Taco Pizza with Beer Crust

"This is the best pizza I've ever had!"

That's what my 14 year old said about this pizza.  

The idea came about from me trying to figure out what to do with some left overs.  I had some grilled chicken and some toppings left from fajitas from the night before and was just going to make burritos, but then I remembered this idea.

Taco pizza was my favorite as a kid.  It usually cost more than the other pizzas at our local pizza place, so we only got it every once in a while, which was always a treat. 

This recipe is very reminiscent of those flavors and is worth the little extra effort. Although the crust is homemade, the beer helps in making it a little quicker, since you don't have to wait for it to rise.

It was fun to make something a little different than the usual, and introduce an idea that was kind of "retro" to the boys.

Taco Pizza

1 pizza crust (recipe follows)

refried beans

chicken or beef

cheddar cheese

lettuce

salsa 

other taco toppings of choice

Preheat oven to 450 degrees

Lightly grease pizza pan with cooking spray or olive oil.  Spread dough out to desired thickness. Spread beans into a thin layer over the crust. Top with meat and cheese.  Bake for 12-15 min or until golden.

Remove from oven and top with remaining toppings.

*I apologize for having another recipe without the exact quantities. It really is a matter of taste, just remember to not load the pizza up too much or the crust won't cook properly.

Beer Pizza Crust

(from food.com)

3 cups unbleached flour (plus more for dusting)
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 (12 ounce) can beer (I use light)
olive oil

Combine the flour, baking powder and salt in a large bowl and mix thoroughly. Pour in the beer and mix well (the dough will be sticky). Spread a handful of flour on your work surface and dump the dough onto it. Toss the dough around to coat it with flour and prevent it from sticking. Knead it 2 or 3 times to make it pliable. Shape the dough into a ball and divide it in two if you are making 2 thin crust pizzas.

 

For a deep dish pie do not divide.

Lemon Pancakes with Lemon Scented Strawberries

We made these this morning and they were awesome! 


After looking at several recipes online, I just decided to use our usual pancake recipe and add to it.


I thought about making a strawberry compote to go with it, but settled on fresh strawberries with sugar and lemon zest and it was perfect!  They would also be awesome with a blueberry compote, if you wanted to go in that direction. 


Either way, this is a great way to celebrate a beautiful summer day. Hope you like! 

Lemon Scented Strawberries

1 pint of strawberries, hulled and sliced

1/4 cup sugar

zest of one lemon

Combine all ingredients and set aside while you make the pancakes.

Lemon Pancakes

3/4 cup buttermilk (or 3/4 cup milk plus 2 tablespoons white vinegar)
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons white sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg
2 tablespoons melted butter
2 teaspoons vanilla

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

zest of one lemon

Combine milk and vinegar and set aside for 5 minutes (this is to make your own buttermilk).

Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large mixing bowl.

In a separate bowl, whisk soured milk, egg, butter, and vanilla until combined then add to flour mixture. Add lemon juice and zest and fold in to batter. Don't over mix, or they won't be as tender and fluffy. Small lumps are ok.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Spray with cooking spray if necessary (if you use a non-stick pan it isn't necessary). Use a 1/4 cup measuring cup to ladle on to skillet and cook until bubbles form at the top. Flip and cook until evenly browned on other side.

We topped ours with a little butter, the strawberries, a little drizzle of syrup and whipped cream. :)

Homemade Corn Dogs and Funnel Cakes. Oh my!

I did something I never do.

I fried stuff.

I seriously almost never fry food. 

It makes me feel like a terrible person. 

We got a "fry daddy" for a wedding present and used it so much that first year that I left it in the house when we moved away, hoping we would never do it again.

Well, unfortunately I did realize I don't have to have a fry daddy in order to fry food.  Through the years I've occasionally gotten a wild hair and decided to fry up my own tortilla chips, or something like it.  But I do try really hard to keep from doing it.

Well, we were at the local amusement park with the boys the other day and the temptation of the "fair food" was just too much.  We refuse to pay those crazy prices for food that smells way better than it tastes, which of coarse makes it even that much more tempting. So, on the way home we devised a plan to make our own fair food the next day.

And I must say, it was pretty darn good.

If you like corn dogs, you have to try this at least once in your life.  They are SO good this way. Even the boys, who usually don't really care for corn dogs, devoured them! And the funnel cakes; well, who doesn't like funnel cakes?

Corn Dogs

(found on Allrecipes)

1 cup yellow cornmeal
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup white sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 egg
1 cup milk
1 quart vegetable oil for frying
2 (16 ounce) packages beef hot dogs
16 wooden skewers

Preheat oil to 365 degrees in a deep saucepan or dutch oven over medium heat. Insert wooden skewers into frankfurters. 

In a medium bowl, combine cornmeal, flour, salt, pepper, sugar and baking powder. Stir in eggs and milk. 

Roll hot dogs in batter until well coated and fry 2 or three at a time until lightly browned, 3-5 min. Remove and drain on paper towels. 

Funnel Cakes
(found on Allrecipes)



8 cups vegetable oil for frying
1 1/2 cups milk
2 eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup confectioners' sugar

In a deep-fryer, or heavy skillet, heat oil to 375 degrees.

In a large bowl, beat milk and eggs together. Combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Stir into the egg mixture until smooth.

Using a funnel, hold finger over hole and fill with 1/2 a cup to a cup of batter and drop into hot oil working from center outwards in a web pattern. (You can use a gallon sized freezer bag instead of a funnel by pouring the batter into the bag, snipping off a small corner of it, and squeezing the batter into the oil.)

Fry until golden brown, turn with a large spatula, and fry the other side until golden. Remove and drain on paper towels.

Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve.

Salad by Jeremy

This Salad is AMAZING!


Our friend, Jeremy makes this every once in a while for get-togethers and it is always a huge hit. And I find myself craving it fairly often.  The combination of flavors and textures is perfect, and it is very filling with all the meat and cheeses in it, which makes it great for a one dish dinner idea.


There isn't a specific recipe, just a list of ingredients and you can decide how much you want of each item.  It's delicious and I really hope you try it!


For the salad:


romain lettuce
pepperoni (Jeremy uses sandwich style, I've used the whole sausage ind before and liked the different texture it gave the dish), chopped
salami, chopped
parmesan cheese (I like to use shaved)
gorgonzola cheese
bacon bits
black olives, sliced
red onion, sliced very thin


For the dressing:


1 part extra virgin olive oil
1 part balsamic vinegar
sugar to taste


Toss all salad ingredients together in a bowl.


Combine dressing ingredients, whisk or cover and shake to mix and pour over salad. Serve immediately.

Food and Comfort

"You know what I love about cooking? I love that after a day when nothing is sure and when I say nothing, I mean nothing. You can come home and absolutely know that if you add egg yolks to chocolate and sugar and milk, it will get thick. That's such a comfort."~Julie and Julia

This pretty much sums up how I feel about cooking.


I had the chance to get off work a little early today and instead of using that time to watch TV, or take a nap, I used it to cook.  I was in charge of dessert for a dinner for the teens at church and could very well have bought cookies or even a couple brownie mixes, but I decided to make my brownies and cookie bars from scratch.


I'm not telling you this to brag or sound like I'm super hard working and dedicated.


Not at all. 


I simply love it that much.  There is very little as satisfying to me as putting something together that is actually edible.  And there have been many times when that quote has been running through my head as I "slave" in my kitchen. Cooking is definitely comforting, relaxing and brings me lots of joy.


Hopefully that joy will rub off on you. Not that you have to love cooking as much as I do, but I do hope everyone can find what they do love and do it. 


And maybe make a few tasty recipes along the way. :)