Quick and Easy Mexican Pizzas

One of the most common things I hear from people who read my blog is that they'd love to cook but that they don't have time.  After a long day of work or school or both, standing in front of your refrigerator wondering what you are going to cook sounds exhausting when there is perfectly good cereal in your pantry.  Believe me, I get it.  And if you don't like to cook, cereal is delicious and healthy and wonderful.  But if you do like to cook, like I do, you should cook!

Oh, and thanks for reading!  The fact that you all are here and talking to me about your cooking really blows my mind.  

I'm thinking about starting a series on here for meals that are super fast and super delicious so that if you want to cook and you're short on time, you have some ideas.  These Mexican Pizzas are the first!  The Pilot Post if you will.  

I took some pita bread and spread some refried beans all over them.

Next, some chopped onion...

...then some chopped fresh tomato...

...and then the cheese!

Once the pizzas were assembled, I put them in the oven for about 12 minutes until the cheese was melty and bubbly and the pita bread was toasted.

Once the pizzas were out of the oven, I added some chopped ripe avocado and fresh cilantro.

Cut into slices and serve with some Cholula hot sauce!

This pizza is easy, delicious, and came together in less than 20 minutes, prep and cook time included.  Using pita bread for the "dough" and refried beans made this easy but the fresh avocado, tomatoes and cilantro kept it from tasting too much like the chain fast food place down the street. 

Fresh, delicious, and easy.  What a fantastic combination.

This is perfect for a weeknight dinner, especially if it's a late one.  Just because we don't have time doesn't mean we don't get to eat well.  Let's cook!

Here's the recipe:

Quick and Easy Mexican Pizzas (serves 2)

Ingredients

• 2 pieces of Pita bread
• 1 can refried beans (you won't use it all)
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 1 tomato, diced
• 1 cup shredded Mexican Blend cheese
• 1 avocado, chopped
• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
• Hot sauce for serving (optional)

Method

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees and line a baking sheet with foil.
2. Spread some refried beans on the pita bread.  Then add the onions and tomatoes.  Top with cheese.  Bake for 10-12 minutes until cheese is bubbly and the pita is toasted.
3. When the pizzas are out of the oven, top with chopped avocado and cilantro.  
4. Serve with hot sauce if you want!

Enjoy!  No slaving over a hot stove for you.  You're time efficient!

One-Pot Jambalaya

My favorite recipes are the ones that use the least amount of dishes as possible.  Meals that come together in one pot with one spoon and are served in one bowl means that my sink isn't overloaded and my mood is markedly happier.  If they're comforting and delicious, even better.  This jambalaya is one of those meals.

This jambalaya starts as many Cajun dishes do, with onion, bell pepper, and celery.

I cooked them together with some olive oil for a couple of minutes just until soft.

Next, I added some sliced kielbasa sausage.  Because I don't live in the South anymore, I couldn't find any Andouille sausage at my local Stop and Shop, but kielbasa worked just fine.

I cooked the sausage with the veggies for about 4 minutes, then I added some garlic and cooked for 1 minute more.  When that was all done, I added some chicken stock and canned whole tomatoes with their juice.

I also added about 1/2 cup water, salt, pepper, some Old Bay seasoning, and just a teensy bit of cayenne pepper.  I mixed it all together and brought it to a boil.

When the mixture is boiling, I added some rice, stirred to combine, and reduced the heat to simmer.  I let that all cook for about 5 minutes.  Then I covered the pot, removed it from the heat, and let it sit for 35-40 minutes until most of the liquid was absorbed.

Yum.  You don't know this, but this smells amazing.  And, it tastes just as good as it smells.

I loved the different textures in this dish.  The rice was nice and tender and the vegetables retained some of their crunch which was surprising considering how long it cooked.  The sausage imparted a lovely meatiness to the whole thing.

If I had more time and wanted to use more dishes I would have cooked some shrimp, set them aside, and added them at the end.  That would have been wonderful, but it was pretty wonderful just like this.

This is perfect for the upcoming fall months.  It's hearty, warm, and comforting--everything a one-pot dinner should be!

Here's the recipe!

