Garlic Sticks

I listen to the radio as I drive to and from work every day which means that typically my entire day only consists of 20 minutes of radio listening. Therefore, I have to pick my station very carefully. In the mornings, I am always hard pressed to find a station playing music constantly so I pick my go-to station by the characters on the morning show. I've settled into a station that I like here and one of the things that they do shortly before 9am (which is typically when I'm finishing up my drive in) is list 5 random facts of the day. Sometimes they are funny, sometimes they make you think, sometimes they are a little gross. But regardless I can start my day off my learning something.

Earlier this week, one of the facts of the day was that not having friends can be hazardous to your health. The study they were quoting apparently said that being friendless is like smoking 15 cigarettes a day. How or why someone measured that is beyond me but it made me thankful for all of my wonderful friends. Throughout all of the stages of my life, my friends have helped to brighten my days and I suppose to keep me healthy. For that, my friends, I thank you. And as I move on to the next stage of my life and make new friends (here's hoping), I want to thank you in advance for keeping me healthy.

So put down those "cigarettes", invite some friends over, and fellowship over these garlic sticks. They are a perfect combination of garlic and cheese and soft and crunch.

Garlic Sticks (Topping adapted from One Preppy Cookie)
Ingredients:
1/5 recipe frozen homemade pizza dough (if you want to up the amount of garlic, when you make the pizza dough use garlic infused olive oil instead of regular olive oil)

1 tbsp freshly shredded parmesan cheese
1/8 tsp kosher salt
1/8 tsp freshly ground pepper
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp Italian seasoning
1/4 tsp onion powder
2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese

Directions:
Let the frozen pizza dough thaw over the course of the day in the refrigerator. Remove from the refrigerator and let stand at room temperature covered with towel for 10-30 minutes before baking.

Preheat oven and baking stone to 500F.

Whisk the parmesan cheese, salt, pepper, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, and onion powder into the melted butter.

Roll or pull the dough into a circular shape, as thin as you can; brush with the butter mixture and sprinkle with the mozzarella cheese. Transfer to the preheated baking stone.

Bake for 8-10 minutes until golden and crunchy. Let cool for about 5 minutes before slicing.

Serve with pizza sauce (homemade or other) for dipping.

Chicken Week- Day 3- Barbecue Chicken Pizza

You know what's funny?

When you are driving home after a long day at work with the radio on and the windows rolled down. You pull up to a stoplight behind another car and the people in it are rocking out to the same song that is blaring on your radio. Like all out dancing in the car.

Now I don't judge. And especially not people who are having fun and enjoying life, but this sight just started me laughing-- down to the depths of my belly laughing. I giggled the rest of the way home. It was probably so humorous because I could imagine myself in that car with any of my good friends doing the exact same thing. I never realized how ridiculous yet care-free we looked to the world. Ahh... the memories.

This bbq chicken pizza is almost as care-free as dancing in the car to your favorite song. Well, it certainly it super easy.... especially when you have leftover chicken in the fridge. This last time I made pizza dough, I used a combination of bread flour with whole wheat and rye bread (2 cups, 1 cup, 1 cup). The nuttier flavor of the dough worked perfectly with the bbq chicken.

Barbecue Chicken Pizza
Ingredients:
1/3 cup diced cooked chicken
2 tbsp barbecue sauce of choice
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper, plus more for serving
1 green onion, sliced, white and green parts separated
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/5 homemade pizza dough (or single serving storebought pizza dough)
shredded parmesan, for serving

Directions:
Thaw frozen pizza dough in the fridge over the course of the day.

Preheat oven to 500 F. Place a baking stone or upside down baking sheet in the oven during the preheating process.

Remove the dough from the fridge and place the ball on a clean surface and cover with a damp cloth. Let sit for 10-30 minutes while the oven reaches temperature.

Mix together the diced chicken, barbecue sauce, 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper and white part of the green onion.

Stretch the dough into a flat shape. Remove the baking stone from the oven and place the dough on top of it. Quickly spread the barbecue mixture over most of the dough; top with the cheese.

Bake for 7-8 minutes until crust is golden and cheese is hot. Remove and top with green parts of onion, additional CRP and parmesan cheese. Let cool 5 minutes before cutting and serving.

Serves 1.

Pizza Quinoa Casserole

Confession time.

Last Friday I picked up a pizza on my way home from work. What can I say: I was just craving a thick-crusted, gooey cheese, and piping hot mushroom pizza. But that isn't my confession. I don't judge if you order pizza or get takeout, especially after a long week at work. I confess instead that it took all of my will power to not scarf down a piece on my way home. The garlic, cheese and tomato smell filling my car was so irresistible that I could barely make it the whole 10 minutes to my apartment. Granted it had been awhile since I had consumed pizza but still pretty ridiculous, right?

So moral of the story-- there is no way I could be a pizza delivery person. I do not have enough self-control to ride around with that smell everyday.

