Deep Dish Pizza in Cast Iron

I know a lot of people aren't fans of the "Pan" type pizza, usually because it has someting to do with the thick crust. But I love it. I used a recipe I have used before, with the only changes being the white cornmeal instead of yellow, and I used the cheese I had on hand, which was mozzarella and smoked gouda. I topped mine with pepperoni, onions and mushrooms, and Chad's with Just pepperoni.

I think I do prefer the yellow cornmeal to the white, but tonight, Chad said he liked this one better. Go figure. Anyway, this is another inexpensive meal to make as you can add whatever leftover meat, veggies, cheeses you have on hand, And yes, it can be done on a week night. If you prefer to make the dough ahead of time, just store it in the fridge for up to 3 days, or freeze. **I pre-baked the crust 5 minutes before topping, it lent to a crispier crust***

Mini Spanakopita Triangles

I love phyllo. Seriously, what can be better than buttery, crispiness? For an ornament exchange I went to I decided to make mini spanakopitas, because I had a box of phyllo to use, and there are just so may possibilities when it comes to making apps for a party.

The task of making these little bundles of spinach and feta is laborious, but I actually enjoy that, call me crazy. I made about 40 of them, but you can make them whatever size you wish (I cut the sheets in thirds to make them bite sized).

Mini Spanakopita

(makes around 40)

1 package (1lb) frozen phyllo dough thawed in the refrigerator overnight

2 10 oz. boxes frozen spinach, thawed, and squeezed of excess liquid. ( I do this in a colander)

2 Tbs. chopped parsley

1/2 cup yellow onion chopped finely

1 1/2 Tbs. olive oil divided

1 1/4 sticks of unsalted butter melted

1 cup crumbled feta

1/4 cup parmesan cheese

1 egg

a little nutmeg

Pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375

In a saute pan, add olive oil and heat over medium heat. Add onions and cook until translucent, set aside to cool. When onions are cool, add all ingredients to a mixing bowl. Stir to mix evenly.

Unwrap phyllo and lay flat, cover with a damp towel to prevent drying out. Take one sheet of dough and brush with melted butter. Lay another sheet on top and brush with more butter. Cut dough lengthwise in thirds.

Put a little of the spinach mixture on on on the end of one strip,

and fold up like a flag.

Brush with more butter. Keep going (trust me, it will take a little while) until mixture is gone.

Put on baking sheet and bake for 20-25 minutes until golden.

Zucchini and Summer Squash Tart

Chad and I were invited to a friends house for the 4th. I needed to bring a dish but I didn't want to bring something predictable like potato salad or baked beans (I was sure that would already be there). I came across this recipe and it looked super simple and delicious.

I modified the recipe a bit by adding prosciutto and zucchini but generally stuck to the directions. This tart was so easy and pretty quick to make, and goodness it tasted wonderful!

The best part was I didn't have to bring the empty dish home since I used a store bought aluminum pie pan.

The possibilities are endless with this tart recipe so use your favorite veggies in place of the zucchini and squash if you wish. You could also make this in a rectangular dish and cut into squares to make them bite sized.

Zucchini and Summer Squash Tart

(Southern Living Magazine)

1 (8-ounce) can refrigerated crescent rolls

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

1/4 cup butter or margarine ( I omitted and used olive oil and butter spray)

1 1/2 pounds yellow squash (about 4 cups), thinly sliced*

1 medium onion, chopped

1 garlic clove, pressed ( I minced)

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

1 tablespoon chopped fresh or 1/2 teaspoon dried basil

2 teaspoons chopped fresh or 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

2 teaspoons chopped fresh or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper 2 large eggs

1/4 cup milk

2 cups (8 ounces) shredded mozzarella cheese ( I used 2% Italian blend)

*** I added a 1/2 cup of shopped prosciutto***

Unroll crescent rolls; press dough on bottom and up sides of a 10-inch tart pan, pressing to seal perforations.
Bake at 375° for 6 minutes or until lightly browned. Gently press crust down with a wooden spoon. Spread crust with mustard, and set aside.
Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add 3 Tbs. olive oil and butter spray. Put onions in skillet and saute a couple minutes. Add zucchini, squash and prosciutto and saute about 5 More minutes. Add garlic and saute about a minute more. Remove from heat; stir in parsley and next 5 ingredients.
Whisk together eggs and milk in a large bowl; stir in cheese and vegetable mixture. Pour over crust.
Bake at 375° for 20 to 25 minutes or until a knife inserted in center comes out clean. Garnish, if desired.
*1 1/2 pounds zucchini may be substituted for yellow squash.

