Spinocolli Pizza

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It’s funny how the internet can connect us to places we’ve never been to. To people we’ve never met. Such is the case with this wonderful pizza. Whenever I make it, I think of the lovely Annie and the little pizzeria in her hometown that came up with this wonderful pie. I’ve always been a fan of a good white pizza. But the spinach and broccoli which adorn the top of this really make it unique and memorable.

The sauce is rich and creamy, with just a hint of garlic. The spinach is nice and tender, and the broccoli gets slightly roasted – intensifying  the flavor. The combination of mozzarella and cheddar on top is definitely the win, too. Did you know that cheese is actually better; gooier and stringier, when a combination of cheeses are used? Alton Brown. Most pizza dough recipes yield enough dough for 2 pizzas, so I’ll usually do one standard pepperoni and then mix it up with something like spinocolli. It’s become a favorite here on pizza nights. Thanks so much, Annie!

Spinocolli Pizza

For the white sauce:
1 tbsp. butter
1 tbsp. flour
3/4 cup heavy cream or half-and-half
1 clove garlic, smashed
Salt and pepper, to taste
6 tbsp. freshly grated Parmesan cheese

For the pizza:
Pizza dough
Olive oil, for brushing
1/2 cup packed baby spinach leaves, torn
1 cup very small broccoli florets
2 oz. shredded mozzarella cheese
2 oz. shredded cheddar cheese
Grated Parmesan

To make the white sauce, melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium-high heat.  Whisk in the flour and cook, whisking constantly, until bubbling and light golden, about 1 minute.  Whisk in the heavy cream and garlic, and season with salt and pepper to taste.  Cook, stirring frequently, until the mixture thickens and bubbles.  Remove from the heat and whisk in the grated Parmesan until completely melted and smooth.  Discard the garlic clove.  (Note: This will make a bit more sauce than you need for the pizza, but with a little extra cheese it makes a great dipping sauce for crust.)

To make the pizza, preheat the oven and a pizza stone at 500? F for at least 30 minutes.  Roll out the pizza dough into a 12-14 inch round.  Lightly brush the perimeter of the dough with olive oil.  Spread a thin layer of the white sauce over the crust, leaving a border clear around the edge for the crust.  Sprinkle the torn spinach leaves over the white sauce.  Evenly distribute the broccoli florets over the dough.  Layer evenly with the shredded mozzarella and cheddar cheeses.  Finish with additional grated Parmesan, if desired.  Transfer the pizza to the preheated pizza stone and bake until the cheese is melted and bubbling and the crust is lightly browned, about 10-12 minutes.  Remove from the oven and let cool slightly before slicing and serving.

Source: Annie’s Eats

Carnitas

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In my opinion, one of the best “bang for your buck” cuts of meat is the Boston butt. I’m not sure why they call it a butt, when really it’s a shoulder – one of the many mysteries of cookery. You can usually find one for under $10, and I find that we will get countless meals from it. My go-to way to prepare it was always in the slow cooker, with a ton of BBQ sauce. Which, I love. But, after trying it slow roasted in the oven with lots of Mexican spices…I have a new favorite go-to recipe for this budget friendly cut. The final crisping stage of the pork really seals in the flavor. One shoulder yields a ton of meat. I’ll usually plan for burritos or quesadillas one night, and then tacos later in the week. Would be great on nachos too. Perfect for your table on Super Bowl Sunday!

Carnitas

4-5-pounds boneless pork shoulder, cut into 5-inch chunks
1 tablespoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons chile powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup beer (I like pale ale or IPA)
2 bay leaves
water
5 cloves of garlic, peeled and thinly-sliced

Set oven to 350. Combine salt, chile powder, and cumin. Rub the pieces of pork shoulder with seasonings.

Heat the oil in a roasting pan set on the stovetop. Cook the pieces of pork shoulder in a single layer until very well-browned, turning them as little as possible so they get nice and dark before flipping them around. If your cooking vessel is too small to cook them in a single-layer, cook them in two batches.

