels and season both sides with salt and freshly ground black pepper. In a Dutch oven or a medium saucepan, heat the olive oil over high heat. When the oil is hot, add the chicken thighs and cook for about 3 minutes on each side until the chicken is golden brown. Add the chicken broth and the beer and reduce the heat to low. Cover the pan and continue cooking the chicken for one hour.

While the chicken is simmering, begin to prepare the ranch slaw. In a large bowl, combine the cabbage, celery, carrot and red onion. Briefly set the bowl aside. For the ranch dressing, in a small bowl, combine the Greek yogurt, dried parsley, garlic powder, onion powder, dill weed, black pepper and salt. Pour the ranch dressing over the vegetable mixture and toss the vegetables to coat them well. Cover and refrigerate the slaw until you are ready to serve.

After one hour, transfer the chicken thighs to a cutting board and shred them with 2 forks. Discard the cooking liquid. Return the shredded chicken to the Dutch oven and set the pan over low heat. Add the Buffalo wing sauce and stir until the chicken is well coated. Keep the chicken warm. Halve the rolls you are using and place them on a baking sheet. Place the rolls under the broiler for about 2 minutes until they are lightly toasted. You could also use a toaster oven for this step if you prefer.

To assemble the sandwiches, divide the Buffalo chicken among the 4 grinder or sub roll halves. Top each half with plenty of ranch slaw and 2 tablespoons of the blue cheese crumbles, if using. Serve the sandwiches with additional ranch slaw on the side.

You have a lot of choices when it comes to making the sandwiches. You could use the boneless chicken thighs or you can use boneless chicken breasts if you prefer to have white meat or that is what you happen to have on hand that day. You can use any Buffalo wing sauce that you like, but you want to remember that you are using the wing sauce and not just regular hot sauce. Wing sauce is a little bit thicker than traditional hot sauce and does not have the high concentration of heat that just hot sauce has. I know Frank’s makes a good brand of wing sauce and I personally like Sweet Baby Ray’s myself, but you could naturally use any kind that you like. You could even make your own by combining some hot sauce, melted butter and cayenne pepper if you prefer to go that route. I left the blue cheese off the particular sandwiches I was making but they would go well since it is a Buffalo sandwich. As for the slaw, I thought it came out great. The dressing is much thicker than what you would find in a traditional mayonnaise-based coleslaw, which to me really helped to make it great. You get good ranch flavor thanks to all the spices that use and the nice mix of the cabbage, celery, carrot and red onion really helped to make it stand out. This would be a good coleslaw recipe to use for just about any sandwich that you like. I would definitely make these sandwiches again as they came together pretty quickly. Poaching them in the chicken broth and beer not only gave them great flavor but made the much easier to shred and pull apart.

That’s all I have for today. Check back next time for another recipe. Until then, enjoy the rest of your day and enjoy your meal!

2 Comments

Posted by MikeG on February 11, 2015 in Cooking, Dinner, Dressings, Lunch, Poultry, Salad, Sandwiches, Side Dishes

Tags: Buffalo Chicken, Buffalo chicken sandwich, Buffalo wing sauce, Kitchen Daily, open-face Buffalo chicken sandwich, open-face Buffalo chicken sub sandwiches with ranch slaw, ranch slaw

Serve Up Some Sicilian-Style Thick Crust Pizza

10 Feb

I know yesterday was National Pizza Day, but Monday is always my busiest day with work so I knew I was going to have time to post a new pizza recipe that I had tried out. I have made lots of different pizzas, sometimes with making my own dough and sometimes with store-bought dough and they have all turned out pretty well, though some are always better than others. Not long ago Sean had asked me if I ever thought about trying to make a Sicilian pizza instead of just regular pizza. I hadn’t had Sicilian pizza in quite a long time and had never made it myself before, but I was always willing to try and was waiting for the right recipe to come along to inspire me. Then along came this recipe from Cook’s Illustrated for Sicilian-style thick crust pizza and it seemed just right. I did have to pick up a couple of things I don’t normally have around, namely semolina flour and anchovies, but other than that I had everything else ready to go and gave it a try.

