Pantry Meal #3: Portland Pie Co.'s Shipyard Pizza

My husband loves pizza. No, seriously he is obsessed. He could eat it every night if it is cooked the way he likes it; light crust,  saucy, sprinkled with oregano, garlic and not too much cheese. In our last house our neighbor would make him pies after a night out, and Dave would repeatedly tell him he missed his calling! Now that we aren't right across the street anymore the pizza cook offs have waned and the responsibility to make perfect pizza is on my shoulders.

While I love making pizza at home, my results can be hit or miss. I buy pizza dough from the grocery store or use English muffins or bagels for my base. I used to buy pizza sauce or use regular leftover marinara but recently discovered a simple, quick, and inexpensive way to make my own pizza sauce.

The hit in our house tonight was made with a very special pizza dough. The best store bought dough in my opinion is Portland Pie Co.'s Shipyard Beer pizza dough. It's not sold here in NJ, but I have a source (my big sister) near Albany who recently delivered me a frozen stash!

Once again, these pizza ideas come from my sister, a meal she prepared while I was visiting last fall. I let my dough come to room temperature and preheated the oven and pizza stone to 475 degrees. I prepared a Swiss and fig with caramelized onion spread pizza and a good ole margarita pie (pictured above) with fresh mozzarella and my easy pizza sauce (First frost already hit, no fresh basil for us). I drizzled olive oil over the crust prior to baking to create a pan style crunch.

So are you ready to never spend money on a jar of pizza sauce? The secret is to keep tomato paste on hand, your pantry ingredient for this meal. Maybe everyone else knew this, but I was shocked to discover how tasty my pizza sauce was. Combine 8 oz of water to one small can of tomato paste (costs about $0.60 per can/less if on sale) and season with herbs of your preference. I used oregano, garlic, and black pepper. Let the sauce sit so that it soaks in the flavor of the seasonings for at least ten minutes. One mixture made enough for three bar sized pizzas. So now I want to know, what will you be putting on your pizza?

Pantry Meals: Shrimp and Goat Cheesy Grits

I have a problem, my freezer is jam packed! I've challenged myself to a week of cooking meals from only ingredients on hand, mainly from my pantry or freezer. I see the benefits as two fold, budget wise: I will be in good shape in terms of groceries, and space wise: I'll make room for freezable winter dishes that I like to have on hand for cold lazy nights. So here goes nothing! The first meal I made uses frozen shrimp, an ingredient I like to have on hand for a quick appetizer or meatless entree. Next, I pulled some Bob's Red Mill southern style grits and a can of diced tomatoes from the pantry. After cooking the grits, I stirred in the tomatoes along with a creamy herb and garlic goat cheese. I sautéed the shrimp in earth balance butter and added a generous amount of black pepper. The grits were done in 5 minutes and dinner was on the table in less than 10! No chopping necessary thanks to the deliciously seasoned goat cheese. You can easily replicate this dish with any other creamy cheese such as ricotta or feta and add your favorite herbs.

Baking Turns Into Dinner...

My sister and I often send each other random links to new recipes we have tried out.  We are both pretty adventurous and we will try just about anything in terms of ingredients. More importantly we both keep a lot of the same ingredients in stock in our pantries.

Most recently, she sent me a recipe for Carrot Quinoa muffins. I know, it sounds like some health-nut dessert but its definitely not. Follow the link below to get the recipe.









I found myself shredding too much carrot and had been making some grilled chicken for my week's lunches, when I decided to throw together the extra ingredients from the muffins, into a delicious salad. The salad was comprised of the extra cooked quinoa, shredded carrot, diced apple, baby arugula, herbed goat cheese, grilled chicken, and my favorite go-to salad dressing, maple balsamic vinaigrette (another hit from my sister's collection!) This dressing is my secret weapon for dinner parties and will soon be yours as well!

The Dressing

3T balsamic

2t maple syrup

2t minced shallot

1t dijon

1/2 cup olive oil (add last, slowly while whisking)

salt and pepper

Make the Muffins: http://www.darcyeden.com/posts/2012/5/18/carrot-quinoa-muffins.html

Dinner in 20 Minutes: Panko Pork Cutlets with Chianti Balsamic Reduction with Roasted Garlic Yukon Gold Mashed Potatoes

Craving a comforting fall inspired dinner, I had mashed potatoes on the mind early on in the day today. I always make my mashed potatoes with the peels still on, using my food processor to make them creamy and smooth. I tried a new ingredient this time around, a small pinch of cinnamon, and it added a nice sweet and spicy note in addition to the roasted garlic. I added almond milk, olive oil, salt & pepper, and roasted minced garlic to the food processor bowl.

