Pizza in the Ooni oven

This is the best recipe and technique so far for our Ooni pizza oven.

Pizza Dough

makes 7 small pizzas (enough for 6 hungry people plus leftovers)

552g lukewarm water
1 1/2 heaping teaspoon (5 1/4 grams) active dry yeast
919 grams bread flour, plus extra for dusting
27 grams sea salt

In your stand mixer bowl, mix warm water and yeast. Add in flour and salt. Using dough hook, mix for 5 to 10 mins until firm and smooth. Cover the bowl and let rise for 2 hours (it should double).

Divide dough into 7 pieces.  Roll each into a round ball.  Cover (or brush with water occasionally) and let rest 30 to 60 mins (it should double).

Stretch dough as thin as possible.  Place on your floured peel (or use the back of a quarter sheet pan, floured). Precook your dough by sliding it into the pizza oven for 2 mins, turning once.  You can probably fit 2 in your small Ooni.  Remove the oven to add toppings (lots of them!) then return to the oven for another 2-3 mins, turning once.  You can precook all your pizzas ahead of time. Keep pizzas warm in your kitchen oven while you finish baking all your pizzas.

Pickled Beets

This recipe comes from an unexpected source, a lunch lady, at the elementary school.  When my kids were in elementary school, I had visited a neighboring school to learn about their farm to school lunch program and they served these beets.  I have been making them ever since with a few changes.

Pickled Beets
makes 2 jars, 1 quart each, doubles/triples easily

6 medium beets, diced, roasted with oil and salt, rosemary (optional)
1 cup white vinegar
1 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

Put the beets in the jars.  Boil the remaining ingredients.  Pour over the beets. Keep them in the fridge for a minimum of 3 days before trying.  

They keep well in the fridge for winter but I haven't tried to can them for pantry storage.  It should work well with all the added sugar but who knows!

Garlic flatbreads

 These are so simple and so delicious.  You could definitely make them without the garlic if you don't have or you could add other spices, like cumin and coriander.

Garlic Flatbreads
mostly from King Arthur
makes a dozen small (serves 4 easily with veggies and hummus)

3 cups (360g) All-Purpose Flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons table salt
3 tablespoons (35g) olive oil or vegetable oil
1 cup (227g) water
2 to 3 tablespoons (25g to 35g) vegetable oil, additional for frying
3 garlic leaves, finely diced (scissors work great)

Place the flour, baking powder, and salt in a large mixing bowl and stir to combine. Add the oil and ice water, and mix to make a soft, cohesive dough. Adjust with flour or water as needed. The dough should be moist but not sticky. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes.
Preheat a heavy-bottomed pan. Add 1 tablespoon oil and heat until the oil starts to shimmer in the pan.
Divide the dough into 10 to 12 equal pieces. Each piece be about the size of a large egg. Using oiled hands, shape the pieces by flattening between your palms as flat as you can get them.
In batches, fry the flatbreads in the hot oil for 2 to 3 minutes, or until golden brown. Flip and fry on the second side for another 2 minutes. Transfer from the pan to a rack to cool slightly before serving. Add more oil as needed.
Serve with hummus and veggies for an easy summer meal.

Enchiladas

Mike loves this enchilada sauce. I find it a bit too spicy though.  I halved the chipotle once and it was still too spicy for me.  The sauce freezes well so make a double batch.

Enchilada sauce

mostly from Ina Garten's Modern Comfort Food cookbook

(makes enough sauce for a 6-8 enchiladas in a 9x13 pan)

2 tablespoons oil
2 tablespoons flour
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon ground chipotle powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 cups broth, chicken or veggie
4 cups roasted tomatoes from the freezer (or use canned)
1 teaspoon dried oregano

fillings, see below
wraps

Preheat the oven to 350

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat, r whisk in flour. Cook, whisking constantly, for 2 minutes, then whisk in spices (except for oregano). Add broth a little at a time, whisking. Bring to a boil, then simmer until thickened. Stir in tomatoes, oregano, and a teaspoon of salt. Bring this to a boil, then simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

To assemble, spread some sauce in the bottom of a baking dish (8x8 or 9x13, depending on how many you are serving).  Put your wraps in the pan, so they are in a taco shape.  Add fillings then add sauce, then roll/fold them up.  Cover with more sauce and then cheese.  Bake for 30 minutes till your cheese is melted and sauce is a bit bubbly.

