Grilled Pizza

Dough: 

You’ll need pizza dough. You could also buy dough. Many grocery stores and bakeries sell fresh, raw pizza dough. I’ve never grilled the kind in the tube, but even that would probably work if you’re in a pinch. I use this recipeand it makes 2 medium/large pizzas or 4-6 smaller personal pizzas.

I use it for everything–pocket sandwiches (like Hot Pockets, only not gross), breakfast pocket sandwiches, pizza crust, pizza pockets, whatever. 

Breadsticks

1 1/2 c. warm (105-115 degrees) water
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. yeast
1/2 tsp. salt
3-4 1/2 c. flour

In a large bowl (the bowl of your mixer, if you have one), combine water, sugar, and yeast. Let stand for 10 minutes or until yeast is bubbly.

Add salt and stir. Add 1 1/2 c. flour and mix well. Gradually add more flour (usually between 3-4 cups, depending on your elevation and your humidity) until dough starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl and it barely sticks to your finger.

Spray a glass or metal bowl with cooking spray and place dough in the bowl.
Cover and allow to rise for 45 minutes or until doubled in bulk.

Remove from bowl and place on a lightly-floured surface. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray. Roll into a rectangle and cut into 12 strips with a pizza cutter.

Roll out each piece of dough into a snake and then drape over your forefinger and twist the dough. Place on baking sheet and repeat with remaining 11 pieces of dough. Try to space them evenly, but it’s okay if they’re close; pulling apart hot bread is one of life’s greatest pleasures!

Cover pan and allow dough to rise for another 30 minutes. Look how fat and happy they are…

When there’s about 15 minutes to go, preheat your oven to 425. When done rising, bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Rub some butter on top of the breadsticks (just put a ziploc bag on your hand, grab some softened butter, and have at it) and sprinkle with garlic bread seasoning or the powdery Parmesan cheese in a can and garlic salt.

Or you could sprinkle them with cinnamon sugar.

Toppings:I suggest going a little lighter than normal on the toppings for a few reasons. 1. It will keep the pizzas easy to work with and easy to move around, etc. 2. The toppings will cook faster and be sure to be done if they’re not piled on heavy. 3. Probably the biggest reason- the grill adds so much flavor and texture that you don’t want (or need) to overpower it. Grilled pizza works great sauce-less, or try it with marinara, bbq, or garlic alfredo.

First you need to preheat your grill. The rack needs to be nice and hot so the dough will start cooking immediately and the overall temperature needs to be hot in order to act like an oven when the lid is closed. I set my gas grill to medium-high heat, and leave the lid shut.

Next, get all of your toppings ready. You have to move very quickly while on the grill so everything needs to be prepared and easy to grab. I usually set up a platter with everything I need and keep it next to the grill.

You’ll need:
1. Your toppings (cut, sliced, shredded, etc.) including sauce.
2. Some olive oil and a brush to brush it on.
3. A spoon to spread on sauce
4. A large spatula to flip the pizza

When your dough is ready, roll it out with a rolling pin, or even just use your hands to press and stretch it. Now listen.  You don’t need to make round pizza. I did for these pictures, but normally, I actually make them more rectangular because I have a giant rectangular shaped spatula to flip them with. The irregular shaped dough is part of the rustic beauty of grilled pizza. No rules! Don’t you feel daring??

Size: I find it easiest to make several small pizzas, especially if you’re trying this for the first time. If you want to go big, don’t go much larger than 2 pizzas per this recipe. That’s about a 9-10″ max. I like to do 4 small pizzas. You get a good 6-8″ pizza that will easily feed one very hungry adult or a couple of hungry kids. Another benefit of doing several smaller pizzas is that you can try out a bunch of different topping combos. Kids love having their own!

Once your dough is flattened out, drizzle a little olive oil on one side and brush it around

Now comes the fun part. Toss that puppy (oil side down) straight on the grill and then shut the lid immediately.

You’ll want the heat to stay inside so it acts like an oven and cooks the dough. The timing all depends on the heat of the grill and the thickness of the dough. But it usually only takes about 5 minutes or less. Have a spatula handy to lift up the dough and check it. You’ll want to see nice brown grill marks, but avoid burning it. If you can tell that your dough is cooking too fast and too hot, you may want to use indirect heat. For a gas grill with multiple burners, turn off the burner directly under the pizza, but leave the others on. For a charcoal grill, move the charcoal to one side of the grill and place the pizza on the other side.

