Pinto Beans and Rice

1 (1 lb) bag dried pinto bean
1/3 cup picante sauce
2 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon garlic , minced (kind in jar is okay)
1 tablespoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon oregano
3 bay leaves
1 cup cooked white rice (we found that it needs about twice this much.  So I cook 1 cup of uncooked rice.  Brown rice also works)

Rinse beans in colander.  Put in a crock pot (or large pot).  Cover with water, plus about 2 inches over top of beans. Add all ingredients, except rice.

Cook on high in crock pot about 4 hours til tender. (Crockpots vary greatly on cooking times. It could take much longer in yours, so the first time allow longer to cook and then you will know how long cooking time will be in the future.).

(Add water if necessary) May also cook on low overnight.
Add rice and cook until rice is warm.

Black Beans and Rice

Ingredients
1 cup black beans 
1 Tbsp olive oil 
2 garlic cloves, crushed 
1 15 oz. can diced tomatoes 
1 tsp ground cumin 
Salt/Pepper

1 cup brown rice 

Directions
Cook beans either by soaking overnight (which I never remember to do) or by the hot soak method.  

Cook rice.  When rice is cooked add all other ingredients and heat through.  

This was originally a slow cooker recipe, so you can put the beans in the slow cooker after soaking and add the other ingredients except the rice.  Cook on high for about 4 hours.  You'll probably need to add some water, but don't add too much, because you'll just be stirring in the cooked rice and you don't want it too soupy.  When beans are cooked, add cooked rice.  

Louisiana Red Beans and Rice

Here is a recipe, along with the following few, that we found to use up our food storage before we moved.  


1 large onion, diced small
2-3 tsp. olive oil
1 T minced garlic
1 T Creole Seasoning (recipe below)
1 tsp. dried thyme
1 tsp. dried oregano
salt and black pepper to taste (I didn't use salt because the creole seasoning has salt, and I only used a little bit of pepper)
4 cups cooked small red beans (or use 3 cans red beans, rinsed and drained and add 1/2 cup more chicken stock)
3 cups diced lean ham or Louisiana Hot Sausages (dice into pieces about the size of the cooked beans)
3 cups homemade chicken stock or canned chicken broth
1 T Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. green Tabasco (or use a smaller amount of red Tobasco)
2-3 bay leaves
1 tsp. red wine vinegar

3 cups cooked white rice for serving

If using dried beans, soak overnight and cook on stove until they are fairly soft, or cook in pressure cooker about 25 minutes. Drain beans. If using canned beans, rinse with cold water until no more foam appears, then drain.

Cut ham or sausage into small pieces, about the size of cooked beans.

Heat olive oil in a heavy frying pan, then saute diced onion about 5 minutes, or until onion starts to brown. Add garlic and saute 1 minute, then add Creole Seasoning, dried thyme, and dried oregano and saute 1-2 minutes more.

Put onion mixture into small crockpot. Add cooked beans and diced ham or sausage. Add stock, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco sauce, bay leaves, and red wine vinegar, and stir to combine.

Cook on high for 4-8 hours, until the beans are dissolved as much as you prefer. I like this best when the beans are at least 3/4 broken apart and dissolved into the liquid. Canned beans are usually softer and will break apart more quickly.

Serve hot, topped with white rice.

Creole Seasoning

• 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/8 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon white pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 3/4 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Black and Blue Berry Breakfast Cake

Heather made this for us in early July and it was delicious.  A few days ago, Elliott and Ann Nielson gave us some of their blackberries so we thought, "Black AND Blue Berry Cake. . . "  So we added 50% more to the ingredients in the original recipe and cooked it in a 9"x12" pan.

3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
3 tsp. lemon zest or more — zest from 1 large lemon
1 1/2 c + 1 tablespoon sugar**
1 1/2 egg, room temperature (scramble two eggs together: take out a tablespoon of egg [cook it in the microwave for a snack while you finish the cake])
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
3 cups flour
1 TB baking powder
1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
2 cups fresh blackberries

1 cup fresh blueberries

3/4 cup buttermilk

** This 1 tablespoon is for sprinkling on top

1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF.  Zest the lemon (put parchment paper over the grater before rubbing the lemon on it, then when you lift off the paper, all the zest comes with it.  No more scraping the grater with a toothpick) Cream butter with lemon zest and 1 1/2 cup of the sugar until light and fluffy.

2. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat until combined. Meanwhile, toss the berries with ¼ cup of flour, then whisk together the remaining flour, baking powder and salt.

3. Add the flour mixture to the batter a little at a time, alternating with the buttermilk. Fold in the berries.

4. Grease a 9"x12"-inch baking pan (or something similar) with butter or coat with non-stick spray. Spread batter into pan. Sprinkle batter with remaining tablespoon of sugar. Bake for 35 minutes. Check with a toothpick for doneness. If necessary, return pan to oven for a couple of more minutes. (Note: Baking for as long as 10 minutes more might be necessary.) Let cool at least 15 minutes before serving.

Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream

I don't have an ice cream maker yet, but when I get one, I want to make this.

Ingredients

• FOR THE ICE CREAM:
• 12 ounces, weight Strawberries, Hulled And Sliced
• 8 ounces, weight Cream Cheese
• 1 cup Sour Cream
• ½ cups Half-and-half
• 1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice
• 1 cup Sugar
• 1 pinch Salt
• _____
• FOR THE MIX-INS:
• 4 ounces, weight Strawberries, Hulled And Finley Diced
• 2 teaspoons Sugar
• ¼ cups Bittersweet Chocolate
• 1 teaspoon Heavy Cream
• 3 whole Chocolate Graham Crackers

Preparation Instructions

For the ice cream:
In a blender or food processor puree the strawberries, cream cheese, sour cream, half-and-half, lemon juice, sugar and salt.
Pour ice cream base into your ice cream maker and churn per manufacturer’s instructions, approximately 30 minutes.
While the ice cream is churning, prepare mix-ins if desired.
For the mix-ins:
In a small bowl combine the strawberries and sugar, mix well and place in the freezer
Melt bittersweet chocolate and heavy cream in the microwave in 30 second intervals at 50% power. Stir after each interval. Repeat until melted.
With a spatula cover the chocolate graham crackers with melted chocolate and place in the freezer.
Approximately 5 minutes before ice cream is done, remove strawberry mixture and graham crackers from freezer. Add macerated strawberries to the ice cream while still churning. Roughly chop graham crackers and add to ice cream.

http://tastykitchen.com/blog/2012/05/strawberry-cheesecake-ice-cream/

Homemade salsa

This is from my friend April Young who lives in Katy, TX.

I use my blender to chop everything up, but a food processor is easiest. Be warned, it makes a ton of salsa.

10 roma tomatoes
1 bunch cilantro
1 white onion
2 jalepeno peppers 
1 Anaheim pepper
2/3 can crushed tomatoes
3 Tbsp garlic salt
2 tsp sugar
Juice of 4 limes or to taste

Mix it all together and serve

Sugar cookies with too much butter in them

Make sugar cookies like normal, but put in way too much butter. The edges of the cookies will kind of carmelize. Also a little salt on the top is a good idea.

P.F. Chang's Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Ingredients

3 tbs oil

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts

1 cup water chestnuts

2/3 cup mushrooms

3 tbs chopped onions

1 tsp minced garlic

4-5 leaves iceberg lettuce

Special Sauce

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup water

2 tbs soy sauce

2 tbs rice wine vinegar (we used half rice vinegar and half red wine vinegar)

2 tbs ketchup

1 tbs lemon juice

1/8 tsp sesame oil (we used olive oil)

1 tbs hot mustard (we used dijon)

2 tsp water

1-2 tsp garlic and red chile paste

Stir Fry Sauce

2 tbs soy sauce

2 tbs brown sugar

1/2 tsp rice wine vinegar (same as above)

Directions

Make the special sauce by dissolving the sugar in water in a small bowl. Add soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, ketchup, lemon juice, and sesame oil. Mis well and refrigerate this sauce until you're ready to serve. (This is very runny and so we put it in a pot on the stove and added some cornstarch to thicken it a little and we liked it like that.)

Combine the hot water with the hot mustard and set this aside as well. (We just added this to the special sauce in the beginning.)

