Yum Yum Balls

These are the quickest, easiest, yummy dessert bites ever. The recipe is thanks to my Cadbury's Dessert Recipe book that a friend gave me after she visited me in Dunedin, NZ and toured the Cadbury's factory there.

I recently made these for my friend Carroll's surprise graduation party (YAY CARROLL!!). They took less than 30 min to make, they chilled while I was at work, then I carted them off to be enjoyed J

So, although there are only four ingredients, looking for these may be more effort than actually making this dessert. These are staples in NZ supermarkets, however some may be harder to find in US grocery stores. Anyway, here goes:

2 c crushed Maria biscuits cookies

(You can find these in the Spanish food section of the grocery store. I dump them in a plastic bag and crush them with a rolling pin)

1 c unsweetened coconut flakes, plus extra

(I have never seen this at a regular grocery store. If you do, let me know! I buy this at the George St Co-Op in New Brunswick)

2 tablespoons cocoa powder

1 tin sweetened condensed milk

Method: Put first three ingredients in a bowl and mix. Add the condensed milk and stir until all combined. If the mixture is too wet add a little more cocoa powder (like a tsp or so). Roll spoonfuls into balls and coat with extra coconut flakes. I put the extra coconut flakes in a bowl, and dump the balls in there and roll them around till coated. Chill until ready to be served. Done. That's it. Seriously. Easy.

Variations: Actually, my Grandma used to make these, and she would add 1 tsp brandy essence and call them brandy balls. So, I guess you could add any flavor you like and experiment with taste! Bon Appetit!

Quick and Easy Pizza

 I guess I'm just an appliance-girl - who knew?!  This weeks challenge is for your food processor! You ladies are all going to think we only eat bread around here, but some of my best recipes are baked goods.  Oh well, that's what I love about this - we all have different strengths and I've gotten so many delicious ideas for meat and soups already from you.

We Picciottoli's love our pizza and as any Jersey Girl knows, you can't get good pizza everywhere and we're lucky to have it here in the Garden State.  BUT...I hate to pay for it!  So when I found out you could make pizza (dough) in a food processor, I was right on board, ticket in hand!  You don't have to have a food processor, but it sure makes it fast and fool-proof! 

I've shared this recipe with some of you already, but here it is for the rest.  I've made changes to thins document over time, so as to keep track of what I find works or what topping combinations we like.  We always serve this with a salad for the vegetable since it won't hold up to a ton of toppings.  I know it's long, but the recipe is quite simple, and again FREEZABLE (I <3 freezer-cooking!!).  I hope everything here is clear - if not let me know!


One recipe makes 1 large, 2 medium or 4 small (personal sized) pizzas.

Preheat oven to 500 F for at least 15 minutes.  Very lightly oil a cookie sheet and then, if you want, sprinkle with corn meal.  Stretch dough out over pan, let it rest 5 minutes and then complete stretching.  Dough should be quite thin, but with no holes.  Spread toppings on dough- scant amount of sauce (1/2 cup) and 1 - 1 1/2 C cheese.  You should still see dough/sauce peeking through (the thinner the toppings the crispier the crust).  Bake 8-12 minutes or until cheese is lightly golden, crust edges lightly brown and bottom does not stick/is no longer "doughy".

:The last time I made this I did a few things differently and it turned out UH-MAZE-ING. (1) I used bread flour which I think made a big difference in the texture, (2) I made the dough in the morning and let it sit int he fridge all day (a cold ferment!), (3) I stretched the dough as much as it wanted to over the pan, let it rest 10 minutes, then stretched it the rest of the way and (4) I cranked the oven up as high as it would go, not just to 500 (obviously it cooked much faster - 4-9 minutes not 8-12). None of these things is hard to do, just take a big of planning maybe, and it still tastes great even without these tips, but try it and let me know what you think!

:if dough has been refrigerated unwrap cling wrap and place on lightly floured board, cover lightly with a floured cloth or cling wrap and allow to come to room temperature before forming.

:if frozen, loosen cling wrap (but keep covered so it doesn't dry out and form a 'skin').  Allow to thaw in refrigerator, in an oiled bowl , then bring to room temperature before forming.  (Best to transfer from freezer to fridge 24 hours before baking).

:i use just regular baking sheets/jelly roll pans that have been lightly oiled and (when i feel like it) sprinkled with corn meal.  It works best to use a pan that is not too large so the dough just covers the entire surface of the pan.  If I had a baking stone I'd use that though and it's ok to use a bugger pan, it just might not cover the whole pan - so don't worry about stretching it too far.

:You can freeze this dough in a blob covered twice with plastic wrap or flattened out on a baking sheet.  Once it's frozen, it should pop off the sheet and then you cover it twice with plastic wrap and put it back in the freezer.  This is way better because you only have to defrost for an hour or so (not 24) and you don't even have to get flour on your hands for a quick dinner!!

