fresh tomato marinara sauce

i could eat this sauce by itself. it has such a bright delightful tomato flavor, with just the right amounts of sweet and tart and fresh. please please use the yummiest garden tomatoes you can find, no blando supermart 'matoes here please. in the wintertime, i use a couple of quarts of bottled tomatoes. i simmer this sauce at least an hour. two hours is better: the longer this simmers, the better. i hear if you wander into an italian kitchen there is often a pot of marinara simmering the afternoon away at the back of the stovetop.

so ya, removing tomato skins is not my favorite thing to do, but in my instructions you use the same pot for cooking and blanching, so you have no extra pots to wash and it just adds a few minutes of extra prep work. it is worth removing the skins. the sauce will have a softer, sweeter flavor, and since the skins never break down, the texture is ten thousand times better. trust me.

serve this over fresh homemade pasta, in lasagne or baked ziti, as a dip for calzones, or over chicken parmigiana. use any leftovers for homemade pizza the next day.


fresh tomato marinara sauce
an original recipe by rachelle
8 big garden tomatoes, or 10 romas (must be garden fresh. no blando supermart tomatoes! if you must, use a couple big 28 oz cans/quarts of tomatoes.)
1/2 onion, chopped
3 Tablespoons olive oil
1 bay leaf
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons basil
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar

drop half of the tomatoes into boiling water in a big stockpot and boil for 45 seconds. remove to a big bowl of ice water. repeat with the other half of the tomatoes. peel dump the water out of the stockpot to use for sauce. set aside.

chop the onion. preheat the oil in the stockpot. (sure you could use less oil, but it adds richness and flavor. minimum 2 Tbsp. ok.) drop the onion in the oil and soften for 5 mins over medium heat.

working quickly, peel the skins off of the tomatoes, they should slide right off after you break the skin. cut out cores and cut tomatoes into big 2-3 inch chunks. (they cook so long, they break down. you can cut them in huge quarters.)

drop the tomatoes into the pot with the onions. add in all of the tomatoes, the garlic and the bay leaf. bring to a boil. hard simmer for a half hour.

add basil, oregano, salt, and sugar. adjust seasonings to taste. (it just depends on your tomatoes. sometimes you need more or less salt, more sugar, just taste. but for heavens sakes, blow on the spoon alot before you taste. just a tip i've come by the hard way. six thousand times.)


hard simmer another half hour. liquid should have boiled down and reduced by about half. stir in balsamic vinegar. taste, maybe add another teaspoon balsamic.

gooey butter cakes

gooey butter cakes is a dessert from the butter queen herself, Paula Deen. it is more like a bar dessert than a cake. it is really rich- (cheesecake rich-) but has a really yummy flavor and a great chewy texture. i liked it best served with a handful of fresh raspberries to cut the sweetness. very yum. a keeper.

gooey butter cakes
from The Lady & Sons Just Desserts by Paula H. Deen

cake

1 box yellow cake mix
1 egg
1 stick butter, melted

filling

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
2 eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 (16-ounce) box confectioners' sugar (about 4 cups.)
1 stick butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 13x9x2-inch baking pan.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine cake mix, egg, and butter and mix well. Pat into the bottom of prepared pan and set aside.

Still using an electric mixer, beat cream cheese until smooth; add eggs and vanilla. Dump in confectioners' sugar and beat well. Reduce speed of mixer and slowly pour in butter. Mix well. Pour filling onto cake mixture and spread evenly.

