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Margarita Pizza with Quick Pizza Dough
After_Pizza

This is really more of a post about the New York Time’s Quick Pizza Dough recipe that was making the rounds on social media. The recipe makes 2 pizza dough balls, which is enough for 4 people. I made the recipe twice (instead of doubling it) one Sunday afternoon so I’d have 4 in my freezer. It was really quick and defrosted nicely. I still have to master the art of stretching my dough – I did an okay rectangle, but a round pizza still alludes me.

For the sauce, I made Roberta’s recipe, from the pioneer Bushwick, Brooklyn restaurant, which simply calls for pureeing a can of whole tomatoes with a splash of olive oil and salt in a food processor or blender. It tasted so fresh and delicious, I highly recommend. However, you could really top this dough with whatever floats your boat.

For the Dough: 

2 ¾ cups/390 grams bread flour
2 ½ ts./7 grams active dry yeast (1 packet)
2 ts. sea salt
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup warm water

Put the flour, yeast and salt in a food processor. With the machine running, pour the oil through the feed tube, then add the water in a slow, steady stream. Continue to process for 2 to 3 minutes (the dough should form a rough ball and ride around in the processor). The finished dough should be soft, slightly sticky and elastic. If too dry, add a bit more water; if too wet, a tablespoon or so more flour.

Lay a 12-inch-long piece of plastic wrap on a clean work surface. Work the dough into a rectangle on the plastic, about 8 inches long and 6 inches wide. Press your fingers into the top of the dough all over, making indentations as though it were a focaccia. Fold the left third of the dough over (as you would a letter) and repeat the indentations. Fold the right third over and make the indentations again. Cover the folded dough with plastic wrap and let rise for 20 minutes.

Cut the dough in half, form each piece into a neat ball, wrap tightly in plastic wrap and transfer to the freezer.
Pizza Ingredients

For the Pizza: 

2 balls of dough
1 large can of whole tomatoes
olive oil
salt
1 lb. fresh mozzarella
several basil leaves

The morning before you want to make pizza, transfer the dough to the refrigerator to thaw. When you are ready to make the pizza, bring the dough to room temperature, it’ll take approximately 15 to 20 minutes. Put a pizza stone in the oven and preheat to 550 degrees. (If you don’t have a stone, oil a rimmed baking sheet and set aside.) Working with the dough in your hands (not flat on a work surface), gently begin to stretch the dough into a circular shape, pressing your fist into the center of the dough and pulling at the edges with your other hand. With both hands, stretch the dough, being careful not to tear it. Working in a circular motion, pull the thicker edges of the dough outward, letting gravity help you. Continue to stretch the dough until it’s relatively even in thickness (the edges will be thicker) and you have the size you want. Carefully lay it on the peel or baking sheet.

Meanwhile, puree the tomatoes, oil and salt in a food processor or blender.

Top the pizza with sauce – not too much, you may have some leftover – cheese and basil. Slide it off the peel and onto your heated stone, or place the baking sheet into the oven. Cook the pizza for 6 to 10 minutes or until the crust is golden and the cheese is bubbling. Swirl more olive oil and sprinkle with salt, if desired.

Before_Pizza

It has been a long time since I’ve posted to this blog. I’m so sorry about that, but I swear I have several good excuses for my absence. We moved to a new apartment – toddler in tow; I planned an international conference for 400 people and I am currently 23 weeks pregnant! So as you can see, my winter/spring have been very busy. Fortunately, things are back to normal, for the most part, and I am back to cooking 3-5 times a week. My timing is pretty good at least! Asparagus is back at our local farmers markets which means the rest of my beloved fresh fruits and veggies are also on their way. I promise more frequent posting, at least until Baby #2 arrives, featuring new, exciting recipes to celebrate the new market season!

Asparagus - where have you been all winter!?

Asparagus – where have you been all winter?!

This week I’m sharing two recipes each from the New York Times and thekitchn.com. I am in love with the new New York Times recipe app “Cooking“, which you can access on your desktop, iPad and smart phone – check it out!