What to put in your enchilada (use wraps, white or whole wheat):

roast chicken
green peppers
black beans, our preference
roast turkey
cheese, goat cheese or cheddar (we prefer cheddar).

Homemade Egg Noodles from Julia

Fresh pasta is just the most amazing way to honor our garlic harvest this year.  We made garlic butter to serve with the pasta but also fresh pesto (and of course, some roasted zucchini).  

You can half this recipe if you prefer.  This makes a large batch, possibly over a pound.  It probably took 45 minutes for just the pasta machine portion of the recipe (with 2 people working together) but it's a fun project to do together.

I'm unsure of the origins of this recipe as it comes to us from Julia, Delilah's super sweet girlfriend.

Homemade Egg Noodles

Makes maybe over a pound

2 cups flour

2 cups semolina flour

2 tsp salt

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons water

6 eggs

Mix ingredients in order, mixing after each ingredient (including after each individual egg).  Mix until it forms a dough.  Knead (see note below).  Cover and rest for 15 minutes.  Cut dough into roughly 8 sections. 

Using your pasta machine, roll dough out to level 5 (starting at 1 and working your way up).  Dust with semolina and hang (we used our chairs).  Dust with semolina if needed then switch to the fettuccine setting (or spaghetti) and run the sheets through (cutting them first if they are very long).  Place on a tray dusted with semolina and dust them on top.

Boil water, add salt, cook in boiled water for 2 mins.  Toss with butter.

Note:

The recipe calls for kneading by hand, using a little extra flour if it's sticky.  If you choose to use the stand mixer for kneading, then add an 1/8 cup of AP flour.

Garlic Parm Melting Potatoes

These potatoes are delicious and they are also a rare potato dish that we also enjoy as leftovers.

Garlic Parm Melting Potatoes

serves 4-6

(from Eating Well)

2 pounds potatoes, cut into 1-inch-thick slices, or cubes

2 tablespoons butter, melted

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme

¾ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon ground pepper

3 large cloves garlic, finely diced

1 cup low-sodium vegetable broth or chicken broth

¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese

Position rack in upper third of oven; preheat to 500 degrees F.

Toss potatoes, butter, oil, thyme, salt and pepper in a 9-by-13-inch metal baking pan.  Roast, flipping once, until browned, about 30 minutes.

Whisk garlic into broth; carefully add the broth mixture to the pan. Sprinkle the tops of the potatoes with Parmesan. Continue roasting until most of the broth has been absorbed and the potatoes are very tender, about 15 minutes more. Serve hot.

Veggie Chili with lentils

This was surprisingly really good.  I was looking for a way to use up our freezer surplus of green peppers and stumbled on a few recipes that were close enough, so I went for it.  Below is what I made with notes for next time.

2 cups diced bell pepper, diced, try it with 3 next time

1 cup onion, diced

1 medium carrot, diced

3 cloves garlic

olive oil

broth, veggie or chicken (bouillon and water is fine here)

4 cups of tomatoes (I used one bag of our frozen roasted toms)

salt and pepper

oregano

garlic powder

1 cup dry red lentils

In a a soup pot, medium heat, heat up a drizzle of oil and add onion and carrots, saute till softening and browning, adding garlic towards the end.  Add more oil as needed to prevent sticking.

Add spices and let saute a bit till fragrant.

Add remaining ingredients.  Use enough broth to cover everything by an inch.  Bring to boil, then cover and reduce to simmer for 20 mins, checking randomly to be sure there is enough liquid.

Check to see if lentils are soft, to add more liquid, and/or more salt/pepper.

Serve over rice with chili style toppings (cheddar, sour cream, scallions) and good bread.

Squash Soup with Quinoa

 This is comfort food for fall and a perfect dinner on a rainy day.  We loved the unique flavor that the smoked paprika adds.  The original recipe is from the Washington Post; I have made some minor edits.

Squash Soup with quinoa

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

2-3 carrots, diced

2-3 celery stalks

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon chili powder

3 cups cooked or canned no-salt-added navy, Great Northern or cannellini beans (from 2 15-ounce cans), drained and rinsed

1 1/2 pounds butternut squash, peeled, deseeded and cut into 3/4-inch cubes

3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt or table salt, plus more to taste

4 cups broth (your choice, chicken or veg)

2/3 cup quinoa, rinsed

Saute onion, celery, carrots, garlic in oil till browning.  Add in spices.  Cook one minute till fragrant.  Add in remaining ingredients.  Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 20 mins.

