Homemade Pizza

One of our favorite meals around here is homemade pizza. I got home from work a little early last night so I had plenty of time to make the dough & let it rise. Simple to make, try it!

Ingredients, Crust:

(recipe from Cooking Light)

1 pkg. dry yeast (about 2 1/4 tsp.)

1/4 tsp. sugar

1 1/2 c. warm water (100*-110*)

Combine above ingredients and let sit for 5 minutes. Then add:

1 Tb. olive oil

1 1/2 tsp. salt

2 1/4 c. all-purpose flour

1 c. whole wheat flour

Stir until it comes together, then turn out onto floured surface & knead 5-10 minutes, adding flour as necessary so that it doesn't stick to surface or hands. Drizzle some olive oil in a large bowl. Place dough in & turn to coat with the oil. Cover with a light kitchen towel & let rise in a warm place (85*) for 45 min or until doubled in size. Dough is ready when you gently press 2 fingers into dough & indentation remains. Punch down dough & let rest another 5 minutes.

This can make 2 large pizzas or many small ones. Cut off desired amount & roll on a floured surface. Sprinkle a cookie sheet with corn meal. Place dough on sheet. Poke several holes in dough, the more holes, the thinner the crust will be.

While dough is rising, prepare the sauce:

2 Tb olive oil

1/2 medium onion, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, crushed

3 Tb. tomato paste

1 can crushed tomatoes (28oz)

1 tsp. basil

2 tsp. parsley

1 tsp. oregano

1/2 tsp. black pepper

salt to taste

In medium saucepan over medium heat, add oil. Once hot, add onion & cook 3 minutes. Add garlic & cook 2 more minutes. Add tomato paste and combine with onion & garlic. Add crushed tomatoes & spices. Once hot, turn heat to simmer & cover. Stir occasionally.

Top rolled out dough with sauce & desired toppings.

Bake @375* for 12-15 minutes. Top will brown slightly when done.

Chocolate Cream Pie

Here is my first ever Chocolate Cream Pie!

Ingredients:

1 (pre-baked) pie crust:

1/4 c. canola oil

2 1/2 Tb. milk

whisk oil and milk together. Then add:

3/4 c. all-purpose flour

dash of salt

Stir with fork until it starts to clump together. You may have to add a bit more flour. Turn onto floured surface or wax paper and knead a few times to form ball. In between 2 sheets of wax paper, roll out the crust. Uncover and flip the crust onto a pie pan. Place a piece of sprayed aluminum foil over pie crust,

fit to shape and fill with dry beans.

Bake @ 350* for 15 min. then remove foil and beans and bake another 10 min. Set aside to cool.

**Time saving tip, you could buy a pre-baked pie shell @ the store.

pie filling:

1 1/2 c. sugar

3 c. milk (I used 2%)

4 Tb. cornstarch

2 Tb. all-purpose flour

1/2 c. cocoa powder

1/2 tsp. salt

4 egg yolks

1 Tb. butter

1 tsp. vanilla

In a medium saucepan, combine sugar & milk. Turn on stovetop to medium heat. Once sugar & milk are warm, add cornstarch, flour, cocoa & salt. Whisk after each addition. Add egg yolks, one at a time & whisk after each addition. Stir constantly with spatula until mixture comes to barely a boil. If there are any clumps in mixture, take off heat & use whisk to smooth. Once boiling, turn down heat to low & continue stirring constantly until very thick. Remove from heat & stir in butter & vanilla.

Continue stirring until mixture has cooled a bit.

Pour filling into cooled pre-baked pie shell. Cover pie with plastic wrap. The plastic wrap will cling to top and prevent pie from forming a top crust on filling.

Place in refrigerator for at least 3 hours to cool.

whipped cream:

1 c. whipping cream

2 Tb. sugar

With a mixer, whip the whipping cream.

Slowly add sugar and whip until stiff peaks form.

It will take about 10-12 minutes.

Refrigerate whipped cream until pie is cooled, set & ready to serve.

**Time saving tip, you could use store-bought whipped cream.

Cover pie with whipped cream. I used a decorator's bag to pipe stars to cover. You could just spread whipped cream on with spatula. Store refrigerated. *another option...This pie would be a great summer frozen dessert. Once pie is prepared with filling and whipped cream, just pop in the freezer until you are ready to serve.

Warm a knife with hot water to cut.

Enjoy!

Cinnamon Rolls

Good Morning!

It is a cold & snowy spring day here in the Hoback Nation

and hubby requested cinnamon rolls for breakfast.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour

1/2 c. whole wheat flour

4 tsp. baking powder (I used 3 1/2 tsp. - high altitude adjustment)

1/2 tsp. salt

In medium bowl, whisk above ingredients together.

1/2 c. butter

3/4 c. milk

Cut butter into flour mixture until it looks like crumbs. Add milk and fold until it comes together. Turn out onto floured surface and knead a few times with floured hands to keep from sticking. Flour surface again and roll out into rectangle 1/2 inch thick.

filling:

2 Tb. butter, melted

1/2 c. sugar

2 Tb. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

Mix above filling ingredients together

and spread over rolled out dough.

