Pizza Bake-Off!

A few weeks ago, my friend Amy and I planned a pizza bake-off party. Each of us would bake our own pie's at her and Michaels place while the boy's played with the dogs, drank beer and took some shots of us prepping. It was so fun!!

Here's how it went down:

This is Amy. She is sweet, kind and a fantastic cook.

This is me stretching out my dough.

This is amy stretching out her dough. She split hers in two to make two different pizza's: one she was going to grill and the other to bake. Just for kicks!

This is me brushing my dough with garlic infused olive oil. Mmmm.

Oh. I should probably introduce the pooches. This is my dog, Meshy. She is hyper, loves food, and loves to snuzzle.

This is Maddie, Amy and Michael's dog. She is super affectionate has the sweetest smile!

This is Amy's baked pizza with sauteed mushrooms and onions. Delicious!

This is Amy's grilled pizza with homemade tomato sauce basil and mozzarella! The tomato sauce really made it special.

This is my pizza with roasted tomato, basil and goat cheese. I loved the warm golden goat cheese on top. Next time I might add tomato sauce or pesto instead of tomato slices.

Overall it was a great night and so much fun making dinner with friends. What pizza would you make for your own pizza bake-off?

Tomato-Gorgonzola Bruschetta

Me and my friend were talking about bruschetta the other day. We were wondering — is bruschetta referring to the bread? or the topping? Should this post be named bruschetta with tomato & gorgonzola instead of tomato-gorgonzola bruschetta? If one of you knows, do share!

Either way, this is fantastic finger food. I especially love the tomatoes warm and collapsed on the crispy bread. Right before serving, I crumbled gorgonzola on top and lightly tossed so it'll slightly melt the cheese. Amazing!! As for the bread, I used up the ends of a sourdough loaf I use for sandwiches. Any bread will work. I put a pat of butter on each slice and sprinkled it with rosemary (I only had dried) and put it under the broiler for a few minutes. Please try this, its quick, delicious and definitely a crowd-pleaser.

Tomato-Gorgonzola Bruschetta

1 pint grape tomatoes

2 garlic cloves, minced

olive oil

salt 'n' peppa

1 Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Wash tomatoes and drain. Halve each tomato lengthwise and place on an aluminum foil covered baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, minced garlic, salt and pepper. Toss all together.

2 Bake for about 15 minutes until tomatoes have collapsed. Right before serving, crumble gorgonzola on top and lightly toss. Arrange the crispy bread around the tomatoes and serve.

Crispy Rosemary Bread

1 Slice bread and arrange on baking sheet. Put pat of butter on each slice and sprinkle with rosemary.

2 Broil for about 5 minutes until golden brown.

And the winner is...

Congratulations Jessica! Email me your mailing address to claim your prize! ;)

A Refresher

It's scorching outside and I have a feeling you need something refreshing and cool. Just like this carafe! It's a great looking glass bottle for water or wine. That means it can go from a casual patio lunch to a late night cocktail party. I love the elegance and shape of the bottle and it also comes with a handy solid-glass stopper. It's from CSN Stores which has a great selection of home good sections like bathroom vanities, cookware, and modern furniture design.

I can't wait for one of you to have this carafe for 4th of july weekend!

All you have to do is leave a comment and tell me what your favorite 4th of july food is. It can be a snack, dip, drink, whatever you like.

Winner will be chosen using a random integer generator and will be announced Thursday evening.

Open to residents of the U.S. or Canada.

Tale of Two Sandwiches

Adam and I have different views on food. Of course he loves the food I prepare, but if I weren't in the picture, he would be eating easy mac, hot dogs and cheese dip every night. I'm sure some of you understand what I mean;) So, Sunday afternoon Adam and I were making lunch together and he was set on making grilled cheese — buttery bread and all. Here's how it went down:

How about some mustard on the bread, too?

Nope, just cheese.

Tomatoes?

Nope, just cheese.

Pesto?

Nope, just cheese.

Fine!

I ended up making myself toast with pesto, fresh mozzarella and salted tomatoes (all the ingredients Adam declined) and it was delicious! Of course, Adam loved his grilled cheese, too.

Which sandwich would you choose for yourself?

Apple Crisp

I don't normally bake, but today I looked over at my fruit basket and saw a high pile of apples that I left for Adam when I was out of town this week (he did not eat any of them!) So, I instantly thought to make apple crisp because it's gooey and delicious and I love that crunchy topping. Plus, my favorite part — no pie crust to worry about! This is a spectacular dessert and very easy, even for an amateur baker like me.

