Lovin' our homemade pizza...

A new favorite in our house... an old classic. I found this multi-grain crust at my local Albertsons. "Culinary Circle" is their upscale store brand name. And wow... they sure know how to make a good upscale store brand pre-baked pizza crusts.



And then we topped it with some really good pizza toppings to make a Manly Meaty Pizza... garlic-infused olive oil, marinara of choice, Gallo salame and pepperoni, mozzarella cheese... you know, your favorite pizza toppings, whatever those may be.

On the "girly" side of the pizza I used my pesto of choice and a vine-ripened tomato... and maybe a few slices of pepperoni slipped in there too.



Next, I drizzled some garlic-infused olive oil on the crust... and brushed it over the top of the whole crust.



And I will say here that I'm convinced that broiler pans bake pizza doughs just as good as pizza stones. The air circulates up under the crust and dries it out... so it gets nice and crispy and perfectly done!

How did I discover this? Well, we've been using pizza stones for at least 10 years now (for frozen pizzas). And recently our pizza stone dropped and cracked in half. I hadn't had a chance to replace it yet before I wanted to make another pizza. So, I gave the trusty broiler pan a whirl... and voila! Perfectly, crusty crust!



Now, on to the toppings... marinara sauce on His side, pesto on my side.



I sprinkled mozzarella cheese across the whole crust... then...

On His side I topped with meatballs (cut in half)
On my side I topped with sliced raw tomatoes

And then more mozzarella, and (oh yeah) also some crumbled bacon. Yes, bacon.





Next, salame... and some more mozzarella.



Last, a layer of pepperoni... followed by? What else... mozzarella.



TIP FROM LORI: If you like crispy pizza (and we do) then do what we do. If the instructions on the crust reads to bake the pizza at 400 degrees F, then we actually bake it at 425 degrees F for a slightly less amount of time.



So, it's time for the close up shot...



Above: the Manly Meaty Pizza...

Below: the Girly Pesto Pizza...




Both are equally scrumptious... and a little sinful.


We also usually shake some red pepper flakes on top of one of those layers and sometimes some garlic salt too. Tonight I forgot... but we didn't send the pizza back...




enjoy your time in the kitchen...

RECIPE: Lasagna Cups

May I present to you Lasagna Cupcakes...

It's quick, it's a great dinner party conversation piece and best of all... it's yummy!





Here's the short and quick of it: cut the corners off of wonton wrappers... yes, wonton wrappers. Tuck them into greased cupcake tins and then begin the normal lasagna layering process... just in much smaller quantities.



First start with the parmesan, mozzarella and ricotta cheeses... then spoon in some marinara sauce.



Add some browned meat (I used ground beef and italian sausage) seasoned with dried oregano, dried parsley and salt/pepper... followed by some more cheese and some more sauce and some more... yeah, you get the point.







Place the cupcake tin(s) into the preheated oven and let it bake away. It's done in about 20 minutes and believe it or not they are easy to scoop up out of those tins. And they are yummy... and sure to be a crowd pleaser! (But that's only if you want to share...)




Thank you Tablespoon.com for posting this idea just in time for this weekend's dinner party...




enjoy your time in the kitchen...

RECIPE: Simple Pepperoni Calzone

This calzone is easy enough to throw together in 30 minutes and you'll be a hero in your kitchen! Once you crack it open you smell the metled cheese, the yummy herbs that add such flavor and, and... you want to make this!


This post is to celebrate having my camera back! For the last 5 months I've been using an "old camera" (a semi-broken, duct-taped together older camera)... but I keep it around for posterity sake. It was my first digital camera ... and it inhabits a soft spot in my heart.

THAT SAID, I'm once again getting used to this camera and feel the need to apologize for some of the blurryness (even though it's only in a picture or two). Pardon me, just getting reacquainted after 5 months...


However, my camera issues didn't keep me from being a hero in the kitchen tonight!


Here's where I started: prepared pizza dough, some dried herbs, crumbled bacon, pepperoni, mozzarella and ricotta cheeses and some garlic-infused olive oil.

But first preheat your oven... to 425 degrees F.



Mix together the cheeses, herbs, bacon and a pinch of red pepper flakes (not pictured here). Toss in the crumbled bacon.





Roll out the prepared pizza dough to about 12-14 inches (on a lightly floured surface).





Note on the pizza dough: I bought it at Trader Joe's, already prepared. It's sold in the refrigerated section (near the cheeses). And they sell both "plain" and "whole wheat". Tonight we went with the plain...

