Pizza Experiment #4: French-Philly Pizza

Extended Shelf Life for: Onions

I realize we've only had a small handful of pizza experiments...but I think this one may be a favorite, a winner, winner - pizza dinner! With French Dips and Philly Cheesesteak Sandwiches serving as my inspiration, we enjoyed these pizzas which we're perfect in every way!

A few key points:

The recipe for the roast beef is known as the Best Beef Dips Ever, and they are, and they are easy. One roast, 1 cup of Soy Sauce, 6 cups of Water, Garlic, Rosemary, a Slow-Cooker and 8-10 hours on low. I recommend preparing the roast a day or two before preparing the pizza, just for the flavors to gain intensity.

The toppings:

Best Beef Dip Roast Beef, Green Pepper, Caramelized Onions, Mushrooms and Monteray Jack Cheese. When the pizza's finished, serve with a small bowl of Au Jus for dipping.

Pizza Experiment #2: Super Meat and Supreme

Not so much a recipe for extending any shelf life, this is a part of my master-mind plan to develop and master some pizza goodness....because, who doesn't love a good homemade pizza...and because, I just might need to know a solid thing or two about pizzas in the upcoming months ;)

So, after Christmas with family and gifts which would encourage this endeavor, such as a pizza stone and a new cookbook, I was ready to hit the ground running and kick pizza experimentation into full gear. With all the time and inspiration in the world, I prepared a couple of pizzas post-Christmas while the family played games and read new books, there couldn't have been a more peaceful home while dinner preparations were in the works and it's unlikely there could have been a more delighted group of folks once the pizza was prepared.

Pizza Crust
Ingredients/Directions:
From the Cookbook: 500 Pizzas & Flatbreads

Classified as 'basic neapolitan pizza crust', this recipe will give you enough for two 12-inch pizzas.

Begin by sprinkling 1 tsp. Active Yeast over 1 1/4 cup Warm Water. If you have a standing mixer, use the bowl for that otherwise you'll be doing it by hand in a large mixing bowl. Let water and yeast set for 5 minutes.

Add 1 tsp. Salt, then mix in a total of 3 cups of Flour, one cup at a time (it's recommended to use 2 cups bread flour and 1 cup all-purpose flour, I however, only used the latter). Kneed or mix with a dough hook once it begins to form, for about 5 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic.

Divide dough in half and place in separate, lighly oiled bowls. Roll dough around so as to transfer a bit of oil onto the dough ball itself.

Cover bowls with flour cloth or paper towels and allow to rise for 2-3 hours until dough has doubled in size. 

When the rest of your pizza is ready to assemble, simply roll out dough, using additional flour as needed and prepare for your pizza-eating pleasure!

Pizza Sauce
Ingredients/Directions:
From the Cookbook: 500 Pizzas and Flatbreads

So simple, so delicious.

Heat 3 Tbsp. Olive Oil in a large, heavy frying pan, add 1 minced Garlic clove and cook 1-2 minutes. Add one 28-oz. can of Whole Tomatoes, breaking them down with a wooden spoon. Simmer for 15-20 minutes until sauce has thickened and liquid has evaporated. Season with salt, oregano, red pepper flakes and other seasonings of choice.

Pizza Toppings
Not rocket science...

For these experiments I prepared one pizza using the following ingredients after spooning on some sauce:

Pepperoni, Sliced Summer Sausage, Canadian Bacon, Sauteed Mushrooms and Caramelized Onions

The other pizza was similar yet different and was topped, after spooning on sauce, with:

Pepperoni, Canadian Bacon, Fresh Onions, Olives

Both were delicious and well received...what more could you ask for?

One Pot Spaghetti

Extended Shelf Life for: Mushrooms, Onion, Green Pepper, Jalapeno and Tomato

Confession: This was not our favorite dish. BUT, I'm 99.99% certain that's because I used an un-seasoned cast iron kettle which may not have had the best reaction to tomato sauce...and because we use dumpster food. I'm quite confident, that the recipe, as printed in Better Homes and Gardens would be absolutely delicious, because as of now, that singular cookbook has only failed me when I've failed it...which leaves the blame on only one of us...and it's not the cookbook.

