THE DINNER TAKES IT ALL

It is mid-December and you need some cheering up. You deserve a...

Mon, 17 Dec 2012 20:01:00 -0500

It is mid-December and you need some cheering up. You deserve a cookie.

Under times of duress, we like to bake things for ourselves and for other people (lucky you!).

Made with cake flour, toasted marshmallows, a smattering of sprinkles, and a bit of love, these discs of delight will make your December bright. So don’t stress. These cookies are all fiesta.

Party Cookies (Adapted from Spoon Fork Bacon)

1 stick of softened unsalted butter (about ½ cup)
½ cup white sugar
½ cup brown sugar (OR ½ cup white sugar plus 1 ½ tbsp molasses…this works better for our purposes)
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 ½ cups cake flour
½ tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 ½ cups rice krispies
About ½ cup chocolate chips (optional!)
1 cup of cut up large marshmallows
4 tbsp rainbow sprinkles

Begin by sectioning your marshmallows into quarters,

Cream butter and sugar together with a wooden spoon. Add one egg and a splash of vanilla and stir to combine.

In a separate bowl, whisk together cake flour, salt, and baking soda. Incorporate into butter mixture until just combined.

Knead in rice krispies, chocolate chips, marshmallows, and sprinkles and leave to chill in refrigerator for one hour (these cookies spread!). While the cookies are chilling, preheat oven to 350F.

Spread these cookies far apart from each other on a large cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Roll them into little balls and place them in the oven for 12-15 minutes. Don’t over-bake them!

Chew away!

Dangle the promise of free marks in front of your students’...

Sun, 23 Sep 2012 17:54:00 -0400

Dangle the promise of free marks in front of your students’ foreheads and they will bite the proverbial carrot, peek out from under their shells (backpacks?) and do anything you want them to do. One of our Spanish classes required us to participate in an activity related to Hispanic culture, and naturally we interpreted this as an opportunity to purchase and cook chorizo. Incidentally, we were also craving meat. Salty, slightly chewy, and replete with piquant spices, this Spanish sausage can be eaten just as fine on its own but is made better when paired with poulet. We want all of our assignments to be this ~~edible~~ enjoyable.

Hello, Chorizo (Adapted from Nigella Lawson’s Kitchen)

Ingredients- Serves 5

10 chicken thighs, bone-in, skin on (why take the skin off???)
Olive oil
1 packet Spanish chorizo, coarsely chopped
1.5 lb/750g red new potatoes (again, why take the skin off???)
1 large or 2 small onions, peeled and coarsely chopped
Pinch of paprika
Pinch of Italian Seasoning (oregano, basil, rosemary)

Preheat the oven to 425F. Line shallow baking dishes with parchment paper (like the kind that wizards write upon. With quills.). Baste the chicken’s skin with oil and turn skin side up on tray.

Halve potatoes and toss with a smidgen of oil as well.

Distribute chorizo, potatoes, onions among the baking trays. Sprinkle with spices and salt, if you so choose.

Bake for about one hour, or until chicken meat is no longer pink.

Delicioso!

We have instagram :) Follow us @dinnertakesitall for outtakes, b-sides, and moar food porn

Wed, 19 Sep 2012 22:50:01 -0400

Scavenging for free food is a bit of a competitive sport among...

Sun, 16 Sep 2012 17:54:00 -0400

Scavenging for free food is a bit of a competitive sport among hungry McGill students.

If you are lucky, you might be able to score some from Midnight Kitchen, which is a by-donation, volunteer-driven food collective that churns out an array of vegan lunches to the ravenous masses in the Shatner Building every week day.

It’s a sweet deal: free food! Healthy food!

To your chagrin, likeminded people on campus have the same idea. You’ll have to arrive late and be patient or (to the best of your abilities and your VO2 max) arrive early, knocking over a few chairs in the process.

Stylishly jumping over park benches ahead of the line to Midnight Kitchen could have been your comparative advantage, but you didn’t capitalize on that weird Groupon for parkour classes this summer.

Bring your own Tupperware, wait in line, and hope for the best. Hope they don’t run out of that lentil soup. Or make your own, like we did!