Bake for 40 to 50 minutes. Don't be afraid to make a judgment call on the cooking time, because oven temperatures can vary. You want the center to be a little gooey, so don't bake it past that point! Remove from oven and allow to cool completely. Cut into squares.

taco tacos with homemade taco shells and seasoned taco beef

these simple tacos are made special by making homemade taco shells. it's a super simple technique that adds so much flavor. (feel free to sub store bought or baked shells, i'm just sayin' the fried ones are better, of course.) be sure to have lots of toppings for taco tacos. my three year old loves these.

taco tacos
with homeade taco shells and seasoned taco beef

an original recipe by rachelle

1 recipe seasoned taco beef

12 corn tortillas

toppings:

lettuce

tomato, chopped

onion, chopped

sour cream

blender guacamole

shredded cheese

salsa

heat a frypan on medium high. when oil is hot and ready for frying, lower in a corn tortilla and soften in the hot oil for about ten seconds, then turn over and fold in half (into a taco shape,) using tongs. fry that side until browned (10-20 sec) then flip it over and finish cooking the other side. remove to a paper towel lined tortilla warmer. (i told you i use this alot.) repeat until all tortillas are fried. -if you don't heat the tortilla flat in the oil first, you will have trouble with your taco shells cracking open at the bottom, at the fold.- serve with seasoned taco beef and lots of toppings.

seasoned taco beef

1 pound ground beef

1 Tablespoon oil

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon minced onion

2 teaspoons chili powder

1 onion, chopped (optional)

1/2 bell pepper, chopped (optional)

1/2 cup salsa (optional)

preheat skillet on medium high. add oil and beef, (and onion and pepper if using.) season with salt, pepper, garlic, cumin, minced onion and chili powder. after beef is browned, stir in salsa. let cook for a couple of minutes. if you are not using salsa, add 1/4 cup water and let it thicken up for a couple of minutes.

use for tostadas, tacos, burritos, casseroles and crock pot dumps.

how-to-beans.

at this point in my life i really can not believe there ever existed a me who didn't know how to make a pot of fresh beans. straight up ole pinto beans. the fabulous side or main dish that is so glamourously cheap yet can be used to make so many things. beans. you must know how to make these. i promise a hundred recipes to use these for.

beans.

rachelle's recipe.

1 pound dry pinto beans- (about 2 cups.)

8 cups water

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon knorr caldo de pollo (chicken boullion, mexican section)

1 teaspoon minced onion

2 cloves garlic, minced; or 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1 Tablespoon bacon fat, or 2 slices bacon

you can also add:

onion, quartered (optional)

jalepeno, whole (optional)

dry chile pods, whole (optional

get your favorite helper to sort beans with you. look for rocks, shriveled beans, and bean halves. remove all imperfect beans and rinse beans off.

you can choose here from five options.

1. soak beans overnight to cook quicker in the morning: [you've planned ahead.]
2. load beans into a stockpot and quick soak: bring to a boil, boil three minutes, turn heat off, leave soaking for one hour, then cook: [you remembered after lunch.]
3. load beans into a stockpot and cook away: [you remembered after lunch.]
4. load beans into a crock pot and cook away: [you remembered in the morning.]
5. load beans into a pressure cooker and cook away: [you remembered at 5 pm.]

to cook:
in a stockpot or crock pot, load beans, water and garlic. don't add salt yet. if you are cooking beans on the stovetop, add water as needed. stir occasionally. keep partially covered with a lid.

cooking time for unsoaked beans: crock pot: 10 hours on low. stovetop: 3 hours, simmer. cooking time for soaked beans: crock pot: 8 hours on low. stovetop: 2 hours, simmer.

(these cooking times are estimates. cooking times depend on the age of the beans, water hardness, altitude pressure, etc.. i suggest give yourself a little bit of space the first time you cook beans- i would plan an extra hour bumper time before dinner, just in case the beans aren't ready. you can always keep them warm if they're ready early. after you've tried them once, you will better know a time frame for your stove, crockpot, and kitchen.)
add the seasonings about halfway through the cooking time. if you forget or leave it to the last minute, you will have yucky blah beans in a delicious broth. if you may forget, load it up in the beginning. it will make the bean skins a bit tougher (but that is better than blah beans.)
in a pressure cooker, add water and seasonings into the pot and start timing when pressure valve pops (on the highest pressure,) and cook for one hour. you can let the pressure fall or quick release.

