Homemade Pizza Pies

We bought a bread machine on Craigslist for $10. Seriously, if you don't have one, get one! We make a loaf of bread about weekly and this basic pizza dough recipe is great. When you start making homemade pizza pies take it easy; less is more. My first mistakes were too much sauce and way too much cheese. I did not know too much cheese was possible, but it certainly is! You want just enough sauce to coat the crust. Same with the cheese, use just enough to cover the toppings, but not completely bury them. As for toppings it's fun to experiment with the classics as well as new creations. What are your favorite combinations?

1 cup water
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons Red Star active dry yeast

Place all ingredients in bread pan in order. Select dough setting and press start.

When the dough has risen the bread machine will beep (and my dog Copper will whine because he hates the high pitch). Wrap dough in plastic wrap that has been lightly coasted in olive oil. Set aside for 15 minutes. If you aren't baking your pizza right away you can keep it in an oiled plastic bag for up to 3 days.

After 15 minutes lightly oil a 14-16 inch pizza plan to within 1 inch of the edge.

Using a rolling pin, roll the dough into a circle slightly smaller than the pizza pan. Place the dough on the pizza pan and gently stretch it to fit. Shape dough around the edge to form a small rim.

Cover dough and let rise on the counter top for 20 to 30 minutes. Meanwhile preheat over to 450 degrees.

Spread your toppings of choice on your dough crust and bake on the middle shelf of the oven for 15-20 minutes. Remove from oven and serve warm.

Recipe from "More Bread Machine Magic" by Linda Rehberg and Lois Conway.

Asparagus: Grilled, Saute'ed, Steamed, or Wrapped in Bacon

For a long time I thought the you should only buy pencil-thin asparagus. Somewhere I heard the bigger the asparagus the woodier they became. This is not true! It's all about the freshness and the snap test. It's Farmer's Market season and our local asparagus guy is really passionate about these squashing rumors!

My favorite way to cook asparagus is on the grill. Here's my recipe and instructions for the snap test.

1 bunch of asparagus stalks
1 gallon size zip lock bag
1/2 olive oil
Salt
Black pepper

Wash asparagus and lay on paper towel. Take the stalk and bend towards the end. Wherever the stalk starts to get tough it will break. Do that with each piece. If you're running short on time you can cut all the pieces to the same length as the one you snapped. Next pat dry the asparagus and place into the gallon size zip lock bag. Pour enough olive oil into the bag to coat each asparagus. For one bunch this is approximately 1/2 cup. Season with salt and black pepper to your liking. Marinade the asparagus for at least 30 minutes or up to a few hours. When ready, BBQ and grill over direct heat. Turnover asparagus after about 5 minutes per side (time varies depending on size). Serve immediately.

My Mom's twist (literally, haha) is to wrap a couple stalks of asparagus in bacon. Place the asparagus pairs wrapped in bacon on the grill over direct heat. As the bacon crisps it will hold the asparagus together. No need for a toothpick or anything!

There are fantastic recipes out there for saute'ed and steamed asparagus as well. No matter the method asparagus is awesome!

Best Popcorn Ever

In honor of Mother's Day I am writing about a snack my Mom and I love. This is a recipe I learned by watching my Mom make it growing up. I'm not talking about microwave popcorn. I'm talking about good old fashion stove top popcorn!

Saucepan with lid
Big bowl
Vegetable oil
Popcorn kernels
Butter
Salt

Place saucepan over medium-high heat. Pour enough vegetable oil in the pot to cover the bottom. Scoop one to two handfuls of popcorn kernels into pot and cover (approximately one handful of kernels per person). Shake the pan to make sure each kernel is coated in oil. Once you hear the first pop shake pan over burner continuously until popping slows or stops. Immediately remove from heat and pour into the big bowl. Butter and salt to your preference.

Don't forget to share a few pieces of popcorn with the dogs. They love playing catch! 

200-Year-Old Cookie Recipe with a Spin

My husband collects old cookbooks from family, flea markets, and rummage sales. These treasures often contain recipes you will not find on foodnetwork.com. One of our favorite cookie recipes is Apees from the American Heritage Cookbook.

My spin on this recipe is to spoon cookie dough into a mini muffin pan. They come out in a cute little shape similar to a cupcake. You could apply this trick to snicker doodles or sugar cookies as well.

1 cup (2 sticks) butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/3 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 1/3 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/4 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup commercial sour cream

Work butter and vanilla until soft, then work in sugar a little at a time, and continue mixing until very smooth. Add eggs, one at a time, beating hard after each addition. Sift together flour, cream of tartar, and salt. Stir into mixture, alternating with sour cream. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto a greased cookie sheet and bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for 10 minutes. Cookies should be pale. Makes about 5-6 dozen.

I've found these cookies do better if cooled on a rack.

Enjoy!

Sunshine and Turkey Burgers

Tonight was the first warm evening of spring and our first opportunity to dine on the patio!

This recipe is nice and basic so you can easily swap out the ingredients for what's in your fridge or to satisfy your craving. 

1 lb ground turkey

1 tablespoon lemon tamari soy sauce

1 tablespoon ketchup

1 teaspoon garlic

1/2 teaspoon ground pepper

1/3 cup shredded goat cheddar cheese

4 slices of swiss cheese

1 cup spinach

4 onion hamburger buns

In large bowl, combine the turkey, soy sauce, ketchup, garlic, and pepper. Blend in cheese, then form into four burgers. We cooked the burgers over our gas BBQ and they took about 7 minutes per side. After the first flip top each burger with a slice of swiss cheese. If you like toasted buns throw them on the grill rack or indirect heat for the last couple minutes.

I topped my burger with spinach instead of lettuce and was pleasantly surprised! It was a little dry so I added a dallop of ranch. As a side I baked sweet potato fries (sprinkled with seasoning salt) and enjoyed a cold Deschutes Brewery Mirror Pond pale ale.