Gentle Lentil Soup

Ingredients- Serves 6

2 cups water

1 cup lentils

1 bayleaf

2 onions, diced

4 cloves garlic

1 tbsp paprika

Pinch of Italian seasoning (oregano, rosemary, basil)

2 vegetable stock cubes

2 large potatoes, diced. (leave the peel on!)

2 large carrots, peeled and roughly chopped

1 can chickpeas

If you like chunky soup like we do, make many lentils. The ratio is two cups water to 1 cup lentils. Boil till tender and stick a bay leaf in there, about 30 minutes. Drain and set aside.

The onion and garlic go first. Cook with a smidge of olive oil over medium heat in an enormous pot. Add paprika, lentils, potato, carrots, and chickpeas. Dissolve your stock cubes in a litre of water and add to mixture. Simmer for about 40 minutes, or until potatoes are nice and tender. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Multiply this recipe if you want to feed people MK style. Great for potlucks!

It’s time to flaunt your fancy kitchen footwork by serving up a...

Sun, 08 Apr 2012 18:48:00 -0400

It’s time to flaunt your fancy kitchen footwork by serving up a simple dessert with an exotic twist. Perfect for afternoon tea, our cute cupcakes are infused with a piquant blend of the beverage itself. You’ll raise not only a pinky, but all ten fingers to these cupcakes. Dainty as this confection may be, we warn you that your hands will be dancing a waltz with a tangle of sweet, sticky condensed milk icing.

Chai-Tea Mini Cupcakes (Adapted from Martha Stewart’s Cupcakes)

Ingredients- makes a dozen

3/4 cup milk
2 bags chai tea
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup cake flour
1 12 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
4 tbsp unsalted butter
3/4 packed dark brown sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature

Condensed Milk Icing

Ingredients

1/2 stick butter
1/2 cup condensed milk
3/4 cup confectioners sugar
You will have a lot left over so don’t worry about it

Preheat oven to 350 and line muffin tins with liners. Bring milk to simmer over medium heat in a small pot, Remove from heat, add tea bags, let steep, covered, 15 minutes. Remove tea bags and allow milk to cool completely.

Cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating each in well until incorporated.

Whisk together flour, baking powder, salt. Add flour mixture to sugar mixture in three batches, alternating with two additions of milk. Don’t overmix! Your dough will get tough (funny the way english pronunciation works, isn’t it?)

Fill batter among cups until about 3/4 full each. Bake about 17 minutes, rotating through halfway.

To make the icing

Whisk milk and butter together until smooth. On high speed, add 1/4 confectioners sugar at a time until it’s done!

Let cupcakes cool completely before dipping them in icing. Let it dribble around the sides. Dust with a bit of confectioners sugar.

It’s okay if there is a moat of icing left over. More to lick.

The eggplant is an awkward vegetable. It’s purple, sports...

Sun, 01 Apr 2012 17:00:05 -0400

The eggplant is an awkward vegetable. It’s purple, sports a strange and pointy green hat, and literally resembles a sore thumb. Poor thing.

Give it a bit of an edge. Dice it up and toss it with balsamic vinegar and a few chopped cherry tomatoes. The awkward aubergine will become an enigmatic eggplant as a member of the prestigious bruschetta trio.

Excellent finger food for parties or for dinner, give these bite-sized bites some confetti of their own by sprinkling them with a couple handfuls of shredded cheese before they make their complete retreat from the oven.

Eggplant-Tomato Bruschetta

2 cloves garlic
1/3 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
1 eggplant, about the size of a canteen
Splashes of balsamic vinegar (3-4 tbsps)
Olive oil
Bit of italian seasoning (basil, oregano, rosemary)
Pinch of chili flakes
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 fresh baguette
Shredded cheese (totally optional, if that floats your boat)

Heat oven to 350. Chop garlic and let it cook in a bit of olive oil just before turning golden. Add halved cherry tomatoes and a tiny bit of salt. Place a large lid over skillet and wait until tomatoes look kind of wrinkly.

Meanwhile, chop eggplant and add into mixture. Add couple splashes of balsamic vinegar and a coin of olive oil and cook until texture is spongy. Incorporate spices, salt, pepper.

Cut baguette into 1-2cm thick disks with a serrated knife (looks like it has shark teeth). Lay on a flat baking tray lined with either parchment or aluminum foil. Pat each with olive oil and a spoonful of bruschetta. Let cook in oven for about 7 minutes.