Eventually add your desired measurement of mustard and garlic chile sauce to the special sauce mixture to pour over the wraps. (We also added the garlic chile paste to the special sauce in the pan all together with everything else.)

Bring oil to high heat in a wok or large frying pan. Sauté chicken breasts for 4 to 5 min per side or until done. Remove chicken from the pan and cool. Keep oil in pan and keep hot.

As chicken cools, mince water chestnuts and mushrooms to about the size of small peas.

Prepare the stir fry sauce by mixing the soy sauce, brown sugar, and rice wine vinegar together in a small bowl.

When the chicken is cool, mine it as the mushrooms and water chestnuts are. With the pan sill on high heat, add another tbs of oil. Add the chicken, garlic, onions, water chestnuts, and mushrooms to the pan. Add the stir fry sauce to the pan and sauté the mixture for a couple of minutes then serve it in the lettuce "cups". Top with Special Sauce.

Peanut Butter Frosting

• 1 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1 cup creamy peanut butter
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/3 cup heavy cream

Place the confectioners' sugar, peanut butter, butter, vanilla, and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix on medium-low speed until creamy, scraping down the bowl with a rubber spatula as you work. Add the cream and beat on high speed until the mixture is light and smooth.

Thai Peanut Satay

http://tastykitchen.com/recipes/main-courses/chicken-satay-with-peanut-sauce/

Ingredients
2 pounds Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast, Cut Into Bite Size Pieces
_____
FOR THE MARINADE:
4 Tablespoons Low Sodium Soy Sauce
4 Tablespoons Lime Juice
2 Tablespoons Vegetable Oil
2 teaspoons Cumin
4 teaspoons Coriander
2 teaspoons Turmeric
_____
FOR THE PEANUT SAUCE:
2 Tablespoons Vegetable Oil
⅓ cups Onion, finely chopped
2 teaspoons Chili Powder
5 Tablespoons MARINADE
¼ cups Brown Sugar, Packed
½ cups Water, Or More If Needed
1 cup Creamy Peanut Butter, Do Not Use Natural Or Low Fat
1 whole Lime, Cut Into Wedges, For Garnish
1 bunch Fresh Cilantro For Garnish, Chopped

Preparation Instructions
1) Combine all marinade ingredients and whisk well to combine. Reserve 5 tablespoons of marinade for the sauce and refrigerate until you’re ready to make the sauce. Set the remaining marinade aside.
Cut the chicken into bite size pieces and skewer*. Skewer your chicken pieces on presoaked (in water) wooden skewers or metal skewers. Pour remaining marinade over chicken skewers being sure to coat thoroughly. (I use gloves, because the turmeric can stain your hands). Marinate chicken in the refrigerator for an hour.
2) For the peanut sauce, heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Sauté onions for 5-7 minutes. Add chili powder and the reserved 5 tablespoons of marinade, brown sugar, and ½ cup of water. Keep the pan over heat until very hot. Remove from heat and add peanut butter, carefully whisk until completely incorporated. Add additional water if the sauce is too thick. Loosely cover the pan and set aside. To warm the sauce, do so in microwave on 50% power for 30 seconds at a time and stir between. Heat until just warm. If you over heat the sauce, the oil will separate.
3) Preheat grill and cook skewered marinated chicken over medium high heat for 10-15 minutes. Serve chicken with peanut sauce and garnish with cilantro and fresh lime wedges. Makes approximately 32 – 6″skewers for appetizers or 8 dinner size portion skewers.*I like to skewer the chicken first before the marinade is added. It’s much less messy and when you’re entertaining, you won’t have to skewer the meat while you have guests. Again, I recommend using gloves.

Quinoa Burger

I found this on pinterest, but the recipe and photo came from Eating Well, Living Thin. Elliott, who is in the phase of not trying new foods, or old foods that we just haven't had in a while, loved this. And before bed he asked for more.

2 rounded cups cooked quinoa (see note below for cooking instructions)

3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese (or other variety, if you prefer)

1/2 cup low-fat cottage cheese

1 medium carrot, finely grated (OR 1 cup shredded zucchini, squeezed)

3 eggs

3 tablespoons all purpose flour

2 green onions, including white parts

1 /2 teaspoon Splenda or sugar

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

Olive oil for frying

.

