Braised Short Ribs with Red Wine, Rosemary and Pancetta. Fall off the bone and smack your mama.

I know we're all tired of winter. I know we're ready for lighter meals outside with the summer breeze at our backs, pool parties and frozen drinks with tiny umbrellas in them.

But these are too good to wait to post until next year so I'm going to be unfashionably out of season and post them now.

Here's what gets me about short ribs prepared this way. The meat develops a crust on top as if you're biting into a delicious crispy meat chip. But the interior is tender and yielding dripping with all this red-wine-laced-butteriness. In fact I was shocked to learn this recipe actually has no butter in it (it was one of the reasons I could eat it with my baby's dairy allergy.) But that's the magic of short ribs, especially ones seared in pancetta fat. Mmm hmmm.

Anyway forget that this is literally one of the best things you'll ever put in your mouth. Forget the fact that it's company and special occasion worthy. What makes this recipe even more insane is that you can (and should) make it a couple of days ahead of time. The flavor and texture of the meat just gets better and better as it sits in the fridge getting drunk on wine and pancetta juice.

I also love that you serve them from the same big ole pot you make them in. It's rustic and chic at the same time.

So if you want to wish Old Man Winter farewell on one of these last chilly nights whip this up and invite friends around to feast and drink a bunch of red wine over plates of these short ribs (or even better make them for the Game of Thrones premiere in ten days. Woo hoo!)

Because before we know it we'll all be complaining about the heat and mosquitos.

*These can be made gluten free/Paleo by using coconut flour or alternative flour of choice to dredge the meat in before searing.
*The only thing I do differently than PW for this recipe is to sear the ribs for way longer than 45 minutes per side to really get the edges brown and crisp before turning. If you don't get them crisp and brown now, you never will and then you won't have that amazing contrast of textures later so sear them however long it takes you. I have a hunch she uses a cast iron pan or something that gets crazy hotter than my Le Creuset because mine always need way longer than 45 seconds per side - more like 5 minutes.

Braised Short Ribs with Rosemary, Red Wine and Pancetta
Recipe by The Pioneer Woman
Direct Link to Recipe/PW Site:

Ingredients

• 8 whole Beef Short Ribs
•  Kosher Salt and Pepper To Taste
• 1/4 cup All-purpose Flour or enough to coat (use coconut flour or other for gluten free)
• 6 pieces Pancetta, Diced
• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 1 whole Medium Onion, Diced
• 3 whole Carrots, Diced
• 2 whole Shallots, Peeled And Finely Minced
• 2 cups Red Wine
• 2 cups Beef Or Chicken Broth (enough To Almost Cover Ribs)
• 2 sprigs Thyme
• 2 sprigs Rosemary

Preparation Instructions

Salt and pepper ribs, then dredge in flour. Set aside.

In a large dutch oven, cook pancetta over medium heat until complete crispy and all fat is rendered. Remove pancetta and set aside. Do not discard grease.

Add olive oil to pan with the pancetta grease, and raise heat to high. Brown ribs on all sides, about 45 seconds per side (FYI this always takes way longer for them to brown, more like 5 min per side.) Remove ribs and set aside. Turn heat to medium.

Add onions, carrots, and shallots to pan and cook for 5-7 minutes until onions are soft. Pour in wine and scrape bottom of pan to release all the flavorful bits of glory. Bring to a boil and cook 2 minutes.

Add broth, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and plenty of freshly ground black pepper. Taste and add more salt if needed. Add ribs to the liquid; they should be almost completely submerged. Add thyme and rosemary sprigs (whole) to the liquid.

Put on the lid and place into the oven. Cook at 350 for 2 hours, then reduce heat to 325 and cook for an additional 30 to 45 minutes. Ribs should be fork-tender and falling off the bone. Remove pan from oven and allow to sit for at least 20 minutes, lid on, before serving. At the last minute, skim fat off the top of the liquid. (Can also refrigerate for up to 1-2 days, then remove solid fat from the top. Then just reheat in a 325 oven for 25-30 minutes until heated through.)

Serve 2 ribs on bed of creamy polenta or mashed potatoes or celery root puree, spooning a little juice over the top.

Flank Steak Stir Fry, My New BFF

I'm crazily gathering recipes that are fast and easy and can be thrown together even when you have the coordination and where with all of a zombie which I understand is about to be the new norm for me with a newborn.

This one is modified from The Pioneer Woman and really aside from from a few tweaks the main difference is that I dump everything into a giant ziploc first (a step that can even be done several hours ahead) and then from the bag straight into a heated wok. Then while it's cooking all you have to do is cook the rice and dinner is DONE.

I realize I'm probably butchering wok cooking here by dumping everything in at once but I promise you it's still delicious and as long as you let everything rest a couple of minutes with the heat off after cooking the steak will be tender and delicious.

The secret is to reserve some of the chopped green onions and cilantro for garnish (though I doubt I'll remember to do this once sleep deprivation kicks in.)

Flank Steak Stir Fry

Ingredients:
1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce (I've used regular and it was fine just don't add additional salt)
2 tablespoons white wine
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger, optional
2 whole peeled garlic cloves
good pinch red pepper flakes
1 to 1 1/2 pounds flank steak, trimmed of excess fat and sliced against the grain into thin slices (I like to then take the slices and cut them into 2 inch pieces but it's up to you)
5 green onions cut into 1/2 inch pieces plus 2 green onions, chopped and reserved for garnish
1/2 cup chopped cilantro, divided
Optional (or use all!) veg: 8 oz snow peas, 1 red bell pepper cut into slivers, 2 carrots sliced into thin rounds, 16 oz frozen broccoli, 1/2 small sweet onion cut into thin strips
2-3 tablespoons canola oil or peanut or olive oil
Rice, cooked according to package, to serve alongside (my recipe is 1 cup rice to 1 3/4 cups low sodium chicken stock, brought to a boil then reduced to low with lid on for 12 min but follow whatever yours says for the amount you want)
Wok or a large dutch oven or cast iron pan for frying

How To:
Add the soy sauce through the sesame oil to a large ziploc. Gently smush around while holding the top (you can seal and shake it if it helps) to mix everything together and help dissolve the cornstarch and brown sugar. You can also mix this up in a small bowl first but this saves a step and washing it up by doing it right in the bag. Win-win.