country french toast shapes

my 3 year old daughter mj is a tough crowd for breakfast. when she sits at the sideboard in the kitchen and chooses her french toast shapes from our assortment of cookie cutters, she gobbles up more breakfast than usual (yea.) i try to squeeze the shapes to the edge of the bread so i can make a rectangle shape out of the extra bread to feed my toddler (who will eat whatever, for now.) i save the bread scraps and crusts from cutting shapes and use them to make seasoned breadcrumbs for dinner- chicken parmigiana. if i'm not in the mood for chicken parm and don't want to waste crusts from making shapes, i cut the bread on the diagonal, crosswise, to make four french toast triangles. those are cute and fun for little fingers to dip in syrup. of course if you're not any fun at all you can make delicious boring old french toast with this.

country french toast
an original recipe by rachelle

2 eggs
1/2 cup milk (try cream!)
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon (or nutmeg or allspice)
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon sugar
4-6 slices bread
1 Tablespoon oil
1 Tablespoon butter

combine sugar, salt and cinnamon in a pie tin. stir well. beat in milk, eggs, and vanilla. cut shapes with cookie cutters in bread. soak bread in mixture until it is absorbed, turning to coat both sides. heat oil and butter in a heavy skillet. place coated bread in medium-hot skillet; cook until browned on both sides. dust with powdered sugar. serve with butter and syrup or with berries and whipped cream.

pineapple sorbet and macademia nut brittle

this pineapple sorbet is fresh and tasty. it is good good good. the buttery macademia nut brittle is a perfect finish for the sorbet, but is also good in pieces, eaten in delicous stolen moments of the day.

pineapple sorbet and macademia nut brittle
an original recipe by rachelle

pineapple sorbet
an original recipe by rachelle

1 fresh pineapple, cubed
1/3 cup water
1/2 cup sugar, plus 2 Tablespoons
1 teaspoon lemon juice

combine pinapple, water, sugar and lemon juice in blender. blend well and freeze for one hour to chill mixture. i just put my blender in the freezer. process in ice cream maker for 20 minutes then freeze overnight. serve with a piece of macademia nut brittle.

macademia nut brittle
recipe by wolfgang puck, adapted by rachelle

1 1/2 cups roasted, chopped macadamia nuts
3/4 cups granulated sugar
2 Tablespoons light corn syrup
2 Tablespoons water
1 stick butter
1/2 teaspoon salt

place the sugar, corn syrup and water in a saucepan. bring to a rolling boil over medium heat. cover the pan and continue to boil for 5 minutes, lowering the heat a little bit.
add the butter and stir until it melts. cook until it reaches hard crack- 300 degrees on a candy thermometer. this may take 10-20 minutes. stir in the salt and nuts.
spread over half of a greased jelly roll pan, pressing with a spatula to get it as thin as possible. cool, turn out of the pan and dap the oiled side with paper towels. break the brittle into pieces to serve.

chicken taquitos and taquito crock pot chicken

this recipe is great to throw in the crock pot and have ready for a busy day or evening. it's an easy dump before church. the unexpected secret ingredient- worcestershire sauce- (which my dad forced me to learn to pronounce as a child) gives a great flavor.

chicken taquitos
and taquito crock pot chicken
an original recipe by rachelle (inspired by uncle webb.)

taquito crock pot chicken

3 frozen chicken breasts
1/4 cup worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup water
1/2 onion, diced
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon pepper

combine in a crock pot and cook on low for four hours. shred and taste for seasoning. add salt and pepper if needed, and more paprika for color, if needed. keep warm.

chicken taquitos

12 corn tortillas
1 recipe taquito crock pot chicken
shredded cheese
1 recipe blender guacamole

put 1 heaping Tablespoon taquito chicken in the middle of a corn tortilla. top with a heaping Tablespoon shredded cheese. cook on a hot griddle spread with a layer of oil or butter. cook tortillas opened flat until softened, then fold in half like a taco. brown both sides. keep warm in a tortilla keeper. (norpro makes a great big one. i love it for pancakes, tacos, tortillas...) serve with guacamole, salsa and sour cream.

