Caprese Pizza - My way

See the post about pizza crust and then add my favorite ingredients.


1. Slice Tomatoes
2. Fresh basil compliments of Kim
3. Mozzarella (the good kind)
4. Parmigiano (the good kind)
5. Splash of Balsamic Vinaigrette, Salt, & Pepper.

And, voila

Roasted Red Pepper Curry Soup

This was an absolute blast - from roasting my own red peppers, to using my hand held mixer stick thing. The soup reminds me of the Pumpkin Curry Soup but with a bit more substance to it. (Provided by the potatoes)

It was DELICIOUS.

I added cumin, curry powder, and a dash of cayenne pepper (which stings quite a bit when you get it in your eye! We use a paste of milk and baking soda to get the burn out)

Check it out on the food networks website - courtesy of Giada De Laurentils

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/creamy-red-pepper-soup-recipe/index.html

Sanitation & Jazz

I have a 17+ year old calico cat, she has aged well sleeping with me every night since 6th grade.

Recently my little furry friend has taken to drinking from the toilet (gross!) & tub after we shower (double gross!) luckily we don't leave any chemicals in either, so she is still alive.

But, this morning my husband caught her doing something a bit more surprising.

That is my kitchen sink! Those are dishes my husband used to warm up his dinner last night. I'm not sure if she was eating dried bits of steak or a pool of water from the drippy faucet. And, I really don't care. I think it is NASTY. Mostly because I watched her drink from the tub just a few hours earlier.

I don't wash my dishes in toilet water, and I don't like the idea of Ms. Jazz spreading bathroom germs to the kitchen. (Note: I'm not really worried about common cat germs)

So, after class tonight, and after I scoop the KL for trash night. I'm cleaning the kitchen... and maybe installing a door into the hallway to our bedroom so she can't visit the kitchen when I'm not looking.

Oh, and we do provide her fresh water on a daily (mostly twice a day) she apparently likes these "fresher" sources better. Maybe it is time for a kitty fountain.

Vodka, Shrimp & Okrah

Last night I needed to make a quick dinner. We haven't been grocery shopping in over a week so options are limited to begin with, but I hadn't thawed anything. The solution?

Shrimp Tempura, Misc Tempura Veggies & rice (I think we have rice or pasta with every meal)

Cook's Illustrated had an interesting recipe for the coating - it included Vodka. My husband, a former bartender, appreciates anything that includes alcohol. (bread pudding coating in rum sauce, beer bread, tiramisu, me after bottle of wine, etc.) So when I finally returned home from class I/we got started with the quick and easy dinner. Of course I was missing seltzer, so Jordan ran off to the store as I chopped veggies and cooked the rice.

The result (after quite a few minor burns from popping grease) was a delicious plate of fried food. Not our healthiest dinner, but it sure was delicious.

Note: Subscriptions to Cook's Illustrated are 50% off right now. I DO NOT get any kick backs for you signing-up (but if you get the 2011 Buying Guide I'd love to see it)

Naan Bread

This past Sunday I had the pleasure of getting together with some dear friends from grade school. The menu for the night was something unique that could please eveyone's pallet.

Naan Bread
Chicken Tikka Masala
Rice
Bread Pudding (made by Nikki)



For quite a long time Naan bread has interested me. The texture, the taste, and the fact that only fresh naan bread from a semi-authentic Indian restaurant would ever fulfill my craving. After careful research (a quick google search) I found a recipe with over 1000 positive reviews on Allrecipes.com

I tried cooking it two different ways. First, in a skillet on the stove top using olive oil and a nonstick pan. It looked great and tasted delicious (when you add the butter is tastes familiar maybe like a flat bread version of Little Caesars Crazy Bread) Then I thought I'd get creative and cook the rest in the oven on a pizza stone.

Both methods worked well - however the stove top cooking gave me more control (and I was able to keep a MUCH closer better eye on it)

Culinary School...well SafeServ Sanitation & First Aid Class

My first day back to school was quite exciting. The elevators at IVY Tech (I think there are only two or three) had quite a line so I took the stairs.... to the 5th floor. I arrived a bit early to my class and met Chef Angie & Dave (a fellow student)

Chef Angie was engaging and dynamic something I think will come in quite handy.

I was reminded again that I don't have a clearly articulated goal for what I am doing. I know I want to "learn to cook" but I also want to enter the world of nutrition (biology classes her I go ::gag::) I'm not sure if I want to be a private chef (cooking in your home when you don't want to ... the collective yous not just one person) or if I want to run a corporate dinning hall (not the kind run by Armark with fried junk, and stale bread) or maybe I'll do what my mom suggested and run a highend food truck service.

At this point it doesn't matter, I'm going to take some classes and enjoy learning new things. I don't have to have master plan, and I don't have to know where I'm going. I just know that being in that class last night was where I wanted/should be.

It's kind of nice... kind of peaceful.

BJ's Oatmeal Muffins

Just last week my MIL gave me a wonderful recipe for Jordan's favorite muffin. This super easy recipe was the perfect thing to make this morning as Jordan headed to Chicago for a Bachelor party. I was able to use my new food processor to make the Traditional Oats I had on hand "Quick Oats" by pulsing them a few times and re measuring. This saved me a trip to the store, and let me use something I always keep in my pantry (aka one of the various cabinets I stash food and not an actual pantry)

I was a little worried when I checked on the muffins after 10 minutes the outsides look as if they were rising but the middle wasn't peaking. Luckily I didn't ditch the batch and just start over because they turned out wonderfully.

So here is Brenda's recipe.

BJ's Oatmeal Muffins (16 large or 24 regular)
From: Brenda

Cooking time 25 minutes
Preheat oven to 400-425

Ingredients
1 1/2 Cups self-rising flour
1 Cup Brown Sugar (I also now add 1/4 - 1/2 cup White Sugar)
1 1/4 cups Quick Oats
2 tsp Cinnamon
1 Cup Milk
1/4 veg. oil (or 1/2 cup applesauce)
2 eggs

Combine all dry ingredients mixing well, Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients. Pour into prepared (buttered) metal muffin pan.