Smoked Salmon Pizza

Anything you can do, I can do better (or at least similar). I often think this when I find myself repeatedly ordering a favorite item from a restaurant.

In this case, it was a smoked salmon and crème fraiche flatbread we'd discovered on a local happy hour menu. At the restaurant, the flatbread topped with dill and tarragon. I created my own version, adding fresh chives and lemon zest.

First the ingredients: pizza dough (I used homemade with some whole wheat and a tablespoon of ground flaxseed, which provided a nutty, crunchy flavor), smoked salmon, crème fraiche, lemon, dill, chives, arugula, extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper.

 

Before baking or grilling the dough, drizzle the top with a liberal amount of extra virgin olive oil to ensure the crust won't burn.

I also like to sprinkle a little cornmeal on the pizza pan to add a crunchy texture to the bottom.

The baking time will vary depending on whether you are using an oven or grill.

While the pizza is baking, toss the arugula with lemon juice, lemon zest, minced dill and chives, and a little extra virgin olive oil.

Once the dough is baked, the rest is simple. Drizzle some crème fraiche onto the warm dough then arrange the salmon slices in a single layer. Top the salmon with lemon zest, minced dill and chives, and another drizzle of crème fraiche then pile the arugula on top.

Fiesta Salad

If you know anything about me and my food preferences, you know that two of my favorite things to eat are salad and anything Mexican. I am actually somewhat obsessive about both. I eat salad for lunch just about every day, and we have been known to have Mexican-themed dinners several times a week.

Although we have several Mexican cookbooks in our collection, I often prefer creating my own recipes. I threw together this salad in a matter of minutes using farm-fresh lettuces (choose something hardy and crunchy, like Romaine) and grilled chicken.

I tossed frozen organic corn kernels in a cast iron pan to warm them and seasoned them with a few grinds of Trader Joe's South African Smoke seasoning, which contains smoked paprika, sea salt, garlic and basil. The warm corn added a nice texture to the salad.

Before assembling the salad, I chopped and seasoned a handful of organic cherry tomatoes and added a splash of extra virgin olive oil to make them extra juicy.

I topped the salad with sliced avocado, chopped scallions and a creamy cilantro-lime garlic dressing. For one serving, mince and then lightly sauté a small clove of garlic. Place it in a small bowl with 1 tablespoon of Greek yogurt, 1 tablespoon of lime juice, a handful of finely minced cilantro and salt and pepper to taste.

 

This salad would also be delicious with a drizzle of homemade salsa.

 

Vegetarian spring rolls

homemade spicy peanut sauce

When it's too hot to cook, we love making Thai-style spring rolls.

The basic ingredients are rice paper and rice noodles, which can be found in the Asian section of many food markets.

You can get creative with fillings, using anything from thinly-sliced pork to shrimp to roast beef—I've even seen recipes where bacon is used as a filling.

Toss in any veggies you desire—carrots, cucumbers, radishes, Boston lettuce, cilantro, sprouts. We recently filled ours with tofu, shredded carrots, basil, scallions.



grilled tofu

The rice noodles are easy to prepare. You simply soak them in hot water until they pull apart.



draining the rice noodles

I make my spicy peanut sauce by mixing natural peanut butter, soy sauce, garlic, rice vinegar, cilantro and sriracha.

close-up spicy peanut sauce

To assemble, dip the rice paper in cold water, fill and gently roll—the delicate paper rips easily.

hand rolling

We topped our spring rolls with a little extra sriracha and completed the meal with a tossed salad simply dressed with carrot-ginger dressing.

dinner!

The Enchanting Chanterelle

I have always been fond of mushrooms, but it wasn't until our last trip to Germany—which was in the midst of chanterlle (or Pfifferling) season—that I fell in love with chanterelles.

These delicate, trumpet-looking mushrooms are commonly cooked in butter or cream. The most unexpceted way we enjoyed them in Germany was sauteed in a cream sauce with prunes. It wasn't something we would typically order, but the suggestion came under good advisement (from our dear friend and owner of the brewery in which we were staying), and, admittedly we were glad we took her advice. The flavor combination was heavenly.

In our home, we prefer our chanterelles in a light cream sauce with homemade schnitzel and a side of roasted brussel sprouts.

Mexican Night Forever!

We take Mexican Night very seriously in our house. It's a weekly occurance (at least).

We use the term "Mexican Night" loosely to mean any meal containing cumin, cilantro, chipotle and/or chili; meals that are accompanied with homemade salsa and guacamole; and, of course, those that are complimented with my husband's amazing sangria or margaritas—preferably frozen if it's a hot summer day.

Of all of the things I enjoy cooking (and eating!) Mexican food and pizza are among my favorite. I sometimes love combining the two:


This Tex-Mex pizza is topped with Mexican-spiced chicken, bell peppers, a combination of mozzarella and monterary jack cheeses, scallions, fresh cilantro and sliced avocado. 



Here, a pizza is topped with spicy chorizo, garden peppers, tomato sauce, a combination of mozzarella and monterary jack cheeses and fresh cilantro.


I also adore making salsa—from traditional to corn, mango, and pineapple. And I love making (and eating) and guacamole. One of my happiest moments is when avocados are on sale.



Sometimes dinner is simple veggie quesadillas & salad with cilantro-lime dressing.



I love that Mexican food doesn't have to be slathered in cheese or accompanied by a giant pile of refried beans. We also love incorporating Mexican flavors into soups and salads.

Chicken-tortilla with veggies and a dollop of "sour cream" (Greek yogurt mixed with lime juice and a dash of cumin and sea salt)

Mixed greens with grilled chipotle sausage and creamy cilantro dressing.

Of course, when you're going all out, our latest creation: Mexican fondue!



Caramelized onions, serrano and red peppers, melted Mexican cheeses, topped with scallions and cilantro - served with tortilla chips, of course.



Homemade ricotta — easier than you think

One of my 2012 goals is to have every ingredient in Nan's Homemade Pizza made in my kitchen.

Since I already make my own sauce and dough, it was time to focus on the cheese.

I decided to start simple with ricotta, and, after the trial version yesterday, I will never purchase store-made ricotta again.
Not only was it delicious and fresh-tasting, it was incredibly easy.

Homemade ricotta is basically a mixture of milk and heavy cream that is curdled with the addition of lemon juice and set to drain.

To make the ricotta (technically farmer's cheese) you need whole milk, heavy cream, lemon juice, and salt to taste:

Have your cheesecloth ready—set it over a large pot or bowl to drain:

Put the milk and cream mixture in a sauce pan with a thick bottom....

...and bring to a slow simmer (be patient, as this takes a while):

Slowly add lemon juice—the milk will curdle and look like this:

Gently scoop the mixture from the pot and place it into your cheesecloth-lined strainer:

Let in drain for about a hour:

Then season with salt to taste:

Breakfast Inspiration!

English muffin-French toast-waffles

Leave it to NPR's "The Food Schmooze" to have me smacking my forehead wondering, why didn't I think of that?

Yesterday morning we were inspired by a simple "waffle" recipe.

Start with whole-grain English muffins, dip them in French toast batter — I prepared mine with eggs, cinnamon, vanilla, soy milk, orange juice and orange zest (next time I will add orange marmalade to the mixture) — then pop them into your waffle iron. Ingenious!

We cooked up an entire sleeve of English muffins and enjoyed some for breakfast with English bangers and soy lattes. The rest we cooled, put back into their paper sleeve and bag, and placed in the freezer. They'll be great crisped up in the toaster oven weekday mornings.