Brick pizza
Contains dairy
Ingredients
2-2 ⅓ cups all-purpose flour OR bread flour¹ divided (250-295g)
1 packet instant yeast² (2 ¼ teaspoon)
1 ½ teaspoons sugar
¾ teaspoon salt
⅛-¼ teaspoon garlic powder and/or dried basil leaves optional
2 Tablespoons olive oil + additional
¾ cup warm water³ (175ml)
Instructions
Combine 1 cup (125g) of flour, instant yeast, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. If desired, add garlic powder and dried basil at this point as well.
Add olive oil and warm water and use a wooden spoon to stir well very well.
Gradually add another 1 cup (125g) of flour. Add any additional flour as needed (I've found that sometimes I need as much as an additional ⅓ cup), stirring until the dough is forming into a cohesive, elastic ball and is beginning to pull away from the sides of the bowl (see video above recipe for visual cue). The dough will still be slightly sticky but still should be manageable with your hands.
Drizzle a separate, large, clean bowl generously with olive oil and use a pastry brush to brush up the sides of the bowl.
Lightly dust your hands with flour and form your pizza dough into a round ball and transfer to your olive oil-brushed bowl. Use your hands to roll the pizza dough along the inside of the bowl until it is coated in olive oil, then cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and place it in a warm place.
Allow dough to rise for 30 minutes or until doubled in size. If you intend to bake this dough into a pizza, I also recommend preheating your oven to 425F (215C) at this point so that it will have reached temperature once your pizza is ready to bake.
Once the dough has risen, use your hands to gently deflate it and transfer to a lightly floured surface and knead briefly until smooth (about 3-5 times).
Use either your hands or a rolling pin to work the dough into 12" circle.
Transfer dough to a parchment paper lined pizza pan and either pinch the edges or fold them over to form a crust.
Drizzle additional olive oil (about a Tablespoon) over the top of the pizza and use your pastry brush to brush the entire surface of the pizza (including the crust) with olive oil.
Use a fork to poke holes all over the center of the pizza to keep the dough from bubbling up in the oven.
Add desired toppings (see the notes for a link to my favorite, 5-minute pizza sauce recipe!) and bake in a 425F (215C) preheated oven for 13-15 minutes or until toppings are golden brown. Slice and serve.
Triple chocolate Mousse Glass
Contains dairy
Ingredients
FOR BROWNIE LAYER:
1/2 cup unsalted butter
7 oz. quality semi-sweet chocolate-chopped
¾ cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
½ cup + 2 Tablespoons flour
2 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
¼ teaspoon salt
CHOCOLATE MOUSSE:
1 2/3 cups chilled heavy whipping cream
5.5 oz. dark chocolate-chopped in really small pieces
5.5 oz. milk chocolate-chopped in really small pieces
5.5 oz. white chocolate chopped in really small pieces
3 x ¾ teaspoon unflavored gelatin powder
3 x 1 tablespoon cool water
3 x ¼ cup heavy cream
FOR MILK CHOCOLATE GANACHE:
4 oz. milk chocolate- chopped
¼ cup heavy cream
Block of semisweet baking chocolate to shave the curls.
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 F, line the bottom and sides of 7 x 11 inch pan with aluminum foil or baking paper (leaving overhang on all sides so you could easily lift the brownies out of the pan), set aside.
In a medium sauce pan over low heat melt the chopped chocolate and butter, stirring constantly, until smooth. Remove from heat and add ¾ cup of granulated sugar into melted chocolate, whisk until combined. Cool for 10 minutes.
Add eggs and vanilla and whisk well.
In a small bowl stir together flour, cocoa powder and salt. Gently fold dry ingredients mixture into chocolate mixture and pour into prepared pan (the batter will be thick). Smooth the top.
Bake 20-25 minutes until the toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack for 1 hour, then cover and refrigerate at least 2-3 hour.
Lift the brownies from the pan (with baking paper) and place on working surface. Using 2 ½ or 3 inch diameter circle cutter cut out 6 disks. Invert discs and arrange them on a tray lined with baking paper.
Cut six 4 x 10 inch rectangles of baking paper. Make the collar around each brownie disk and secure it with tape. Set aside.
To make the mousse, beat 1 2/3 cups heavy whipping cream until soft peaks form. Do not overbeat it. Divide beaten heavy cream into 3 equal portions and set aside.
To make dark chocolate mousse, place 5.5 oz. chopped dark chocolate into heatproof bowl.
Heat ¼ cup of heavy cream until simmer. Pour ¼ cup of simmering heavy cream over chocolate. Let it sit 1-2 minutes, then stir until the chocolate is completely melted and the mixture is smooth. If the chocolate won’t melt completely re-heat the mixture on a low heat, and continue to stir until it’s all melted. Set aside to cool. Chocolate mixture must be free of lumps and the temperature should be about 80 degrees F (in order to avoid that chocolate sets up, but if it’s too hot, whipped cream will melt).
