Everybody Needs a Pizza the Action

Pizza is everywhere. It has become a real mainstay in this country's menu. It is a convenient food that is easy to prepare. There is no mystery to its success and no limit to the power of marketing to keep us dialing the phone for more!

There is much more to pizza than the tomato sauce and cheese versions we see in cardboard boxes. Recently, non-red sauces have been slathered on dough, and chicken is a common offering on those laminated menus of the Hut. Clearly, it is vogue to find flavor in the pizza. The great thing is, I can get all that at home!

I ran across a recipe that called for using pita bread as the crust (saves time) and hummus as the sauce (great mixer on the flavor!).

What I did was simple. Laid out the pita, put 2 TBSP of hummus on the pita,spread like peanut butter on toast. I added some artichoke hearts and kalamata olives. On that went some crumbled feta cheese and halved cherry tomatoes and chopped basil.

I baked it at 450 degreed for 8 minutes or so (let the edges of pita get dark).

Fast and flavorful.

MITK

Good and Polenta

The world is funny about showing me things. I am amazed at how I discover new things that were “right there” all along. It happened again this week. I found a very tasty crock-pot recipe for stuffed chicken breasts. The recipe suggested serving the chicken on a bed of polenta.

I had seen instant polenta in the store in its breakfast-sausage-like tube. I never really moved it into my cart. It was always grabbing pasta noodles instead.

I followed the advice in the recipe and brought the Italian corn meal into my home. It was a great texture and flavor change. It was a hit.

A little research has taught me that instant polenta—like instant Grits, instant potatoes and instant coffee—is heretic. Making authentic polenta is an arm numbing exercise. Like stirring risotto, the work is too much for the time-pressed Man in the Kitchen. So, I have decided that I will find a fine restaurant in Denver and, when I am there in February, I will try the real stuff and see what its all about!

Wish me polenta of luck,
MITK

Oh Sole Mio!!!!

The Jan/Feb 2007 Cooking Light has a couple recipes that called out to me. Regular readers of this blog know that CL is, really, my main source for recipes and techniques. It certainly plays a role in MITK’s strategy sessions. If you have not looked over this periodical, stop by your library and give it a look, take out one of those pesky cards and get a subscription!

Now, the faster way to the data is cookinglight.com(see the link to the right.). The website is not where I get my info. The old-fashioned-guy in me likes to read a magazine while lounging on the couch. Plus, I still get a twinge of excitement when the new issue arrives.

One recipe that I did last night is a great version of a classic. Sole with Tarragon-Butter Sauce (page 148) is really easy and so delicious, you have to try it.

Since I am a tinker, I upped the shallots a little (about ½ cup—maybe more) and I used Orange Roughy. As is often the case, any white fish will work well in this dish.

Sole with Tarragon-Butter Sauce (Cooking Light, Jan-Feb 2007, Page 148)

4 – 6 ounce, Sole fillets
½ tsp salt, divided
¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
Cooking Spray
¾ cp dry white wine
¾ cp low-sodium, fat-free chicken broth
1/3 cp finely chopped shallots
1 Tbsp minced, fresh garlic
5 tsp butter, cut into small pieces
1 Tbsp chopped, fresh chives
1-½ tsp chopped, frech tarragon.

Sprinkle fish with ¼ tsp salt and pepper. Heat a large skillet over med-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add 2 fillets and cook about 2 minutes per side until fish flakes easily. Remove, cover to keep warm, and cook the two remaining fillets.

Add wine, broth, garlic and shallots to pan; bring to a boil. Simmer until reduced to about a ½ cup (about 10 minutes). Remove from heat, stir in butter, remaining salt, chives, and tarragon. Spoon sauce over fish and serve immediately. (1 fillet and 3 Tbsp sauce per serving)

Cal 197, fat 6.6g, Pro 29.4g.

Hey Hey Paula!

I was never a fan of Paula Deen. I saw her bubbly, Southern-belle, face on the Food network and did not have much cause to watch her program. Often the foods did not really appeal to me or they seemed a bit too indulgent.

For Christmas, a relative gave me one of her cookbooks. After paging through the collection, I realize that there is much to offer in Paula’s arsenal of foods. Also, her story is a fine testament of one person doing what is needed and thriving by keeping focus. I'll try some of Paula's recipes! It seems reasonable to say that I am not going to make hush-puppies and collard greens, but other offerings are delightful.

Here is one, ultra-simple recipe from her collection. This crab bisque is fast and superb. It is almost embarrassing that it is so simple. You can thank the Lady for this one!

Crab Bisque (Paula H. Deen's, The Lady and Sons, too! Page 27)

1 – 10 3/4 ounce can of cream of asparagus soup
1- 10 ¾ ounce can of cream of mushroom soup
¼ cup milk
¼ cup half and half
½ pound crab meat
¼ cp. Dry sherry

Combine all the ingredients in a heavy sauce pan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
This soup can be frozen for up to a month.

I used Fat Free half and half (though I still don’t know what that means!!) and it worked well.

Cook, smile and laugh!
Happy and tasty New year!!
MITK

Live and Learn (Doh!)

Before today, I never tried a pomegranate. I had seen them, but never had a cause to try one. Recent promotions by producers and some neat looking recipes hooked me. It appears to be a healthy adder to the diet and its visual appeal gives it a neat role in presentation too.

But, I am way ahead of my self. I bought one fruit from a bin of many. The store had the coolest plastic bags to hold the fruit, on the bag were instructions on how to break into the fruit.

The rules are simple. Cut the end off, score the body, submerge and remove the seeds. “Kindergarten stuff”, I thought!

So, I cut it, scored it and went about eviscerating it. My errata: not keeping the thing submerged while removing seeds. Not knowing, I had a small bowl that was not large enough for my fruit and my,large, banana-hands. To remove the seeds, I had to raise the fruit above the water level. This gave me enough room to get the seeds out. The removed seeds fell, with just a little coaxing, into the water. I poured off the water and was soon munching on the seeds. Good stuff.

After tasting the seeds, I returned to the scene of the crime to clean up the rinds and such. That is when I discovered my mistake. You see, pomegranate juice has a color like red wine. As I was working the seeds off the rind, over the water, the juice from ruptured seeds was sprayed (quite artistically) on the wall of my kitchen. What a mess!!

Here is the lesson—Use a huge bowl of water and keep that fruit under water as you work. The bowl of water is not there to catch the seeds, it catches the spray. Experience is the best teacher; but her tuition is high!

Now, I have found the pomegranate pleasing and I will use it. I’ll keep you posted on what I find!

Thanks for listening, now I must get a rag and wash down the backsplash.

Keep cooking,
MITK