Rachael's Hot Blond Deep Dish Pizza

Recently, my husbands Uncle Ross passed away. He was a serious cowboy. Hubs obviously grew up very close to him and I had known him for more than half my life - it was so bitter sweet. He had so many adventures, interests and loved everyone he came in contact with. He lived an awesome very long life. 

We saw him on all the usual times extended family gets together - but Hubs, I and our kids also ran into him at all the outdoor sports shows, boat shows, RV shows, gun shows, etc. He was a hard worker. He was a self starter. He was an inventor. He made and sold several amazing products and built a fortune from the ground up. But - you wouldn't know it by talking to him. He was so humble. And loving. And such an amazing husband, father, grandfather, brother in law and Uncle. 

After his funeral (which was 100% Uncle Ross and the MOST genuine funeral I've personally ever attended) Hubs and I reminisced about the times we remembered with him - and Hubs shared all his favorite memories of Ross that I've heard many times - and with all that reminiscing he remembered many more stories I'd never heard. Heaven gained an amazing angel.

About a month after he passed away, his family went through his things - and Hubs got a few of his well loved cast iron skillets to remember him by.

Tonight - I used Uncle Ross's skillet to make this delicious creation... 

I saw this recipe on the Rachael Ray show and it was perfect timing. She calls it a hot blond - bc it's a "blond" pizza and with the red peppers and sambal - it makes it spicy - hot... Rachael's Hot Blond Deep Dish Pizza For the Filling: 1 c ricotta cheese

1 egg

1 c Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

2 cloves garlic, grated or finely chopped

A handful of flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

A little freshly grated nutmeg *didn't have

1 c shredded provolone

1 c shredded mozzarella

Flour, for work surface

Pizza Dough *fresh dough from our local grocery store 1 T cornmeal

EVOO

Salt and pepper

Red pepper flakes

About 3 T honey

A round T Calabrian chili paste or Sambal Olek or Sriracha

Preheat the oven to 525˚F-550˚F, rack at center, and preheat a 12" cast iron skillet on the stove on medium.

In a mixing bowl, combine the ricotta, egg, Parmesan, garlic, parsley and nutmeg. Grate the provolone and mozzarella cheeses.

Roll and stretch dough on lightly floured surface into a 12-14-inch even round that will cover pan. Turn off heat under skillet and sprinkle a little cornmeal in skillet and press dough into hot skillet and up sides as much as possible. The pan is hot – remember! Drizzle the dough with EVOO and season with a little salt, pepper and red pepper flakes. Top the dough with ricotta mixture in even thin layer and then with shredded cheeses, and place in oven.  

Bake the pizza 10-12 minutes to deep golden, brown and bubbly.  

** RR says: Combine honey, splash of water and hot chili sauce in small pot or skillet and heat over low heat.

I skipped the step above and just drizzled the pizza with the honey and Sambal and serve it up!!!

This Mom's Lasagna

We hosted family dinner for my sons 16th birthday. I was feeding 20-30 (mainly adults and teenagers) so I had to come up with something delicious to feed a crowd AND something that's easy on my budget.

My local grocery store (Harmon's) had a 5 for $20 meat sale. I got approx. $40 worth of sausage, ground right there in the store for $20. THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT!!! So I started there and I ended up here. This is based on Michael Symon's recipe for "Mom's Lasagna," I tweaked the recipe around what I had and what I could budget. This Mom's Lasagna

1/2 cup olive oil

1 onion, chopped *the pre diced frozen onions are SUCH a good hack!

4 garlic cloves, minced or grated

Kosher salt

2 lbs ground sweet sausage

2 lbs ground spicy sausage

32 - 48 oz of your favorite marinara sauce *depending on how wet you like it. I just like the flavor - not so wet for me.

1 lb dried lasagna noodles

2 lbs whole-milk ricotta cheese *32 oz for us layman folk

1/2 c Italian seasoning (Oregano, thyme, basil, parsley)

2 large eggs *I actually use an egg replacer bc my son is allergic to eggs

1 pound fresh mozzarella cheese, grated

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese *Fresh parsley adds a nice touch right before serving

In a large Dutch oven or heavy pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion garlic and a three-finger pinch of salt and sweat them until they are translucent, about 2 minutes. Add the sausage and continue cooking until the meat is browned, about 10 minutes. Add the marinara sauce, scraping the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon to get all of the browned bits into the sauce. Season the sauce with salt and simmer for 2 hours over medium heat.  Skim any fat that rises to the surface. *Harmon's sausage isn't only made right in the store - it is incredibly low fat - so I didn't have to do that!!!

