Ina Garten's Balsamic Roasted Brussel Sprouts

I've become a big fan of Brussel sprouts lately.  And let's face it, always a big fan of Ina!  My husband took one look at them and said "they look so good!".  As incredibly surprised as I was at that reaction, when we started eating, he blew me away, exclaiming "these taste like candy!".   But, the fact is, he sure was right.  This recipe for Brussel sprouts is incredible. 

I adapted it to feed just the two of us and used bacon instead of pancetta.  Although I'm certain that if I had made the entire pound of Brussel sprouts, we would have eaten them.  They are that good!

 Serves 2

Ina Garten's Balsamic Roasted Brussel Sprouts

1/2 pound Brussel sprouts, trimmed and cut through the core

2 strips of bacon, 1/4 inch diced

2 tablespoons olive oil 

salt and pepper

1 tablespoon syrupy balsamic vinegar 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Place the cut Brussel sprouts on a sheet pan, including the loose leaves which get crispy when they are roasted.  Add the bacon, olive oil, about 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper, toss with your hands and spread out in a single layer.  Roast for about 20 minutes, until they are tender and the bacon is crisp.  Toss once during cooking.  Remove from oven and immediately toss with balsamic, serve hot.  

(Source:  Adapted from Ina Garten) 

Baby Arugula, Cranberry and Pecan Salad

I'm obsessed with this salad!  Such a perfect fall dinner or side.  This is actually the first time I've ever tried arugula and it certainly will not be my last.  I've been missing out!  Tangy and peppery and delicious.  

I don't care for feta, but that is what the original recipe called for.  Feta is one of those things that I want to like (is that weird?) but I just can't do any of those really strong crumbly cheeses.  The dressing for this salad is unbelievable...so simple but packed with flavor.  This would be a very pretty side dish to serve at a Holiday dinner.

Serves 2

Baby Arugula, Cranberry and Pecan Salad

1 head of Romaine, chopped and rinsed
1 cup of Baby Arugula
1/3 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella

For the dressing 
2 tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar
1 small shallot, grated or minced
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup olive oil

In a large bowl, combine all of the ingredients for the salad.  In a smaller bowl, combine the Balsamic, shallot and salt.  Slowly pour in the olive oil and whisk until emulsified. 

Pour dressing over the salad and toss gently. 

(Source:  adapted from Kali Orexi)

Parmesan Pesto Roasted Tomatoes

Well, these are just about the best appetizer I have ever eaten.  Seriously...I mean, just look at the pictures.  Not only do these tomatoes taste amazing, they look beautiful, too.  I could've plated them on a nice platter, but to be honest, they didn't last that long.  My husband and I were eating them right off the baking sheet - we had to restrain ourselves long enough for me to take the pictures...and that was LONG enough.

Slice the tomatoes and sprinkle with olive oil, oregano, salt and pepper.  Gorgeous already. 

Roasted tomatoes are so good on their own too.  So great for a caprese salad...but it gets better!  

Adapted from Ina Garten, so you know they are going to be good.  Double it if you're having company.  The pesto I used was her recipe, too.  I made it awhile ago and had it in the freezer.  Here is the recipe - super simple and freezes so nicely to use again and again.  Family - plan on having these as an appetizer at our next holiday!

Serves 4 (but really it's 2 because you won't be able to stop eating them)

Parmesan Pesto Roasted Tomatoes

2 Roma tomatoes, sliced 1/2 inch thick

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon dried oregano

kosher salt and fresh ground pepper

1/4 cup pesto (store bought or homemade)   

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese  

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.  Arrange the tomato slices on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil.  Sprinkle with oregano and season with salt and pepper.  Bake for 10 minutes.  Remove from oven, spread pesto evenly on each tomato slice, then sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.  Bake for another 7-10 minutes until cheese becomes golden brown.  I turned the broiler on for about 30 seconds just to get a nice crispy crust.  

(Source:  Adapted from Ina Garten)

Basil Pesto

Just back from vacation and my basil plant was out of control!  I chopped a ton of it off!  I already have some frozen in olive oil, so decided to make pesto with this latest crop.

At first, I was kind of disappointed - my first time ever making pesto and it seemed runny.  But, I discovered when I pulled it out of the fridge a couple days later it had really thickened up and was just perfect. 