You start with some cinnamon sugar mixture tossed with about 7 peeled sliced apples.

Then the streusel topping. Flour, brown sugar, butter and oats!

And into the oven it goes at 350 for about an hour. And it comes out like this: Hot and bubbly and crisp on top.

And of course, a la mode is highly recommended.

Yummmmmm.

Note: I did sort of step-by-step photos for this recipe because it was easy to transport the baking dish to my large window in my living room. I usually don't show step-by-step photos when I cook because it is too difficult to take the pan, skillet, saucepan to the living room every step for a photo. I hope I have a window in my next kitchen! Let me know if you like the step-by-step or not. I will try to do more if you do. Enjoy!

Apple crisp

via joy the baker

about 7 apples, any type will do, peeled, cored and sliced

3 tbs sugar plus 1.5 tsp cinnamon mixture

Topping:

1 1/3 cup flour

1 1/3 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup quick cooking oats

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 stick butter, slightly softened

1 Preheat oven to 350. In an 8x8 baking dish, arrange a layer of apples and top with some cinnamon/sugar mixture. Repeat, alternating apples with cinnamon/sugar until all apples and remaining mixture are in the baking dish. Toss all together.

2 In a separate bowl, combine flour, brown sugar, oats, cinnamon and butter. Using your hands, mix well together until butter is evenly mixed throughout. Take a handful and mix the topping in with the apples. Sprinkle the rest on top, covering all the apples.

3 Bake for about an hour until bubbly and hot. You might want to bake it on top of a baking dish in case the liquid bubbles over while baking. Serve warm with ice cream.

Shrimp Scampi

Ohhhhhhhhh yeaaaa.........come to mama.

Thats exactly what you were thinking when you saw this photo, right?

Or maybe you're thinking that you could never make this at home because it will never compare to your favorite shrimp scampi at your local Italian restaurant...

Well, I'm here to tell you that this DOES compare to your favorite shrimp scampi. It is delicious and perfect for a crowd or even just for two. It is great for left overs (cold!), too. You start with 1 lb of frozen raw deveined peeled shrimp. I have tried both roasting and stir frying shrimp. I can tell you that I much prefer the convenience of roasting because they cook more evenly and quickly, but I love the golden color and crust of stir fried shrimp. The taste is exactly the same, so if you have a few more minutes go the stir-fry route. I will explain each way in more detail below.

1 lb frozen deveined peeled shrimp, raw

Seafood seasoning (mix of paprika, garlic salt, onion powder)

3 garlic cloves, minced

olive oil

2 tbs butter

1/4 cup white wine

1 lemon, juiced

angel hair pasta

1/2 cup chopped parsley

freshly grated parmesan

1 Thaw previously frozen shrimp (of course, you can buy them fresh at the seafood counter as well) and pat dry. Season well, both sides of shrimp.

2 Heat a large skillet with olive oil and butter. Sauté minced garlic until it infuses the oil with garlicky goodness. Lay the shrimp in one even layer (you can do this in batches if your pan isn't big enough). The shrimp must sizzle or your pan isn't hot enough. Cook the shrimp until pink on one side, then flip to the other side, one by one. About 2-3 minutes per side

3 Set aside your shrimp once cooked. In the same pan, add about 1/4 cup white wine and deglaze the pan, scraping the bits of shrimp garlicky nuggets from the bottom of the pan. Add another tablespoon of butter and the juice of 1 lemon.

4 Boil water for the pasta and cook until al dente. Drain.

5 Pour pasta in the pan with the liquid and coat the noodles with the sauce using tongs.

6 Add in chopped parsley and plenty of grated parmesan.

7 Toss the shrimp with the noodles, serve with more parmesan.

Greek Salad

Sometimes I crave coming home and cutting vegetables up. Is that strange? I love hearing the clap of the knife against the wood cutting board. And I love that my dog lies on her belly and watches my every move with her eyes. It relaxes me. This weekend I was especially excited to chop up these veggies because I went to a new farmers market in town and couldn't wait to taste them. They were perfect.

The great thing about a big salad is it's refreshing, juicy and makes you feel good inside. This classic greek salad does not have lettuce, which makes it easier to eat I think. Feel free to add any other vegetables you have. I added kalamata olives, slivers of red onion and chunks of feta. The dressing is simply lemon juice, olive oil and salt. I hope this inspired you to go home and make a BIG salad! You won't regret it.