Look at this picture:


Can you see the difference? If you look closely (you can click on it to enlarge) you’ll see that the top pic is all doughy on top and the bottom one is puffed and you can tell it’s dry to the touch. That’s a good sign it’s ready to flip. Check the bottom for nice grill marks. Right before you flip it, brush a little olive oil on the uncooked side.

As soon as you flip it grab that tray with your toppings and put them on the cooked side right away. Shut the lid again and leave it shut. The second side cooks pretty fast. If the bottom of your pizza is done, but the top still needs to cook, you can place it on an upper rack if you have one.

Take a peek at the bottom crust and as soon as it’s done and your cheese is all melty, grab a spatula and pull it off. I like to make a bunch of small pizzas and throw them all on cutting boards in the middle of the table and just let everyone cut into them.

You can make the dough as thick or as thin as you want. I did a couple of thinner crust ones in the picture below, and a thicker crust in the one above.

Indoor Pulled Pork with Sweet and Tangy Barbecue Sauce

Why this recipe works:

In recipes, the phrase “indoor barbecue” is usually code for “braised in a Dutch oven with bottled barbecue sauce.” Unfortunately, this results in mushy, waterlogged meat and candy-sweet sauce. We wanted moist, tender, shreddable meat with deep smoke flavor all the way through, plus a dark, richly seasoned crust, often referred to as bark.
Be it indoor or outdoor, with barbecue a good amount of fat is necessary for moisture and flavor, so we chose to use boneless Boston butt because of its high level of marbling. To mimic the moist heat of a covered grill, we came up with a dual cooking method: covering the pork for part of the oven time to speed up cooking and keep it moist, then uncovering it for the remainder of the time to help the meat develop a crust.

To achieve smoky flavor without an actual barbecue pit, we turned to liquid smoke, a natural product derived from condensing the moist smoke of smoldering wood chips. We found that adding it to our brine infused it with smoky flavor without tasting unnatural. For even more smokiness, we employed a dry rub and a wet rub, which we also fortified with smoky flavorings. To serve alongside our pork, we developed three sauces inspired by the variety of barbecue regions and styles: a classic sweet and tangy sauce, a vinegar sauce, and a mustard sauce, all of which we flavored with some of the pork’s defatted cooking liquid. (less)

In recipes, the phrase “indoor barbecue” is usually code for “braised in a Dutch oven with bottled barbecue sauce.” Unfortunately, this results in mushy, waterlogged meat and candy-sweet sauce....(more)

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Serves 6 to 8

Sweet paprika may be substituted for smoked paprika. Covering the pork with parchment and then foil prevents the acidic mustard from eating holes in the foil. Serve the pork on hamburger rolls with pickle chips and thinly sliced onion. Lexington Vinegar Barbecue Sauce or South Carolina Mustard Barbecue Sauce (see related recipes) can be substituted for the Sweet and Tangy Barbecue Sauce. Alternatively, use 2 cups of your favorite barbecue sauce thinned with ½ cup of the defatted pork cooking liquid in step 5. The shredded and sauced pork can be cooled, tightly covered, and refrigerated for up to 2 days. Reheat it gently before serving.

Ingredients

Pork

• 1 cup plus 2 teaspoons table salt
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
• 3 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons liquid smoke
• 1 boneless pork butt (about 5 pounds), cut in half horizontally (see step by step below)
• 1/4 cup yellow mustard
• 2 tablespoons ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons smoked paprika (see note)
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Sweet and Tangy Barbecue Sauce

• 1 1/2 cups ketchup
• 1/4 cup light or mild molasses
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon hot sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon table salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Instructions