Daring Baker's: Danish Braid

I was so excited to tackle this month's Daring Baker's challenge because I looooove flaky pastries! I don't know why I didn't tackle it sooner than last week though. I guess with me having the summer off, I get a bit lazy.

Reading through the recipe, I was nervous. I've never even heard of a laminated dough before! With all the turns, and rests, and turns, and rests, I was pretty intimidated.Luckily, Ben and Kelly provided some footage from Beatrice Ojakangas w/ Julia Childs, and another showing how to turn the dough. They were a wonderful resource and put my fears of making this pastry at bay.

While sitting on the couch one evening I started to concoct some filling ideas out loud. Chad heard this and said "Why can't you just make plain old apple?". Hmmm, there was a suggested apple filling I thought, and agreed that I would use that and make "plain old apple".

Once I got started, it was really easy to do, just a bit time consuming.

Other Daring Baker's had some problems with the butter block oozing out, but thank Jesus, my rolling went smoothly.

I decided to divide the dough into three and make 2 braids, and pinwheels for the last third. I ended up omitting the zest and orange juice from the recipe since I planned on making savory pastries

My first braid, I did the apple, the second I made a blueberry-strawberry compote, and topped that with Dorie's basic pastry cream.

I wasn't the best at the braiding, but it still came out beautiful!

I filled the pinwheels with spinach, finely chopped crimini mushrooms, prosciutto, sauteed onion, garlic, Parmesan, finely chopped mozzarella, nutmeg and pepper.

I love how these turned out, they are perfect for an appetizer or just a little bite.

DANISH DOUGH

Makes 2-1/2 pounds dough

Ingredients

For the dough (Detrempe)

1 ounce fresh yeast or 1 tablespoon active dry yeast

1/2 cup whole milk

1/3 cup sugar

Zest of 1 orange, finely grated

3/4 teaspoon ground cardamom

1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/2 vanilla bean, split and scraped

2 large eggs, chilled

1/4 cup fresh orange juice

3-1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

For the butter block (Beurrage)

1/2 pound (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

DOUGH

Combine yeast and milk in the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and mix on low speed. Slowly add sugar, orange zest, cardamom, vanilla extract, vanilla seeds, eggs, and orange juice. Mix well. Change to the dough hook and add the salt with the flour, 1 cup at a time, increasing speed to medium as the flour is incorporated. Knead the dough for about 5 minutes, or until smooth. You may need to add a little more flour if it is sticky. Transfer dough to a lightly floured baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.Without a standing mixer: Combine yeast and milk in a bowl with a hand mixer on low speed or a whisk. Add sugar, orange zest, cardamom, vanilla extract, vanilla seeds, eggs, and orange juice and mix well. Sift flour and salt on your working surface and make a fountain. Make sure that the “walls” of your fountain are thick and even. Pour the liquid in the middle of the fountain. With your fingertips, mix the liquid and the flour starting from the middle of the fountain, slowly working towards the edges. When the ingredients have been incorporated start kneading the dough with the heel of your hands until it becomes smooth and easy to work with, around 5 to 7 minutes. You might need to add more flour if the dough is sticky.

BUTTER BLOCK

1. Combine butter and flour in the bowl of a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and beat on medium speed for 1 minute. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and the paddle and then beat for 1 minute more, or until smooth and lump free. Set aside at room temperature.

2. After the detrempe has chilled 30 minutes, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Roll the dough into a rectangle approximately 18 x 13 inches and ¼ inch thick. The dough may be sticky, so keep dusting it lightly with flour. Spread the butter evenly over the center and right thirds of the dough. Fold the left edge of the detrempe to the right, covering half of the butter. Fold the right third of the rectangle over the center third. The first turn has now been completed. Mark the dough by poking it with your finger to keep track of your turns, or use a sticky and keep a tally. Place the dough on a baking sheet, wrap it in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

3. Place the dough lengthwise on a floured work surface. The open ends should be to your right and left. Roll the dough into another approximately 13 x 18 inch, ¼-inch-thick rectangle. Again, fold the left third of the rectangle over the center third and the right third over the center third. No additional butter will be added as it is already in the dough. The second turn has now been completed. Refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes.