Take out of oven and add cheese. Crank the heat up to broil if you want to brulée your cheese. Re-insert into the fiery furnace for a minute or two. Watching cheese melt is like watching the sun set.

We love snacks. Like hobbits, we’re ready to graze on...

Tue, 27 Mar 2012 10:10:00 -0400

We love snacks. Like hobbits, we’re ready to graze on something at any given time during the day. We have made emergency provisions for a week filled with group meetings, essays, and midterms by (quite literally) stirring up a large batch of sweet potato hummus. Eat it with vegetables, crackers, or as a spread on your sandwich. Your taste buds will hum in delight at its velvety texture and notes of wholesome saccharine goodness.

Sweet Potato Hummus (Adapted from Spoon Fork Bacon)
Fills 1 large yogurt container

2 sweet potatoes
1 can chickpeas
1 clove garlic, chopped
6 tbsp tahini
1/4 tsp cloves
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp cumin
Salt and pepper, to taste

Begin by peeling the sweet potatoes and boiling them to an oblivion, or until soft and can be readily pierced with a fork.

Rinse and drain can of chickpeas and add sweet potatoes, garlic, tahini, and all spices. Blend together until smooth (we used our handy hand blender).

Stir in salt and pepper, to taste.

Yummy hummus! (Try saying that ten times fast)

Peter Piper’s pickled peppers are unappetizing. Allow your...

Fri, 16 Mar 2012 16:33:27 -0400

Peter Piper’s pickled peppers are unappetizing. Allow your tongue to twist itself around this wonderful mosaic of colours and textures instead.

Buried within the recesses of these sweet red peppers are a mixture of pearly ancient grains, purple legumes, and leafy greens. Surrounded by a moat of spice-plenty tomato sauce, this meal is an impressive monument of flavour and charm.

The dairy can be omitted if you are vegan, however we strongly encourage sealing these capsicum capsules with a stringy, gooey, generous heap of cheese. You’ll utter a guttural and embarrassingly audible groan of satisfaction when you eat this. It’s love at first bite.

Quinoa Stuffed Peppers

1/2 cup quinoa
4 red bell peppers
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 onion, diced
2 handfuls fresh spinach
4 mushrooms, diced
1 can kidney beans
mozzarella cheese, grated, to taste (optional)

Cumin-Spiked Tomato Sauce

1 can crushed tomatoes
2 tsp cumin
1 tbsp sugar
1 1/2 tbsp paprika
2 tsp italian herbs
Chili flakes, to taste
a few dashes montreal steak spice
salt, to taste

Combine 1 cup water with 1/2 cup quinoa and bring to boil. Crank heat down to low and let simmer for about 10 minutes, or until the grains are translucent.

Meanwhile, take off the tops of the peppers and de-seed them. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook the peppers for five minutes. Drain and let cool.

While the peppers are cooling, heat the olive oil in a large frying pan. Sauté the onions until translucent, then add the mushrooms and cook until tender. Add the kidney beans and spinach, and continue to sauté until the spinach has wilted. Add the cooked quinoa and remove from heat.

Meanwhile, make the sauce. Simmer all ingredients until warmed through.

Place the peppers upright in a casserole dish. Stuff them to the brim with the quinoa and vegetable mixture, then coat them with ladles upon ladles of sauce. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

After 20 minutes has passed, sprinkle cheese on top and broil for an additional two to five minutes.

Spice up your life.

This is one of the easiest pies you will ever make from...

Wed, 14 Mar 2012 13:59:00 -0400

This is one of the easiest pies you will ever make from scratch. Best of all, its preparation is simpler with the help of two dessert-savvy friends! Key lime pie is best made with condensed milk, however if you plan on making the curd without it (like we did, oops!), stock up on a carton of eggs in advance.
Perfect for pi day, this marshmallow-citrus tart has the key to our hearts.

Marshmallow Key Lime Pie
Crust
1/2 cup Graham Cracker Crumbs
Melted Margarine
Bit of grated ginger (optional)

Curd
Juice and zest of 2 limes
1/2 cup sugar
3 eggs + 1 yolk
6 tbsp margarine or butter

Topping
1 jar of fluff
Bit of water
1 egg white

Prepare the crust by combining graham cracker crumbs with margarine and ginger until coated and moist. Press into a round pie dish and bake in the oven at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes. Should smell heavenly.

