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Healthy Recipes

Bloody Mary Shrimp Cocktail: Celebration Food #SundaySupper

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shrimp cocktail, shrimp, appetizer

I know we’re getting into the time of year of bridal showers and baby showers and such- but it’s also coming on GRADUATION time-as it turns out- MY graduation!

I am delighted to announce that I have officially completed my Masters degree coursework, and my thesis has been accepted and approved!  I am now able to proudly place the letters, MS, after my name. Earlier this week, when I received the confirmation, I was immediately hit with wild, teary emotion. I was washed over with such a powerful feeling of relief and satisfaction. I had set a long range goal, and now, after imagining this moment for so long- it is finally here. 

So dear friends, if you have nothing else to raise a glass for, you are welcome to join me in my happy dance as your excuse to eat, drink, and be merry!  (there really should be dancing)

For those who don’t know, I’ve been working on my degree is in Nutrition and Applied Physiology at Columbia University. It was a long 7 years ago when I made the decision to rearrange my life and head back to school. It was terrifying at first. I had been a fairly confident and successful business woman, but what if I failed at this? After all, it had been 20+ years since I sat in a classroom. I was dedicating myself to a long ranged commitment, and I wasn’t exactly clear of the direction that I wanted to go- just a positive feeling that I had to point my bow forward and keep plodding toward it.  

And you know what happens when you follow a passion- it brings you to places you never imagined, which are wholly more fantastic. That hazy first step turned into a steady stream of many. Though I had many moments of feeling overwhelmed, or questioned the risks and investments I was making- in the end it has left me stronger, and frankly, amazed.

The work and struggle have not all been my own.  Sacrifice and patience has been demanded of several people in my life, especially my beautiful fiancée Pam.

For the past two years I’ve been living in NYC while she has been renovating and tending to our home in Louisiana. There has been a lot of back and forth, and hours upon hours of FaceTime, which frankly has just worn us out. In a few weeks we will attend my convocation. Shortly after I doff my mortar board and gown, Pam and I will pack up my apartment and head home- at last- together. Then my life will begin- again.

duethradish

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Fregola with Arugula Pesto

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fregolahero

 

Looking for some inspiration for your lunch box or picnic basket? This fregola with arugula pesto comes together in a jiffy. I think you’ll find  that the peppery taste of arugula, with a spark of lemon, is a refreshing change from your usual pesto and pasta.

Fregola is a lesser known pasta, it’s extremely similar to Israeli cous cous, so feel free to interchange if that’s all you can find. The round beads of pasta are delightfully comforting on the tongue. It’s very easy to get addicted to these pearls of goodness.

Arugula has always felt more to me like an herb than a lettuce green. I find myself tossing the tender leaves into a bowl of hot pasta the way one would with basil leaves. They delicately wilt into the dish and add a bright bite that I really enjoy. These days arugula is easy to find, especially the baby arugula leaves, unlike basil that tends to come and go. Far less of a hit on the wallet too- and I find it more versatile. It always pains me when I purchase a fragrant bunch of basil only to have it wither in the fridge.

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Easy Pizza Dough: Perfect every time

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potato pizza, a stack of dishes

We love making pizza around here, but it’s always the pizza dough that can be such a hang up. For many people there can be a bit of anxiety when it comes to anything yeast made, and with all the kneading and mess making, it’s a total drag when it’s not quite right.

It’s funny that so much fuss can be made over pizza dough. It’s all so simple really, what are we talking about? Flour, water, salt and yeast- maybe a little oil. It’s the same recipe world over, but with a bizillion different outcomes. It’s incredible how with the same ingredients one crust can be chewy, another lofty and light-and another plain old flat and dead like a tough tile- and they all start from the same place.

Years ago I read Peter Reinhart’s book, American Pie, in which he delves into nuanced detail of the world of pizza making. He takes it so far as to go on a worldwide search to find the perfect crust and balance of sauce and cheese. It’s an incredible read for the foodie that can relate to the ultimate search. It also put Naples high on my lists of places in the world to visit- and solely for the pizza.

best pizza crust recipe, best pizza dough recipe, a stack of dishes

 

Of course there are great arguments as to what constitutes the “best” pizza. In Italy you can get into real Hatfield and McCoy arguments over such things. Me- I prefer a chewy crust with a crunch, more towards the thinner side, and not too oozy with cheese. But then there are the days that I like the olive oily thicker crust with texture and density. It’s all so good really, how could you draw lines?  Though I can tell you this- dry, cracker like crust is not my thang. This I know- and it has to have salt. I dread the hard, blah, plank. Pluh!

But what I really wanted to share with you here is a super easy, and in my experience, fool proof method of making a yummy crust- AND how to get a nice crunchy crust without having to pull a muscle dragging out the pizza stone.

If you’ve read my past post on No Knead Bread, you should know by now that I all about the concept of not kneading my breads to death (or burning out my KitchenAid…). Yeah, this is going to take a little forethought, but work with me here- it’ll be worth it.

I start by preparing the dough the night before using the no knead method with a little extra flour to give it density. This means that in the midst of my dinner making, I simply pull down a bowl, combine the ingredients and then set them aside until the following morning.  I’m already in the midst of making a mess, so no big deal.

After leaving it on the counter over night, in the morning I stick the dough in the fridge until I’m ready for it that evening. The cold slows down the rising and keeps it in a holding pattern until I am ready for it.

pizza dough recipe

 

The wonderful thing about refrigerated dough is, should decide I that I don’t feel like pizza that night, I just punch it down a bit and cover it back up until the next day- in fact- that makes and even BETTER crust.

When I am ready for it, I simply remove the pizza dough from the fridge, divide it into equal sections, and while it’s still cool pat out the rounds. Then I pile them up with my favorite cheeses, vegetables and meats and then turn on the oven. I let the oven take a good 30 mins to warm up and so will the dough.

Getting a crispy crust to me is the supreme goal when making pizza. I tried using terra cotta tiles from HomeDepot, which worked wonderfully until they started to crack. No detriment to the pizza, but even after cobbling them back together a few times, eventually they had to be tossed. Instead I rely on either my cast iron frying pan or my cast iron grill pan. The heat conduction in the iron is great- it doesn’t have the water drawing out capabilities of stone, but it’s close enough for the midweek pizza night.

Of course this will limit the size of the pie- but I prefer handling personal sized pies anyway- more room for creativity, and less wieldy getting them in and out of the oven.

Enjoy! 

Until the next time…

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