Jimmy's Mexican Pizza

Recipe by: Jimmy Simian

 "Jimmy's specially seasoned ground beef, refried beans, salsa and cheese layered in a deep dish style. A tasty and easy Mexican-style pizza with a flour tortilla crust I whipped up because I had the stuff to make it!!"

1/2 pound ground beef

1 medium onion, diced

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 (16 ounce) can refried beans

4 (10 inch) flour tortillas

1/2 cup salsa

1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

2 green onions, chopped

2 roma (plum) tomatoes, diced

1/4 cup thinly sliced jalapeno pepper

1/4 cup sour cream (optional)

To Make

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Coat 2 pie plates with non-stick cooking spray.

Place beef, onion and garlic in a skillet over medium heat. Cook until beef is evenly browned. Drain off grease. Season the meat with chili powder, cumin, paprika, salt and pepper.

Lay one tortilla in each pie plate, and cover with a layer of refried beans. Spread half of the seasoned ground beef over each one, and then cover with a second tortilla. Bake for 10 minutes in the preheated oven.

Remove the plates from the oven, and let cool slightly. Spread half of the salsa over each top tortilla. Cover each pizza with half of the Cheddar and Monterey Jack cheeses. Place half of the tomatoes, half of the green onions, and half of the jalapeno slices onto each one.

Return the pizzas to the oven, and bake for 5 to 10 more minutes, until the cheese is melted. Remove from the oven, and let cool slightly before slicing each one into 4 pieces.

Peanut Butter Chili

 

Recipe by: EuroGirl6 

"Who would have thought beans and peanut butter could go together in harmony? They do, in this satisfying vegetarian chili."

1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes

1/2 cup water

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 bay leaves

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans, rinsed and drained

1/3 cup creamy peanut butter

salt and pepper to taste

1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese (optional)

2 cups tortilla chips (optional)

To Make

Place the diced tomatoes, water, garlic, and bay leaves into a saucepan, and bring to a simmer over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, and season with the cayenne pepper, chili powder, garlic powder, and Italian seasoning. Cover, and simmer 15 minutes.

After 15 minutes, pour in the black beans and kidney beans; return to a simmer, and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in the peanut butter until dissolved, then remove and discard the bay leaves, and season the chili with salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy with a sprinkle of Cheddar cheese, tortilla chips and smile!

Lisa's Creamy Clam Chowder

Recipe by: Lisa 

"Delicious and creamy clam chowder includes carrots, celery, thyme, and a hint of bacon."

3 slices bacon, chopped

1/2 cup butter

4  potatoes, chopped into small chunks

 2 stalks celery, finely chopped

2 small carrots, finely chopped

1 yellow onion, chopped 

salt and ground black pepper to taste

4 tablespoons all-purpose flour

3 cups milk

2 (8 ounce) bottles clam juice

2 (6.5 ounce) cans chopped clams

1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon thyme, or to taste

1 dash cayenne pepper

pinch garlic salt

1 pinch onion powder

1 cup heavy whipping cream

1 teaspoon cornstarch, or as needed

1 tablespoon water, or as needed

Heat a large soup pan over medium heat. Add bacon and cook until crispy, 5 to 7 minutes. Add butter, potatoes, celery, carrots, onion, salt, and black pepper. Reduce heat to low. Cook and stir 10 minutes. Sprinkle in flour and stir 1 minute. Add milk, clam juice, clams, lemon juice, thyme, cayenne pepper, garlic salt, and onion powder. Simmer on low until potatoes are tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Add cream and simmer 5 minutes more.

To thicken chowder if necessary, combine cornstarch and water together in a bowl. Add cornstarch mixture to chowder and stir until incorporated and chowder is thickened.

Copycat Pizza Hut Pizza Sauce

1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce

1⁄4 cup water

1 teaspoon sugar

1⁄4 teaspoon dried oregano

1⁄4 teaspoon dried basil leaves

1⁄4 teaspoon dried thyme

1⁄4 teaspoon garlic powder

1⁄4 teaspoon salt

1⁄8 teaspoon black pepper

1 whole bay leaf

1⁄2 teaspoon lemon juice

To Make

Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan.

Cook over medium heat until sauce starts to boil.

Lower heat and simmer, covered,for 30 to 45 minutes or until it is as thick as you like it.

Makes enough for 2 pizzas.

