Bella Gluten-Free Pizza Dough

This was pretty good stuff. It made 2 quality pizza crusts that my wife really liked. :)

Here's the link:

http://www.bellaglutenfree.com/joomla-license/pizza-dough-rolls-and-focaccia-mix

Calzone di Prosciutto e Ricotta

Follow up to the Pizza Napoletana post! Again, I can't believe how good this came out. So good.

I used pepperoni instead of hard salami and it was great!

Don't worry if you need to cook the pizza longer than the recipe says, trust your eyes. My oven is old and I had to cook them for more like 7-8 mins to get the crust done correctly.

There are a couple of differences because of altitude. The first is to add a little more water while the dough is forming in the mixer. Otherwise, it is too dry and can't congeal into a smooth contiguous mass. Make sure to add small amounts and let the dough absorb it completely before adding more.

I have had a lot of trouble proofing yeast at altitude. I finally found a good way to do it which is to use water at a temperature of 100-110 degrees which any kitchen sink faucet can produce. So don't follow the instructions in the recipe if you are cooking at altitude. Rather, mix water at 100-110 degrees with the sugar and yeast first. Gently mix the sugar and yeast into the water till the sugar dissolves. Let stand for 8-10 minutes. Then add the oil and continue the recipe.

I am going to add a little fresh cracked pepper to the ricotta cheese mixture for the calzone next time.

Pasta da Pizza (Naples-style dough)

INGREDIENTS
2 tbsp. sugar
1 tbsp. olive oil, plus more
½ tsp. active dry yeast
5 ½ cups "00" flour, preferably Caputo Pizzeria Flour
2 tbsp. kosher salt

INSTRUCTIONS
1. Combine sugar, oil, yeast, and 2 cups cold water in bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook; let sit until foamy, 8-10 minutes. Mix flour and salt in a bowl. With motor running, slowly add flour mixture; mix until a smooth dough forms, 8-10 minutes. Transfer dough to a greased baking sheet; cover with plastic wrap. Let sit at room temperature 1 hour.


2. Divide dough into 4 balls; transfer to a greased 9" x 13" dish; brush tops with oil. Cover with plastic wrap; refrigerate 48 hours.

Salsa di Pomodoro Fresco (Naples-style pizza sauce)

INGREDIENTS

2 (28-oz.) cans whole peeled tomatoes, packed in purée
2 tbsp. Kosher salt

INSTRUCTIONS
1. Remove each tomato from the can and reserve 3 cups of the purée. Cut the tomatoes in half and, using your fingers, remove and discard the seeds (don't rinse).

2. Place the tomatoes in a food processor and pulse until just crushed but not puréed. (Alternatively, crush the tomatoes by hand or pass them through a food mill.)

3. Transfer the tomato sauce to a bowl and stir in the reserved 3 cups of purée and salt.


Calzone di Prosciutto e Ricotta

INGREDIENTS
1 ball Naples-style pizza dough 
Fine semolina, for dusting
½ cup ricotta
1½ oz. thinly sliced cooked Italian ham, cut into ¼" strips
1½ oz. thinly sliced hard salami, cut into ¼" strips
¼ cup grated pecorino romano
⅓ cup Naples-style pizza sauce
2-3 fresh basil leaves

INSTRUCTIONS
Place a pizza stone under the broiler; heat for 30 minutes. Dust dough with semolina; roll into an 8" x 10" rectangle and transfer to a semolina-dusted pizza peel. Spread ricotta over dough, leaving a 1" border. Distribute the ham, salami, and half the pecorino over the top. Fold in half; pinch edges closed. Spread sauce over top; sprinkle with remaining pecorino, plus basil leaves. Slide calzone onto stone; broil until crust is puffed and charred in spots, 2-3 minutes. Serve hot.

1st Batch - the calzone came out great!

UPDATE: May 30th, 2013 - added pictures and caption

Pizza Napoletana

Wow. There's a great long article on pizza in Saveur magazine. It contains a wonderful recipe for multiple types of pizza and even a couple calzones! I can't believe how good this came out. The pizza dough was fantastic, just amazing. And I did it all at high altitude.

It's such a pleasure to make a recipe and have it just turn out perfectly. Just like the article said it would turn out. :)

Don't worry if you need to cook the pizza longer than the recipe says, trust your eyes. My oven is old and I had to cook them for more like 7-8 mins to get the crust done correctly.

