Friday Night Fun

I keep coming across a quote that says, "If you only do what you know how to do, you won't do very much." Tonight I stepped into the unknown. 

I've said more than once that considering where we live, it's usually faster to make supper at home rather than go somewhere. Well, not so much with pizza. But I've wanted to give it a try. Not hard, but it does take a little time. I still need practice getting the unbaked pizza onto the hot pizza stone. (Maybe two smaller pizzas?) But the rest was fun. Take a look... (Glad to have Jessica at home to photograph the process.)

I'll do this again for sure. If I discover any secrets along the way, I'll be sure to share. The very best part was the extra crispy crust. By the time we've driven home with a pizza, the crust has had time to soften in the cardboard box. Good to know that Demeter's is only 7 miles away, but now we do have another option. The long written directions make it look more involved that it is. Making the dough was surprisingly easy. I had the most trouble getting the unbaked pizza into the oven. I'll figure out how a better way to do it with the stone eventually. If I had used a pizza pan, it would have been a breeze.

Give it a try.

PIZZA DOUGH (makes 1 large pizza)
       -adapted from Emeril Lagasse's Pizza Dough,  (his recipe is made without a dough hook)

1 cup warm water (about 110 degrees)
1 envelope active dry yeast
1 teaspoon sugar
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon Kosher salt (or 1 teaspoon table salt)

In the bowl of a Kitchen Aid mixer, stir together water, yeast and sugar. Let sit about 5 minutes, until mixture is foamy.

Add 1-1/2 cups of the flour, oil and salt into the yeast mixture and using paddle attachment (the regular beater), combine until the mixture is smooth. Switch to dough hook.

With mixer running at LOW, add remaining flour, 1/4 cup at a time, making sure each addition is mixed in before adding the next. Once all the flour (might not need quite all of it) is added, turn up the mixer speed and let the machine knead the dough for about 3 minutes. It should be very smooth and maybe a little "tacky."

Oil a large bowl with olive oil. Remove dough from mixer and form into a ball. Place into oiled bowl and turn dough, making sure all sides are oiled. Cover bowl with damp towel (or plastic wrap) and place in a warm area. Let dough rise until doubled is size, about 60-90 minutes.

When dough is ready, punch down and knead it a few times while still in the bowl. Lightly flour your work surface and place dough on it. Let rest 10 minutes.

Shape into 14-inch round in a pizza pan and add your favorite toppings. (If dough wants to shrink back up as you work with it, let it rest a little more.)

Bake at 450 degrees on lowest rack in oven, about 8-10 minutes, until crust looks done. Or, bake directly on a pizza stone, following directions that come with the stone. Keep a close eye on it until you learn how it works in your oven.

PIZZA HUT PIZZA SAUCE (copycat recipe)

1 15-oz can tomato sauce
1/4 cup water
1 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp oregano
14 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp black pepper
1 bay leaf (remove leaf when done)
1/2 tsp lemon juice

Combine ingredients in a small saucepan. Heat on medium until sauce starts to boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 30-45 minutes, until it reaches desired thickness.

Makes sauce for 2 pizzas

Notes for next time:
     1.  Put cornmeal on pizza peel to see if the dough slides off easier.
     2.  Don't wear a black sweater when making dough.

Pizza In A Flash

We got home from the lake with a dab of leftover coleslaw and some cheese. That was about it. Daddy-O asked for scrambled eggs for supper that night. But I had a real craving for pizza. Back in the old days (before the pandemic) we would order pizza from a local place every few weeks. That hasn't happened since March. A couple of weeks ago I made homemade pizza with a yeast dough and homemade sauce. Delicious.

But y'all, it was time to eat! There surely wasn't time for yeast dough to rise. So it was the perfect time to try the quick little pizzas that Jamie Oliver's son Buddy, (age about 12) made on Instagram last week. This is not a new recipe. I've known about the dough for a long time but I never tried it. Buddy is in the UK so his measurements are in grams. He used 350 grams of self-rising flour (2-3/4 cups) and 250 grams (a little over 1 cup) plain yogurt. And he made 8 little pizzas for his family of five. I did not need 8 little pizzas. 

