Indian Style Pizza

INDIAN PIZZA

3 cups of all-purpose flour

1 package active dry yeast

1 tablespoon of salt

1 tablespoon of garlic powder

1 cup of warm water (120 degrees)

2 tablespoons of cooking oil

1 teaspoon of mustard seed

1 teaspoon of Panch Puran (Fenugreek yellow mustard, fennel seeds, cumin)

1 teaspoon of garlic powder

1 teaspoon of salt

1 pinch of saffron

1 Jar of pizza sauce

1 bag of shredded cheese

Toppings of choice: I used fresh basil, garlic, tomato, proscutto, and pineapple and extra cheese.

For the crust in a large mixing bowl combine half of the flour, yeast and salt. Add water and oil. Beat with an electric mixer on a low-speed for 30 seconds scraping the sides of the bowl. Stir in the remaining flour and beat on a high-speed for 3 minutes. Stir in the spices and mix well. Knead the dough into a ball and chill the dough for 20 minutes. Place onto a clean floured surface and roll out. Transfer to a greased pizza pan  or a pizza stone sprinkled with cornmeal and stretch to fit. Perforate the dough with a perforator or use a fork if you don’t have one, this prevents the crust from bubbling. Spread the sauce evenly onto the crust leaving a 1 inch crust all around. Sprinkle the sauce with saffron. Top with cheese and toppings bake at 350 for 15 minutes or until golden brown.

Pizza From Scratch

From the Kitchen of: Jessica Brainard

Homemade Pizza Dough

3 cups of all-purpose flour

1 package active dry yeast

1 tablespoon of salt

1 tablespoon of garlic powder

1 cup of warm water (120 degreese)

2 tablespoons of cooking oil

For the crust in a large mixing bowl combine half of the flour, yeast and salt. Add water and oil. Beat with an electric mixer on a low speed for 30 seconds scraping the sides of the bowl. Stir in the remaining flour and beat on a high speed for 3 minutes. Knead the dough into a ball place onto a clean floured surface and roll out. Transfer to a greased pizza pan sprinkled with cornmeal and stretch to fit. Perforate the dough with a perforator or use a fork if you don’t have one, this prevents the crust from bubbling. If you want a more flavor in the crust add some pesto, garlic paste, or chopped herbs to it.

Sauce the pizza crust leaving an inch around the edges. Cover the sauce with a layer of bottom cheese then add the toppings you want spreading them out evenly. Then sprinkle on the top layer of cheese and bake in the oven for 15 minutes at 350 degreese or until the edges of the crust and cheese are golden brown. I like making my own pizza so I can customize it the way I want. The choices of toppings are endless but here are some of my favorites:

Pizza Toppings

• Canadian-style bacon
• Italian sausage
• Ground beef
• Roasted garlic
• Chicken
• Mushrooms
• Green olives
• Bell pepper
• black olives
• bacon crumbled
• onions
• Baby mozzarella
• tomatoes
• pineapple
• fresh sage
• feta

Garnish with parmesan and crushed red pepper.

Spicy Chili and Jalapeno Cornbread Muffins

From the Kitchen of: Jessica Brainard

Spicy Chili & Jalapeno Cornbread Muffins

 1 pound of ground Turkey

2 cans of Kidney Beans (drained)

1 can of diced green chilis

1 large can of whole stewed tomatoes

1 package of taco seasoning

1 diced onion

1 diced Green Bell Pepper

4 cloves of garlic minced

1 Jalapeno diced

salt and pepper

Garnish

Greek Yogurt and Shredded Cheese

Serve with a cornbread muffin.

Brown the ground turkey in a skillet. Dice the onion, garlic, and bell pepper. In a large stock pot heat a tablespoon of olive oil and saute the veggies in it until tender. Drain the fat from the turkey then add that to the stock pot. Stir in the beans, chilis, and tomatoes. Bring to a boil. Simmer for 10 minutes stirring occasionally.

Cheddar Cheese Cornbread

2 pk. Jiffy Cornbread Mix

2 eggs

1 cup Butter Milk

1 diced Jalapeno (optional)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Grease muffin pan or use paper muffin cups.

Blend ingredients batter will be slightly lumpy.

