Storm of Thoughts

Mangia Monday Recipe: Pizza on the Grill

While I had my house guest recently, we did plenty of eating out. But, since we both also like to cook, we figured we should spend at least one night eating in. And what we decided to make was both easy and delicious - pizzas on the grill. At home, my visitor Jen has a big gas grill, on which she cooks several pizzas at a time. At my parent’s house, we make pizza on the grill on a specially made bbq pizza stone. But here, in my little backyard, we had only a small charcoal grill. Although it took awhile to get the coals ready, the finished product was fun to make and came out perfectly crisp - albeit a little misshapen. You can top these with anything you want; we used tomato and basil on the one in the photo, although we also made other pizzas with ham and ricotta, olives and mushrooms, and fried eggplant. The recipe can obviously be changed a million different ways, but the real secret is in the technique.

Caprese Pizza on the Grill

Pizza dough, store-bought, homemade, or purchased from your favorite pizzeria, divided in four
1 cup Marinara sauce
2-3 tomatoes
Fresh basil, torn into into pieces
3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
Olive oil

Divide the dough into four pieces, then roll out to form circles. If the grill isn’t ready, leave the dough in the fridge until you’re ready to put it on - it’s easiest to handle when it’s cold. Have all of your ingredients ready to head out to the grill; in this case, that involves shredding the cheese and slicing the tomatoes. Lightly brush one side of the pizza dough and place it (oil side down) directly onto the grill. After the dough has started to cook and gotten grill marks, lightly oil the other side and flip it over. (This can take anywhere from 4-5 minutes up to about 10, depending on the dough and the heat of the grill. It will be easy to flip when it’s ready!) Then, start topping with the rest of the ingredients. If your grill is big enough, do several at a time; otherwise, you’ll have to do them one at a time (as we did).

And that’s it. It’s as simple as making pizza inside. And, generally, much faster. Plus you feel a lot more like Bobby Flay.

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Recipe: Luci’s Corn Salad

My mom loves to cook. (Which, you might have guessed, is where I get it.) And many of my favorite recipes come from her. Not to mention, we constantly update each other on what we saw Giada or Rachael or Ina or Bobby make today and whether or not we both need to try these recipes out immediately. (Usually the answer is yes.) And whenever I need a recipe for a special occasion or a weeknight dinner or - in this case - my blog, she is more than happy to share. (Not to mention well-armed with her arsenal of recipes.)

This corn salad is meant for a summer barbecue. (Assuming this perpetual summer rain ever actually lets up.) The best part is that it can be made ahead of time (even the day before), and, while you can make your own dressing, bottled dressing is just as good on it. (It’s also nice to be able to use the low fat or fat free, especially when the rest of your barbecue consists of things like cheeseburgers or ribs. At least something is guilt-free, right?) And, as my mom can attest, it’s a crowd pleasure, as she gets asked for the recipe every time she serves it for a group of people. (Although I would say her zucchini corn bread is right up there when it comes to barbecue hits. I’m starting to feel a summer recipe series coming on…) Anyway, here’s the recipe. We hope you try it out this summer!

Corn Salad
Serves 8-10 as a side

3 cans mixed white and yellow corn niblets (Green Giant is our standard)
1 green pepper, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
3 stalks celery, cut length ways 3 times, then chop
2 bunches of scallions, diced
4 slices red onion, diced
Your favorite light or fat free bottled Italian dressing (or make your own)

And, as my mom said, “Are instructions really necessary? Mix all this goodness together and stir gently. Then sit back and enjoy the compliments!” And the barbecue. And the fact that you did all of this prep the day before and can actually relax for once. Although, again, only after the rain stops.

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Recipe: Sausage and Beans over Rice

This recipe is based on one designed for a slow cooker. We love to make it, but, of course, you need several hours. By cooking it on the stove, you get almost the same meal in a much shorter amount of time. In our case, it also helped that we had the sausage already cooked when we made it, which was perfect for a weeknight meal that tastes like it was cooking all day.

Ingredients

4 sausages
White or Brown Rice, cooked according to instructions
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup white wine
2 bell peppers, roughly chopped
1 large onion, roughly chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 cans beans (or about 2 cups if you want to soak and cook dry beans), any kind (we used two cans of cannellini beans and one of cranberry beans; kidney beans, pink beans, great northern beans, and navy beans would also work well)
1 teaspoon fresh parsley
1 teaspoon thyme
1/4-1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, optional
salt and pepper to taste

Drizzle the sausage with olive oil and cook in the oven at about 400 degrees for an hour or until done, turning every 15 minutes or so. When done, set aside. Heat oil in a large sauce pot or dutch oven over medium heat. Cook onion, peppers, and garlic until soft. Add in broth and wine and let heat for a few minutes before adding in the beans. Bring to a boil and then simmer, uncovered, until about half of the liquid has evaporated, about 20 minutes. Halfway through, use a potato masher (or any other tool that will work!) to mash some of the beans. After the mixture has simmered, slice the sausages and add them to the pot, then season with spices and let cook for about 5 minutes more. Serve over rice.