To cook quinoa:

1 cup uncooked quinoa

2 cups water

1/2 teaspoon salt

In a medium saucepan bring the 2 cups water and 1/2 teaspoon salt to a boil over high heat. Add quinoa and reduce heat to low. Cover and cook for 18-20 minutes, or until all water is absorbed and the seeds are tender. Allow to cool for a few minutes.

.

In a large bowl combine the cooked quinoa, cheddar cheese, cottage cheese, carrot, eggs, flour, green onions, Splenda, pepper, cumin, salt, and garlic powder.

Heat a frying pan and a couple teaspoons olive oil over medium-low heat. Mixture will be slightly sticky, so using a 1/4 cup measuring cup, drop mixture into pan and lightly flatten to 1/2 inch thick. Fry until golden-brown, about 4 minutes on each side. Makes approx. 10 burgers.

Serve with Tzatziki, or fry sauce, and top with avocado and tomato.

Pumpkin Granola

5 cups rolled oats
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
¾ tsp. salt

3 tbs ground flax (optional)

1- 1 1/2 cups chopped nuts like walnuts, almonds (I put both in)
1/2 cup honey
½ cup pumpkin puree
1/2 cup oil
¼ cup maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup dried cranberries

Preheat the oven to 325° F.

In a large bowl, combine oats, spices, salt, flax, and nuts. Mix well.

In a medium bowl, whisk together honey, pumpkin puree, oil, maple syrup and vanilla extract. Whisk until smooth. Pour wet ingredients into oat mixture and stir until the oats are evenly coated. They will be moist. Evenly spread the mixture onto a large baking sheet.

Bake for 20 minutes. Remove pan from the oven and stir. Bake for an additional 15-20 minutes or until the granola is golden and crisp. Remove from the oven and stir in dried cranberries (I usually just add some when I eat a bowl rather than when I make it). Let cool completely. Store in an airtight container.

Pumpkin Roll

A favorite of the Hall household at Christmas time. Stores well in the freezer.

3 eggs

1 cup sugar

2/3 cup pumpkin

3/4 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp cloves
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
Chopped nuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 375. Mix 3 eggs on high until frothy with volume. Slowly mix in sugar then the pumpkin. Add flour, baking powder, spices, and salt.  Heavily grease and flour a cookie sheet. Pour mixture into pan and sprinkle with chopped nuts (optional). Bake at 375 for 15 minutes. Put powdered sugar on towel, nuts side up. Roll up in the towel. Cool. Unroll carefully. Fill with cream cheese frosting and re-roll.


Cream cheese Frosting

4 oz cream cheese, softened
4 oz butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla
2 2/3-3 cups powdered sugar

Blend the cream cheese and butter.  Add vanilla.  Slowly add powdered sugar until you reach a spreadable consistency.

Chocolate Mint Cookies

3/4 cup butter

1 1/2 cup light brown sugar

2 tbs. water

2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

2 eggs

2 1/2 cup flour

1 1/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

2 packages Andes Mints

In a large, heavy saucepan over low heat, cook butter, brown sugar, and water until melted. Add chocolate chips and stir until partially melted. Remove from heat and continue to stir until all the chips are melted. Pour into a large bowl and let cool for 10 minutes. With beaters, mix in one egg at a time. Then add dry ingredients.

Chill dough for at least one hour (or until it is no longer sticky to handle). Preheat oven to 350. Line cookie sheet with tin foil. Roll teaspoon sized balls of dough, about one inch in diameter. Make sure to put the dough back in the fridge while waiting for the cookies to bake. Bake 10-12 minutes. (cookies will crisp as they cool). Remove from oven and immediately place an Andes mint on top of each cookie. Allow mint to soften

and swirl with the back of a spoon. Cool thoroughly.

