Grilled Pizza with Corn and Summer Tomatoes

There is something to be said about the taste of slightly charred bread, sprinkled with olive oil and then spread with these delicious summer ingredients. The word would have to be delicious.   Thank you Martha Stewart this grilled pizza is a keeper.

INGREDIENTS
15 oz.store-bought pizza dough
1 1/3 cups corn kernels (from 2 ears)
1/2 ounce Parmesan cheese, grated (1/4 cup)
3/4 teaspoon minced garlic (from 1 medium garlic clove)
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
Coarse salt
2 small tomatoes (5 to 6 ounces total), thinly sliced (7 to 9 slices)
4 to 6 ounces mozzarella, thinly sliced
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves

DIRECTIONS
Let dough sit at room temperature (in package) 4 hours.
Puree corn, Parmesan, garlic, 2 tablespoons oil, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a food processor until smooth with small chunks.
Spread remaining oil on a baking sheet or pizza pan. Place dough on pan, and stretch to an even thickness, turning to coat both sides with oil. Let rest 1 hour, then re-stretch.
Preheat grill to medium. Season dough with salt, and transfer to grill, making sure to keep dough flat and even. Cover grill, and cook until dough is just charred on bottom, 5 to 6 minutes, checking frequently.
Flip dough. Spread corn mixture on dough, and top with tomato slices. Season with salt, and top with mozzarella. Cover grill, and cook until toppings are warmed through and mozzarella has melted, 5 to 6 minutes. Top with basil, and serve.

Gluten and Dairy Free Blueberry Muffins.....

I found this recipe on my nephews wife's facebook.  It might be her original recipe though I haven't asked her.  She also added a few variations of the muffin recipe that I listed at at the bottom of this post.  I have to admit they were amazing.  Thank you Heather,  they were a huge hit at my house.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees( Makes 12) 

Ingredients:

3 cups almond flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 large eggs
1/4 cup honey
3 Tbsp coconut oil (butter if not avail)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 large mashed ripe banana
3/4 cup chopped walnuts (less to taste)
3/4 cup blueberries (less to taste)

Directions:

1. In one large bowl whisk dry ingredients (flour baking soda and salt)
2. In med bowl whisk eggs. Then whisk in honey, oil and vanilla. Stir in banana.
3. Add egg mixture to the flour and fold in walnuts and blueberries
4. Divide batter into 12 muffin cups lined with paper liners..
5. Bake in oven for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. Let cool and enjoy!

Try with other mixtures, dried cherries and pecans. Dark chocolate chips, raspberry, almonds, etc or leave out the blueberries and add another banana for banana muffins.

Easy Refrigerator Pickles..........

Crispy, garlicky, a little sour and well, just right.  Easy is the name of the of this recipe.  The hardest thing about it is waiting the seven days to eat them.

• 3 pounds pickling cucumber
• 1 cup vinegar
• 2 cups water
• 2 tablespoons pickling salt
• 6 garlic cloves, peeled (2 per jar)
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper per jar (3/4 teaspoons total)
• 6   sprigs fresh dill
• 1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns per jar (1 1/2 teaspoons total)
• 1 tbsp. pickling spices ( in each jar)

Wash the cucumbers with a vegetable brush
Slice the cucumbers into chips.
In a large saucepan, combine vinegar, water and salt. Bring to a boil.
Arrange jars on counter and dole out the spices to each.
Pack the cucumber slices firmly into the jars.
Pour the brine into the jar, leaving approximately ½ inch head space.

Apply lids and let the jars cool. When they've returned to room temperature, place jars in refrigerator. Let them sit for at least 7 days before eating.

Calamari....

This was such a delicious supper for a warm, breezy night. I fried up about a pound of squid rings and served them with peperoncini and lemon.  The cold glass of chardonnay I sipped on brighten  and lighten the flavor.  Here's the recipe.

• 1 cup of all purpose flour
• 2 eggs
• 2/3 of a can of beer
• salt and pepper 
• vegetable oil

Beat eggs, add flour,  whisk together with eggs then add the beer and salt and pepper.  Dip rings in the batter and in fry in 375 degree oil for roughly two minutes.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper, peperoncini and fresh squeezed lemon juice all over.

 We thoroughly enjoyed this easy Sunday night meal.  Eating out on our deck really helped too. It was a pleasant way to say good bye to the weekend.  