Note: The bowl is a slate blue “Cargo” pasta bowl from the Calvin Klein Khaki Collection, my new favorite dinnerware. These wide, shallow bowls come in incredibly handy!

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Recipe: Sweet and Sour Meatballs over Noodles

Is there such a thing as tropical comfort food? If so, this is on the list. I got this recipe from my mom, and it’s a great weeknight dinner. The recipe is made relatively easy by the fact that you use store-bought sauce. And it’s perfect for pretending you’re eating dinner somewhere fun, like Hawaii.

Sweet and Sour Meatballs Over Noodles
Serves 3-4

Ingredients:

1 bottle World Harbors Sweet and Sour Sauce
Small can sliced water chestnuts
Small can pineapple chunks
4 or 5 carrots, sliced on the diagonal, parboiled on stove or in microwave
1 onion, roughly chopped

For meatballs:
1 1/4 ground beef
1 cup bread crumbs (or 2 slices of bread if you make your own)
1 egg
A scant 1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon ginger powder
salt and pepper
Olive oil for frying

About 2/3 package of egg noodles

Combine meatball ingredients and shape into 24 to 28 meatballs (not too big, and not too small). In a large saute pan, in oil, on medium heat, cook the meatballs, half at a time, until brown on all sides. Set aside in a dish.

Start the water for the noodles.

In the same pan that had the meatballs (with a little more oil if necessary), on medium-high heat, saute the onions. Let them cook for a few minutes, then add the carrots. After another few minutes, add the water chestnuts and then, finally, the pineapple. Add the meatballs back in, then the bottle of sweet and sour sauce.

Add the noodles to the water once boiling. Meanwhile, continue to cook the meatball mixture on low, for about 15 minutes, adding a little water if the sauce gets thick.

Serve over the noodles and enjoy!

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Recipe: Shepherd’s Pie

Today brings with it nice weather (for now, at least) and a busy, busy schedule. So, with a little help from my mom (who did the adapting), here is a recipe that was adapted from Danny Boome’s Traditional Shepherd’s Pie, one of my favorite Irish meals. After all, you don’t need rain and cold to enjoy comfort food!

Ingredients

2 tablesppons butter
A few tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, diced
4 carrots, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
salt and pepper
2 tablespoons. tomato paste
1 ½ to 2 lbs. ground beef
2 tablespoons. Worcestershire sauce
½ cup beef stock
1 cup peas (can use frozen or fresh)

Cheesy Mashed Potatoes, recipe follows

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Add butter and oil to a large skillet on medium heat. Saute onions, carrots, celery and, after a bit, add the garlic, until tender - about 7 to 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Once the vegetables have softened and start to brown a little, add the tomato paste and mix evenly. Add the ground beef and cook till meat is no longer pink, about 10 minutes. Add the Worcestershire and beef stock. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Cook another 10 minutes, then mix in peas. Transfer mixture to an oven-proof baking dish and spread evenly. Place mashed potatoes on top and spread that evenly as well. You can “rake” through the potatoes with a fork, if desired.

Cook about 20 to 25 minutes – checking for a nice, lightly browned top.

Cheesy Mashed Potatoes

3 to 4 pounds baking or Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and quartered
4 tablespoons butter
¼ cup heavy cream (we actually used ¼ cup sour cream and ¼ cup milk instead)
1 cup grated (white) cheddar
salt and pepper

Fill a saucepan with cold water, add a tablespoon of salt and the potatoes and bring to a boil. Cook until soft when a knife is inserted, about 20 minutes. Drain, put back in pot, add butter and cream and begin to mash. Gradually add the cheese – and if needed, a little more milk - and salt and pepper to taste.

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Recipe: Leek Tart

This is the type of recipe that is simple enough to make any night of the week (especially if you don’t make your own piecrust), not too heavy but still filling, and definitely a crowd pleaser.

1 prepared piecrust
3 large leeks, white part only
1/2 lb. bacon
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
2 cups milk
salt and pepper
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup shredded gruyere cheese (can substitute your favorite!)

Preheat oven to 350. Line a 9 or 10 inch tart pan with the crust. Place in fridge to chill while preparing filling.

Slice leeks lengthwise and place in a bowl to clean. Then slice again lengthwise and then into rounds, about 1/2 thick. Saute leeks in a little butter and olive oil to soften.

Remove leeks from pan and fry the bacon until crisp, then drain, let cool, and break into small pieces.

Take out the bacon and clean the pan with a paper towel. Melt the 3 Tbls. butter, add the flour and cook one minute while stirring. Slowly whisk in milk, and continue whisking 3 to 5 minutes, until thick and smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Add the leeks, bacon, eggs and cheese to flour mixture. Then pour it all into the pastry-lined tart (or pie) pan.

Bake for 30 minutes, until puffed and golden brown. Serve warm.

