Flatbread Pizza with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce, Broccoli, Caramelized Onions, and Pineapple

Lots of roasting happened in the making of this pizza.

I like thinking of the oven as a "black box."  And unlike most metaphorical black boxes, I actually don't like to analyze this one.  Usually, I love thinking about the "why."  Which I'm sure my mom just loved as I was growing up.  Actually, I am still scolded for over-thinking things.

I could learn all the mechanisms by which browning occurs and so on.  But if I do, it would no longer be the mysterious box into which things are placed and then deliciousness occurs.  I've actually had a lifelong reticence to learning about such processes.  As a high school student, I got it into my head that I was not going to take chemistry.  I didn't, and it felt like such a victory.  I carried my anti-chemistry flag right through college and grad school.  I can be such a contrarian sometimes.  I have little doubt that learning some chemistry would explain a lot of the magic, but I obstinately refuse to get into it.

When broccoli and garlic and red peppers are doused in some olive oil, salt, and pepper and put into this magic box, loveliness happens.  So I let the oven work its magic...and then add some fresh pineapple chunks for a sweet, juicy counterpoint.

Ingredients
Roasted broccoli:
3 cups broccoli florets
olive oil
salt
pepper
red pepper flakes
1 lemon wedge

Roasted red peppers:
3 red peppers, cut into quarters
olive oil
salt
pepper

Roasted garlic:
1 head of garlic
1 tablespoon oil

Caramelized Onions:
2 onions, peeled, halved, then sliced

Roasted red pepper pizza spread
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 (15.5) ounce can cannelini beans
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
juice from 1/2 a lime
salt and pepper to taste
the roasted garlic
the roasted red peppers

Cheeses:
1/2 cup grated extra sharp cheddar
1/2 cup grated mozzarella
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

about 1 cup of fresh pineapple chunks
2 flatbreads (we used Stonefire's garlic naan)

Instructions
To roast the broccoli: Heat oven to 425. Place florets on baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle red pepper flakes, salt, freshly ground black pepper and Parmesan cheese over pieces. Roast for about 25 minutes, until pieces are soft and have that delicious browning on them. Remove from oven and squeeze fresh lemon juice over top.

To roast the garlic: Heat oven to 400. Take off the papery outer skin of the garlic bulb. Don’t remove all the skin, just the stuff that comes off easily. The head of garlic should still remain intact. Slice off the pointy end of the bulb to expose all the cloves. Place in a small greased ramekin and cover with the olive oil. Sprinkle just a pinch of salt and cover with aluminum foil. Place in oven and roast for about 45 minutes. The cloves of garlic will be all nice and soft.

To roast the red peppers: Heat oven to 425. Place red peppers on baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle red pepper flakes, salt, and freshly ground black pepper over pieces. Once one side of the veggie has a nice brown color, flip; then continue roasting for a total of about 35 minutes.

To caramelize the onions: Place a tablespoon of olive oil in large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the onion slices. Don’t stir too often yet. Let the pieces brown, without getting burnt. After about 15 minutes or so, once slices have mostly browned, I like to turn the heat down to low or medium low. Stir frequently. I like adding a bit of water or oil every so often to keep the pieces from burning or sticking too much. After about 40 minutes or so, the onions should have a dark brown, jam-like quality.

To make the red pepper spread: In a medium sauce pan, add oil, beans and their liquid, red pepper flakes, roasted garlic, and roasted peppers. Cook on medium low for 10 minutes. Season with lime juice, salt, and pepper. Blend with an immersion blender, and season again if needed.

To make the pizzas: Spread red pepper sauce on flatbreads. Top with cheeses, caramelized onions, and broccoli. Bake at 375 until cheese is all melted and the flatbread is getting crispy, about 8-10 minutes. Once it is done cooking, finish with fresh pineapple chunks.

Pistachio and Apple Salad with Gingery Lemon Poppy Seed Dressing

As the tot and I ambled to the nearby park for "lets shovel some sand in the castle-shaped bucket" time, I noticed a lemon wedge.  As did Max.  He politely gave me the used lemon wedge, and I threw it back on the ground, distracting his attention by pointing out the helicopter overhead.  I, of course, did not want to appear ungrateful.

When we actually arrived at the park, I noticed a wedge of lime and a slice of orange.  Used.  Luckily, Max did not notice these and happily began shoveling .  It was strange - finding these lonely remains of fruit scattered on the sidewalks and through the park.  What happened to the rest of these fruits?  Is this a sign that I should be making something with citrus today? Why such variety in citrus?  Is there an outbreak of scurvy?

These questions will forever remain unanswered.  And while this story is rather random and rambly, the mix of pistachio and apple should never be viewed as such.  These aren't two strangers passing through the night.  Pistachio and apple are like two people who just meet, but instantly find that comfortable, well-worn rapport of long time best friends.