There are a couple of differences because of altitude. The first is to add a little more water while the dough is forming in the mixer. Otherwise, it is too dry and can't congeal into a smooth contiguous mass. Make sure to add small amounts and let the dough absorb it completely before adding more.

I have had a lot of trouble proofing yeast at altitude. I finally found a good way to do it which is to use water at a temperature of 100-110 degrees which any kitchen sink faucet can produce. So don't follow the instructions in the recipe if you are cooking at altitude. Rather, mix water at 100-110 degrees with the sugar and yeast first. Gently mix the sugar and yeast into the water till the sugar dissolves. Let stand for 8-10 minutes. Then add the oil and continue the recipe.

Pasta da Pizza (Naples-style dough)

INGREDIENTS
2 tbsp. sugar
1 tbsp. olive oil, plus more
½ tsp. active dry yeast
5 ½ cups "00" flour, preferably Caputo Pizzeria Flour
2 tbsp. kosher salt

INSTRUCTIONS
1. Combine sugar, oil, yeast, and 2 cups cold water in bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook; let sit until foamy, 8-10 minutes. Mix flour and salt in a bowl. With motor running, slowly add flour mixture; mix until a smooth dough forms, 8-10 minutes. Transfer dough to a greased baking sheet; cover with plastic wrap. Let sit at room temperature 1 hour.

2. Divide dough into 4 balls; transfer to a greased 9" x 13" dish; brush tops with oil. 
Cover with plastic wrap; refrigerate 48 hours.

1st Batch - the dough did not rise too much and was sticky

2nd Batch - the dough did rise a lot better - still was a bit sticky but I think that is an effect of the altitude

Salsa di Pomodoro Fresco (Naples-style pizza sauce)

INGREDIENTS
2 (28-oz.) cans whole peeled tomatoes, packed in purée
2 tbsp. Kosher salt

INSTRUCTIONS
1. Remove each tomato from the can and reserve 3 cups of the purée. Cut the tomatoes in half and, using your fingers, remove and discard the seeds (don't rinse).

2. Place the tomatoes in a food processor and pulse until just crushed but not puréed. (Alternatively, crush the tomatoes by hand or pass them through a food mill.)

3. Transfer the tomato sauce to a bowl and stir in the reserved 3 cups of purée and salt.

Pizza Margherita (Tomato, Basil, and Mozzarella) - Classic Naples pizza

1st Batch - Still tastes good but the shape is poor

1st Batch - Still tastes good but is small -
the dough kept shrinking back as
I tried to stretch it out to a full 10" circle

2nd Batch - the dough was much more cooperative and
stayed stretched out and kept its shape much better

INGREDIENTS
1 recipe Naples-style pizza dough 
Fine semolina, for dusting
1 recipe Naples-style pizza sauce 
1 lb. fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced
16 fresh basil leaves
Olive oil, to taste

INSTRUCTIONS
Place a pizza stone under the broiler; heat for 30 minutes. Working in 4 batches, dust 1 ball of dough with semolina. Using your fingertips, press dough into a 10" circle about ¼" thick, leaving a 1" crust around the edges. Hold dough straight up, and with fingertips circling crust, slide fingers around crust in a circular motion as you would turn a steering wheel until dough in the center is stretched to about ⅛" thick; transfer to a semolina-dusted pizza peel. Spread ½ cup sauce over dough, and distribute a quarter each of the cheese and basil leaves; drizzle with oil. Slide pizza onto stone; broil until cheese melts and crust is puffed and charred in spots, 3-4 minutes. Serve hot.

UPDATE: May 30th 2013 - added pictures and captions

Poblano Mushroom and Potato Tacos

This recipe was great! Instead of the sour cream or Mexican crema, I used Greek yogurt. It was a great healthy substitution. In fact, I recommend Greek yogurt in place of sour cream for everything.

I still haven't mastered warming/softening corn tortillas, if anyone has suggestions please let me know.

Time: 50 minutes

Ingredients

4 medium poblano chile peppers

3 medium Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces

Kosher salt

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 1/2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro

1 1/2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 large onion, halved and thinly sliced

12 ounces cremini and/or white mushrooms, trimmed and thinly sliced

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 cup Mexican crema, creme fraiche or sour cream

Juice of 2 limes

Freshly ground pepper

Corn tortillas, warmed, and assorted toppings, for serving

Directions

Roast the poblanos directly over the flame of a gas burner or under the broiler, turning with tongs, until charred all over, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a bowl, cover with a plate and let steam until cool enough to handle, about 10 minutes. Scrape off the charred skin with a paring knife; remove the stems and seeds. Cut the poblanos into strips and set aside.