I also remembered that Skinnytaste made one with flour and yogurt. I looked up her version online. And then while I was still at the computer I started looking at other peoples flour/yogurt pizza crust recipes. There are lots of them. I discovered there is no absolute when it comes to the flour to yogurt ratio. I found recipes that called for...

        Self-rising flour    Plain Greek Yogurt

   2 cups                      1 cup 

1-3/4 cups                   1 cup

   1 cup                        1 cup

1-1/3 cups                   1 cup

1-1/2 cups                   1 cup

Skinnytaste, well known food blogger and cookbook author, used equal amounts of flour and yogurt. Jamie Oliver, famous TV chef and cookbook author, coaching his son, used about twice as much flour as yogurt. This just tells me that you don't need to be afraid of this dough. You can adjust by adding a little more flour or a dab more yogurt if the first stir up is too sticky or too dry. If you read assorted recipes, some talk about a sticky dough. Buddy Oliver's was a sturdy dough. One lone recipe added a tiny bit of olive oil to the dough. Another brushed the rolled out dough with oil. Some seasoned the mix with garlic powder or onion powder. You just need to play with this one. I am going to try some different flour/yogurt proportions to see how they work. 

Next time I might increase the yogurt a little, and at some point might even try the equal flour/yogurt amounts to see what happens. I was happy to have a jar of pizza sauce here. Don't mind making some but this was quicker. It only took a few minutes to stir up this dough and get it oven ready. While it was cooking, I made scrambled eggs for Daddy-O. In close to 15 minutes we were ready to eat. I don't often do the short order thing around here, but both the pizza and eggs were quick and easy. We were both happy with our suppers.

Here's the way I made mine last night. It hit the spot! 

QUICK CHEESE PIZZA

1 cup self-rising flour (I used White Lily)

1/2 cup fat-free Greek Yogurt (I used Chobani and I needed a little more)

pizza sauce (I used a jar of Rao's pizza sauce)

shredded mozzarella

shredded parmesan

Preheat oven to 450º. 

Pour any liquid off the yogurt. Add flour and yogurt to a bowl and stir to mix. Once it starts to clump, use your hands to finish combining. I had to add about a teaspoon of extra yogurt to get my dough to hold together. Turn dough out on to a lightly floured surface and press out and fold over several times until dough is smooth. Use a rolling pin and roll dough very thin. Place on a non-stick pizza pan or baking sheet. Top with sauce, cheeses and add any other toppings desired.

Bake on lower rack 10-12 minutes until crust is lightly browned.

This amount of dough could have been divided to make two individual pizzas. I only made one medium pizza. To be perfectly honest, I nearly ate all of it by myself. The Rao's sauce was particularly good. I'll buy that again for sure.

Some things to keep in mind: 

• You can also use full fat Greek Yogurt. Just make sure to use Greek--not Greek-style.
• If the dough is too dry, you can add a bit of water to help it stick together. I added a little more yogurt instead. 
• The thinner you roll the dough, the crisper the crust will be. You can suit yourself and have it crisp or a little softer. 
• Don't use too much sauce or your pizza might be soggy.
• The leftover slices (I didn't eat ALL of it) were not nearly as good the next day. This pizza is best eaten fresh baked. 
• Some internet versions use plain flour and add baking powder and salt instead of self-rising.
• There are many other ways to use this dough. Just Google "2-ingredient dough."
• If you have younger grandchildren, make this together with them. Or do it via Zoom like I'll do. It's easy enough.

Now. Do you need a cheery minute this week?  Eight cheery minutes to be exact. Go watch Buddy make pizzas! 

Too Far For Delivery

Yesterday Jessica posted something on Facebook about having her dinner delivered. She lives in the city. Delivery isn't an option here on the farm. Tonight we wanted pizza---which usually means a drive to town to pick up one. But tonight I made a homemade version. Well, not completely homemade---but it did not come in a cardboard box.

