A Small Dough-nation

I'm not asking for donations, but I am offering one to you in the form of pizza dough. The only thing small about this dough is the ingredient list and the difficulty factor. It serves up big-time in the delish department. I feel every cook should have a good pizza dough recipe blessing their kitchen with a base on which to create endless masterpieces.

I've been fascinated with pizza since...forever. It's easily on the top 5 of my fav foods. Trips to Napoli only reinforced the love. It's embarrassing to divulged the amount of pizza I could eat at a sitting...so I won't. I think what draws me in is the crust. I adore food with crunch. If the crust is crunchy, it may be possible to toss anything on top of it and I would eat it, just to get to the crust. Okay, maybe not anything. My husband would be tossing anchovies, raw oysters and seaweed on there...things he always tries to get me to eat, because he loves them so.

Oh, and a note on instant yeast. If you have not used it...try it. It's amazing. I love it because I don't have to let it proof in the sugar and water until it's puffy. Nope, just toss it into the flour with everything else. It's cheap at your local wholesale club and it keeps forever in the frig. Just sayin'.



Pizza Dough

Prep time: 10 minutes plus 45 minutes to rise, plus 15 minutes to rest (for the dough, not you:)
Makes: 2 pizzas

2 c. flour
2 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
3 tbls. olive oil
2 tsp. instant yeast
1/2 c. warm water (110 degrees)

Dump all ingredients into your stand mixer with dough hook attachment, turn to medium speed and let it rip! If the dough looks a little dry, add a tsp. water. If it looks wet, add a bit of flour.

When it pulls together in a ball, that is when you start the timer for the 5 minutes of kneading. Just let the mixer do the job for you. You can also do this by hand.

After the five minutes, you should have a soft, elastic dough, the expression, "soft as a baby's bottom" would be appropriate here, and in most cases the bowl will be "clean" as in all the dough pulled away from the sides.

Pour in a tsp. of olive oil into your bowl. Coat the dough ball in the oil, this prevents it from drying out.

Cover the bowl with a dish towel and set in a warm place to rise. I happened to put mine outside because it was warm and toasty, much warmer than my air conditioned house...it would have taken forever! So after rising in a warm place for 45 minutes (it should double in size), punch it down and divide into two balls. Let them rest for 15 minutes more. Don't skip this part, trust me. I've gotten antsy pants around this time, skipped this part and it was like trying to roll out an inflatable inter tube. (Okay, weird analogy, just roll with it) It was snapping back, not obeying my rolling pin and just overall difficult to work with. SO, let it rest that 15 min.

Then you're ready to make some pizza! Ciao! P.s. stay tuned for my next video, I will be making pizzas with my kids...trust me you'll want to watch that one.

Ice Cream of the Basil-Lime Persuasion

I found myself being an officiator of a marriage this weekend. No, not a madly in love couple, well, not yet anyways. The wheels in my head were turning. How could I make a refreshing ice cream that captured the flavors of summer in a single bite? First thought, basil. Second thought, lime. Yes, that's it. I will arrange their marriage in the bowl of my ice cream freezer. I will make them love each other. And I did. They are quite the happy couple as I am the happy recipient of their love child they made together...Basil Lime Ice Cream.

I was weirdly nervous about the whole thing really. I had a fear that the ice cream would turn an distasteful brown color, like the color of oxidized basil. Or that it would cause an acrid taste, far from it's delightfully anise/grassy flavor. I wasn't scared so much of the lime but the basil had me worried.

With the "what the hell" attitude of Julia Child, I tossed the torn, bruised basil leaves, stems and all, into the pot of freshly made creme anglaise or ice cream base, to let it steep. Then went the lime zest. Oh, the aromas that flowed. Memories that have been long forgotten or maybe memories yet to come where triggered. They were so faint I couldn't remember them in their entirety. With a frustrated brain, I continued to inhale the bevy of smells wafting off of the surface of the pre-ice cream. Though I couldn't remember the memories, I didn't care, for I was intoxicated.

