Grilled Pizza

photo by Emily Hale

This post is for my brother Chris who just moved to a new house with a Weber. The grill I have is the cheapest gas grill made, but it works dandy, and it was a perfect gift from my parents. We've used it a lot lately since our power has been out twice in the past month. I used it to boil water for mac n cheese the other day. Soon I hope to try grilled french toast, a tip from the Hale's.

So here's grilled pizza. At first you think you're failing because the dough won't be symmetrical no matter how delicately you try to put it down. And holes will tear through and inevitably start to burn around the edges. But all this adds to the rustic tastiness, trust me.

Dough makes four 10" pizzas for four 5' people
1 C warm water

1 tsp sugar
1 packet yeast
2 tsp olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
2 1/2 C flour


Soften the yeast and sugar in water. When foamy, whisk in oil and salt. Stir in flour until combined and turn out onto floured work surface. With oiled hands, knead until dough comes together in an elastic ball, two minutes. Add more flour as needed. Let rise until double in an oiled, covered bowl, about 30 min. Punch down and let double again, although I have skipped the second rise and it worked fine, maybe due to the humidity here...?

To make generous single serving pizzas, divide dough into fourths, or make smaller pizzas to help maintain your sanity. Stretch the dough and brush with herb oil (this is simple yet essential, recipe below) before placing on the grill.

Cook dough on one side until done to your liking, flip over and add tomato sauce (the simpler the better, recipe below) toppings (our favorites are prosciutto or pesto shrimp and black or kalamata olives) and cheese. The best cheese is a mixture of torn fresh mozzarella, shredded part skim mozzarella and diced fontina. Cover the grill to let the cheese melt and remove just before the bottom burns.

Herb oil is olive oil heated for two minutes with minced fresh rosemary and sliced garlic.


Simple Tomato Sauce

Saute one or two garlic gloves, diced or pressed, add a large can of peeled tomatoes, a basil leaf, oregano and salt. Let simmer while smashing the tomatoes and then cover and simmer for 15 minutes.

Ham Fried Rice

I have my own recipe to making Ham Fried Rice, I don't really use measurements either, a lot of it is to taste, so this recipe is approximations.  It is a favorite to make when we're planning on needing leftovers for a night or lunches.

Ingredients:
3 Eggs
1 tbs Curry Powder
1 12 ounce package frozen peas and carrots
4-6 cups cooked rice (best if it was cooked a few hours ahead and chilled in the fridge for a couple hours, so left over rice is good)
1 pound diced cooked ham (cooked pork is great too!)
Soy Sauce to taste (usually 2 tbs w/ this volume doesn't even taste salty, so I recommend 2-3tbs)
3 tbs cooking oil (vegetable is great, sesame is best, but it's expensive)
6 ounces bean sprouts (the cans come in 8ounces, but that always seems to be a little too much, so just don't use the whole can)
2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 chopped green onions or chives


Heat oil in a wok (or pan)  on high until it starts to smoke slightly. Add cooked rice and toss to coat evenly in the oil. Turn heat to medium-high. Add Soy Sauce, curry and ginger. Toss for one minute to coat, then add cooked ham, peas and carrots and bean sprouts. Toss until heated through. Then push rices mixture aside in the pan and add eggs and scramble, then mix with the rest. Toss for another 1-3 minutes (so the egg is fully cooked and evenly spread out in the Ham Fried Rice). Then add in the green onions, toss for another minute and you're ready to eat! It makes a lot, and is great for left overs too!

I almost always loose some rice and such over the side, it's tough to toss a lot, but with a wok you don't loose as much, it makes tossing easier and cooks it nice and even!

Spring Rolls

Spring Rolls


mix together in a bowl:
4 eggs
2 tbsp oil (I prefer olive)
2-3 tbsp soy sauce

and any or all of the following:
rice
vermicelli (the recipe told me to soak this, I boiled it and int turned out just fine)
bean sprouts
shredded carrots
ground pork (cooked)
green peas
green onions (sliced)

You also need the spring roll wraps from the store. I got them at the Chinese grocery store, but I am pretty sure they sell them at regular grocery stores, too.

lay a single wrap on a plate and put about 1-2 tbsp of the above mix into the wrap. Roll it half way the diamond way, fold in the sides, then roll up the rest of the way. The wraps are papery, but sticky enough that they stay closed.

Heat up oil (we used vegetable) and deep fry those babies until they start browning. The outer wrap will be hardened. Remove from oil and place on a paper towel on a plate to allow drainage.

Then, sit back and enjoy! We used sweet and sour sauce, soy sauce, and peanut sauce as our dips of choice. :) By far the favorite was sweet and sour.

Red Beans and Rice

We made this last Saturday for the first time in years.  We can't figure out why! We'll be  making it more often, it was so yummy! This is Emeril Lagasse's recipe, and from his book "Louisiana Real & Rustic."