One-Pot Jambalaya (adapted from MarthaStewart.com)


Ingredients

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• Salt and pepper for seasoning
• 4 celery stalks, finely chopped
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 bell pepper, diced (I used orange because they looked the best, but any bell pepper would work)
• 1 lb kielbasa sausage, sliced (or andouille, if you're lucky enough to find it!)
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
• 1/4-1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (to taste)
• 1 can whole tomatoes
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 1 cup rice

Method

1. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy pot.  Add vegetables and cook for about 5 minutes, until soft.  Add the sausage and cook for 4 minutes.  Add garlic and cook for 1 minute more.  Season with salt and pepper.
2. Stir in stock, tomatoes, water, Old Bay seasoning, and cayenne pepper.  Bring to a boil.  Add rice and stir.  Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes.  
3. Cover the pot with a tightly fitting lid and remove from heat.  Let sit for 35-40 minutes, until rice is tender and most of the liquid has been absorbed.  
4. Serve in a bowl, preferably with some crusty bread or nice green salad.  Me?  I just ate this and I was a happy camper.

Enjoy!

Haley Family Macaroni and Cheese

I can't tell you how many times I've had this very basic but very delicious Macaroni and Cheese.  Every holiday, birthday, or random weekend together spent with anyone on my dad's side of the family has this Macaroni and Cheese in attendance.  If it's missing, people notice.  Not that it's ever happened before.

When I wanted to make this, I called my Aunt Joan to get the recipe, only to discover that there isn't one.  Everyone in the family just kind of eye-balls it and surprisingly, it all turns out mostly the same.  She gave me the approximate ingredients and their amounts and I gave it a shot.  It worked, and I've been making it like this every since.  Until now...


(I hope you read that in the movie trailer voice-over voice).

 This recipe starts with butter, like most good things do.

 When the butter was melted, I added some flour and whisked it together with the butter.  That's a roux!

The butter and flour became thick and a little dark, then I added some milk and whisked it all together so that there were no clumps.

 I seasoned with salt and pepper and a little bit of cayenne for heat and let this cook until it was thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.  When it was thick, I added the cheese and whisked until it was melted.

Meanwhile, I boiled some bowtie pasta until about 2 minutes to being al dente.   I drained the pasta, returned it to the pot, and poured the cheese sauce over the pasta.  I mixed it until the pasta was coated with the sauce  then transferred the pasta to a baking pan.

I topped it more grated cheddar, naturally, covered it in foil, then baked it for about 20 minutes until the cheese was bubbly and the edges of the macaroni and cheese were a little golden brown. That's the good stuff.

I served this along side some BBQ chicken legs (recipe coming soon!) and corn on the cob and it was amazing.

This is cheesy, comforting, and so delicious.  I liked the flatter bowtie pasta because every piece got a little crunchy, which is my favorite part of a baked pasta dish.

The best part about this?  I wrote down what I did!  I now have a recipe!  Although I think I'll probably still just eyeball it, because that's the Haley way!

Here's the recipe (AJ, feel free to correct anything!):

Haley Family Macaroni and Cheese


Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons butter
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 3 cups milk (I used skim, but if it's true Haley Family mac and cheese, it's whole milk all the way)
• salt and pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 block cheddar cheese, grated and divided
• 1 lb short pasta (elbow, penne, fusilli, bowtie.... whatever!)

Method: 

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and add pasta.  Cook until about 1 minute from al dente.  Drain and return to the pot.
2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  
3. Meanwhile, melt butter in a large skillet.  Add flour to the butter, whisking constantly until fully incorporated.  Add milk, again, whisking constantly until the roux is fully combined with the milk.  Reduce the heat and simmer for about 10 minutes, until it's thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.  Season with salt, pepper, and cayenne. When it's thick, add half of the grated cheese and stir until melted and combined.  
4. Add cheese sauce to the pasta and stir to combine.  Transfer to a baking dish and cover with remaining grated cheese.  Cover baking dish with foil and cook for 15-20 minutes until the cheese is bubbly and the edges of the mac and cheese are golden brown.  
5. Serve with BBQ chicken, turkey and dressing, pork chops, ANYTHING!  It's delicious and delicious comfort foods go with anything.

Enjoy!

Fried Mozzerella Sticks and Zucchini Fries

Hi!  How the heck are you?  Me?  I'm sick.  Sicky sick sick.  I've been around kids for two weeks now, so it's about time their germs take over my body, but knowing that doesn't make me any less sick.  Or resentful that my weekend is spent alternating between tea, Dayquil and Nyquil.

Later, I might try to burn it out again with my Spicy Cajun Pasta but for right now, let's discuss something that cures all manner of illness.  Let's talk about frying.  And cheese.  And because we're healthy, maybe some zucchini.

When I was in high-school I worked at the town's Country Club pool as a cabana girl.  My tasks mostly included refilling the iced tea cooler, making milkshakes, and serving up orders of "cheese sticks."  When I think back, eating fried cheese in your bathing suit poolside doesn't sound appealing in the least bit, but boy were they popular.  I can't eat Mozzarella sticks without thinking about my tenure as a cabana girl.  