Makes 4 cups

 Basil Pesto

1/4 cup pine nuts

1/4 cup pecans

3 tablespoons chopped garlic

5 cups basil leaves, packed

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 1/2 cups olive oil

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Place the pine nuts, pecans and garlic into a food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped.  Add the basil leaves, salt and pepper.  With the processor running slowly, pour the olive oil through the feed tube and process until everything is pureed.  Add the Parmesan and puree for a minute.  Use right away or store in the refrigerator or freezer with a piece of plastic wrap directly on the pesto, then capped with an airtight lid.  

(Source:  Adapted from Ina Garten)

Bruschetta Pasta

It's getting to be that time of year again...weather is getting warmer, I have basil growing in my backyard and tomatoes are more readily available.  All this combined made me really hungry for Bruschetta - chopped tomatoes with basil, olive oil and balsamic vinegar - and I thought instead of just making that served with crostini, I could just toss it with some pasta for a quick no-cook sauce.  It was excellent!  So great for a hot summer night when you don't feel like slaving over a hot stove (except to make the pasta of course).  I also included the recipe for the crostinis (little toasts) because I served them with our pasta.  

Serves 4-6

Bruschetta Pasta

1 pound thin spaghetti 

6 plum tomatoes, chopped and seeded

2 teaspoons minced garlic

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

6-8 basil leaves, chopped

sea salt and black pepper to taste

freshly grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

Crostini

1 baguette of French bread

1/4 cup olive oil

1 clove garlic

Prepare pasta according to directions.  Follow the next steps while the pasta is cooking.  

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Slice the baguette in 1/2 inch slices and arrange on a 9 x 13-inch baking sheet.  Using a pastry brush, brush a small amount of olive oil on each slice.  Toast for 5-6 minutes until they start to turn a golden brown.  Once removed from the oven, rub a little bit of the garlic clove onto each piece of toast. 

Chop and seed tomatoes while bread is toasting.  In a medium bowl, toss with the olive oil, balsamic vinegar and basil leaves.  Season with salt and pepper.  Set aside.  When the pasta is done, drain and return to the pot.  Toss with the tomato mixture and top with Parmesan cheese (if using).

Spicy Balsamic Pork Tenderloins

Recently, I started thumbing through some of the cookbooks I haven't opened in a really long time.  I wasn't looking for anything specific, just wanted to see if there was something different, something that really stood out.  I found the recipe for this pork loin in one of Rachael Ray's cookbooks and I loved that it was SUPER simple but so packed with flavor.  This took no time at all.  And, it's cooked at such a high temperature that it's done within 30 minutes (but I guess that's her thing, right?).  

The pork is first rubbed with balsamic vinegar, which I love (I could eat that on everything), then a mixture of minced garlic, spicy Montreal steak seasoning and thyme rubbed in.  

The outside reminds me of those pepper crusted steaks because it is just coated in seasoning.  You can also use the regular McCormick steak seasoning - not the spicy one - if you don't want the added heat.  You'll still get an very flavorful dish.    

I served ours with mashed potatoes and it was even excellent for lunch the next day on a roll with some mayonnaise.  Such a great sandwich!  And I just kind of threw that together - maybe some arugula and a little cheese and you have yourself one heck of a gourmet dinner the next night, too!   

Spicy Balsamic Pork Tenderloins

2 1/2 - 3 pounds pork tenderloin (1 package with 1 tenderloin)
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon olive oil
8 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tablespoon spicy Montreal steak seasoning
1 teaspoon dried thyme

Preheat oven to 500 degrees.  Trim silver skin or connective tissue with a thin, very sharp knife.  Place tenderloin on a nonstick baking sheet with a rim.  Coat tenderloins in balsamic vinegar, rubbing vinegar into meat.  Drizzle tenderloins with olive oil.

In a small bowl, combine the garlic, steak seasoning and dried thyme so it becomes sort of like a paste.  Cut small slits into the meat and rub garlic mixture into the meat.  Roast in hot oven 25-30 minutes.  Let meat rest, transfer to a carving board, slice and serve.

(Source:  Adapted from Rachael Ray)

Pizza Margherita

Pizza is a couple-of-times a month staple in our house.  It's a quick and easy meal, and part of the fun of it is making our our pizza dough!  The recipe I use for my pizza dough is so good and takes just minutes to prepare.  And I LOVE this style of pizza - light and garlicky, without a true tomato sauce, instead, it has slices of Roma tomatoes.  An authentic Margherita pizza is actually made by crushing the tomatoes into a sauce, but I love the look of the slices. 