I knew we still had peppers in the garden. There was a package of turkey sausage crumbles and a can of pizza dough in the refrigerator. And I had an onion. But I didn't have pizza sauce. I've made it before using tomato sauce. But tonight I only had one can of tomato paste in the pantry. So I found a new recipe.

It is extremely simple. The recipe said to let it stand for several hours. I only had about twenty minutes to let it sit. Can't wait to see what it would taste like when I have more time. 

I also only had a bag of Mexican cheese blend on hand. So make this pizza to suit yourself. Choose your favorite crust, toppings and cheese. Or, use what you have in the refrigerator. But whatever you do, make this sauce! Bake your pizza according to the directions that accompany the dough. 

I had enough sauce left for another pizza. I put it in a jar and refrigerated it for later. It should keep for a few days. 

Easy Pizza Sauce

1 (6-oz.) can tomato paste
1-1/2 cups water
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced (I used the jarred kind)
salt & black pepper to taste
1/2 tablespoon dried oregano
1/2 tablespoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed

Mix together the tomato paste, water, and olive oil. Mix well. Add garlic, salt and pepper to taste, oregano, basil, and rosemary. Mix well and let stand several hours to let flavors blend. No cooking necessary, just spread on dough.


There are advantages to living too far out for pizza delivery. Makes you try new recipes. I'm glad I did. Daddy-O says, "This is a keeper!"

Don't think there was a crumb left.

Making It Easy

Crazy, isn't it? How long it takes to change over to another schedule. But I'm about there—back on farm time. That means I've been puttering in the kitchen a bit more. After a couple of peaceful days at the lake, I was ready to cook. Looking at what was in the pantry and in the refrigerator last night, I decided it was the time to try my hand at homemade pizza again.

The last time I made it, I remember thinking the dough was easy to put together, but I had trouble getting the shaped crust onto a heated pizza stone. It must have really been a pain because last night I couldn't find that stone anywhere! Did I really get rid of it in a fit of frustration? So this time I just used a pan. Much easier.

I also tried a slightly different recipe. If you start looking up recipes for pizza crust, you'll find that they are all pretty much the same. There are slight differences in the mixing directions and in some statements, such as, "You should always use bread flour" and "You should never use bread flour." To me, that says just use whichever you have on the shelf.

This time I used Bobby Flay's recipe because I liked the easy way he mixed the dough. There is also a super short video with his recipe to let you see what the dough should look like. If you haven't tried yeast dough recipes before, that helps.

 PIZZA DOUGH
     -adapted from Bobby Flay' recipe

3-1/2 to 4 cups bread flour
1 teaspoon sugar
1 envelope instant dry yeast
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1-1/2 cups warm water (110 degrees)
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus 2 teaspoons to grease bowl

Combine 3-1/2 cups flour, sugar, yeast and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer. While mixer is running (use dough hook), add the water slowly, then 2 tablespoons olive oil and beat until dough into a ball.
If dough is sticky, add more flour, 1 tablespoon at a time until dough comes together in a ball. If dough is too dry, add water 1 tablespoon at a time. 
Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and gently knead into a smooth ball.

Grease a large bowl with the remaining 2 teaspoons of oil, add dough, turning over to coat top with oil. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and put in a warm place to let rise until doubled, about 1 hour. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and divide in 2 equal parts. Cover each with plastic wrap and let them rest for 10 minutes.

That's where Bobby's recipe stops. So I'll continue on with the "how to make pizza" part.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Shape one piece of dough into a circle and press into a 14-inch pan that has been sprinkled with cornmeal. (last night I used a 12-inch pan and had a thicker crust) or just press it into a rectangle shape on a cookie sheet.
Press edge up into a rim. Spread with toppings of your choice.
Bake on low rack for 10-15 minutes, or until crust is browned.
Refrigerate (for a couple of days) or freeze the other dough ball, if not using now. (I'll let you know how the frozen dough works out.)