variation: put 1 heaping Tablespoon taquito chicken in the end of a corn tortilla and roll up as tight as you can. secure with a toothpick. fry in hot oil a couple of minutes on both sides until golden brown. top immediately with shredded cheese. serve with shredded lettuce and guacamole.

taco shop (blender) guacamole

this is a great recipe for an easy smooth guacamole. we like it best on taquitos and tacos, and save the chunky guacs for chips and salads. (although i know plenty of people who love this guac with chips too.) it's smooth and creamy and has great flavor. it gets a little ugly on the top after the first day, but just scrape aside the top layer to reveal the gorgeous green.

blender guacamole

recipe from jesse jones

1 cup milk

1 or 2 avocados, scooped out of shell

1 clove garlic

1/2 jalepeno

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon lime juice

1/2 bunch cilantro (add last.)

blend milk, garlic, avocado, jalepeno, salt and lime juice in blender until smooth. add a handful of cilantro and blend til combined.

tricia's apple pancakes with warm apple syrup

(how will i ever thank tricia?)
apple pancakes

these apple pancakes and apple syrup are good. bed and breakfast good. get-out-of-bed for them good. the best pancakes you have ever had good. (my hub says so.) toss any extra sliced apple on top of the pancakes and serve with hot apple syrup. don't be afraid to spend your whole days worth of calories at breakfast for them. eat lettuce the rest of the day; you'll find yourself happy at bedtime, still dreaming of the warm apple syrup-
recipe from tricia call, adapted by rachelle

2 eggs
2 cups milk
4 Tablespoons sugar
2 cups flour
2 Tablespoons oil
1 pint bottled apples (1 store bought can)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon

in a blender, combine eggs, milk, sugar, flour, oil, apples, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. pulse a few times to mix. (just a few pulses. pancakes are one of those don't mix them too much and leave em lumpy things!) add baking powder, pulse twice to mix through. cook on hot griddle. serve with warm apple syrup.


warm apple syrup
recipe from tricia call

1 cup sugar
2 Tablespoons cornstarch
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
2 Tablespoons lime or lemon juice
2 cups apple juice
¼ cup butter

Mix sugar, cornstarch and nutmeg together. Add lime juice, and apple juice. Boil together for a minute, then remove from heat and add butter. Ready to serve.

*the original recipe calls for 1 1/2 cups grated fresh apple. (i'm just always looking for a reason to use my bottled apples. you can sub applesauce as well.) the original recipe is made the usual way: beat the eggs, add in milk, flour,etc. my lazy solution is to chop the apples in the blender. i suppose if i was using fresh grated apple i would make it the regular way.

key lime pie

not much can top the creamy-zingy-tangy-sweet of a key lime pie. this pie has a perfect balance of tangy-sweet. it is one of my favorite desserts for a mexican dinner. this is an easy recipe for a classic pie. look for key limes- those little 1-inch greenish-yellow ones. use a pre-made graham cracker crust and you can whip this up in no time at all-- just leave time to get it nice and cool!

key lime pie

recipe from Gourmet, adapted by rachelle

1 pound cream cheese, softened (not one package, one pound)

3/4 cup key lime juice

1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk

1 teaspoon finely grated fresh lime zest
1 1/4 cups sweetened whipped cream

1 graham cracker crust, baked for 10 mins and cooled

thinly sliced lime and lime zest, for garnish, as shown

in a food processor or mixer, blend cream cheese, lime juice, and condensed milk until smooth. Add zest and pulse just until combined. Pour filling into pre-baked graham cracker crust. Top with sweetened whipped cream. Arrange lime slices on top of pie. Chill pie, loosely covered, at least 6 hours and up to 1 day.

cafe rio-ish sweet pork or shredded chicken salads

cafe rio-ish salads.
my collaboration of the best recipes from my experimentation on recipes from the worldwide web! (some reputed to be the original top secret recipes.) choose to make the sweet pork (pick this one!) or chicken, be sure to read the list at the bottom, and start early in the day. lots of prep work, this one. i make the rice, beans, pico and guacamole throughout the day or the day before. the meat is a crock pot dump. with most of that work finished beforehand, this comes together quickly at mealtime. super fab finished off with a homemade key lime pie!