The Ultimate Pizza Dough

THE ULTIMATE PIZZA DOUGH

BY: IRENE FONG AND THE CANADIAN LIVING TEST KITCHEN

Canadian Living Magazine: March 2018

Our foolproof dough delivers the most amazing pizza crust you'll ever taste. The long rising time results in a lovely texture and extra-rich flavour. It's so easy to make and can be stretched into either a regular or thin-crust pizza. You'll never want to order in again!

3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (approx)

 2 teaspoons quick-rising instant dry yeast

 1 teaspoon salt

 1 1/3 cup warm water

 2 tablespoons olive oil

In large bowl, whisk together 2 1/2 cups of the flour, yeast and salt. Using wooden spoon, stir in warm water and olive oil until ragged dough forms.

Turn out onto lightly floured surface; kneading, adding as much of the remaining flour as needed to prevent dough from sticking, until smooth and elastic (dough will be slightly tacky to the touch but won't stick to hands), about 8 minutes.

Divide dough in half. Transfer to 2 greased bowls, turning to grease all over. Cover with plastic wrap; refrigerate for 24 hours. (Or let rise in warm, draft-free place until doubled in size, about 1 1/2 hours.) Remove dough from refrigerator; bring to room temperature before rolling.

Makes two 12-inch regular pizza crusts or two 14-inch thin pizza crusts, each about 8 slices.

Velouté Sauce

2. Velouté

 Velouté sauce is one of the most common sauces found in French cuisine and is often used on poultry or seafood dishes. If you want to make your own velouté sauce, all you need is some butter, flour, stock, and salt and pepper to taste.

2 tsp butter

2 tsp flour

1.5 cups stock. This may be beef, chicken, veal, fish and vegetable, but preferably freshly made. (See tips).

Salt and pepper to taste.

To Make

Melt the butter in a saucepan over low heat and add the flour. Stir well until it has lightened in color to be a blonde roux.

You can make it a dark roux for a more brown color by continuing to cook it until it reaches a desired brown color. Stir continuously to prevent it from burning.

Add the stock to the roux in batches and whisk or stir each batch until smooth.

Cook gently for approximately 5 minutes while stirring regularly to prevent sticking.

Taste to ensure the sauce is smooth and not floury in taste. Velouté should be velvety smooth. Season to taste.

The 5 French Mother Sauces

1. Béchamel

This is roux whisked with milk or other dairy to make a white sauce. Ever made macaroni and cheese or chicken pot pie? The base of both these dishes is béchamel. By itself, béchamel is quite bland, which is why it is usually cooked with other ingredients and not used as a finishing sauce.

2. Velouté

A velouté I’d a light roux whisked with chicken, turkey, fish or any other clear stock. The resulting sauce takes on the flavor of the stock, and the name is derived from the Frenchie.  word for velvet, which aptly describes this smooth but light and delicate sauce. It is usually served over fish or poultry that has been delicately cooked, like by poaching or steaming.

3. Espagnole

Sauce espagnole is a basic brown sauce. It's made of brown beef or veal stock, tomato puree, and browned mirepoix, all thickened with a very dark brown roux. This sauce is sometimes used at the foundation for boeuf bourguinon and demi-glacé.

4. Sauce Tomate

This is made by cooking tomatoes down into a thick sauce but used to also be thickened with roux. Unlike more modern-day tomato sauces, the classic French tomato sauce is flavored with pork and aromatic vegetables

5. Hollandaise 

This is the one mother sauce not thickened by a roux. Instead, it's thickened by an emulsion of egg yolk and melted butter, which means it's a stable mixture of two things that usually normally can't blend together. This is a very delicate sauce because the emulsion can easily break, and rich hollandaise is usually used as a dipping sauce for asparagus or a finishing sauce for dishes like eggs Benedict.

< LINKS COMING SOON >

Middle Eastern Chicken Burgers

These easy Middle Eastern chicken burgers are brushed with pomegranate molasses and served with ''all the fixings" for an awesome, quick dinner. 

INGREDIENTS

Burgers

2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil

1 large onion, finely chopped

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp ground coriander

¼ tsp red pepper flakes

1 ½ tsp kosher salt

Freshly ground black  pepper

2 cloves garlic, minced

¼ cup chopped flat-leaf parsley

1 lb(s) ground lean chicken

¼ cup plain yogurt

3 Tbsp pomegranate molasses, for brushing

Fixings

4 whole wheat buns, toasted

1 tomato, sliced

1 English cucumber, thinly sliced

1 small red onion, sliced

Lettuce

DIRECTIONS

Burgers

1. Heat the olive oil in a skillet, add the onion, cinnamon, coriander, pepper flakes, and season with salt and pepper. Cook until onions are tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and parsley and cook until garlic is fragrant, about 1 more minute. Transfer to a large bowl and let cool slightly. Stir in the chicken and yogurt until the onion are evenly mixed. Season with salt and pepper. Shape into 4 1/2-inch thick patties.