Pile the filling on one half of the dough (spreading it out evenly), top with pepperoni, leaving at least an inch of dough at the edge of the crust.





Drizzle with some of the garlic-infused olive oil and pull the other half of the dough over the filling.



Crimp the edges together and curl the dough under slightly.







Transfer calzone to a broiler pan and drizzle/brush on a little more garlic-infused olive oil.





Bake in a 425 degrees F oven, on a rack positioned in the middle of the oven, until it puffs up nicely and browns (about 18-20 minutes).



Remove from broiler pan with a pizza peel and allow to cool for at least 5 minutes. And it doesn't hurt to grate some fresh parmesan over the top... right?!



Cut it into a few pieces and serve up... but more than that, ENJOY!



You'll be the hero too!



Simple Calzone
Recipe courtesy Lori Tisdale

Ingredients
2 cups grated mozzarella cheese
½ cup ricotta
½ cup bacon, crumbled
½ teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon dried parsley
½ teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
Red pepper flakes, pinch
handful of pepperoni (about 18-20 slices)
1 store bought pizza dough
2 tablespoons garlic-infused olive oil

Instructions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F; position rack in middle of oven. Toss together mozzarella cheese, ricotta, herbs, bacon and red pepper flakes. Unroll dough onto a lightly-floured flat surface. Roll dough out to at least 12-14 inch diameter. Mound filling on one half of dough; leaving 1 inch of dough around the edge. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon garlic-infused olive oil and top with pepperoni. Fold dough over and crimp dough together; fold edges of dough under to create soft edge.

Transfer calzone to broiler pan or pizza stone. Bake until dough puffs and browns slightly, about 20 minutes. Brush with other tablespoon garlic-infused olive oil. Transfer to a pizza peel (or cutting board) and allow to cool for about 5 minutes before cutting into 4 pieces and serving.


NOTE TO SELF: Next time I make this use meatballs inside of this! Yum!!!



enjoy your time in the kitchen...

RECIPE: Quick Turkey Bolognese with Tagliatelle

Bolognese... a style of sauce from the region of Bologna, Italy. Granted, my version isn't all that traditional. There are some shortcuts made and some ingredients substituted... but it's darn tasty!!!

So all you authentic italians out there... don't throw darts. You don't have to like my version. But we do... it's a quick dinner, having substituted ground turkey it's a bit healthier, and it's sure a hit in our household.

So, join me in the kitchen for a quick and uber-tasty dinner!!!


This is where I started... ground turkey, your choice of marinara sauce, red wine, milk, olive oil, diced onions/garlic/mushrooms (mushrooms not pictured), red pepper flakes, salt/pepper and parmesan cheese.



In a heavy bottom pan, here I'm using my favorite Dutch Oven, brown the ground meat in the oil. Once most of the pink is gone add your diced veg (onions, garlic and mushrooms).





Saute over medium-high heat for a few minutes... and then...

Add your vino and marinara...





Give it a good stir... lower the heat and simmer for several minutes. Taste it... if you think it needs it (and we do) add some kosher salt and red pepper flakes, to taste.







Allow it so simmer a little longer and then add the milk and parmesan cheese... once the pasta is al dente add it to the sauce and give 'er a toss!



Call the family to wash their hands and come to the table... dinner's on!!!





From prep to plate, it takes about 30-45 minutes. And most of that is cooking time. What a heart-warming dish... you can serve it by itself, or with a panini or a whole mess of garlic breadsticks (yeah - that's what we did).

Enjoy it... we do!




Quick Turkey Bolognese
Recipe courtesy Lori Tisdale

Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 lb ground turkey (or ground hamburger, if you prefer)
3-4 cloves garlic, diced
½ cup diced onion
½ cup diced crimini mushrooms
2 cups of your favorite marinara
1/8 – 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 cup red wine
½ cup milk
¼ grated parmesan cheese, plus some
Kosher salt/pepper

Instructions
Brown ground meat in heavy bottom pan; over medium-high heat. Once almost all the pink is gone add diced onions, garlic and mushrooms. Sauté and stir for about 5 minutes, until vegetables have softened. Add wine, marinara and red pepper flakes (to taste); stir well. Bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Simmer for about 15 minutes; over medium-low heat. Taste to see if you want to add any salt/pepper. Stir in milk and grated parmesan. Simmer for another 5 minutes or so. In the meantime, prepare tagliatelle noodles according to package. When the pasta is al dente drain transfer to sauce; toss until all pasta is coated with sauce. When plating add another sprinkle of parmesan.


enjoy your time in the kitchen...