Meanwhile, put the potatoes in a large nonstick skillet and cover with cold water; season with salt. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat and cook until just tender, 5 to 6 minutes; drain. Wipe the skillet dry.

Heat the olive oil in the skillet over medium-high heat. Add the potatoes and cook until golden and crisp, about 4 minutes per side. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. While still hot, sprinkle with half of the herbs, and salt to taste. Discard the excess oil and wipe out the skillet.

Heat the butter in the skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 6 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in the remaining herbs and the garlic; cook 1 minute. Add the roasted poblanos, crema, lime juice and a few spoonfuls of water; stir until warmed through, 1 to 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Serve the potatoes and mushroom mixture in tortillas with assorted toppings.

Bucatini with Olive-Caper Sauce

This recipe is from the food network.

I really like this recipe. As usual, I didn't use the butter. It's also super easy to make - 25 minutes total time.

Ingredients

Kosher salt

12 ounces bucatini or spaghetti

1 small clove garlic

2 tablespoons capers, drained and rinsed

Pinch of red pepper flakes

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 pound tomatoes, diced

2/3 cup pitted kalamata or nicoise olives, chopped

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces, at room temperature

3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

8 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, finely chopped

Directions

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook as the label directs. Reserve 1/2 cup cooking water, then drain the pasta.

Meanwhile, pile the garlic, 1 tablespoon capers and the red pepper flakes on a cutting board; mince, then mash with the flat side of a chef's knife to make a paste. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and add the olive oil, tomatoes, olives, the remaining 1 tablespoon capers and the butter. Stir in the basil and cheese.

Add the pasta to the bowl with the tomato mixture and toss until the butter is melted, adding the reserved cooking water to moisten, if needed. Season with salt.

Fusili with Tomatoes Al Forno

I cannot find the source of this recipe. I get many recipes from Food and Wine and Bon Appétit but I couldn't find a match. It is similar to a Lidia Bastianich recipe but I am sure I didn't get it from her website. The recipe is also sort of like several others that I found that contain shrimp (but they don't use the breadcrumbs). If anyone finds the original, please let me know. Proper attribution is important.

One thing I have started to do with this recipe is core the tomatoes before stuffing them. I save the cores and add that to the grape tomatoes. I like it this way now much better because the bread crumbs stay in the tomatoes better and I like the way they cook as well. As you can see in the pics the breadcrumbs are nice and low in the tomatoes. If you don't core the tomatoes the breadcrumbs sit on top and have a tendency to spill onto the baking sheet. 

6-8 good sized Roma tomatoes

1 medium red onion

1/2 wicket grape tomatoes halved lengthwise

1 bunch asparagus cut into bite size pieces

1 head of garlic

2 c bread crumbs

1 bunch fresh basil chopped

Several sprigs of fresh oregano chopped

1/4 c capers

1 lb. pasta rotelli or long fusili

Chop capers and mix into bread crumbs with half the basil and all the oregano

Cut tomatoes in half lengthwise and stuff with bread crumb mixture

Cut onion into chunks

Lightly oil the bottom of a baking tray and place tomatoes and onion on it

Drizzle olive oil over the veggies and a small amount of kosher salt

Roast veggies at 375 for about 35 minutes

Meanwhile cook pasta

Sauté asparagus on med-high heat

Add several splashes of red wine and cook for several minutes

Smash and peel garlic, leave whole

Add garlic and grape tomatoes to asparagus

Cook for several more minutes until tomatoes are soft

Toss everything in a bowl with remaining fresh basil and additional olive oil

to taste

Serve and top with cheese and red pepper

Note how the breadcrumbs are low in the tomato

Cores from the Roma tomatoes

Brutti Ma Buoni

The name of these Italian cookies translates to Ugly But Good. And it's really true. They look like little mis-shapen lumps and are all speckled brown, but they really do taste so good. And since gluten free cooking is all the rage in my house because my wife is gf, these cookies are gf with no modifications! The original recipe does not include the chocolate powder but it's a great addition in my opinion and gives you an option depending on your mood. I have seen other versions of this cookie that add a touch of cinnamon and use almonds instead.