So, if you've got a well seasoned pot, more experience with cast-iron or planning to use a stainless steel pot, this recipe is definitely for you!

Ingredients/Directions:

In a large pot saute 1-2 cups sliced Mushrooms, 1 diced Onion, 1 diced Bell Pepper, 1 diced Jalapeno and 1 minced clove of Garlic until tender, season with salt and pepper.

Stir in 1 diced tomato, 2 cups of Chicken (or Turkey or any other) Broth, 1 3/4 cups Water, 6 oz. of Tomato Paste and Italian Seasoning. Bring to a boil before adding 6 oz. of dried, broken Spaghetti Noodles.

Return to boiling, reduce heat and simmer, uncovered for 15-20 minutes until spaghetti is desired tenderness and sauce is desired consistency.

Enjoy!

Chinese Style Eggplant and Potatoes

Extended Shelf Life: Eggplant, Potato, Bell Pepper, Onion, Jalapeno

While living in South Korea we discovered two things: a) Every nation has a different take on Chinese food and b) Authentic Chinese food, when discovered, is absolutely, friggin' fantastic! While living in Daejeon, we discovered a fantastic little Chinese restaurant which our British friend described as being 'Proper". Within minutes of having our plates set before us we realized that 'Proper Chinese' was the best Chinese. 

So, when a wealth of eggplants landed in my sink, I was quick to remember a tasty eggplant and potato dish and went to searching for a recipe which would bless our taste buds and remind us of a meal, and people, we dearly loved.

Ingredients/Directions:

Original Recipe and inspiration from MiJoRecipes

Heat oil (enough to nearly cover potatoes and eggplants when being fried, you'll definitely need to be adding more throughout the process) over medium heat. When oil is ready (sizzles when sprinkled with water) deep fry the potato until golden and crispy. Next, fry the eggplant until beautifully browned. In a wok, heat 1 Tbsp. Oil, saute the bell pepper and 1 diced Jalapeno until tender. Add the previously fried potatoes and eggplant. In a small dish, mix together 1 1/2 Tbsp. Soy Sauce, 1/2 Tbsp. Sugar, and 2 cloves minced Garlic. Pour over vegetables and heat through until aromatic. Serve over rice and bust out the chopsticks!

For more on Eggplants and other recipe inspiration check out my more detailed and interactive Squidoo Lens: The Art of Salvaging {Eggplant}

Lasagna Soup

Inspired by the ease and success of a recent Tofu and Pork Skillet Lasagna, I opted to allow Pinterest to continue inspiring my kitchen creations and also to use up some lasagna noodles and complimentary ingredients I had at my finger tips.

As with the skillet lasagna, I opted to use tofu in this recipe simply because ricotta is difficult to track down in Korean markets and while I'm not opposed to either a) tracking it down nor b) making it from scratch, I'm equally satisfied with tofu as a substitute and since I was trying to put together a quick meal I figured the best bet was the ingredient which could be gathered from the small grocer at the bottom of the hill.

Directions/Ingredients:

Most of this is subject to change based on what's in the refrigerator and what your personal taste preferences are, that being said...

In a large pot, brown some ground or finely chopped pork (about 1 lb). Once browned, add a bit of olive oil if there is a lack of pork drippings and saute a chopped onion and bell pepper. As the onion and bell pepper begin to soften, add 2-3 minced garlic cloves shortly followed by about a cup of chopped mushrooms. Once this first set of ingredients is sufficiently sauteed and cooked add a jar and a half of pasta sauce and/or homemade tomato sauce (or tomatoes and tomato sauce would be a reasonable substitute about 4 cups total) and additional water or broth until ingredients are sufficiently covered and a bit of extra liquid remains. Bring to a boil.

Meanwhile, break apart 8 or so Lasagna noodles. Add noodles to boiling soup and let cook until al dente adding water or broth as necessary. While noodles are cooking, prepare one large package of tofu by draining off the water then crumbling as much or as little tofu as you like. Once noodles are cooked through add the tofu and cook for a couple of minutes until the entire dish is heated.

Serve with mozzarella cheese and crusty bread. Enjoy with the greatest of friends before enjoying some ruckus game-playing!

