Love Pizza

Embrace your love for food by baking this heart-shaped pizza!


Preheat oven 425 degrees. Place pizza stone in oven for one hour.

Dough:
-1 package active dry yeast
-2 and 1/2 cups flour
-3 tablespoons olive oil
-1 tablespoon salt
Mix the package of yeast with 1/4 cup warm water. Allow to sit about five minutes, until frothy.
Mix flour, olive oil, and salt in a mixer with a dough hook. Add yeast while mixing. When thoroughly mixed, place in a bowl and cover with saran wrap and a towel. Allow to rise for one hour.
Roll dough into desired size and thickness. Shape into a heart with a pizza cutter.
Toppings:
-pizza sauce
-shredded mozzerella cheese
-sliced button mushrooms
-sliced (or cut into hearts) italian sausage,pre-soaked in maple syrup
-sliced black olives
Bake approximately 20 minutes on bottom rack on pizza stone. Keep your eye on it. Remove at desired dough consistency.

Asparagus Risotto

A green forest of asparagus tips rooted in a cheezy, creamy risotto. Serve as a side dish with poultry or fish.

-2 pounds asparagus
-4 cups chicken stock
-4 tablespoons olive oil
-1 onion, finely chopped
-1 and 2/3 cups risotto rice
-3 oz. grated parmesan cheese
-3 tablespoons heavy cream

Wash asparagus and remove woody ends. Separate the tips from the stems.
Cook the asparagus stems in boiling water for about 8 minutes. Drain, and place in a blender or food processor with the chicken stock. Remove when thoroughly blended, then put in a saucepan, bring to a boil, and maintain at a low simmer.
Cook the asparagus tips in boiling water for one minute, drain, and rinse in cold water.
Heat the olive oil in a wide, heavy-bottomed saucepan. Add the onion and cook until softened, but not browned. Add the rice and reduce heat to low. Stir briefly, then add a ladleful of the stock. Cook over medium heat, stir continuously. When the stock has been absorbed, stir in another ladleful. Continue this process for about 20 minutes, until all stock has been added.
Add the parmesan and cream, and gently stir. Season with salt and pepper. Poke the asparagus tips into the risotto. Serves four.

Stuffed Red Peppers

I used to prepare this as a vegetarian meal, and it was very satisfying. Now that I eat meat, I add ground turkey to the ingredients. If you are in the mood for ground beef, I am sure that would be delicious also. Red peppers are beautiful and nutritious. Enjoy!

-4 large red peppers, halved and seeded
-1 cup cous cous
-1 pound ground turkey
-1/2 onion
-1 carrot, finely diced
-2 celery stalks, finely diced
-1/2 cup shelled pumpkin seeds
-2 cloves garlic, minced
-1/2 teaspoon cumin
-1 teaspoon chili powder
-1/8 cup chopped oregano
-salt to taste

Cook the cous cous and set aside.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Spray the pepper halves with oil and season lightly with salt. Place them on a baking pan and bake for 15 minutes until softened a little.
While the peppers are baking prepare the stuffing:
Heat olive oil in a pan, and saute the onion, carrot, celery, pumpkin seeds, garlic, cumin, and chili powder for three to four minutes, until the vegetables begin to soften and become lightly browned. Add the cooked cous cous and oregano to the vegetables, and continue to saute for one more minute, until all ingredients are blended well. Add salt to taste.
Fill each pepper half with the stuffing, and place in a lightly oiled casserole dish. Add 1/2 cup of water to the pan. Cover the dish with foil and bake for 20 or 25 minutes, until the peppers are tender.

Orange Chicken

This is my first post on Feisty Feasters!!

I made this for the first time last week and we all loved it. I used chicken breasts but the meat was a tad dry. It is possible that I cooked it too long but I think next time I will try boneless skinless chicken thighs.

Ingredients:

2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into 2 in cubes

1/2 c flour

1 t garlic powder

1/2 t pepper

2 t oil

1 1/2 c water

1/4 c + 2 T orange juice

1/2 c rice vinegar

21/2 T soy sauce

1 T orange jest

1 c brown sugar

1/2 t finely minced fresh ginger

1 t minced garlic

2 T green onions

3 T cornstarch

1/4 c water

Directions:

Heat oven to 350. Combine flour, garlic powder, and pepper and coat chicken. Pour oil in shallow baking dish (I used a 9 by 13) and bake uncovered for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, in med sauce pan combine 1 1/2 c water, OJ, vinegar, soy sauce, and orange zest and whisk over med heat for a couple of minutes. Then add brown sugar, ginger, garlic and onion. Combine cornstarch with 1/4 c cold water and add to sauce. Whisk until thickened. After chicken has baked for 30 minutes, flip chicken and pour sauce over top reserving some to serve with dinner ( I just poured it all on!) Bake another 30-40 minutes. (Or less, I'd start checking it after 20)

Eggs Benedict with Hollandaise Sauce

This dish is very easy to make.... and can be made without the Black Forest Ham and be more of a vegetarian dish....

I made this this morning, and here is how:

ingredients:

english muffins

butter

eggs

asparagus

lemons

paprika

ham optional

this recipe is for two people:

in a small sauce pot melt about 4 tablespoons of real butter. when it is melted turn the heat off. separate four eggs from their whites. but sure to get that little white stuff too. you only want the yolk. i do this with my hand like i am rolling a ball in my palm until the whites fall away (i keep the egg whites for an egg white omlette or for baking).

poach four other eggs or two for however many peoople you have.

i have an egg poacher, but you can also poach them over water in a covered sauce pan.

when the eggs are poached, i lift them and steam the asparagus at this time.

toast the split english muffins.

squeeze one lemon and set aside.

if ham is used, do not butter the muffins. if ham is not used, butter the muffins.

now go back to your butter. the butter should be warm. lift the sauce pot away and wisk in the yolks. above the heat, warm the mixture. hold it above the flame by about four inches. when it is warm to the touch, be careful not to cook the egg (if you do you will know it, and you will have to start all over), just get it really warm, wisk in the lemon and it will become creamy with the lemon juice. keep wisking about the heat to get warm again. give this task to someone while you do the following:

on a plate arange the english muffins. by now the asapagus is done. drain and put next to the muffins. lay your ham and then egg on the muffin. or just egg. then pour the hollandaise sauce over the egg and asparagus and sprinkle paprika over the top.

enjoy.

i would be happy to make this for anyone at any time. it is also good with poached salmon instead of ham.