Meanwhile, combine all ingredients for the curd in a small pot over medium heat. Do not boil, stir constantly until mixture becomes thick and the edges start to coagulate.

Let crust cool completely and strain lime mixture through a sieve. Allow it to cascade evenly into the crumb base. Bake for 8 mins.

Meanwhile, prepare topping by whisking together Fluff, water, egg white. Allow pie to cool again. Drape topping over the lime filling and bake at 375 for 2-4 minutes, until marshmallow begins to brown.

If it were up to us, we would have more than 3.14159265 slices of this pie.

Although beets look like brains, they will fuel yours with the...

Tue, 06 Mar 2012 17:00:00 -0500

Although beets look like brains, they will fuel yours with the nutrients it needs to outlast the last of your midterms. Arm your hands with gloves lest you want your fingernails stained a bright fuchsia. These chips are easy to make and will be ready in ten minutes or less. You’ll never want to settle for an ordinary golden potato chip again when you can crunch and munch upon these vibrant half-moons of red delight.

Beet chips

Beets
Olive oil
Salt
Gloves

Line a long, flat pan with aluminum foil (if you have it) and preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Slice beets thinly (width should be about 2 centimetres) and toss to coat with olive oil and salt. Lay on pan and bake for about 10 minutes, or until crunchy.

Beat that beet up and enjoy!!

Good churros are like good amigos. They’re sweet, you enjoy...

Sat, 03 Mar 2012 18:50:00 -0500

Good churros are like good amigos. They’re sweet, you enjoy spending time with them, and they can only be found once in a blue moon. Boast all you like about the mountain of free doughnuts you have amassed over this month’s Roll up the Rim. We guarantee you that churros are better.

These fun-sized nibbles of crunchy dough will leave a delicate dusting of cinnamon-sugar upon your tongue. While traditionally served with hot chocolate, we think they hold their own with or without that little hint of liquid cocoa. Besides, nobody likes a soggy churro. For the adventurous, we’ve included a recipe for chili-chocolate dipping sauce.

Fun-Sized Churros (From Nigella Lawson’s Kitchen)

Ingredients - Makes around 30-40 mini churros

¼ cup sugar
2 tsp ground cinnamon
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tbsp olive oil
1 cup freshly boiled water (you can do this in a kettle)
Canola oil

In a shallow bowl, toss cinnamon with sugar until granules become tinted the slightest shade of brown. Set aside for coating.

Heat canola oil so that it runs at least 1/3 up the side of your pot. Meanwhile combine flour and baking powder. Beat in olive oil and water until a pliable, sticky dough forms. Let it rest for 10 minutes while the oil heats up.

To test if ready, drop a cube of bread into the pot. It should sizzle and condense into a crunchy brown cluster. Place dough into a piping bag or a large Ziploc (nip the corner so that it forms an opening). Squeeze about 2 inches of dough into oil and gently clip them off with chopsticks. Cook about 3-4 minutes until their exterior is golden and slightly hard. Fish them out with chopsticks and blot them with a paper towel to remove excess oil. This is only an exercise for the most dexterous, so be careful!

Toss to coat in cinnamon-sugar and get’em while they’re hot.

Chili Chocolate Dipping Sauce

A couple of squares dark chocolate or chocolate chips
1 tbsp maple syrup
Pinch of chili flakes
Pinch of cinnamon

2/3 cup double cream (can substitute with milk)Over a pot of boiling water, melt all ingredients in a separate pan until thick and combined. Let cool before serving.

Go loco

you keep doing what you do best; could you do a post on choice grocers' ?

Tue, 14 Feb 2012 23:23:00 -0500

Thank you so much for your support! It means a lot to us :’)
We actually have a grocery shopping post planned! Keep the requests coming.

Please stop tagging your posts with "McGill". Yes, you are all McGill students, however, the content you post here are completely irrelevant to the school.

Tue, 14 Feb 2012 20:27:27 -0500

If you are looking for a reason to purchase a blowtorch, here is...

Tue, 14 Feb 2012 20:14:00 -0500

If you are looking for a reason to purchase a blowtorch, here is your chance. Not that you exactly need one for this anyway. Despite the potential fire hazards latent in the torch’s mechanical design, it’s still good to have for fancy brulées. If, with a heavy sigh of resignation, you are a student with a mere stove at your disposal, that will work just as well.

