Sunday, January 30, 2011

PIZZA!

Had a request from a listener from my radio show, Rider On Recipes.   They had a great pizza at a local Italian Market and really wanted to make it at home.   I know that market because we were extra's in their commercial and I have had that pizza - it is incredible.   So I deconstructed the recipe, did a little grocery store reconnaissance and came up with this recipe that if fairly close to what you can order.

Italian Market Style Pizza


Ingredients:
  • Frozen pizza dough or a prepared pizza base
  • White pizza sauce, store bought
  • mozzarella
  • provolone
  • prosciutto
  • arugula
  • parmesan
  • lemon zest
  • salt and pepper
Directions:   Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.   Read the instructions on your pizza dough or prepared pizza base.  I used the frozen dough and it needs to thaw.   If you're making this for dinner, take the dough out that morning to thaw.   I used a pizza stone, but you don't have to have one, use a round cookie sheet or whatever baking sheet you have.   Shape the pizza dough, using flour if necessary, to fit the stone or cookie sheet.   I pre-baked the pizza crust by itself for 5 minutes to ensure that the center is crisp. 


Remove from oven and top with the white pizza sauce, then mozzarella, provolone and prosciutto.   Bake in the hot oven until bubbly, about 15 minutes (keep checking as you don't want it to burn). 




Remove from the oven and top with arugula, shaves of Parmesan, a little lemon zest, pepper and perhaps a little salt, though remember that the prosciutto is already salty!   Serve immediately!


The white pizza sauce is basically olive oil, white balsamic vinegar, herbs and spices to include basil.

Saturday, January 29, 2011

Tangy Radicchio Appetizer

Last night I had a food demo at a beautiful Tuscan home overlooking Lake Austin.   The architecture of the home was my inspiration for our little menu - a healthy take on Bruschetta.   Instead of the traditional bread base, I used radicchio leaves and modified the toppings a bit to create a delicious one bite taste of Italy.

Tangy Radicchio Appetizers

 
Ingredients:
  • Radicchio leaves, rinsed and dried
  • Goats Cheese
  • Green Olives, sliced
  • Black Olives, minced
  • Basil ribbons
  • Balsamic Vinegar
  • Olive Oil
Directions:   After rinsing and drying the radicchio leaves, you can either tear or cut them into little cups (in the image, I used kitchen shears to shape).   Once you have all the leaves ready to go, begin assembling them.   Start with a smear of goat cheese, then sliced green olives, then minced black olives.   Follow with basil ribbons and top with a splash of balsamic vinegar and olive oil and serve immediately.

For the basil ribbons:   Stack clean basil leaves on top of each other.   Roll up into one "cigar" and slice thinly through.   Use the basil ribbons right away!


Saturday, January 22, 2011

Easy Habanero Peach BBQ Sauce

For my radio show Rider On Recipes this week, I'm deconstructing a Habanero Peach BBQ Pork Tenderloin recipe from a trendy restaurant in Austin.   Time and cost are always first when I work a recipe, as I want to help the listeners put something together quickly but also that doesn't break the bank.   It didn't take me long to get things simmering in the pan and once cooled, I pureed it in the blender to make a smooth and spicy sauce that will go on almost everything!

Easy Habenaro Peach BBQ Sauce

Ingredients:
  • 1 T olive oil
  • 1 small sweet onion, chopped
  • 3 Habanero Peppers, seeded and chopped
  • 1 bottle plain, inexpensive BBQ Sauce
  • 1 jar peach preserves
Directions:   In a saucepan, saute the onions in olive oil and set aside.   Carefully, and using gloves, de-seed the Habanero peppers then chop.   In a large pot, start to simmer the large bottle of BBQ Sauce.   Add the peach preserves, sauted onion and Habanero peppers and cook slowly for an hour. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature.   Once cooled, puree in a blender until smooth.   Store in glass jars in the refrigerator until ready to use!

Great with Pork Tenderloin, Ribs, Sausage, Flank Steak, or Chicken!   Enjoy!

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Snickerdoodle Cookies and Frigidaire's Make Time For Change!

In my opinion, nothing is more inviting and warm then the smell of cinnamon perfuming my home.   Imagine a child coming home from a long day at school and arriving home to that smell.   It draws them into the kitchen where they find a plate of Snickerdoodle cookies, just out of the oven warm.   Grab and glass of milk and it's the perfect setting to talk with your child about their day.   Just another way to bring the families home and to the table.

This request was via Emma, my 7 year old daughter.   She loves Snickerdoodles and I wanted to show her that homemade is so much better than store bought so I enlisted her help.   Our results were fantastic: one that it brought us together with giggles in the kitchen and two, that this recipe made delicious cookies.

Frigidaires new campaign is to get our kids cooking by launching their Kid's Cooking Academy at www.maketimeforchange.com. When someone joins, Frigidaire will donate $1.00 to Save The Children. By me posting this kid friendly cooking blog, Frigidaire and Foodbuzz will make an additional $50.00 donation on my behalf to Save The Children.   Total win-win situation here.

So grab the kids and head into the kitchen!