Cool story - Pizza Margherita was named after Queen Margherita of Italy visited Naples and she was served a pizza resembling the colors of the Italian flag - the red is the tomatoes, white is the mozzarella, and green is the basil.  Basil was no where to be found at my local grocery store, so I did leave it off, replacing it with a sprinkle of Italian seasoning right before baking (which contains basil!).

I always leave my pizza just a little longer after the cheese has already melted.  I love it when the mozzarella gets golden brown and a little crispy.  

I used a pizza stone and made a round pizza, but this recipe will stretch out to a 9x13 or even 11x18 pan (depending on how thin you want your crust).  And I chose to cut my round pizza into squares so the little ones could eat it easier.  

 Pizza Magherita

Pizza dough
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon minced garlic
2 Roma tomatoes, sliced thin
1 1/2 cups shredded pizza cheese (or mozzarella)
3-4 slices of fresh mozzarella, cubed
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt (optional)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees, let pizza stone get hot.  Roll out dough and place it on warmed stone.  Sprinkle with the olive oil and garlic and rub all over the dough (you can leave a border for the crust or go all the way out).  Top with the tomatoes, spaced evenly apart, then top with the shredded cheese, fresh mozzarella, Parmesan, Italian seasoning and garlic salt if using.

Bake for 12-15 minutes until all the cheese is melted and pizza dough is cooked.  Cut into slices or squares.

Shrimp Bisque

 This past weekend was pretty fabulous.  The weather was wonderful (still hot, but wonderful) and we spent Saturday and Sunday morning walking and flying a kite on Tybee Island, which is the beach we live about ten minutes away from.  Just an all around great time with the family!  All that time on the beach had my husband and I craving something seafood-y and I have been dying to try the Barefoot Contessa's recipe for shrimp bisque.  But, before I go any further, I just had to share a couple of pictures of my cute family (shameless, I know!). 

 Max Monster heading straight for the water...he's such a beach baby!

Love that my kids love the beach...

 Julesy-Bean...such a cheeser

 Go Jules ~ flying her kite! 

What a great way to end such a fun weekend, with a fantastic dinner.  The weather actually started to turn just yesterday ~ you could feel the humidity leaving and we just knew it was going to start to be a little cooler (thank goodness!  I mean one person can only take so much).  This recipe was just the perfect way to introduce fall ~ warm and creamy and so flavorful.  I faked out seafood stock by simmering some shrimp tales in chicken broth, but you can also follow Ina's recipe exact by using seafood stock (she has a recipe to make homemade as well).  This was even better the next day for lunch.

I love that Ina recognizes in her cookbook that bisques are not typically simple to make...that they require a million steps.  She simplifies it for us already, which is honestly why I was able to make this rich and delicious soup in no time at all.  

Shrimp cooking away with green onions, garlic and sherry.  Looking good already... 

 Serves 4-6 

Shrimp Bisque

1 pound shrimp, peeled, cleaned and deveined (shells and/or tails reserved)

4 cups chicken stock 

3 tablespoons olive oil

3/4 cup chopped green onions (both green and white parts)

1 tablespoon minced garlic

pinch of cayenne pepper

1/2 cup dry sherry

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 cups half-and-half

1/3 cup tomato paste

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Place the shrimp shells and chicken stock in a saucepan and simmer for 15 minutes.  Strain and reserve the stock.  Add enough water to make 3 3/4 cups.

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven.  Add the green onions and cook over medium-low heat until they are tender but not browned.  Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute.  Add the cayenne pepper and shrimp and cook over medium to low heat for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add the sherry and cook for 3 or 4 more minutes longer.  Transfer the shrimp and onions to a food processor and process until coarsely pureed.  

In the same pot, melt the butter.  Add the flour and cook over medium-low heat for 1 minute, stirring with a wooden spoon.  Add the half-and-half and cook, stirring with a whisk, until thickened, about 3 minutes.  Stir in the pureed shrimp, the stock, tomato paste, salt and pepper and heat gently until hot but not boiling.  Serve hot with a French baguette and some garlic butter croutons.  

