Vindauga

Calling all bread makers, pizza dough makers, cooks, etc.

I am making gorgonzola and grape pizza for a dinner on Saturday night. I did a dry run today and have some kinks to work out with the crust.

It's a focaccia pizza crust, and while it tasted great, I had problems rolling it out. It was way too thin in the middle and about the right thickness around the ends. You know, the pizza bones part? By the way the bones were great.

So I would appreciate any tips on rolling it out, making focaccia in general or how much wine would a guest have to consume to not notice the middle was thin and soggy?

Help me out here, kids.

Food That's Working

We've found a few recipes lately that have quickly become family favorites because of ease, interesting ingredients and low cost. They take kid friendly food and make it sophisticated enough for adults.

From Cooking Light

Spaghetti with Peppery No-Cook Tomato Sauce

1 pound uncooked spaghetti
2 cups chopped seeded peeled tomato (about 5 medium tomatoes)
1 cup (4 ounces) crumbled ricotta salata or feta cheese
1/3 cup chopped pitted kalamata olives
1/4 cup capers
1 1/2 tablespoons extravirgin olive oil
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
4 garlic cloves, minced

Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain.

Combine tomato and remaining ingredients in a large bowl. Add pasta, and toss well to combine. Serve immediately.

Tip: Quickly peel tomatoes by plunging them into the boiling pasta water (before adding the pasta) for 20 seconds; remove with a slotted spoon, and quickly rinse under cold water. The skins will slip right off.

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From Nigela Lawson

Linguine with Lemon, Garlic and Thyme Mushrooms

8 ounces/4 cups finely sliced chestnut/cremini mushrooms
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon Maldon/kosher salt or 1 1/2 teaspoons table salt
Small clove garlic, minced
1 lemon, zested and juiced
4 sprigs fresh thyme stripped to give 1 teaspoon leaves
1 pound linguine
1 bunch fresh parsley, leaves chopped, to give 1/2 cup
2 to 3 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan, or to taste
Freshly ground black pepper

Slice the mushrooms finely, and put them into a large bowl with the oil, salt, minced garlic, lemon juice and zest, and gorgeously scented thyme leaves. ******

Cook the pasta according to the packet instructions and drain loosely retaining some water. Quickly put the pasta into the bowl with the mushroom mixture.

Toss everything together well, and then add the parsley, cheese and pepper before tossing again.

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Potato, Spinach and Feta Quesadillas (adapted from Bon Appetit)

1 1/3 cups 1/2 inch cubes peeled Yukon Gold potatoes (about 2 medium)

2 teaspoons chili powder
1 1/3 cups (packed) coarsely grated hot pepper Monterey Jack cheese (5 to 6 ounces)
1 1/3 cups jarred salsa verde (tomatillo salsa)
4 2/3 cups coarsely chopped stemmed spinach (from 1 bunch), divided
4 8-inch-diameter flour tortillas
3 ounces feta cheese, coarsely crumbled
Olive oil

Place baking sheet in oven and preheat to 275°F. Steam potatoes until tender, about 12 minutes. Place in large bowl; sprinkle with salt, pepper, and chili powder. Toss to coat. Cool potatoes 15 minutes. Mix in Jack cheese. Meanwhile, blend salsa and 2 cups(packed) spinach in mini processor until greens are finely chopped.

Arrange tortillas on work surface. Divide remaining greens between bottom half of each. Top greens with potato mixture, then feta cheese and 2 tablespoons salsa mixture for each. Fold plain tortilla halves over filling, pressing to compact. Brush with oil.

Heat large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Place 2 quesadillas, oiled side down, in skillet. Brush tops with oil. Cook until quesadillas are brown, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to sheet in oven to keep warm. Repeat with remaining 2 quesadillas.

Cut each quesadilla into 3 or 4 wedges. Serve with remaining salsa

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All three of these are excellent, easy dishes. We've had all of them more than once. They also work well for lunch they next day.

Super Easy Delicious Dinner

Made this tonight, the kids all ate it, three of them loved it, one declared "it burns my mouth a little." If you have a kid sensitive to spice I would cut the red pepper in half, but not eliminate it.  The only change I made was to subsitute half and half for the cream. It needs a little fat, milk would not hold the sauce together, so the half and half worked.

This is easy enough to throw together on a weeknight, but good enough for company. Seriously yummy.

Orignially from last month's Gourmet, but can also be found at epicurious.com.

Lemon gnocchi with spinach and peas

Gourmet | December 2007

The zing of fresh lemon enhances both the peas' sweetness and the natural flavor of the spinach. The whole quick, creamy dish is bolstered by soft pillows of potato gnocchi. Makes 4 servings 1 cup frozen baby peas (not thawed) 1/2 cup heavy cream 1/4 teaspoon dried hot red-pepper flakes 1 garlic clove, smashed 3 cups packed baby spinach (3 ounces) 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice 1 pound dried gnocchi (preferably De Cecco) 1/4 cup grated parmesan Simmer peas with cream, red-pepper flakes, garlic, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a 12-inch heavy skillet, covered, until tender, about 5 minutes. Add spinach and cook over medium-low heat, uncovered, stirring, until wilted. Remove from heat and stir in lemon zest and juice. Meanwhile, cook gnocchi in a pasta pot of boiling salted water (3 tablespoons salt for 6 quarts water) until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta-cooking water, then drain gnocchi. Add gnocchi to sauce with cheese and stir to coat.

Seriously, Try This

If you love tofu, you'll go "yum." If you mildly like tofu, you will love this. If you hate tofu, try this, you will be pleasantly surprised. The five year old asked for seconds. That good.

Calling All Vegetarians or Cooks or Both

What is the substitute for gelatin? I am making a dessert that I want Mallory to be able to eat, and it calls for gelatin as thickener when combined with frozen raspberries. Any ideas?

Look at that, two posts, one day and NaBloPoMo is even over.