Serve with hot sauce and bread.

Lentil Burgers aka Lentil Cakes

This is a recipe in progress.  I am pretty happy with it as a base recipe but I want to tweak it a bit still.

Untested ideas: You could make them gluten free by subbing in GF breadcrumbs.  Flax egg will likely work well for an egg substitute if you want to make them vegan.  Let me know if you try these ideas!

Lentil Burgers aka Lentil Cakes
makes 8-10 burger sized cakes (or you can make them tiny for appetizer bites)

generous 1 cup lentils, any kind will do
2 cup breadcrumbs
3-4 eggs
cumin and coriander, or go with your own flavor combo
garlic and onions, finely chopped OR garlic scapes, chives

Place lentils and 4 cups of water in a medium pot and bring to a boil.  Reduce to a simmer, season with salt, and cook for 15-20 minutes till cooked.  Strain and set aside to cool.

Mix cooled lentils with breadcrumbs, eggs, spices, garlic and onions.  Heat frying pan with a little oil.  Using your hands, grab a fist sized portion of the dough and shape into a burger.  Place in the pan and make more.  Cook a few minutes a side till nicely browned.  Place in oven to keep warm.  They freeze great!  You can also put them on the grill after they are cooked to keep warm.

Serve with:
sour cream and garlic scape pesto
yogurt cucumber dill sauce
on a bun like a burger
ketchup
salad

Simple slaw

This is the best slaw!  It's great for people that think they dont like mayo since the mayo gets a little lost with the other ingredients.  It's great with any combo of cabbage, kale, carrots, and/or beets.

Simple Slaw
Serves 6

3/4c cup mayonnaise
2 tbl lemon juice
2 tsp soy sauce (use gluten-free soy, if you need)
1 tsp garlic

1 medium bunch of kale shredded
2-3 carrots, grated
2 cups of red cabbage, grated
1 beet, grated

peanuts, handful (optional)

Broccoli Soup

This soup is dairy free, grain free, gluten free, meat free... and delicious!  It's simple and amazing, plus it's quick!

Pureed Broccoli Soup
serves 4

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped (optional)
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme or parsley
8 cups chopped broccoli (stems and florets)
6 cups liquid (veggie broth or chicken broth, if you're not vegetarian)
salt and pepper to taste

Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 6-10 minutes, adding garlic and thyme (or parsley) about halfway through.

Add in broccoli and liquid.  Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, covered. Reduce heat to maintain a light simmer and cook until very tender, about 8 minutes.  Let cool for 5 minutes.

Puree the soup in batches until smooth, taste for salt and pepper.

Serve with a big salad.  You might want to have hot sauce and a little bowl of cheese on the table but it really needs nothing.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

This is a family favorite.  We look forward to it all year long, waiting for the sprouts to grow, hoping the deer dont eat them before we pick them.  It's simple, but the prep work is a little time consuming if you're using sprouts on the stalk.  The original recipe is from the NYT and Mark Bittman, here.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts
serves 4, but everyone always wants more

1 stalk of sprouts (somewhere between a pint and a quart)
olive oil
4-6 cloves garlic, peeled, sliced or minced
salt and pepper, optional
1-2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Heat oven to 400 (higher is fine if you need it higher for another dish).

Remove any rough outer leaves from the sprouts, cut the bottoms, then slice in half.

Heat a drizzle of oil in a cast iron pan, medium high heat (oil will shimmer).  Put sprouts in and let cook undisturbed until they begin to brown on the bottom, shake/stir, then cook one more time.  Add garlic.

Transfer pan to the oven to roast.  Shake/stir pan every 5 minutes until they are quite brown and tender, about 15-20 minutes.

Drizzle with balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper, if using, and serve hot or warm.

Best pizza crust

Update May 2019, I found an even better pizza crust.  Look for a new post soon!

This recipe ends our search for the perfect pizza crust.  It's from King Arthur and is just right!  We had a vegan pizza with potatoes, onions, and fresh herbs (it was great, but needed more herbs) and a red pizza with eggplant (yum!).  Next time, we might try a little whole wheat flour.  The recipe is nearly identical to the KAF recipe, but if you prefer the original, check it out here.  This makes enough to have plenty of leftovers OR you can freeze the dough in portions.  We wrap it in plastic wrap and then put it in a ziplok bag for safe freezing.

