Pizza that says you care

-1 tube pizza dough
-1 can pizza sauce
-8 oz mozzarella cheese
-1/3 red onion, chopped
-4 cloves garlic, diced
-1 can mushrooms
-1/2 pound chicken breast
-1/3 cup pineapple chunks


Cut chicken into chunks. Marinade in 1/4 cup brown sugar, 2 T soy sauce, and 1/3 cup barbecue sauce for at least 30 minutes. Cook in a frying pan and set aside. Saute garlic and onion in frying pan. Top pizza dough with all toppings and cover with cheese. Bake according to directions on the pizza crust tube.

There are few things I love more than homemade pizza, partially because it's so simple, and you can use whatever you have. I mostly am just posting this because the pizza looked hilarious. See, I had left the tube of pizza dough in my car for a couple of hot hourse, and it exploded out of its cardboard constraints. So, when it came time to make my pizza and I pulled the dough out, it was in a funky formation and I couldn't roll it out like a normal pizza. Thus, heart pizza! Romantic, eh?

Ginger Chicken Stir-Fry

• 4 (4 ounce) boneless skinless chicken breast halves
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 3 tablespoons cooking oil, divided
• 2 cups broccoli florets
• 1 cup sliced celery (1/2 inch pieces)
• 1 cup thinly sliced carrots
• 1 small onion, cut into wedges
• 1 cup water
• 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon granules

1. Cut chicken into 1/2-in. strips; place in a resealable plastic bag. Add cornstarch and toss to coat. Combine soy sauce, ginger and garlic powder; add to bag and shake well. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
2. In a large skillet or wok, heat 2 tablespoons of oil; stir-fry chicken until no longer pink, about 3-5 minutes. Remove and keep warm. Add remaining oil; stir- fry broccoli, celery, carrots and onion for 4-5 minutes or until crisp-tender. Add water and bouillon. Return chicken to pan. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly.

Pineapple Sticky Rice
Prepare rice as directed (basmati rice is ideal but I used white rice, too, and it's fine), except substitute half of the water with pineapple juice. After the rice is cooked, stir in honey and pineapple chunks, and salt to taste.

As stir-fry goes, this was pretty good. I love ginger, and my obsession with sticky rice is borederline obscene. I first had mango sticky rice at a buddhist temple in San Francisco and I almost converted on the spot, it was so good. This isn't quite the same religious experience, but it's still pretty good. The sweet rice with flavorful stir-fry is one of my fave combos.

This past weekend found me in a world of panic. Somehow I've been accumulating piles of meat in my freezer. When it comes to cooking, my ambitions are lofty, but by the time I get home after work, all I want to do is immediately enjoy my dinner. Inevitably, despite mounds of good intentions, I find myself consuming Ramen, cereal, or, on a particularly good day, some variation of the chicken-and-white-sauce-over-pasta (IF I've had enough foresight to leave some chicken out to thaw- but not so much foresight that it's gone bad by the time I get around to using it). The other significant factor contributing to this overhual of dead animal is my inability to pass up a good deal and my fear that chicken will never again drop below $4 a pound and if I don't buy up huge quantities while it's available, I won't be able to afford it and I'll be stuck eating Ramen or cereal for the rest of my days (is this ironic?).

So Saturday found me looking at something like 12 pounds of ground beef and I'd had enough. "That's it!" I exclaimed (to myself, alone in my apartment). "I'm going to damn do something with this ground beef!" I took stock of all the food I had on hand that was in danger of going bad soon, and what I came up with was some variation of Shepherd's Pie, which I will be calling

Cowboy's Casserole (because seriously, are shepherds even a thing anymore?)

• 1 lb ground beef
• 1/2 lb sausage
• 3 potatoes, cubed
• 1/2 head cabbage, slice
• 1 can fresh kernel corn, drained
• 3 carrots, peeled and sliced
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 can mushroom soup
• 1/2 C sour cream
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

The key here is to SEASON THE MEAT. I cannot overemphasize this point (well I could, of course. I could say 'seasoning this meat is more important than the name you give your first-born'. I think we can all agree that would be a bit of an exaggeration). But still, if your ground beef tastes like ground beef, then your dinner will taste like you are poor.