Shred yellow cheese and stir into the mixture. To spice up the cornbread muffins, spoon half the batter  into the muffin tin then sprinkle some diced jalapeno and cheese on top of the batter then cover with another spoonful of cornbread mixture.Bake 20 minutes.

Bake 15-20 Minutes

Enjoy!

Cheese If you Please

From the Kitchen of: Jessica Brainard

Cheese Ball

1 8 oz. Package of Cream Cheese

4 oz jar Roca Blue Cheese

4 oz jar Old English Sharp Cheddar

Onion and Garlic Powder

a splash of Worcestershire sauce

1/2 teaspoon of Sherry

Roll in crushed Nuts

Note: The last time I made this I couldn’t find the jar of roca blue cheese. I don’t know if they even make this cheese any more. Just us another cheese or 2 of the Old English.

 

 

Homemade Mac-N-Cheese

INGREDIENTS:

* 1 (8 ounce) package elbow macaroni

* 1 (8 ounce) package shredded sharp Cheddar cheese

* 1 (12 ounce) container small curd cottage cheese

* 1 (8 ounce) container sour cream

* 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

* salt and pepper to taste

* 1 cup dry bread crumbs

* 1/4 cup butter, melted

DIRECTIONS

1. Pre-Heat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil, add pasta, and cook until done; drain.

2. In 9×13 inch baking dish, stir together macaroni, shredded Cheddar cheese, cottage cheese, sour cream, Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper. In a small bowl, mix together bread crumbs and melted butter. Sprinkle topping over macaroni mixture.

3. Bake 30 to 35 minutes, or until top is golden brown.

 

 

Queso Cheese Dip

Ingredients:

1 pound of Ground Turkey

1 Jar of Salsa

1 small can of diced green chilis

1 pack of taco seasoning

Brown the ground turkey in a skillet and drain the fat. Cut up the Velveeta cheese and put it in the crock pot on low.

Add the turkey, taco seasoning, a jar of salsa, and a can of green chills.

 

 

Chicken Mushroom Enchiladas

From the Kitchen of: Jessica Brainard

Jessica’s The Best in the West Chicken Mushroom Enchiladas

Corn tortillas (12 count)

La Victoria Enchilada Sauce 2 cans (Red or Green)

Chicken breast Skinless/boneless 3 pieces

Green onion scallions 1 bunch diced (save the green ends as a garnish)

Green chilli 1 can

Whole Black olives 1 can

2 jalapeno  peppers diced

1 Habanero pepper diced

1/2 red onion, chopped

1/2  pack of mexican cheese

1 pound of Tillamook Pepper Jack Cheese

a dash of cayenne pepper or chipotle chile pepper

a scoop of butter

2 tomatoes, chopped

2 avocados, sliced

1 dollop of sour cream

Prep the ingredients: Drain the cans, rinse off and chop the veggies. CHOP: Cut food into coarse or fine irregular shaped pieces, using a knife, food chopper, blender or food processor. Cut both ends of the scallions dice the bottom half for the chicken mixture and save the top half of the scallions for the garnish put them in a bowl cover and refrigerate.  Shred the cheese. SHRED: Cut into long, thin pieces using the round, smooth holes of a shredder, a knife or food processor. Rinse off the chicken. Brown the chicken in a skillet lined with 2 tablespoons of hot olive oil.  BROWN: Cook quickly over high heat, causing the surface of the food to turn brown. Season the chicken with chipotle chile pepper , salt, pepper, a little pico limon. Drain the fat, transfer the chicken to a cutting board and slice chicken then return it to the skillet. Add  a splash of olive oil, scoop of butter and the scallions, onions, mushrooms, green chillies and hot peppers. Mix well, squeeze some lime juice on it and add a splash of beer. Bring to a simmer. SIMMER: Cook in a liquid on the stove top just below the boiling pint while bubbles rise slowly and break just below the surface. Simmering is usually done after reducing heat from a boil.