Add the ginger (if using) and the garlic, red pepper flakes, steak, 1/2 inch pieces of green onions, 1/4 cup chopped cilantro and the veggies of your choice. Smush everything around, seal and refrigerate if not making right away or simply seal and set aside while you prepare your wok.

Add the oil to the wok and turn it around carefully so that the sides get coated. Put over medium high heat and let get nice and hot for a couple of minutes. Carefully add the stir fry - the contents of the entire bag - to the wok using a wooden spoon to spread everything out as much as possible so it cooks evenly.

(FYI now is also the time to start your rice in another pot.)

Lower the heat slightly and cook, stirring every so often to keep everything from sticking as well as cooking evenly, for 4-5 minutes until the steak is cooked through and veggies have softened. This might take a little longer if you've opted for all the veggies as well as the full 1 1/2 pounds of steak as opposed to a pound.

Turn the heat off and let the stir fry rest for a couple of minutes. Serve over rice with chopped green onion and cilantro.

Have some steak, Baby. Smothered in The Pioneer Woman's Creamy Onion & Blue Cheese Sauce.

I'm on the Pioneer Woman diet. At the rate I've been cooking her recipes, I'll be ready for slaughter by Mother's Day. I'm gonna make a damn fine marbled ham.

I'll post all of the recipes soon but this onion blue cheese sauce begged to go first. Not gonna lie - you need to love you some blue cheese. Also not gonna lie - your whole household better love blue cheese because its scent will linger like a ghost until the next morning. This was no problem for me though - I could bathe in the stuff. Kidding.

The only changes I made were to use half and half instead of heavy cream which I'm SURE would be even richer and more ridiculous, to go a little lighter on the Worchestershire sauce and to boil it for several minutes to thicken it in light of not having used the heavy cream.

But I'll post it just as she makes it because I personally don't want to mess with a tall redhead nicknamed The Pioneer Woman.

Pioneer Woman's Creamy Onion Blue Cheese Sauce
* From Ree Drummond via Food Network

Ingredients
4 rib eye steaks (about 5 ounces each)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 stick softened butter
1 large yellow onion, sliced
1 cup heavy cream 
3 to 4 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
3/4 cup crumbled blue cheese
Directions
Preheat the grill to a high heat or light your outdoor grill.

Sprinkle the steaks with salt and pepper and smear both sides of the steaks with 1/2 stick of the butter.

Grill the steaks until medium-rare, 3 to 4 minutes per side, and then remove from the heat and keep warm. (You can also saute them in a skillet over medium-high heat if you prefer.)

Melt the remaining 1/2 stick of butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat, and then saute the onions until golden brown, 7 to 8 minutes. Pour in the cream, a dash of salt and pepper and the Worcestershire sauce. Let it bubble up, then add the blue cheese and stir together to melt, adding more pepper or Worcestershire sauce as you wish.

Place the steaks on plates and spoon the sauce over the top.

Take a bite. And the world at long last will make sense.

Pioneer Woman's Cinnamon Rolls. The end all. Be all. Amen.

Merry Christmas darlings! Was Santa good to you? Did you get the brand new Red Ryder Carbine-action BB Gun you were dreaming of, or your own personal equivalent?

I had a wonderful Christmas. Great food. Great gifts. Great family time. And as usual, I'm a little flattened that it's already gone. So today I'm trying to stay upbeat and reflect on what I loved about this year and how to make it last longer next year. These cinnamon rolls are a new tradition. I used to be a 'bread' person - making quick breads to give to friends and neighbors. But thanks to the Pioneer Woman - I'm now a cinnamon roll person.

I gave these away to my family when they came over Christmas Eve for them to eat on Christmas morning. There is nothing like them on this earth. As you eat them, you will wonder how the hell you made something as ridiculously delicious and amazing as these. And here's the kicker - it was easy. Time consuming, sure, but easy. And this is coming from someone who still hasn't mastered the art of pie crusts so trust me when I say I'm not a naturally gifted baker.

Just like her pizza dough, this is a semi fool proof dough. Very forgiving. Very laid back. All you need is a ton of clean counter space and a pair of blinders to distract you from how much butter goes into the recipe. But then again, I only make these at Christmas, so I say bring it on!

One of the thousands of reasons I love these is you can make them in stages, starting with the simple process of whipping the base together in a large lidded pot on the stove top. Once risen later on, you can just stick the top on and keep the dough in the fridge for up to 3 days until you have another chunk of free time to roll them out. The only trick is you CAN'T forget to check on the dough every couple of hours that first day in case it's risen up enough to lift off the lid. All you have to do is punch it down again and put the top back on - but if left it to its own devices for too long it just might take over your refrigerator. Dough is a little science fiction-y that way.

And even later, when you roll it out and assembled the rolls, you can refrigerate them again for a couple of days before you bake them off and ice them (just cover them well and be sure to set them out 15 minutes before baking so they can rise slightly in that final stage.)

Anyway - the fact that you can split up the process this way makes these much more manageable than the forthcoming recipe makes them appear. Here are couple more tips for this too good to be true recipe - and in the meantime - Merry Christmas and Happy New Year Y'all!

* Don't be tempted to substitute a simpler icing for her recipe here. As great as the dough part is, the icing is the gilding of the lily. I could eat it out of an old shoe and be happy for it.
* I serve these with spicy sausage kolaches, you know, for a well rounded meal on Christmas morning. That recipe coming in the next post.
* You can add any variations you like to the filling - dried cranberries or cherries, pecans, etc. I think I prefer them plain as listed below with just cinnamon, sugar and butter.
* She has different amounts of butter in her online recipe for the icing than her book. I go by the book, as reflected here (mo butter mo better.)
* She says to not crowd the pan when putting these in the tins. This year I ignored her and found they came out doughier/softer when all pushed together versus having their own space. We like them this way (my husband always wants 'the middle' one) but if you like more a crust around the rolls then by all means space them out a little more, only giving 4 to 5 to each pan.