For the Dough:

2 1/4 cups (11 1/4 ounces) all-purpose flour

2 cups (12 ounces) semolina flour

1 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon instant or rapid-rise yeast

1 2/3 cups (13 1/3 ounces) ice water

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 1/4 teaspoons salt

For the Sauce:

1 (28-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, drained

2 teaspoons sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon tomato paste

3 anchovy fillets, rinsed, patted dry, and minced

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

For the Pizza:

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

2 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated (1 cup)

12 ounces whole-milk mozzarella, shredded (3 cups)

For the pizza dough: Using a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, mix the all-purpose flour, semolina flour, sugar, and yeast on low speed until the ingredients are combined, about 10 seconds. With the machine running, slowly add the ice water and oil until the dough forms and no dry flour remains, about 1 to 2 minutes. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough stand for 10 minutes.

Add the salt to the dough and mix the dough on medium speed until the dough forms a satiny, sticky ball that clears the sides of bowl, about 6 to 8 minutes. Remove the dough from the bowl and knead it briefly on a lightly floured counter until it is smooth, about 1 minute. Shape the dough into a tight ball and place it in a large, lightly oiled bowl. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate it for at least 24 hours or up to 48 hours.

To make the sauce, process the tomatoes, sugar, and salt in a food processor until the mixture is smooth, about 30 seconds. Heat the olive oil and garlic in a medium saucepan set over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the garlic is fragrant and just beginning to brown, about 2 minutes. Add the tomato paste, anchovies, oregano, and pepper flakes and cook until the mixture is fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the tomato mixture and cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce measures 2 cups, about 25 to 30 minutes. Transfer the sauce to a bowl, let it cool, and refrigerate the sauce until it is needed.

To make the pizza, one hour before baking the pizza, place a baking stone on the upper-middle rack and heat the oven to 500 degrees. Spray a rimmed baking sheet (including the rim) with vegetable oil spray, then coat the bottom of the pan with oil. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and transfer it to a lightly floured counter. Lightly flour the top of the dough and gently press it into a 12 by 9-inch rectangle. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough into a 18 by 13-inch rectangle. Transfer the dough to a prepared baking sheet, fitting the dough into the corners. Spray the top of the dough with vegetable oil spray and lay a sheet of plastic wrap over the dough. Place a second baking sheet on the dough and let it stand for 1 hour.

Remove the top baking sheet and the plastic wrap. Gently stretch and lift the dough to fill the pan. Using the back of a spoon or ladle, spread the sauce in an even layer over the surface of the dough, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Sprinkle the Parmesan evenly over the entire surface of the dough to the edges followed by the mozzarella.

Place the pizza on the baking stone; reduce the oven temperature to 450 degrees and bake the pizza until the bottom crust is evenly browned and the cheese is bubbly and browned, about 20 to 25 minutes, rotating the pizza halfway through the baking process. Remove the pan from the oven and let it cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Run a knife around the rim of the pan to loosen the pizza. Transfer the pizza to a cutting board, cut it into squares, and serve.

You do need to plan this one a day or two ahead of time so he dough has a chance to rest properly. The two different flours do make a difference here as you get the thick crust that is more cake-like than chewy like you get with a thin crust. The anchovy adds some great flavor to the pizza sauce and overall the combination of the crust and sauce made this a really perfect pizza and one of the better Sicilian pies I have tried. It is worth the work to put into it if you like this type of pizza and don’t want to spend $20 on one from a pizza place. Unfortunately the pictures I took of the pizza seem to have gotten lost in cyberland somewhere between my phone and computer and I cannot find them anywhere, but if I do find it I will post them here. trust me, it looked really good.

That’s all I have for today. Check back next time for another recipe. Until then, enjoy the rest of your day and enjoy your meal!