Putting the Enchiladas Together

In a separate skillet heat an inch of olive oil on a high and wait until you see it bubbling. Pour a splash of enchilada sauce into the oil to cook the flavor into the tortilla and fry tortilla in the pan on both sides for 1 minute each. Pour a splash of olive oil and 1/4  cup of enchilada sauce into the baking pan. Take the tortilla out of the frying pan let the excess oil drip off of it before you transfer to the baking pan. Place the fried tortilla in the baking pan. Scoop  the chicken mixture onto the tortilla. Place 1 whole black olive in the center of the chicken mixture and top with the pepper jack cheese roll up and continue to place  the tortillas in rows onto the baking pan until it is full. Pour the rest of the sauce on top of the assembled enchiladas. Cover the pan with aluminum foil. Bake for 20 minutes.  Remove the foil sprinkle a layer of mexican cheese on top. Put it back in the oven for five minutes to melt the cheese. For the kids I just make plain cheese enchiladas, put them on the side of the pan so you can find them after it cooks.

Garnish with sliced avocado, sour cream, green onion, guacamole, and of course salsa. Serve with corona, lime, spanish rice and refried beans on the side.

1 jalapeno=mild   1 Habenero=HOT  2 Habenero=Mauwe Caleante

This recipe is great when I am craving spicy food because I live in Oregon and the mexican food at the restaurants here is bland or tastes microwaved.  I use corn tortillas because the flour tortillas get soggy where as the corn stay firm. You can also substitute the chicken for shredded pork or beef. These taste even better the next day. You can freeze these into individual tupperware dishes and take to work for a spicy lunch. My mom makes a different version of enchiladas. They are the more authentic Mexican version she says because instead of the can of sauce she uses the dried chilies and makes her own sauce. I tried this recipe it was a lot more work and they had little more tardy of a taste they aren’t as good as mine but they are good too. It did taste a lot better than her spam tacos that she made me eat once a week as a kid. I did apply some of her techniques to my  recipe so that’s why I think it is so good. You can try both and vote on the one you like best.

This is her recipe in her words:

Mom’s Authentic Enchilada Recipe

Go to Food 4 Less for the ingredients.

1 bag of New Mexico chilies (hot or mild) by the potatoes and onions.

1 package of Guerrerro tortillas (right next to the chilies)

1 package of Asadero cheese (or any kind of mexican white cheese)

1 package of Long Horn cheese

1/2 teaspoon of cumin

1/2 teaspoon of oregano

salt

1 large can of chicken broth (its about 10 inches tall)

Place chilies in a skillet on high. Flip them over often, they burn fast. Take them out when they get soft, takes maybe a minute or two. If they start to smoke try not to breath in the smoke, it will take your breath away! Place them in a pan with boiling water in it. I had a pan next to the skillet and when they are done on the skillet I put them right in the pan. Put a plate or something heavy (I used 2 plates) to weigh them down in the water and let them set for about a half hour. Scoop them out of the pan and in to a bowl to cool till you can touch them. Save the water. When you can touch them pull the stems off and rinse out the seeds. Put them in a blender or a food processor (you might have to do 2 batches-just depends on how many chilies you can fit into it.) Add about 1/2 cup of the chili water, enough to get your blender going good. Run your blender for a while (about 3 minutes). Put a strainer over a bowl (tea strainer works great) Work the chilies thru the strainer with a spatula. Throw away the bits of chili left in the strainer. You seen me do this. In a saucepan put in about 2 teaspoons of olive oil or regular oil, just enough to coast the bottom of your pan. Turn it on a medium heat. When it is warm , add the strained chilies, can of chicken broth, oregano, cumin, and about a tablespoon of salt. Taste it. If it is bitter add a teaspoon of sugar and keep tasting it till the bitter does away. You might need salt. The salt and sugar amount just depends on the batch of chilies you have. Remember to add a little at a time and taste till you like it. You might even let it simmer for a little bit in between the spoons of sugar just to let the flavors blend. Let it cook on the stove for about 30 minutes.

Putting The Enchiladas Together:

Put plates in the oven at 200

Add about a 1/4 cup of oil to a skillet and have it on medium heat. Dip the tortillas in the sauce and fry them for about 30 seconds a side. If they fall apart when you try to flip them you need to cook them just a little longer. Stuff them with the cheeses, shredded chicken, or whatever. Put them on a hot plate and serve right away. You could also try rolling them and putting them in a cake pan. (So you could all sit and eat at once) Just bake them in the oven for about 15 minutes on 350 degrese. You don’t want to bake them too long or they dry out. Have any questions call!!!