Dough Recipe
scant 1 T active quick rise yeast (such as red star) or 1 packet
pinch sugar
3/4 C very warm water
1 3/4 C All Purpose Flour
1/2 t salt
optional: may mix in 1 T olive oil

with food processor
:In a small bowl, mix sugar, water and yeast, then cover loosely with cling wrap or cloth and leave 5 - 10 minutes away from drafts or cold. 

:Place flour and salt in a food processor and pulse a few times to mix.

:Check yeast; if it is ready it will be frothy.  If no bubbles appear, it is expired.  Discard and use different yeast.

:Add liquid mixture (and olive oil if using) to dry mixture and pulse until blended, adding a bit more flour as you go until mixture just forms a ball and follows the blade around the bowl (do not process until bowl is "clean"- it will kill the yeast).

: To remove from food processor bowl, flour hands well, form dough into ball and shape into crust on pan.

OR

by hand

:In a small bowl or glass measuring cup dissolve the yeast and sugar in warm water, stir and set aside for 10 minutes. Mixture should begin to bubble and foam at the end of the time (indicating that the yeast is activated & alive.)

:In a medium bowl, combine flour and salt, set aside.

:Add the liquid yeast mixture (and olive oil if using) to the dry ingredients and stir until well combined.

:Flour a work surface and knead dough for a couple of minutes until smooth and elastic.



VARIATIONS:

• bbq pizza: 1/4 C bbq sauce mixed with 1/4 C tomatoe sauce.  Spinkle 1 - 1 1/4 C mozzarella on, then sprinkle 1/2 - 1 C shredded chicken mixed with bbq sauce.  SOOOOOO good - michael's favorite.
• mexican pizza: 1/2 can of refried beans, mixed with 1/4 water, 1/4 t cayenne pepper, 1/4 t paprika, 1/2 t cumin. Spread on dough, then cover with 1 C cheddar or mixed cheese, chopped tomatoe, sliced olives, 1/2 C frozen corn, 1/2 C chopped fresh cilantro, 1/4 c thenly sliced red onion - basically taco toppings.  Just made this last weekend and we really liked it.
• garlic pizza: really thinly slice several cloves of garlic and lay over sauce before adding cheese. 
• white pizza: mix 3/4 C ricotta with 1 egg, 1/2 t salt, 1/4 t pepper, 1/2 t italian seasoning (or parsley, oregano, rosemary, thyme, basil).  thinly slice two garlic cloves. sprinkle 1 T olive oil on dough, sprinkle with garlic, put blobs of ricotta mixture evenly spaced across dough, then sprinkle with 1 - 1/2 C mozzarella.  Top with small pieces of broccoli if desired.
• whole wheat pizza: replace 1/3 - 1/2 of the flour with whole wheat (white whole wheat is best) and top as usual.

Super Salsa

I made this salsa to add to Monica's chili recipe... and as a result I'm 100% sure that 1) I'm never going to buy salsa again, and 2) whenever I make chili in the future, I will be adding this salsa to it. Both the salsa and the chili came out amazing! I'm definitely going to put up some of this salsa so it's on hand and ready to go.

Some notes about this salsa: it's got some heat and some tang to it... but isn't that what makes a salsa great?! Depending on what you're in the mood for, though, you can simply add more or less of whatever ingredient... just remember that with fresh chile peppers, the flavors do intensify a bit, especially in a cooked salsa like this one. (Salsa cruda, also called pico de gallo or salsa fresca, is a different animal in that you don't cook the salsa... I made a cooked salsa for Monica's chili recipe because I wanted the added sweetness and added depth of flavor to mellow out the heat from the chile peppers.)

I will definitely be experimenting with this recipe by trying other types of green chiles, and by adding corn, beans or other veggies...

Makes 3-4 cups of salsa

Ingredients:

• 3 lbs Roma tomatoes, blanched and chopped (You can use canned diced tomatoes)
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 jalapeños, seeded and diced
• 2 sweet bell peppers (I used 1 orange and 1 red), seeded and diced
• 2 green chilies (I used Anaheim chilies), seeded and diced
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1/3 cup roughly chopped parsley or cilantro (I used parsley since Mr. D is not a cilantro fan)
• 1 1/2 Tablespoons chili powder
• juice of 2+ limes
• salt and pepper

Directions:

1. If you are using fresh tomatoes, blanching them removes the skin, which I prefer when cooking them, otherwise the skins come off and there are loose bits of tomato skin everywhere. (To blanch: boil a pot of water, remove any stems and cut a shallow "x" onto the bottom of the tomatoes, prepare a bowl with ice water, place tomatoes into the boiling water until the skin starts to split, remove and place the tomatoes in the bowl of ice water for a few seconds, and then, finally, the tomato skin should slide right off.) Then chop up the tomatoes.
2. Heat a large pan, add the tomatoes and about 1/2 cup of water. Cook tomatoes on med-high to soften, stirring occasionally. Use a masher or large spoon to break up the tomatoes a little bit so it looks like a very chunky sauce... this is the base for your salsa. Remove the tomatoes to a bowl.
3. Wipe out the pan and heat the oil, add onions and saute 2 minutes (turning down the heat to med-low), add all the peppers and saute 4 minutes, and then add garlic and saute 2 minutes. Cooking time may vary, but the goal is to soften these ingredients and bring out the flavors without cooking them through or letting them brown.
4. Add the tomatoes back into the pan with the pepper/onion mixture. Stir together and cook 2 more minutes.
5. Add the parsley, chili powder and lime juice, stir and cook for another minute or two. Add salt and pepper to taste.
6. Remove from the heat and cool.