Home Made Breakfast Sausage......

I have always wanted to try making my own breakfast sausage. The idea of using meat raised humanely and without hormones and antibiotics while being feed a vegetarian diet really appeals to me. Although the recipe called for two pounds of ground pork I used one pound of ground turkey breast and one pound of ground pork. Why not try to lighten the fat content a little.  The sausages were delicious.  Recipe adapted from Allrecipes.com
Ingredients

2 tsp. ground sage
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. black pepper
1/4 tsp. marjoram
1 tbsp. brown sugar
1/8 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 pinch ground cloves
1 lb. ground pork
1 lb. ground turkey breast

Directions:
In a small, bowl, combine the sage, salt, ground black pepper, marjoram, brown sugar, crushed red pepper and cloves. Mix well.
Place the pork and turkey in a large bowl and add the mixed spices to it. Mix well with your hands and form into a long roll on top of plastic wrap.
Grabbing the bottom portion of the plastic wrap, pull it up over the meat and begin forming the wrap around the meat, rolling and forming a log shape.

 Next I did the same thing with the plastic roll on top of parchment paper.  I placed the roll in the freezer for an hour which made the sausages easier to slice with a serrated knife.

Saute the patties in a large skillet over medium high heat for 5 minutes per side, or until internal pork temperature reaches 160 degrees F (73 degrees C).

Can you see the smoke wafting up from the sizzling skillet?  The misshapen patty is from the end of the roll.  Not perfect looking but still delicious.  That one was for the cook!

Here are the patties sliced and ready to go in the freezer.  Easy, delicious and healthy!

Simple Pleasures.......

Easy pan roasted brussel sprouts with olive oil, balsamic vinegar,salt and pepper.  Simple pleasures, simply delicious.

Gluten Free Zucchini Muffins.......

These delicious muffins are from the cookbook Against the Grain. This is the first time I have baked gluten free from scratch and am thrilled with the results.  I also added 2 heaping tablespoons of coconut flour as well as a handful of walnuts after reading some of the reviews. Yummy!
Ingredients:

• 1-1/2 cup almond flour
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon nutmeg
• 3 eggs, beaten
• ¼ cup honey
• 1 ripe banana
• 1 cup shredded, unpeeled zucchini

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Combine the dry ingredients in a small bowl.
Place the wet ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer, then beat on medium for 1-2 minutes until frothy and fully combined. Add the zucchini and beat again just enough to incorporate.

Slowly add the dry ingredients with the mixer running, until all of the flour mixture has been incorporated.
Spoon the batter into 2 mini loaf pans. You can also use this batter to make muffins.
Bake for 30-35 minutes until the middle is set and a toothpick comes out clean.

Portuguese Fisherman's Hake

There is a skilled fish monger who faithfully meets the fishing boats coming into the harbor everyday at  3:30 in the morning.  He sells fresh fish from his truck in the Portuguese neighborhood of the large city that I  grew up in but now live next to.  Today I got there late and the only fish that was left was Hake.  The nice gentlemen assured me I would love it.  I took his word for it and bought the whole fish.  Word of advice.  TRUST YOUR FISH MONGER!  Here is the recipe.  It was delicious.

Ingredients for sauce:

• 1 28 oz.can of chopped tomatoes 
• 3 tbsp. olive oil
• 4 cloves of minced garlic 
• 1 cup of mixed colored peppers
• 1 onion sliced
• 1/4 cup  white wine
• 1/2 cup small black olives
• 1/4 cup stuffed green olives 
• 2  tsp. smoked paprika 
• 1 tsp, cumin
• 2 bay leaves
• salt and pepper to taste 

Fish: 

•  1 lb. or more of Hake
•  2 cups cornmeal for dredging
• 1/4 olive oil for frying fish  
• salt and pepper for the cornmeal 

Directions

1. Heat a heavy skillet on medium heat. Add the olive oil and chopped onion, cook until translucent and fragrant.
2. Add the garlic and cook for 3 minutes.
3. Add the rest of the ingredients to the onions and garlic and simmer on low for 10 minutes..
4. Heat a nonstick skillet on medium high, add more olive oil.  Make sure it is hot enough to make a crust on the fish.
5. Dredge the portions of hake in the corn meal. 
6. Cook 3-4 minutes on each side depending on thickness.

Remove the cooked fish to a cooling rack so that it stays crisp.