Pizza Creation: Moniker Needed

I was desperate for an easy dinner tonight...going back to work has really but a damper on my dinner creations! Eager to find an easy recipe that didn't involve using packaged, processed foods as ingredients, I began with a simple Google search. Much to my chagrin, "easy dinner recipe" apparently does not equate to any recipe that does not use processed ingredients. Sigh. Fine, then I will take one of these recipes and make it easy and wholesome. Hmph!

I came across this recipe for something called bubble pizza. That sounds gross to me, but the picture piqued my interest enough to click. Now, this was something I could alter! Of course...pizza. But I wasn't going to let that bother me. The concept is what I was drawn to, the recipe called for a can of biscuits that you cut up and line a 9x13 baking dish with (your pizza dough), then layering jarred marinara sauce, browned meat and cheese on top. I can't remember the last time I bought canned biscuits or jarred marinara, so I decided to pilfer the concept and make it my own...I still don't know what to call it.

I made whole wheat biscuits (literally they take 10 minutes, maybe less) with 1/2 white flour and 1/2 white whole wheat flour (I finally found white whole wheat flour here in the City at an affordable price!). If you don't know, white whole wheat flour is still whole wheat flour, but it is made from a type of wheat that is lighter in color compared to the reddish brown wheat that regular whole wheat flour is made from. It is just as nutritious, but lighter, making it perfect for baking. Tangent?

For the marinara, I combined tomato sauce and diced tomatoes with spices and simmered on low while I (full disclosure, my husband made the biscuits!) made the biscuits. I also sauteed some tri-color peppers and spinach. It took about 15 minutes to make, about 20 minutes to bake and voila! quick dinner. Here is the final recipe:

Deep Dish Pizza Bake (how's this for a name?)

Whole Wheat Biscuits

1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup white whole wheat flour
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/3 cup canola oil
2/3 cup buttermilk (or use plain milk, or plain milk + 2 tsp lemon juice to make buttermilk)

Marinara

1 medium to large onion, sliced + olive oil

2-3 cloves garlic, minced 

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp dried thyme

1 (15 oz) can tomato sauce

1/2 (14 oz) can petite diced tomatoes (drained)

8 oz. tri-color peppers (I use frozen)

6 oz. frozen spinach, thawed and drained

8 oz. mozzarella cheese, shredded

Heat a small saucepan over medium heat and add a drizzle of olive oil and the onion. Sautee just until tender, reduce heat to medium-low and add the garlic, oregano, and thyme. Sautee about 30 seconds, then add the tomato sauce and diced tomatoes. Stir to combine and simmer on low while you make the biscuits.


For biscuits: Preheat oven to 450 deg F. Measure dry ingredients into a bowl. Pour oil and milk into measuring cup (do not stir) and pour all at once into flour mixture, stir until mixture cleans side of bowl and forms a ball.


Turn the dough out onto wax paper, lift the paper by one corner and fold dough in half, press down firmly and pull paper back. Repeat until dough is smooth (you are basically folding in the flaky layers by kneading it this way). 


Roll out to 1/2" thick and using a pizza cutter, cut dough into 1" vertical strips, then cut across the dough again into 1" horizontal strips. You will be left with a bunch of square dough pieces. Cut each dough piece in half so they are all triangle shape. 


Line the bottom of a greased 9x13 baking dish with the dough pieces, keeping them a little spaced out since they will expand when baked. 


Bake the dough first, about 8 minutes, until it starts to rise and expand. Meanwhile, sautee the peppers and spinach just until tender (don't overcook them, soggy pizza toppings are no good!). Set aside.  


Remove the baking dish from oven after the 8 minutes, and pour the marinara sauce evenly over the dough. Top with peppers and spinach and then cheese. Return to the oven and bake an additional 12-15 minutes.   

Coconut Shrimp

For some reason I was craving coconut shrimp for dinner, something I have never attempted to make but have often ordered in restaurants. I had some leftover coconut from making Easter cupcakes, so I decided to go for it. They were a bit of a hassle to bread and prep for frying, but they were also delicious. I wouldn't categorize these as a quick or frequent dinner option, but definitely good for an every now and then treat.

Coconut Shrimp

12 oz. medium-large shrimp, peeled and de-veined, about 30 (I use frozen and thaw them)

1 egg
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2/3 cup cold coconut milk 
1 T sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups flaked coconut
1 cup peanut or canola oil for (shallow pan) frying


In medium bowl, combine egg, 1/2 cup flour, coconut milk and sugar. Place 1/4 cup flour and coconut in two separate bowls.


Hold shrimp by the tail, and dredge in flour, shaking off excess flour. Dip in egg batter; allow excess to drip off. Roll shrimp in coconut, and place on a baking sheet lined with wax paper. Place in freezer for about 10 minutes, or refrigerate for 20 minutes. 


Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Fry shrimp in batches: cook, turning once, for 2 to 3 minutes, or until golden brown. Using tongs, remove shrimp to paper towels to drain. Serve warm with your favorite dipping sauce.


Heads Up! Coconut burns easily! The coconut on the shrimp will brown nicely, but any flakes that fall off into the oil will burn quickly, so work quickly and scoop out any excess coconut flakes from the oil with a slotted spoon. 

Sweet Chicken Salad, Truffle Mac'n'Cheese & Robin Egg Cupcakes

The weather is finally (finally!) turning nice here in the NY. Just in time for an Easter picnic in the park after church. We decided to make it easy and prepare chicken salad sandwiches and fruit...then added a bit of decadence with truffle mac'n'cheese and robin's nest cupcakes. I named the chicken salad sweet because I incorporated sliced grapes into the mixture for a burst of flavor and moisture. I almost always make a savory chicken salad with thyme or rosemary, etc, but for some reason I went with grapes today! And the truffle mac'n'cheese was so good. I have not cooked with truffle oil much, but it is really so delicious.

Sweet Chicken Salad on Pumpernickel

1 small rotisserie chicken, all meat removed and shredded or in chunks

1/4-1/3 cup light mayo (depending on your tastes) + 2 oz. water

1/4 cup walnuts, chopped

1/2 cup red grapes, sliced lengthwise

1 tsp dried dill

1 fresh lemon, juiced

salt & pepper to taste

Place in a large bowl the chicken chunks, walnuts, grapes, and dill. Add the lemon juice and mix to combine. In a small bowl, start with 1/4 cup mayo and whisk together with the water until creamy. Add more mayo as desired. Pour the mayo mixture over the chicken and combine well. Taste and season with salt and pepper. 

Combining the mayo and water first, I find, is a way to make the chicken salad creamy without adding too much mayo. You could also add more lemon juice for moisture to cut down on the mayo.  

Truffle Mac'n'Cheese

12 oz. small pasta, such as mini rotini or small penne

1 T butter

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 T flour

1/2 cup milk

6 oz. colby-jack cheese, shredded (divided)

1/3 cup panko bread crumbs + 2 tsp dried parsley

Truffle oil, for drizzling

Prepare pasta according to package directions, drain and set aside.

In a medium sauce pan, melt the butter over medium-low heat and sautee the garlic, about 30 seconds. Add the flour and whisk until moistened and combined, about 30-60 seconds. Slowly add the milk, constantly whisking to make sure all the flour dissolves. Whisk occasionally over low heat until the sauce thickens, about 4-5 minutes. Add more milk if it becomes too thick. 

Add 4 oz. of the grated cheese into the sauce and stir until melted. Remove from heat. Toss in the cooked pasta and combine well. Pour evenly into a small baking dish and top with the remaining 2 oz. shredded cheese. 

Mix together the panko and parsley and sprinkle evenly over the top. Carefully, drizzle a small amount of the truffle oil around the top (a little goes a long way!). Bake in a 400 deg F oven for about 10 minutes, just until the topping is browned. 

  

Mexican Barley Salad

Barley is a whole grain that we have grown to love, but I often forget about it. It does take longer to prepare than rice, even wild rice, but it is so hearty and nutritious. For this particular recipe, I cooked the barley just as if I were making risotto (something not previously attempted by me), so it was more time consuming, but worth it turns out! The barley was nice and creamy. You could totally make this recipe making barley the regular way, however. This is great in a wrap, as we ate it, or you could serve it over greens or as a side dish.

Mexican Barley Salad

1 1/4 cup pearl barley 

4 cups chicken stock + 3 cups water

1 can (15 oz) kidney beans, rinsed and drained

1 can (15 oz) black beans, rinsed and drained

1 can (12 oz) canned corn, rinsed and drained

1 medium onion, chopped

2 cups (8 ounces) shredded Cheddar cheese

Sour cream, to serve

Place the stock and water in a large pot over low heat. Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium heat and drizzle with a bit of canola oil. Add the dry barley and toss in the pan 1-2 minutes. Using a ladle, spoon out 2 ladles of the stock mixtures and stir to combine. Reduce heat to medium-low. Wait until almost all of the liquid is absorbed, stirring occasionally, and repeat with another 2 ladles of stock. Repeat this process until all of the stock is used up. The barley should be creamy and resemble risotto. Remove from heat and cool. 

In a small skillet, heat a drizzle of canola oil over medium-high heat and toss in chopped onion. Sautee just until onions begin to brown, but are not soft and translucent yet. Set aside. 

In large bowl, combine cooled barley, beans, corn, sauteed onion and cheese. Stir until cheese is melted. Top with a dollop of sour cream and serve immediately. You could also garnish with chives or green onions, or crushed up tortilla chips.