Four Mushroom Pesto Pizza

     This recipe came from the April 2013 Cooking Light Magazine.  I am reading magazines less and less.  I have let many of my subscriptions lapse and the few magazines I do get in the mail often lay unread for weeks or even months.  Pinterest has really changed the way I cook and find recipes.  Arnauld actually leafed through this magazine before I got my hands on it this month, so he chose this pizza dish for dinner over the weekend.  It was a lot easier than anticipated and very tasty.

Four Mushroom Pesto Pizza

Ingredients
12 oz refrigerated pizza dough
cooking spray
2/3 cup water
1/3 cup dried porcini mushrooms
1 tbsp olive oil
2-3 (4 oz) packaged fresh exotic mushroom blend (We used two packages and it was plenty-if you are a real big mushroom lover and like them piled high...go for 3 packs!)
3 garlic cloves, minced
salt and pepper
3 tbsp pesto
3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Method
Preheat oven, with baking sheet or pizza stone in the oven, to 500 degrees.
1. Place the pizza dough in a microwave safe bowl.  Spray with cooking spray then cover and microwave on medium for 45 seconds.  Set aside for 5 minutes.
2. Combine the water and porcini mushrooms in a glass bowl.  Microwave on high for 4 minutes, drain, and then chop.
3. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the oil then add the mushrooms and garlic.  Saute for about 5 minutes.  Stir in the porcini and a pinch of salt and pepper.
4. Roll the dough, on a floured surface, into a 12x8 rectangle.  Transfer to the baking sheet or pizza stone that was heated in the oven (be careful!).
5. Spread the pesto over the dough, leaving a border for the crust.  Then sprinkle the cheese over the pesto.  Finally, spoon the mushrooms over the cheese.
6. Bake at 500 for 13 minutes or until the crust has browned and is crispy.
7. Cut and serve.

Guiness Corned Beef

     Happy St. Patrick's Day!  I was excited to share this holiday with Wren.  Celebrating St. Patrick's Day has never been a big deal to my family but this year, the day has me thinking about my Nanny and Grampy.  They were both very proud of their Irish heritage and that is something I would like to pass onto Wren.  She is quite the mix and I just hope she is proud of all of the backgrounds that make her who she is.
     That being said, I have never attempted to make corned beef.  I always left that up to my mom-who is in Maine for the weekend.  I felt like we had to do something to celebrate our Irishness, so corned beef is on the menu for tonight...

Guiness Corned Beef

Ingredients
2-4 lbs corned beef brisket
1 cup brown sugar
1-2 bottles of Guiness

Method
Preheat oven to 300 degrees
1. Rinse and pat the corned beef dry.
2. Place the brisket in a dutch oven.  Rub brown sugar on all surfaces.  Pour the beer over the meat.  The beer should cover the meat completely.
3. Cover and place in the oven.  Bake for 2 1/2 hours.  Allow to rest 5 minutes before slicing.

The Taste Test
I thought this corned beef came out a little dry.  Talking to a few people the next day at school, I realize that maybe I should have made this meal on the stove top rather than in the oven.  Maybe next year...

May the road rise up to meet you.
May the wind be always at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face;
the rains fall soft upon your fields and until we meet again,
may God hold you in the palm of His hand.

traditional gaelic blessing

Roasted Sweet Potato and Wheat Berry Salad

     Wren is ready for finger foods.  She wants to eat everything!  I chose this recipe purely because I could roast some extra sweet potato to cut up and give her on her tray! 

Roasted Sweet Potato and Wheat Berry Salad

Ingredients
1 cup uncooked wheat berries
1 large sweet potato, peeled and cubed
2 cups baby spinach
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup crumbled feta
1/3 cup toasted pumpkin seeds

Dressing
2 tbsp olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tsp honey
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1/4 tsp cinnamon
salt and pepper

Method
Preheat over to 400 degrees
1. In a medium pot, cover wheat berries with water.  Bring to a boil and then cover and simmer for about an hour.
2. Place the sweet potatoes on a baking sheet in a single layer.  Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Bake for 20-30 minutes or until the edges begin to get dark.
3. To assemble the salad, place the greens on the bottom of a large bowl.  Add warm wheat berries and sweet potatoes.  Drizzle with dressing and then add the rest of the ingredients. 