Let's fry some cheese!

First, I set up my frying assembly line, which proved to be quite the balancing act considering my lack of counter space.  Eggs, flour, and seasoned bread crumbs:

Next, I unwrapped some string cheese and cut them in half.  To bread the cheese, I rolled them in flour, then dipped them in eggs, then covered them in bread crumbs.  There they are above the breading station!  When they were all breaded, I stuck them in the freezer for about 30 minutes just to firm up the cheese so it wouldn't explode while cooking.  When they were done flash freezing, I heated some oil in my heavy cast iron skillet until it sizzled when a drop of water was added.  Then I fried the cheese!

I let them fry on one side for about 1 minute, until golden brown, then I flipped them over and fried the other side.

Holy moly.

I did this in batches and drained the finished cheese sticks on a paper-towel lined plate.

When they were finished, I had some extra flour and some zucchini that I needed to use, so I decided to fry them too.  I mean, when we're talking about frying, more is more, right?  Right.

To do this, I cut the zucchini into spears, rolled them in flour, dipped them in egg, and then rolled them again in flour.  I fried them until golden brown like I did the mozzarella.  Bam!  Zucchini fries!

I served both with a side of marinara sauce and ranch dressing.

The mozzarella sticks were ooey and gooey just as they should be.  They were crispy on the outside and perfectly seasoned, if I do say so myself.

That hand?  That hand came over this morning to put a fan in my window because it's hot in here AND he took my trash out because I'm sick and when I'm sick I turn into an immovable blob.  That hand is a good hand and totally deserved the mozzarella sticks he was craving.

I mean I guess I liked them too.

Fried cheese?  What's not to like?

Here's the recipe!

Fried Mozzarella Sticks


Ingredients

• 1 package mozzarella string cheese, unwrapped and cut in half
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1 cup 1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs (more, if needed)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon Cayenne pepper
• 1 cup Canola oil
• Marinara sauce for dipping
• Ranch dressing for dipping

Method

1. Assemble your breading station by cracking two eggs in a bowl and whisking them together.  Pour flour on a plate.  In a bowl, combine bread crumbs, salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper.  Stir together to combine.  
2. Bread the cheese by rolling each piece of cheese in flour, then dip it in the egg, then cover it in bread crumbs.  Set aside on a plate and repeat until all the cheese is breaded.  If someone wants to snack on a piece of string cheese before you bread it, that's ok.  
3. Put the plate into the freezer for 30 minutes to flash freeze.
4. When the cheese has been in the freezer for 30 minutes, heat the oil in a heavy skillet until hot.  It should sizzle when you add a drop of water.  When the oil is hot, add the cheese, in batches, and fry on one side for about 1 minute, or until golden brown.  Flip the cheese over and fry it on the other side for another minute until golden brown.  Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate and continue until all the cheese is fried.  
5. Serve with marinara and ranch!

And because I like you guys, here's another one:

Zucchini Fries

Ingredients: 

• 2 zucchinis, cut into spears
• 1/2 cup flour
• 2 eggs, whisked
• 1/2 cup Canola Oil
• salt and pepper

Method:

1. Assemble the breading station by whisking the eggs in a bowl and putting the flour on a plate.  
2. Bread the zucchini by rolling it in flour, then dipping it in egg, then rolling it in flour again.  Set aside on a plate.
3. Heat oil until hot and sizzles when a drop of water is added.
4. Fry the zucchini until golden brown, about 1 minute on each side.  
5. Drain on a paper towel-lined plate and season with salt and pepper while they are still hot.  
6. Serve with marinara or ranch!  Sound familiar?

Enjoy!  Fried food cures all!

Adventures in Worcester, Tortellini Edition

Last Saturday I woke up, made a batch of fresh homemade ricotta, bought a bottle of wine, and made the drive to Worcester, Mass with the promise of homemade fresh tortellini spurring me on.  My friend Grace has been talking about her and her brother Justin's fresh pasta making skills for a while now, so I finally took her up on her offer to teach me.  Also, I love pasta.  This isn't news.

There are going to be more editions to the Adventures in Worcester series, namely the best bread I may have ever put in my mouth, but today is all about the pasta.  

To make pasta, first you have to make the dough.  Take a bowl and crack some eggs in it.

Whisk those eggs.

Next, add some flour.  But not just any flour.  It has to be fine semolina flour.  This is important.

So add that flour to the eggs, along with some salt, olive oil, and warm water.

Take a fork and mix the eggs and flour together.  

Once the dough comes together, use your hands and knead it a couple of times....

....until it forms a ball.