These Baked Alaskas are a lethal combination of brownie, ice cream, and meringue.They are bad for you with a capital B. But so good.

While athletes playfully get their faces smothered with shaving cream, this dessert is no joke. We’d happily wade through a cloud of meringue any day.

Beautiful Baked Alaskas (Adapted from All Recipes, but halved the portion)
Ingredients - Yields 6 brownies

1/2 cup butter
1/4 cups chocolate chips
3/4 cups white sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/4 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350 and grease a regular-sized muffin tin.

Over low heat, melt chocolate and butter, stirring constantly until 2 become 1.

Remove from heat and stir in sugar.
Allow to cool and beat in eggs, one at a time, stirring well after each addition. Add dash of vanilla to give your chocolate brownies an ironic little twist.

Whisk flour and salt together and fold into liquid mixture.

Add batter to muffin tins and bake for about 30 minutes until toothpick comes out clean in the centre of the brownies.

While cooling, make the meringue.

Meringue
Ingredients - Depends on how much meringue you want to make

4 egg whites
1 cup sugar

Blend egg whites to an oblivion until peaks are ‘stiff’. Add sugar and blend some more.

To Assemble the Baked Alaska

Add a dab of ice-cream onto each brownie bite. Pipe meringue around and on top of ice-cream to insulate it from the oven. Broil baked alaskas.

Yahoo! Baked Alaskas for you!

Whenever you’re in a hurry, make some curry! It’s...

Sat, 11 Feb 2012 18:17:00 -0500

Whenever you’re in a hurry, make some curry! It’s preparation is simple, especially when you have a sous-chef to chop everything up for you. It is also one of those impressive but deceptively easy “Hey, I know how to cook” meals. Vegetarian by design, this dish will the be magic Swiffer of your refrigerator by making good use of your leftover legumes.

While originally a tomato curry, we had the liberty of tossing whatever we felt necessary into our little simmering concoction. It’s like the devil’s snare, engulfing any and all vegetables with its flavours.

Make coconut rice to accompany this dish. It will cleanse your palette and soothe your stomach.

We have curried favour with this recipe and sincerely hope you do too.

Tomato Vegetable Curry (Adapted from Nigella Lawson’s Kitchen)
Ingredients - Serves 5

2 onions
1 pint cherry tomatoes
Couple handfuls of Asian vegetable mix— you can use any kinds of vegetables you want, really
1 tsp tandoori spice, cumin, paprika

Try not to cry while dicing the onions. Its a delicate dance with your knife. Score them a bit before slicing. Sweat them out with a smidgen of oil over medium heat until soft and translucent.

Add pint of cherry tomatoes. Let simmer with the onions, stirring occasionally, until they burst (hopefully not on you) and become saucy. Meanwhile, prepare coconut rice (below)

Add vegetables and spices. If your spices are not exactly the same, don’t worry too much. As long as it smells good. Cook until vegetables are cooked through. Serve over a bed of coconut rice.

Coconut Rice
Ingredients

1 can coconut milk
4-5 cups cooked rice
Sesame seeds and seaweed, to garnish

Prepare rice in rice cooker, if you haven’t done so already

Place rice in pot. In a pyrex measuring glass mix coconut milk and fill the rest of the receptacle with water. Pour into rice and let simmer over medium heat until all liquid is absorbed.

Garnish with a bit of sesame seeds and/or seaweed!

C’est simple comme bonjour

There are some days when your rear pant-leg winds up tucked into...

Sat, 04 Feb 2012 13:38:00 -0500

There are some days when your rear pant-leg winds up tucked into your sock. Or, unbeknownst to you, your little red toque has been inverted all day. Its tag has been frolicking in the wind atop your head like a peace flag on a mountain.

Whether you are sloppy accidentally or on purpose, we’ll cover you. A generous amalgamation of veggies, beef, and tomato sauce, these Sloppy Joes are an all-purpose antidote for malicious moods.

We recommend making them this weekend. Your bowls will not only be filled with something super, but also sumptuous.

A word of caution: however star-crossed all you lovers may be, avoid making these irresistible sloppy joes on Valentines. You’ll end up looking like this.

But who celebrates that anyway?

