Christmas Vacation (the Griswold-free Edition): Pizzas, Pasta, and a Whole Lotta Carbs

Hello hello, my lovely readers and friends! I’ve returned from a lengthy and lovely Christmas Break (the joys of working in education: I still have a set-in-stone-employer-can’t-touch-it end-of-December vacation. HOO-rah!) with updates of the foodie variety. As expected, my sojourn to my family homestead (figuratively, not literally — I grew up squarely in suburbia, not the big ol’ fields and pine-filled woods of THT’s childhood) was filled with food. Literally filled. The stuffed turkey and I were vying for the heftiest belly on Christmas night, and I’m very okay with that.

It was pretty wonderful to be home, actually. I mean, having come from depressingly snow-free DC, how could I beat this winter wonderland?

Image courtesy of Felicia L. / Facebook.com.
“White Christmas,” anyone?

And with a mama this cute, my time at home was downright fabbity fab-fab. 🙂

Image courtesy of Felicia L. / Facebook.com. Family resemblance, right down to the 80+ layers of warm clothing!

There were so many culinary highlights, that it’s hard to pin down my favorite dishes. My little sister made an amazing Asparagus Sauté, cutting the asparagus into 2-inch chunks and sauteing them with olive oil, a few minced garlic cloves, and a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese. My older sister’s Pignoli Cookies were so epically Italian and so darned tasty that any attempt to reproduce their southern-Sicilian magic would moot. (Or a “moo” point, if you’re Joey.) NOTE: If you’re interested in tackling their tastiness, here’s a delicious version of her recipe from Italian Food Forever.

And Grandma GKG’s Christmas Eve Italian feast, complete with Pasta with Broccoli Rabe, was, as usual, downright divine. (Spaghetti + sauteed broccoli rabe + parmesan + chicken broth + a topping of crushed croutons. Simple, huh?)

And as an alternative to turkey, my padre tried this recipe for Michael Symon’s Porchetta from Food Network Magazine. With its spicy pancetta and rosemary filling (an extra kick comes from oodles of red pepper flakes), it was a hit for the senses and the sinuses. Whoo!

Image courtesy of foodnetwork.com. Molto bene!

My contributions were mostly of the sous-chef variety — scoring the pork roast, baking some bread, arranging tables, washing dishes, etc. However, I did make one of my absolute favorite pizza recipes, which I’ll now share with you, lovely readers.

Here’s a preview:

Image courtesy of Felicia L. / Facebook.com. Love the blur effect — looks like steam on the oven window!

One night a few days before Christmas, the task of dinner prep fell to me. (I know, how terrible … twist my arm, why don’t you, Mom? Tee hee.) I decided to make one of my specialties, White Pizza with Caramelized Onions, Mushrooms & Ham. I also whipped up a Pesto Pizza and Veggie Pizza, which are low-key additions to the pizza repertoire of any budding chef. (Pesto Pizza = pesto sauce, cheese, and sliced tomatoes; Veggie pizza = wheat crust, tomato sauce, and as many veggies as your fridge can hold.) The white pizza, however, is an elegant and stylish dinner treat.

White Pizza with Caramelized Onions, Mushrooms, & Ham

You’ll need:

• 1 white or wheat pizza crust, rolled out and prepared for baking
• 1 cup prepared bechamel sauce
• 1-2 cups shredded fontina cheese
• 4-6 slices of deli ham, sliced into thin shreds
• 1/4 white onion, sliced thinly
• 1/2 cup white button mushroom slices
• Additional parmesan cheese, salt & pepper for seasoning

Here’s what you do:

• Preheat the oven to 400°F. Prepare pizza crust on top of either a baking sheet or a baking stone.
• To caramelize onions, heat 1 tsp olive oil in a small pan on medium-low heat. Add onions and cook, slowly, for 20-30 minutes, adding 1/4 cup of water every few minutes, or until water is absorbed each time. This slow method will render sweetness and delicious caramelized sugar from the onions.
• To prepare the mushrooms, cook in batches over medium-low heat with a smidgen of olive oil. Do NOT add mushrooms all at once; keep space between each mushroom and flip once, allowing them to brown on each side.
• To prepare the ham, simply saute the slices in either the onion pan or the mushroom pan once either vegetable is finished cooking. Allow the ham to crisp up slightly, for no longer than 5-10 minutes.
• Spread the prepared bechamel sauce over the crust. Check here for a simple recipe. Top with shredded cheese, caramelized onions, and prepared ham slices and mushrooms. Additional parmesan is good here as a garnish, as is a grind or two of fresh black pepper.
• Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until crust and cheese are lightly browned. Slice into small squares and enjoy as an appetizer or a main meal.

This pizza is SO darn good, it’s ridiculous. If you’d like something less labor-intensive, you can also use raw onions, raw mushrooms, and deli ham straight out of the package. The extra steps add a whole nother dimension, however, and are definitely worth the effort!

