Easy Peasy Pita Pizza

Every now and again I like to skip a week of grocery shopping and 'shop' at home. You'll be amazed at the stuff you keep in your pantry. Even more amazed if you don't look often! I had three ingredients on hand (all left over ingredients from previous recipes) and threw together these easy peasy pita pizzas!

Ingredients:

Whole Wheat Pita

Basil Pesto (Store bought or homemade)

Mozzarella Cheese

Top each pita with basil pesto and mozzarella cheese bake in oven at 350 degrees until cheese is melted! It's that easy!

White Loaves

I had a short hiatus from my blog but I'm happy to report, I'm back! The end of 2011 was hectic to say the least. I can't believe this is my first post of 2012. I hope everyone had a great holiday season and your New Year is off to a great start. Even though I've been absent on the blog, I haven't been completely absent in the kitchen. I enjoy blogging but for whatever reason it's always put on the back burner. I decided for 2012 to join an online baking group. This group has been around for a while, I know because I've drooled over the computer every Tuesday for the last couple of years. Tuesday's with Dorie is an online baking group which tackles recipes from one cookbook. The group recently finished From Baking From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan (hence the name of the group). Now they're tackling Baking with Julia and I'm happy to be a member. I'm really excited and think this is going to be a fun journey. I know I'm going to learn a ton along the way.

So let's get this started...we made white loaves for our first week. This was my first time making white loaves (without using a bread maker that is).  This was a pretty simple recipe the hardest part was 1. waiting for the dough to rise & 2. kneading the dough by hand after my KitchenAid mixer got a bit overheated (anyone else have that trouble?). I'm not going to lie...it was a pretty good workout and I'm happy to report my KitchenAid is just fine. Thank goodness! 

The bread was so very tasty! It was good warm with some butter. It was good the next morning as toast. AND it was a great bread to use for grilled cheese. What did everyone else do with their bread? 

The organizers of Tuesday's with Dorie, Jules & Laurie, selected this week's recipe. I think it was a great pick for our first post. I'm excited to continue the journey! 

If you're interested in the recipe, hop on over to Jules blog.

It's that 'Gouda'!

I have finally found the recipe ... the mac n cheese recipe and who knew it would be so simple! In case you didn't know, I've been searching. I've had a lot of mac n cheese failures that I decided not to share with you. I've had some successes that I did share but nothing compares to this recipe! It's creamy, it's cheesy (like most of my jokes), and it's heavenly ... yes, it's that Gouda! 

After having a delicious Gouda at a local restaurant, I decided to look for a Gouda macaroni & cheese recipe. I stumbled across many recipes that called for smoked Gouda ... that's not Goudanough for me! I'm not a fan of smoked flavors. Then I found this recipe from Epicurious and couldn't be happier ... seriously make it and you'll agree! 

Aged Gouda Macaroni & Cheese:

16 oz of aged Gouda, shredded
1 stick of salted butter
1 cup of light cream
1/2 tablespoon of flour
1 16 oz package of dry elbow macaroni
salt and pepper

Prepare macaroni according to package instructions. While pasta is boiling, melt butter in an 8 oz pot over low heat. When butter has turned into liquid, add flour and stir until there are no lumps. Reserve 1/2 cup of grated cheese for topping and add remaining cheese to the butter/flour mixture. Turn up heat to medium low. Stir until the cheese is fully integrated into the mixture, then stir in cream in 3 intervals, making sure that the cream is fully integrated into the cheese before adding more. Continue to stir for 1 1/2 minutes, and then add drained pasta. Mix everything together over low heat for 2 minutes, constantly stirring. Add salt and pepper to taste. Remove pot from heat and turn on broiler. Equally divide macaroni and cheese into 8-12 oz or 16 oz ramekins. Sprinkle remaining cheese onto each portion and place in broiler for 60 seconds or until cheese is melted and golden brown. Serve immediately.

Crustless Broccoli-Cheddar Quiches

I'm sure I've mentioned this before but breakfast for dinner is one of my favorites! I actually prefer it rather than having breakfast at breakfast...silly me! When this picture popped up on my Martha iPhone app, I knew I wanted to make it!  Then after reading the ingredients, I knew I had to make it! Eggs, cheese, broccoli...yes, please! And let's be honest, I really love using my ramekins any chance I get! There's something about individualize portions that really tickles me.

This meal was really simple and really tasty. Perfect for breakfast, brunch, or dinner. You can mix it up to your liking too; spinach would be tasty! If you don't have ramekins,  you can bake it in a larger dish. It just might need a little extra time.

Ingredients

• Butter, for ramekins
• Coarse salt
• 1 package (10 ounces) frozen broccoli florets
• 6 large eggs
• 1/2 cup half-and-half
• Ground pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese (3 ounces)
• Crusty bread and mixed salad (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter four 8-ounce ramekins (or a 9-inch pie dish); set aside. Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil. Add broccoli; cook 1 minute. Drain well; transfer to a cutting board, and blot dry with paper towels. Chop coarsely. 

In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, half-and-half, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and nutmeg. Stir in broccoli and cheese.

Place ramekins on a rimmed baking sheet. Ladle broccoli mixture into ramekins, dividing evenly. Bake until golden brown, 35 to 40 minutes. Serve with crusty bread and a mixed-green salad, if desired.

Baked Brie with Pecans

What's wine without cheese? I mentioned in my previous post that February club was all about wine!!! I'm a huge fan of brie...basically all cheeses! Brie is a great cheese to put out when you're having company. The presentation alone makes it look like you spent all day working on this simple dish. Brie is a soft cheese that comes in a shape of a wheel and can be cut into smaller triangle pieces.

I found this recipe and though it would be perfect for club. The roasted pecans and maple syrup really bring out the sweet taste of brie. This recipe comes from the one and only, Martha. Enjoy!

Ingredients

• 1 small wheel of Brie or Camembert (about 9 ounces)
• 1/2 cup pecan pieces
• 3 tablespoons light-brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
• crackers or sliced baguette, for serving

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place cheese on a rimmed baking sheet; bake until softened, 15 to 20 minutes. Transfer to a serving plate; cool about 20 minutes.
2. While cheese cools, place nuts on a clean baking sheet; bake until toasted and fragrant, 7 to 10 minutes. Sprinkle nuts over cheese.
3. In a small saucepan, combine sugar and maple syrup. Bring to a boil over medium heat; simmer until foamy, 1 to 2 minutes. Drizzle warm sauce over slightly cooled cheese and nuts; serve with crackers or baguette.