Roll the dough up starting from long edge.

Cut rolled dough into sections 1 inch thick each.

Place 1/2 inch apart in a sprayed baking dish or pan.

Will make 12-16 rolls.

Bake at 400* for 15-20 minutes. Turn halfway through baking.

Top will brown slightly when done.

Frosting:

2 c. powdered sugar

1 or 2 Tb milk or half & half

1/4 tsp. vanilla

dash of salt.

Mix together until smooth. if it's too runny,

add more powdered sugar,

if it's too thick, add a dash of milk.

Drizzle frosting over cinnamon rolls and serve.

Cowboy Cookies

Tomorrow we are hosting a "Bring in Spring" 5 mile run

with our running club,

Teton Trail Runners in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.

I made some "cowboy cookies" for the group.

Ingredients:

2 c. all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. salt

Whisk above ingredients in a medium bowl, set aside.

1/2 c. canola oil

1/2 c. butter, softened

1 c. brown sugar

1 c. sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

3 c. oats (quick or old-fashioned)

1 c. chocolate chips

In a large bowl combine oil, butter & sugars with mixer, until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time and mix. Add vanilla, mix. Slowly add flour mixture and stir in. Add oats and chocolate chips and fold in with spatula. Make into rounded cookies and drop onto cookie sheet.

Bake @ 325 for 10 minutes (or until golden and set),

rotating cookie sheet halfway through baking time.

Avocado Oatmeal Cookies

Happy St. Patrick's Day! I thought I would bake something with my favorite green food, avocado! You've heard the saying before that avocado is "nature's butter" but did you know you can really substitute avocado for butter!? In this cookie recipe, you sure can!

This recipe follows the "Quaker Oats - Vanishing Oatmeal Raisin Cookie" Recipe...but instead of butter...avocado! and of course, i had to add a little chocolate!

1 c. mashed ripe avocado

1 c. firmly packed brown sugar

1/2 c. sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. salt

3 c. Quaker Oats (quick or old-fashioned)

1 c. raisins

1/2 c. mini chocolate chips

Heat oven to 350* Beat together avocado and sugars until well combined. Add eggs and vanilla, beat well. In a separate bowl whisk together flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Add to avocado/sugar mixture and mix partially. Add oats, raisins and chocolate chips and mix until combined. Spray a cookie sheet. Form dough into shape & size cookie you desire, the cookie will not change much while baking. Wet hands with water to make it easier to work with the dough. Bake 10-12 minutes, turning cookie sheet once during baking. Bake until edges brown slightly. Makes about 4 dozen. They will have a greenish color and let me tell you they are even better the next day.

Store in an airtight container.

Banana Bread

You've gotta love this Banana Bread recipe!

It uses whole wheat flour, it is low in fat,

low in sugar & still tastes great!

Ingredients:

2 eggs

1/3 c. skim milk

2/3 c. applesauce

2 Tb. canola oil

3 medium mashed bananas

1 tsp. vanilla

Mix above together until combined.

In another bowl, combine:

1 c. all-purpose flour

3/4 c. whole wheat flour

1/3 c. sugar

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. cinnamon

Whisk dry ingredients together. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Line with parchment paper & spray 1 large or 2 small loaf pans and pour batter in.

Bake @ 350* for 30-35 minutes (will take longer for large loaf, 40-45 minutes) Bread is done when top bounces back when touched and toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. **It is easiest to take bread out of pans once it is completely cool, although the parchment paper lining makes it easier to take out while still warm. This is a healthy banana bread you can feel great about eating! Enjoy!

Granola

Making your own granola is easy!

Ingredients:

4 c. old-fashioned oats

2/3 c. wheat bran

2/3 c. oat bran

2/3 c. coconut

1 c. sliced almonds

2 tsp. cinnamon

Mix above together in large bowl. Set aside.

In medium bowl, whisk together:

3/4 c. canola oil

1/2 c. maple syrup

1/3 c. honey

1/3 c. peanut butter (optional)

2 tsp. vanilla

Add wet ingredients to dry and mix until completely combined. Spread the granola onto 2 large rimmed cookie sheets. Bake @ 350* for 10 minutes, uncovered, then turn with a spatula and bake for another 10 minutes, repeat. Total baking time will be 25-30 minutes, edges will brown slightly when done.

Let cool completely, uncovered,

then transfer to bowl and add dried fruit:

1/2 c. dried cranberries

1/2 c. raisins

1/2 c. diced dried apricots

1/2 c. dried cherries

Store in airtight container.

Spinach Tarts

These spinach quiche tarts are perfect for a weekend brunch.

Although they take some time to prepare, they are

well worth the work.