"Monday wouldn't be Monday in Louisiana without red beans and rice. Legend has it that since Monday was traditionally wash day, an all-day affair before electric washers and dryers, a pot of red beans spent the morning simmering on the back of the stove. If there was a ham bone left over from Sunday's diner, it was thrown into the pot of beans. The marrow from the cracked bone and a good amount of herbs and spices made the beans tasty; long cooking made them tender and creamy. When the laundry was done, so were the beans. Red beans ladled over fresh steamed rice with a pile of french bead for sopping up every last drop, this is the dish and the day of the week that transplanted Louisianians miss most. Don't fret if you don't have a ham bone; substitute some smoked sausage."

2 Tbs vegetable oil
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped bell peppers
1/2 cup chopped celery
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cayenne
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp dried thyme
4 bay leaves
1 pound boiled ham, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
6 ounces smoked sausage, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch slices
1 pound dried red beans, rinsed and sorted over, soaked overnight and drained
3 Tbs chopped garlic
8 to 10 cups water

steamed white rice

1. Heat the oil in a large heavy saucepan over medium-high heat. Saute the onions, bell peppers, celery, salt, cayenne, black pepper and thyme for about 5 minutes. Add the bay leaves, jam and sausage and saute for 5 to 6 minutes. Add the bean and garlic and enough water to cover the contents in the pot. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, for about 2 hours. Add more water if the mixture becomes dry and thick.
2. Use a wooden spoon to mash about half of the mixture against the side of the pot. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, for about 1 1/2 hours, or until the misture is creamy and the beans are soft. Add more water if it becomes too thick. The mixture should be soupy, but not watery.
3. Remove the bay leaves and serve over steamed rice.


Jeff said that they had this nearly every day on the mission. Yes, it is a bit crazy to tend to it for 4 hours, but On Saturday, when we were cleaning, it worked perfectly! When we made it, we had a whole pound of sausage, and added more onions and bell peppers, and right when it was done, Jeff stirring in a shot of Tabasco sauce.

MARILYN'S FEIJOADA (brazilian beans)

This is a new recipe of an old favorite for me. For years I have made rice and beans for the Brazilian men of my acquaintance (Gary, Andy, Jon, Mike, and Marc) . Okay, they're not really Brazilian but they spent 2 years there, learning the language, serving the people, and eating the food. Feijoada is a national dish in Brazil.

The first time I made the beans, I didn't really follow a recipe. I used dried pinto beans, then just added what I thought would make them tasty - you know, a little bit of this, a little bit of that. Unfortunately, one of the "little bits" I used became unavailable (namely, Campbell's black bean soup). I stopped making the beans for a long time.

As I am writing this, I am in Milwaukee watching two of my perfect grandchildren while Andy and Amanda are house-hunting in Texas. Their uberfriends and neighbors, the Hunters and the Crosbys, have been so kind and helpful that I decided to make a Brazilian meal for them. Due to the lack of the soup + being away from my own kitchen, I was forced to experiment a little and come up with a different recipe. It is actually more authentic feijoada and, I think, tastier. I hope you think so, too. It is a 24 hour process, but don't let that intimidate you. It's actually really simple when using a crock-pot.

FEIJOADA

1 1/2 lbs. dried black beans
1 large sausage (Hillshire Farms), sliced
1 large green pepper, diced
1 large onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, diced
3/4 cup celery, diced
1/4 cup parsley, minced
1 t. oregano
2 T. fresh basil, minced
2 bay leaves
pinch of ground cloves
1 t. salt
10 strips of bacon, cooked and diced
4 beef bouillon cubes

Soak the beans according to package directions. Set aside.

Heat one tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet (cast iron works best)
and brown the sausage. add all the remaining ingredients except the
bouillon cubes. Cook and stir until the veggies soften. Cover and
cook over low heat for 1 hour, stirring frequently.

Pour the beans and the soak water into a large slow cooker and add the
meat, veggies and bouillon cubes. Cook on low overnight or for at least
12-14 hours. The longer it cooks, the better it is.

Serve with rice, Teryaki steak, and a green salad.

Twist on Elise's Creamy Tomatillo Dressing

At our house we, too, love the Barbacoa Pork and Creamy Tomatillo Dressing. I was making it last week and I wondered if I might replace some of the fat and calories and still get a good product. I didn't want to mess things up too much so I wasn't super daring but I did replace half of the mayo with low-fat ricotta cheese and used 1% milk with 1 T of vinegar in place of the buttermilk. I also used a 1/2 tsp of cayenne pepper instead the jalepeno just because I did not have a jalepeno. Everybody seemed to enjoy it just as much! Maybe one day I'll try using plain yogurt in place of most of the mayo.

Barbacoa Pork

This recipe came from Elise's blog a while ago, and I make it so much I just had to put it here too. It's very similar to the pork at Cafe Rio. In fact we eat in salad form just like the one you can get there. We put tortillas in pie tins and sprinkle them with a little cheese, then put them under the broiler to melt the cheese and crisp the tortillas slightly. We then layer the salads in this order in the tortillas: rice (lime cilantro rice would be great), black beans, pork, lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, more cheese, and anything else you like on a salad or in a burrito. It's excellent, and the ingredients always surprise our guests. I think the meat is flavorful enough that we don't use any salad dressing, but you could use ranch or a tasty dressing Elise likes.
Thanks Elise!