Pioneer Woman's Cinnamon Rolls
Prep Time: 2 Hours | Cook Time: 30 Minutes | Difficulty: Easy | Servings: 5-7 round pans full (a lot of people!)

Dough Ingredients:
1 quart Whole Milk
1 cup Vegetable Oil
1 cup Sugar
2 packages Active Dry Yeast, 0.25 Ounce Packets (4 1/2 teaspoons)
8 cups (Plus 1 Extra Cup, Separate) All-purpose Flour
1 teaspoon (heaping) Baking Powder
1 teaspoon (scant) Baking Soda
1 Tablespoon (heaping) Salt
Plenty Of Melted Butter - I use 1 1/2 cups, PW uses 2 cups
2 cups Sugar
Cinnamon, about 1/4 cup or enough to coat entire surface of rolled out dough
Several disposable round tins and plastic wrap to cover them with
_____
MAPLE FROSTING:
1 (2 pound) bag Powdered Sugar
1 tablespoon Maple Flavoring or Extract
1/2 cup Whole Milk
3/4 cup Melted Butter (6 tablespoons)
1/4 cup Brewed Coffee
1/8 teaspoon Salt

Instructions:
For the dough, heat the milk, vegetable oil, and sugar in a large lidded pan/dutch oven over medium heat to just below a simmer (DO NOT ALLOW TO BOIL.) Set aside and cool to lukewarm. Sprinkle the yeast on top and let it sit on the milk for 1 minute.
Add 8 cups of the flour. Stir until just combined, then cover with a clean kitchen towel, and set aside in a relatively warm place for 1 hour. After 1 hour, remove the towel and add the baking powder, baking soda, salt, and the remaining 1 cup flour. Stir thoroughly to combine.

Use the dough right away, or place the lid on it and refrigerate for up to 3 days, punching down the dough if it rises to the top of the bowl. (Note: dough is easier to work with if it’s been chilled for at least an hour or so beforehand.)

When ready to make the rolls, preheat the oven to 375°F.

To assemble the rolls, remove half the dough from the pan/bowl. On a floured baking surface, roll the dough into a large rectangle, about 30 x 10 inches (I live on the edge and do it all at once, rolling it into a 60 x 10 inch rectangle, but recommend splitting in half the first time you make these.) The dough should be rolled fairly thin.

To make the filling, pour 3/4 cup to 1 cup of the melted butter over the surface of the dough. Use your fingers to spread the butter evenly, or a pastry brush. Generously sprinkle half of the ground cinnamon and 1 cup of the sugar over the butter. Don’t be afraid to drizzle on more butter or more sugar! Gooey is the goal.

Now, beginning at the end farthest from you, roll the rectangle tightly towards you. Use both hands and work slowly, being careful to keep the roll tight. Don’t worry if the filling oozes as you work; that just means the rolls are going to be divine. When you reach the end, pinch the seam together and flip the roll so that the seam is face down. When you’re finished, you’ll wind up with one long buttery, cinnamony, sugary, gooey log.

Slip a cutting board underneath the roll and with a sharp knife, make 1-inch slices. Pour a couple of teaspoons of melted butter into disposable foil cake pans and swirl to coat. Place the sliced rolls in the pans, being careful not to overcrowd (I overcrowd but I like them 'doughier.')

Repeat the rolling/sugar/butter process with the other half of the dough and more pans. Cover all the pans with a kitchen towel and set aside to rise on the countertop for at least 20 minutes before baking. Remove the towel and bake for 15 to 18 minutes, until just light golden brown. Don’t allow the rolls to become overly brown.

While the rolls are baking, make the maple icing: In a large bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, milk, butter, coffee, and salt. Splash in the maple flavoring. Whisk until very smooth. Taste and add in more maple, sugar, butter, or other ingredients as needed until the icing reaches the desired consistency. The icing should be somewhat thick but still very pourable.

Remove pans from the oven. Immediately drizzle icing generously over the top. Be sure to get it all around the edges and over the top. As they sit, the rolls will absorb some of the icing’s moisture and flavor. They only get better with time… not that they last for more than a few seconds. Make them for a friend today! It’ll seal the relationship for life. I promise. - PW

Pioneer Woman's Simple Perfect Enchiladas

These enchiladas, while delicious, redefine the term stick to your ribs.

Proceed with caution.

Pioneer Woman's Simple Perfect Enchiladas
Prep Time: 1 Hour30 Minutes | Cook Time: 20 Minutes | Difficulty: Easy | Servings: 6

FOR THE SAUCE:
1 Tablespoon Canola Oil
1 Tablespoon All-purpose Flour
1 can (28 Ounce) Enchilada Or Red Sauce
2 cups Chicken Broth
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1/2 teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
2 Tablespoons Chopped Cilantro
_____
FOR THE MEAT:
1-1/2 pound Ground Beef
1 whole Medium Onion, Finely Diced
2 cans (4 Ounce) Diced Green Chilies
1/2 teaspoon Salt
_____
FOR THE TORTILLAS:
10 whole (to 14) Corn Tortillas
1/2 cup Canola Oil
_____
TO ASSEMBLE:
3 cups Grated Sharp Cheddar Cheese
1/2 cup Chopped Black Olives
1 cup Chopped Green Onions
1/2 cup Chopped Cilantro

Preparation Instructions

Step #1 – The Sauce
In a large saucepan over medium heat, add oil and flour and whisk together to make a paste, cooking for one minute. Pour in the red sauce, chicken broth, cilantro, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 30-45 minutes.

Step #2 – The Meat
Brown the meat with onions in a skillet. Drain off fat. Stir in 2 cans diced green chilies and seasoned salt. Set aside.

Step #3 – Tortillas
Heat canola oil in a small skillet over medium heat. One by one, using tongs, fry tortillas in oil until soft, not crisp – about 30 seconds per side. Remove to a paper—towel lined plate. Repeat until all tortillas have been fried.