Sloppy Joes (adapted from Kitchen by Nigella Lawson)

1 stick celery
3 cloves garlic
2 onions
2 carrots

2 tablespoons oil
1 tablespoon brown sugar
pinch cloves
500g ground beef

1 can (400g) chopped tomatoes and a full can of water
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons tomato paste

To serve:
Soft, fluffy buns / tortilla chips / cheddar cheese

Chop the celery, garlic, onions and carrots coarsely. Blend with a food processor or blender (we used our trusty hand blender) until the mixture reaches a mushy consistency.

Heat the oil in a large pan. Add the vegetable mixture and cook until soft (15-20 minutes)

In the meantime, mix the tomatoes, water, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, and tomato paste in a bowl.

Add the ground beef to the frying pan, along with the cloves and remaining brown sugar. When the beef begins to brown, add the bowl of liquid ingredients. Simmer for 25 minutes.

Serve with toasted buns (we used onion rolls), tortilla chips, or any other item that will be sure to leave the front of your shirt/jersey looking like it needs a wash.

Chow down! Warning: don’t become so distracted by the deliciousness of these babies that you miss the big game.

Pinwheels are simple and artful. They can transform even the...

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 18:40:00 -0500

Pinwheels are simple and artful. They can transform even the most fishy of dishes into appealing appetizers.

Sole is a lean and delicate fish that pairs well with the subtle and creamy flavour of artichoke asiago dip, which you can find in most grocery stores. We added a bit of spinach to the dish because seaweed is always greener under the sea. These are much easier to assemble than Ikea furniture, but are a bit more tricky than snapping together two pieces of lego. In short, this recipe is a quick way to put some sole into your food. Make these part of your world. Your taste-buds will be a choir singing with delight.

Sole Pinwheels

Ingredients - Makes 6 rolls

6 sole fillets
Handful or two of spinach
Pepper, to taste OR Montréal Steak Spice
Artichoke Asiago Dip (we used PC Blue Menu)

Thaw sole, if frozen. Meanwhile, wash spinach and tear into strips lengthwise.

Lay fillets flat and sprinkle with steak spice or pepper, if using. Adorn the centre of each with a mask of dip. Top with spinach.

Start rolling up the fish at one end and secure pinwheel by piercing it with a toothpick.

Roast in a casserole dish at 350 for about 15-20 minutes until fish flakes with a fork.

Tada!

The globe isn’t golden, and neither is our snack for tonight’s...

Sun, 15 Jan 2012 20:12:56 -0500

The globe isn’t golden, and neither is our snack for tonight’s broadcast. Kale is a leafy specimen that merits a superlative in the scrapbook of our undergraduate existence. Its ridges are tiny finger-like projections that catch ALL of the olive oil and bathe in the oven’s rays of heat until crisp. Your palette will be humbled by these crunchy creations that are baked, not deep fried.

This is a three-ingredient, five-star recipe that will please even the worst of critics.

Salt these to your discretion—if you’re adventurous explore the world of spices and jump through your jungle of kale with different kinds of seasonings.

Kale comprises the tree of our lives and puts the ‘hip’ in our chips.

Kale Chips (Credit to Michelle!)

Ingredients

A ton of kale
Olive Oil
Salt

Preheat oven to 350ºC

Wash your kale, and tear it into pieces.

Pour a puddle of olive oil onto a baking sheet. Lightly dip a piece of kale into the oil, then use your fingers to smear the oil all over the leaf, on both sides. Continue for each leaf. You’ll have to bake several batches anyways, so don’t overcrowd the baking sheet – each leaf should touch the sheet as this is how they get crispy. Add salt to taste, then pop the sheet into the oven for exactly 8 minutes.

Repeat.

Enjoy.

And don’t forget to check your teeth before you leave the house.

You have ineptly waded through oceans of packed snow and you are...

Fri, 13 Jan 2012 21:21:00 -0500

You have ineptly waded through oceans of packed snow and you are hungry. You deserve something better than that saline packet of instant noodles. While ramen’s squiggly arms are a quick comfort during the start of the school year, these pizza recipes will caress your taste-buds with instant gratification.