Barbacoa Pork

3-4 pound pork roast
1 can cola
1 C brown sugar
1 bottle red taco sauce (about 15 oz, La Victoria works best, but Taco Bell brand is OK too)
1 Tb cumin

Place pork in slow cooker and fill with water half way up the roast. Cook on low 6 hours. Drain the water and shred the pork, returning the pork to the slow cooker. Combine the remaining ingredients and poor over the pork. Cook on low for another two hours.

OJ Soy Pork Chops Udon

This was so easy and so good, I saw Robin Miller make it, and tweaked it to my liking. I hadn't tried udon noodles before, and now we're hooked! Be careful of the cooking time. The package said to boil the noodles for a lot longer than they really needed to be, which is the exact opposite of what usually happens with Italian noodles for me. I tried sesame oil (toasted) once and it was gross. After discussing it with my sister, I think I just got a bad batch. But I was afraid to spend money on buying it again, so I just left it out. Next time I make this, I'm going to try a pork tenderloin, cut into strips and dredging them in flour before browning. Also, I might add less chicken stock than is called for. I had to use some corn starch to thicken the sauce, and I thought it was still a little too runny. The marmalade made these taste sweet and delicious. Try try try! I served this with Soy Rainbow Veggies.

OJ Soy Pork Chops Udon

4 pork loin chops, about 5 ounces each
1 Tb olive oil
1 C orange marmalade
1/2 C reduced-sodium chicken broth (or less for a thicker sauce if desired)
2 Tb soy sauce
1 tsp sesame oil (optional)
12 oz udon noodles, cooked according to package directions


Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season both sides of pork with salt and black pepper. Add pork to the skillet and cook 2 minutes per side, until golden brown.
In a medium bowl, combine orange marmalade, broth, soy sauce, and sesame oil. Mix well and add to the pork in the pan. Bring to a simmer for 5 minutes, or until pork is cooked through and sauce thickens and reduces. Arrange noodles on a serving platter. Top with pork chops and sauce. Optional: garnish with scallions just before serving.

Sweet-and-Sour Pork

Last night we had this for dinner, and I was pleasantly surprised. It's similar to the teriyaki recipes, kind of a combination of them, but I liked the thick, sweet sauce it made. Abby loved the pineapple in it! I made half the recipe and it was plenty for the two and a half of us.

2 Tb butter
2 Tb olive oil
3 pounds lean pork, cut into strips
1/4 C cornstarch
2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1/2 C packed brown sugar
1/2 C vinegar
2 (20 0z) cans pineapple tidbits or chunks, drained, reserve juice
2 Tb soy sauce
2 red or green bell peppers cut unto chunks
1/2 C thinly sliced onion

Melt butter in a large skillet; add olive oil. Stir-fry pork strips until browned and cooked through. Drain meat and set aside.
In same skillet, combine cornstarch, salt, pepper, brown sugar, vinegar, 2 cups of reserved juice, and soy sauce. Cook and stir until mixture comes to a boil. Reduce hear. Stir and cook 2 minutes. Add hot pork, peppers, sliced onion, and pineapple. Cook 3 minutes longer over medium heat. Serve over rice.
From: Essential Mormon Celebrations

Variations on Teriyaki

Both my mom and Ida (Jon's mom) have a tasty recipe for teriyaki marinade. We like to use it for steaks, chicken, pork and shish kebabs. We like them both, and we usually trade off which one we'll use. Canned pineapple now comes in pineapple juice, so that's what we use in Ida's recipe. Then the pineapple can be put on the skewers if you're making shish kebabs. Mmmm!

Marilyn's Teriyaki
Blend:
1 C oil
1 C soy sauce
1/2 C ketchup
1/4 C vinegar
Pepper to taste
1 garlic clove, pressed, or 1/2 tsp garlic powder
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Ida's Teriyaki
Blend:
1/2 C soy sauce
3/4 C pineapple juice
1 Tb cornstarch
2 tsp grated ginger, fresh
2 garlic cloves, pressed
2 Tb oil (sesame or veggie)
2 Tb sesame seeds
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I read in a magazine today that teriyaki is old-fashioned cliche, but still good if not authentic. This is their recipe for the marinade. (from Wondertime magazine) I haven't used it yet, but it looks tasty.
PS Wondertime is my favorite "parenting" magazine.

Wondertime Teriyaki
2/3 C soy sauce
1/4 C orange juice
3 Tb cider vinegar
3 Tb brown sugar
2 Tb grated fresh ginger (or 1 tsp ground)
2 garlic cloves, pressed

In a small (nonreactive if you have one) saucepan, bring all ingredients to a boil. Stir constantly until sugar dissolves. Cool to room temp before using.