playgroupsarenoplaceforchildren

I know that I’m becoming a food snob because of my disdain for delivery pizza.    Sure, Dominoes and the like are great when you’re too tired to cook and just need food and it doesn’t matter what it is.  I’ll still order pizza occasionally, but honestly I’d rather just eat leftovers or PB & J.

I DO very much like GOOD pizza,though, like those cooked in wood-fired ovens or the pizza from a local pizzeria that’s been around since the 40’s.  Tate and I recently found a decent pizza place called Brixx Wood-Fired Pizza.  Their Cajun Andouille Shrimp Pizza and Wild Mushroom Pizza are our two favorites.

Since going out to dinner with our two children usually involves wrestling and spilled milk and generalized UNFUN, I decided to try to replicate their Wild Mushroom Pizza at home.

I’ve declared myself a Recipe Mimicking Genius and my recipe Tres Magnifique!  (I don’t know what that means, but it sounds very fancy and my pizza IS very fancy.) (Don’t worry, it may be fancy, but it’s incredibly easy!)

Behold:

Pizza crust, I use Naan, but you can use homemade, store-bought, ready made crusts… The naan I buy comes two to a package and I find it in the bakery section of my grocery store.

2-3 tsps olive oil

pinch or two of kosher salt (it’s just better!  trust me.)

1 TB butter

1 package of fresh baby portabello mushrooms and 1 package of shitake mushrooms, cleaned and sliced.  You may use any type of mushrooms you like, however.

Fresh Arugula, cleaned (optional)

8 oz package of shredded swiss cheese

8 oz package of mozzarella cheese

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.  In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat, add the cleaned and sliced mushrooms.  Cook for 3-4 minutes, add salt and cook for another minute or two.

On a baking sheet, place both naan, drizzle the olive oil on each piece and spread around with the back of a spoon or a pastry brush, lightly sprinkle with salt.

Evenly spread the cooked mushrooms on the naan.  Place arugula leaves, to taste, over the mushrooms.  Spread each pizza with both the shredded swiss and shredded mozzarella cheeses.  (I like really cheesy pizza, so I usually use all of the swiss and about half a package of the mozzarella.)  Bake in the oven for 10-12 minutes or until the cheese is lightly browned and melted.

Slice and eat.  Send expensive gifts to Jennifer as a token of appreciation.

This pizza kicks Papa John’s pizza in the ‘nads.

There, there now.  I know how it is, how you feel, how you struggle during sweet corn season.  Remember, I once lived in Indiana.

On Saturdays at the Farmer’s Market or at the grocery store, you’re unable to resist the starchy, sugary goodness of sweet corn.  Your family has nearly foundered on corn on the cob, they crave a new way to eat their corn.  Trust me.  I KNOW.

I’m here to help with this recipe for Corn and Salsa Tortilla Soup from the June 2008 issue of Everyday with Rachael Ray. I realize the word “soup” is not typically welcomed and sought after in the summer months, but I assure you that this is worth the extra heat.

Let’s head to the kitchen!

3 poblano chiles (could also use a green pepper for a less spicy soup)
6 corn tortillas, cut into 1/2-inch-thick strips
3 tablespoons canola oil
1 teaspoon ground cumin
Salt
6 ears fresh sweet corn, kernels scraped from the cob
1/2 red onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
Pepper
One 32-ounce container (4 cups) vegetable broth
One 14.5-ounce can fire-roasted diced or crushed tomatoes
1 avocado, chopped,  for garnish
1 lime for garnish
2 tablespoons cilantro for garnish
Sour cream for garnish

Preheat the broiler. Coat the poblanos in a teaspoon of canola.  Broil the poblanos until blackened, 10 minutes. Transfer to a bowl, cover and let cool. Peel, seed and chop the poblanos.  This can also be done over a gas flame if you’re one of those lucky people with a gas cooktop.

Preheat the oven to 400°. On a baking sheet, toss the tortilla strips with 1 tablespoon oil and the cumin. Bake until golden, about 10-14 minutes; season with salt.

Meanwhile, in a large, deep skillet or soup pot, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil over medium-high heat. Add the corn and cook until charred at the edges, 10 to 12 minutes. Add the red onion and garlic, season with salt and pepper and cook until the onion is softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the broth, tomatoes and chopped poblanos.

Ladle the soup into bowls.  Top with a avocado, a squeeze or three of lime juice, add cilantro, and sour cream.

I’ve been thinking about ways you could modify this recipe and already mentioned that green peppers could be substituted for the poblanos.  Roasted red, yellow, or orange peppers would also be a delicious substitution.   To add some protein, you could add cooked, shredded chicken or drained and rinsed black beans.

No longer do you have to feel alone and scared during sweet corn season.   I’m glad to have helped you in your time of need.

**Note:  I first introduced you to this recipe last summer when Rachael Ray lied to me and said this recipe only took 30 minutes to prepare, which is a BALD-FACED LIE.  I also discussed my deep devotion to cilantro and said that cilantro haters could suck and egg.

I’ve made this recipe so many times in an effort to get a decent picture to post that I’m {this close} to being sick of it.  It’s pretty damn good, though, and even my kids eat it (minus the kimchi), so I’m pretty sure it’s going to stay in our menu rotation.  Maybe just a little less frequently.