2. Cook in a nonstick skillet over medium heat until browned and cooked through, about 5 minutes on each side, or until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the sides of the burgers registers between 165 and 170ºF. Brush burgers with the pomegranate molasses and set aside to rest for 5 minutes.

Fixings

1. Serve on toasted buns with fixings.

SOURCE AND CREDITS

Copyright (c) 2004 Television Food Network, G.P., All Rights Reserved.

Courtesy of Food Network Kitchen

Read more at http://www.foodnetwork.ca/recipe/middle-eastern-chicken-burgers/18430/#HyA1ZOzxOKVDkMMj.99

TOMATO SOUP 2.0

Ree Drummond

The Pioneer Woman

INGREDIENTS

3 10.75-oz cans condensed tomato soup

¼ cup sherry

¼ cup heavy cream 

3 Tbsp pesto

2 Tbsp grated Parmesan, plus more for garnish

½ cup diced fresh tomatoes

Drizzle of olive oil

A few fresh basil leaves, chopped, for garnish

DIRECTIONS

1. Add the soup to a pot with 3 cups water and heat over medium heat according to the can instructions.

2. When hot, add the sherry, cream, pesto and Parmesan. Stir and heat through.

3. Serve up the soup in bowls and sprinkle on the tomatoes, a drizzle of olive oil, more grated Parmesan and some basil.

Read more at http://www.foodnetwork.ca/recipe/tomato-soup-20/21273/#l8cpZSmIbljoFcqC.9

Apple and Parsnip Soup

Recipe by: Glen Oliver

“I make this every year at Christmas but it is good on any cold winter day or night”

1/4 cup unsalted butter

2 large onions

1 clove garlic

2 large parsnips

2tsp medium curry powder

1 1/2 ltrs chicken stock

1 lb cooking apples (3 good size Granny Smiths is what I use)

300ml light cream

To Garnish

1 cup pecans 

1tsb butter

150ml creme fraiche or sour cream 

To Make

Peel and kcore two of the apples, then cut them into 1-inch pieces. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat Add the garlic and onions and sauté for three minutes. Add parsnips and sauté for three more minutes. Add the apple pieces, salt and curry powder salt and stir for one minute. Add 1 Ltr of I’m broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until vegetables are very tender, about 25 minutes. Slowly add the cream stirring all the time. At this point, if the soup is too thick for your liking, add more broth 1 cup at a time and return to a simmer.

Allow the soup to cool slightly. Purée until smooth, either by working in batches in blender or using a hand blender, thinning with more broth by half-cupfuls as desired. Return soup to pot and bring to simmer. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Melt butter in a small pot. Add pecans and sauté for 3 minutes. Peel and finely dice the remaining apple. Ladle the soup into bowls. Drizzle with creme fraiche or sour cream. Sprinkle some pecans and diced apples on top and serv

Pork Chili Verde (Green Pork Chili)

Recipe by: Chef John

“This chili verde was one of the first recipes I ever learned. It comes out great even if you d the meat, but I think doing so always adds extra flavor so I usually do it."

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 pounds boneless pork shoulder, cut into 2-inch pieces

1 yellow onion, diced

2 teaspoons kosher salt, or to taste, divided

2 teaspoons dried oregano

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

10 fresh tomatillos

3 jalapeno chile peppers, seede

1 poblano chile pepper, seeded

6 cloves peeled garlic

1/2 cup packed cilantro leaves

1 bay leaf

2 1/2 cups chicken stock, or as needed

1 1/2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, quartered

freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup sour cream

pickled red onions (optional)

1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro

To Make

Heat vegetable oil in a pot over high heat until it's nearly smoking. Add pork shoulder cubes in a single layer. Let sear until brown on one side, 4 to 5 minutes. Mix and turn pieces over and brown on the other side, 4 to 5 minutes. Add onion, 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring until onions turn translucent, about 4 minutes. Add oregano, cumin, coriander, and cayenne. Stir and cook until seasonings get fragrant, about 2 minutes. Reduce heat to low.