Spicy Honey Chicken Thighs

This delicious chicken thigh dish is juiced with bold flavors and a hint of spice. The spice rub serves as a crust for the chicken which is broiled in the oven until a deep golden brown....and it doesn't stop there! The chicken is then brushed with a honey glaze which adds a layer of sweetness. This was such a delicious and easy dinner. I served it with roasted brussel sprouts and homemade garlic bread. And don't worry if you don't have all the spices. Any combination of spices will work, so be creative!

Spicy-Honey Chicken Thighs

via cooking light

2 tsp garlic powder (I ran out so I added some ground ginger instead)

2 tsp chili powder

1 tsp salt

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp cayenne red pepper

8 skinless boneless chicken thighs

6 tbs honey

2 tsp apple-cider vinegar

1 Preheat broiler (I used my toaster oven because the chicken pieces were pretty small)

2 Mix the spices in a shallow bowl and press the chicken pieces onto the spices until covered, both sides. Continue with rest of chicken.

3 Broil the chicken under the broiler for 5 minutes on each side.

4 While the chicken is cooking, prepare the honey glaze by combining the honey and cider-vinegar in a small bowl.

5 Brush the chicken with the honey glaze and broil for an additional 1 minute, repeat with other side.

Monday Night Dinner

Have you ever had one of those dinners at home that came together so quickly but then eating it together with the person you love made you feel just so thankful? I had one of those dinners on Monday night.

It was a casual yet delicious meal of luscious scrambled eggs

crispy yukon golds

a sliced cucumber and tomato watercress salad and a whole roasted artichoke (not pictured).

We had the food on all separate plates and just grabbed a fork and ate off the plates on the table. It was such a fun way to eat and also delicious! What are some of your favorite dinners that you shared with your loved ones?

Butter Beans with Caramelized Shallots and Parmesan

This side dish took literally 5 minutes to make. It also took me literally 5 minutes to make up. I grabbed a can of butter beans (they are a wide lima bean), a shallot, some grated parmesan and that was it! I sauteed the shallots until they were sweet and caramelized then I threw the beans in with the shallots until warm and crisp on the outside. To top it all off, I grated fresh parmesan cheese on top as well as chopped parsley for some color. It may not be the prettiest dish, but it was SO good! The smoky shallots and crisped beans were a great combo and will definitely be made again. If you can't find butter beans, lima beans will work as well.

Butter Beans with Caramelized Shallots and Parmesan

1 can butter beans, or lima beans, washed and drained

1 shallot, sliced

Parmesan cheese, grated

Chopped parsley, optional

1 Heat a medium skillet with olive oil and saute the sliced shallot until light brown and sweet.

2 When the shallot is soft and browned, throw in the butter beans until lightly crisped on the outside. Add more olive oil if needed.

3 Garnish with grated parmesan and parsley. Enjoy!

Red Onion and Bleu Cheese Pizza

Frozen pizza is by far the one of the easiest & quickest dinners for us. There are just some nights you want to take the night off. Well believe it or not, making your own pizza takes the same amount of time as baking a frozen one. You can find pre-made pizza dough in the refrigerated deli section of your grocery store. It's a great way to use up some loose ends in your fridge. You could scatter small chunks of chicken breast, frozen veggies, whatever you like. I've done a BBQ chicken pizza (use bbq sauce instead of marinara), a hard-boiled egg pizza, and a Eggplant & Olive puff pastry pizza. This time I went for a caramelized red onion and bleu cheese pizza. It was fantastic! The crust was perfect and I love those big bubbles in the edges of the pizza. Don't be scared of pizza dough, it's really fun to play with!

Red Onion and Bleu Cheese Pizza
pre-made pizza dough
Half red onion, sliced
Blue cheese crumbles, around 1 cup

1 Preheat oven to its highest temperature, mine is 500 degrees. Take pizza dough out and place on the counter while you prepare remaining ingredients. (hint: pizza dough is always best used a few days after its made)
2 Heat a medium skillet with olive oil and saute red onion until caramelized and wilted, about 10 minutes. You can sprinkle some brown sugar to help the process going.
3 Roll out the dough by gently stretching or using a rolling pin to the desired thickness and size. I kind of go for the odd-sized shape to make it look more homemade. Place on large baking sheet and brush some olive oil and season with a little salt.
3 Scatter the red onions evenly around the pizza, then with the bleu cheese crumbles.
4 Place in oven and bake for 12 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Enjoy!