Wow, with THAT kind of introduction, you are probably cannot wait for this recipe for Korean Beef Lettuce Wraps with Kimchi. (Adapted from the September 2008  Cooking Light)

3/4  pound  flank steak
1/4  cup  thinly sliced green onions
1  tablespoon  sugar
2  tablespoons  soy sauce
1  tablespoon  minced garlic
1  teaspoon  dark sesame oil
2  tablespoons  canola oil, divided
1  tablespoon  toasted sesame seeds
2  cups  hot cooked jasmine rice
1/2  cup  kimchi
lettuce leaves

1. Cut steak across grain into thin slices. Combine steak pieces, green onions, sugar, soy sauce, garlic, and sesame oil.

2. Heat a wok over high heat. Add 1 tablespoon canola oil to wok, swirling to coat. Add half of steak mixture to wok; stir-fry 3-4 minutes or until browned. Spoon cooked steak mixture into a bowl. Repeat with the remaining 1 tablespoon canola oil and remaining steak mixture. Sprinkle with sesame seeds. Spoon 1/8 cup of rice, about 2 tablespoons steak mixture, and 1 tablespoon kimchi onto each lettuce leaf; roll up. Serve immediately.

This recipe is really simple and is a great alternative to stir-fry.  If you really aren’t a big beef eater, you could always substitute chicken.  Maybe if you’re a vegetarian, you could substitute tofu, but, well, I , uh, don’t really know (or want to know.)

I always serve my Korean Beef with Sichuan Green Beans.  As soon as I get a decent picture, I will post that recipe soon.  (It might be awhile.)

When I was back in Missouri visiting family, my mother-in-law fixed a dinner one night that was so delicious, that I made it at home that very same week.

When I was making the grocery list the next day, Tate requested that I make it again for the next week.

So I did.  Having eaten this three times in just over a week, I’m not sick of it at all.  It’s that good.

Here’s the recipe for Coconut Shrimp with Apricot Dip from the Spring ‘09 issue of Schnucks Cooks.

1/4 C flour
2 large eggs
1 TB water
2 C panko breadcrumbs
1 C sweetened coconut flakes
1/4 tsp ground allspice (NOTE:  I omitted this, because I don’t really like allspice.)
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 pounds of raw, peeled, deveined 31-40 count shrimp
1/2 C canola oil
1/2 C apricot fruit spread
1/4 C horseradish sauce

1.  You’ll need three shallow dishes.  In the first, place the flour.  In the next dish, combine the lightly beaten eggs and water.  Combine the breadcrumbs, coconut flakes, allspice, and salt in the remaining dish.

2.  Dip each shrimp in the flour, then the egg mixture, and finally in the breadcrumb and coconut mixture.  Be sure to coat both sides of the shrimp.

3.  In a 12 inch skillet, heat 1/4 C of oil over medium to medium high heat.  Add half of the shrimp to the pan, cooking 2-3 minutes per side or until golden and the shrimp is opaque throughout.  Drain shrimp on paper towels.  Remove the pan from heat and remove any excess breadcrumbs or coconut.  Add remaining 1/4 C oil and cook the remaining shrimp.

4.  In a small, microwave safe bowl, combine the apricot fruit spread and horseradish sauce.  Heat 1-2 minutes, stirring once.  Serve with the shrimp.

The Schnucks Cooks magazine recommended serving it with Parmesan Pilaf.  Those people at Schnucks Cooks are pretty smart, because the Parmesan Pilaf was fabulous.  I’ll post that recipe here soon.

Have you ever met Lyle?  He’s the most delectable golden syrup in all the land.

Lyle, please meet my friends.  Friends, say hello to Lyle.  He hails from he U.K.  He is my luv-uh.

I often run to Lyle to fulfill the role of (my) honey in many recipes.   He gets along quite well with cornbread.

Apparently, he also gets along well with chicken wings.

On the back of the Lyle’s Golden Syrup’s luscious body bottle, I found a recipe for Chinese Chicken Wings.  Though there is nothing truly “Chinese” (in my very uneducated in the art of Asian cuisine opinion) about these chicken wings, they are quite tasty and even easier to make.

Here’s what you’ll need.  I varied the recipe ever so slightly from the one on the bottle.

12 chicken wings
1 TB soy sauce
2 TB of Lyle’s Golden Syrup
2 TB Tomato paste
1 TB water
1 TB red wine vinegar
sesame seeds

Wash and dry the chicken wings and place them in an ovenproof dish.  Mix all the ingredients except the sesame seeds together, then pour over the chicken.  Sprinkle the sesame seeds on top.  Bake at 375 for 45 minutes (or until a meat thermometer reaches 175 degrees).

I think that chicken thighs could VERY easily be substituted for the wings in this recipe.  I also think that the tomato paste could be omitted.  You know, if you felt like it.

“Where would I find my very own Lyle!?” you ask.  Well, I know that my beloved Meijer sells Lyle’s Golden Syrup on their International aisle.  Sometimes I can find it at World Market or at high-end grocery stores like The Fresh Market.  If all else fails you can also find Lyle on Amazon.com.

PS.  I realize that I once proclaimed that I was unable to cook chicken, but with a meat thermometer, I can do most anything.

(Disclosure:  I am related to someone who works for the company who makes Lyle’s Golden Syrup, however I would love Lyle NO MATTER WHAT and have received no direct compensation for this post.)