4. Roll out, turn, and refrigerate the dough two more times, for a total of four single turns. Make sure you are keeping track of your turns. Refrigerate the dough after the final turn for at least 5 hours or overnight. The Danish dough is now ready to be used. If you will not be using the dough within 24 hours, freeze it. To do this, roll the dough out to about 1 inch in thickness, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and freeze. Defrost the dough slowly in the refrigerator for easiest handling. Danish dough will keep in the freezer for up to 1 month.

DANISH BRAID

Makes enough for 2 large braids

Ingredients

1 recipe Danish Dough (see below)

2 cups apple filling, jam, or preserves (see below)

For the egg wash: 1 large egg, plus 1 large egg yolk

1. Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper. On a lightly floured surface, roll the Danish Dough into a 15 x 20-inch rectangle, ¼ inch thick. If the dough seems elastic and shrinks back when rolled, let it rest for a few minutes, then roll again. Place the dough on the baking sheet.

2. Along one long side of the pastry make parallel, 5-inch-long cuts with a knife or rolling pastry wheel, each about 1 inch apart. Repeat on the opposite side, making sure to line up the cuts with those you’ve already made.

3. Spoon the filling you’ve chosen to fill your braid down the center of the rectangle. Starting with the top and bottom “flaps”, fold the top flap down over the filling to cover. Next, fold the bottom “flap” up to cover filling. This helps keep the braid neat and helps to hold in the filling. Now begin folding the cut side strips of dough over the filling, alternating first left, then right, left, right, until finished. Trim any excess dough and tuck in the ends.

Egg Wash

Whisk together the whole egg and yolk in a bowl and with a pastry brush, lightly coat the braid.

Proofing and Baking

1. Spray cooking oil (Pam…) onto a piece of plastic wrap, and place over the braid. Proof at room temperature or, if possible, in a controlled 90 degree F environment for about 2 hours, or until doubled in volume and light to the touch.

2. Near the end of proofing, preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Position a rack in the center of the oven.

3. Bake for 10 minutes, then rotate the pan so that the side of the braid previously in the back of the oven is now in the front. Lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees F, and bake about 15-20 minutes more, or until golden brown. Cool and serve the braid either still warm from the oven or at room temperature. The cooled braid can be wrapped airtight and stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 days, or freeze for 1 month.

APPLE FILLING

Makes enough for two braids

Ingredients (I halved this recipe)

4 Fuji or other apples, peeled, cored, and cut into ¼-inch pieces

1/2 cup sugar

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/2 vanilla bean, split and scraped

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

Toss all ingredients except butter in a large bowl. Melt the butter in a sauté pan over medium heat until slightly nutty in color, about 6 - 8 minutes. Then add the apple mixture and sauté until apples are softened and caramelized, 10 to 15 minutes. If you’ve chosen Fujis, the apples will be caramelized, but have still retained their shape. Pour the cooked apples onto a baking sheet to cool completely before forming the braid. (If making ahead, cool to room temperature, seal, and refrigerate.) They will cool faster when spread in a thin layer over the surface of the sheet. After they have cooled, the filling can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Left over filling can be used as an ice cream topping, for muffins, cheesecake, or other pastries.

This was a very fun and great learning experience for me, Thank you Kelly and Ben!

Make sure you head over to the Daring Baker's blogroll and see the other members wonderful danish braids.

Eggplant, Sausage, and Angel Hair Pie

I found this recipe browsing the FN website about a month ago. I originally wanted to make it for my lunch club, but I wasn't sure how it was going to turn out. Well, after thinking about it for some time I decided to give it a go. I am very talented in the pastry crust dept. so this was going to be a challenge. I just wish I could have seen a picture of the final product to have something to go on since I didn't see Giada make it on her show.

Well it turned out great even though I forgot to add the cheese (I have no idea how I could have forgotten one of my favorite ingredients) but I just added it at the end. This recipe is very versatile in that you can play around with the vegetables, even the type of pasta and meat.