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A Tropical Recipe: Shrimp and Mango Salad

When Pete and I returned from Turks and Caicos, we were sad to discover the end of warm days, tropical drinks, and meals full of conch, coconut, and mango, not to mention all of the other perks that come with tropical vacation. In our attempt to hang on just a little longer, we made a few meals to remind us of the Caribbean life we’d left behind. Although this recipe didn’t actually come from the Turks and Caicos (it’s adapted from a recipe by Alfred Portale from the Gotham Bar & Grill in New York), it’s very similar to a salad we ate while we were there.

For the shrimp:

1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons smoked Spanish paprika
1 1/2 tablespoons grated orange zest
1 tablespoon cracked black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
shrimp, peeled and deveined (the marinade will work for about a 1-2 dozen large shrimp or 2-3 dozen small shrimp)

For the salad:

4-6 cups mixed baby lettuce
1/4 cup diced red onion
1 cucumber, chopped
1 mango, chopped
1 avocado, chopped
salt and pepper, to taste

For the dressing:

2-3 tablespoons lime juice
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon grated lime zest
1/2 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons reserved marinade

Whisk together all of the marinade ingredients in a bowl and reserve 2 tablespoons in a separate container to use for the dressing. Add the shrimp and the remaining marinade to a large plastic bag and refrigerate for 3-4 hours.

Whisk together the dressing ingredients and refrigerate until ready to use.

After marinating the shrimp, cook in olive oil over medium-high heat, turning to cook, about 2 minutes per side. Assemble the rest of the salad ingredients, top with shrimp, and drizzle with dressing.

Of course, this recipe is much better served outside, overlooking the ocean, possibly with a mango daiquiri in hand. But I suppose at the kitchen table on a drizzling March day will do if necessary. At least you can feel like you’re at a tropical resort!

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Recipe: Muffaletta Sandwich

Lately, I’ve been in the mood for a muffaletta - and with Mardi Gras this week, it’s a good time to eat food from New Orleans.

1 big round loaf or individual rolls, hollowed out slightly to create room for filling
1 cup mixed olives, chopped
1 cup giardiniera (hot pickled vegetables), chopped (the food processor works well!)
1 teaspoon fresh parsley
1 teaspoon oregano
black pepper
can mix with olive oil (about 2 tablespoons) and red wine vinegar (about 1 tablespoon), to taste (although it will work without this as well)
1/8 - 1/4 lb. each Genoa salami, capicola or other ham
1/4 lb. provolone

Fill bottom half of bread with meats and cheese, alternating layers. Mix topping ingredients and pile on top. Gently push down the top of the bread

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Recipe: Chicken Noodle Soup

Seeing as how I’m (still) sick and have been eating more than my fair share of soup (and tea and toast) this week, I thought a classic soup recipe would be a good one to post. This one, of course, is for Chicken Noodle soup, the old standby for all kinds of colds and illnesses. The recipe comes from Tyler Florence, one of my favorite Food Network chefs, and is easy and quick (assuming you don’t make your own stock) - which is important when you can only manage to get off the couch for about 20 minutes at a time.

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 medium carrots, cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices
2 celery ribs, halved lengthwise, and cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices
4 fresh thyme sprigs
1 bay leaf
2 quarts chicken stock
8 ounces dried wide egg noodles
1 1/2 cups shredded cooked chicken
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Coat a soup pot with oil and place over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, carrots, celery, thyme and bay leaf. Cook, stirring, for about 6 minutes until the vegetables are softened, but do not brown. Pour in the chicken stock and bring the liquid to a boil. Add the noodles and simmer for 5 minutes until tender. Fold in the chicken, and continue to simmer for another couple of minutes to heat through; season with salt and pepper.

Then, of course, head back to the couch with your blanket and pillow and eat in front of the TV.

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Tomato Bisque

As I recently mentioned, I collect recipes from all over. And, with the weather being so cold (and more snow on its way!), I’ve been in the mood for soup a lot lately. Which is what made for the perfect coincidence when, just the other day, my “cousin” Irene sent me a new recipe for tomato bisque. I haven’t tried it yet, but it sounds good enough to share here! Thanks, Irene.

6 tablespoons butter
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
4 tablespoons flour
3 1 lb. cans whole tomatoes, drained and chopped
1 or 2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon basil
1 teaspoon marjoram
1 bay leaf
2 cups chicken (or vegetable!) broth
1 1/2 cups whipping cream (can substitute half and half)
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
salt and pepper, to taste

optional for serving:
1 package puff pastry
1 egg, beaten

Melt the butter over medium-low heat and saute the celery, onion, and carrot until tender. Stir in the flour and cook, stirring, for a minute or two. Add the tomatoes, sugar, basil, marjoram, bay leaf, and chicken broth, then simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Discard the bay leave. Puree the mixture with a hand blender or in a food processor or blender to reach desired consistency (not too thin). Return the mixture to the pot and stir in cream, paprika, curry powder, and salt and pepper.

To serve, pour the soup into individual bowls or ramekins. Roll out puff pastry and cut out rounds about 1/2 inch larger than the bowls. Brush the edges of the pastry with beaten egg and place on top of the ramekins, pressing edges to seal. Brush the top with egg and bake in the oven at 425 degrees for about 15 minutes, until puffed and golden.

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