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Posted by MikeG on February 10, 2015 in Cooking, Dinner, Pizza

Tags: Cook's Illustrated Sicilian pizza, pizza, pizza recipe, Sicilian pizza, Sicilian pizza recipe, Sicilian-style thick crust pizza, thick crust pizza

39 Delicious Things You Can Make In A Skillet

09 Feb

39 Delicious Things You Can Make In A Skillet.

Skillet cooking is a great way to make use of that cast-iron skillet or stainless steel skillet and make a whole meal right in one pan on many occasions. Buzz Feed has put together 39 great skillet recipes to cover everything that you like and more to make delicious, easy meals. Check it out!

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Posted by MikeG on February 9, 2015 in Beef, Breakfast, Cooking, Cooking Tips, Cooking Websites, Dinner, Equipment, Leftovers, Lunch, One Pot Meals, Pasta, Pork, Potatoes, Poultry, Rice, Sauce, Sausage, Seafood, Stir Fry, Vegetables

Tags: 39 delicious things you can make in a skillet, 39 skillet recipes, Buzz Feed 39 things to make in a skillet, BuzzFeed, cast iron skillet, one pan meals, recipes you can make in a skillet, skillet recipes

A Heartwarming Winter Meal – Chicken Thigh and Italian Sausage Cacciatore

07 Feb

It doesn’t seem like it could actually get much colder or more miserable around this winter and February has only just begun. We have had enough snow already with more in the forecast for this week to go along with pretty frigid temperatures pretty much every day of the week for the last two weeks. When the weather gets like this, the thoughts of cooking meals, for me at least, turn to things that are warm, rustic and comforting. You want a meal that is going to make you feel warm all over when you eat it. This is the time of year when things like stews and soups are great, and this particular recipe turned out to be somewhat like a stew. I had seen the recipe from Guy Fieri on the Food Network not long ago and it made use of some of the basics around the house to produce a nice chicken thigh and sausage cacciatore so I thought I would give it a try.

Chicken Thigh and Italian Sausage Cacciatore

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 pound sweet Italian Sausage, cut into large pieces

6 chicken thighs, bone-in and skin-on

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 cup sliced cremini mushrooms

1 cup frozen pearl onions, thawed

1 cup diced red bell peppers

1 head garlic, roasted

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 cup dry red wine

1 cup chicken stock

1 cup marinara sauce

4 sprigs fresh thyme

2 sprigs fresh rosemary

2 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Add the olive oil to a large Dutch oven set over medium-high heat and add the sausage pieces, searing them until they are browned all over, about 3 to 4 minutes. Remove the sausages to a plate and set them aside. Sprinkle the chicken thighs on both sides with salt and pepper, then sear the chicken in the Dutch oven, 4 to 5 minutes per side. Remove the chicken thighs to a plate and set it aside.

Add the mushrooms, pearl onions, red peppers, roasted garlic and the red pepper flakes to the pot and season them with salt and pepper. Saute the mixture until the vegetables are softened and the pearl onions become translucent, about 4 minutes. Add the red wine and bring the mixture to a boil, and then simmer for 5 minutes, deglazing the pan and scraping up any bits on the bottom of the pan.

In a large roasting pan add the browned sausages and the chicken thighs, the sautéed vegetables and the chicken stock and marinara sauce. Tie the thyme and rosemary into a bundle using butcher’s twine or kitchen twine and add it to the pan. Stir all of the ingredients together and transfer the roasting pan to the oven. Cook until the chicken thighs are cooked through and tender and the sauce has thickened, about 35 to 45 minutes. Remove the herb bundle and serve the cacciatore on a large serving platter, garnished with the parsley.

I did make a couple of changes to the recipe as I went along. I removed the skin from the chicken thighs as I thought it would get flabby during the cooking even after searing it and there was already enough fat in the dish from the sausage. I also used a mix of different colored peppers, using red, yellow and orange peppers. Finally I added some grape tomatoes along with the marinara sauce to give the dish a little more flair and fresh flavor. I loved the mix of the chicken and sausage and all of the vegetables together and I served this over rice and it was delicious. I think you could also serve this with pasta, noodles or even a risotto and it would be just as good and the leftovers tasted even better the next day for lunch with the flavors having a chance to meld even more.

That’s all I have for today. Check back next time for another recipe. Until then, enjoy the rest of your day and enjoy your meal!