Pizza Dough
makes 3 large pizzas or 4 mediums

2 cups lukewarm water
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon active dry yeast or instant yeast; or 1 packet active dry yeast
1 tablespoon salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
5 1/2 to 6 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour


Dissolve the sugar, yeast, and salt in the lukewarm water and olive oil.

Add the flour, starting with 5 1/2 cups flour and adding more as necessary to make a soft, smooth dough.

Knead the dough (with your hands, a mixer, or your bread machine set on the dough cycle) until it's smooth and elastic, about 7 to 10 minutes.

Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl or other container, cover it, and let it rise for 1 to 2 hours.

Gently deflate the dough, and divide it into 3 or 4 pieces. Roll each piece, on a floured surface, with a floured rolling pin.

Place the dough on pizza pans; on baking sheets; or, if you have a pizza stone in your oven, on parchment.

Preheat your oven to 450°F and create your pizza with toppings.

Bake for 15-20 minutes.

Creamed kale

I love creamed kale.  When I am craving it, I want the full fat, full butter version, not the "fake" versions that you'll find in the first page of your google search.  So, after a little trial and error, here is my creamed kale.  This is one of those recipes that comes together without a need for fussy measuring.

Creamed Kale
serves ?

butter
onion, chopped
butter
kale, de-stemmed and chopped
white wine, stock, or water
butter
garlic, minced
butter
cream cheese/chevre
parm
milk/cream
salt

Saute onion in butter, low and slow for a bit then add in kale with a splash of liquid and a little more butter.  Put the lid on so it steams for a bit, then add in garlic with another pat of butter.  When the kale looks cooked, add in the dairy.  Cook on low just to warm it up.

For a holiday meal, you could put it in a casserole dish and keep it warm in the oven.  You can make it ahead and heat it just before serving too.

Hot and Sour Soup aka the world's quickest bestest soup

This is the most satisfying, quickest soup ever.  The kids prefer it without the egg and spice in it.  I love the tang of vinegar and the punch of ginger.


Hot and Sour Soup
serves 4

1/2 cup to a 1 cup of mushrooms, thinly sliced
a neutral cooking oil for sauteing mushrooms
1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic
1 tablespoon finely chopped peeled fresh ginger
1/2 cup chopped scallions, plus more for garnish, if desired (optional, but so good with them)
4 cups chicken stock or low-sodium broth
1/2 pound soft tofu, cut into 1/2-inch dice
1/3 cup unseasoned rice vinegar (start with less)
3 tablespoons soy sauce (start with less)
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
Sriracha, for serving
Kosher salt
2 large eggs, beaten

Saute mushrooms in oil for as long as you can, 5-15 mins.  Add garlic, ginger, and scallions.  Cook for a few minutes.  Stir in the stock/broth and add in tofu, vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, pepper, and sesame oil,.  Bring the soup to a simmer and season with salt (you probably wont need it, since the soy sauce is so salty).  Stir constantly while drizzling the eggs in the soup.  Cook for a minute to let the egg cook.  Serve with extra scallions, rice vinegar, and Sriracha.

Super crispy potatoes

We have a big potato lover in our house.  This is one of our favorite recipes (arent they all!) and it's super easy to make too.  The original recipe is from Serious Eats here.

Super Crispy Potatoes

Russet potatoes (plan for 1-2 potatoes per person), chopped in 2 inch chunks
salt
vinegar
oil
thyme or rosemary sprigs

Preheat oven to 500.

Place potatoes in a large pot, cover with cold water, add a generous amount of salt, and a few tablespoons (glugs) of vinegar.  Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer, until outside are tender (about 5 minutes).  Drain potatoes and put back in the pan.  Mix with a few glugs on oil and herbs.  Put on a baking sheet (or two).  Roast for 20, flip, then roast for another 20 (check after another 15).  They should be crisp and golden.

Quinoa and black bean salad

This is the perfect summer dish.  It's best made in the cool of the morning and served cold or room temp for dinner in the evening.  The original recipe is from Oh She Glows, check it out here.

Quinoa and black bean salad
Makes 6.5 cups (or serves 4) - DOUBLE it. Trust me!