Although it had been awhile since I eaten a slice of pizza, I did have a little bit of a fix a few weeks ago with this pizza quinoa casserole. I doctored it up with green peppers and onions and would have added mushrooms if they had been in my fridge, but you could certainly use any of your fav pizza toppings. The quinoa is a great base for any flavoring and the tomato and Italian seasoning do not disappoint. Top it off with some mozzarella cheese and your house will smell like you have a fresh baked pizza.... but without the guilt of the calories and fat.

It's not delivery nor DiGiorno! It's quinoa!

Pizza Quinoa Casserole (adapted from Gloria of Food)
Ingredients:
1/4 cup quinoa, rinsed
3/4 cup water
1/2 small onion, diced
1/4 cup diced green pepper
1 tbsp tomato paste
3 tbsp tomato juice or sauce
1/2 tbsp Italian seasoning (or a combination of basil, oregano, garlic and parsley)
salt and pepper, to taste
1/8 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 F. Coat an individual baking dish with cooking spray.

Combine the water and quinoa in a small pot; bring to a boil, turn down to low, cover and simmer for about 15 minutes until the quinoa is completely cooked.

Combine the onion, green pepper, tomato paste, tomato juice and Italian seasoning in a bowl. Add the quinoa and stir to combine. Taste and add salt and pepper as needed. Pour into the baking dish. Top with the cheese.

Bake 30-35 minutes until heated through and the cheese is browned.

Serves 1.

Baked Potato Pizza

You know how it isn't until you move away from a place that you appreciate some of the little things?

Well, that is not the story regarding this pizza. From the first time I tried the loaded baked potato pizza at Satisfaction's in Durham, I knew they had created something special. I mean, who thinks of putting potatoes on a pizza? Top it with cheddar cheese and bacon and you've got a great idea. Drizzle it with their "famous sat sauce" and it is DIVINE. Of course reproducing this at home was a must now that I no longer frequent Satis for Duke games and big beer Thursdays. There were a few key points for success with this dish. First, I needed to mimic the "famous sat sauce"; we always joked that it was just watered down ranch dressing and although that may be the case, watered down Kraft was just not cutting it. So I added some sour cream, milk, garlic, olive oil, and chives to the ranch and found what I was looking for. The second important part is to premix your cooked potato with some of the sauce. Let the flavors meld for a little bit and they will permeate the potato and enhance the overall flavor. Of course, you're going to want to drizzle the pizza with a lot more of the sauce and top it will bacon and cheddar cheese. I added some mozzarella to the mix as well and a little bit of red onion for pop. I think I paid appropriate homage to Satis.

For those of you who have moved away from Durham, I give you back something you are probably missing. For those of you who have never been to Durham, prepare to have your life revolutionized. You are welcome!

Baked Potato Pizza (inspired by Satisfaction's)
Ingredients (for individual size):
1/5 pizza dough, thawed (or 1/3-1/2 store bought pizza dough)
1 small red potato
2 pieces bacon, cooked crisp and chopped or crumbled
1 tbsp sliced red onion
1/3 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese (either yellow or white)
1/3 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 1/2 tbsp sour cream
1 1/2 tbsp ranch dressing
1 1/2 tbsp milk
1 1/2 tsp olive oil
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp dried chives (or 1 tbsp fresh chopped chives)

Directions: 
Place a baking stone or baking sheet in the oven and preheat to 500 F. Allow the dough to sit at room temperature for approximately 15 minutes.

Whisk together the sour cream, ranch dressing, milk and olive oil. Stir in the garlic powder and chives. Set aside.

Poke the potato a few times with a fork and place in a microwave safe dish. Cover and microwave on high for 6-8 minutes until cooked through. Let cool slightly and then peel and chop into bite sized pieces. Toss the chopped potato with approximately 2 tbsp of the ranch mixture. Let sit until you are ready to assemble the pizza.

Pull and/or roll out the pizza dough until it is a circle of about 8-10 inch diameter. Spread the potato mixture on the dough. Drizzle with the remaining ranch sauce. Top with red onion, cheeses and bacon crumbles. Transfer to the heated baking stone or sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes until the cheese is hot and the crust is cooked through. Allow to cool for 5 minutes before cutting.

Serves 1.

Ham and Ricotta Calzones

My mom told me about this new store downtown in my hometown that sells imported flavored olive oils and balsamic vinegars. While I was visiting for Christmas I just had to check it out. It was so fun because I got to taste all the different flavors (yes, I tasted ALL of the them). The owner also had a variety of different salts. One was a ghost pepper infused salt; I tried one little speck and it burned my tongue for about a half an hour. In case you didn't know, ghost peppers are the hottest commercially available peppers and are 100 times hotter than jalapenos! It was a fun experience though.