So season the ground beef with salt, pepper, cumin (my favorite spice), Worcester Sauce and some italian seasoning, mix it with the sausage, and brown it in a frying pan. Dump all the veggies in a (big) bowl, pour in the soup and sour cream, and gave it a good mixing. Spread the mixture (which at this point will be five times larger than you originally intended) in a 13x9 casserole dish, cover it with grated cheese, and stick it in the oven for 45 minutes-1 hour.

I've been eating this stuff all week and I've still barely made a dent, but I have to say that I really enjoy it. It's perfect for those cooler days, now that we're actually experiencing them down here in the South. It's simple, cheap, and copious. Everything a cowboy could want :)

Tomato Potato Soup (catchy, right?)

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 onions, chopped
• 4 cups peeled, cubed potatoes
• 1 1/2 cups chopped celery
• 1 1/2 cups chopped carrots
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
• 2 cups milk
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can tomatoes
• 1 1/4 cups chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat, and cook the onions until tender. Mix in the potatoes, celery, carrots, and garlic. Season with Italian seasoning. Pour in milk, gradually stir in cornstarch, and bring to a boil. Mix in tomatoes, broth, and tomato paste. Return to boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

I made this soup a while back when I was in my vegetable soup phase, but hadn't gotten around to posting it quite yet. One of the people who reviewed this recipe was full of happy exclamations for it, one of them being "so fibrous!" which I found rather funny. Unfortunately, one thing I didn't find this recipe was 'delicious', but keep in mind that I'm not a huge fan of tomato soups to begin with (which I suppose raises the question of what I was thinking in making a tomato soup to begin with, but hey, I'm branching out, okay?) It was certainly a tolerable dish, and I'm sure there are people out there who could make grand improvements on this soup, but I'll stick to my Black Bean Veggie soup (which I recently made my third pot of), thank you very much.

I'm calling this one 'Envelope Chicken'.

Ingredients

• 3 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1 tablespoon butter, softened
• 2 cups cubed, cooked chicken meat
• 1 tablespoon minced onion
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1 (8 ounce) package refrigerated crescent rolls
• 1 tablespoon butter, melted

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350. In a mixing bowl, beat together cream cheese and 1 T butter until smooth. Add the chicken, onion, salt, pepper, and milk and mix well.
2. Separate crescent dough into 4 rectangles (smush the edges together so that there's no break). Spoon 1/2 cup of the chicken mixture into the center of each rectangle. Pull the four corners of the dough together and twist firmly; pinch edges to seal.
3. Place sandwiches on cookie sheet, and brush with melted butter. Bake for 20-30 minutes or until golden brown.

This is sort of a personal-pizza variation on chicken pot pie, especially since I added a handful of frozen mixed veggies to the cream cheese mixture. But it is yummy and incredibly filling! I served it with flavored rice and Cabbage and Bacon, a personal favorite (cut bacon into small pieces and fry them in a frying pan on low heat. Remove them, then add water to the pan, fill it with sliced cabbage, cover it, and steam until it's mushy enough for your tastes. Add the bacon back in. Veggies fried in bacon fat- what more could you want?).

I made this for TJ and Alycia tonight, to lure TJ and his man-handiness to my apartment so that he could hang my newly acquired shelf for me. It might be a little crooked but nothing has tumbled off the end quite yet, so we'll call it close enough. We all enjoyed the meal, followed by cookies and black-and-white racial harmony cake with coffee. Nothing like a political statement disguised as confectionery delights, I always say.

My latest issue of Cooking Light featured a spotlight on chili, with some of the highlights from the Atlanta Chili Cook-Off (which you better believe I'll be attending next year). I made a pot the other night, and while it might not surpass Matt's Cheeseburger Bacon Chili (one of my all-time favorite dishes), it certainly rivals it.