Meal #1: Roasted Chicken Provençal + Crispy Potatoes
Meal #2: Margarita Pizza with Quick Pizza Dough
Meal #3: White Fish Fillets on a Potato Raft
Meal #4: Broiled Steak and Asparagus with Feta Sauce

Your grocery list, excluding the usual pantry items: 

asparagus – 2 bunches (about 2 lbs.)
russet potatoes – 1 1/2 lbs. (about 2 medium)
yukon gold or red bliss potatoes – 4-6 medium
lemons – 2
shallots – 4-6 medium
fresh thyme – 1 bunch
fresh chives – 1 bunch
herbes de Provence
dried rosemary (if you don’t already have it)
crumbled feta cheese – 1 cup (about 6 ounces)
fresh mozzarella – 1 lb. (you will probably use less, but it isn’t like the rest won’t get eaten)
sour cream – 1 small container
bread flour
active dry yeast – 1 packet
whole tomatoes  – 1 large can

capers (if you don’t already have them)
skinless sole fillets or other firm white fish – 4 (5 ounces each and 1 to 1 1/2 inches thick)
steaks – 2 (each 1 to 1 1/2 inches thick; about 2 1/4 pounds total)
bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs – 8
dry vermouth

Caprese-Stuffed Peppers
Stuffed Peppers w Caprese

I’ve been making this meal for decades. It is filling, vegetarian and showcases summer’s harvest.

2 large red peppers – halved, ribs and seeds removed (look for peppers that can sit on their sides without tipping over)
2 tomatoes – cubed
1 ball of mozzarella – cubed
2 cloves of garlic – minced
6-10 basil leaves – torn or cut into small pieces
2 TB. balsamic vinegar
2 TB. olive oil

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees. Place pepper halves on a baking sheet, cut side facing up. Toss the rest of the ingredients together and spoon even amounts into pepper halves. Bake in the  oven for 25-30 minutes, or until the cheese stars to bubble and a knife easily slips into the peppers.

Steamed Green Beans

1 lb. green beans, trimmed and halved if very long
1 Tb. butter
salt and pepper

Over medium-high heat, place beans in a steamer basket set in a pot with enough water to almost touch the beans, cover. It should take between 5-10 minutes for the water to come to a boil and steam the green beans until they are tender, but keep an eye on them so they don’t overcook and become limp. Remove from basket and toss with butter, salt and pepper.

By the looks of everyone’s Facebook posts most of your kids went back to school this week. Next week Eliza starts a two-day a week, morning preschool program and I gearing up for the excitement and nervousness that starting school will bring – more so for me than for her!

The beginning of the school year means that all of our lives get a lot busier. Along with the daily grind, many of you are probably juggling sports practices and games, music lessons and scout meetings. Finding time to meal plan, grocery shop and cook is even more difficult and ordering pizza is very tempting. I get it, I’m with you too. But, if you can swing it, it is nice to sit down a few nights a week to a home-cooked meal, and I promise you that this week’s meals are quick. I mean really quick. At least three of them can be thrown together in well under 30 minutes. Give it a try and if you’ve got bigger kids, enlist their help to put dinner together – they can use those burgeoning math skills to measure!

Big kids will love chopping (carefully!) all of the ingredients for this quick, delicious Greek Salad

Big kids will love chopping (carefully!) all of the ingredients for this quick, delicious Greek Salad

Meal #1: Grilled Shrimp with Greek Salad + Corn on the Cob
Meal #2: Grilled Skirt Steak with Chimichurri + Cucumber Salad
Meal #3: Caprese-Stuffed Peppers + Steamed Green Beans
Meal #4: Italian Sausage, Panzanella, Corn on the Cob

Your grocery list, excluding the usual pantry items: 

tomatoes – 6
cucumbers – 4
red onions – 2
corn – 2 ears per person
shallot – 1
red pepper – 3
green beans – 1 lb.
basil – 1 bunch
cilantro – 1 large bunch
parsley – 1 bunch
oregano – 1 bunch
jalapeño – 1 (or use hot red pepper flakes)
feta – 2 oz.
mozzarella – 1 large ball
Italian bread – 1 loaf
red wine vinegar (if you don’t already have it)
apple cider vinegar (if you don’t already have it)
kalamata olives – 1 jar (if you don’t already have them)
capers – 1 jar (if you don’t already have them)
Italian sausage – 1 or 2 per person, depending on the size
skirt steak – 1 1/2 lb.
shrimp –  1 1/2 lb.

 

Summer Pasta with Fresh Tomato Sauce and Mozzarella
Summer Pasta_Web

This is such a great dish for showcasing summer’s greatest gift to us – the tomato – and prep is so fast. You can’t eat this any other time of the year because tomatoes aren’t good enough to eat raw. I used to make this recipe without marinating the tomatoes (see below), but once I learned this trick from Jamie Oliver I never went back – it really makes them taste incredible.

¾ lb. pasta (I like penne or rigatoni)
3-4 tomatoes, chopped
salt
2 garlic cloves, minced
Handful of basil, torn up
olive oil, to taste
1/2 lb. fresh mozzarella – cubed

Boil water for pasta, when boiling add pasta and follow directions on the box.