I wish I had noticed their amiability before.  Though I have an unfortunate habit of not noticing things around me. I sometimes need to be pulled back from walking into oncoming traffic.

This combo occurred to us one morning while eating a "breakfastable," a morning homage to our beloved Lunchables we delighted in finding in our lunchboxes as kids.  When putting together a "breakfastable," we place crackers, fruit, nuts, cheese, and bacon on the table and have at it. It is during one of these that we discovered the phenomenon of pistachios and apples.

And I took the morning citrus wedge sightings as a sign.  I made a lemony poppy seed dressing with a hint of ginger to coat a salad made with pistachios, apple chunks, mustard greens, arugula, and browned chicken.

Ingredients
1/2 pound chicken breast, chopped
kosher salt
freshly ground pepper
ground ginger

2 cups mustard greens
2 cups spinach
2 cups arugula
2 minced celery stalks
1-2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup roasted and salted pistachios
1 Granny Smith apple, chopped
sprinkling of kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon white wine vinegar
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 teaspoon poppy seeds
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons honey
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
black pepper, to taste

Instructions
Sprinkle chicken with salt, pepper and some ground ginger.  Place canola oil in pan over medium high heat and add chicken.  Brown the sides, and take off heat once the chicken has cooked through.

In a big bowl, toss cooked chicken, mustard greens, spinach, arugula, celery, Parmesan, pistachios, and apple.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Whisk together vinegar, lemon juice, olive oil, poppy seeds, salt, mustard, honey, ginger, and black pepper.  Pour desired amount of dressing over the salad and toss to coat.

Buffalo Chicken Dip

This is being posted under duress.

I really don't want to give a false impression of myself.  I love decadence.  I love cheese and pasta and bread and all the things that I'm supposed to say that "I love but I can only eat a teeny tiny bit once in a blue moon."

Except I eat the things that I want when I want.

I am not the one who says "Ohhhh I make this for my husband and friends while they watch the game."  I mean, what am I supposed to be eating instead?  Hurriedly stuffing raw carrots or quinoa with Craisins in my mouth, hoping noone will catch me actually eating something?

I am not one of these women.  You won't find me laughing alone while eating a salad.  I stand firmly against the idea that women are supposed to feel bad about what they eat and should be laughing while chomping down on some mixed greens.

I hate that nonsense, the gender-ization of food. Sometimes I want some chicken wings.  Sometimes I want a salad.  The same goes for Seth.

The problem is the buffalo sauce.  The taste and smell just get to me!  Just like my genetic issue preventing me from enjoying stuffing/dressing,  a similar one prevents me from relishing the phenomenon known as buffalo chicken.  I wish there was something I could do to correct this situation.  Dear Big Pharma - please work on this for me!

Seth, of course, adores buffalo chicken anything.  And after pestering me about a dip for months, I caved.  I can't even remember why that happened.  It just did.  Luck happened to rain down on him in torrents that day, apparently.

And don't worry - raw carrots and quinoa with Craisins did not grace my lips.

Ingredients
1 pound thinly sliced chicken breast strips.
garlic powder
cayenne
seasoned salt
cumin
1-2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 small bunch scallions, chopped
10 ounces Franks Red Hot Sauce
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
8 ounces cream cheese
1 cup blue cheese dressing
1/2 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese
1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese
lots of celery

Instructions
Sprinkle the seasonings on top of the chicken breast (both sides).  Heat (medium-high) the olive oil in a cast iron (preferably) skillet.  Place the seasoned chicken in skillet and brown (about 3 minutes).  Flip and brown the other side.  Take off heat once the chicken has cooked through. Shred or chop the chicken pieces so that chicken can be dispersed throughout the dip.

In a saucepan over low heat, melt cream cheese, butter, and blue cheese dressing together.  Stir in the chicken, scallions, and Franks.  Pour into a greased baking dish and top with the cheeses.  Bake at 350 until nice and bubbly and hot, and the cheese is all melted.  Sprinkle some chopped celery on top.  Serve with chips and celery.

Warm Winter Farro Salad

When I first got married  I used to ask my husband if he wanted salad with dinner, the answer was usually "no." After a few years I wised up and started serving him salad without asking first. But often he didn't eat much of it, despite my raving "Have some salad! It's delicious!"  Lately I've hit upon a solution. I serve salad as a main dish, or pile everything onto it so it's an integral part of the meal. Main dish salads, if only someone had told me 12 years ago! 

During the Winter or whenever it's cold outside salads, either side salads or main dish salads are not top of mind, but they should be. Just as Summer is the perfect time for cold soup, Winter is the ideal season to try a warm salad. I like to start with a cooked grain like farro or quinoa then use seasonal fruits or vegetables and add some heartier elements too, in this case feta cheese and almonds. 