Annette's Thai Coconut-Curry: A Dinner Swap Recipe

This recipe is adapted from an Epicurious.com recipe and was also inspired by a similar dish I've had at Monica's and several Thai restaurants. It's hard to decide what I love most about this recipe- the sweet flavors from the coconut milk and veggies, which soothes the heat from the ginger and curry; the tangy lime and basil combination; or the strips of meat that, because they are cooked in the coconut milk, are so tender they simply melt in your mouth. If I had to chose one word to describe this dish it would be "bright".

It's extremely easy to make and only takes one large pan; chop everything up ahead of time and just drop the prepped ingredients into the pan at each step. In the version I made for the Dinner Swap, I added bok choy and shredded carrots because Mr. D and I like our meals loaded with veggies, but you can leave out or add whatever veggies you want to create your own version of this dish. And don't be afraid of the heat- neither Mr. D nor I like our food very spicy so even though it has curry in it, this dish is not hot at all. But if you do like it hotter, feel free to add more curry!

Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 1 14-ounce can unsweetened coconut milk (whisked to blend)
• 1 1/4 teaspoons green curry powder
• 1 tablespoon ginger, peeled and minced
• 1-2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 large red bell pepper, cut into 1/3-inch-wide strips
• 1 large green bell pepper, cut into 1/3-inch-wide strips
• 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
• 1 pound boneless chicken or pork, cut into 1/2 inch strips
• 1 tablespoon (packed) brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce* (also called: nam pla) 
• 1/3 cup thinly sliced fresh basil
• 1 1/2 tablespoon fresh lime juice

Optional additions:

• 1/2 cup shredded carrot
• 4 heads of bok choy, chopped, or whole leaves broken off
• Any other vegetables desired

Directions:

1. Bring 1/4 cup coconut milk and curry to boil in large skillet over medium-high heat, whisking constantly. 
2. Add garlic, ginger, bell pepper and onion; sauté 5 minutes. 
3. Stir in meat, remaining coconut milk, sugar and fish sauce*. Cook until meat is just about cooked through, stirring often, about 5 minutes. 
4. Add shredded carrot and bok choy, simmer for 1 minute. 
5. Stir in basil and lime juice, simmer 1 minute. 
6. Season with salt and pepper if desired.
7. Serve over rice or noodles... or enjoy by itself. 

*Fish sauce can be purchased at your local supermarket or any Asian food store. Or, soy sauce can be used as a substitute.

Dom's Delicious Dinner

The idea for this meal comes from my husband Dom, and is influenced by his German heritage. It is very versatile, easy to make, generates few dishes in the making, healthy, looks pretty (due to all the colors) and is yummy! We just usually throw all the ingredients in the pan, season and test-taste till it's good, so here is a fairly loose guideline for the recipe:

Ingredients:
1 onion, diced
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 -1 tbsp butter (or oil for a healthier option, but we like the flavor the butter gives)
boneless chicken breast, cut into small pieces (I think I use 0.2-0.3 lb)
8 oz mushrooms, sliced
1 red pepper, sliced (you can also use half red and half yellow for a more colorful dish)
2 zucchinis (sliced)
1-2 tbsp soy sauce
dried basil
salt and pepper
up to 1/2 c fat-free sour cream

your favorite type of pasta, boiled

Method:

1. Melt the butter in a large pan, add onions and garlic and season with salt and pepper . On medium heat, saute until onions are translucent.
   
2. Add chicken and saute until white all over. Add the mushrooms and soy sauce and stir. Add the remaining vegetables to the pan, season with salt and pepper and sprinkle some dried basil (I have a shaker, so I have never measured this... oops). Cover with a lid, and let vegetables and chicken cook, around 15 minutes (this is when you can set your pasta to boil). I have found that the juices from the vegetables plus the steaming effect of covering the pan are enough to cook the chicken and vegetables. However, if you find it's running dry, add a little water, but only a little :-)
   
3. When the chicken and vegetables are cooked (there should be small amount of liquid in the pan), add the sour cream and stir through (I usually add it in tablespoons until the desired creaminess). Add more salt and pepper to desired taste.
4. Serve over your favorite type of pasta (I usually do penne or fusilli, but you could use anything) and enjoy!

I love this dish as it takes less than an hour from start to finish (including prep time). You can also throw just about anything in there, for instance, I have used shredded chicken (leftover from cooking a whole chicken) instead of chicken breast and it was great. Due to the abundance of vegetables, you don't need a whole lot of meat. I have also made a vegetarian option using cannellini beans. Also, for vegetables, you can add broccoli and peas or asparagus instead of zucchini - your pick! :-)