What are your favorite holiday recipes? What are your classic Christmas dishes, wintertime favorites, and seasonal delicacies? Happy eating!

Pinterest Challenge: Ham and Egg Cups

It’s been quite some time since I examined my Pinned recipes (which number in the hundreds … oy!), but an easy-looking dish caught my eye. Ham, egg, simple preparation? I’m in! It’s time for … another Pinterest Challenge!

Superfood Salad with Sweet Potatoes, Kale, and Cranberry Sauce Vinaigrette

A few weeks ago, I had that most wonderful of treats: Thanksgiving Leftovers. And while the standard Turkey + Stuffing + Gravy sandwich was, as always, super-delectable, I was in the mood to get more creative. With my eye on the fridge — and on the nutrition facts — I concocted this Superfood Salad with Sweet Potatoes, Kale, and Cranberry Sauce Vinaigrette. It’s a warm salad that can also be served cold or at room temperature, and works particularly well with leftovers of Mom’s Sweet Potatoes and Pinot Noir Cranberry Sauce.

Viva Italia: Four Ingredient Baked Pasta

What if I told you that a simple, hearty meal could be yours in 30-ish minutes and using only 4 ingredients? You’d be all over that bidness, right? What if I also told you that this dinner creation is as customizable as you can imagine, allowing for creativity, taste preferences, and inventive food adventures to your heart’s content?

If your response is a Howard Dean-style “Yeeeeah!” then you’ve come to the right blog.

Easy Dinners: Tortilla Pizza

Love pizza? (Who am I kidding? If you didn’t love pizza, I suspect you wouldn’t be on this pizza-loving woman’s blog.)

Don’t have the time to roll out fresh dough or whip up your own? (I.e. like every 20-something on a weeknight.)

Hunting through your fridge for some semblance of nutritious food, and coming up a bit short? (Again, like a lot of us. Unless you work at Whole foods. I bet their employee discount is ridiculous.)

Cranberry Orange Walnut Muffins

Early morning cranberry muffins? Don’t mind if I do.

When we were hosting Thanksgiving a couple of weeks ago (already? Pfft. It isn’t 2-ish weeks until Christmas or anything … nope … ), I jumped on the cranberry train pretty quickly and without much hesitation. Cranberry sauce, cranberry bread, cranberry, well, everything, if my fall-flavored taste buds had anything to say about it.Inspired by Mom’s Cranberry Bread recipe, I concocted these Cranberry Orange Walnut Muffins, pirating the BHG muffin recipe (as I often do) by adding that oh-so-seasonal trio of flavors.

Homemade > Store-Bought, the Chicken Stock Edition

Yes, Virginia, there IS real food somewhere in there! This lovely little display of ooey-gooey chicken guts-ness, veggies and aromatics will eventually become one of my favorite cooking items in the world — chicken stock. Simple, versatile, and capable of enriching even the simplest of recipes, chicken stock (or turkey stock, or heck, even veggie stock, which is just as easy to make and totally vegetarian / vegan) is the backbone of that “Mmmm, this tastes like something my Grandma made” flavor. If you’re looking for homey nostalgia in a dish, this is your (no longer a big) secret weapon.

DIY Empanadas: A Pie Crust, Some Chicken, and A Dream

So, how do you make your own empanadas when your life’s travels haven’t exactly taken you to El Salvador? With leftovers, killer flavors, and a little creativity. And by “a little creativity,” I mean, “a little bit of store-bought pie crust.” While I’ll willingly acknowledge that these aren’t exactly authentic, as those who can make them from scratch would (rightfully) argue, they’re still super easy and pretty darn delicious for a cold week night’s supper.

When I think of empanadas, my mind also wanders towards other “dough + filling = best comfort food ever.” Cornish pasties (hello, favorite British snack, apart from tubes of Jaffa cakes), calzones, stromboli, and even dumplings (like those at the KILLER brunch at Silver Spring’s Oriental East. To. Die. For.) are all delicious, but empanadas have that special Latin flavor that keeps me coming back for more.

Rutabaga, What-a-baga, Sweet Potata: Maple Dijon-Roasted Root Veggies

I recently had lunch with two good friends and their adorable 2 year-old daughter. We were munching on dim sum at a local Chinese restaurant (fun fact: 2 year-olds are highly intrigued by food in bundles and traveling carts full of appetizers. Makes me feel like I’m doing a good job of appeasing my inner child, given that I love both of those things!), and the couple mentioned that they had recently joined a CSA.

For those who think that sounds like a New Deal program or a branch of the Secret Service, CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture. When you join a CSA (which is regional, often organized through individual farms or your city / county), you essentially buy a weekly share in a local farm’s produce harvest for a given year. Your share supports the farmer’s work and livelihood, and it also results in you receiving a big ol’ delivery of whatever produce happens to be in season.