Step #4 – Assembly
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Pour ½ cup red sauce in bottom of baking pan. Spread to even out. Dip each tortilla into red sauce, then remove to work surface. Spoon meat, a little grated cheese, a little black olives, and green onions in the center of tortilla. Roll up and place, seam down, in baking pan. Repeat until pan is filled. Pour extra red sauce over enchiladas. Top with remaining cheddar cheese.

Bake for 20 minutes or until bubbly. Sprinkle cilantro over enchiladas before serving.

Boo! Tres Leches Loco Cake.

I'm back! It's the tale end of my vacay and I took a break from it ALL - even my computer. I rode my horse every day and got outside and ate a lot of good food and road tripped a little. And now it's almost over. Scary, indeed.

Anyhow I have a lot to share with you - including some eleventh hour Halloween recipes. So buckle up and hang on!

First off I bring you Tres Leches Loco Cake. From the beloved Pioneer Woman who does wicked, magical things with a can of condensed milk.

What? This cake is ugly, you say? Well I never claimed to be a professional baker. But hell if I don't enjoy doing it!

Tres Leches Loco Cake

Ingredients:
1 cup All-purpose Flour
1-1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder
1/4 teaspoon Salt
5 whole Eggs
1 cup Sugar, Divided
1 teaspoon Vanilla
1/3 cup Milk

For pouring over after baking, whisk together the following:
1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
1 can (5 fluid oz) evaporated milk
1/4 cup Heavy Cream
2 teaspoons rum, or to taste
dash of maple flavoring (maple extract) or vanilla extract

For the Icing:
1 pint Heavy Cream, For Whipping and 3 Tablespoons Sugar OR Cool Whip

INSTRUCTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9 x 13 inch pan liberally until coated.

Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Separate eggs.

Beat egg yolks with 3/4 cup sugar on high speed until yolks are pale yellow. Stir in milk and vanilla. Pour egg yolk mixture over the flour mixture and stir very gently until combined.

Beat egg whites on high speed until soft peaks form. With the mixer on, pour in remaining 1/4 cup sugar and beat until egg whites are stiff but not dry.

Fold egg white mixture into the batter very gently until just combined. Pour into prepared pan and spread to even out the surface.

Bake for 35 to 45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Turn cake out onto a rimmed platter and allow to cool (I just cooled in the pan and served it from there - up to you.)

Combine condensed milk, evaporated milk, heavy cream, rum and extract in a small/medium bowl. When cake is cool, gently pierce the surface with a fork several times. Slowly drizzle all but about 1 cup of the milk mixture—try to get as much around the edges of the cake as you can. (USE THE LEFTOVER MIXTURE FOR SERVING OVER ICE CREAM - DELICIOUS! WILL KEEP UP TO 4 DAYS COVERED IN FRIDGE.)

Allow the cake to absorb the milk mixture for 30 minutes. To ice the cake, whip 1 pint heavy cream with 3 tablespoons of sugar until thick and spreadable. Or use Cool Whip (works better for transporting.)

Decorate, or not.

Pioneer Woman's Mac and Cheese

I have to admit, I was so excited about The Pioneer Woman's show premiering on Food Network that the first episode was a massive letdown. It wasn't the show's fault. It's just because I had built my expectations up to epic proportions...like Ed McMahon knocking on my door or waking up to double D's.

Now that the initial disappointment has passed I am utterly hooked. How could you not be? I mean it's too good to be true (full disclosure - part of me still believes PW is a fictional creation of the media. Home schooling 4 kids while maintaining the most popular food blog of all time AND writing cookbooks AND making your family dinner every night while professionally photographing it AND looking cute as all get out... Self doubt, anyone?)

Anyway it prompted me to make her mac and cheese for my most recent family gathering. I get a little giddy when I get to make an old fashioned recipe that can feed an army. My nephews and niece are all over 5'7" and they're all under 17 (I'm 5'4" on a tall day) so they can MOW THROUGH SOME FOOD. And I love it.

Cheers to family. And to old fashioned recipes. And to the pioneer woman.

Pioneer Woman's Macaroni and Cheese
* mildly adapted
Prep Time: 15 Minutes | Cook Time: 15 Minutes | Difficulty: Easy | Servings: 8 as a meal, 12-14 as a side dish

Ingredients:
4 cups Dried Macaroni (1 lb box)
1 whole Egg, beaten
1/4 cup (1/2 Stick Or 4 Tablespoons) Butter
1/4 cup All-purpose Flour
2-1/2 cups Whole Milk
3 teaspoons Dry Mustard
1 pound sharp cheddar Cheese, Freshly Grated if possible
3/4 teaspoon Salt, More To Taste
1/2 teaspoon Seasoned Salt (OLD BAY is what I use)
1/2 teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
pinch fresh grated nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350.

Cook macaroni until very firm. Macaroni should be too firm to eat right out of the pot. Drain.

In a small bowl, beat egg.

In a large pot, melt butter and sprinkle in flour. Whisk together over medium-low heat. Cook mixture for five minutes, whisking constantly. DO NOT LET IT BURN.

Pour in milk, add mustard, and whisk until smooth. Cook for five minutes until very thick, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to low.

Take 1/4 cup of the sauce and slowly pour it into beaten egg, whisking constantly to avoid cooking eggs. Whisk together till smooth.

Pour egg mixture into sauce, whisking constantly. Stir until smooth. Add in all the cheese besides a half cup and stir to melt. Add salt, seasoned salt, pepper, nutmeg and cayenne pepper. Taste sauce and add more salt and/or seasoned salt as needed. DO NOT UNDER SALT. Pour in drained, cooked macaroni and stir to combine. Serve immediately (very creamy) or pour into a buttered baking dish, top with extra cheese, and bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until bubbly and golden on top.

Homemade Margarita Pizza, So Easy An Adwoman Can Do It.

So I work a lot. Have I told you that? Probably (complaining comes naturally to creative types kinda like breathing or going pee.)

