Pizza!

This took a surprisingly short time to make...and was relatively easy. The hardest part was transferring the topped pizza dough to the pizza stone in the oven. If you measure the ingredients while waiting for the yeast, then prep the toppings while preheating/waiting for the dough to rise, you'll be eating pizza an hour from start time. And you could even make a side salad, while it's rising/baking!

- 1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
- 1 cup warm water
- 2 cups flour
- 2 tbs olive oil
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tsp sugar

Directions

1. In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.
2. In a large bowl, combine flour, olive oil, salt, sugar and the yeast mixture; stir well to combine. Cover and rise until doubled in volume, about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350 degrees (I actually heated it more - to about 425 or so, as I put a pizza stone in to heat up).
3. Pat dough into a round (using flour on hands and board). Sprinkle with garlic powder. Top with sauce and toppings -- I used storebought tomato sauce, sliced onions, spinach, shredded cheese, and parmesan on top.
4. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown.

Recipe Test: Bakesale Betty's Chicken Sandwich

Ask any New Yorker who has passed Magnolia Bakery on Bleeker or Grom gelateria on the UWS, and they won't be surprised by the concept of waiting in long lines for food. Of course, in New York, the feeling of waiting anxiously for delicious food is accompanied by the scorn of other New Yorkers silently (and not so silently) judging what they see as useless behavior. Myself included. So I was surprised and dismayed to see it had been duplicated on the west coast, where I saw a line of folks standing outside of an unmarked storefront. No food could possibly be worth all that fuss, I was assured.

This assumption was questioned, when I read a review raving about a delicious new sandwich in New York Magazine. This must be a new hip restaurant in Brooklyn of course... No! It was the un-assuming restaurant, which I found was named Bakesale Betty's and being just a few miles from my house, I decided to give it a try.

My findings: It was good and it was simple! I'm really not a huge fan of raw cabbage, especially in a coleslaw form, but the combination with the vinegar and peppers and even parsley made it the perfect combination to the fried chicken. (not to mention, the abundance of veggies made me feel better about eating fried food) The flavors simple and fresh, with just a hint of sweetness and spice. Not only did I not mind eating it, I wanted to re-create it right away...minus the waiting.

Bakesale Betty’s Fried Chicken Sandwich
recipe from the San Francisco Chronicle

Serves 4

This makes a hefty sandwich in all regards – you’ll need two hands to eat it.

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, about 6 ounces each

The vinaigrette
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

The coleslaw
1 small red onion, very thinly sliced
1 cup red wine vinegar
2 jalapenos, seeded, cut in half and sliced crosswise --
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1/2 green cabbage, core and outer leaves removed, and very thinly sliced
Kosher salt

4 Acme** Bakery torpedo rolls, sliced lengthwise

For the vinaigrette: Combine mustard, vinegar and salt in a bowl. Slowly whisk in olive oil until well blended.

For the coleslaw: Macerate onions in red wine vinegar -- this means let them soak in the liquid--and let sit at least 20 minutes. Remove onions and discard vinegar. Toss onions with jalapeno, parsley, cabbage and salt. Toss with vinaigrette until evenly coated.

For the sandwich: Place fried chicken breast on bottom of torpedo roll and top generously with coleslaw.


**Acme is a local Bay Area bakery, but any sandwich roll will do.

Out of ease, I also skipped all the steps for frying the chicken and used store-bought fried chicken breasts instead.

Enjoy -- with a nice glass of fresh lemonade!

Risotto!

So after roasting the chicken and having the leftovers for days, I was ready for something new. I also noticed I had a nearly full container of chicken stock in the fridge that I didn't want to go to waste. So I was looking for a recipe of things laying around that would be quick, delicious and would only use a few ingredients. This was perfect!

Ingredients:
- 1 c rice (most recipes call for Arborio, but I used some sushi rice we had in the cupboard -- I think short-grain is recommended)
- 3-4 c chicken stock
- 1/4 onion (chopped finely)
- 2tbs olive oil
- 3/4 - 1c Parmesan cheese
- 1 tbs butter
- salt, pepper to taste

1. Heat chicken stock to a near boil (I microwaved cold stock for 3 minutes)
2. On medium heat, heat 2 tbs olive oil in pot. Toast rice, stirring until coated and toasted (2-3 min). Rice will start to turn from translucent to white.
3. Toss onion in and stir to combine.
4. Chicken stock will be heated by now. Lower heat of pan to low. While stirring, pour in chicken stock 1/2 cup at a time. Stir until liquid is absorbed, then add more and repeat.
5. Continue stirring and adding liquid until rice begins to soften (15-20 min). I taste it to make sure it's no longer crunchy. Cover rice off heat and let steam for 3-5 minutes.
6. Add butter, Parmesan cheese, and salt & pepper to taste.