I have to admit, this salad sounds a bit like a parody, it's filled with trendy ingredients and super foods, all that's missing is a little chocolate and kale! I love the sunny colors and hearty crunch to this salad, it's kind of the antithesis of a tossed green salad all floppy and wilted. It's bright and cheerful and yet very hearty. I like combination of citrus, pomegranate, almonds and feta with a touch of ginger but feel free to change up the ingredients in the salad or use a different dressing or spice if you prefer. 

Warm Winter Farro Salad
Serves 4

Ingredients

1 cup pearled farro

1 cup pomegranate seeds

1 cup diced feta, about 6 ounces

1 cup toasted sliced almonds

2 tangerines peeled and segments cut in half 

3/4 cup sliced celery about 2-3 stalks

2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

Salt and freshly ground pepper

Instructions

Bring a pot of water to boil and add the farro, cook for 10- 15 minutes or until al dente (or cook according to package instructions). In a bowl combine the feta, almonds, tangerines (remove any seeds) and celery. Whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil and ginger in a bowl. 

When the farro is cooked, drain it and toss it in a bowl with the other ingredients and dressing. Season with salt and pepper to taste. 

Enjoy!

Spicy Nori Popcorn

It is harrowing to watch.  Almost every time a movie or television depicts people watching a movie, a giant bowl of popcorn is placed on the coffee table.

And then it sits there.  And sits.  And no one takes any of the popcorn. Not one hand swoops down to retrieve a handful of this salty snack.  Not one mouth is seen munching.  It is one of the saddest sights to behold.

When this happens, Seth and I experience intense distress on behalf of the popcorn.  Delicious crunchy puffs just being all lonely in their giant bowl.  Unappreciated.  Neglected.

We would never treat popcorn in such a disrespectful manner.

When it it is deemed to be a popcorn making/eating occasion, a festive atmosphere settles into our home.  We sing the popcorn song (consisting solely of the words "popcorn, oh yeah!" repeated over and over and over and over until someone is finally like OKAY, lets stop with that now) whilst making the ASL sign for popcorn.  We might be extremely annoying people to be around.

Some people have fancy salad bowls.  We technically have a fancy salad bowl.  But salad rarely graces its wooden sloped sides.  Our fancy salad bowl is really our fancy popcorn bowl!  A wood bowl properly showcases popped kernels of corn.  Something about the highlights and shadows really makes it pop.  And no, we didn't use it for the photograph.  That bowl is our private bowl.  You get your own.

And then we dig into that glorious bowl of popcorn.  It isn't just an ornament to movie watching.  It is THE reason for movie watching.

So when we saw Cooking Light's prediction of the top food trends of 2013 slideshow, and saw popcorn on the list, we were stoked.  Deliriously delighted.  Popcorn will finally have its moment!  Its days of being passed over, overlooked, and ignored will be over this year!  2013 will totally be popcorn's year.  So here is a popcorn recipe and song to celebrate its moment... Popcorn, Oh Yeah!

Ingredients
3 tablespoons corn oil
1/2 cup corn kernels
2 -3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 1/2 tablespoons sesame oil
1 tablespoon ground nori goma furikake (run the nori goma furikake through a spice grinder or food processor)
1/2 teaspoon ichimi togarashi chile powder (or to taste)
1/2 teaspoon ground toasted kosher salt and Szechuan peppercorns (we got this technique from Fiona Smith's book Dim Sum - place 1/4 cup kosher salt and 4 tablespoons Szechuan peppercorns in a skillet and cook over low heat for about 3 minutes, until the mixture has become fragrant. Then run the mixture through a spice grinder).

Instructions
Heat the corn oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add three kernels of popcorn and cover pot with lid. Once those have popped, add the 1/2 cup of kernels. Shake the pot frequently. In a small bowl, stir the melted butter and the sesame oil together.  Once the popping has stopped, turn off heat, add the butter and oil mixture and stir to coat.  Add the rest of the seasonings.  That's it.

Food Graters review

Food graters are one of the most imperfect kitchen tools. They can be dangerous when sharp and even more dangerous (not to mention less effective) over time when they get dull, they take up a lot of room and they are generally a pain to wash. I use my Cuisinart for grating some times, but it's too much bother to clean for small jobs and I don't have a disc for very fine grating. I use a Microplane premium zester for zesting and the Chef'n dual grater and that combination pretty much covers most grating jobs. 

Years ago I had a Rubbermaid fold away grater and pardon the pun, but it was great. It folded flat, had very large grating panels and was very sharp. Over the years it grew dull and unfortunately Rubbermaid discontinued the product.

Now Zyliss has a very similar product. I was a bit leery because the grating panels were smaller, but it works like a dream, quickly grating cheese and vegetables. What I like best about the Zyliss food grater is how sharp it is, and that it folds up nicely, although it doesn't fold nearly as flat as the Rubbermaid model did. 