Chop tomatoes, add them to a colander placed over a large bowl or in the sink, and toss them with a decent amount of salt (maybe 2 teaspoons?) and let sit at least 15 minutes while you prep the rest of the your ingredients. Mince garlic and cube mozzarella.
IMG_1605

When the pasta is ready, toss tomatoes into your serving bowl and drain the pasta in the colander you used for the tomatoes (the juice that comes out of the tomatoes should be thrown out). Add garlic, mozzarella, basil, olive oil, salt and pepper to the tomatoes and mix. Add pasta and toss.

 

This is the best time of the year to cook and I’ve left you all stranded – I’m sorry! The thing is that while it is the easiest time to throw something delicious together, for me it has also been the busiest. In the last four weeks, I’ve been to Ottawa, Omaha, Vermont, Boston and Baltimore! Consequently, I have not had a chance to cook as much as I would like. But in Vermont, which was vacation, I had a chance to make a bunch of great, summertime dishes, many of which will show up here throughout the next several weeks.

Upon my return to New York I was greeted with all of summer’s best – green beans, peaches, blueberries, raspberries, corn and even the season’s first tomatoes! Total inspiration. This week’s recipes take advantage of the season’s bounty and none of them take too long to prepare so you have plenty of time to get out there and catch some fireflies!

I've been waiting all year for this!

I’ve been waiting all year for this!

Meal #1: Grilled Sausages and Summer Beans with Herbs, Tomatoes and Caramelized Onions
Meal #2: Fish Fillets with Tomatoes, Squash, and Basil + Corn on the Cob
Meal #3: Summer Pasta with Fresh Tomato Sauce and Mozzarella
Meal #4: Pork Tenderloin with Plums and Red Onion + Corn on the Cob

Note: For the next several weeks you will see a LOT of corn here. The season is so short so we tend to eat either corn on the cob or corn salad every night. You’ve been warned.

Your grocery list, excluding the usual pantry items:

summer squash (such as zucchini and yellow crookneck) – 2-4, depending on size
shallots – 2
red onion – 2 large
thyme – 1 bunch
parsley – 1 bunch
basil – 1 bunch
cherry tomatoes – 2 pints
green and/or wax beans – 1 lb.
tomatoes – 3-4
corn – 1 per person for two separate meals
plums – 4
pasta (penne or rigatoni work well) – 1 box
fresh mozzarella – 1/2 lb.
sausages – 2 lb.
pork tenderloin – 1 1/2 – 2 lb.
skinless white flaky fish fillets (such as Atlantic cod or halibut) – 4 6-ounce fillets
white wine

 

Fish Fillets with Tomatoes, Squash, and Basil 

I LOVE this recipe, especially in the summer. It is so healthy and fresh-tasting and lets the best of summer’s produce shine. Some variations:

  • I’ve made this with halibut, cod, salmon and arctic char. You can really use any fish, although I’d probably stick to something on the thicker side so that it holds up.
  • Cooking time varies depending on the fish, so check it after 10 minutes, and plan for it needing a few more minutes if the fish is thick.
  • As you know, I don’t have a grill so I always do this in the oven, but I still use foil and it is fine.
  • If you don’t have white wine on hand you can substitute some lemon juice.

Corn on the Cob

My Mom taught me this method and it is tried and true. Please, no microwaves…

Boil water in a pot, put shucked corn in the water, turn off the heat and put a lid on your pot. Wait 10 minutes or so. Eat with lots of butter, salt and pepper.

 

I’m really happy that I finally started this meal-planning blog, but as the weeks have gotten busier it has been more difficult to find time to research recipes, prepare meals and put together each post. I’m not complaining, just saying that you never really know what you’ve gotten into until you’re in it! That said, one unexpected benefit of this site has been that I have an excuse, or really the impetus, to finally try a bunch of recipes that I have clipped or dog-eared or saved on Pinterest. Like anyone, I make roughly the same 20 meals per season rotated over the course of 3-4 weeks. Many of those meals have already been featured on this blog. However, when I started this blog I knew that if I provided readers with just 20 recipes my endeavor would be short lived. So, I started digging through my recipe collection, which lives in a large accordion folder, a collection of food magazines, many cookbooks, a “recipe box” on epicurious.com and of course my trusty Pinterest recipe board.

My trusty recipe board on Pinterest

My trusty recipe board on Pinterest

This week I bring you three recipes that I tried for the first time this week, but that I have wanted to make for awhile. Along with those three I added a re-post of my pasta marinara (a mainstay). Enjoy!