Springfield Chili
-1 bacon slice, finely chopped
-2 1/4 cups finely chopped onion
-3 garlic cloves, minced
-1 lb ground turkey
-1/2 lb ground sirloin
-1 12oz can beer
-2 T barbecue sauce
-3 T chili powder
-1 t Worcestershire sauce
-1/2 t salt
1/2 t cumin
-1 (14.5 ox) can diced tomatoes, undrained
-1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
-1 (15 oz) can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
-1/2 C shredded cheddar cheese

Cook bacon in pot over medium heat or until browned. Stir in 2 cups onion (reserving 1/4 cup); cover and cook until onion is tender (about 5 minutes). Uncover and stir in garlic; cook for 1 minute.

Increase heat to medium-high; add turkey and sirloin to pan. Cook 5 minutes or until browned, stirring to crumble. Add beer, cook until liquid is reduced to 1/3 cup (about 7 minutes). Stir in chili powder and next 5 ingredients (through tomato sauce). Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 30 minutes or until mixture thickens. Stir in beans; cook 10 minutes or until thoroughly heated.

Top each bowl with remaining onions and cheese. Makes 6 servings.

I would serve this with cornbread (there's that southern flair again). I cooked some rice and ate it with my chili to stretch it a little; it was deee-vine, truly. I might say that Yeungling light was not the optimal beer; it'd be interesting to experiment.

August turned out to be a busy month for me; I visited Atlanta twice (once for Margaret's wedding) and my brothers came in town for a long weekend, which we spent camping in northern Georgia. I didn't do terribly much cooking; mostly just stuff to get me from weekend to weekend, though Margaret and I did make some amazing black bean and corn dip, along with chicken kabobs on the grill; I'll have to share those recipes at some point.

But I'm back at home now, at least for the next little while, and that means I'm pulling the pots and pans back out.

Earlier in the summer, I picked up a great cookbook at a garage sale for a mere quarter: Recipes from the Poor Clare Nuns of the Holy Name Federation. Now, I promise it's not just my Catholic bias- this collection is a real gem. My first meal attempt was a simple casserole:

Chicken and Cheese Casserole:
-3 beaten eggs
-1 can cheedar cheese soup (I used cream of chicken)
-1 1/2 cup milk
-6 slices buttered bread (I used cornbread- Southern flair, you know?)
-8 oz sharp cheese (cheddar), sliced
-3/4 lb chicken, cooked and cubed (or shredded)

Mix together eggs, soup and milk. Place 2 buttered slices of bread at bottom of a greased 2-quart casserole. Lay slice of cheese on each, then half the chicken. Add salt and pepper. Make another later of bread, cheese and chicken, then top with remaining bread and cheese. Pour the soup/egg mixture over top. Bake at 350 about 40 minutes or until brown and puffy.

The original recipe calls for shrimp, and says tuna can be substituted as well. This made a nice little meal, and great for leftovers (but isn't everything?)

Rumspringa Gemelli

-1 lb Gemelli pasta

-1 lb ground turkey

-1 onion, sliced

-5 cloves garlic, minced

-1/2 C white wine

-1/2 C cream

-2 oz cream cheese

-1/2 C chicken broth

-herbs

-1 head broccoli

Brown the turkey in a frying pan, and when done, remove the turkey, leavings the drippings. This is the base for your sauce. Saute the garlic and onions in the grease until the onion is clear. On low-medium heat, add the white wine, cream, cream cheese, stirring each in slowly. Let this simmer, and slowly add the chicken broth, stirring all the while. Add in any herbs you like (in our case, it was rosemary and thyme given to me by a friend, and basil from my little basil plant, Gianni- who is growing up quite nicely!) In the meantime, steam the broccoli or spinach (or just microwave it in a bowl with a little water) and set aside. Once your sauce is at its desired consistency (and you can totally experiment with my portions, which are pretty much made up anyway), add the meat back and the broccoli and let the whole thing simmer on low. Cook the pasta until al dente (it takes longer because it's wound tightly, but it will also be firmer when done than your average spaghetti noodle). You can either pour the meat sauce over the noodles and toss, like we did, or serve them separately. We ate this with some pumpernickel bread and- you guessed it- more dip! Why can't dip be a meal? (2 points if you get this reference).

