Taco Pizza

Last week I was home by myself again but for the last time of the summer. I decided on Friday to make tacos, nothing else really appealed. I had plenty of taco meat leftover but no one was interested in tacos earlier this week. After some thinking I remembered that long ago I made taco pizza and that sounded good for tonight. I paired it with black bean and corn salad and it worked out very well. Best thing was that Bob said I should make the pizza again.

Taco Pizza
makes 2

cornmeal pizza dough
2-2 1/2 c flour
1 package of yeast
1/4 tsp salt
1 c warm water
2 Tbsp cooking oil
3/4 c yellow cornmeal

pizza
3/4 c ground beef
1 c chopped onion
1 8-oz can tomato sauce
1 package taco seasoning mix or equivalent of your own mix
2 c shredded cheddar cheese
2 c shredded lettuce
2 c chopped tomatoes
2 medium avocados, chopped
1 8-oz container sour cream

For the dough: combine 2 cups of the flour, the yeast, and salt in a mixing bowl. Add the warm water and oil. Mix with a dough hook until well combined, then add the cornmeal. Mix and add more flour if needed to make a moderately stiff dough that is smooth and elastic (6-8 minutes total). Divide dough in half, cover and let rest for 10 minutes.

Grease two 11 to 13 inch pizza pans or use a pizza stone. Roll/shape each half of the dough into a circle. Build up edges slightly and prick generously with a fork. Do not let rise. Bake in a 425* oven for 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet cook ground beef and onion until meat is brown and onion is tender. Drain. Stir in tomato sauce and taco seasoning; heat through. Spread the ground beef mixture over the hot crusts. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake about 12 minutes or until the cheese melts. Top with lettuce, tomatoes, and avocados. Cut into slices and spoon sour cream onto each slice.

from Better Homes & Gardens Pizzas cookbook

Lasagna Soup

I found this recipe somewhere on the web and it is so, so good. It tastes just like lasagna in a bowl. It's the perfect soup for a night like tonight. We got 2+ feet of snow on Friday/Saturday and it's not going anywhere fast, especially the huge piles that have been plowed. A nice warm bowl of soup will be perfect. {I'm way late posting this since it's now July but this soup is delicious and you'll want the recipe come November.}

Lasagna Soup
serves 8


for the soup:
2 tsp olive oil
1 1/2 lbs. Italian sausage
3 c chopped onions
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
2 Tbsp tomato paste
1 28-oz can fire roasted diced tomatoes
2 bay leaves
6 c chicken stock
8 oz mafalda or fusilli pasta
salt and freshly ground black pepper

for the cheesy yum:
8 oz ricotta
1/2 c grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 tsp salt
pinch of freshly ground pepper

additional cheesy yum:
2 c shredded mozzarella cheese

Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add sausage, breaking up into bite sized pieces, and brown for about 5 minutes. Add onions and cook until softened, about 6 minutes. Add garlic, oregano, and red pepper flakes. Cook for 1 minute. Add tomato paste and stir well to incorporate. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the tomato paste turns a rusty brown color.

Add diced tomatoes, bay leaves, and chicken stock. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Add uncooked pasta and cook until al dente. Do not over cook or let soup simmer for a long period of time at this point, as the pasta will get mushy and absorb all the soup broth. You may even want to consider cooking the noodles separately, and then adding some to individual bowls before ladling the soup over them. This would be an especially smart move if you are anticipating any leftovers. Right before serving, stir in the basil and season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

While the pasta is cooking, prepare the cheesy yum. In a small bowl, combine the ricotta, Parmesan, salt, and pepper.

To serve, place a dollop of the cheesy yum in each soup bowl, ladle the hot soup over the cheese, and sprinkle some of the mozzarella on top.

from a farmgirl's dabbles

Mongolian Beef

We're at the beginning of a long heat wave and needing to fix dinner on a Friday night I wanted something that was easy and didn't require the oven or grill. I've seen mention several times recently about using the crockpot in the summer and thought I'd peruse my crockpot pinterest board to see if there was something that struck my fancy and seemed summer like. This was quick, easy, and really good.

Mongolian Beef
serves 4-6

1 1/2 lbs flank steak
1/4 c cornstarch
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 minced garlic clove
3/4 c soy sauce
3/4 c water
3/4 c brown sugar
several squirts of sriracha hot sauce (more or less, depending on how much heat you want to add)
1 c grated carrots
1 medium onion, sliced
1 medium green pepper, sliced
green onions, sliced for garnish
rice, for serving

Cut flank steak into thin strips. This is easiest if you freeze it for 10-15 minutes before slicing. Toss flank steak with the cornstarch in either a bowl or ziplock bag.

Add olive oil, garlic, soy sauce, water, brown sugar, and sriracha to the crockpot and stir. Add the carrots, then the steak, stirring to mix.