It took a lot of self control (and realization that I am still a poor postdoc) to not purchase up all the oils, vinegars and salts. I settled on a garlic infused olive oil that would be perfect for so many dishes and a small amount of garlic salt and Hawaiian red salt. The garlic salt is quite delectable and the red salt is huge crystals and red (duh!) that I thought would be great for garnishing.

When Scott was visiting for New Years, he suggested we make calzones so I thawed out some pizza dough and we opened up the garlic infused olive oil. It really enhanced the dish when brushed on top; next time I may brush the inside of the dough as well!

I just had to show you this picture of how Scott cut his calzone into bite-sized pieces and topped them with pizza sauce. Me? I just picked it up and shoved it into my face. ;)

Ham and Ricotta Calzones
Ingredients (per calzone):
1/5 batch pizza dough
2 slices deli ham
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
1/3 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
olive oil (I used garlic infused) for baking
dried parsley, oregano, shredded parmesan etc (garlic powder if using regular olive oil) for baking
cornmeal for baking
pizza sauce, for serving

Directions:
If pizza dough is frozen, let thaw in fridge over the course of the day. Preheat oven with a baking sheet or pizza stone inside to 500 F. Remove dough to clean work surface and cover with towel and let rest at room temperature as the oven preheats, about 10-15 minutes.

Stretch the dough out into an 8 X 11 inch-ish rectangle. If desired, brush the topside of the dough with olive oil. Spread the ricotta cheese over half the dough, leaving a 1/4 inch edge. Top with deli ham slices and shredded mozzarella. Fold the un-garnished half over the half with the topping, pressing down to seal. Brush the top of the calzone with olive oil and sprinkle with seasonings.

Place on preheated baking sheet or pizza stone sprinkled with cornmeal. Bake for 8-10 minutes until puffy and golden. Remove from oven and let sit for 5 minutes.

Serve with heated pizza sauce for dipping.

Mushroom Pizza (with homemade pizza dough)

Raise your hand if you like pizza.

So everyone has their hand in the air, right?

Me? I definitely enjoy pizza. I won't turn down a stuffed crust slice from Pizza Hut or a thin and crispy Dominos. That super thick Chicago style pizza? Delicious! New York floppy and greasy? I'd fold that baby in half and eat that too. $5 from Little Caesars? Pizza! Pizza! I say. I especially like local places with different pizza specials. Whether it be thick or thin, you'll bet your bottom dollar I'll eat it.

When you're living alone, ordering and consuming an entire pizza yourself is not the best idea. For that reason, and to play around with yeast some more, I started making homemade pizza dough. And I'm telling you, best decision of my (culinary) life! I have made the following dough at least three times since I've lived in IL and another time I made it with half whole wheat flour.

This dough is great for a couple reasons. One- it is very easy to put together. Two- it freezes beautifully. That means you can whip up the dough and freeze it into individual sized portions to use whenever you have a hankering for pizza. It works great for calzones and as a vehicle for any combination of toppings you can come up with. This week I went with a simple tomato sauce, shredded mozzarella cheese and mushrooms.

Just look at that cheese!

Homemade Pizza Dough (from Annie's Eats)
Ingredients:
1/2 cup warm water
2 1/4 tsp instant yeast
1 1/4 cup room temperature water
4 cups bread flour
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Directions:
Combine the warm water and yeast in a small bowl. Let sit for a few minutes. Add the room temperature water and olive oil and mix. In a large bowl, mix together the flour and salt. Mix in the wet ingredients, stirring with a wooden spoon until you cannot stir anymore. Then turn out the dough on a floured surface and knead to mix in the rest of the flour. Keep kneading until the dough is smooth, about 5 minutes. Place it into a lightly greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise until doubled, about 90 to 120 minutes (the timing will change depending on the temperature of your house).

Lightly punch down the dough. Separate into 5* equal pieces. Form each into a ball. Wrap in plastic wrap, place in a freezer safe bag, and freeze until ready to use.

*The 5 portions will give you individual sized pizzas, if you want to do large family style pizza, separate the dough into 2 portions.


Personal Mushroom Pizza
Ingredients:
1/5 of pizza dough (from above)
1/3 cup tomato pizza sauce
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
cornmeal

Directions:
If your dough is frozen, thaw in the fridge over the course of the day.

Preheat oven to 500 F. Place a baking stone or upside down baking sheet in the oven during the preheating process.

Remove the dough from the fridge (or use non-frozen dough from above). Place the ball on a clean surface and cover with a damp cloth. Let sit for 10-30 minutes while the oven reaches temperature. Prep your pizza sauce, cheese and mushrooms.

Stretch the dough into a flat shape. Remove the baking sheet or stone from the oven and sprinkle with cornmeal. Place the dough on top of it and moving quickly spread your sauce over most of the dough. Top with the cheese and mushrooms.

Bake for 7-8 minutes until crust is golden and cheese is hot.

Serves 1.