Anyway sometimes the thought of cooking stresses me out almost as much as the idea of blogging about cooking (btw this isn't a guilt trip lovelies - just a confession. Fellow bloggers feel me on this, right?)

And sometimes because of aforementioned work schedule I have to resort to making something so simple it seems dumb to even blog about it. Like this pizza. I mean at this point the margarita pizza is practically a cliche of itself. I wouldn't be surprised if you could order one at McDonald's. They're the culinary version of flip flops or hair scrunchies. But I'll be honest. Even a subpar margarita (pizza) ain't bad.

But every now and then you have a really good one and it kind of changes your whole view on life. Reminds you that simple is brilliant. That something as basic as dough, cheese and tomatoes can be so much more than dough, cheese and tomatoes. Especially when the dough is homemade, the cheese is of stellar quality, and the tomatoes are still warm from the summer sun. Oh and boxwood basil doesn't hurt either - little green leaves scattered like confetti over a sea of milky white mozzarella.

Honest to God this pizza makes me want to move to a farm and grow my own wheat, tomatoes and basil. Hell - even milk my own cows. But then again, I do enjoy a good mani/pedi now and then... And bathing. And shaving my armpits. Okay day job - I'll keep you. Along with this recipe.

Margarita Pizza:
*The key to this pizza is making the dough a day or a few days ahead when you have the time, then letting it sit in your fridge to be at the ready when you need it. Or skip making your own dough and use store bought. No one's going to call the cops.
*This dough often turns out a little 'wet' from all the olive oil. If so it's totally fixable, just use plenty of flour on your board and rolling pin when rolling out. This way it will bake up crispy and not soggy.

Pizza Dough:
1/2 of a recipe of Pioneer Woman's pizza dough (follows):

3 large clean mixing bowls (one of which can be your stand mixer bowl if you have one)
1 1/2 cups warm water
1 teaspoon or 1/2 packet active dry yeast
4 cups all purpose flour, plus extra flour for rolling out
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling

1. Pour 1 1/2 cups warm water into a bowl. Sprinkle the yeast over the water.
2. Combine the flour and salt in a mixing bowl.
3. With an electric mixer on low speed, drizzle in the olive oil until just incorporated.
4. In a separate bowl, gently stir in the yeast/water mixture.
5. And drizzle it into the flour/oil mixture. Mix until the dough forms a ball. (You can also mix by hand until it comes together.)
6. Drizzle a little olive oil into a clean bowl and turn the dough over in it to coat it in the oil.
7. Cover the bowl with a moist kitchen towel (I used paper towels) and set in a warm place for 1 to 2 hours. After the dough has risen, cover with plastic wrap and store in the fridge for up to 3 days (it freezes well too) or proceed to the next step if making right away.
8. To prepare the pizza, preheat the oven to 500 degrees.
9. Divide the dough in half. Spray a large baking sheet with nonstick spray then sprinkle with cornmeal or quick cooking grits.
10. Use a rolling pin to roll out the dough (coating the pin and counter with flour to keep from sticking) - the thinner the better and place on the prepared sheet. Drizzle lightly with olive oil, then brush evenly over with a pastry brush (or spread with the back of a spoon being careful not to put too much on to make soggy)
11. Put the desired toppings (listed below) over the dough scattering them evenly - the tomatoes first, then the cheese, and a bit of sea salt and pepper and bake for 8-10 minutes, until the edges of the crust are golden brown - holding the basil leaves until AFTER the pizza is baked, scattering over the top along with more olive oil if desired.

Pizza Toppings:
1-2 balls fresh, best quality mozzarella sliced thinly (pressed dry with a paper towel if overly wet)
2 medium heirloom or vine ripened tomatoes, the freshest you can find, sliced into thin/medium slices and gently squeezed to get rid of excess moisture to keep your dough from getting soggy
Olive oil for brushing over dough and drizzling over baked pizza, optional
Sea salt and fresh cracked black pepper
Red pepper flakes, optional
2 big handfuls fresh boxwood or regular basil, for topping after baking

Three Cheese, Sausage and Onion Calzones

This would be perfect for a low key dinner party along with a salad and some fun antipasto to go alongside. When it's just the two of us, we eat what we can for dinner and snack on the rest from the fridge throughout the week. What I love about this recipe, or any calzone for that matter, is how flexible it is. For instance Kris cannot get enough cheese - it actually freaks me out sometimes - so I divide the stuffing mixture in half before assembling the calzones and add another cup of mozzarella or whatever I have on hand to his. (I also skip adding the arugula to his as well as he doesn't like too much veg in his.)

As for mine - I load it up with veggies. Doing so makes me feel better about being too lazy to make a salad to accompany dinner;)

Three Cheese, Sausage and Onion Calzones
Serves 6-8 as a main course.

For crust, 1 recipe Pioneer Woman's Pizza Dough, as follows:
1 teaspoon or 1/2 packet active dry yeast
4 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling bowl
Extra flour for rolling out the dough

1. Pour 1 1/2 cups warm water into a bowl. Sprinkle the yeast over the water.
2. Combine the flour and salt in a mixing bowl.
3. With an electric mixer on low speed, drizzle in the olive oil until just incorporated.
4. In a separate bowl, gently stir in the yeast/water mixture.
5. And drizzle it into the flour/oil mixture. Mix until the dough forms a ball. (You can also mix by hand until it comes together.)
6. Drizzle a little olive oil into a clean bowl and turn the dough over in it to coat it in the oil.
7. Cover the bowl with a moist kitchen towel (I used paper towels) and set in a warm place for 1 to 2 hours. After the dough has risen, divide the dough in half and place each half in a large ziploc bag and store in the fridge for up to 3 days (it freezes well too) or proceed to the next step if making right away.
8. Line two medium, rimmed baking sheets with aluminum foil, then parchment paper. Spray the parchment with nonstick spray and set aside.
9. Preheat the oven to 450.