Remove paper husk from tomatillos and rinse. Cut into quarters. Place in blender with garlic, jalapeño pepper, poblano, cilantro, and chicken broth. Pulse on and off until pieces start to break down. Then blend until mixture has liquefied, about 30 seconds. Stir sauce into the meat mixture. Add 1 teaspoon salt and bay leaf. Increase heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low to maintain a slow but steady simmer for about 1 hour. Add potatoes, 1/2 teaspoon salt, black pepper. If mixture has reduced to where potatoes are not immersed, add more broth to cover. Simmer until meat and potatoes are tender, 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Garnish individual servings with a dollop of sour cream, some pickled red onions (if desired), and cilantro leaves.

Cook's Note:

Regarding the pickled red onions I used on top of my chili: I was going to save this for a video, but it's so ultra simple that I'll just tell you right now. Slice some red onions, add a pinch of salt, and cover with red wine vinegar. Leave this overnight in your fridge, and the next day you'll be looking at one of the most gorgeous garnishes ever.

Late Summer Gazpacho with Sardine Tomato Tartines

TARA O'BRADY

SPECIAL TO THE GLOBE AND MAIL

PUBLISHED AUGUST 15, 2018

FOR THE SOUP

6 ripe tomatoes, red, yellow and orange (about 2 pounds)

2 ears fresh yellow corn, shucked

½ an English cucumber, peeled and diced

1 small shallot, peeled and minced

1 garlic clove, minced

Medium-grain kosher salt and freshly-ground black pepper as needed

¼ cup (60 ml) extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed

2 teaspoons sherry vinegar, plus more as needed 

FOR THE TOMATO SALAD AND TARTINES

4 ounces (113 g) cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered, depending on size

¼ cup (60 ml) fresh corn kernels or diced summer squash

¼ cup (60 ml) diced seeded English cucumber

A shallot, peeled and sliced thinly

A small bunch of mixed tender herbs (parsley, cilantro, chives, chervil, mint, or the like), minced

2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed

Medium-grain kosher salt and black pepper, as needed

¼ cup (60 g) softened butter

4 square slices of rye bread

1 4-ounce (115 g) tin sardines packed in olive oil

To Make

To make the gazpacho, first prepare the tomatoes. Over an open gas flame or under the broiler, char the tomatoes, turning often, until blistered and split in a few places. Set the tomatoes in a bowl until cool enough to handle. While the tomatoes are resting, trim the kernels from the corn. Add the niblets to the carafe of an upright blender. With care, use the back of the knife or a large spoon to scrape the milk from the cobs into the carafe as well.

Once the tomatoes are manageable, reserve any liquid collected in the bowl. Peel, core and seed the flesh, and add to the carafe, along with the reserved juice. Tumble in the cucumber, shallot and garlic, along with a generous pinch of both kosher salt and freshly-ground black pepper. Affix the lid to the carafe and blend until smooth. With the motor still running, stream the olive oil into the purée, followed by the sherry vinegar. Cover and refrigerate until truly cold, about 2 hours.

Make the salad by folding the tomatoes, corn kernels, cucumber, shallot and herbs together in a bowl. Dress with the olive oil, then season. To assemble the tartine, spread butter on each slice of bread, then arrange the sardine fillets on top – the fish can be left in large chunks, split, or flaked, or forked into the bread, depending on preference.

To serve, give the soup a stir, and check for seasoning. Decant to bowls, then float a sardine-topped raft of bread upon its surface. Do not worry if it sinks a little. Spoon the tomato salad between the sardines on the tartines, and season with another sprinkle of salt and glistening drops of olive oil. Hand out spoons and do not hesitate in eating.

Àd

Lobster Bisque

3 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup chopped fresh mushrooms
2 tablespoons chopped onion
2 tablespoons chopped celery
2 tablespoons chopped carrot
1 (14.5 ounce) Ocan chicken broth
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 1/2 cups half-and-half
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 pound cooked lump lobster 

 Directions

Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the mushrooms, onion, celery, and carrot. Cook and stir until tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in the chicken broth, and season with salt and cayenne pepper. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 10 minutes.

Pour the vegetable and broth mixture into the container of a blender, and add 1/4 cup of the lobster meat. Cover, and process until smooth. Return to the saucepan, and stir in the half-and-half, white wine, and remaining lobster meat. Cook over low heat, stirring frequently until thickened, about 30 minutes.

Habanero Hellfire Chili

Recipe by: EDD RYAN

 "Tasty chili whose name says it all! Note: Whole Anaheim peppers are not widely available; this ingredient is optional, and you can use hot pepper sauce instead."