Lentil Soup For All Ages

     The latest food I have introduced to Wren is lentils.  We had a surprise snow day on Friday, so I took advantage of the time and got prepared for the week ahead by making lentil soup for Wren and I.  Wren's soup had just four ingredients, red lentils, rice, carrots, and water.  Mine was full of spices and made the house smell delicious!

Baby Lentil Soup

Ingredients
2 cups water
3/4 cup red lentils
1/2 cup carrots, chopped
1/4 cup brown rice

Method
1. Combine all ingredients in a medium pot.
2. Bring to a boil and then simmer for about 20 minutes or until everything is soft.
3. Use a food processor or immersion blend to puree.

Moroccan Lentil Soup
 Ingredients
2 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
4 cups vegetable broth
3 cups water
1 can crushed or diced tomatoes
2 cups red lentils
Juice from 1 lemon
3 tbsp fresh parsley
1 tbsp fresh cilantro

Method
1. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat.  Add onion and cook until tender, about 3 minutes.
2. Add the garlic, coriander, cumin, turmeric, paprika, cinnamon, salt, and pepper.  Cook for 1 minute.
3. Add the broth, water, and tomatoes.  Bring to a boil.
4. Pour the mixture into the slow cooker.  Stir in lentils and cook for 8-10 hours on low.
5. Before serving stir in parsley, cilantro, and lemon juice. 

Roasted Winter Veggies with Miso-Lime Dressing

     Yesterday was a bittersweet day.  The sweet part was celebrating my Mom's birthday and spending time with our family.  The bitter part was knowing that today my sister and her family would be heading back to North Carolina.  We have been so lucky to have them in Connecticut with us again for such a long stretch of time.  If you had told me when I was a little girl that my sister would be my best friend someday, I would have told you that you were nuts.  But today that is a reality. 
     We all gathered at my parents' house last night for dinner and chaos.  Whenever we are all together there is always a lot of noise...that's what comes with more than 10 adults and 4 kids under the age of five.  I love it!
     I threw this dish together because my mom asked me to bring a side dish.  I literally looked up a recipe in the parking lot of the grocery store an hour before we were expected to be at my parents' house.  I spent a few minutes in the Asian aisle searching for Miso paste, which I never found.  Instead I bought a packet of Miso soup mix that I used instead.  I then rushed home, prepped the veggies and got them in the oven as fast as I could.  We were only a few minutes late!  This veggie recipe was simple and delicious.  I liked the hint of lime flavor that the dressing added.  I think it could be used on a variety of vegetables.  I'll have to keep my eyes open for Miso paste at different stores.

Roasted Winter Vegetables with Miso-Lime Dressing

 Ingredients
8 ounces brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved lengthwise
2 medium sweet potatoes peeled and cubed
1 medium head of cauliflower, cut into bite-size pieces
1 tbsp olive oil
1/4 tsp salt
Juice from 1 lime
1 1/2 tsp yellow miso paste (or Miso soup mix without the tofu)
2 tbsp walnut oil
Black pepper

Method
Preheat oven to 400 degrees
1. Arrange three baking racks, evenly spaced, in the oven.
2. Place brussels sprouts, sweet potato and cauliflower on separate baking sheets. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and toss.
3. Bake, turning every 10-15 minutes, until browned and soft.  The brussels should take about 15 minute and the potatoes and cauliflower 25.
4. In a small bowl whisk together the lime juice and miso paste until smooth. Slowly drizzle in the walnut oil, whisking constantly, until thoroughly combined.
5. Place the roasted vegetables in a large bowl, pour in the dressing and toss to coat. Season with black pepper. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Pad See-Ew