This was mine and Margaret's Sunday afternoon activity- aka 'What's in The Kitchen? Let's throw it in a pot and see what happens.' In my opinion, pasta is the ultimate 'experiement', whether you're making a red sauce, white sauce, or just drizzling olive oil over some noodles. There is no right or wrong, and you can use whatever you have on hand- sometimes the results are so-so, but other times (especially when you're starving, as we happened to be), you happen upon a really fantastic dish. The more your experiment, the more you learn about proportions and what things taste good together. This simple meal was definitely a winner with us, so much so that we named it. Now we'll always have our 'Rumspringa Gemelli' (don't ask) to commemerate the time we spent together and this stage of life we're embarking upon.

Good 'ol Southern Comfort

The winds from Atlanta blew a special treat my way this weekend in the form of one Margaret Jago, my dear friend and ex-roommate (one of her favorite terms). We share an intense love for food (though hers tends toward the dill pickle and diet coke side of things, while mine favors all things butter and chocolate), so I knew the weekend would bring another of Margaret's favorite words- FULL. And so it was. On Saturday, we tried to see Moliere's 'Miser' put on by Shakespeare in the Park, but Mother Nature had other plans, and, with a terrific summer storm that commenced half an hour before curtain call, she sent us high-tailing back to dry ground (poor Alycia and TJ got left out in the rain while Margaret and I watched the apocalyptic events from the shelter of my car, but that's a story for another time). So we took our little party back to my apartment and had a picnic on the floor. I made Honey Beer bread and spinach dip, which we enjoyed with TJ and Alycia's pasta salad, raw broccoli, grapes (on sale at Publix), and Winking Owl Cab Sav (thank you Aldi's!) We stuffed ourself to contentment and beyond, and let our food settle while we played a rousing game of Taboo. Not exactly what we planned, but perhaps a good sight better.

Honey Beer Bread
-3 C flour (Add more if necessary)
-1 1/2 t salt
-4 1/2 t baking powder
-1/3 C brown sugar
-12 oz beer (still rocking the Sam Adams Black- can't beat it)
-1/4 C honey

Mix the dry ingredients, then add the beer and honey and mix well. Pour into a greased loaf pan, and spread butter and honey on the top if you wish. Bake at 350 for 50 minutes.

Spinach Dip
-8 oz (1 bar) cream cheese)
-1 C sour cream
-1/2 onion, finely chopped
-5 cloves garlic, minced
-1/2 lb spinach, chopped
-seasonings- to taste (salt, pepper, chili powder, cumin, herbs)

Saute onion and garlic in olive oil, add spinach. In a mixing bowl, mix together sour cream and cream cheese (best if it's softened), then add in the spinach mixture. Stir in the seasonings and refrigerate for at least an hour. The garlic is really what makes this dip, so don't be afraid to really go to town. This is amazing with the sweet beer bread, but would be great with any type of cracker or bread (Wheat thins come to mind).

In thanks for all Velveeta has done

So, I've been feasting all week on my well-prepared left-overs of Southwestern Beef and Veggie Bake and Black Bean Soup, but the reserves ran out today and so I had to scrounge up some dinner. By the time I got home after staying (very) late at work, the spirit of Friday left me too lazy to make any real attempt at cooking, so I made one of my favorite doctored quickies. Velveeta Cheese and Shells is one of my go-to comfort foods, but I can't quite shake the fact that I'm consuming starch and orange chemicals, so to ease my guilty conscience, and make it a little heartier, I like to add whatever I have around- my favorite is tomatoes and/or salsa. Other options are broccoli, onion, spinach, any little bit of leftover meat you might have sitting around (taco meat is great), beans, and the list goes on. And, as always, a little garlic can improve any dish that doesn't call for chocolate (same for fresh or dried herbs). So simple, but it's amazing what 2 minutes can do to take a dish from spaghettio's to gourmet.