Enjoy as a simple meal or side dish, but eat small portions as this dense rice is very filling. I can't wait to try this topped with grilled shrimp or with squash mixed in!

Lemon Garlic Roast Chicken w/ Veggies

So, I made this dish for Christmas and was surprised at how easy it was. I'm usually a big fan of dishes that are ready right away, but doing a little prep and then getting to hang out for an hour is a good deal too. Especially since it makes the house smell a-mazing! I was also looking for a simple easy dish that requires few additional ingredients and a simple no-cook side dish. So i added a bed of potatoes and carrots. Yum - as you can tell, it was so good, I hate to take a bite!

First, the veggie bed:




- 4 red potatoes (roughly chopped)
- 2 carrots (peeled and chopped)
- 3 cloves garlic (smashed)
- 1 onion (peeled and sliced)

1. Pre-heat oven to 375.
2. Mix the veggies in a roasting pan (I used an aluminum one from the grocery store).
3. Season generously with salt, pepper, thyme.
4. Drizzle with olive oil and toss with hands to combine.
5. Set aside.

Next, the chicken:

1. I prepare the area by setting down a layer of aluminum foil on the counter to hold the chicken.
2. Next, I get my spices ready:



- 2-3 tbs salt
- 1 tbs pepper
- 1 tbs thyme
- 1-2 tbs butter
- 1 lemon (cut off excess rind and chop into 4 pieces)
- 1 head of garlic (halved across the middle)







Put salt, pepper, and thyme in a small bowl for ease of use so you don't contaminate your spices. Put butter in separate bowl.



1. Rinse chicken with cold water. Remove giblets. (I usually just fill it with water and then shake it upside down until all the stuff falls out, but make sure it's all out of there!) Cut off the piece of fat that covers the cavity opening.
2. Pat chicken dry inside and out.
3. Place butt-side up on foil (I don't know if butt-side is a word, but...) Sprinkle generously with salt, pepper, thyme.
4. Pick the chicken up under the wings so the cavity is pointing up, sprinkle inside with spices.
5. Place chicken breast-side up. Stuff with lemons and garlic. Sprinkle top with seasonings, be sure to get legs and wings.
6. Mix remaining seasoning with butter. Using your fingers to pry the breast skin away, stuff clumps of seasoned butter under the skin. Push the skin to disperse the butter.
7. Add 1-2 tbs olive oil to butter bowl. Using your fingers to coat the top of the chicken with oil. Rub well to disperse.
8. Transfer chicken to roast pan.
9. Bake at 375 degrees for 1 1/2 hrs, until golden brown and registering 165 degrees.


*Without a rack to raise chicken above vegetables, the underside of the chicken can get undercooked. To help this, I flipped the chicken over after 1hr to properly cook the underside and then extended the cooking time for 20-30 minutes*

Gravy: Remove chicken from pan, drain juices from veggies and combine in a saucepan with 1/2c chicken stock and 2 tbs flour. Whisk until flour is incorporated and heat on medium until gravy thickens.

Corn & Pepper Empanadas

My newest incarnation of my beloved Empanadas involves a mix of sweet and savory flavors: red peppers and corn bring a sweet flavor that mixes with the tang and spice of sausage and creamy Chilean cheese to create a delicious flavor that isn't overpowered by the buttery pie crust.

The ingredient list was as easy as visiting Trader Joe's! (Although I originally wanted to use Queso Fresco, a Mexican cheese with great flavor)



1 package Pie Dough (makes 8 medium sized empanadas)
1 can Black Beans
1 jar Piquillo Peppers (I used 2 halves of a pepper -- chopped)
1 jar Corn & Chili Salsa (I used about 1/2)
Chilean Cheese (I used half -- shredded)
Cooked Chicken Sausage (I used Chicken Apple, but something with more of a Chorizo like spice would have been nice)
Cayenne Pepper (optional - i added a few dashes to taste)
Goya Adobo Seasoning 1/2tsp (not found at TJ's but adds a great kick...1/2 tsp each of salt & pepper would work)

1. Defrost Pie Dough in refrigerator (or counter if you're planning to make right away)
2. Combine ingredients above.
3. Mix well. Adjust flavors to taste (one advantage of using cooked sausage!)
4. Allow to sit (I actually kept it in the fridge overnight and the flavors came together well, but this step is optional).
5. Once pie dough is semi-defrosted, trace circles using a plate the size you are looking for (glass sized can be used as appetizers, small plates for regular sized)
6. Fill with 1 heaping tablespoon of filling. Pinch edges together. Fold over and crimp to hold.
7. Arrange empanadas on cookie sheet. Bake at 375 for 30 minutes, or until lightly browned.

Enjoy!