Pasta dough!   Justin, Grace's brother, kept adding flour as necessary.  He said the dough will be sticky and a little loose at first, but it firms up as you roll it through the pasta maker so it's ok.  Once the dough has come together, you take small pieces and begin to roll it through the pasta machine.  

There are different settings to the machine.  Start with a large one and gradually move to a smaller setting so the pasta dough is nice and thin.  

Kind of like this!

Lay that newly rolled dough out on a floured surface.  

Then use a glass or other circular shape to cut the dough into circles.

A lime green Tiki cup works best.  

Now the pasta is ready for filling!  We made lots of different types: ricotta, goat cheese, and herbs; apple and goat cheese; fig and ricotta; spinach and ricotta with nutmeg... we had a lot of dough to fill.  I used my fresh ricotta, mixed it with about 5 ounces of goat cheese and added basil, thyme, and salt and pepper.

Yum.  Spoon, please.

Anyway.

We started making the tortellini.  There is a fancy way of doing it, and there's the easy way.  Three guesses as to which route I took.  

So the easy way is this:

Take the dough and place about a marble size amount of filling in the middle.

Wet one of your fingers and run it along one side of the circle.  Fold it over to create a half moon around the filling.

Take that half moon and wrap it around your finger, sealing it where the dough meets.  It should kind of look like a rose.

Finally, fold back the top part until it resembles tortellini.  If it's not perfect, it's ok.  Emily, my other friend and Worcester resident would disagree, but I'm of the camp that you're going to eat it and you're going to like it, so if it's not perfect, it's ok.  I promise.  

Tortellini!  Cute, right?

Drama shot.  Grace has some cool lighting in her kitchen.

We repeated this process for the better part of 3 hours.  It was ok, though, because we were chatting and listening to music and basking in the smell of caramelized onions.  I was happy.  When it was finally time to eat, water was boiled and the tortellini were added.  

Because it's fresh pasta, they only need about 3 minutes to cook.  

We ate these babies with some amazing roasted red pepper and tomato sauce (recipe coming soon, courtesy of Grace!), a Greek salad made with heirloom tomatoes that rocked my world, and bread. Oh, that bread.  Don't worry, you'll get to see that recipe too.

I don't know if it was my satisfaction of learning a new kitchen skill or the fact that they were truly delicious that made me enjoy this meal so much.  It could of been that I got to watch and learn and snap a few photos while everyone else did most of the work.  Or the fact that her kitchen can fit more than 1 person.  That's a luxury, man. 

No.  I think it was because they were so delicious.  That's the true reason why this meal was so enjoyable.  That, and a fun afternoon with fun friends.  

So, Grace and Emily, you of Worcester fame, thank you for inviting me to your fair city.  And thank you Justin, for teaching me the art of pasta making.  I had a fantastic time, and we should really all do it again sometime.  I mean, I'm always down for a carb-fest.  Read the archives.

Here's the recipe, although I think some of it was changed based on what Justin thought best!

Fresh Tortellini

Ingredients

For the pasta:

• 2 eggs
• 2 and 1/3 cups fine semolina flour, plus more depending on the consistency of your dough
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 2/3 cup warm water

For the filling (ricotta, goat cheese, herbs):

• 1 cup ricotta cheese (homemade if possible!  which it totally is!  Go make some cheese!)
• 5 ounces soft goat cheese
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 tablespoons chopped basil
• 1 tablespoon chopped thyme

Method:

1. To make the filling, combine the cheeses and seasonings and mix until smooth.  Taste for seasonings and adjust if necessary.  Set aside.
2. For the pasta, in a large bowl, crack two eggs and whisk them with a fork.  Add flour, water, olive oil, and salt to the eggs and mix with a fork until the dough has just come together.  Adjust with more flour if the dough seems to wet.  Knead a couple of times until the dough forms a ball.  
4. Lay the rolled out dough onto a flour surface and cut into circles using a glass or biscuit cutter.  Reuse the leftover dough.  
5. To make the tortellini, add about a marble's size amount of filling to the center of the pasta dough circle.  Wet your finger and run it along one edge, then fold the dough over the filling to make a half-moon.  Be sure to seal the edges well.  
6. Take the half-moon and wrap it around your finger, pinching where the dough meets.  You should have something that resembles a rose bud.  Fold the "petals" backwards.  Repeat until all of the dough is used.  
7. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.  Add the tortellini and cook for about 3-4 minutes, until al dente.  
8. Serve either with roasted red pepper and tomato sauce or a light butter sauce with herbs.  They don't need much--they're delicious on their own!

If you have a pasta maker, enjoy!  If you don't, like me, go buy one at Amazon and then enjoy!  Pasta for everyone!