(these recipes make mahusive portions, try half or quarter recipes for a small fam.)

sweet pork5 pounds pork tenderloin or shoulder roast
1 cup salsa
2 cups brown sugar
1-2 cans Dr. Pepper

Combine the salsa, brown sugar and Dr. Pepper in a bowl. Put pork in crock pot and pour liquid over top. Set crock pot to high and cook for 8 hours. When cooked, remove pork from crock pot, put in large bowl and use forks to shred the meat. Put meat back into crock pot and cook for another hour.

shredded chicken
5 lbs chicken breast- boneless skinless
1 small bottle zesty italian dressing
1 Tbsp chili powder
1 Tpsp cumin
3 cloves garlic, minced
1-2 cups water

Mix all ingredients together in a large crock pot.
Cook on high for 5-7 hours. Remove chicken and shred with fork. Return meat to crock pot and heat through. Keep warm.

creamy tomatillo ranch dressing1 tomatillo (canned or fresh)
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup packed fresh cilantro leaves
1 cup mayo
1 envelope buttermilk ranch dressing mix (Hidden Valley)
1 clove garlic, minced or crushed
1 lime, juiced
2 teaspoons sugar
½ fresh jalepeno, deseeded, to taste

Combine all ingredients in blender and combine till thick and creamy. Refrigerate for an hour or so to let flavors meld. Dressing can be saved in airtight container for about 3-4 days in refrigerator.

green chile lime rice2 Tablespoons butter
1 yellow onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
6 2/3 cups water
8 teaspoons chicken bullion
1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped
2 teaspoons cumin
2 small cans diced green chilies
2 Tablespoons lime juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 Tablespoon lime zest (optional)
3 cups rice
Saute onion and garlic in butter in a saute pan. In a saucepan, bring water, chicken boullion, cilantro, cumin, chiles, lime juice, salt and lime zest to a boil. Add onion and garlic to boiling water. Add 3 cups long grain rice. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 30 minutes.

pico de gallo4 fresh large tomatoes, chopped
1 white onion, chopped
1/4 bunch cilantro, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon lime juice
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Combine ingredients together in a medium bowl.

• Layer Salads like this:
  Warm Tortilla (I like to buy uncooked tortillas from Costco's refrigerated case and cook them fresh, or use fresh homemade tortillas)
  Green Chili Lime Rice
  Warmed Pinto or black beans (your preference)
  Sweet Pork or Shredded Chicken (your preference)
  Romaine lettuce, chopped
  Spoonful Pico de Gallo
  Spoonful chunky guacamole
  Spoonful sour cream
  Fried corn tortilla strips (deep fry 1/8” corn tortillas strips in oil)
  Sprinkle of grated cotija cheese
  Sprig cilantro
  Tomatillo ranch dressing, served on the side

fabulous video with marinated steak

fideo is a classic mexican dish packed with flavor. cafe rio in utah serves a version of this every friday. fideo is perfect with sliced steak, a plop of sour cream, a sprig of cilantro (missing here.) and a splash of lime. it comes together quickly and probably only requires two things not in your pantry: El Pato Sauce (little yellow can, ethnic-mexican aisle,) and vermicelli (you can find "fideos" in the ethnic aisle, otherwise break up the long regular italian vermicelli.) cook the steaks while you wait for the fideo to cook.

fideo
an original recipe by rachelle

1 (7 oz) package vermicelli noodles
2 Tablespoons oil
1 onion, diced
3 carrots, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 quart tomatoes, undrained
1 (7 0z) can El Pato sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1 quart water
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
2 Tablespoons chicken boullion
3 fideo steaks, grilled and sliced (optional, but recommended!)
cilantro, for garnish

fry vermicelli until browned in hot oil in a large stockpot. remove from pan. saute onion, carrot and garlic until softened. add tomatoes, El Pato sauce, water, sugar and oregano. add boullion and salt and pepper to taste. stir well and cover. simmer on low for 30 minutes, checking every once in a while and stirring. serve in a bowl with a garnish of sour cream, lime and cilantro, and steaked sliced over top.