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add enough salt so that it tastes seasoned and allow the water to return to a boil. Add the noodles and cook 2 or 3 minutes shy of package directions. Drain well and set aside.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine the ricotta, Italian seasoning and eggs* with a pinch of salt. I incorporated these ingredients by using a hand mixer - adds a bit of air to it - which is nice. I used Michael Symon's tip here: I put it into a gallon sized Zip Lock bag and cut the corner for easy distribution.

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Ladle about 1 cup of sauce on the bottom of a 9x13-inch lasagna pan. Arrange a layer of noodles over followed by a layer of ricotta mixture and then some sauce, smoothing it with a spatula to the edges of the noodles. Repeat the process until the pan is full and finishing with a final layer of noodles, sauce, mozzarella cheese and Parmesan cheese.

Cover the lasagna with aluminum foil and bake for 45 minutes. Uncover and bake for 30 minutes to brown and bubbly on top. Remove from oven and let cool before serving (he says slightly - I let it sit for about 30 minutes - think of it like a steak. If you cut into a steak right when it's done cooking - all the juices run out. Same thing with lasagna - if you cut right into it without letting it rest, you'll have a "mud slide" all the layers won't bind and they'll slide all over the place.) I served it with Caesar Salad and Garlic Bread - can you say YUMMMMM!!!

Korean Style Street Tacos

At least - that's what we call them in our house. There are a few random things you need to make them - but I have SIMPLE substitutes that I promise you already have.

Here is one of the random things: a bamboo steamer - super cheap - like less than $10 at the Asian market. SUBSTITUTE - your MICROWAVE.

Another: our Instapot. SUBSTITUTE - crock pot, oven, grill, Traeger...

These are AWESOME. Lotus Leaf Buns - available at your local Asian market in the freezer section. Our 4 kids aged 7 to 16 love these, They are also cheap - under $3. To steam these in a Bamboo steamer, grab a large sautee pan and fill it with water about 1" up the side of the pan. Set on your stove top on High. Set your steamer on top of that pan. Put down a sheet of parchment paper and lay 3 or 4 buns flat on top of that. Cover and steam for 5-6 minutes. 10 if they are completely frozen. SUBSTITUTE: tortillas.

This is the last random ingredient. GOCHUJANG. It's like a Korean BBQ sauce. You can find this at your local grocery store -it's everywhere - and it's so good. I could dip the sole of my shoe in this and it would be delicious. SUBSTITUTE: your favorite BBQ sauce

This is a picture of my daughters creation. Pork, Gochujang, sour cream, cilantro dressing, salsa, Lotus Leaf Bun.
This is my version: Street Taco sized flour tortillas, melted Mexican blend cheese, refried and black bean mix, pork, Gochujang, sour cream and salsa on one, Mexican blend cheese, refried and black bean mix, pork, Gochujang, guacamole and cilantro dressing on the other.

The cool thing about this is that you can customize this to your own preferences - just like a traditional taco bar.

Korean Street Tacos
3-5 lb pork tenderloin* cooked until it's tender enough to shred with a fork
Lotus Leaf Buns or Street Taco Tortillas
Gochujang
Guacamole or avocado
Black beans
Refried beans
Pico de gallo or salsa
Sour cream
shredded cheese - your choice
Cilantro dressing** - optional

So - I'll tell you exactly what we did - and you can make substitutes as needed.

*Pork Spoon Roast - completely unpackaged. Cook in the Instapot on High for 90 minutes with water half way up the bowl to retain moisture.
Serve on a Lotus Leaf Bun (steamed or microwaved) or a tortilla and have at it with any toppings you want!!!

Great to feed a crowd - and something that will really knock their socks off.

*Our ALL TIME FAVORITE is (local) Harmon's Pork Spoon Roast - THE BEST - for so many things!

**Depending on time - I buy cilantro dressing at the grocery store - or I make my own Creamy Cilantro Lime Dressing

Almosty Cristo

My son's good friend introduced me to the MOST AMAZING sandwich I've EVER had in my life. Her Aunt owns a food truck called "CHEESY STREET."

Nearly every Saturday at the park across the street from my house. You can check out their FB page HERE - they list when and where they'll be so you locals can try it out for yourselves!! 

The description they post on the ALMOSTY CRISTO:

A classic favorite reimagined!! Ham, mustard, raspberry jam and a blend of swiss and gruyere cheese come together in a tasty grilled cheese dusted with powdered sugar.

I'll post a pic when I make it myself at home - but for now I'm thrilled to walk across the street and have them make it for me!

What's your favorite sandwich??