The pizza was delicious. The best part, though, was sitting down to a simple supper on the porch with Daddy-O.

You can check here for a couple of pizza sauce recipes I've made before. That link also gives you the recipe I used last time. No dough hook or mixer required. I think either recipe could be made with a mixer or by hand. This is not rocket science! Google for more pizza ideas or check Pineterest.

Home Again, Home Again, Jiggity Jig

Oh, the places I've gone! It has been a whirlwind for the last few weeks. There was a trip to the south of France with Jessica and Todd and all of his family. (They let me tag along.)

Then home to switch suitcases before I drove to the beach for some fall break family time with Mommy, J-Daddy and the little girls. Big Sister is in college now. Since our summer weather has lasted into October this was a great time to be at the beach.

Back home again to do some laundry and repack for a trip to the edge of the city—yes, Jessica and Todd have moved to the 'burbs!—for a look at their new house and a baby shower.

Then I got home in time to help set up for a huge 200th anniversary celebration at our church. My contribution was ironing tablecloths and helping with flowers for the dinner tables. There were a LOT of tables to set.  And of course, the clean-up afterward. 

So last night I was over-the-moon happy to be at home. And to have my friends come for dinner and a movie. This is a weekly event, held at someone else's house. She is away this week. Since I have missed too many of our weekly get-togethers I suggested that maybe they could come to my house. I live far enough out in the country that not everyone had been here to the farm, so it was wonderful to get this group out here.

We take turns bringing dinner to these weekly gatherings and I had plenty of offers to bring the meal, but I told them that I was happy do the dinner if they were willing to make the drive here.

Taking a cue from my daughters I decided an "activity dinner" might be fun. Midway through our movie, I hit pause and we headed to the kitchen to make our own naan pizzas. This is the easiest meal to put together. If you're doing it for a group, you just need to have some counter space. And I'll admit having two ovens helped.

This isn't a recipe but more suggestions for how to do it.

NAAN PIZZA

naan bread (you'll find them near the bakery/deli section of your grocery)
Rao's marina sauce, or your favorite pizza sauce
pesto
shredded mozzarella
fresh mozzarella pearls
pepperoni
grilled chicken tenders, sliced (I cooked them in a grill pan in the afternoon)
mushrooms (I bought them sliced, after cleaning I sliced them thinner)
green peppers, diced
onion, diced
tomatoes, sliced thin (I laid them on paper towels to drain a little)
baby spinach

Spread a small amount of marina or pesto on your naan. Add any combinations of toppings. Hint: Don't pile this too high—it's pizza, not a salad! Top with cheese.

Put pizzas on a baking sheet and slide into a preheated 400º oven for about 10 minutes, until cheese melts and and the edges are a little brown. Cut into 4ths for easy eating.


The topping possibilities are endless. One favorite is to use barbecue sauce instead of marinara and top with grilled chicken, red onion and cheddar cheese. Jessica told me that she sometimes uses up leftovers—like okra or broccoli— as toppings. If you were ordering this in a restaurant, it would be called "gourmet pizza."

We were having such a good time, I didn't even think about a food photo until we were nearly done eating. But y'all know what pizza looks like. I did find a picture of naan pizza that I enjoyed at Mommy's house a few years ago. You can read about how she makes hers here. She has some kid friendly suggestions.

Check back here in a few days for the dessert recipe from last night. All the ladies took some home for husbands and everyone of them asked for the recipe. It's an oldie goldie that's perfect for fall. I'll post it in a few days.

At this very minute I'm looking at a gloriously empty calendar for the rest of the week. All I can say is "Yay!" Everything I've done over the last few weeks was wonderful. But being home feels really good.

Today Should Have Been The Day

She's smiling because she is the only one 

around here getting enough sleep.

We are having a "Happy Due Date Party" today—probably a trip for cupcakes—for the newest addition to this family. Either that, or we are sending Baby Girl to time out for not following directions! (Not following directions is usually what lands Little Sister in time out.) Yes, Baby Girl came early. She was four weeks old yesterday instead arriving today like she was supposed to.