After this steeped and chilled, I removed the basil and lime zest by straining it. I tasted it. It was wondrous good. But I felt it needed more punch. I wanted to be lifted off my chair by the burst of summerliciousness. So I grated another lime and minced up basil into tiny little specks and tossed them into the churning mix. For twenty-five minutes I waited. I waited to partake of this marriage of flavors. In my anxiousness, I tried to taste it will it was still churning, not a good idea. Finally I lifted the semi-frozen, summer infused, ice cream to my lips. Refreshing would be the first impression. Secondly, the glee that arises in me every time I taste basil, then I am hit with the citrus notes of the lime, which are always welcomed in my mouth. I swore I tasted coconut, though there was none of that in there. I wonder if my brain was saying...that's the natural progression here, basil, lime, coconut. Like some sort of Thai wonderland. I gave some to my husband, he tasted cinnamon. It's very interesting because the basil almost took on a new personality. A personality I much enjoyed.

So without further adieu, here's the recipe for the Basil Lime Ice Cream. I hope you enjoy it's complexities as much as I did. Oh, and for the record, it didn't turn a yucky brown color like I feared it would. As you can see, it's a gorgeous, light green.

Basil Lime Ice Cream

prep time: 10 minutes  cook time: 15 minutes  freezing time: 25 minutes plus additional 2 hrs. serves: 4

1 1/2 c. heavy cream
1 1/2 c. milk
2 egg yolks
1/2 c. sugar
1 large handful of fresh basil, torn and bruised, plus an additional tbls. minced fresh basil
zest of 2 limes

Combine cream and milk over medium heat in a heavy saucepan. Cook until it almost boils, 5-8 minutes. Reduce to low.

In a small bowl, whisk together egg yolks and sugar. Beat until a light yellow and sorta fluffy. Add 4-5 tbls. of the hot milk mixture to the egg mixture, slowly. As you add each tbls. constantly whisk, so that the eggs do not curdle. Then gradually pour the egg mixture into the pot of milk. Stir constantly. Cook for another 3-4 minutes until the mixture coats the back of a spoon. This is when I add the zest of ONE lime and the bruised and torn basil leaves. Reserve the other lime zest and minced basil for later. It will steep as the mixture cools. Let it cool completely.

If you're in a hurry, like I usually am, just chill down the base in a water bath. Fill a large bowl with ice water and set a smaller bowl, containing the ice cream base, into the ice water. Make sure none of the water makes it's way into your ice cream. Stir occasionally until it's cool, about 30 minutes. Alternately, you could chill this mix in the frig overnight, just strain out the basil and lime before you do.

When it's cool, strain out the basil and lime with a fine mesh strainer. Pour into your ice cream mixer and following your particular ice cream maker's instruction, start freezing your ice cream. Half way through add the minced basil and zest of the other lime. It took mine about 25 minutes to get semi-frozen. Transfer to a container and freeze another 2 hours in the freezer.

This would be delish with some fresh strawberries on top, but honestly, it's so good by itself it doesn't need embellishment. End a perfect evening meal with the perfect summer treat. Enjoy!

Tabouli for One?

Okay, so sometimes I make foods that I don't necessarily like. Tabouli is one of them, or tabbouleh, however you like to spell it. It's my hub's favorite salad. He grew up on it. It's quite possible his mom swapped out tabouli for formula when he was a baby. I have also heard stories of him eating an entire steak by the time he was one. He can eat massive bowls of tabouli...seriously. For me, I don't even taste it for the seasoning.  I have him taste it then I season appropriately. It's the raw tomatoes and green onion that put me off. I just don't like them. For him, it's like heaven in a bowl.

It is a bit time consuming and unfortunately it doesn't make much either. I increased the recipe a bit, because it just erks me that I will spend 30 minute making this salad and it's gone in two. This is based off of his mom's recipe, which may I remind you, and he is extremely emphatic on this point, is the REAL way to make tabouli.