Chicken Stew with Butternut Squash and Quinoa

I found this on pinterest, but it (along with the picture) comes from Cookin' Canuck. This was a nice new flavor. Don't skip the olives. You could make this vegetarian by using veggie broth and subbing white beans for the chicken.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lb. butternut squash, peeled, seeded & chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
• 3 1/2 cups chicken broth
• 1 1/2 lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1 can (14 oz) petite diced tomatoes
• 2/3 cup uncooked quinoa
• 3/4 cup pitted and quartered kalamata olives
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1/4 cup minced fresh flat-leaf parsley

Instructions

1. Steam the butternut squash until barely tender, about 10 minutes. Remove half of the squash pieces and set aside.
2. Steam the remaining squash until very tender, an additional 4 to 6 minutes. Mash this squash with the back of a fork. Set aside.
3. In a large saucepan set over medium-high heat, bring the chicken broth to a simmer.
4. Add chicken thighs, cover, and cook until chicken is cooked through, about 15 minutes.
5. Transfer the chicken thighs to a plate and allow to cool. Pour broth into a medium-sized bowl.
6. Return the saucepan to the stovetop and lower heat to medium. Add olive oil.
7. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is starting to turn brown, 8 to 10 minutes.
8. Add minced garlic and oregano. Cook, stirring, for 1 additional minute.
9. To the saucepan, add tomatoes, butternut squash pieces, mashed butternut squash. Stir to combine.
10. Stir in reserved chicken broth and quinoa. Bring to a simmer, cover and cook until the quinoa turns translucent, about 15 minutes.
11. Shred the chicken with your fingers or a fork.
12. Stir the chicken, olives and pepper into the stew and simmer, uncovered, to heat, about 5 minutes.
13. Stir in parsley and serve.

Oatmeal pancakes

I found this yummy recipe on smitten kitchen.

3/4 cup oat flour (you can make this by pulsing rolled oats into a food processor or spice grinder until finely ground; 1 cup of oats yielded 1 cup oat flour for me)
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon Kosher or coarse salt
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly (plus extra for the pan)
1 1/4 cups whole milk
1 cup cooked oatmeal*
1 tablespoon unsulphured (not blackstrap) molasses or 1 tablespoon honey
2 large eggs

Whisk the dry ingredients (oat flour, flour, sugar, baking powder and salt) together in a large bowl. In a smaller bowl, whisk the butter, milk, cooked oatmeal, honey and eggs together until thoroughly combined. Gently fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Using a light hand is important for tender pancakes; the batter should be slightly thick with a holey surface.

Heat a 10-inch cast-iron pan or griddle over medium heat until water sizzles when splashed onto the pan. Lower to medium-low. (This is my tip; I find pancakes impossible to cook well over higher heats. I’ve got more pancake tips over here.) Rub the pan generously with butter; Boyce says this is the key to crisp, buttery edges. Working quickly, dollop 1/4-cup mounds of batter onto the pan, 2 or 3 at a time. Once bubbles have begun to form on the top side of the pancake, flip the pancake and cook until the bottom is dark golden-brown, about 5 minutes total. Wipe the pan with a cloth before griddling the next pancake. Continue with the rest of the batter.

Serve the pancakes hot, straight from the skillet or keep them warm in a low oven. We also found these to reheat surprisingly well the next morning, again in a low oven.

* Make oatmeal, if you don’t have any leftover: Bring 2 cups of water, 1 cup of rolled oats and a pinch of salt to a boil and simmer on low for 5 minutes. Let cool. You’ll have some extra oatmeal, which you can eat while you’re cooking.

Slow Cooker Chicken Noodle Soup

1 store-bought rotisserie chicken carcass, or 1 1/2 cups already cooked chicken meat
6 cups water
1 or 2 sweet potatoes, peeled and chunked
2 teaspoons chicken bouillon granules (check for gluten, this was clearly labeled gluten free)
1 cup broccoli florets
1 small onion, diced
1 tablespoon, plus 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
kosher salt to taste (probably a good 1 teaspoon, since the base is water)
50-cent piece size, or so, handful of raw spaghetti noodles to add at the end (I used Trader Joe's brown rice)
1 large handful raw spinach leaves to add at the end
Parmesan and Asiago cheese, optional garnish

The Directions.

If you're going to use a chicken carcass, cook it on low overnight in the water. In the morning, unplug the crock and let it cool before digging in with CLEAN hands to pick out the bones. Strain through a colander (retaining liquid!) if desired.
Or, start with a slow cooker with 6 cups of water, and add chicken. Add all vegetables except for the spinach leaves. Stir in the bouillon and vinegar. Salt to taste. Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours, or until sweet potatoes are tender and the onion is translucent. (I forgot about starting it until 2, and so I turned it to high for about 3 hours and it was just fine)

15 minutes before serving, put in raw spaghetti noodles and a large handful of spinach. Cover and flip to high.