Black-Eyed Pea Hummus

Maybe readers are curious as to why the sudden increase in black-eye pea recipes...well, that's primarily because they're one of the dry bean varieties (along with chickpeas, red beans and black beans) that are available at the foreign food markets of Daejeon, South Korea AND there has been a tendency for folks leaving Daejeon to gift their leftover beans to Melissa. 

Not a problem really, considering the Harrington's eat like vegetarians in their homes and carnivores out in public. 

Anyway, this supply of beans and the impending departure of the Harrington's from South Korea has Melissa frequently searching out the next best way to incorporate black-eyed peas into a meal or snack, which in turn yields this Black-Eyed Pea Hummus, inspired by Foods for Long Life.

Ingredients/Directions:

In a food processor combine 8 oz of Roasted Red Bell Peppers (I roasted my own, but you could use store bought), 15 oz (about 2 cups) of Black Eyed Peas, 2 Tbsp. Tahini, 2 cloves of smashed Garlic, Sea Salt, 3 Tbsp. Lemon Juice, and a dash of Cayenne Pepper. May need to add olive oil or water to reach the desired consistency, process until smooth and dip-able!

Black-Eyed Pea Salad

I've always appreciated a hearty salad in the summer, but living in South Korea, I NEED a hearty salad in the summer. I need salad because it's not a hot meal nor a heavy meal and it fits summer perfectly. This Black-Eyed Pea Salad was delicious on it's own and absolutely fantastic served over/mixed with some brown rice.

Ingredients/Directions:

From Love of Cooking: Salads

Prepare 1 lb. of dried black-eyed peas (I soak my beans over night in the slow-cooker, rinse in the morning, cover with water and cook on low all day, 8-10 hours). Drain and Rinse. In a small sauce pan heat up 1/4 cup Sugar, 1/4 cup Olive Oil, 1/4 cup Balsamic Vinegar, 1 clove of Garlic, minced and a shake of Black Pepper, heat until sugar has melted. Cool this dressing to room temperature. Meanwhile, combine the black-eyed peas with 2 Bell Peppers (Red and Yellow will yeild the most appealing salad), 1 Onion (again, red is preferred) and 1/2 cup chopped Celery if available.  Toss with dressing and chill salad before serving!

Samgyupsal Breakfast Burritos

Samgyupsal is Korean three-layered pork which resembles bacon but doesn't have that cured and salty factor the American bacon possesses. Regardless of your opinion on how bacon/pork should taste, Samgyupsal is delicious as a grilled/BBQ'd meat which is the typical serving style here in South Korea - but it also makes for a nice addition to various dishes including good ole Saturday Morning Breakfast Burritos.

Also, i did these burritos up with some additional flare because it just so happened to be a day when I need to clear a few things out of the refridgerator - so while I add a common Korean meat dipping paste and a few tablespoons of ranch to my eggs, it's not really necessary, but helpful if you find yourself in need of clearing out some room in the fridge.

Ingredients/Directions:

In a large skillet, fry up some thinly sliced samgyusal until cooked through, use scissors to cut the pork into bite size pieces. If loads of fat have been rendered, drain some off, however about a Tbsp. or so will be a nice way to add flavor and non-sticking power to 1 chopped Green Pepper a handful of diced Cherry Tomatoes and 2 cloves of minced Garlic. While sauteing the pork and the veggies, beat in a seperate bowl 6-8 eggs with no more than a 1/4 cup of ranch and a Tbsp. or 2 of Korean bean paste for dipping meat. Make sure sufficient oil/fat remains in the skillet to keep the eggs from sticking before pouring it over the meat and veggies. Let egg set slightly before using a spatula to break up the egg and continue cooking. Throw the mix in a flour tortilla, top with cheese, fold it up and throw on to a hot, dry skillet to  melt the cheese and make the outside crispy. Enjoy!

Egg and Rice Breakfast Burritos

The truth is, I'm not in love with my job   co-workers co-worker. And I'm working really hard to battle that, as in trying to be professional, as in trying to put my best self forward for the other co-workers and most importantly the students, because the truth is, I do love my job. I cannot get enough of my students participating and learning and smiling and laughing and having a good time.

But this space isn't for those kinds of observations. However, in an attempt to ensure I'm putting my best self forward, I'm trying to commit to having a fully nutritious and filling breakfast before I step into my work environment. A few days last week, that meant breakfast rice bowls. The last days of last week and the first days of this week, it means these egg and rice breakfast burritos.