marinated steak for fideo

3-4 ribeye, tri tip or sirloin steaks
1 lime, juiced
1 teaspoon chili powder
2 Tablespoons butter, melted
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

combine in a ziptop bag and add steak. marinate an afternoon in the fridge or 20 minutes at room temperature. preheat grill and cook steaks. let steaks rest a few minutes before slicing to serve over the fideo.

the ultimate homemade fabulous pizza dough and twenty bring-the-pizzeria-home tips!

a lifetime spent obsessed with pizza has left me with one skill: i know good pizza. of all my accomplishments in the kitchen, nailing this has been the greatest achievement of all. everybody loves pizza. these are my tips for bringing the pizzeria home. i have learned bits and pieces everywhere, because the second i hear 'pizza' mentioned, my ears perk up. this is what i know. and like i said before, i know good pizza.

1. it's not the recipe, it's the technique. most recipes for pizza dough have the same basic ingredients. (by technique, i mean how you knead the dough, how long a rise, an autolyse, etc. this info follows.)
2. add all the water and three-quarters of the flour of your recipe into the bowl of your mixer. mix, then cover and rest the dough for thirty minutes. this is called autolyse- it works by rehydrating the flour and beginning gluten development.
3. try bottled spring water instead of tap water. don't laugh, some people swear by this.
4. knead the pizza dough a long time. ten-fifteen minutes in a mixer.
5. if you remember to make dough the day before, try a cold, slow rise. cut the yeast back to 1 1/2 teaspoons and refrigerate the dough, tightly covered, overnight. set out at room temperature for a couple of hours before rolling. this gives a wonderful texture to the dough.
6. pizza likes it hot. a very very hot oven will cook a pizza better. crispy outside, chewy soft inside, nice bubbly top- you want your oven at about 475 degrees. you will only need to bake a fully loaded pizza for about 7 minutes.
7. yes you need a pizza stone. and a good one, to tolerate 475 degrees. i leave mine in allthetime. just get one. if you're fully commited to making the ultimate homemade fabulous pizza, you'll get one. if you're on the fence, just bake on a heavy cookie sheet. well oiled.
8. exercise restraint: don't use too much cheese. or toppings. or sauce. limit yourself to about 2 cups cheese and 1/2 cup sauce. try to limit those raw veggies- lots of moisture.
9. preheat your oven. for a very long time- like a half hour or forty five minutes.
10. roll the dough out over cornmeal instead of flour.
11. place dough rounds on parchment paper before adding toppings, then use a peel to transfer pizza onto a hot baking stone.
12. layer like this: dough, sauce, 3/4 of the cheese, toppings, 1/4 of the cheese.
13. try layering fresh herbs on top of the sauce.
14. make your own stuffed crust pizza by rolling edges of crust around string cheese.
15. sprinkle the top of your pizza with parmesan cheese. it browns up oh-so-lovely and adds a yummy salty pop of flavor.
16. sprinkle of italian seasoning all over the top of the pizza just before it goes into the oven. looks pretty and tastes good. by all means, use fresh herbs if you've got 'em!
17. brush the edges of crust with oil before you bake it. it adds a delicious flavor.
18. make pan pizza in a cake pan or cast iron pan: use lots of oil in pan, layer dough and toppings, bake in pan. watch closely that the bottom doesn't burn.
19. mix your cheeses: (even just mozzarella, cheddar and parmesan, if that is all you have.) try gouda, provolone, muenster, jarlsberg, there are so many more. all yummy.
20. make the sauce ahead of time. let those flavors meld. make it as soon as you know you're making pizza.