• 1. FOR THE PORK: Dissolve 1 cup salt, 1/2 cup sugar, and 3 tablespoons liquid smoke in 4 quarts cold water in large container. Submerge pork in brine, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 2 hours.
• 2. While pork brines, combine mustard and remaining 2 teaspoons liquid smoke in small bowl; set aside. Combine black pepper, paprika, remaining 2 tablespoons sugar, remaining 2 teaspoons salt, and cayenne in second small bowl; set aside. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees.
• 3. Remove pork from brine and dry thoroughly with paper towels. Rub mustard mixture over entire surface of each piece of pork. Sprinkle entire surface of each piece with spice mixture. Place pork on wire rack set inside foil-lined rimmed baking sheet. Place piece of parchment paper over pork, then cover with sheet of aluminum foil, sealing edges to prevent moisture from escaping. Roast pork for 3 hours.
• 4. Remove pork from oven; remove and discard foil and parchment. Carefully pour off liquid in bottom of baking sheet into fat separator and reserve for sauce. Return pork to oven and cook, uncovered, until well browned, tender, and internal temperature registers 200 degrees on instant-read thermometer, about 1½ hours. Transfer pork to serving dish, tent loosely with foil, and let rest for 20 minutes.
• 5. FOR THE SAUCE: While pork rests, pour 1/2 cup of defatted cooking liquid from fat separator into medium bowl; whisk in sauce ingredients.
• 6. TO SERVE: Using 2 forks, shred pork into bite-sized pieces. Toss with 1 cup sauce and season with salt and pepper. Serve, passing remaining sauce separately.

Technique

• Cutting Pork Butt in Half

  
  Halving the pork increases its surface area, which creates more flavorful bark.
• Holding your knife parallel to the cutting board, press one hand flat against the top of the pork butt while cutting horizontally.

Technique

• Adding Smoke Flavor (Without a Fire)

  1. SOAK IN SMOKE
  Adding liquid smoke to brine draws smoky flavor deep into meat.
• 2. RUB WITH SMOKE
  Rubbing pork with more liquid smoke gives bark pronounced smoky flavor.
• 3. SPICE IT UP
  Adding smoked paprika to dry rub brings additional smokiness and helps bark

Fruit Salsa

1. Choose Your Fruit

I choose fruit based on it's color. I love having something in just about every color of the rainbow! So here's some options:

Kiwi, Mango, Strawberries, Pineapple and blackberries

Red: Strawberries are my standard because they hold up really well, they're usually inexpensive, and everyone loves strawberries. But watermelon, raspberries orpomegranate seeds would be fun too.

Orange: Mango is my top choice.......Peaches,nectarines, or orange segments would work.

Yellow: Pineapple! Fresh is best, but in a pinch open up a can. I guess nectarines and peaches can also be yellow.

Green: LOVE the bright color and great texture of Kiwi in fruit salsa. There's always honeydew too.

Blue/Purple: I go with price on this one. Blueberries or blackberries, whichever is cheaper!

I really love Kiwi, blackberry, and Mango together too. It looks gorgeous and the flavor combo is really great too.My berries were giant so I cut them in half, which I think make them look super cool. If you are using any type of berries, you'll want to stir them in at the last minute so they don't dye the whole salsa.


2. Choose Your Sweetener

Honey: I love the flavor of honey with fruit. I usually add a little no matter what.

Powdered Sugar: It dissolves fast and gives a light sweetness.

Brown Sugar: Takes longer to dissolve but adds an interesting flavor. Much deeper flavor than white sugar.

Granulated Sugar: What I use the most. It tastes good and makes a nice syrup with the fruit juices.

Agave Nectar: If you want to use an alternative sweetener, you could try Agave Nectar (very low on the glycemic index if that concerns you) or a natural herbal sweetener like Stevia.

3. Choose Your Extras
You don't want to do all of these together- pick and choose!

Lime Juice: I always add lime juice. Just a few big squeezes. The fruit will give off a lot of juice so you don't want to add too much additional liquid, but a few squeezes of tangy lime juice adds a great flavor and makes it nice and tropical tasting.

Cinnamon: A few dashes of cinnamon goes great with the cinnamon chips.

Mint: I love a little chopped fresh mint in my fruit salsa. It reminds me of cilantro in regular salsa and makes everything so fresh tasting. But beware, a little goes a long way and if you add too much it will really overpower the taste of your yummy fruit. 

Coconut: shredded coconut is especially yummy when you have tropical fruits like pineapple and mango in your salsa. Sprinkle some on top or stir it in, but either way do it just before serving or it will get all soggy.

Toasted Coconut: If you're taking this to a party, then add some toasted coconut on top for great presentation. People will go wild over it!

4. Eat it!
You'll want to chill the salsa first for maximum yumminess. Then serve with Baked Cinnamon Chips for dipping. Also fantastic over ice cream! Ooh, how about cinnamon chips AND ice cream. Now that's a party.