I made 6 of them, wrapped them in foil and just after I finish doing my hair in the morning, I pop them in the oven for 10-15 minutes while I do make-up and get dressed. Then, I have a hot and nutritious breakfast. And that's a really small way to ensure I at least start my day in the right direction.

Ingredients/Directions:

Defrost one cup of Rice Pilaf and one cup of Roasted Veggies (or prepare a cup of rice and cup of veggies). In a touch of olive oil, brown about 1 cup of cubed Ham before adding chopped roasted veggies and garlic if you'd like for your morning meal. Meanwhile, whisk together 6-8 eggs and pour over ham and veggies, scramble until eggs are no longer runny. Assemble burritos in large flour tortillas with a bit of rice, small scoop of black beans and the egg mixture (or any breakfast filling you desire, I think next time I'll do the egg mixture and potatoes - no rice or beans), sprinkle on some cheese, roll and wrap in aluminum foil to be heated at a moment's notice.

Roasted Pepper and Onion, Almond Pesto Pasta

This evening (that's right, this evening, as in, I'm posting a blog merely hours after having eaten the meal - I do believe that's a first) I went to work harvesting some fresh basil from my fabulous AeroGarden which was a Christmas gift from the man.

It's been a day of throwing fresh herbs into whatever I can, and I'm lovin' it! Hoping I can manage these greens well enough that they keep producing for me for a while at least.

Using this recipe from Menu Musings of a Modern American Mom, I created a dish that was truly satisfying and used up a number of ingredients I had on hand. I did, of course adjust the recipe to my availability of ingredients and personal tastes.

Here is what I came up with:Roasted Pepper and Onion, Almond Basil Pesto Pasta

Ingredients/Directions:

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. In a small skillet toast 4 whole cloves of Garlic in 1/3 cup room temperature extra virgin olive oil. As the garlic begin to toast, throw in 1/3 cup of Almonds and toast a couple minutes longer. Transfer ingredients from skillet into a food processor and pulse until a rough paste is formed (add additional EVOO throughout the process if necessary). Next, add 1/3 cup of cubed Parmesan to the food processor, pulse. Repeat that process with 1 cup of roasted peppers and onions then again with 1 cup of fresh basil. During this time, keep your eye on the water and add 1 lb. of Penne Pasta once the water begins to boil and cook until al dente. Reserve one cup of the pasta water (or you can have 1/2 cup heavy cream available) and drain the pasta. In the large pot, mix about 1/4 cup of the pasta water with 1/2 of the Pesto, continue adding pesto and a bit more water until you have the desired consistency in the sauce (not too runny, but not to stiff either), toss in the pasta, serve with additional Parmesan and basil with a fresh baguette and bottle of homemade wine, bon appetit!

Omelet Brunch Burrito

This dear friends, is what happens when breakfast burrito meets friggin'-fantastic omelet!

Whisk up a few eggs, throw in your favorite omelet fixin's (minus the cheese). Pour into a hot, greased skillet, cook until no longer runny (I recommend putting a lid over the skillet so the top of the egg cooks more thoroughly and at an equal pace to the bottom of the egg.)

Slide egg out of skillet onto a large tortilla (if using a large skillet) throw in some cheese, wrap the beast up, throw tortillas into hot skillet to toast and ensure that cheese is melty and delicious.

Viola! A beautiful brunch omelet burrito for your eating pleasure!

Shredded Pork and Rice Brunch Burritos

Inspired by Rachel Ray - adjusted to meet the needs and available ingredients of the day, these burritos were so Quick and Easy, and would likely remain so regardless of whether you had various pieces pre-made in the freezer.

A quick reheat of 1 cup of Rice Pilaf. A simple saute of Bell Peppers (or using 1 cup frozen veggies), followed by the scrambling of 4 eggs, the reheating of 1 cup Shredded Pork, the Chopping of one Tomato and the assembly of 2 large Burrito-Tortillas is all it takes to enjoy a filling, nutritious Sunday Brunch between writing MAED papers and banging your head against the wall ^.^

Kimbap in a Pinch

Kimbap is Korea's version of a sushi roll...but not really because Korea is not Japan and sushi is Japanese. So kimbap is a Korean snack/quick dish of rice and things wrapped in seaweed. Typical Korean Kimbap includes ham, egg, pickled radish and other non-Japanese style additions. It's cheap and perfect for so many situations.