In a small dish soften 3/4 teaspoon of unflavored gelatin in 1 tablespoon cool water set aside for a few minutes. Heat softened gelatin on low heat, stirring to dissolve.
Add about half of the one portion of whipped cream to the chocolate and whisk gently until combine. Stir in melted gelatin. Then fold in the remaining of a portion of whipped cream (make sure to evenly incorporate all melted chocolate from the bottom of the bowl)
Transfer the mousse to a piping bag with a large round tip (or simply cut off the end of disposable piping bag) and pipe inside the collar over the each brownie bottom. Try to make this layer as even as you can. You can smooth the top with a spoon. Place in the fridge to set while making the next layer.
To make the Milk Chocolate Mousse repeat the steps from 9-13 using milk chocolate instead of dark.
To make the White Chocolate Mousse using white chocolate instead of dark repeat the steps from 9-13, too. But be careful, melted white chocolate must be completely cold and almost thick or it might separate when you add whipped cream.
Chill the cakes in the fridge for 4-5 hours, until completely firm. Remove the paper collars
To make milk chocolate ganache pour ¼ cup warm heavy cream over chopped milk chocolate and stir until completely melted. Set aside to cool then spoon over chilled cakes. Garnish with chocolate curls.
Strawberry shortcake cups
Contains dairy
Ingredients
1 quart fresh strawberries, sliced
¼ cup white sugar
1 (12 ounce) package prepared sponge cake dessert cups
1 (7 ounce) can whipped cream, or to taste
Instructions
Place strawberries in a container with a lid; add sugar and stir to coat. Place lid on the container and refrigerate until sugar has dissolved, at least 15 minutes.
Place a 1 dessert cup in each serving bowl and smother with strawberries. Top each with whipped cream.
Beef Souvlaki
Contains dairy
ngredients
¼ cup olive oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano - (or 1 tablespoon dried)
1 teaspoon salt - (or to taste)
¼ teaspoon black pepper
juice of one medium lemon
1 ½ - 2 pounds thick-cut steak - (sirloin or new york strip work well)
Tzatziki Sauce
1 medium cucumber + ½ teaspoon salt - peeled and sliced
2 cups cold plain Greek yogurt
4 teaspoons minced garlic
⅓ cup chopped dill - fresh or frozen, (may sub 2 tablespoons dried dill)
1 ½ tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
½ teaspoon salt - or to taste
⅛ teaspoon black pepper - or to taste
Instructions
Chop steak into 1-inch pieces and set aside. Combine oil, garlic, oregano, salt, pepper, and lemon juice and stir to combine. Combine steak and marinade in a large zip lock bag, press as much as the air out as you can, and seal. Chill for 1 hour or up to 24 hours (the longer you can marinate the more tender and flavorful the meat will be).
Spread cucumber slices out on a paper towel. Sprinkle generously with salt on both sides and allow to rest for 5 minutes. Wrap cucumber slices in paper towels, squeeze excess liquid out, and transfer to a food processor or blender. Add remaining sauce ingredients to blender and pulse until smooth and creamy. Chill until ready to use.
When ready to cook your kebabs, thread the steak pieces onto skewers and discard marinade. Grill over medium-high heat for 10-12 minutes, rotating throughout to ensure even cooking. Alternately you can bake them in a large baking dish arranged in a single layer at 400 degrees for 30-40 minutes until cooked through.
Garnish with chopped oregano and serve immediately with prepared tzatziki sauce.
Italian Stuffed Baby Mushrooms
Contains dairy
Ingredients
16 ounces baby bella mushrooms (about 21 mushrooms)
1 Tablespoon unsalted butter
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon finely ground salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 cups fresh spinach leaves, loosely packed
1 cup prepared mashed potatoes
1 Tablespoon sour cream
4 pieces bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, divided
Fresh chives for garnish (optional)
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350° F. Lightly spray a rimmed baking pan with non-stick cooking spray.
Gently clean each baby bella mushroom by wiping it with a damp paper towel. Carefully remove the stems and chop them into small pieces. Set the stems and mushrooms aside while you prepare the filling.
In a small skillet, melt the butter over medium-low heat.
When the butter has melted, add minced garlic and sauté 1 minute or until fragrant.
Add in the chopped mushroom stems and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Sauté until mushrooms are tender and beginning to brown, about 3-4 minutes.
Push the mushroom stems to one side of the pan and add spinach leaves. Sauté for 2-3 minutes or until wilted and dark green. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.
In a medium bowl, combine the mashed potatoes, sour cream, bacon pieces, and spinach mixture. Fold in 3/4 cup Parmesan cheese.
Place the baby bella mushrooms cavity side up on the prepared baking sheet. Spoon filling into each mushroom cavity. (*Depending on the size of your mushrooms, you may have a little bit of filling leftover. It’s also delicious straight out of the bowl.)
Sprinkle stuffed mushrooms with remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese and bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown.
Slice chives and sprinkle on top of mushrooms if desired. Serve immediately.