For the salad:
1 cup uncooked quinoa (or 3 cups cooked)
1 (15-ounce) can black beans (or 1.5 cups cooked), drained and rinsed
cilantro, as much as you can spare
2 cups of a crunchy veggie, like red peppers (my fave), julienned carrots, celery
4 green onions, chopped

For the dressing:
3 tablespoons lime juice
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 large clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon pure maple syrup


1. Make the quinoa: Bring to a boil, quinoa with 1.5 cups water then cover and reduce heat to low., Simmer for 15-17 minutes until the water is absorbed and the quinoa is fluffy.  Let the quinoa cool a bit before adding the veggies.
2. In a large bowl, toss the quinoa, drained and rinsed black beans, cilantro, veggies, and green onions.
3. Whisk together the dressing. Pour onto salad and toss to combine.  Let the salad sit in the fridge for an hour or two at least or even a full day.

Dry Fried Green Beans

I love this green bean recipe with beans picked fresh from the garden.  It's so simple... the perfect side dish with lunch.  It's one of those recipe with a pinch of this and a pinch of that.

Dry Fried Green Beans
(inspired by Serious Eats, check out the original recipe here.  Mine is simplified)

Green beans, snipped, of some amount
Vinegar, a splash (rice wine vinegar is nice)
Sesame oil
Sugar, just a light sprinkle
Salt, a few shakes
Garlic, chopped
Ginger, chopped
Red pepper flakes

Heat a frying pan over med-high heat, add beans, stirring frequently, almost constantly for a few minutes.  They'll blister.  Add a splash of vinegar, then a glug of sesame oil, and a sprinkle of sugar and salt.  Add pepper flakes, garlic and ginger now, if using.  Turn burner down to medium, cook just another minute.  Serve hot.

Moroccan Soup with Chick Peas

I know we just ate Moroccan Chicken but it was so delicious that we all had to have it again.  This time, we made it into a vegetarian soup.  I used some over-salted roasted chick peas (oops!) and skipped the raisins since the kids arent big fans of raisins in their soup.  The vegetarian version might be even better than the chicken version.  We LOVED it!

Moroccan Soup with Chick Peas

Onion, chopped
Garlic, 4-6 cloves, minced or pressed
Celery, just a few stalks, chopped
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon coriander
1 teaspoon cumin
1/8 cayenne (if you like)
1 can of tomatoes (I used a few cups of frozen roasted cherry tomatoes)
2-3 cans of chick peas
4 cups broth or stock (vegetarian, of course, but chicken is fine here if you're ok with it)
Honey, just a spoonful
Raisins, a big handful (if you like)

Heat pot with oil on medium heat.  Cook onion, garlic, and celery for 5-10 mins until soft, but not overly browned.  Add spices, stir a minute.  Add tomatoes, chick peas, broth/stock, and honey.  Simmer for 30 mins to an hour.  Add in the raisins towards the end so they plump.

Serve with a big salad and crusty bread.

Charlie's Peanut Pasta (aka Cold Sesame Chicken/Tofu with Pasta)

A little friend of ours just LOVES peanut pasta, so I make it for Charlie whenever he's here (and it doesnt seem to matter if it's lunch, dinner, or snack).  He's a pretty awesome kid and I love kids that eat what I like to cook.

The kids like it best with chunked up cukes and chicken plus a ton of sesame seeds.  I love it with tofu.  It works fine without anything for a quick and easy side dish.  It's great for a picnic too, since it can be served room temp and it wont spoil like many mayo based pasta salads.

Charlie's Peanut Pasta (aka Cold Sesame Chicken/Tofu with Pasta)

(serves 6-8, great for leftovers)

source unknown

1 lb spaghetti, cooked (whole wheat works great here)

In food processor, mix together:

6 cloves of garlic (or less if you're serving picky little guys)

2T red wine vinegar (cider vinegar works here too)

2T brown sugar (or a splash of maple syrup)

3/4 cup peanut butter (I use natural, unsweetened)

1/2 cup soy sauce

3/4 cup sesame oil

5-6T hot chili oil (I skip this most times)

Mix sauce with pasta.  Serve room temp or cold with options below.

Add in any optional ingredients, JUST before serving:

4 chicken  breasts, cooked, shredded/diced

1 package tofu, fried/baked

Broccoli, diced and cooked

Cucumber, diced

Scallions

Sesame seeds