You should see how my husband's hair stands on end when we walk into a Middle-Eastern store or restaurant or any restaurant for that matter, and they have what they claim to be tabouli and it's mostly Bulgar wheat with a touch of parsley. Oh my! And don't even think of adding garbanzo beans or garlic or any other extra ingredient. You've lost him right there. Tabouli could be the scale on which he rates authenticity. I guess this could be a good gauge on which to rate potential friends or maybe politicians. "Quick question before we go any further in this campaign (or friendship). What is the ratio of parsley to Bulgar wheat in tabouli?" Politician, hesitates and then without even answering, Sammy blurts, "Wrong!" Well, just count him out, off the ballot and not even the hope of a swinging chad could save him or her. Is that a true representation of Sammy? No, but is it that important? YES. The right answer would be tons of parsley to a tiny bit of Bulgar wheat. Also, the salad must be JUICY. Very, very important.

I had my son, Isaiah, help me make the tabouli yesterday. He loves to "cooking". (always with the "ing"). I gave him a plastic knife and try to teach him the principles of handling a knife. It's a total joke. I can barely cut with it. And here I am giving an already frustrated three-year-old, for you know they are always frustrated, an extremely difficult task that I can barely do. Nevermind that, I just praise him for the half-mangeled wad of tomato, bleeding it's little tomato guts out on the cutting board.

Have you ever tried to cut a tomato with a flimsy plastic knife? Ridiculous.What's even more ridiculous is that half the time he was holding the knife the wrong side down and let me tell you, he wasn't getting anywhere with that. It's kinda like the same phenomenon that my kids have for the "backward-sies". For instance, the endless compulsion to wear sunglasses upside-down or continually put shoes on the wrong feet, just 'cuz. To eat their yogurt with the other end of their spoon or buckle themselves into their booster seats, even though they don't need it but just do it because it's fun. Okay, that last thing is not a backwards thing but it drives me crazy! Anyways, same thing with the knife. I must have told him to cut with the serrated edge like 15 times, yet he still managed to always revert back to the dull side then complaining he couldn't do it. Oh my. Please believe me when I say we had fun. We really did. Just tryin' to paint an accurate picture for you. 

And just for a little extra seasoning, Isaiah kept licking the tomato he was feverishly trying to cut with the "knife" then throwing it into the bowl. Oh Lord, quality control I guess. So Sammy, I guess you now know that there was a little something special in that salad, just for Father's Day. We love you, Daddy!

Tabouli Recipe

prep time: 45 minutes cook time: none serves: 4 normal people servings or 1, if you're Sammy

3 bunches curly parsley, flat leaf is fine, but this is what his mom uses

2 green onions, finely chopped

2 tomatoes, finely chopped

juice of 1 and 1/4 lemons

1/3 c. Bulgar wheat (cracked wheat)

1/3 c. olive oil

salt and pepper

Wash, rinse and thoroughly dry your parsley. Mix lemon juice and wheat together to soften the wheat. Let it stand 30 minutes, while you prep the rest of the salad.

In your food processor, or by hand, chop the parsley very finely. Not in the food processor, chop your tomatoes and green onions. Mix together, wheat, lemon juice, parsley, tomato and green onion with oil, salt and pepper.

Now, I will say, this is just a guideline. If you like yours more tangy, increase the lemon juice, more oil if you like it wetter etc. Sammy tastes the salad at least twice before we get it right. Happy Tabouli-ing!

Lazy Lemon Cream Fruit Tart

I'm not a huge fan of processed foods and I try to buy 80% of my groceries organic. But sometimes I get a little lazy. Sometimes I just want to throw something tasty together that looks beautiful and tastes delish, even if it has a smattering of processed-not-good-for-you-goodness.