Stacey's Snickerdoodles

Ingredients:
  • 1/2 C butter, softened
  • 1/2 C shortening
  • 1 1/2 C sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 t vanilla
  • 1 T dark molasses
  • 2 3/4 C flour
  • 2 t cream of tartar
  • 1 t baking soda
  • 1/2 t salt
  • 2 T white sugar
  • 2 T cinnamon
Directions:   Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.   Cream together butter, shortening, sugar, eggs, vanilla and molasses.   Incorporate the flour, cream of tartar, soda and salt.   Roll into balls.

adding the sugar 

adding an egg

time for flour

rolling the dough into balls

In a separate bowl, mix the 2 T sugar and the 2 T cinnamon.   Roll dough balls into the mixture.   Place 2 inches apart on a silpat on a cookie sheet or use parchment paper so they don't stick.   Bake 10 minutes, remove to wire rack to cool.

rolling in cinnamon sugar

ready for the oven

Delicious!

Makes about 4 dozen cookies.

Monday, January 17, 2011

Miso Salmon

A listener sent me an email (to RiderOnRecipes@gmail.com) and asked for help in re-creating her favorite dinner, Miso Salmon, from a local "cheesecake" restaurant.   After a taste test and a little research, this is super close!

Don't forget to listen to me today at 2:10 CST on Talk Radio 1370 AM or on their website at www.talkradio1370am.com or via UStream where you can see us in action.

Miso Salmon with Sake Butter

Ingredients:
  • 1/2 C brown sugar, packed
  • 4 T soy sauce
  • 4 T hot water
  • 4 T miso (soybean paste)
  • Salmon, either fillets or slab - your preference
  • 1 T olive oil
  • 1 T fresh chives, chopped
  • cooked Jasmine Rice
  • 2 T ginger, peeled and minced
  • 1 T shallots, minced
  • 1 T butter
  • 1/2 C + 1 t Sake
  • 1 T heavy cream
  • 1/2 C butter, diced
  • 1/2 t lime juice
  • salt to taste
Directions:   Preheat your grill or broiler, depending on how you plan to cook the salmon.   Combine the brown sugar, soy, hot water and miso in a small bowl, stirring well.   Marinate the salmon for 10 minutes.   Arrange salmon on baking sheet or on grill, brushed with olive oil so it doesn't stick.   Grill or broil for 10 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork, basting with the miso sauce during the cooking process.   Sprinkle with chives.

Marinating the fish

While cooking the salmon, start the sake butter.   In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, sweat the ginger and shallots with the 1 T of butter.   Add 1/2 C Sake and simmer for 3 minutes.   Add the heavy cream, stir and simmer for an additional 3 minutes.   Add the diced butter, bit by bit, whisking constantly to incorporate.  Remove from heat and whisk in the additional 1 t of Sake, lime juice and salt.





sweating the minced ginger and shallots

cream and sake added to the sauce


easy as can be Jasmine Rice in your grocery store

To plate, make a bed of Jasmine Rice, Salmon and Sake Butter and serve!

plated and ready for the tabl

Tuesday, January 4, 2011

Starting the year out right - Homemade Hummus

Happy 2011!   As I get ready to head to the gym, I wanted to post a quick and easy recipe for Homemade Hummus that is just as good for you as it is delicious.   Always try to keep a few cans of Chick Peas in the pantry and a jar a Tahini too!

Homemade Hummus

Ingredients:
  • 1 16 oz. can chickpeas, drained but liquid reserved
  • 1/4 C chickpea liquid
  • 3 clove garlic
  • 5 T fresh lemon juice
  • 2 T Tahini
  • 1 t sea salt
  • 2 T olive oil
  • Paprika
Directions:   In a blender or food processor, mix chickpeas with 1/4 C of their liquid then add the garlic, lemon juice, tahini and sea salt.   Blend until smooth.

To serve, place into bowl and drizzle with the 2 T olive oil and dust with paprika.   Serve with crackers, warm pita or naan bread or fresh vegetables.

Sunday, January 2, 2011

My live, on-air PROMO today!!!

Tune in today at 2:45 CST during the Craig Bushon Show on Talk Radio 1370AM as I air a little LIVE promo for my new segment, Rider on Recipes, starting next Sunday, January 9th!

If you are not "local" you can still tune in via their web site at http://www.talkradio1370am.com and click on the listen live button.

Would love your feedback - send a note to me at: RiderOnRecipes@gmail.com

Saturday, January 1, 2011

Black-Eyed Pea Dip

Traditionally the first food to be eaten on New Year's Day for luck and prosperity, Black-Eyed Peas are tasty little legumes!   My way of serving them to the family is in this great tasting dip.   Happy New Year!

Blacked-Eyed Pea Dip
Ingredients:
  • 1 T olive oil
  • 1 medium sweet onion, chopped
  • 1 ear of corn, kernels cut from the cob
  • 1 can Trappy's Black-Eyed Peas, drained
  • 1 T cilantro, minced
  • 1 T cumin
  • 1 t chili powder
  • 1 T Sriracha hot chili sauce
  • sea salt and pepper to taste
  • Blue corn tortilla's or your favorite chip
Directions:                 
In a saute pan, add the olive oil and onions, cooking until transparent. 

Add the kernels of corn and continue to cook over medium low heat.

Add the drained black-eyed peas and cook until most of the moisture is gone.

Mix in the cilantro, cumin and chili powder and stir well.


Since Sriracha is hot, I recommend incorporating a bit at a time unless you have a heat resistant palette!
1 tablespoon is perfect for my family, but you can add more or less.

Salt and pepper to taste and remove from pan and place into serving bowl.

 Let cool to room temperature and serve with Blue Corn Tortilla chips or whatever you have on hand!