Once, in desperate need of a quick dinner, a Korean friend recommended a twist on traditional kimbap...I'm calling it Kimbap in a Pinch.

Like all foods I truly, truly love, this can be adjusted and played with to create some great fusion style eats....here's the basic and a couple of variations I've had some success with ^.^

Prepare rice. White rice. (One cup of un-prepared rice will be enough for about 4 rolls once it's been properly prepared).

Mix in mayonnaise, a touch of sesame oil, drained tuna fish, a veggie of choice (I used bell peppers), and some sesame seeds.

Spread onto a sheet of seaweed ('kim' in Korea, 'nori' elsewhere).

Roll, cut, eat.

Variations~Mix-In:

• Mayonnaise, chopped tomato, chopped bacon, salt and pepper (B.S.T. - Bacon, seaweed and tomato) Quite amazing, trust me.
• Pesto and chopped tomato -- received the most raves at a recent gathering
• Mayonnaise or a touch of salsa/hot sauce, black beans, corn and tomatoes -- haven't tried this, could be a total fail.
• Hard-boiled and chopped egg, mayonnaise, salt and pepper (think egg salad in a sheet of seaweed) -- also, haven't tried but definitely think there's potential!
• Whatever you can think of! Kimbap is the new sandwich my friends, go out, experiment and have a grand ole time.

Spanish Rice and Shrimp

Starting to use some of my pre-made freezer goods since I've been living in the uncomfortable space that is two MAED courses simultaneously (we've also eaten a TON of fried chicken...don't judge) Regardless, having food stuff ready and waiting in the freezer is awesome when I want to have somebody over, eat something relatively fresh and home-made and want to get to work on my MAED in a reasonable amount of time.

So, October saw the creation of Rachel Ray's Spanish Rice and Shrimp - a simple, simple compilation of:

4 cups Rice Pilaf, heated in 2 Tbsp. EVOO, set aside in a bowl.
4 cloves Garlic, chopped plus 1 lb. Deveined, Peeled Shrimp and 1 Tsp. Paprika heated in same skillet as Rice Pilaf.
1 cup Tomato Sauce and 1 cup Roasted Peppers added unto the Shrimp mixture and heated through.
Pilaf returned to the pan, mixed, heated served with Parsley (if available) and lemon wedges.

Enjoy with friends and a glass of home-made wine or any wine should do.

Unstuffed Pepper Soup

I quite enjoy stuffed peppers, however I tend to be impatient and too much of a procrastinator to actually make them happen.  Not to mention, I really have a thing for soups. I don't remember any quantities or anything of an exact nature in regards to this dish, but this blog is primarily for personal records and as a source of inspiration to those folks who find a random assortment of whatnot waiting in their fridge...

You may remember when I took a day to prepare some foods once-a-month-style so that doubling up on my Master's wouldn't be deadly? Well, I used one cup of that Tomato Sauce in addition to home-made chicken broth and a cup of Cold Chaser Tea to provide the base for this dish. That of course was after sauteing Onion, Bell Pepper, Jalapeno and Garlic in a touch of olive oil. I also had some corn lying around, so threw that in the pot and soaked up all the excess liquid by throwing in some rice I cooked up quickly in the rice cooker. Season with salt and pepper, serve with cheese and sour cream if you're so lucky and enjoy as part of a Monday night dinner with a good friend and someone you love - they'll probably devour it all ^.^

Roasted Veggies: For a Month

Roasted Veggies don't require much explanation. Rachel Ray roasts up some assorted bell peppers and onions followed by (or preceded by, doesn't matter much) a couple of cubed Butternut Squash.

I also roasted peppers and onions. However, I opted for small Korean pumpkins rather than Butternut Squash and rather than cube and roast, I simply set the beasts in the crock-pot (it's best to scoop out their innards first, but it can be done either way), turned it on for 6-8 hours on low and froze smashed pumpkin rather than cubed and roasted. I looked through the recipes which call for the cubes and decided a pure would work as well, differently, but it would still work. Also, I highly recommend cooking pumpkin in your slow-cooker, it's so incredibly easy, too easy really.