This little tart is so yum. I would say the cream tastes like a mix between lemon curd and cheesecake. Very zingy and bright. I came up with it for the Real Women of Philadelphia contest, only I made it with orange juice and orange zest. So you could easily swap the fruits out. If you do use the orange, don't add the 1/3 c. water, since the orange is much more juicy than the lemon. You can watch that video here. Anyways, I wanted to mix it up the other day, as I was going to a play date with the kiddos and wanted to bring something yummy. I had tons of fresh fruit in the frig and I needed to do something with it. The best thing about this tart is that you can use whatever fruit you have!

Lazy Lemon Cream Fruit Tart

prep: 30 minutes baking: 15 min. serves: 9 oven: 400 degrees

1 pkg. 1/3 less fat cream cheese
1 pkg vanilla instant pudding
1/3 c. water
zest of 1 lemon
juice of 1 lemon
1 7oz. jar of marshmallow fluff
1 sheet puff pastry
1 egg
Various fruits, I used bing cherries, blueberries, strawberries and mango
3 tbls. apricot jam

Preheat oven 400 degrees. With a blender or in your mixer with the wire whisk attachment, blend the first 6 ingredients together, until very smooth. Transfer to a ziploc bag, all to one corner and chill in frig while puff pastry is baking.

Lay out your defrosted puff pastry. No need to roll it out or anything. Just score, with a very sharp knife, a 1/2" border all the way around, creating a nice edged when it bakes. Brush it all with beaten egg with a tsp. of water. Bake for 10-15 minutes.

After it is cooled, pipe in your chilled cream. Simply cut off the corner of your ziploc bag and voila! you have a pastry bag. You will have some cream left over, but that's the reason you are a cook, for those tidbits that no one else gets. Okay, if your a nice mom, I guess you let the kids lick the beaters...sometimes.

After it's piped in and smoothed out, place your fruit on top, however you like. I tend to always go for rows of fruit. I feel tempted to just scatter it about, but I always come back to the rows. What's that about?

Take the apricot jam and nuke it in the microwave with a tsp. of water, until is melts and is easy to brush on your fruit. Be generous with the glaze. It makes it shiny and keeps the fruit looking fresh.
You can put it in the frig until you are ready to serve or just serve right away!

Morning Buzz Smoothie

I found myself looking longingly at the dredges of coffee in the pot the other morning. I wanted more coffee, God knows I needed it, but the heat of the day was already getting to me and the last thing I wanted was a hot cup of coffee. I was also hungry. Breakfast is hard for me to remember, even if I am hungry. It's the craziest part of the day. My two toddlers sit and repeat their breakfast orders like two grumpy parrots. "I want drink!" one croons. I quickly correct him for his lack of panache and manners, he asks again nicely, then without missing a beat, the other chimes in, "I want vita-mininin" (don't ask). I tell her, "Please, wait." Then my 10 month old, starts squawking for another teething cracker, the dog needs to go pee and to top it all off, Barney is singing his stupid songs and I absent-mindedly sing along! And on and on it goes until, everyone is fed, except for me and I'm nearly crawling along the floor, in search of food because my blood sugar is like, one.

So! I did finally get to making myself breakfast and drink that lingering coffee, all in one. It ended up being quite delish. But for the recipe, I changed adding hot coffee to a smoothie to using espresso powder instead, rendering a much less melty smoothie.

Morning Buzz Smoothie

3/4 c. milk or soy milk
3/4 c. crushed ice
2 tsp. instant espresso powder
1 scoop of your favorite protein powder (I use whey)
1/2 banana
1 tbls. peanut butter

Blend all together. Now, of course you could swap out whatever you like. But this does make for a heartier smoothie than most. Refreshing and zingy!

Date Night at Foodie House!

This is a very special installment of Foodie House. The bonus on this video is my cutie husband and what we think are some of the best bloopers to date. Every thing's more funny and ridiculous when you've got a partner in cooking crime. So we are preparing for you a dinner that is the perfect date night at home. We have 3 small kiddos and we don't get out much, mainly because we nearly collapse as we sing the last song and read the last book to our tiny tired three year olds. But some nights we just press through the exhaustion and make time for us. Sammy and I love cooking together. We joke around, have some wine, dream together etc. It is more fun than going out sometimes because you don't have to go anywhere and you can eat your dinner in your lounge wear.