One downside to it is that it was a bit time consuming, so I may prepare some of it ahead of time. And my pie only took 45 minutes in the oven. No where near the hour and a half recommended.
Baked Angel Hair with Eggplant

• 1/3 cup plus 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 to 6 Japanese eggplants (about 2 pounds total), cut into 1-inch cubes (I used 1 regular)
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 pound mild Italian turkey sausage, casings removed (I used mild italian)
• 1/3 cup dry red wine (I only had a dry white on hand)
• 3 cups marinara sauce
• 1 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper flakes
• 8 ounces angel hair pasta
• 1 pound mozzarella, diced
• 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan
• 1 (17 1/4-ounce) package frozen puff pastry (2 sheets), thawed
  

Heat 1/3 cup of oil in a large nonstick frying pan over medium-high heat. Add half of the eggplant and toss to coat in the oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Saute the eggplant until it is golden and tender, about 10 minutes. Decrease the heat to medium. Add half of the garlic and saute until it is tender, about 2 minutes longer. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the eggplant mixture to a large bowl. Repeat with the remaining 1/4 cup oil and the remaining eggplant and garlic.
Add the sausage and wine to the same frying pan. Cook over medium-high heat until the wine evaporates and the sausage is brown, breaking the sausage into pieces with the back of a spoon, about 8 minutes. Add the sausage, marinara sauce, and crushed red pepper to the eggplant mixture, and toss to combine.
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the angel hair and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring constantly, until pasta is still slightly crunchy and undercooked. Drain. Toss the angel hair with the eggplant mixture. Cool completely. Add the mozzarella and Parmesan and toss to combine.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Roll out 1 pastry sheet on a floured surface to a 13 1/2-inch square. Transfer to a 9-inch springform pan, allowing the excess pastry to hang over the rim. Spoon the pasta mixture into the pan. Place the second pastry sheet atop the pasta filling. Pinch the edges of the pastry sheets together to seal. Trim the overhanging pastry edges to about 1-inch. Fold the pastry edges in to form a decorative border. Cut a slit in the center of the top pastry to allow the steam to escape.
Bake until the pastry is brown and puffed on top, about 1 hour and 30 minutes. Let stand for 20 minutes. Remove the pan sides and serve.

Double Crust Chicken Pot Pie

Tonight's dinner was pretty simple. I had store bought pie crusts, as well as a rotisserie chicken.

I was in the mood for some comfort food and this really hit the spot. I haven't had this in quite a while since I don't consider making this dish unless the weather is a bit cooler. This is definitely a fall/winter type meal but what can one do when they are hit with a wave of cravings? Give in is what I tend to do!

Double Crust Chicken Pot Pie

For the chicken:

Remove all chicken from the rotisserie and chop into bite sized pieces.

For the Crust:

Remove crusts from the cardboard packaging and bring to room temperature. Line a 9" pie plate with one of the crusts, and when filled layer the other on top, cut excess off edges and flute. Cut a couple of slits to allow steam to escape.

For the filling:

• 1/2 cup finely chopped onion


• 1/2 cup chopped celery


• 2 garlic cloves minced


• 1 tsp. Fresh chopped thyme


• 1 Tbs. Fresh chopped italian parsley


• 1 cup diced new potato (I left the skin on)


• 3/4 cup frozen peas and carrots


• 3 Tbs. unsalted butter


• 3 Tbs. flour


• 3/4 cup 2 % milk


• 3/4 cup Heavy cream


• 1/2 tsp. fresh grated nutmeg


• 1/2 cup chicken stock


• Salt and pepper to taste

Heat oven to 375 degrees

Heat butter in a medium sized sauce pan and add onions and celery. Cook until onions are translucent and add garlic. Add herbs, salt and pepper and cook a couple of minutes longer and add flour. Whisk until smooth (about a minute) and add stock. Continue to whisk until flour and stock are well incorporated. Slowly add milk and cream whisking the entire time. Bring to a simmer and let simmer for about a minute. Add nutmeg and remove from heat.

Stir in Chicken, potatoes, peas and carrots and thoroughly combine. Fill pie plate, add second pie crust, flute edges, cut a couple of slits and brush with an egg wash. Cover loosely with foil and bake for 30 minutes and then remove foil. Bake another 20 (or until crust is golden brown) remove from oven and let set for about 5-10 minutes before serving.