Calzone Filling:
I tablespoon olive oil
I large sweet or Spanish onion, chopped
Pinch salt
1 yellow bell pepper, cored, seeded and chopped
20 oz (1.25lbs) chicken or turkey sausage, removed from casings
Pinch salt and fresh cracked pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
Good pinch red pepper flakes (or 2)
Good pinch grated nutmeg
1 cup part skim ricotta cheese
1 cup shredded mozzarella (double it if you're a cheese freak)
3/4 cup shredded Parmesan, plus extra for sprinkling over finished calzones
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1-2 cup arugula leaves (about a cup per calzone), optional
Egg wash (1 egg mixed with a generous splash of whole milk)

Add the olive oil to a large dutch oven and bring over medium heat. Add the onion, season with a good pinch of kosher or sea salt, and saute 6-8 minutes stirring occasionally until softened. Add in the bell pepper and cook another 5 minutes or so, until softened. Add in the sausage, breaking it up with a wooden spoon as you do. Season with another pinch of kosher or sea salt and some fresh cracked pepper then add in the garlic and stir. Continue cooking, stirring often, for about 10 minutes or until the meat is cooked through.

Remove from the heat and stir in the red pepper, nutmeg, cheeses, and salt. Set aside to cool (you don't want the mixture to be too hot when you fill your calzones or you'll end up with a gooey mess) while you roll out the dough.

Flour a cutting board or your counter well then take one of the halves of dough and add some flour to it (and your hands) so you can pat it into a submissive ball. Once you can handle it (this may take a couple additions of flour), plop it onto your floured working surface and flour your rolling pin to begin rolling. Roll out the dough, flipping over now and then to ensure it's not sticking (as well as the pin and board again, if necessary) until it's about 14x14 inches wide, trying to keep it as circular as possible (or at least oval.)

Add half of the filling over one half of the dough, spreading it evenly while leaving a good inch in the clear around the edge. Spread the arugula leaves, if adding, on top of the sausage mixture then fold the other half of the crust over the filling (you should have somewhat of a half moon shaped calzone when finished.) Now start at one end of the calzone and use your fingers to quickly and firmly roll and seal the edge from end to end. Think to yourself 'roll, pinch', 'roll, pinch' as you do. Don't be afraid of the dough - you want a good firm seal so the filling doesn't leak out.

Use your widest spatula to carefully transfer each calzone to a parchment lined baking sheet. Use a pastry brush to brush them with egg wash then sprinkle over parmesan or sea salt. Put in the oven on separate racks and bake at 450 for 12 minutes then swap their positions and bake for another 8 or so minutes, JUST until beginning to turn golden on top and around the edges.

Remove and let set up for 8 minutes before slicing and serving with warm marinara on the side.

Sweet Sausage and Caramelized Shallot Pizza

In my Martha Stewart fantasies, I serve this with a crisp salad for a well rounded meal. But I spare the salad the humiliation knowing that it would just sit there on the sidelines, neglected and bored, like Kim Kardashian at a Reggie Bush game.

After all, stomach space is too scarce to fill up with boring lettuce when the smell of sausage is near. Instead I put this pizza out with lots of ice cold beer and carefully step out of the way of the stampede...after stealing the best pieces for myself, of course.

Sweet Sausage and Caramelized Shallot Pizza

Ingredients:
1/2 of the recipe for The Pioneer Woman's Pizza Dough

2 teaspoons or so olive oil, plus more for drizzling over pizza dough
7-8 jawbreaker sized shallots, peeled and sliced fairly thin
Pinch sea or kosher salt
Fresh cracked pepper
4 sweet Italian sausage links, removed from skin and broken up with fingers or wooden spoon
Healthy pinch of fresh grated nutmeg
3/4 teaspoon dried English mustard
1/2 cup vermouth or dry white wine
4-5 tablespoons ricotta cheese, broken up with your fingers or two spoons and scattered evenly over the crust
olive oil
1 cup of fresh mozzarella chunks, broken up from a ball with your fingers
1/3 cup (or more) shredded parmesan cheese
Sea salt, for sprinkling over top of pizza (if you're a salt freak) and more pepper
Couple handfuls of fresh oregano leaves, for garnish

Directions:
Preheat oven to 500 degrees.

Add the olive oil to a large rimmed nonstick skillet. Put the heat on medium and add the shallots, seasoning with salt and pepper (depending on the size of your shallots, you might need more oil so use your best judgement.) Cook, stirring occasionally until soft and beginning to caramelize - about 7 minutes. Add in the sausage, breaking up with the back of a wooden spoon into smaller bits. Season with the nutmeg and English mustard and cook for about 10-12 minutes until no longer raw (but not until the sausage starts to dry out and crisp up.) Add in the white wine or vermouth and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally until the liquid has evaporated (will take a couple minutes.) Once the pan is mostly dry again, kill the heat and put it to the side to cool slightly.

Meanwhile, line a large rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil. Spray it with nonstick spray, then sprinkle over a couple of tablespoons of either cornmeal or semolina flour, trying to scatter it evenly by tipping the pan from side to side.

Take your cold dough and begin to carefully stretch it out with your fingers. Once it's begun to obey you, lay the dough on the prepared sheet pushing it out gently with your finger tips so that it gets as thin and wide as possible (taking up as much of the pan as possible) without getting too many holes in it. This will seem impossible at first, but with time and patience, you'll get there. It probably won't take up the entire surface area of the pan but pretty close.

Drizzle the dough lightly with olive oil and sprinkle ever so lightly with sea salt or kosher salt (omit the salt if you are one of those people who finds things too salty - unfortunately I'm not one of those people.) Repeat with pepper.

Scatter the ricotta cheese over the dough, distributing as evenly as possible and using your fingers if necessary to break up the clumps. Repeat with the fresh mozzarella, filling in the gaps. Now add the sausage/shallot mixture again spreading as evenly as possible. Sprinkle over the parmesan and bake for 15 minutes or just until the edges are beginning to turn golden and the cheese is nice and melted and also beginning to get nice and tan in places.

Remove and sprinkle immediately with plenty of fresh oregano (this MAKES it - I tell you.) Carefully use the foil to lift the pizza onto a cutting board and let it rest for a couple minutes before slicing.