         We got back on track this weekend with our New Year's resolution to cook more on the weekends.  We strayed for the first time last week because Arnauld was craving Indian really bad, so we headed out as a family to our favorite spot in New Haven, Thali.  This week, Arnauld dreamed up Thai and he made his own variation of Pad See-Ew, using skinny noodles because we couldn't find any thick rice noodles at the grocery store.  He also chose steak tips and shrimp instead of using chicken.  Our kitchen was one busy place this weekend...that's why I'm going to take the lazy route on this one and just post the link that Arnauld used as a starting point for our meal. 

Pad See-Ew

More cookies...

     I spent three hours baking cookies because I am part of the team responsible for snacks for tomorrow's faculty meeting.  Arnauld kept asking me what I was doing in the kitchen and when I told him, he said, "Aren't you always in charge of snacks?"  I suppose it would appear that that were true since it seems that I am ALWAYS making cookies.  I think after today, I am on cookie strike.
     I made a plan yesterday and made sure I had everything I needed to execute two easy recipes.  However, once again I demonstrated that I cannot follow directions.  On my first batch of cookies, the recipe called for 1/2 cup of butter.  I proceeded to use two sticks.  As I tried to form balls with the dough, I wondered why it was so sticky.  As I peeked into the oven, I knew something was wrong when my cookies were one giant sloppy puddle on the pan.  Since Pinterest hailed this recipe as "award winning", I had to try again. 

Lemon Crinkle Cookies

Ingredients
½ cup butter, softened
1 cup  sugar
½ tsp vanilla extract
1 whole egg
1 tsp lemon zest
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp baking powder
⅛ tsp baking soda
1½ cup all-purpose flour
½ cups powdered sugar

Method
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

1. Cream together the butter and sugar until it is light and fluffy. Add the vailla, egg, lemon zest, and juice.
2. Stir in all of the dry ingredients, except the powdered sugar, until combined.  
3. Scoop the powdered sugar onto a plate.  Roll a rounded teaspoon of dough into a ball and roll in powdered sugar.
4. Place on baking sheet (non-stick baking sheets) and repeat with remaining dough.
5. Bake 7-9 minutes or until the bottoms of the cookies just begin to turn brown.  Remove from oven and allow to cool for 3 minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.






Oatmeal Butterscotch Cookies

Ingredients
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 cup  butter, softened
3/4 cup  sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract or grated peel of 1 orange
3 cups quick or old-fashioned oats
1 package (about 2 cups) butterscotch chips

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees
1. Combine dry ingredients- flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in small bowl.
2. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs and vanilla in a large bowl.
3.  Slowly beat in flour mixture and then stir in the oats and butterscotch chips.
4. Scoop rounded tablespoons of dough onto ungreased baking sheets.
5. Bake for 7 to 8 minutes for chewy cookies or 9 to 10 minutes for crisper cookies.
6. Allow to cool Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes before removing to wire racks to cool completely.

Broccoli and White Bean Soup

     The weekends are a big game of catch up.  Catch up on cleaning, laundry, shopping, and errands.  Making lunch for the week has to happen...but quick!  I looked for a crock pot recipe this week, but nothing stood out to me.  Instead, I decided to go with a soup recipe from Whole Living.  It was super fast...let's just hope it is also delicious.

Broccoli and White Bean Soup

Ingredients
2 heads of broccoli, chopped
2 cans of cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
4 cups of vegetable broth
1 onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tbs olive oil
Parmesan Cheese

Method
1. Steam the broccoli until tender.
2. Heat the oil over medium heat in a medium pot.  Saute the onion and garlic until tender, about 6 minutes.
3. Add the beans and broth to the pot.  Bring to a simmer.
4. Stir in broccoli and then use an immersion blender to puree the soup until it is smooth.
5. Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Serve with Parmesan cheese sprinkled over the top.