Garnish with parmesan and asiago cheeses, if desired.

Quinoa with Black Beans and Corn

photo from whatsonmymenu.blogspot.com

Ingredients:
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
• 3/4 cup uncooked quinoa
• 1 1/2 cups broth*
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 cup frozen corn kernels
• 2 (15 ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

*I like the flavor of chicken broth, but if you want to make this meal vegetarian, use vegetable broth or water.

Directions:
1. Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the onion and garlic, and saute until lightly browned.
2. Mix quinoa into the saucepan and cover with broth. Season with cumin, cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes,
3. Stir frozen corn into the saucepan, and continue to simmer about 5 minutes until heated through. Mix in the black beans and cilantro.
4. Use this the way you would use any taco filling: in taco shells, tortillas, or on salad topped with lettuce, tomato, avocado, cheese, and sour cream.

Chocolate Ice Cream with Orange Marmalade

Oh. My. If I am remembered centuries from now, it will be because of this idea. SO good.

Pizza- even better

This dough is also from smittenkitchen. I finally buckled and bought some cooking wine to try this recipe, and boy am I glad I did. Last night's pizza was the best I've eaten in a long time, and although I did have some great toppings (like Trader Joe's quattro formigia shredded cheese, fresh mozzerella, and basil I grew myself), I really think the crust was the deciding factor. The first measurements are for "one small thin crust." I quadrupled it to make 3 large (12 inch?) pizzas which fed 6 adults, 4 toddler/preschoolers, and a baby. Adjust as you will.

6 Tbsp warm water
3/4 tsp active dry yeast
1/2 tsp honey
2 Tbsp white wine
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 C all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt

1.5 C warm water
1 Tbsp yeast
2 tsp honey
½ C white wine
¼ C olive oil
6 C all-purpose flour
4 tsp salt

Directions:
1. Dissolve yeast and honey in warm (100*) water. Let sit till frothy.
2. Measure out flour into large bowl and stir in salt. (I substituted one cup of white whole wheat flour in mine to no ill effect)
3. Add wine and olive oil to water. Add liquids to flour.
4. Use a spatula to stir it all up until it's clumpy, then use your hands to mash it all into a ball, making sure to incorporate all the floury bits.
5. Knead on a lightly floured counter/pizza peel until smooth and mostly uniform in consistency. (This shouldn't take long)
6. Oil the bowl your dough was in, roll the dough in it, and cover with plastic wrap.
7. Let rise until doubled, 1-2 hours.
8. Lightly press the air out of the dough and let it sit for 15 minutes or so while you prep your ingredients. Preheat your oven to 500* with the pizza stone inside it.
9. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface/pizza peel. Fold one side over and sprinkle the surface with cornmeal, then do the other side.
10. Add your toppings, and bake 10 minutes or until everything's browned and bubbly.

Here are some of my favorite topping combos:

For a traditional, tomato sauce pizza, I like to herb my crust. First, I lightly rub it with olive oil. Then I sprinkle on garlic powder, oregano, thyme, and sometimes rosemary. Then, I just use jarred spaghetti sauce and sprinkle some parmesan cheese on top of that rather than making or buying special pizza sauce.

Tomato sauce pizzas:

Fresh mozzarella, fresh basil, tomato slices, and bacon.

Fresh mozzarella, shredded sharp cheddar, bell peppers, red onions, olives, and pepperoni.

1/2 red sauce, half pesto, mozzarella, and italian meats.

White pizzas:

Alfredo, chicken, brocolli, or zucchini

olive oil, goat cheese, pear, caramelized onion. once you cook that, add fresh arugula, and candied pecans.

equal parts ricotta and sour cream, seasoned with salt and pepper, topped with bacon and caramelized onions

Other pizzas:

sour cream and salsa, topped with sharp cheddar cheese, grilled chicken, red onion, and grilled corn. once you cook that, add fresh cilantro and avocado slices

peanut satay sauce topped with mozzarella, grilled chicken, carrots, and onion. top with fresh cilantro.