Sugar-Broiled Grapefruit

My mom used to make this when we were younger as a quick weeknight dessert. We loved it. It was juicy, sweet, tart and also fun to eat. It was like a scavenger hunt, scraping all the last bits of sweet nectar from the bottom of the grapefruit. My mom crumbled some brown sugar on top and microwaved it. It was still delicious, but I wanted to give it a deeper, smokier flavor. I broiled it in the toaster oven instead and it was great! I think any citrus would work, orange would be especially lovely too. I also sprinkled some sea salt before serving because I was craving a sweet salty flavor. Give this a try as an easy dessert, snack or even breakfast.

Just slice the grapefruit in half, crumble brown sugar over the entire exposed grapefruit and put under the broiler for 10-15 minutes or until caramelized.

Awesome Chickpea Salad

This is another dish from my mediterranean dinner party menu. I kind of threw this together about 30 minutes before the party, but it ended up being one of my favorite salads of the night!

It is very simple but very flavorful, too. This filling salad has chickpeas, cucumbers, red onion, shredded carrot, mint, parlsey, lemon juice and olive oil — all things that are laying around the kitchen. And of course, you can substitute any of the veggies, or beans for that matter, with whatever you have on-hand. I bet a chopped up hard-boiled egg would be great, too. Plus, not only is it delicious right when you make it, but it is also great the next day, straight out of the fridge for a quick cold lunch or snack. Give it a try!

Chickpea Salad

serves 6

adapted via Martha Stewart

2 cans chickpeas, drained and washed

1 seedless cucumber

1/2 red onion, chopped and soaked in a bowl of water for 20 minutes

3 shredded carrots

3 tablespoons fresh mint

3 tablespoons fresh flat leaf parsley

1/2 lemon juiced

olive oil

salt 'n' peppa

1 In a large bowl, combine all ingredients and mix. Combine lemon juice with olive oil, to taste, and season.

2 Pour dressing over salad and mix well. Serve cold, after 30 minutes of letting the dressing meld with the salad, or can be served right away if you are pressed for time. It will still be delicious!

Spinach-Ricotta Stuffed Shells

These shells were one of the dishes I made for a dinner party the other week. They were deliciously stuffed with clouds of ricotta and spinach and smothered with marinara sauce. They were also especially great because they could be made ahead and frozen until the day of the party. All you do is bake them for 30-40 minutes and they are ready. I will post some other dishes from the party later on this week. In the meantime, enjoy these heavenly stuffed shells!

Spinach-Ricotta Stuffed Shells

1 box jumbo pasta shells

15 oz ricotta cheese

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1 tsp dried parsley or 1 tbs fresh parsley

1 tsp dried basil

3/4 cup grated parmesan

salt 'n' peppa

pinch of nutmeg

8 oz mozzarella

10 oz frozen spinach, thawed

2 cups prepared marinara sauce

goat cheese, optional

1 Cook pasta shells al dente, drain and set aside. I drizzled some olive oil on them to prevent them from sticking.

2 Combine ricotta with eggs, parsley, basil, parmesan, salt, nutmeg, half of the mozzarella and spinach.

3 Lay the shells out on a baking sheet and stuff, one by one, with a large spoonful each.

4 Pour half of the marinara sauce on the bottom of a large baking dish (or two small ones). Then place the stuffed shells on the coated dish. Pour the rest of the sauce over the shells, then sprinkle the rest of the mozzarella on top. (I sprinkled some goat cheese over the mozzarella because I had some leftover that I wanted to finish, completely optional)

At this point, if you want to freeze them, cover with saran wrap, then aluminum and place in the freezer. When ready to bake, place in oven at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes or until bubbly and heated through.

And the winner is...

Congratulations hex conduction hour! Thanks for sharing your favorite tool. Please contact me at znachman@gmail.com with your mailing address to claim your prize! :)

Blogiversary giveaway!

Well, it's been about a year since I've started this blog, can you believe it? It has been so much fun to share photographs and recipes with fellow bloggers who are all so kind and talented. To celebrate this momentous occasion I am having my very first giveaway!!! Of course it had to be cooking/kitchen related because this is a food blog after all!

It is a BergHOFF stainless steel salt shaker and pepper mill set. Isn't it pretty? I loved it when I saw it and thought it was so modern and sleek. They are from allmodern.com. They have an awesome selection of everything from furniture, (even italian brands), to home bars (perfect for entertaining), to kitchen accessories.

One lucky winner will receive this stainless steel salt and pepper mill set (yes, both salt and pepper!) Just leave a comment and tell me what your favorite kitchen gadget is. It can be anything, a tool/pot/knife/teapot/doodad, whatever. Just tell me what ur fave is!

The deadline to enter is tomorrow, Friday by midnight. I will pick a winner randomly. Good luck!!