Foodchive for February, 2010

Snow Day Pizza

Written by on February 10th, 2010 · 440 views

What is better on a snow day then the smell of fresh cooked bread in your kitchen?  Try this recipe for a healthy, easy, white pizza with artichokes and tomatoes.   

Ingredients:

1 recipe of bread dough

3 Roma tomatoes

1 jar of marinated artichoke hearts

1 onion, optional

Garlic, Crushed Red Pepper & Olive Oil

Cheeses: Fresh Mozzarella & Parmesan.  Can also use a bag of Italian blend. 

First, roll out your bread dough into a circle and fold it inward to make a crust .  Take about a tablespoon of Olive oil and spread it across your pizza crust.  Next, sprinkle your crust with minced garlic and crushed red pepper.  Place sliced Roma tomatoes and artichokes, evenly distributed, across the pie shell.  You can also add slide onions, they are optional.  Take the fresh mozzarella and cut into small slices, scatter them across the pie shell.  Next, top with mozzarella and parmesan cheese.  Bake at 425 for approximately 15-20 minutes.  Cook less if you like a softer crust and longer if you like the crust crispy.  Cut into slices and serve!

Popularity: 11%

Chocolate Sugar Cookies for Valentine’s Day

Written by on February 9th, 2010 · 461 views

A perfect recipe to make for your love this Valentine’s Day. These cookies are pretty simple and you can decorate them however you see fit. Your special someone will thank you!

Chocolate Sugar Cookies:

2 3/4 cups all purpose flour

3/4 cup unsweetened Dutch processed cocoa powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

1 3/4 cups granulated white sugar

2 large eggs 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Royal Icing Using Egg Whites:

2 large egg whites 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice 3 cups (330 grams) confectioners (powdered or icing) sugar, sifted

In a large bowl whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, salt, and baking powder.

In the bowl of your electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the vanilla extract and beat until combined. Add the flour mixture and beat until you have a smooth dough.>

Divide the dough in half and wrap each half in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for about one hour or until firm enough to roll.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and place rack in the center of the oven. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Remove one half of the chilled dough from the refrigerator and, on a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to a thickness of 1/4 inch (1 cm). (Keep turning the dough as you roll, making sure the dough does not stick to the counter.) Cut out desired shapes using a lightly floured cookie cutter and transfer cookies to the prepared baking sheet. Place the baking sheets with the unbaked cookies in the refrigerator for 10 to 15 minutes to chill the dough which prevents the cookies from spreading and losing their shape while baking.

Note: If you are not going to frost the baked cookies, you may want to sprinkle the unbaked cookies with crystal or sparkling sugar.

Bake cookies for about 10 – 12 minutes (depending on size) or until they are firm around the edges. Remove from oven and let cookies cool on baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to finish cooling. Frost with royal icing, if desired. Be sure that the frosting on the cookies dries completely before storing. (This may take several hours.) Frosted cookies will keep several days in an airtight container. Store between layers of parchment paper or wax paper.

Makes about 36 – 4 inch (10 cm) cookies.

Popularity: 11%

Pull-Apart Bacon Bread

Written by on February 8th, 2010 · 367 views

Looking for a warm snack to feast on while watching the U.S. Snowboarding team during the Winter Olympics?

US Olympics Recipe

Follow this simple steps:

1. Take a fresh or frozen dough and roll it out flat.

2. Cut the dough into 1 inch by 1 inch squares and coat with olive oil on each side and place in a large bowl.

3. Add 1 cup of cheddar cheese and one packet of hidden valley ranch dressing mix.

4. Add 12 strips of crushed up cooked bacon.

5. Mix together so the bread is evenly coated with all ingredients and form into a ball/mound on a baking tray.

6. Bake @ 350 degree for 15 minutes, take out and cover with foil then return to oven for another 10-15 minutes, until the cheese is bubbling and bread is a nice golden brown.

Popularity: 9%

Healthy Snacks!

Written by on February 2nd, 2010 · 325 views

For an easy snack idea, check out the video below! Great for those with high cholesterol, blood pressure, at risk of stroke, heart attack or IBS.

Comment and tell us what your favorite fried food is!

Popularity: 19%