Peppermint Ice Cream Cake

Peppermint Ice Cream Cake

Pizza Dough

I had a different recipe for Pizza Dough posted here, but I had to change it because I finally found the best, easiest Pizza Dough recipe EVER! No food processor necessary! (Although a kitchen aid or Bosch would be nice) Anyway, I found it on Martha's site of course, but it is a recipe by Wolfgang Puck.. Pizza man extraordinare! It is so yummy and easy!

Enjoy!

Makes four 8-inch pizzas- or one large!

One 1/4-ounce active dry yeast
1 teaspoon honey
1 cup warm water, 105 degrees to 115 degrees (I just wait until the tap runs warm)
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

Directions

1. In a small bowl, dissolve yeast and honey in 1/4 cup warm water; set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine flour and salt. Add oil, yeast mixture, and remaining 3/4 cup warm water; mix on low speed until dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl and clusters around the dough hook, about 5 minutes.
2. Turn dough out onto a clean work surface, and knead by hand until dough is smooth and firm, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer dough to a large bowl, and cover with a clean, damp kitchen towel. Place bowl in a warm spot, and let rise for 30 minutes.
3. Divide dough into four balls, about 6 ounces each. Work each ball by pulling down the sides and tucking under the bottom of the ball; repeat 4 or 5 times. On a clean, unfloured surface, roll the ball under the palm of your hand until dough is smooth and firm, about 1 minute. Repeat with remaining balls; cover with a damp towel, and let rest for 15 to 20 minutes. Prepare as needed and arrange desired toppings; balls can be wrapped in plastic and refrigerated for up to 2 days.


Pizza Dough

Original Joe's

This was a family standard growing up. So standard, I don't even have a recipe for it. BUT, I will re-create one here because it is really good and fun for a change!

1 lb ground beef
1/2 green pepper chopped
1/2 onion chopped
1 tomato chopped
2 handfuls of salad spinach
sliced mushrooms (if desired)
deli pastrami chopped (4 or 5 slices)
3/4 cup ketchup
Italian Spices
2 Tbls. Worcestershire Sauce
Mozzarella Cheese
Hoagie Buns

Fry up hamburger with onion and green pepper. Add remainder of ingredients and after all of the items are cooked add cheese on top. Turn off the burner and cover long enough to melt cheese. Serve over Hoagie Buns! DELISH!

Ooey Gooey Pumpkin Cake (Not Paula Deen's Recipe)

Last year my family came across Paula's Ooey Gooey Pumpkin Cake recipe and it was a hit. This year, a friend of mine showed up to a church function with what I THOUGHT was the same thing. I thought I remembered Paula's as being a little too rich for my taste, but my friends recipe was soooooooooo good I went back for seconds! I asked her for the recipe to compare, and although they were very similar.. they were just different enough.. YOU make 'em both and tell me what you like!

Make Pumpkin Pie filling according to Pumpkin Can recipe. (Just like you would do for a pie)
Pour into a 9x13 pan
Put one yellow cake mix in a bowl and add one stick of melted butter to it. Mix together until a crumbly texture.
With your hands, spread the crumble mixture over the pie filling and bake at 350 degrees for one hour!

A few less calories, and sooooooooo delish!

Lori's Salsa (Adjusted)

Lori's salsa is AWESOME, but like any good chef, she has refined the recipe. If you have tried her recipe posted previously, try this one for a fresher taste. It has less "aftermath" (bad breath from the fresh garlic) and has a great sweet flavor. Watch out, you can eat a LOT!

1 Can of Hunt's Petite Diced in blender
1/2 sweet onion chopped
1 fresh jalapeno seeded and chopped
1 bunch of cilantro chopped
Add a second can of Hunt's Petite Diced Tomatoes on top. Blend until just comibined.

Dump in bowl and add one more can Hunt's Petite Diced Tomatoes.

2 Tbls Garlic Salt
1 Tbls Onion Salt
1 Tbls Mrs. Dash
(sometimes 1 tsp Sugar)
Lemon Juice

Beef Stew

I bought some stew meat at Costco a while back. It has been sitting in my freezer for a while now, but until this week, it was just too hot to think about STEW. I wanted to make Beef Bourguignonne, but, didn't have any cooking wine on hand. I decided to mix and match two stew recipes and combined with some No Kneed Rolls, it was a MARVELOUS Sunday Dinner! The beef was perfectly moist and soft and the veggies were sooo tasty! Enjoy!


Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees

2 Lbs. Stew Meat
2 Tbls Corn Starch (I used Corn Starch because Jaxon is gluten free- It called for Flour)
Stir Salt and Pepper to Taste into the corn starch.

Cut stew meat into bite sized pieces and coat with corn starch mixture.

Brown with oil in 5 Quart Dutch Oven, or Oven Safe Dish with lid.

Leave browned meat in the bottom of the pan and add 4 cups of water.
Add cut potatoes )red or white or peeled brown) and peeled carrots (I added 4 potatoes and 6 carrots) to top of meat .

Add:

2-3 Tbls. of Tomato Paste
3 Bay Leaves
Worcestershire Sauce (I didn't measure, I love the stuff though it was probably 2-3 Tbls.)
Balsamic Vinegar (Didn't measure this either, probably 1-2 Tbls.)

Cover and bake at 350 for 2 to 2 1/2 hours. Or until meat is soft. Enjoy!


PS- My husband was worried about this being too "soupy" when he was dishing up, but, mashed a few of his potatoes in the broth and VOILA! THICK STEW!

Crunchy Oven Baked Fish Sticks

Ok Ok...When I think if a "fish stick" it kind of makes me cringe on the inside. I just think of a soggy, stinky piece of fish like substance. These fish sticks however where a hit with the hubby and the kids! Something about using Panko bread crumbs really makes a difference. I don't think I'll go back to regular breadcrumbs again. Crunchy Oven Baked Fish Sticks are from The Dinner Dairies by Betsy Block, adapted from a KidSafe Seafood website recipe by Sara Moulton

1 pound tilapia, cod, or any white fish fillet
1 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp paprika
2 cups panko bread crumbs
1 cup low-fat milk
dipping sauce (recipe follows)


Preheat oven to 425 F.
Spray a cooking sheet with cooking spray.

Combine flour, salt, garlic powder, and paprika in a shallow bowl and mix well. Put milk in a second shallow bowl, and panko crumbs in a third.

Cut the fillets into strips or fingers, then rinse them under cold water. Dry with a paper towel and dip each piece in the flour mixture to coat on all sides, shaking off the excess. Next, dip the pieces in the milk, and then in the breadcrumbs, coating well.
Arrange fish on a greased cooking sheet in a single layer. Bake on the middle shelf of oven for 20 to 25 minutes, turning them halfway through. Season with salt and serve with dipping sauce.


Dipping Sauce
Makes about ½ cup
¼ cup fat free mayonnaise
¼ cup ketchup
2 Tbs finely chopped dill pickle
1 tsp pickle juice
½ tsp fresh lemon juice


Combine all ingredients in a bowl and stir until smooth. Add salt to taste

I keep forgetting to take pictures of these recipies! Oh well, next time, for now you will just have to trust me...this is a keeper.