Oh Pioneer Woman - please forgive me.

Remember how I told you I followed the recipes to a "T" for the homemade pizza dough smackdown for the sake of keeping things fair and square? Well I did...up until the baking part for the Pioneer Woman's dough.

For some reason I felt possessed to cook Ree's on a pizza stone versus the baking sheet like she advises in her book. I don't know why I did this. Actually I do know why. I was suffering from a bad case of over confidence since Rebecca's dough had slipped off the peel so easily like an Ambien-infused supermodel. Over confidence does not belong in the kitchen. It can cause house fires, personal injury, and epic spousal eruptions (once after I cut my finger slicing fresh mozzarella I looked at my husband and screamed 'F@*k! I HATE cooking!!' The poor guy hadn't done anything but breathe yet he fell victim to my wrath.)

So there I was the other night assembling a pizza which had rolled out easily enough right onto the peel. Only when I went to move it, there was trouble. That pizza wasn't going anywhere. I put it in the fridge for a few minutes thinking this would help. It did but not much. At this point I should have realized this was bad-idea.com and used the baking sheet. But that would have made too much sense so instead I messily transferred it onto a slip of parchment paper scattered with cornmeal. This will do it, I thought, and even if it doesn't I can just put the parchment right onto the stone. After all parchment is meant for baking. Right?

Sure enough, I tried slipping it off the parchment and onto the stone to no avail. That pizza was like an old school breast implant - it wasn't going anywhere without surgery. Moving onto my backup plan (patting myself on the back while doing so) I put the whole kit and kaboodle onto the preheated stone and shut the door.

It took about two seconds for the smoke to begin billowing around inside the oven. It seemed like it took me no less than 45 years to lunge for my oven mitts and rip the door back open to retrieve this inferno-in-waiting. Since it literally had been in there for mere seconds I thought I could use my spatula to get it off the parchment safely onto a baking sheet. Nope. That pizza had already devotedly welded itself onto the paper.

Any normal person would have chucked the whole thing into the garbage but I was out of cheese and I've told you before how I feel about going to my local grocery store (I've actually been screamed at by one of the checkers for asking if the raspberries were on sale. She also threw a pencil across the register at me but that's another story) so I wasn't about to give up now.

I picked it up like it was a wet cat and flipped it over onto the baking sheet. In the process it kind of fell over on itself in a goopy mess - the majority of it thankfully parting ways from the paper. I almost started to cry seeing the carefully hand sliced salami and fresh mozzarella recklessly piled within the gooey mess. And then I realized something. It kind of looked like a calzone (actually more like a pizza cobbler - or even like a half-developed alien embryo...just see above picture.) But if I told Kris I had intended to make a calzone he just might buy it...

But he was onto me.

"What is that?" he asked (rudely I might add) when I pulled it from the oven.

"A calzone..." I said as if it was the most obvious given on earth like rain or grass or babies.

He looked anything but psyched as he tried the first bite. But he ate it then another and another. And so did I. In fact we couldn't stop eating it and as we did, I couldn't help but think something that made just about negative sense. This dough is better than Rebecca's! Even cooked incorrectly and flung around and reshaped and cooked again it had that complex, yeasty flavor I had been looking for. It was delicious. Addictive, even.

Despite all the odds - Ree won the pizza smackdown!

I will say that her dough isn't as easy to work with as Rebecca's - it's wetter and will stick so you can't have it out of the fridge for too long before you're ready to bake it (nor can you use hers on a pizza stone) but if you age it for a couple of days like she says to it's hard to beat. I want some right now.

Well done Pioneer Woman! You wrangled the hell out of that pizza dough!

The Pioneer Woman's Pizza Dough

1 teaspoon or 1/2 packet active dry yeast
4 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling

1. Pour 1 1/2 cups warm water into a bowl. Sprinkle the yeast over the water.
2. Combine the flour and salt in a mixing bowl.
3. With an electric mixer on low speed, drizzle in the olive oil until just incorporated.
4. In a separate bowl, gently stir in the yeast/water mixture.
5. And drizzle it into the flour/oil mixture. Mix until the dough forms a ball. (You can also mix by hand until it comes together.)
6. Drizzle a little olive oil into a clean bowl and turn the dough over in it to coat it in the oil.
7. Cover the bowl with a moist kitchen towel (I used paper towels) and set in a warm place for 1 to 2 hours. After the dough has risen, cover with plastic wrap and store in the fridge for up to 3 days (it freezes well too) or proceed to the next step if making right away.
8. To prepare the pizza, preheat the oven to 500 degrees.
9. Divide the dough in half. Lightly drizzle olive oil on a pizza pan or rimmed baking sheet.
10. Using your hands, stretch the dough to the desired shape, pressing the dough into the pan with your fingers. The thinner the better. The surface of the dough should be lumpy from finger marks (Ree says this holds the toppings better this way.)
11. Pay the desired toppings over the dough and bake for 8-10 minutes, until the edges of the crust are golden brown.
12. Again If not using all the dough right away, you can freeze it for up to 6 months, thawing in the fridge again before using

Cilantro, Shrimp, and Goat Cheese Pizza with Rebecca Rather's Crust

Rebecca Rather of the Rather Sweet Bakery and Cafe in Fredericksburg, TX is dubbed 'The Pastry Queen' because of her delicious pies, cakes, and cookies. But the funny thing is when I eat at her restaurant, it's the savory items that stick with me. Her chicken salad with field greens and balsamic dressing tastes so much more than the sum of its parts, I feel obligated to rename it something with more oomph (she uses homemade mayo for the chicken salad which is simultaneously lighter and more decadent than other versions.)

But today is all about pizza - the first report back to you all on the pizza smack down challenge between Rebecca and Ree Drummond (The Pioneer Woman.) With Rebecca's dough, I chose to make a cilantro, shrimp and goat cheese pizza and was not disappointed. Although I mentioned in the last post that Rebecca's dough isn't as simple to make as Ree's (more ingredients), the payoff is that it's incredibly reliable and easy to work with.

