Recipes and Cooking category archive

3 cps. flour.

1 pkg. yeast.

1 cp. lukewarm water.

5 tbs. olive oil, approximately.

2 cloves garlic, minced, or equivalent dried minced garlic or garlic powder. Or more if you like.

Salt to taste.

2 tbs. dried oregano, or to taste.

1/2 med. onion, chopped.

4 med. or 2 large mushrooms, sliced.

Sliced pepperoni.

1 reg. can peeled tomatoes (cut up) or one reg. can diced tomatoes.

1 sm. can tomato sauce.

1 cp. or more shredded mossarella cheese.

Freshly ground black pepper.

Proof yeast in water.

Make a mound of the flour on a board and make a depression in the top.

Put 1 tbs. oil and a pinch of salt in the depression.

Add the water/yeast mixture a little at a time, working it into the flour by hand.

Knead the dough until it is smooth. When done, it should be smooth, firm, pliable, and not sticky. Add more water or flour if needed.

Lightly oil a bowl, place the dough in the bowl, brush oil on the surface of the dough, cover, and place in a warm place to rise until doubled in size (about 1 1/2 hrs.).

Meanwhile, put about 3 tbs. oil in a sauce pan and heat slowly over low heat. Add the garlic and saute briefly. Add the tomatoes, sauce, and 1 tbs. oregano, and bring to a simmer. Taste and add oregano, black pepper, and garlic as needed. (It’s the oregano that disguishes pizza sauce.)

After sauce is simmering slowly, add onions and mushrooms. Simmer until flavors are well-blended. Remove from heat.

When dough is ready, grease cookie sheet or similar surface with remaining oil and sprinkle with salt. Place dough on the surface and work till it is smooth and thin (yes, it’s okay to use a rolling pin or a glass to stretch it out).

Spread sauce on dough.

Spread pepperoni slices on sauce.

Sprinkle with cheese.

Cook in oven pre-heated to 500 degrees until done (15-20 mins.).

(My son and I were full after eating half of this.)

Variations:

Basil and parsley are good in the sauce.

Use fresh tomatoes: blanch tomatoes, peel, chop, and use instead of the canned tomatoes.

Just about anything for toppings. If using sausage or meatballs, cook first, then slice and put on the pizza.

Sorry, pineapple or broccoli on pizza are crimes against nature.

(30 mins. prep time after marinating is done)

1 lb. steak
1 cp. dry red wine (if you won’t drink it, don’t cook with it)
4 large or 6 medium mushrooms, sliced (if large, sliced and quartered)
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced, or 1 tsp. garlic chips
freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 tbs A-1 or comparable sauce
1/4 tsp. freshly ground salt
4 tbs. butter

Marinate steak in wine.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Remove steak from wine and sprinkle heavily on both sides with minced garlic and freshly ground black pepper; reserve wine.

Wrap steak in aluminum foil and place in oven for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile . . .

Melt butter in cast iron skillet (if you don’t have a cast iron skillet, a frying pan will do, but nothing beats cast iron).

Saute onions, mushrooms, and remaining garlic (or more garlic, if needed) in skillet.

When onions are translucent, add wine and salt; increase heat and reduce liquid. Add A-1 style sauce after liquid is partially reduced.

When 20 minutes has passed, remove steak from oven, unwrap from foil, and place under broiler for five minutes, then turn and broil other side for five minutes.

Place steak on serving dish and cover with sauce.

Place on table. Stand back.

(Loosely based on a recipe from Craig Claiborne’s New York Times International Cookbook).

Serves two. If you want serve more, increase the meat but be careful about the spices.

1 lb. top round or flank steak, cut into 1/2 inch cubes, fat removed and given to the dogs.

2 tbs ground coriander

1 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp dry mustard powder

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp tumeric

1 tbs red pepper flakes (or 1 dried habenero pepper) (or a combination thereof)

1 medium onion, coarsely chopped

3 stalks celery, coarsely chopped

4 large mushrooms, coarsely chopped

1/2 medium bell (of course) pepper, coarsely chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced, or 1 tsp dried minced garlic

1 tsp basil

1 tsp or more freshly ground black pepper

1 tsp dried mustard

pinch of salt

Rosemary is good, too, if you have it.

2 tbs vinegar or 1 cup very dry red wine

3 tbs extra virgin olive oil

2 cps water (less if you have the wine)

1 beef boullion cube, if available. Otherwise, more salt.

Heat oil in Dutch oven.

Sautee vegetables until onions are translucent

Add meat and brown on all sides.

Add spices and vinegar (or wine).

Bring to simmer.

Add water.

Bring to simmer.

Cover and simmer until you can’t stand it anymore or one hour, whichever comes second.

Serve over rice with cucumber and sour cream salad (see below).

Have available from your local Indian store: Garlic relish, lime pickle, and chutney. Lime pickle rocks.

Cucumber and sour cream salad (this is a variation on cucumber and yoghurt salad, but sweeter, because sour cream is sweeter than yoghurt):

One medium cucumber, chopped into quarter inch squares.

Two cups sour cream.

2 tbs lemon juice.

1/2 tsp Cayenne pepper or more, to taste.

Garlic powder or paste equivalent to one clove or more, to taste.

Freshly ground pepper to taste.

Mix ingredients. Taste.

Add spices as necessary until it’s perfect.

Chill and serve cold. It helps moderate the heat of the curry.

Ingredients:

Six hot Italian sausages

One medium onion

One-half large bell pepper

Mushrooms (I used six medium mushrooms)

Celery (I didn’t have any, but it would have been good)

Olive oil

Garlic (I used garlic paste)

One dried Habanero pepper

One small can whole, peeled tomatoes (may certainly substitute fresh or can of diced tomatoes)

One small can tomato sauce

Other spices to taste

Procedure:

Slice onion, mushrooms, and pepper thinly.

Heat thin layer of olive oil in Dutch oven and saute vegetables until peppers are limp.

Add sausages and saute until brown on all sides (they won’t be a crisp brown because of the oil and vegetables).

Add peeled tomatoes and sauce.

Add other spices (pepper, basil, whatever you like) and bring to boil.

Simmer for an hour.

Serve over rice with cornbread on the side.