Italian Sandwich with Pesto
Contains pine nuts & dairy
Ingredients
1 (16-ounce) ciabatta
6 ounces very thinly sliced prosciutto
1 cup drained bottled roasted red bell pepper, cut into strips
8 (0.75-ounce) slices mozzarella cheese
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
Slice ciabatta in half horizontally. Hollow out top and bottom halves of bread; reserve torn bread for another use. Spread Pesto over bottom half of bread. Layer prosciutto, bell pepper strips, and cheese over pesto; sprinkle with pepper. Replace top half of bread. Wrap loaf in plastic wrap and foil, and place on a plate; top with a heavy skillet filled with heavy cans. Refrigerate 2 hours or overnight.
Remove foil and plastic wrap; cut sandwich into 8 pieces.
Smoked Pulled Pork Butt
Ingredients
1 8-10 pound bone-in pork shoulder roast AKA Boston butt
2-3 Tablespoons yellow mustard
¼ cup Signature Sweet Rub link in recipe notes
1 Tablespoon Signature Sweet Rub for later use
Instructions
Preheat the smoker. Preheat your smoker to 225 degrees F for indirect smoking. I recommend hickory or apple for this recipe.
Prep the meat. Remove your roast from the packaging and wipe it down on all sides with paper towels, cleaning off any small bone fragments or extra liquid on the exterior.
Slather the pork butt in mustard. Slather the entire exterior of the pork shoulder with the yellow mustard.
Season with Sweet Rub. Season your pork roast on all sides, top and bottom, with the Homemade BBQ Sweet Rub. Don't worry about rubbing the seasoning into the meat, just be sure it is liberally coated all over.
Smoke the pork butt. Place your seasoned roast on the smoker fat side up, preferably in the middle of the grate avoiding any direct hot spots. Close the lid and smoke the pork until it reaches an internal temperature of at least 195 degrees F. You can cook to 201 degrees F if you like softer pork. This process can take anywhere between 15-20 hours, depending on the consistency of heat in your smoker and the size of your pork shoulder.
Wrap and rest the meat. Remove the pork shoulder from the smoker and wrap tightly in foil. Allow the roast to rest for at least an hour before shredding.
Shred and serve. Pull apart the shoulder, discarding any chunks of fat or gristle. Sprinkle the roast with an additional tablespoon or so of the Homemade Sweet BBQ Rub. Serve and enjoy!
Carne Asada Beef Tostada
Contains dairy and wheat
Ingredients
85 g Beef Strips
6 g Flour Tortillas, 6-inch
(ContainsWheat/Blé)
200 g Green Bell Pepper
1 unit Lime
80 g Roma Tomato
3 tbsp Sour Cream
½ tsp Chipotle Powder
113 g Red Cabbage, shredded
56 g Radishes
10 g Cilantro
10 g Garlic
¼ cup Feta Cheese
Instructions
Preheat your broiler to high (to broil the peppers and tortillas). In Step 5, the technique of Carne Asada is the style of thinly slicing grilled beef!
Wash and dry all produce.* Core, then cut the pepper(s) into 1/4-inch cubes. Zest, then juice half the lime (dbl for 4 ppl). Cut the remaining lime into wedges. Cut the tomato(es) into 1/4-inch cubes. Mince or grate the garlic. Roughly chop the cilantro. Cut the radish slices into 1/8-inch matchsticks.
Pat the beef dry with paper towels. In a large bowl, toss the beef, 1/2 tsp chipotle (dbl for 4 ppl), half the garlic and half the lime zest. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside. In a small bowl, combine the sour cream with 1/2 tbsp lime juice (dbl for 4 ppl) and remaining lime zest. Set aside.
On a foil-lined baking sheet, toss peppers with 1 tsp oil (dbl for 4ppl) . Season with salt and pepper. Broil in the middle of the oven until softened, 4-5 min. (TIP: Keep your eye on them so they don't burn!) Meanwhile, on another foil-lined baking sheet, evenly lay out tortillas. Brush both sides of tortillas with 1 tbsp oil. (NOTE: For 4 ppl, work in two batches, using 1 tbsp oil per batch.)
Broil tortillas in the middle of oven until golden-brown and crispy, 2-3 min per side. (TIP: Keep your eye on them so they don't burn!) Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine the peppers, tomatoes, cilantro, radish, cabbage, 2 tbsp oil (dbl for 4 ppl), remaining lime juice, and remaining garlic. Stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
Heat a large non-stick pan over medium-high heat. When pan is hot, add 1 tbsp oil (dbl for 4 ppl), then the beef strips. Cook until browned, 1-2 min per side. (TIP: Cook to a minimum internal temp. of 71°C/160°F.**) Remove pan from the heat and transfer beef to a cutting board. Carefully chop beef into 1/8-inch pieces or Carne Asada style.
Divide the cabbage mixture between the tostadas. Top with the Carne Asada beef and sprinkle over the feta. Dollop over the crema. Squeeze over a lime wedge.