Ingredients-Crust:

1 1/4 c. all-purpose flour

1 tsp. sugar

1 tsp. salt

whisk together

Then add:

1/2 c. cold salted butter, cubed

cut in until it resembles coarse crumbs

Then add:

7-8 Tb cold water

Mix with fork until it comes together. Turn out onto floured surface and knead a couple times to form ball and then flatten to form a disc. Roll out between two sheets of waxed paper, flouring both sides of the dough disc. Place in tart pans, forming to sides. You may bake in a pie pan or even in a greased muffin tin. Poke dough with fork in several spots and then prebake pie crust @ 350* for 10 minutes. (If baking in a muffin tin, you do not need to prebake the dough. Just lay dough and form it around tin, cutting roughly around top to trim)

**Time saving tip: you could use store bought pie crust!

I made a few in a muffin tin with the leftover dough and

filling from the tarts. I like the rustic look with the rough cut dough.

Ingredients-Filling:

3 c. spinach (fresh, rinsed, patted dry & chopped)

3 eggs

1/3 c. onion

1 clove garlic crushed

2 tsp. sugar

1 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. fresh ground black pepper

1 c. shredded swiss cheese

1 c. scalded milk

(warm the milk on stovetop, stirring often,

until it almost comes to a boil)

Mix all ingredients together in a medium bowl and then scoop into the prebaked pie/tart/muffin crust. Bake @ 350* for 20-25 minutes, until the filling is set

(i.e. doesn't jiggle when moved) and top of quiche is firm.

Serve these with a fresh fruit salad and mimosas, wow!

Jalapeno Cheddar Biscuits

Looking for a great side to go with chili or tomato soup? Here it is! These Jalapeno Cheddar Biscuits are hearty but light & will

spice up any meal.

Preheat oven to 400*

Ingredients:

1 c. all-purpose flour

1 c. whole wheat flour

4 tsp. baking powder

(Although I used 3 1/2 tsp baking powder, high altitude adjustment)

1 tsp. sugar

3/4 tsp. salt

whisk above ingredients together until combined.

In a separate bowl, whisk together:

1 c. milk

(I used 1%, you may use any kind, even buttermilk if you'd like)

1/4 c. canola oil

Add wet ingredients to dry and fold them gently with spatula until almost combined.

Then add:

2 Tb. canned diced jalapenos

(if you like spice, add 3 Tb jalapenos)

3/4 c. cheddar cheese

Gently fold into biscuit mixture until it comes together.

Turn out dough onto lightly floured surface and knead gently 8-10 times. Then press down until dough is 3/4 inch thick. Cut into desired shapes with cookie cutter or the rim of a drinking glass to make 10-12 biscuits. Place biscuits onto lightly sprayed cookie sheet and bake at 400* for 10-12 minutes.

(Turn cookie sheet halfway through baking time.)

Biscuits with a kick! Enjoy!

Wedding Cake & Cupcakes

In July, I will be baking a wedding cake & 150 cupcakes for a friends' wedding! These pics are from their cake tasting at our house. It was so much fun! I had them choose three flavors of cake & three flavors of frosting to sample. Then, I made many combinations of all of their choices with different styles, so they could choose

which ones they liked the most.

Their choices were:

Cakes: Yellow Cake, Carrot Cake & Devil's Food Chocolate Cake

Frostings: Vanilla Buttercream, Raspberry Cream Cheese &

Chocolate Ganache

After the cake tasting, they decided on their favorites for the wedding cake & cupcakes:

Devil's Food Chocolate Cake & Raspberry Cream Cheese Frosting

Watch for those recipes coming in July!

Baked Meatballs with Red Pepper Sauce

Tonight I made a simple Italian dinner with baked meatballs and a red pepper & tomato sauce. I used ground elk burger (from my husband's elk hunt this fall) but you can use any ground meat: beef, turkey, pork or a combination of any.

Meatballs:

1 lb. ground meat

1/4 c. finely diced yellow onion

1 clove crushed garlic

3/4 c. fresh breadcrumbs

(i used fresh french bread, cubed and dried out in the oven by baking for 10 min at 350*

and then pulsing in a food processor to make breadcrumbs.)

2 eggs

2 Tb. fresh flat leaf italian parsley

3/4 tsp. black pepper

3/4 tsp. kosher salt

3 Tb. finely shredded mozzarella cheese

cooking spray

Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl. Mix gently with a fork until incorporated. Form meatballs, 1 inch diameter and place in an

8 * 11 pan (lightly coated with cooking spray).

Bake uncovered at 350* for 25 minutes, rotating pan halfway through baking. Remove from oven and cover pan with foil until you're ready to eat. While meatballs are baking, prepare the sauce below and cook pasta noodles (according to package directions).

Sauce:

1 Tb. olive oil

1/3 c. finely diced yellow onion

2 cloves crushed garlic

1/3 c. finely diced red pepper

2 cans diced tomatoes (14.5 oz)

1 can tomato sauce (8 oz)

3 Tb. tomato paste

1/2 tsp dried basil (or 1 tsp fresh)

1/2 tsp. kosher salt

1/2 tsp. black pepper

In a medium sauce pan over medium heat add the olive oil. When hot, add the onion and saute for 3 minutes. Then add the garlic and red pepper. Saute for 3 more minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir until combined. Reduce heat to med-low and cover. Let simmer for 10 minutes.

**Time saving tip: Use store bought pasta sauce, 28 oz. can or jar

Assemble the dinner plates with pasta, sauce & meatballs....

Voila! Dinner is served!