1/2 pound bacon
1 pound ground round
1 pound ground pork
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 yellow onion, diced
6 jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped
6 habanero peppers, seeded and chopped
8 Anaheim peppers, seeded and diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 tablespoons ground cumin
1 tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes
3 tablespoons chili powder
2 tablespoons beef bouillon granules
1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
2 (16 ounce) cans whole peeled tomatoes, drained
2 (16 ounce) cans chili beans, drained
1 (12 fluid ounce) can beer
3 ounces tomato paste
1 ounce chili paste
2 cups water

To Make

Place bacon in a large soup pot. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain excess grease, leaving enough to coat bottom of pot Remove bacon, drain on paper towels and chop.

Brown beef and pork in pot over medium high heat. When meat is browned, stir in the bell pepper, onion, jalapeno peppers, habanero peppers, Anaheim peppers, garlic, cumin, red pepper flakes, chili powder, bouillon, crushed tomatoes, whole tomatoes, beer, tomato paste, chile paste and water.

Reduce heat to low and simmer for 45 to 60 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add beans and bacon and continue simmering for another 30 minutes.

The Juciest Burger

Recipe by: Jane

“No more dry, lackluster burgers. These are juicy, and spices can be easily added or changed to suit anyone's taste. Baste frequently with your favorite barbeque sauce. If you find the meat mixture too mushy, just add more bread crumbs until it forms patties that hold their shape."

2 pounds ground beef

1 egg, beaten

3/4 cup dry bread crumbs

3 tablespoons evaporated milk

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

2 cloves garlic, minced

To Make

Preheat grill for high heat.

In a large bowl, mix the ground beef, egg, bread crumbs, evaporated milk, Worcestershire sauce, cayenne pepper, and garlic using your hands. Form the mixture into 8 hamburger patties. 

Lightly oil the grill grate. Grill patties 5 minutes per side, or until well done. 

Cha Cha's White Chicken Chili

Recipe by Cathy

“Delicious white bean chili. Cha Cha says: 'It's kinda spicy, so watch out!' Substitute mild green chiles for the jalapenos if you're scared! Use more chicken and cheese as desired.

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, crushed

1 (to bring 4 ounce) can diced jalapeno peppers

1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chile peppers

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper

2 (14.5 ounce) cans chicken broth

3 cups chopped cooked chicken breast

3 (15 ounce) cans white beans

1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

To Make

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Slowly cook and stir the onion until tender. Mix in the garlic, jalapeno, green chile peppers, cumin, oregano and cayenne. Continue to cook and stir the mixture until tender, about 3 minutes. 

Mix in the chicken broth, chicken and white beans. Simmer 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

Remove the mixture from heat. Slowly stir in the cheese until melted. Serve warm. 

Boilermaker Tailgate Chili

Recipe by: MIGHTYPURDUE22
“This is the chili recipe the gang eats at Purdue Boilermaker football games. I always prep and cook the chili the night before and then reheat the next day. This is a combination of many different tomato-based chili recipes. Good luck and enjoy.”

2 pounds ground beef chuck
1 pound bulk Italian sausage
3 (15 ounce) cans chili beans, drained
1 (15 ounce) can chili beans in spicy sauce
2 (28 ounce) cans diced tomatoes with juice
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
1 large yellow onion, chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
2 green chile peppers, seeded and chopped

1 tablespoon bacon bits

4 cubes beef bouillon

1/2 cup beer

1/4 cup chili powder

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 tablespoon dried oregano

2 teaspoons ground cumin

2 teaspoons hot pepper sauce (e.g. Tabasco™)

1 teaspoon dried basil

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon white sugar

1 (10.5 ounce) bag corn chips such as Fritos®

1 (8 ounce) package shredded Cheddar cheese

To Make

Heat a large stock pot over medium-high heat. Crumble the ground chuck and sausage into the hot pan, and cook until evenly browned. Drain off excess grease.

Pour in the chili beans, spicy chili beans, diced tomatoes and tomato paste. Add the onion, celery, green and red bell peppers, chile peppers, bacon bits, bouillon, and beer. Season with chili powder, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, oregano, cumin, hot pepper sauce, basil, salt, pepper, cayenne, paprika, and sugar. Stir to blend, then cover and simmer over low heat for at least 2 hours, stirring occasionally.

After 2 hours, taste, and adjust salt, pepper, and chili powder if necessary. The longer the chili simmers, the better it will taste. Remove from heat and serve, or refrigerate, and serve the next day.

To serve, ladle into bowls, and top with corn chips and shredded Cheddar cheese.