It has a cover which I'm not sure it really necessary. The Rubbermaid model didn't have one and I didn't find it needed it. It's also pretty expensive at $24.99 which is more than the cost of the Chef'n dual grater and Microplane zester combined. If you have very little space and really prefer a box grater, I think it's a good solution. Personally I still prefer my Chef'n dual grater best for price, size and how easy it is to clean.  

Disclaimer: I received the Zyliss product as part of a promotion from GigaSavvy, I also received the Rubbermaid and Microplane products as gifts, I purchased the Chef'n dual grater. This post includes Amazon affiliate links. 

Cooking Resolutions

How are you doing with your new year's resolutions? Every year I tell myself I'll cook more whole grains, eat less meat and more vegetables and fruit and try more new recipes. I know plenty of people just want to cook more, which is a worthy goal and others want to learn to cook. The nine principles listed in the book of The New Way to Cook Light just sound like common sense, and could each be considered resolutions, they are:

Embrace the new variety

Cook more often

Eat more whole foods

Favor the healthy fats

Eat less meat, more plants

Cook seasonally and when possible, locally

Lean new cooking techniques

Buy the best ingredients you can afford

Cook and eat mindfully and responsibly

Obviously The New Way to Cook Light covers all these principles. It's a big book with with 400 recipes. Recipes run the gamut from hearty lasagna, to artichoke and goat cheese strata and tortilla meatball soup. There are recipes like French Frisee Salad with Bacon and Poached Egg you might be surprised to find. The photos are particularly appealing. There are some concessions made, like tiny portions of oven fried French fries, but the recipes are well tested and appealing.

Here are some other books that will also help you with those principles:

Cook more often

Learn new cooking techniques

If you feel confident in your cooking skills, cooking more frequently is easy. A good resource for beginners is Aida's Mollenkamp's Key to the Kitchen. There are 305 recipes, that incorporate 40 essential techniques  with 300 photographs to show you how. The recipes like Real-Deal Pancetta and Pork Ragu, Tomato-Orange Soup with Grilled Cheese Croutons and Crepes with Mustard Greens and Lemongrass Beef Stir Fry are fresh and appealing, but it's the techniques that will really help the most, things like how to measure properly, how to cut up a chicken and a visual guide to the different knife cuts so you can see the different between minced and finely chopped for example. I particularly like the "riffs" which are suggestions and for how you can customize each recipe to your own liking.

Cook seasonally and when possible, locally

Buy the best ingredients you can afford

I highly recommend The Kitchen Diaries, A Year in the Kitchen with Nigel Slater.  It’s not actually new, it was written in 2006, but it’s just been published in the US. It’s a really unique format, a journal that covers not quite every day of the year with diary like entries and recipes. Everything is seasonal and it’s just an inspiring book. There's also great advice on choosing ingredients. You'll find both healthy recipes and some very indulgent ones too. If one day doesn’t appeal, you can just skip to another day. You get Nigel Slater’s personal tips and insights. One day it’s spiced roast potatoes with yogurt and mint, and the next it’s lamb shanks with mustard and mashed potatoes. There are desserts too and they are all pretty simple--cobbler, tarts, sorbets and cakes. 

The recipes are written in a loose manner, so I think this book is best for more confident home cooks. 

Eat more whole foods

Seriously, this is my resolution every year! The increased availability of whole grains and whole grain pasta is helping, but so are cookbooks like Grain Mains 101 Surprising and Satisfying whole grain recipes for every meal of the day. I have several whole grain cookbooks, but this one is different. It really does have surprising recipes! There are plenty of whole grain salads but also soups, stews, and casserole dishes to warm you up. Many of these dishes are wildly unique like Avgolemono Soup with Corn Grits Dumplings or Millet and Spinach Casserole or Teff Gnocchi in Cheddar Sauce. 

You will end up buying new ingredients like millet, amaranth, teff, wild rice, wheat berries, barley and more.

Eat more whole foods

Favor the healthy fats

Eat less meat, more plants

Lean new cooking techniques

My final book recommendation is Hero Food. While there is some meat in this book it plays a very small role. The book really focused more on vegetables and whole grains. There are chapters on ingredients that chef Seamus Mullen loves like olive oil, parsley, corn, berries and anchovies! This is a really cool book and it was inspired by a chef’s journey toward wellness after receiving a diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis. It’s organized in a really interesting way, with each season being paired with a region such as Winter in Barcelona and Summer on the Farm. The techniques are very creative like how to preserve tuna or how to pickle shallots. I have bookmarked recipes for Snap Pea Salad with radishes and ricotta and Caramelized Cauliflower with Anchovies.

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links for the review copies of books I received from publishers