All new babies are a lot of work and mean a lot of missed sleep, but babies who arrive early take even more effort. So Mommy and I have been operating on auto-pilot for much of the last few weeks as we have swapped off middle-of-the-night feedings. We are close to sleep walking as we try to take care of everyone here in addition to this tiny little bundle who requires most of our attention. Thankfully, as she is getting bigger and a little older, things are beginning to settle down. So I am ready to get back to business here on the blog. For a while I will just get a few recipes posted here so that I can find them next time I want to make them.

I have been cooking while out here in the midwest, but making photos of the food has fallen by the wayside most of the time. Here is a great recipe I made while Mommy was in the hospital before Baby Girl was born. (It might have been the last food photo I made.)

If you have some cooked chicken in the freezer, or have leftover chicken you need to use up, give this a try. Makes the preparation even faster. Everyone here loved it. It's been a favorite of ours for a long time. Big Sister said she would have liked a softer crust, though. My favorite is the thin & crispy kind. So you pick the one that suits you. It's a nice, non-tomato pizza for the tomato sauce haters out there.

BARBECUE CHICKEN PIZZA

2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

½ cup barbecue sauce (I used Kraft Original)

1 (16-oz.) prebaked pizza crust (such as Boboli or Mama Mia)

1 ½ cups shredded reduced-fat mozzarella cheese

1 small red onion, finely chopped (or use about ¼ of a large onion)

1 tbsp. chopped cilantro or parsely

Position rack in center of oven.  Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Coat a non-stick skillet with PAM and warm over medium-high heat.  Cook the chicken for 5 minutes on each side, or until done.  Transfer to plate and let cool for 5 minutes.  Cut the chicken crosswise into ¼ inch slices.  Transfer to a bowl and toss with ¼ cup of the barbecue sauce.

Place the pizza crust on a baking sheet.  Sprinkle with ¾ cup of cheese.  Arrange the chicken over the crust and sprinkle with the onion and cilantro.  Drizzle with the remaining ¼ cup of barbecue sauce and sprinkle with the remaining ¾ cup of cheese.

Bake for 15 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbly.  Serve immediately.

Makes 4 servings.

And for a while, it's doubtful that I will be able to post a blog without capturing a few of the cute things that three-year-old Little Sister says about the new baby. Yesterday she looked at her and told her, "You are just the cutest baby in the whole town!" We all agree.

This recipe is featured on Meal Plan Monday Recipes on SouthernPlate.com

In The Kitchen Tonight

In the summer no one wants to stand over a hot stove. Probably no one wants to do that anyway. So here are a couple of quick and easy recipes. Short ingredient list. Short prep time. One recipe is one we've used for years and we are having for tonight's supper. The other is new to us this year and Big Sister made it by herself for their dinner last night. You have to try it. You can't let a 10-year-old outdo you!

Pork Chops & Brown Rice

1/2 cup regular rice
1 can beef consomme
3 or 4 boneless pork chops
slices of onion and green pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Put rice in a 1-1/2 quart baking dish. Pour most of the consomme over the rice. Brown the pork chops quickly in a hot skillet. Put the chops on the rice, top each with a slice of onion and a couple of pepper strips. Pour the remaining consomme over the chops. Cover and bake at 350 for 1 hour.

The nice thing about this recipe--other than it is delicious--is that it is well suited to smaller families. And it only takes a few minutes to get it ready for the oven. Then you can go do something else for an hour. If you choose to double it, leftovers freeze well. Because the pork chops bake in liquid, they are always tender. We've been making this for years and years.

And now, here is Big Sister's recipe. She has made this three times since Christmas. Hmmm...... Looks like Big Sister's recipe is more complicated than mine.

