Sunday, June 30, 2013

Pizza Part Sieben: Steak Arrabbiata


Steak Arrabbiata Pizza is one of those heavenly good gourmet pizzas you don’t forget. I only know of one place that makes them, Ronzio’s, in the New England area, and from the first bite, I was hooked. Here is the recipe I came up with, based on what I know Ronzio’s puts on theirs. Believe me when I say this is just as good as theirs! And being that 2 large Steak Arrabbiata pizzas from Ronzio’s costs $28.60, and I can make 2 at home for $11.37, that’s a big incentive.

So, let’s get cooking!

First, start sautéing your Steak-Umms in a sauté pan with a little butter, oil, or just some cooking spray. For this I used a different brand that I had picked up at Sam’s Club, so they won’t look the same. If you need to use Steak-Umms, just use a griddle. When done, set aside to cool.



While that is cooking, start your sauce. Ronzio’s uses a very peppery cheese sauce. First, you’ll need to make your roux by melting the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat, then adding the flour and stirring with a whisk, until bubbly.



Slowly add the milk, stirring with the whisk and making sure to scrape the edges with a rubber spatula to get it all blended. Stir over medium heat until thickened. Add the parmesan cheese and the salt and pepper, cooking for about 3-4 minutes more. Set aside.



Slice the Roma tomatoes. I like to use my serrated bread knife, which is very sharp and works great on slicing veggies to whatever thickness level I need.



Spread the pizza dough (either store bought or homemade pizza dough) in a greased sheet pan. Using a spoon, spread the peppery cheese sauce over the pizza dough. Sprinkle the mozzarella cheese over the sauce on the pizza.



Take the Roma tomato slices and lay them over the cheese on the pizza, randomly. Layer the banana pepper rings about on top of the Roma tomatoes in the same manner.



Using your fingers, separate and distribute the Steak-Umms steak evenly on the pizza.



Bake in a 425° oven for 18 minutes, until nicely browned on the bottom, and the cheese is melted and bubbly on the top. Enjoy! ~TMMF


Steak Arrabbiata Pizza

1 pizza dough
1 ½ Tbl butter
2 Tbl. Flour
1 c milk
¼ c parmesan cheese
¼ tsp salt
½ tsp black pepper
1-2 Roma tomatoes
¾ c banana pepper rings
5 sheets Steak-ums
2 c mozzarella

Saturday, June 22, 2013

Baked Stuffed Turkey Rolls






Okay, so…this is a recipe I came up with simply out of sheer desperation. I needed to make something for supper one night, and the fish that I had planned just wasn‘t to be. Because there wasn‘t any. The supper hour was looming ever nearer. When I saw the package of sliced turkey breast in the freezer, it came to me in a flash. And this is what I came up with:







Dice the onion and celery, and sauté in the butter until tender. Fry up the bacon at the same time.






While those are cooking and making the house smell absolutely wonderful, cube the bread. You can use the 14 slices of bread, or you can use anything you have on hand to measure the equivalent. I frequently use leftover bags of lone hot dog buns, hamburg rolls, or “bread bums.” That’s what we call the end slices of bread loaves. ;)





When the bacon, celery, and onions are cooked sufficiently, add to the cubed bread in the bowl.







Add ½ cup of the chicken bullion, the salt and pepper, and the poultry seasoning. Mix well.






Taking about 1/3 cup of the stuffing with your hand, place in the middle of a slice of the turkey, and roll the turkey around it.






Place the turkey rolls in a 13 X 15” baking dish (greased with cooking spray).







In a bowl, use a whisk to mix the cream of chicken soup with the other ½ cup of chicken bullion.








Pour evenly over the stuffed turkey rolls in the baking dish.







Bake at 350° for about 45 minutes. Serve with some Rosemary Potatoes and a veggie. Enjoy! ~TMMF




Baked Stuffed Turkey Rolls

20 oz sliced turkey
14 slices bread
½ lb. bacon
1 stalk celery
½ small Vidalia onion
3 Tbl butter
1 c. chicken bullion, separated
   (1 c. hot water and 1 bullion cube)
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. black pepper
½ tsp. poultry seasoning
1 can cream of chicken soup





Wednesday, June 12, 2013

Gumbo!


The first time I had Gumbo, it was at a Memphis Roadhouse restaurant, and I think it was the first time I ever had anything Cajun. I was immediately enamored of that savory, spicy soup! I haven't had it much over the years, but seeing my cousin David's picture of some Gumbo he made a couple months back made me crave it. Thus, I present to you, this most delectable and hearty dish that will appease the demands of your taste buds for  Cajun cuisine. For this recipe, I used the best spice, Cajun Blend from PepperMary.com. They have the most excellent quality spices at very reasonable prices. Check them out!

So, let's get cooking!



In a large pot, bring the water with chicken breasts to a boil, turn down heat, and simmer until done. Cook the rice at the same time.








Dice somewhat smallish the onion, bell pepper, and celery, and mince the garlic but set aside separately.








Slice the smoked sausage. Remove tail shells from shrimp.





When the chicken is done, set it on a plate and when cool enough, cube.

Pour the broth in a bowl to use after. I added the bullion at this time to soften while I was doing other steps in the recipe.






Sauté the diced onions, bell peppers, and celery in the butter using the pot the chicken was cooked in, until tender, about 7 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook another minute.





Add the reserved broth, both cans of tomatoes, the smoked sausage, okra, corn, and PepperMary Cajun Blend. Bring to a boil, then turn heat down and simmer for 15 minutes.





Add the rice and simmer another 15 minutes. Lastly, add the chicken and shrimp, cooking just enough to heat through. Serve with a nice crusty French bread and butter, if you'd like. Enjoy! ~TMMF

Gumbo

2 small chicken breasts
1 lb. smoked sausage
1 14 oz. pkg. small shrimp
5 c. water
4 bullion cubes
2 tsp. butter
½ onion
½ bell pepper
1 stalk celery
2 large cloves garlic
1 14 oz. can diced tomatoes
1 10 oz. can diced tomatoes with      chilies
2 c. frozen okra
½ c. corn
2 c. cooked rice
1 ½ Tbl. PepperMary Cajun Blend