I am a fan of the "Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day" method of making bread. I save a lot of time by not even having to read the labels on the back of the bread sacks:) The best part is how flexible the recipe is. You can make full on bread, or in a pinch you can pull together pizzas and other flat breads that make a satisfying meal.
I decided to try this pizza based on the leftovers in the fridge. This would go best with a soup or salad to round out the meal.
Ingredients:
Grapefruit-size ball of bread dough
Olive Oil
1 can diced tomatoes, drained
1/2 Onion, diced
4 pcs bacon
10-12 asparagus spears, cut into 1 inch pieces.
mixture of cheeses to cover pizza (goat cheese, mozarella, cheddar would be good options)
crushed red pepper and dried italian herbs to finish.
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 450 - with a baking stone in if you have one. Take the fresh dough and roll it out on a floured surface until it is about 1/4" thick. Transfer to either a baking pan or a pizza peel dusted with cornmeal if using a stone. Turn up the edges so your toppings don't slide off. Prick all over with a fork. Brush on some olive oil over dough. Slide the crust onto the stone, or put the pan in the oven, for 2-3 minutes to par-bake the crust. Pop any bubbles that form so your dough stays flat.
2. Slide the parbaked crust out of the oven. Set aside.
3. In a pan over medium high heat, cook the bacon until done. Drain fat from pan, cut bacon into small diced pieces. return to pan with onion and asparagus. Cook until onions are translucent and asparagus is a nice happy bright green. Set aside.
4. Squeeze the liquid out of the crushed tomato and scatter over par-baked crust. Top with a nice dusting of italian herb and crushed pepper. Scatter the bacon mixture over top. Top with a mixture of cheese. Return to oven for 7-10 minutes, or until bubbly and yum looking.
5. Remove from oven to cool for 10-15 minutes. Slice and enjoy.
Notes:
How this fabulous sounding recipe earned only two stars: Well, basically I found it to be too acidic. I think the tomato, combined with goat cheese, just really threw off the flavor into the overly acidic range. I think that a smokier, meltier cheese like gruyere would have worked better. And maybe it is better to err on the side of fewer tomatoes too. This seemed like an obvious "win" - BLT's taste great, grilled asparagus tastes great, and who doesn't like pizza? I have to say I definately think it was the cheese that threw it off - if you want to give this a try, I recommend gruyere or cheddar mixed with mozzarella if you want to go a little cheaper.
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
After School Snack - Orange Icebox Cookies
These cookies are perfect after-school snacks. The cookies can be made and frozen for fresh-from-the-oven cookies any time you want them. They are also the perfect accompianment to healthier treats like baked fruit, or fruit and yogurt. I like to make them small and thin.
Ingredients:
1 stick unsalted butter
zest from 1 orange, tangerine, or other citrus
2 tbsp sugar (any kind of granular sugar)
1/2 cup confectioners sugar
1/8 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp of fresh orange juice
1 egg yolk
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour or whole wheat pastry flour
Directions:
1. Beat butter, sugars, salt, and zest in an electric mixer for several minutes at medium speed. Add vanilla and egg yolk, beat until smooth, then reduce speed of mixer and add the flour 1/2 cup at a time until all is mixed together.
2. Use your hands to place dough on a sheet of wax paper about 14 inches long. Shape the dough into a log about 10 inches long. Wrap the wax paper around it and chill for at least 30 minutes, or until firm.
3. For immediate consumption: Preheat the oven to 350. Slice the log into 1/4 inch rounds and bake on ungreased cookie sheet for 15 minutes. For later consumption: Slice the log into 1/4 inch rounds and place in a ziploc bag, store flat. When you are ready to eat, preheat the oven to 350 and then bake for 15 minutes. Serve accompanied with fresh fruit and yogurt or baked fruit.
This Recipe is from Seasonal Fruit Desserts by Deborah Madison
Ingredients:
1 stick unsalted butter
zest from 1 orange, tangerine, or other citrus
2 tbsp sugar (any kind of granular sugar)
1/2 cup confectioners sugar
1/8 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp of fresh orange juice
1 egg yolk
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour or whole wheat pastry flour
Directions:
1. Beat butter, sugars, salt, and zest in an electric mixer for several minutes at medium speed. Add vanilla and egg yolk, beat until smooth, then reduce speed of mixer and add the flour 1/2 cup at a time until all is mixed together.
2. Use your hands to place dough on a sheet of wax paper about 14 inches long. Shape the dough into a log about 10 inches long. Wrap the wax paper around it and chill for at least 30 minutes, or until firm.
3. For immediate consumption: Preheat the oven to 350. Slice the log into 1/4 inch rounds and bake on ungreased cookie sheet for 15 minutes. For later consumption: Slice the log into 1/4 inch rounds and place in a ziploc bag, store flat. When you are ready to eat, preheat the oven to 350 and then bake for 15 minutes. Serve accompanied with fresh fruit and yogurt or baked fruit.