the ultimate homemade fabulous pizza dough
1 cup warm water*
3 cups flour
1 Tablespoon oil
1 Tablespoon yeast**
1 Tablespoon sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt

combine warm water and 2 1/2 cups flour in the bowl of a mixer. mix together, cover and rest for 30 minutes. do not skip this step! (unless you want un-ultimate homemade un-fabulous pizza dough.) after 30 minutes, add oil, yeast, sugar, and salt to dough. mix. add remaining flour, watching dough, perhaps adding a bit more or less flour as needed. the dough should be soft but not sticky. knead in mixer for ten minutes. put in an oiled bowl and cover. (at this point if you are making this for an overnight cold rise, put in fridge.) let dough rise until doubled, about 30 minutes. punch dough down, let rest another 10 minutes. roll out into a 16" circle over spelt flour or cornmeal. transfer to parchment paper or cookie sheet before topping. top with 1/2 cup sauce, 2 cups cheese and toppings of choice. bake on a pizza stone or a well oiled cookie sheet in a 475 degree well-preheated oven for 7 minutes.
this makes one 16" crust.

*try spring water- see tip #3.
**use only 1 1/2 teaspoons yeast for an overnight cold rise. in the morning, remove dough, let warm to room temperature for a couple of hours, punch down, rest for 10 minutes, and roll out.

looking for a quick healthy alternative? try lazy whole wheat pizza dough.

gourmet barbecue chicken pizza with caramelized onions and bacon

i have been a pizza addict for most of my life. moving to the boonies (read: far far far from gourmet pizzerias, and the mall, yikes) meant i had to step up my pizza-making skills. i have to bring the pizzeria home. i developed this recipe to kick up the flavor of the standard homemade bbq chicken pizza. my hub and i almost finish off a sixteen inch when i make this. it rocks.

gourmet barbecue chicken pizza with caramelized onions and bacon

an original recipe by rachelle

1 recipe the ultimate homemade fabulous pizza dough

4 slices bacon

1 Tablespoon butter

1 Tablespoon honey

1 red onion, sliced

2 chicken breasts, chopped 1/2"

1/2 cup barbecue sauce, plus 2 Tablespoons

2 cups mozarella, fontina or gouda cheese

salt and pepper to taste

put chicken in a ziptop bag and pour in a couple of Tbsp barbecue sauce (if you're ambitious, add some diced onion, minced garlic, honey and lime juice. plain ole bbq sauce is ok too.) let the chicken marinate at room temperature while you prep the bacon and onions.

fry bacon crisp in a skillet and set aside, reserving grease.

make carmelized onions: add butter into skillet with bacon grease. add honey, onion, and salt and pepper to taste. saute for 15-ish minutes on medium heat, until onions are caramelized and browned. remove onions from the skillet and set them aside. add chicken into skillet, season with salt and pepper, and cook until browned on all sides.

roll pizza dough into a 16" circle over cornmeal. transfer to a cookie sheet oiled with a couple Tbsp olive oil or to parchment paper if you're using a pizza peel and baking stone. swirl barbecue sauce over dough, covering within 1" of the edge of the crust. top with 1 1/2 cups cheese. layer chicken, caramelized onions and bacon. sprinkle with remaining cheese. brush crust with a little oil all the way around. bake at 475 degrees for 7 minutes.

homemade cookie dough ice cream

until oh, three months ago, i had been a bit timid when it came to my ice cream. i loved all kinds of ice cream, but it gave me the jeebs (as in heebie jeebies) to even think about making my ice cream with eggs. so i sidestepped every recipe i found that used a custard base, calling them names like old-fashioned and eggy. then i found this recipe, and i made it (sure to heat my eggs to 170 degrees, at which temperature hamburger is cooked, so that is good enough for an egg to me,) and i will never be the same. a custard based ice cream cannot be beat in depth of flavor and richness. there is a little work involved in this recipe, because you must make the eggless cookie dough, and make the ice cream too, but believe you me, it will be a labor of love.