White Chicken & Broccoli Pizza

1-1/2 cups fresh broccoli florets, cut into small pieces
2 cups cooked chicken, cut into bite-size pieces
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 cup Alfredo sauce
1 (12-oz.) baked pizza crust, such as Mama Mary's
2 cups shredded Italian-blend cheese
1 cup shredded Swiss cheese
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Place  pizza crust on a baking pan. Stir mushrooms, chicken and broccoli into Alfredo sauce. Spread over pizza crust. Sprinkle cheeses over the top. Mix basil, oregano and garlic salt and sprinkle over cheese. Bake 15 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly. Slice and serve.

If you buy pre-sliced mushrooms, a bag of broccoli florets and use leftover or rotisserie chicken, this a quick fix, too.


Random Things I Know:



Seeds from a bell pepper can be left to dry and then used as potato chips in a doll house. Very tiny potato chips.

Squashed

This has not been the best year for our garden. Extreme heat has even made the plants tired. But the squash? It just keeps coming and coming. We have baked, roasted, stir fried, steamed, and stewed. And we still can't keep up with it. I know, I know. I could put some in the freezer. But I doubt that will happen.

Here is my most favorite recipe for squash. (This recipe comes from a time in my life when I made things that dirtied three pans. I'm more into one pan recipes now. But this is worth a little extra effort.) It makes a nice light supper. Daddy-O had a dinner meeting one night last week, so I made this for Mommy and me to enjoy. Daddy-O expects meat. 

The recipe came from Bon Appetit magazine many years ago, as best I can remember. The crust was made from refrigerated cornbread twists, which no longer exists. So this is my updated version. Jessica used whole wheat pizza dough from Whole Foods for her crust. The best choice at my local grocery store was a can of Pillsbury thin crust pizza dough. 

Summer Garden Tart

• 2 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 cup vertically slice Vidalia onion
• 2 cups sliced yellow squash (about 2 medium)
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme ( or 1 tsp. dried)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup fresh corn kernels (about 2 ears)
• 1/2 cup 1%-low-fat milk
• 1 can refrigerated pizza crust (thin crust style)
• cornmeal
• cooking spray
• 1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/4 cup grated fresh Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Heat oil in skillet. Add onion, squash, thyme, salt, pepper and garlic. Saute about 7 minutes, until browned.

2. Combine corn and milk in a saucepan over medium heat and cook 13 minutes. Spray a 10x14-inch baking sheet with PAM and sprinkle with cornmeal.

3. Roll dough out into pan and crimp edges to make rim. Sprinkle with mozzarella; top with corn and vegetables. Sprinkle with Parmesan.

4. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes, until crust is golden. Let stand 10 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley. Serves 6.

Someone asked how many Weight Watchers points this recipe had. I plugged all the ingredients into the recipe builder, using 1/2 cup mozzarella.   WW Points Plus: 6 points per serving

I had no parsley but it does add some nice color, as you can see in Jessica's tart. You can also use 1 cup yellow squash and 1 cup zucchini if that's what your garden--or store--has available.

Mommy Makes Supper

 Naan Pizza

Mommy posted the photo above on Instagram earlier this week. I immediately asked for the recipe and she sent me the email below. 

You'd have to know a little about Mommy's cooking skills to appreciate the "gasp" she included. When my girls were growing up, Jessica spent much time with me in the kitchen. Watching. Helping. Keeping me company while Mommy was busy with ballet, music, drama and many other activities. So when Mommy married, she was a true novice in the kitchen. 

Thanks to lots of FoodTV, a million phone calls to me and good food blogs, she has learned much. Ten years later, she is a full-fledged excellent cook. But up to now, she has been one to follow a recipe just like it's written. It makes me smile to see that she has moved on to the next step—cooking without a recipe.

 

Here is the email I got from Mommy...

So I didn’t really have a real recipe for this <gasp, I know>, but here’s what I did. Feel free to work your magic to make it better read like a recipe. :)

NAAN PIZZA

Naan bread  (I used frozen, Tandoori Naan)
Pesto sauce  (I used 7 oz tub of Buitoni Pesto Sauce with Basil, and had some leftover)
Tomato, thinly sliced
Chicken tenders
Mozzarella (I used Sargento Shredded Mozzarella, Traditional Cut)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

While oven is warming, cook chicken. (I seasoned them with Borsari seasoned salt, and cooked them on grill pan, pressing down periodically with back of tongs to make sure they developed grill marks.) Cook evenly on both sides until done. Once done, slice chicken into small-bite-size pieces.