I flayed boneless pork chops to make thin portions. Using an egg wash consisting of eggs, water and stone ground mustard, I breaded the pork in panko bread crumbs, fresh grated Parmesan cheese , garlic powder, kosher salt and fresh ground pepper. Then I pan fried in Olive oil until crispy and golden on each side.

To make the reduction I added equal parts of a leftover bottle of Chianti with Balsamic vinegar. I simmered over med low heat until it reduced to half and thickened. I drizzled the reduction over the plate and then plated the potatoes and cutlets. I ate my cutlets Milanese style over a bed of baby greens with an additional splash of french vinaigrette.

I suggest boiling the potatoes while you saute the cutlets. Transfer cooked cutlets to an oven safe dish and place in 200 degree oven to keep warm until ready to serve.  A side of some roasted apples and carrots would pair perfectly with this dish. What fall flavors are you craving when the weather starts cooling down?

The Slow Cooker Saves Dinner

I recently started working part time for a friend's family deli, (Gianella's of Glen Rock) and the evening hours are forcing me to get creative with dinner, and encouraging me to pull out my rarely used crock pot. The New York Times Dining section recently featured a recipe, with a picture that left me drooling: Grilled Baby Back Ribs with Spicy Peanut Shake. I purchased the ingredients fully intending to make them on a night I would be home and have the time required. Needless to say, that didn't happen! So I pulled out the Crock Pot and googled a variety of slow cooker worthy rib recipes. The following Thai inspired recipe is what I came up with. 

All of the marinade ingredients are usually in my pantry or fridge, making this a meal I can turn to time and time again as long as I have some ribs in the freezer. I paired it with two sides that are quick to heat/assemble; Trader Joe's Frozen Brown Rice, as well as, some raw baby carrots. The results were fall of the bone tender ribs that left the house smelling delicious.

What slow cooker recipe do make that you can't live without?

 Thai Style Crock Pot Ribs
1-16 oz can pineapple chunks in pineapple juice
1-2 T low sodium soy sauce
1/2 tsp granulated garlic
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/3 cup hoisin sauce
1/4 cup fresh squeezed orange juice
2 T creamy or crunchy peanut butter
3.5 lbs pork baby back ribs
Salt to preference

Combine ingredients and allow ribs to marinate 8 hours or overnight in fridge. Place Ribs and marinade in slow cooker and cook on low setting for 8 hours. (It is ok to place the refrigerated crock into the warmer as long as you do not preheat the warmer)

Improving Childhood Recipes Part 1: Mac N Cheese

Mac n' cheese out of a box was a weekly staple in our home growing up. Easy and quick to make, it was our go to meal when friends stopped in, or to hold us over after school until dinner. Now a meal I keep on hand in case of emergencies and power outages, occasionally I get that craving and I have begun to come up with a myriad of ways to adjust the boxed dinner to the adult palate.  To start I use Annie's organic shells or the Trader Joe's version. Even though you can skip the butter in these recipes, I prefer the richness it contributes so I use my Earth Balance spread. I attempt to balance out the fat content of the mac n cheese by adding a veggie packed with antioxidants: sauteed spinach. To help add a new dimension of flavor I threw in some caramelized shallots and topped it off with a sprinkle of reduced fat shredded cheese (there goes that balance). Another version I made recently combined canned tuna, sauteed broccoli, and minced garlic. My husband's favorite is to just add some tomato sauce. What is your favorite way to make mac n' cheese?

Patriotic Breakfast: Steel Cut Oats topped with fresh strawberries and blueberries

I've had steel cut oats before, but I have always bought them at my favorite coffee shop, Greenberry's. I always let them do the hard work, cooking the steel cut oats for half an hour in a huge black kettle. When I saw them in the store I decided to cheat and get the "Ready in 5" box, I could've cheated more and bought the "almost instant."I topped off my oats with sweetly fragrant sliced strawberries and New Jersey grown plump blueberries. No added sugar needed, the natural sweetness of the fruit perfectly complemented the oats. What are you eating that is Red, White, and Blue this week?