(Source: Adapted from Barefoot Contessa at Home)

Chicken Caesar Club Sandwich

One of my favorite things is rifling through my cookbooks and seeing pages crumbled or stains from various spills.  Silly, but seeing the years of use and wear makes me happy.  One of my absolute favorite cookbooks is Ina Garten's Barefoot Contessa at Home, and surprisingly, it still has the dust jacket on it.  But it's pretty crumbled, from years and years of love and use.  I mentioned in a previous post that I was going to try to cook my way through Ina's cookbooks and this is another one of those tries.  I substituted some things and omitted others, but this is my version of her sandwich and I must say it turned out excellent!

My absolute favorite way to cook chicken is to roast it (thanks to Ina!)...it is moist and flavorful and perfect for a sandwich like this or it makes a fantastic chicken salad.  If you have not tried it this way, you must!  Hope you all enjoy this sandwich as much as my family did! 

My rumpled cookbook...and a few of my other favorites! 

Chicken Caesar Club Sandwich

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Olive oil

Kosher salt and black pepper

1/2 pound of bacon

Caesar dressing 

3 ciabatta rolls

A few Romaine leaves

2-3 ounces of Parmesan cheese, shaved

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Place the chicken breasts on a sheet pan, rub with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Roast for 30-35 minutes until cooked through.  Cool slightly and slice meat thickly.  Set aside.  

Meanwhile, place the bacon in skillet and cook until crisp.  Set aside to drain on paper towels.  

Slice the ciabatta rolls in half horizontally and separate the top from the bottom.  Toast the bread in the oven, cut side up for 5-7 minutes; cool slightly.  Spread the cut sides of each piece with the Caesar dressing.  Place a Romaine leaf on the bottom piece of bread, then layer in order:  bacon, shaved Parmesan, sliced chicken.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper and finish with another Romaine leaf.  Repeat with the other 2 rolls.  Serve at room temperature.  

(Source:  Adapted from Barefoot Contessa at Home)

Tuscan Lemon Chicken with Creamy Lemon Vinaigrette

How good is grilled chicken?  I mean, really any kind.  I love a good, crispy, charred piece of chicken breast that is still juicy in the middle and the grill is just excellent for that.  I love summer!  We do tons of grilling.  You will love this recipe from the Barefoot Contessa for lemon chicken - it is just packed full of flavor.  And simple, too, especially if you use boneless, skinless chicken breasts like I did (in her original recipe, Ina used a whole bone in chicken and flattened it - also fantastic, I'm sure). 

I served this with romaine lettuce topped with a Creamy Lemon Vinaigrette adapted from the always fabulous Tyler Florence (it is apparent yet that I watch a lot of Food Network?).  This meal was light and refreshing and I know would be killer for your next grilling party! 

Serves 2-3 

Tuscan Lemon Chicken with Creamy Lemon Vinaigrette

2 large chicken breasts, sliced in half lengthwise (or 4 small chicken breasts)
1/3 cup olive oil
2 teaspoons lemon zest (2 lemons)
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon minced rosemary (I used dry, Ina used fresh)
Freshly ground black pepper
1 lemon, halved

Creamy Lemon Vinaigrette
1 tablespoon grainy mustard
1 tablespoon hot water
1 lemon, juiced
1/3 cup olive oil
1 heaping teaspoon sour cream (Tyler used Creme Fraiche)
1/2 teaspoon sugar
Kosher salt and black pepper

Sprinkle each side of the chicken breasts with salt and place in a large plastic storage bag.  Combine olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic, rosemary and 2 teaspoons black pepper in a small measuring cup.  Pour the marinade into the storage bag over the chicken, seal and squeeze to work the marinade into the chicken. Place bag in a bowl to prevent spills and place in the refrigerator for about 2 hours.  Squeeze the bag a couple of times to ensure every bit of chicken is getting some of the marinade.

Preheat your grill and pull chicken out of the marinade, gently shaking to remove excess.  Grill each piece for 5-6 minutes on each side or until the juices run clear.  Place the lemon halves on a cooler side of the grill when you put the chicken breasts on.  Serve the chicken with the grilled lemon halves and a nice green salad.

Combine all the ingredients for the vinaigrette (salt and pepper will be to taste) in a mason jar, put cap on a shake vigorously to emulsify (or whisk everything together in a large measuring cup).  Drizzle over greens and toss well to coat.