homemade cookie dough ice cream

an original recipe by rachelle

safe cookie dough

4 Tablespoons butter

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup white sugar

1 cup flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 cup chocolate chips, processed

cream butter, vanilla and sugars in a mixing bowl for a couple of minutes until fluffy. in another bowl, combine flour, salt and baking soda. stir. add flour mixture into creamy butter mixture. mix. add chocolate chips. mix. shape dough into a long 1/2 inch wide snake. cut little 1/2 inch pieces and put in a bowl in the refrigerator or freezer. (this makes about twice what you need for the ice cream.)

ice cream

2 cups cream

1 cup milk

2 eggs

1 cup sugar

1 dash salt

2 teaspoons vanilla

1/2 recipe safe cookie dough

combine cream and milk in a saucepan and bring to a bowl. meanwhile, combine eggs, sugar and salt in a mixing bowl and beat for 3 minutes until fluffy. when cream and milk reach a boil, immediately turn off the heat. temper the eggs: pour in about a cup of the hot cream into the eggs, very slowly, while the mixer is running. repeat with another cup of hot cream. go slow and make sure the mixer is on. after it's all mixed together, pour the egg mixture into the saucepan with the remaining hot cream. crank the heat back up and wait for a few minutes, until the temperature reaches 170. turn the heat off, stir in the vanilla, and stick the mixture in the fridge overnight or in the freezer for an hour or two. after mixture is cold, mix in ice cream maker for 20-ish minutes, adding cookie dough in the last minute, when the ice cream is pretty much set. then pour the ice cream into a tupperware and stick it in the freezer for a couple more hours. (while you put everyone to bed without telling them why, then come back and enjoy yourself. really.)

barbecue beef sandwiches

as a little girl, i lived in texas. this is the closest i've come to what i remember to be the perfect barbecue beef sammie. yummy with steak fries, corn on the cob and a big green salad. (and this is easy, did i tell you it's easy yet? it's a crock pot dump!)

barbecue beef sandwiches

recipe from allrecipes, adapted by rachelle

1 1/2 cups ketchup

1 cup water

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

1 Tbsp. mustard

2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp. liquid smoke
1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

1/4 tsp. garlic powder

4 lb. boneless chuck roast

for serving:

8 hamburger buns or hoagie rolls

8 slices cheddar cheese
sliced red onion

mayo

pickles

In a bowl, combine ketchup, brown sugar, vinegar, mustard, Worcestershire, liquid smoke, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Pour mixture over roast in crock pot. Cook on high 8 hours. Remove and shred the roast, replace in crock pot and stir. Cook 1 hour more. (or use a cooked leftover Sunday roast- only cook 1 hr on low, shred, cook 1 more hour.) Preheat your broiler. Butter the top buns and put a big pile of shredded meat on the bottom buns. Put a slice of cheddar cheese over the meat. Leave the sandwiches open and let the buttered tops brown while the cheese melts. Watch them carefully so they don't burn. (don't leave them, they burn so fast, could you ever forgive yourself?) Serve with a slap of pickles, sliced red onion and some mayonnaise.

*if you are using leftover roast, omit water. i like to double the sauce (but only use 1 cup water total) for a really saucy sammie-

old- fashioned steak fries

these fries are melt in your mouth yummy. they are crispy on the outside and soft and potatoey inside. (soft and potatoey is the best i could do. throws me back to a beverly cleary book from my pre-teen years that had such an amazing description of the way fries taste that it still has not left me.) serve with fry sauce, ketchup or ranch. fab with a bbq beef sandwich.

old- fashioned steak fries

an original recipe by rachelle

4 baking potatoes, scrubbed well
1/4 cup oil
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

preheat oven to 450 degrees. halve potatoes lengthwise and then cut into steak fry sized slices. leave those skins on! if you've got mahusive potatoes, you may halve them again. but i like the idea of a mahusive fry. toss the potatoes in a ziptop bag and dump in the oil, salt, pepper, paprika and garlic powder. smoosh it all together and dump out on a cookie sheet. roast for 25 minutes: roast ten minutes, turn over the fries and bake about fifteen minutes more.