Place naan pieces directly on oven rack to thaw and warm for 1.5-2 min. Using tongs, carefully remove from oven, and transfer to baking sheet (cover baking sheet with foil for super easy clean-up.)

Lightly brush naan with extra virgin olive oil. (Naan package said to use butter, but I didn’t want to wait for butter to melt.) Spread pesto on each piece of naan. Then add sliced tomatoes, chicken, and sprinkle with cheese.

Place baking sheet with naan in oven. Bake for 5-8 minutes, or until cheese is fully melted.

My Notes

•  Love this recipe for its versatility.
•  I took easy route with frozen naan, and pre-made pesto, but if you had time and desire, you could make your own. Could also swap shredded mozzarella for fresh mozzarella slices. I did cook the chicken, but this recipe would probably work well with leftover grilled chicken.
• You can accommodate eater’s preferences — Baby Girl ate hers deconstructed, Little Sister wanted extra tomatoes, Big Sister wanted no tomatoes and drizzled balsamic vinegar over hers before eating.
• The same concept would work with other sets of toppings. Next I want to try bbq sauce, bbq chicken, red onion, and cheese.
• This is a good recipe for children to help cook. They could easily build their own pizza with toppings you’ve prepped.

I miss this family when I haven't seen them for a while. But getting emails and recipes from Mommy helps us stay connected. The BEST, though, is when we get photos like this one.

"You can't find me!"

Goodbye, Summer

Everyone is back in school this morning. Yes. BACK in school. I know in many parts of the country today is the first day of school, but Big Sister and Little Sister started a month ago. Baby Girl does go to her preschool today for the first time. She was ready. Watch out, teachers! She'll keep you on your toes.

We had such a good time with the family here for Labor Day weekend. 

But it was so hot, the only sane place to be was in the lake.

Or, in the pool. With little ponies on life guard duty.

There was porch time, too. Games of all sorts. 

From Scrabble to Exploding Kittens to Twister.

Then it was time to get back in the lake.

I would not have won any awards for my cooking this weekend. 

Thankfully, brunch was just a boat ride across the lake. 

And the pizza food truck fed us one night, too. Best. Pizza. Ever.

A hammock is always fun. But it was even hot in the shade this time.

So they went back in the lake.

The teenagers were so good to the little folks. 

Letting them hang out with them. Playing with them.

Loved seeing the teenage boyfriend sitting in the floor,

working a princess puzzle with the little girls.

I held down the shade. Someone had to do it.

And just like that...in a blink...

summer was over.

It was a good one.

Dinner In An Instant—Instant Pot, That Is

I have been "missing in action" in the kitchen lately. We have tried the couple of new restaurants in town. We've eaten sandwiches because it was easy. Two nights ago it was pizza from town. By yesterday I felt a little guilty. I didn't want to drive to the grocery store, so I wanted a supper that I could make from what was here. I had a pack of chicken breasts thawing (without a plan for cooking) in the refrigerator. It was 4:00 PM when the wave of guilt hit me, so I searched the web for Instant Pot chicken recipes. I usually keep frozen broccoli on hand, which isn't as good as fresh, but it's better than no vegetable. Brown rice—the cook-in-the-bag-kind—is another good pantry staple. That was enough to make a dinner.

Before I was ready to cook, I put the chicken under cool running water for a few minutes. After that, it was about half thawed. I have read that one advantage of using an Instant Pot is that you can use frozen chicken. So I didn't bother to thaw it any more. Yep. It worked fine.