Here's the menu...(everything is just for two, so double or triple for a dinner party)

Seared Filet with Caramelized Onions

Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Fresh Garden Salad with Bacon and the Foodie House Herbaceous Buttermilk Dressing and Croutons



Seared Filet with Caramelized Onions

2 10 oz. Filets of Beef, 2" thick
Salt and Pepper
1 Tbls. Olive Oil

Get your oven crankin' to 400 degrees. Blot off your meat with paper towels. It needs to be dry to get a tasty brown crust on it. Get your oven safe pan smoking hot on medium high heat. Season your filets with salt and pepper. Be rather generous as it is a thick piece of meat and it needs flavor throughout. Add your olive oil to the pan and when it is smoking, add your seasoned filets. Sear both sides 3 minutes. Leave the meat alone as it is searing. Don't move it around, it will disturb the crust that is forming. After both sides are seared, move the pan to the oven to cook the steaks another 7 min. This is for medium rare. If you want medium do another minute or two. But remember, if your steak is less than 2" thick you will need to adjust the time in the oven. Please remember not to grab the hot pan handle with your bare hands after it comes out of the oven!

Caramelized Onions

Follow the Caramelized Onions post for the how-to on this. Once you've made the onions, add 1/2 cup white wine, or red if you prefer, to the onions and let it reduce by half. Season with salt and pepper if needed. Serve over the filets for a savory accompaniment.

Roasted Garlic and Rosemary Mashed Potatoes

1/2 lb. "C" sized baby red potatoes, or whatever you have on hand
3 cloves roasted garlic (see Roasted Garlic Low-Down for the how-to)
1/4 c. heavy cream
3 tbls. butter
1 tsp. fresh rosemary
salt and pepper

Boil potatoes until they are fork tender and soft enough to smash. Drain, add garlic, cream, rosemary and butter. Mash until it's creamy but still kinda lumpy. Salt and pepper to taste.

Fresh Garden Salad with Bacon and Foodie House Herbaceous Buttermilk Dressing

2 Large handfuls of your favorite greens, I use green leaf lettuce
1/2 c. sliced cucumbers
1/2 c. halved cherry or pear tomatoes
4 strips crispy bacon, chopped
2 handfuls of Quickie Croutons (see the how-to here on Foodie House)
1 recipe of the Herbaceous Buttermilk Dressing (also here on the blog)

Assemble your salads! I do the dressing and croutons the day before to save on time.

The Roasted Garlic Low-Down

Isn't it gorgeous? Oh that you could smell that picture. Well, roasting garlic is easy, my foodie friends. Like the caramelized onions it takes a bit of time, but also like the onions you will be rewarded with complex flavors, ones you could have never imagined coming from such a simple little bulb.

I originally had a video set up for this, but for whatever reason YouTube kept rejecting it. I guess there's a glitch in the matrix:) Anyways, roast up a bunch because you'll be putting it in everything!

Roasted Garlic

1 fresh head of garlic

1 tsp. olive oil

2 sprigs fresh rosemary, or 1 tsp. dried

salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Tear off a sheet of tin foil large enough to easily wrap up your garlic. Take the garlic head and turning it on it's side cut off the top of the head, exposing all the little cloves. This will do two things, one, allow the oil and seasonings to penetrate the garlic and two, make it easy to just squeeze out when it's done. Drizzle with oil, top with rosemary, salt and pepper. Tightly wrap up your garlic, remember TTF!(tuck, tuck, fold) and place in on an oven safe dish to bake for 1 hr. After one hour, be careful opening up the foil and be ready to get the best steam facial of your life, well, sorta. What I'm trying to say is that the aromas are intoxicating, not to mention your house will smell amazing! Put into whatever...butter, potatoes, sauces, breads, soups, on and on. Enjoy!