This Recipe is from Seasonal Fruit Desserts by Deborah Madison
Sausage and Asparagus Fried Rice
Fried Rice is one of my favorite meals when the refrigerator looks bare. This recipe incorporates the leftovers from Sunday (Hamburgers with Grilled Asparagus)
Ingredients:
2 tbsp of an oil (such as canola, olive, or butter)
2 eggs
1/2-1 lb sausage, cooked and broken into small pieces (crab meat, shrimp, chicken, or pork would be good too)
3 tsp grated ginger
3 cloves garlic
2-3 cups of leftover rice (any variety)
1/2 of an onion, small dice
10-12 asparagus spears chopped into 1 inch pieces
4 tbsp ketchup or chili sauce
2-3 tbsp soy sauce
Salt and Pepper to Taste
Steps:
1. Heat the oil in a medium pan over medium high heat. Add the two eggs, scramble, and cook until soft-set. Remove to a dish.
2. Add the meat. Cook over medium high heat until sausage begins to cook through. Remove to a dish.
3. Add ginger and garlic to the pan. Cook until soft, about 1 minute.
4. Add the leftover rice, using your fingers or a spoon to break up the grains of rice. Cook about three minutes.
5. Add 1-1&1/2 cups of vegetables, in this case onion and asparagus. Cook three minutes.
6. Add the ketchup and soy sauce. Continue to cook, stirring frequently.
7. Take a taste - adjust salt, pepper, or sauce to taste.
Ingredients:
2 tbsp of an oil (such as canola, olive, or butter)
2 eggs
1/2-1 lb sausage, cooked and broken into small pieces (crab meat, shrimp, chicken, or pork would be good too)
3 tsp grated ginger
3 cloves garlic
2-3 cups of leftover rice (any variety)
1/2 of an onion, small dice
10-12 asparagus spears chopped into 1 inch pieces
4 tbsp ketchup or chili sauce
2-3 tbsp soy sauce
Salt and Pepper to Taste
Steps:
1. Heat the oil in a medium pan over medium high heat. Add the two eggs, scramble, and cook until soft-set. Remove to a dish.
2. Add the meat. Cook over medium high heat until sausage begins to cook through. Remove to a dish.
3. Add ginger and garlic to the pan. Cook until soft, about 1 minute.
4. Add the leftover rice, using your fingers or a spoon to break up the grains of rice. Cook about three minutes.
5. Add 1-1&1/2 cups of vegetables, in this case onion and asparagus. Cook three minutes.
6. Add the ketchup and soy sauce. Continue to cook, stirring frequently.
7. Take a taste - adjust salt, pepper, or sauce to taste.
About the Jones Family Table
Our table is surrounded by mom, dad, a kindergartener, a toddler, and the occassional guest. This blog is a chance for me to create a searchable list of favorite recipes.
Unlike many of my favorite blogs, I can't promise that every meal will be under five dollars, under 500 calories, or only created from sustainable and local ingredients. However, every meal will be tested by an expert panel of four judges and labeled to help you know how it fits into categories that might have significance to you. You will find meals in the following categories:
Price Index Label:
I aim to spend less than $13 a day on all family meals.
$=$0-$5 for a family of four
$$=$6-$10 for a family of four
$$$=$11 and above for a family of four
Family Approval Label:
*= one or fewer family members approve
**=two family members approve
***=three family members approve
****=four family members approve
Time Committment Label:
0-30 = 0-30 minutes from prep to table
30-60=30-60 minutes from prep to table
60+=more than an hour from prep to table
Type of Dinner:
Meat Main Course
Other=It isn't dinner, or it isn't in these categories!
Pasta
Remake=Something made out of leftover ingredients, or real live leftovers(well...not too lively!).
Restaurant Style=Gourmet Quality Meal
Rice
Salad
Soup
Take-Out Style
Cooking Method:
Grill
Microwave
No-Cook
Oven
Set It and Forget It (Rice Cookers, Crock Pots)
Stove Top
Toaster Oven
Dietary Requirements:
Dairy Free
Gluten Free
Low Salt
Low Sugar
Vegetarian
Seasonal Recipes:
Spring
Summer
Fall
Winter
Unlike many of my favorite blogs, I can't promise that every meal will be under five dollars, under 500 calories, or only created from sustainable and local ingredients. However, every meal will be tested by an expert panel of four judges and labeled to help you know how it fits into categories that might have significance to you. You will find meals in the following categories:
Price Index Label:
I aim to spend less than $13 a day on all family meals.
$=$0-$5 for a family of four
$$=$6-$10 for a family of four
$$$=$11 and above for a family of four
Family Approval Label:
*= one or fewer family members approve
**=two family members approve
***=three family members approve
****=four family members approve
Time Committment Label:
0-30 = 0-30 minutes from prep to table
30-60=30-60 minutes from prep to table
60+=more than an hour from prep to table
Type of Dinner:
Meat Main Course
Other=It isn't dinner, or it isn't in these categories!
Pasta
Remake=Something made out of leftover ingredients, or real live leftovers(well...not too lively!).
Restaurant Style=Gourmet Quality Meal
Rice
Salad
Soup
Take-Out Style
Cooking Method:
Grill
Microwave
No-Cook
Oven
Set It and Forget It (Rice Cookers, Crock Pots)
Stove Top
Toaster Oven
Dietary Requirements:
Dairy Free
Gluten Free
Low Salt
Low Sugar
Vegetarian
Seasonal Recipes:
Spring
Summer
Fall
Winter
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