Cook for 3-4 hours on high/4-5 hours on low, adding the onion and green pepper about 45 minutes before it's finished. Serve over rice, garnish with the green onions.

slightly modified from The Recipe Critic

Asparagus Love

Summer is here, the living is easy, and the asparagus is good! I know it's usually a late spring vegetable but they still have good looking asparagus in the store so I've been buying it. Recently we've had bacon wrapped asparagus on the grill, pasta with asparagus and bacon, shrimp and asparagus stir-fry, and for lunch today I'm having asparagus, egg, and bacon salad. I do have to say that bacon and asparagus go really well together. Looking forward to more asparagus adventures!

Shrimp and Asparagus Stir-fry

This recipe comes courtesy of Tasty. I saw it on my facebook page the other day and knew it was one I had to try. Last night I was the only one home for dinner so on the menu it went. I love both shrimp and asparagus and this had the flavors of the Orient as well, making it super easy and delicious.

Shrimp and Asparagus Stir-fry
serves 4

4 Tbsp olive oil
1 lb raw shrimp, peeled
1 lb asparagus, trimmed and cut into thirds
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
1 tsp garlic, minced
1 tsp ginger, minced
1 Tbsp low sodium soy sauce
2 Tbsp lemon juice

In a large frying pan heat 2 tablespoons of the oil over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp to the pan, then season with ½ teaspoon of salt and the crushed red pepper. Cook until the shrimp is pink. Remove the shrimp from the pan and set aside.

In the same pan, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil and add the asparagus. Add ginger and garlic, then season with ½ teaspoon of salt. Stir frequently and cook until the asparagus is tender-crisp. Return the shrimp to the pan, then add the soy sauce. Stir until the ingredients are well combined. Just before the dish is ready, add lemon juice, stir once more, then serve while hot.

Sweet and Sour Pork

A while back I bought a pork loin and cut it into smaller roasts. I pulled one out of the freezer on Saturday, cut off three chops to grill, then put the rest back in the fridge. When I was thinking through the menu plan for the week I knew I needed to use up that piece of pork, briefly contemplated cutting it into chops but decided I wanted something different. I was thinking some sort of stir fry would be good. I pulled out my A Wok for All Seasons cookbook by Martin Yan to flip through and found the sweet and sour pork recipe. I knew it would be a hit with the family.

One tip on this one - the meat is cut small enough that it cooks really fast. You really need to have it all prepared before you start cooking.

Sweet and Sour Pork
serves 4

Marinade
1 Tbsp dry sherry
1 tsp minced fresh ginger
1/2 tsp salt

3/4 lb boneless lean pork, cut into 3/4-inch cubes

Sweet and Sour Sauce
1/3 c distilled white vinegar
1/3 c packed brown sugar
1/4 c ketchup
1/4 c water
1 Tbsp cornstarch
2 tsp soy sauce

1 egg lightly beaten
cornstarch for coating meat
vegetable oil for cooking
1 green pepper, cut into 1-inch squares
1 small onion, cut into 1-inch squares
3/4 c pineapple chunks
cooked white rice for serving


Preparation
Combine marinade ingredients in a medium bowl. Add pork and stir to coat. Set aside for 30 minutes.
Combine sauce ingredients in a small saucepan and set aside.
Place egg and cornstarch in separate bowls. Dip pork in egg, then roll in cornstarch, shaking off excess.

Cooking
In a wok add oil, 1-2" deep and heat over high heat. Add pork, a few pieces at a time, and cook, turning occasionally, for about 3 minutes or until golden brown. Lift out and drain on paper towels.

Meanwhile, cook sauce over medium-high heat, stirring, until sauce boils and thickens. When the pork is done, dump out the oil and clean the wok. Add a couple of tablespoons of oil, heat the oil, then add the green pepper and onion. Stir fry these for a few minutes then add the pineapple; stir-fry until the peppers and onions are crisp-tender and the pineapple is warmed. Add the thickened sauce, stir to coat, then add the pork and cook until it's heated through. Serve over rice.

modified from Martin Yan's recipe in "A Wok for All Seasons"

Fresh Strawberry Muffins

This is the strawberry muffin recipe that was trending around Facebook last spring. I made it once, we loved it, then lost the recipe. Thankfully I found it again this spring and have already made it twice. This is a quick and easy muffin recipe; what takes the most time is chopping the strawberries.

Fresh Strawberry Muffins
makes 12 muffins

1/2 c butter, softened
3/4 c sugar
1 egg
2 c flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 c milk
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 c chopped strawberries
3 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 400*. Cream the butter and sugar together. Add the egg and mix well.

Mix the flour, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl. Add flour mixture and milk alternately to the butter mixture. Add vanilla. Gently stir in strawberries.

Spoon the batter into greased muffin pans. Combine sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle over muffins.

Bake muffins for 20-25 minutes. Enjoy!