Once all the pork is browned, remove them from the pot and place on paper towel lined plate to drain. Add beer to pan, scraping the bottom of the pan with a flat-edged utensil to release all the tasty brown bits.

Add the pork back to the pan and add enough water so the pork pieces are 2/3rd’s submerged in liquid. Add the bay leaves and garlic and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and place in heated oven.

Braise in the oven uncovered for 3½ hours, turning the pork a few times during cooking, until much of the liquid is evaporated and the pork is falling apart. Remove the pan from the oven and lift the pork pieces out of the liquid and set them on a platter. Set oven temperature to 425 degrees.

Once the pork pieces are cool enough to handle, shred them into bite-sized pieces, discarding any obvious big chunks of fat. Return the pork pieces back to the roasting pan and cook in the oven, turning occasionally, until the liquid has evaporated and the pork is crispy and caramelized. It will depend on how much liquid the pork gave off, and how brown and crackly you want them. Usually about 20 minutes.

Source: adapted from The Sweet Life in Paris by Dave Lebovitz

Strawberry Cupcakes

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Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve probably heard of this neat little site called Pinterest. It’s a great resource for everything; recipes, DIY ideas, housekeeping, sewing, gardening…pretty much anything under the sun. When I came across this pin for strawberry cupcakes, it was love at first site. I think it was the color of the cake and frosting that lured me, a gorgeous punchy pink color. I knew I had to make them.

Because of the addition of lots of fresh strawberry puree, the strawberry flavor really shines through. The cake was super moist, and a tad denser than most cupcake recipes I’ve tried. I changed a couple of things from the original recipe. First, I reduced the eggs to 3-since that’s what I had on hand (these boys have been putting away some eggs lately!). And second, because I’m lazy, I just added the eggs all at one time, and skipped beating the egg whites and folding in at the end. I suspect that they wouldn’t have been as dense if I had taken that extra step. But, hey, they were still delicious. And, one less dish, right? Make these to add a pop of color to a dreary winters day!

Strawberry Cupcakes

For the cake:
1 cup butter
2  1/2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon red food coloring
1 & 1/4 cups pureed strawberries
3 cups cake flour, sifted
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
pinch Salt
1 cup buttermilk

For the frosting:
8 ounces cream cheese, room temp
1/2 cup butter, room temp
1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon red food coloring
1 lb. powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cupcake pans with liners and set aside. In a large bowl, beat butter with sugar for 3 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, then the vanilla, food coloring and strawberries, beat for another 3 minutes.

Sift dry ingredients and add to butter/egg mixture alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Mix until combined.

Fill cupcake tins 2/3 of the way up. Bake for 18 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into cake comes out clean. Let sit for 5 minutes before removing to a cooling rack to cool completely.

For the frosting, beat cream cheese and butter until light and creamy, about 3 minutes. Add liquids and blend. Slowly add powdered sugar while mixing on low. At this point you may need to add more powdered sugar. You are trying to achieve a medium stiff consistency. Whip for several minutes. Frost cupcakes as desired.

Source: adapted from Apron of Grace

Yakitori

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I believe that there are probably close to a million ways to marinade and skewer chicken. That being said, I’d say that yakitori (or, Japanese skewered chicken) would have to be near the top of the  list for me. I’ve mentioned before that I took an International cooking class at my local community college a couple of years ago, and this delicious chicken was one of the dishes I familiarized myself with during the course.

I couldn’t find the original recipe that I jotted down from class, but this version was very close to what I remembered. I used boneless chicken breasts this time, but I think they’re even better with boneless, skinless chicken thighs. With a bit of steamed rice and broccoli, it’s a wonderful (and healthy!) weeknight meal to add to your menu soon.

Yakitori

3 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons mirin
2 tablespoons sake
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs (cut into 1″ pieces)
1 bunch scallions (cut into 1 inch long pieces)

Mix the soy, mirin, sake and sugar and marinate the chicken for at least 30 minutes.  Skewer the chicken and green onions in alternating order.

Grill the skewered chicken, over medium-high heat,  basting it with the marinade until the chicken is cooked – about 15 minutes.

Source: adapted slightly from Closet Cooking