Meal #1: Sweet and Sour Chicken Thighs with Couscous
Meal #2: Pasta with Marinara + Green Salad
Meal #3: Spring Minestrone with Chicken Meatballs and Garlic Bread
Meal #4: Shrimp with Orange and Ginger

Your grocery list, excluding the usual pantry items:

onion – 1
carrots – 2 lb.
lemons – 2
lettuce – 1 bunch or bag
leek – 1
baby spinach – 1 cup
red bell pepper – 1
oranges – 2
scallions – 1 bunch
basil – 1 small bunch
chives – 1 small bunch
ginger – 1 small piece
parsley – 1 bunch (optional)
cilantro – 1 bunch (optional)
low-salt chicken broth – 5 cups
egg – 1
pasta – 1 box
rice
small pasta (such as orzo or ditalini) – 1 box 
crushed tomatoes – 28 ounce can
baguette or whatever bread you like
breadcrumbs – 1/2 cup (if you don’t already have it)
sesame oil – (if you don’t already have it)
honey – (if you don’t already have it)
paprika – (if you don’t already have it)
cinnamon – (if you don’t already have it)
crushed red pepper – (if you don’t already have it)
bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs – 2 1/2 to 2 3/4 lb total
ground chicken – 6 ounces
shrimp – 1 lb. 

Pasta with Marinara

A friend of mine at work is originally from Rome, so she knows her pasta. A couple of years ago, we got to talking about homemade tomato sauce and I mentioned that I wasn’t happy with my recipe. Her face lit up, and she immediately gave me her recipe, which I’ve been making ever since. It is easy, quick and so delicious.

¼ cup olive oil
4 garlic cloves, crushed or sliced
1 large basil sprig
1 pinch of hot red pepper flakes
1 28 ounce can of crushed tomatoes (or whole, but crush them with your hands before using)
salt and pepper, to taste

In a large skillet over medium heat, heat the oil. When it is hot, add the garlic, basil and red pepper flakes. Saute for 1-2 minutes, until the garlic starts to sizzle, but don’t let it brown. Add the tomatoes and stir. Simmer until the sauce thickens a bit, about 15 minutes. Discard garlic, if you desire, and add salt and pepper to taste.

Pasta

Boil salted water and follow directions on the box.

Green Salad

This week has been pretty stressful. At the end of last week, Eliza got the croup and we’ve been battling it since – not fun. At the same time that we are taking extra care of her, both Patrick and I are getting busier at work. I was in Ottawa one night  for business and Patrick  worked one night, along with his usual Thursday night grad school class. Quiet nights at home have been few and far between and our weekdays will probably stay pretty hectic through May. Oh well.

During weeks like this I try to make dinner whenever I can, but with a special focus on quick meals. I’m sure your lives are pretty similar, so I hope you enjoy this week’s meal plan which includes a bunch of simple, delicious dinners. I also included a chili recipe, which I made for Sunday’s Oscars. It takes a little bit longer to cook than the other meals, but you’ll have leftovers for the rest of the week, which is perfect during this busy time.

(Meals should feed four adults and take about 30-40 minutes to prepare, or the time it takes Patrick to give Eliza a bottle and put her to bed.)

Meal #1: Fennel and Garlic Shrimp + French Bread
Meal #2: Chili
Meal #3: Pork Tenderloin with Apples and Red Onion + Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Blue Cheese, Dried Cranberries, and Walnuts
Meal #4: Pasta with Marinara + Green Salad

Your grocery list, excluding the usual pantry items:

fennel bulbs – 2
garlic – 1 head
red bell pepper – 1
green bell pepper – 1
yellow bell pepper – 1
lettuce – 1 head of bag
Brussels sprouts – 1 ½ lb.
red onion – 2
apples – 2
flat-leaf parsley – 1 bunch
basil – 1 bunch
14.5 ounce cans diced tomatoes – 3
28 ounce can of crushed tomatoes – 1
pasta – 1 box
kidney beans – 1 can
blue cheese – ¼ lb.
dried cranberries – ¼ lb.
walnuts – ¼ lb.
French bread
chili powder (if you don’t already have it)
cayenne pepper (if you don’t already have it)
cumin (if you don’t already have it)
unsweetened cocoa powder (if you don’t already have it)
balsamic vinegar (if you don’t already have it)
apple cider vinegar (if you don’t already have it)
balsamic vinegar (if you don’t already have it)
maple syrup (if you don’t already have it)
Parmesan cheese (if you don’t already have it)
Flour (if you don’t already have it)
shrimp – 2 lb.
pork tenderloins (approx. 2 lb. total) – 2
ground beef, buffalo, turkey or chicken – 1 lb.
Pernod (optional)