(Source:  Adapted from the Barefoot Contessa, Back to Basics and Tyler Florence)

Tomato and Basil Bruschetta

I am a fiend for anything tomato and basil together.  Coupled with the fact that we have a ton of basil growing in our backyard, pretty much means that we eat a lot of Caprese salads and other tomato/basil combinations.  The other night, I just was completely blank as far as what to make for dinner (it was just one of those days - my brain was pretty much fried).  Usually I have an idea, or better yet, dinner is done by the time my husband comes home, but not this night.  We were both exhausted and cooking anything just didn't sound like too much fun.  So, we made it a no-cook appetizer night.  I chopped some tomatoes, we cut some shards of Parmesan cheese and that was our dinner.  And it was completely wonderful and surprisingly filling, too (lots of bread!).  Just a tip - this is VERY garlicky - you can omit rubbing the garlic on the bread if you prefer to tone it done a bit.

As far as the Parmesan cheese goes, I ate it on the side, by itself, because I love it just like that!  My husband actually topped his bruschetta with a shard of Parmesan, which also looked very yummy!

Serves 3 as a meal, or 6 as an appetizer

Tomato and Basil Bruschetta 

6 plum tomatoes, chopped and seeded

2 teaspoons minced garlic

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

6-8 basil leaves, chopped

sea salt and black pepper to taste

Crostini

1 baguette French bread

1/4 cup olive oil

1 clove garlic

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Slice the baguette in 1/2 inch slices and arrange on a 9 x 13-inch baking sheet.  Using a pastry brush, brush a small amount of olive oil on each slice.  Toast for 5-6 minutes until they start to turn a golden brown.

Chop and seed tomatoes while bread is toasting.  In a medium bowl, toss with 1 tablespoon olive oil, balsamic vinegar and basil leaves.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Set aside.  

Once the bread is done, remove from oven and rub the garlic clove over each slice.  Serve in a bowl with a spoon for each person to scoop the tomato/basil mixture onto the bread (or top each one if you prefer and serve already made up).   

Roasted Tomato Caprese Salad

I'm revisting my Barefoot Contessa cookbooks and am really trying to cook as much as possible from them.  I have so many cookbooks and feel like I'm constantly using the internet to get inspirations for recipes and I hardly use them!  The first time I had roasted tomatoes was at my mom's house, who purchased them from one of those antipasto bars in a high end grocery store (you know the ones that have olives, artichokes, mozzarella balls, etc) and I could not stop eating them!  The flavor just gets so concentrated, but different than a sun-dried tomato.  Remembering that I saw Ina Garten roast tomatoes on her show, I knew I had to try it out at home.  I was not dissapointed!  We were eating these right off the tray when they came out of the oven and had to restrain ourselves so I could make this salad, which needless to say was amazing.  I love a good Caprese salad, it's probably one of my most favorite meals EVER, but the flavor of these caramelized tomatoes just put this right over the top.  Like Ina says, tomatoes with the volume turned up (LOVE her!!). 

Just a side note, I've also read where she does these at 475 degrees for 25-30 minutes.  Much faster, so whatever your time allows for (this recipe takes 2 hours to roast).

Serves 6 (unless you're my family) :)

12 plum tomatoes, halved lengthwise, seeds removed

1/4 cup olive oil

1 1/2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 teaspoons sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

16 oz fresh mozzarella

12 fresh basil leaves, julienned

Preheat the oven to 275 degrees.  Arrange the tomatoes on a sheet pan, cut sides up, in a single layer.  Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.  Sprinkle the garlic, sugar, salt and pepper over the tomatoes.  Roast for 2 hours until the tomatoes are concentrated and begin to caramelize.  Allow the tomatoes to cool to room temperature.

Cut the mozzarella into 1/2 inch slices, cutting in half again in they are bigger than the tomatoes.  Layer the tomatoes alternately with the mozzarella and sprinkle with basil.  Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper and drizzle lightly with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.  Serve at room temperature.  

(Souce:  Adapted from Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics)

          

Sweet and Spicy Sweet Potato Fries

I have been making these for years and I have to let you in on a little secret...these are just as good when made from the bag of frozen sweet potato fries.  They may even be better because, hey, you're not peeling and chopping up a sweet potato (not that it's hard, but I'm just sayin').  