FAB Peanut Butter noodles

The best summer dinners, in my opinion, are those you can make ahead, include fresh veggies and are adequately filling, this dish meets the criteria and is worth the small bit of effort required. I discovered this recipe at this hip little blogspot  (courtesy of Pinterest) and hope you'll give it a go!

Ingredients/Directions:

Prepare 8 oz. of noodles, udon, egg, wheat spaghetti/linguine anything really, although udon or soba are recommended.

In a food processor mix together: 1/2 cup Creamy Peanut Butter, 1/2 cup Warm Water, 1/4 cup Soy Sauce, 1 Tbsp. minced Ginger, 4 Garlic Cloves, 1 Tbsp. Honey and a dash of Rice Vinegar.

Use a gloved hand to mix the noodles with sauce and your choice of fresh veg - I went with cucumber, red bell and tomato and was more than satisfied. Sprinkle some black and/or white sesame seeds on top and you've got the perfect summer snack or light dinner!

Thai Bruschetta + Rice Salad Remake (and so much more)

Using leftover marinade/dressing from these Thai Veggies I chopped up some new veggies, sliced up a baguette (actually, the ladies at Paris Baguette sliced up the baguette...) Anyway, with marinated, rough chopped veg and baguette slices, I had myself a TON of Thai like Bruschetta which I served up alongside some chicken Pad Thai.

However, leftovers were an issue, so I reached back into the memories of my semester in Spain, threw the veggies in with some day old rice, added some salt and a dash or two of rice vinegar and viola - rice salad was ours! (It's actually quite phenomenal...just so you know).

And, although there are no pictures, we had some leftover rice salad that needed a 'new life' so into Kimchi Bokkeumbap it went ^.^

Impressive right? All from this marinade and a pile of veggies:

1/4 cup fresh lime juice (or orange juice if lime juice is hard to come by)

1/4 cup rice vinegar
1 tablespoon fish sauce
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (or cayenne, or whatever)
Put it in a jar, shake it up, dress the veggies, let set a little bit and enjoy the heck out of this dish! You could probably also use the dressing as a marinade or in a pasta salad and have equally great results ^.^

Oh, and should I mention that I used the leftover Kimchi Bokuembap to make Quesadillas? Yep, you read that correctly, some fried rice + cheese + tortialla and a whole new twist on the same old meal...I must say, it's a bit impressive, no?

Thai Veggie Salad

 

Here's the deal...you need some veggies. Your favorites. And then you need to make this Thai style dressing. Throw them together and chow down. That's all.

I used mushrooms, bell peppers, carrots, tomatoes and green onions for my veg.

The dressing? Easy.

1/4 cup fresh lime juice (or orange juice if lime juice is hard to come by)
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1 tablespoon fish sauce
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (or cayenne, or whatever)


Put it in a jar, shake it up, dress the veggies, let set a little bit and enjoy the heck out of this dish! You could probably also use the dressing as a marinade or in a pasta salad and have equally great results ^.^

Original recipe and gorgeous photos can be found here by Andrea Meyers

Black-Bean Stuffed Peppers

Stuffed Cheesey Veggies...can you go wrong? I'd like to propose that you can't, you can't go wrong with cheesey stuffed veggies!

Once again, I've enjoyed some 'Pinspiration' for this recipe and landed myself on this blogger's Spicy Black Bean Stuffed Peppers.

I followed the general guidelines, paired the peppers up with some cornbread muffins and enjoyed a fabulous bit of dinner with my fabulous bit of husband!

Ingredients/Directions:

In a small sauce pan saute some onions and garlic for a couple minutes before adding a can or two (or cup or two) of black beans. Simmer (adding some water/liquid as necessary) for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Meanwhile, slice in half some bell or other peppers - as many as you desire to eat. Place on cookie sheet, brush with oil and roast for 15-20 minutes. (Maybe this should be done first, sorry). Add a small can of corn to the beans and heat 3-5 minutes. Fill roasted and tender pepper halves with bean mixture, top with cheese, throw in the oven for a few minutes until cheese is melty and the peppers look absolutely delcious! ENJOY!