Oreste Molinari contributed this recipe to Food and Wine.

She estimates that the recipe makes 30 cookies, but when I use an actual tablespoon measuring spoon to make nicely shaped balls, I only get 15 or so cookies. 

Total Time: 1 Hour; Active Time: 15 Minutes

1 1/2 c hazelnuts (8 ounces)

1 1/2 c confectioners' sugar

3-4 t unsweetened chocolate powder (optional)

Pinch of salt

1 large egg white, lightly beaten

2 t pure vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 400°.

Spread the hazelnuts on a large rimmed baking sheet and toast for about 12 minutes, until the nuts are fragrant and the skins blister.

Transfer the hazelnuts to a kitchen towel and let cool, then rub them together to remove their skins.

In a food processor, pulse the hazelnuts with the confectioners' sugar and salt until finely chopped.

Scrape the hazelnut mixture into a medium bowl.

Stir in the beaten egg white and vanilla.

Line the baking sheet with parchment paper.

Spoon tablespoon-size mounds of the hazelnut dough onto the prepared baking sheet 1 inch apart.

Bake the cookies in the center of the oven for about 14 minutes, until browned in spots (about 13 minutes for chewy cookies and 15 minutes for slightly crisp cookies).

Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet before serving.

Makes approximately 15 cookies. The cookies can be stored in an airtight container for up to 4 days.

Bacon Candy

This recipe comes from Bronson Van Wyck at  Food and Wine.

Boy is it good. Just a little reminder, make sure that your timer works so that you don't overcook the bacon and end up with little charred pork sticks. 

I added a couple dashes of cayenne which worked out great. It provided a little more bite that was oh so nice. 

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons chile powder

20 slices of thick-cut bacon (1 1/2 pounds)

Preheat the oven to 400°. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with foil. In a small bowl, whisk the brown sugar with the chile powder. Arrange the bacon strips on the foil and coat the tops with the chile sugar. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until caramelized and almost crisp. Transfer the bacon to a rack set over a sheet of foil to cool completely; serve.

Store at room temperature.

I took the pictures with the bacon pieces still on the tin foil, but I followed the recipe and cooled them on racks with foil underneath.

Notice the charred ones on the right and the charred ends of the other pieces - oops the  timer didn't work!

Lamb Stew with Coucous

This recipe coms from Jay Cheshes at Saveur magazine and is part of a larger set of recipes called Couscous Royale. I just liked the stew portion and use quinoa instead of couscous. This time I also added fresh picked fava beans instead of the zucchini. Enjoy!

FOR THE STEW:
⅓ cup olive oil
12 oz. boneless lamb shoulder, trimmed and cut into 1″ pieces
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
½ cup flour
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into ¼"-thick slices
2 ribs celery, roughly chopped
2 small red Holland chiles, stemmed, seeded, and chopped
1 medium yellow onion, roughly chopped
1 medium white turnip, peeled and cut into 1" pieces
1 medium zucchini, cut into 1" pieces
½ cup golden raisins
2 tbsp. tomato paste
1 tsp. paprika
½ tsp. ground ginger
¼ tsp. crushed saffron threads
2 sticks cinnamon
2 bay leaves
4 cups chicken stock
1 cup dried chickpeas, soaked overnight, drained
1 (15-oz.) can whole peeled tomatoes in juice, crushed by hand
1 small head cabbage, cored and roughly chopped
1 bunch parsley, finely chopped
Juice of 1 lemon

Make the stew: Heat oil in an 8-qt. saucepan over medium-high heat. Working in batches, season lamb with salt and pepper, dredge in flour, and cook, turning as needed, until browned all over, about 6 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer meat to a bowl; set aside.

Add garlic, carrots, celery, chiles, onion, turnip, and zucchini to saucepan, and cook, stirring, until golden brown, about 12 minutes.

Add raisins, tomato paste, paprika, ginger, saffron, cinnamon, and bay leaves, and cook, stirring, until lightly caramelized, about 3 minutes.

Return lamb to pan along with stock, chickpeas, tomatoes, and cabbage, and bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium, and cook, covered and stirring occasionally, until meat and chickpeas are very tender, about 2½ hours.

Season with salt and pepper, and stir in parsley and juice; serve.