It rolls easily, not getting too mushy or sticky no matter how long it's on the counter, and slides easily off the peel onto the preheated pizza stone. I would learn later that this is not a given with every dough. In fact Ree's cannot in my experience be cooked on a pizza stone at a high temp (and in fact she doesn't advise you to do so - it's too loosy goosy.)

Rebecca's cooked up at 450 in about 10-12 minutes with a perfectly crispy, thin crust that was still strong enough to support most anything you put on top of it. Was hers as complex in flavor as I had hoped given the semolina and honey? To be honest - no. When I make it again I'm going to 'age' it in the refrigerator for a couple of days and see what this does to it. I have a feeling it will be the bull's eye.

But as for a really good, wonderfully textured and reliable pizza dough that wont' leave half the crust stuck to the inside of your oven after flinging it in with the peel - you can't beat Rebecca's. She is after all, The Pastry Queen.

Rebecca Rather's Pizza Dough
(from the book The Pastry Queen)
*Requires a standing mixer or a handheld mixer and a sturdy large bowl.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups lukewarm water (110 to 115 F)
2 (1 oz) packages active dry yeast
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra for brushing on crusts
2 teaspoons honey
4 to 5 cups flour
3 tablespoons semolina flour
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (I omitted them)
1/4 cup cornmeal or grits

Instructions:
Combine the lukewarm water, yeast, olive oil, and honey in the bowl of a mixer fitted with a dough hook. Add 3 cups of the all purpose flour, the semolina flour, and salt. Mix on low speed for about a minute or so until all is just combined. With the machine running (start on low and as it gets thicker you may need to kick up the power to keep from straining your machine) add 1 cup of the all purpose flour to make a soft dough. Mix the dough on low speed for about 5 minutes longer until smooth. At this point, the dough will still be quite sticky and useless, falling over on itself. Therefore, keep adding more flour, about 1/4 cup at a time with the motor running. The dough will start to look like viable dough and hold its shape but then become wet and fall apart again at which point you just add in more flour and keep watching. Finally it will hold and keep its shape, at which point you'll also notice it breeding little pea-sized clumps that stick to the sides of the bowl. This is the signal that your dough is ready to go so stop adding flour.

Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and kneed until smooth and elastic, about 10 to 15 turns using the heel of your palms. Place in a large bowl brushed liberally with olive oil. Cover with a damp cloth or several damp paper towels, cover and let rest at room temperature for 30 to 40 minutes (no need to hunt down that illusive 'warm place' in your house!)

Check on the dough which should have doubled by now and look nice and puffed and smooth. If you're not convinced, give it some more time to think about life and other things and check it again a little later.

Turn the dough back out onto a floured surface and use a pastry cutter or knife to divide the dough into quarters. Roll each piece into a ball then place the balls on a baking sheet or tray, cover with a damp towel, and let rest another 10 to 15 minutes longer.

At this point, you can roll out to bake off right away or place in plastic bags and refrigerate for up to 3 days. I'm also trying freezing the dough so I'll report back later on how this works out.

Cilantro, Shrimp, and Goat Cheese Pizza
* Ideally you'd use a pizza stone for this which also requires a pizza 'peel' that lets you slip the dough onto the stone. If you don't have these tools, and/or if the idea of pizza flinging scares you, just bake the pizza on a greased baking sheet sprinkled lightly with cornmeal or grits. You might not get quite as crispy a crust but you'll avoid the panic of realizing your afternoon spent making dough was all for not as you try to clean up wayward dough from the inside of your oven - and this is worth it's weight in gold.

Ingredients:
1/4 (one ball) of Rebecca's pizza dough, rolled out onto a floured board or counter top into about an 8x8 inch diameter
additional flour, for rolling

3 oz goat cheese
8 thin slices fresh part skim mozzarella cheese
1 tablespoon minced jalapeno, deseeded and deveined
fresh cracked pepper
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1 jalapeño, (deseeded - optional) minced
1 green onion, minced
Zest of a small lemon
Good pinch (or two) sea salt
Pinch pepper
1 teaspoon or so olive oil
1/4 cup cornmeal or grits, for sprinkling on baking sheet or stone and peel

16 shelled fresh shrimp, with tails on preferably fresh and not previously frozen marinated for ten minutes in:

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
good couple cracks black pepper
2 large garlic cloves cut into large chunks
2 bay leaves

After ten minutes, pluck from the marinade shaking vigorously and grill on a hot, oiled grill for about 2-3 minutes per side, just until they've turned opaque and slightly pink.

Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 450 and place a pizza stone inside to let heat through for at least 30 minutes.

When ready, brush the rolled out crust with olive oil (use a pastry brush dipped in olive oil and use a lighter hand - you don't want to drown the dough but just lightly glaze it with the oil.)

Sprinkle your pizza peel with cornmeal or grits, then place the rolled pizza dough on top. You can now assemble your pizza (if using a baking sheet go ahead and transfer the dough to the oiled sheet sprinkled with cornmeal or grits and then assemble right on the sheet.) Place the slices of mozzarella evenly around the dough, leaving a good 3/4 inch edge free all the way around. Crumble the goat cheese into small chunks with your fingers and place in any empty spaces around the mozzarella, trying to distribute it as evenly as possible. Sprinkle evenly with the tablespoon of minced jalapeno then with fresh cracked pepper then open the oven and carefully but quickly 'fling' the pizza onto the preheated stone, trying to get it evenly onto the stone and not over the sides (I close my eyes and pray as I do this but you do whatever works for you.)

Bake for 10-15 minutes or until the edges are becoming golden brown and the cheese has melted nicely and begun to bubble and brown in places. Meanwhile, blend the cilantro, jalepeno, green onion, lemon zest, salt, pepper and olive oil up with a fork in a small bowl. As soon as the pizza comes out, sprinkle evenly with the cilantro mixture then top with the cut up shrimp. You can hit the whole thing with another light drizzle of olive oil and teensy pinch of sea salt, if desired. Cut into wedges and serve.