Domestic Goddess Salad Recipes

From the Kitchen of: Jessica Brainard

Domestic Goddess Salad Recipes

The art of making a super tossed salad. Use a jumbo bowl and servers, salt grinder and pepper mill. Chef’s seasoning trick; Put a little salt in mortar add garlic buds and herbs, then crush. Use a variety of greens plus wedges of ripe tomato, hard cooked eggs. Add tangy dressing, toss briskly, and you have the tastiest salad you ever ate. One of these days I will make one. For eye appeal and flavor contrast: Add tomato wedges, onion rings, green pepper, radishes, grated cheese, pimiento, egg slices, olives, small fruits, nuts. Bonus tidbits for nibbling; carrot sticks, celery curls, green onions, crisp rye wafers, melba toast. Salad success means serving it crispy cold-so serve immediately.

Miso Salad

Shredded Napa cabbage with fresh avocado, julienne cucumbers, daikon, edamame, carrots, red cabbage, green onions, cilantro, crispy rice noodles and crisp wontons tossed in a Miso dressing and topped with blue crab and shrimp. Also available with chilled-grilled chicken instead of seafood.

Mediterranean Salad

A chilled salad of cucumbers, red onions, fresh tomatoes and Greek olives tossed with crisp Romaine leaves and lemon-herb vinaigrette, served on a bed of hummus. Topped with Feta cheese, sun-dried tomatoes and our homemade Tzatziki sauce. Served with pita bread. Add grilled rosemary chicken breast, grilled shrimp, or sautéed salmon.

Grilled Vegetable Salad

Grilled asparagus, Japanese eggplant, zucchini, green onions and roasted corn, served warm over a bed of chilled Romaine lettuce, fresh avocado and sun-dried tomatoes in a Dijon balsamic vinaigrette. Tossed upon request. Also available with grilled rosemary chicken breast, sautéed salmon or grilled shrimp

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Thai Crunch Salad

Shredded Napa cabbage, chilled-grilled chicken breast, julienne cucumbers, edamame, crispy wontons, peanuts, cilantro, julienne carrots, red cabbage and green onions tossed with a lime-cilantro dressing. Topped with crispy rice sticks and Thai peanut dressing.

Add fresh avocado.

 

 

 

 

Field of Greens Salad

A delicious blend of field greens, pears and candied walnuts tossed in Dijon balsamic vinaigrette. Also available with grilled shrimp, sautéed salmon, or Gorgonzola cheese.

 

 

 

 

The Original, BBQ Chicken Chopped

Chopped lettuce, black beans, sweet corn, jicama, cilantro, basil, crispy corn tortilla strips and Monterey Jack cheese tossed together in our herb ranch dressing. Topped with chopped BBQ chicken breast, diced tomatoes and green onions.

Original Chopped

Chopped lettuce, basil, salami, chilled roast turkey breast, diced tomatoes and Mozzarella cheese tossed in our herb-mustard Parmesan vinaigrette and topped with green onions. Chopped garbanzos added upon request.

CPK Cobb Salad

Chopped lettuce with applewood smoked bacon, fresh avocado, grilled chicken, diced tomatoes, chopped egg, basil and Gorgonzola cheese with our herb ranch dressing or blue cheese dressing. Fresh beets added upon request.

Waldorf Chicken Salad

Steak Salad 

A bicoastal rendition of a NYC favorite! Field greens, chilled-grilled chicken breast, seedless grapes, Granny Smith apples, candied walnuts, celery and Gorgonzola cheese. Tossed with your choice of Dijon balsamic vinaigrette or blue cheese dressing.

 

 

 Chinese Chicken Salad

Shredded Napa cabbage and crispy wontons tossed with julienne carrots, red cabbage, green onions, basil, toasted sesame seeds and fresh cilantro in a spicy sweet & sour sesame dressing. Topped with chilled-grilled chicken breast.

Classic Caesar

Crisp Romaine leaves, shaved Parmesan cheese and garlic-herb croutons tossed in our Caesar dressing. Whole or half size. Add grilled rosemary chicken breast, grilled shrimp, or sautéed salmon.