If I understand it correctly, you do not have to add more cooking time to a recipe when cooking from frozen. It will just take longer for the pot to come up to pressure. That's where the extra cooking takes place. BUT should you decide your chicken or meat needs to be cooked longer after it's "done," then put the lid back on and cook it more This whole Instant Pot thing is not an exact science. Use your common sense cooking skills. I think if you had large pieces of frozen chicken or your three pieces were frozen together in a lump, then you might need extra minutes added to the pressure time. It's a judgement call and that gets better with practice. I'm still learning.

Just so you know...it took longer to write this blog post than it did to get supper on the table. The meal was really quick. Here is the recipe for chicken teriyaki that I found on my search. I made some minor adjustments. Here's what I did:

GINGER TERIYAKI CHICKEN

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, halved lengthwise (package was 1.36 lbs)  
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup rice vinegar (mine was seasoned rice vinegar)
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 tablespoon minced garlic (I used the kind from a jar)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 tablespoon cornstarch

1 tablespoon water

In a cup, whisk together honey, vinegar, ginger, garlic, black pepper and olive oil. Add chicken to Instant Pot. Put onion on top of chicken. Pour the honey/vinegar mix over chicken.

Place lid on pot and seal valve. Set to Manual for 5 minutes. Use a Quick Release. (Chicken should have reached temp of 165º.) Using two forks, shred chicken in the pot. Mix cornstarch and water and pour into chicken mixture. Cook on Sauté setting until sauce has thickened a little.


Delicious! I served it over brown rice with broccoli on the side. I only had one issue. It wasn't with the recipe. It was with my chicken. It was a tough old bird! It was truly done after 5 minutes of cooking, but it was not easy to shred. I put the lid back on and set it to cook 1 minute under pressure. And it still wasn't as tender as usual. I really think it was the chicken. Nothing to do with how I cooked it.

This was the easiest and the fastest of the Instant Pot recipes I've made. I mixed the sauce ingredients up before I was ready to cook. That took less than 5 minutes. And then when it was close to dinner time, I chopped the onion and split the chicken. Put it all in the pot and set it for 5 minutes. Actual time, from coming to pressure and doing a quick release, was less than 20 minutes, I think. I forgot to time it. During that hands-off cooking time, I made the rice and the broccoli and stuck all the dirty utensils in the dishwasher.

I'm still not going to say the Instant Pot has "changed my life." (Yes, I read that all the time from other IP users.) And I don't feel the need to cook in it every day. Nor do I want to cook every kind of food in it. But this recipe that makes me happy I have an Instant Pot.

Keeping It Simple

Just because you don't feel like cooking doesn't mean you don't have to cook. There are nights when you need a super easy dish. Last night was one of those. Daddy-O had a third helping of this casserole, so it passed the taste test. It isn't fancy. It isn't made from all fresh foods. But last night it was just fine.

If I lived where Jessica lives, I would have made a phone call and in thirty minutes or so, supper would arrive at the door. It might be Thai or Indian or barbecue. Nearly anything kind of food you can think of can be delivered if you live in the city.

But we live in the country. No delivery of any kind. Take out is limited to pizza or a sub sandwhich or a fast food burger. And that requires about 25 minutes of driving to get it and bring it home.

So last night I used an "emergency" recipe. It is mostly canned things. I don't do that often, but last tonight I was happy to have these cans on the shelf and to have this recipe tucked away. You open the cans, mix and bake.

You might need this kind of recipe one night, too. Keep the appropriate cans on your shelf and you'll have supper in the oven in minutes.

ZITI CHICKEN CASSEROLE

2 cups ziti
1 (12-oz) can chunk chicken
2 cups shredded Munster or Monterey Jack cheese (think any kind would be fine)
1 (10-oz) can condensed cream of chicken soup
1 soup can water or milk
black pepper to taste
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Cook ziti according to package directions. Drain. In a large bowl, mix soup and water. Stir in pasta and all ingredients except Parmesan. Mix well and spoon into a 9-in square dish. Sprinkle Parmesan over top. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes, until hot and bubbly. Let stand a few minutes so pasta can absorb some of the sauce.

Yes. Yes, I would.