Sweet caramelized onions are an excellent foil to the crispy ribbons of prosciutto that adorn this crust like garland on a pine-tree.
Breakfast pizza takes this classic dinner fare on a wonderful spin upon a merry-go-round of satisfaction.
Thinly-sliced apples covered by a light dusting of cinnamon (we wish we could say the same for the snow outside) will refresh your palette by complementing its soft and sweet base.

The dough can be made ahead of time and tucked away in the fridge until you need it. Although we used whole-wheat flour, the all-purpose variety should fare just as well. You’ll be hard-pressed to find a similar pizza anywhere else. It is an effortless reward for all of the effort you put into your exams last semester. Get out of the library and into your kitchen. It’s too early to study anyway. Prepare yourself some pizza.

Caramelized Onion and Prosciutto Pizza (Adapted from the Pioneer Woman)

1 Pizza Crust (1/2 the dough recipe below)
Olive oil, for drizzling
2 medium white onions, thinly sliced
¼ cup brown sugar
½ thinly sliced ball of mozzarella cheese
8 slices salami-prosciutto ham
Grated parmesan cheese

Breakfast Pizza
1 potato, thinly sliced
1/2 zucchini, sliced
Prosciutto ham, diced as needed
3 eggs

Pizza Dough

1 teaspoon Active Dry Yeast
1 ½ cups warm water
4 cups Whole Wheat Flour (All-Purpose will do)
1 tsp salt
1/3 cup Olive Oil

To make dough

Sprinkle yeast over warm water and let stand for a few minutes

Meanwhile, whisk together flour and salt in a large bowl. Drizzle with olive oil until just combined.

Add yeast mixture and ply dough with your hands until all flour is incorporated. Great for stress relief.

Form dough into a ball, toss to coat with olive oil and place in a separate bowl, lightly coated with oil as well. Tightly cover with saran wrap.

Let rise for 1 to 2 hours or, if your superhero name is the procrastinator, stick it in the fridge for 1-4 days until you are ready to use it.

Use HALF dough for one pizza. We used a can of “Pam” to flatten ours out but if your arsenal of kitchen supplies is stocked with a rolling pin, that will fare much better.

Either bake at 375F for 15 minutes with desired toppings or prepare the recipe below at 500F.

To make pizza

Prosciutto Pizza

Preheat oven to 500F. Roll out dough into rectangular shape on a piece of parchment. Transfer onto baking sheet.

Over low heat, combine some oil with the onions and brown sugar and patiently nudge it around until the allium metamorphoses into a sweet, soft tangle of brown and gooey strips

Lightly oil dough and layer first with mozzarella. Take prosciutto and gently pull apart until it is like a long streamer. Layer onto dough. Finish with onions and grated parmesan.

Place pizza in oven for 15 mins until cheese is melted and prosciutto is crispy. Makes 8 slices.

Breakfast Pizza

Cook potatoes until translucent. Halfway through, add zucchini medallions. Evenly disperse potatoes, zucchini, prosciutto, eggs onto lightly-oiled dough. Should not look like a Jenga tower. Bake for 15 minutes at 350 and broil for a few minutes before serving.

Apple-Cinnamon Pizza

Cook apples with a splash of water until soft but not mushy. In separate bowl combine one part sugar with one part cinnamon. Lay apples on lightly-oiled dough and sprinkle with sugar mixture. Bake for 15 minutes at 350.

Don’t drown in your frowns. A chocolate cake for one can become...

Sun, 18 Dec 2011 11:34:00 -0500

Don’t drown in your frowns. A chocolate cake for one can become a party for plenty with the right amount of spoons and people to share it with. This mug of sadness, when cared for by four, metamorphoses into a pool of happiness that many people can sink into. It’s easy and has both chocolate and peanut butter. It’s like a Reese Cup, but better.

Stop living vicariously through others and make life a bit sweeter with others. Sharing is caring.

Chocolate Cup of Cheerfulness (Adapted from Some Kitchen Stories)

Ingredients- Makes 1 large cup of cheer, to share

4 tbsp flour
4 tbsp sugar
1 egg
3 tbsp cocoa powder
3 tbsp Nutella
3 tbsp milk
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 tsp cinnamon
3 tbsp vegetable oil
1 spoonful peanut butter

Combine all ingredients in a large coffee mug and whisk with fork until smooth.
Microwave for 1 ½ to 3 minutes. Halfway through baking time, drop a spoonful of smooth peanut butter. Sprinkle with chocolate chips.