But, either way, from a whole sweet potato or from the bag, these are the best side dish.  The mix of sweet, spicy and salty is such good combination.  And once under the broiler, the brown sugar caramelizes and makes them so crispy.  We like them extra salty so I always give them a good helping of more salt right when they come out of the oven.   

On a side note, if using frozen from the bag, omit the oil and initial salt and pepper...just follow the instructions for baking until they are pretty much done (about 20-22 minutes), then follow the instructions for the broiler and seasonings.  

4 servings

2 sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped into 1/2 inch sticks (or 1 bag of frozen fries)

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon Kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 tablespoon chili powder

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Place cut sweet potatoes onto a 9x13 baking pan, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Use your hands to ensure the sweet potatoes are completely coated.  Bake for 25-30 minutes until the sweet potatoes are tender.  Take out of the oven and turn on the broiler.  Sprinkle with chili powder and brown sugar and toss to coat.  Place baking sheet under the broiler for just a couple of minutes until the brown sugar starts to caramelize and the potatoes start to crisp.  Sprinkle with additional Kosher salt if desired.  

Roasted Asparagus with Balsamic Vinegar

It's not quite Summer yet - it's only been officially Spring for 10 days - but in Savannah, we've already been to the beach a couple times and it sure feels like Summer to me!  Fresh asparagus makes me think of the warmer months and this just went great with chicken we made on the grill the other night.  Easy and healthy and I guarantee that your entire family will love this recipe.  Kiddos and all!  

Serves 2-3

1 pound of asparagus

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Snap off the woody end of a piece of asparagus and use that as a guide to cut the ends of the rest of the bunch.  Lay them in a single layer on a baking sheet pan, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Use your hands to make sure they are all covered.  

Roast for 12-15 minutes, until tender.  Drizzle with balsamic vinegar and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.  

Balsamic Vinaigrette and Marinade

This is my go-to dressing for salads, sandwiches or marinading chicken.  It's super simple and amazing on a Caprese salad (tomatoes, mozzarella and basil).  We also do our version of this as a sandwich, just tomato, fresh slices of mozzarella on ciabatta rolls.  A little mayo, spoon the vinaigrette over the mayo and assemble your sandwich...it's to die for!  Use it as a marinade for grilled chicken - I would double or triple this recipe if you use it for that so you have enough.  There are just so many uses and possibilities!  As I make new and different things with this, I'll continue to share and post recipes.  Enjoy!

4 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon salt (use Kosher or freshly cracked sea salt)

Combine all the ingredients and whisk together!  Serve over your favorite salad or use as marinade for chicken.

Basic Pizza Dough

I love making my own pizza dough...not only is it super simple, but it's so good.  This will make two balls of dough, each one big enough for a pizza, calzone, stromboli...whatever your preference.  

There are so many recipes out there for pizza dough, but this one is by far the best that I've tried.  Just a few ingredients, about 10 minutes of your time (minus the waiting for the dough to rise) and you're good to go!  Also, I also use the fast rising yeast, one less thing you have to wait for (see notes if using regular yeast).  I've made some pretty fabulous pizzas and strombolis with this dough...those recipes to follow...

Makes 2 dough balls (about 1 pound each)

Basic Pizza Dough 

1 package of Fast Rising Yeast (or 2 1/4 teaspoons)*
1 1/4 cups warm water
3 1/4 cups bread flour (approximately - add more a couple of tablespoons at a time if dough is too sticky)
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon olive oil

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine the bread flour, yeast, salt and sugar.  Add water and olive oil and mix.  Continue mixing the dough with the dough hook until it completely pulls apart from the sides, about 5 minutes.  Lift the dough out, spray the bowl with non-stick cooking spray and place dough back in bowl, turning to coat the surface.  Cover with a tea towel and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour.

Divide the dough into 2 equal portions.  Place on cutting board or baking sheet and cover again with towel, let rest for 30 minutes.  If you are not going to use both, wrap one in plastic wrap and put in fridge for no more than 3 days.  If you want to freeze it, wrap in plastic wrap and place in a freezer bag.  Place in the fridge the night before you want to use it and let come to room temperature before using that day.

* If using regular (not fast rising) yeast, dissolve the packet into 1/4 cup of the warm water and add the tablespoon of sugar.  I do this right in the bowl I'm going to use to mix the dough.  Let sit for about 10 minutes until the mixture foams and doubles in volume.  Then add all of the remaining ingredients, mix and knead as directed above.