Baked Cinnamon Chips

Flour Tortillas (I like the little 6" ones)
Melted Butter
Cinnamon Sugar

Preheat oven to 350.

Lightly brush one side of each tortilla with melted butter. 
Then sprinkle on some cinnamon sugar. A little or a lot. 
Use a pizza cutter to cut those tortillas into wedges. Place them on an ungreased baking sheet (sugar side up, incase you are visually impared and can't tell by the picture) and bake them in the oven for about 10-12 minutes. You'll see them crisp up. Watch for the edges to turn up.  Remove from oven and let cool. I usually place them on a cooling rack so I can fill up the pan with more, but they can just cool on the pan as well.

When they're done they'll be light and crisp and oh so delicious. These are yummy, addicting little things. You can use them for all kinds of things- try making nachos by topping them with some vanilla ice cream and buttermilk caramel sauce or hot fudge. Or dip them in fruit dip or straight into whipped cream. Or just snack on them plain- they make a great after school snack. My toddler loves making these with me. Even sprinkled with sugar they're still more healthy than a fried tortilla chip and they taste like a yummy cookie!

Strawberry Yogurt Swirl Pops

1 lb strawberries, hulled

1⁄3 cup plus 1⁄4 cup sugar, preferably superfine

2 tsp lemon juice

2 cups vanilla yogurt

You’ll also need:

2 large plastic squeeze bottles,

10 pop molds (1⁄2-cup capacity)

PREPARATION

1. Place strawberries, 1⁄3 cup sugar and lemon juice in blender; purée 3 minutes. Pour into a large plastic squeeze bottle and screw on bottle top.

2. In a medium bowl, stir remaining 1⁄4 cup sugar into yogurt until sugar is dissolved. Pour into the second squeeze bottle and screw on bottle top.

3. Fill each pop mold with strawberry and yogurt mixtures, alternately squeezing or spooning the mixtures into each mold to create a swirled pattern. Place tops on molds; insert wooden sticks. Freeze at least 6 hours until solidly frozen.

4. Remove molds from freezer. Soften slightly at room temperature, about 5 minutes (or dip molds in warm water a few seconds). Remove pops from molds. Serve immediately, or wrap pops separately in plastic wrap, then store in freezer bag or container.

Tip: Large squeeze bottles (2-cup capacity) are available in crafts stores and baking supply stores, sometimes labeled for candy-making. To easily unmold the pops, use a pair of pliers to grip the sticks and gently pull out pops.

Double cheese and bacon egg biscuits

 T

• 4 large eggs
• 2 Tablespoons milk
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 Cup crumbled feta cheese
• 1 can refrigerated biscuits, 10 count
• 6 strips cooked Smithfield bacon, crumbled
• 1/4 Cup shredded cheddar cheese

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place eggs into mixing bowl and add milk, salt and pepper. Whisk to combine then stir in feta cheese. Press each biscuit round into 10 regular size muffin cups that have been sprayed with cooking spray. Bake for 6 minutes, remove from oven and with the end of a wooden spoon press centers of dough to make room for egg mixture. Pour in egg mixture into each partially baked biscuit, top evenly with crumbled bacon and shredded cheese. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until eggs are set. Remove and enjoy. 10 individual servings

Scotcharoos

1 c Karo light syrup
1 c white sugar
1 1/2 c peanut butter
6 c Rice Krispies
1 (10-12 oz) Semi sweet chocolate chips
1 )10-12 oz) butterscotch chips

Cook syrup, sugar and PB in large pan until it starts to bubble.  Remove from heat and add Rice Krispies.  Pack down in a cookie sheet.  Melt together chocolate chips and butterscotch chips (melt in microwave for about 1 min, stir repeat) Spread over the top of rice krispies mix.  Cool. Cut in squares and serve.

Grape Pasta Salad

12-16 oz pasta- radiatore
2 c cooked chicken shredded
1 1/2 c red grapes cut in half
1/3 c chopped red onions

Dressing:
1/2 c Ranch Dressing
1/4 c honey
1 tsp. poppy seeds

Salsa

Cilantro- 1/2 bunch chopped
4 peppers- yellow & dark green
chives- 1/2 stock- green part
Stewed tomatoes big can- with basil....

Put in food processor

s&p before tomatoes, cumin, chili powder, garlic salt, whole lime juice.

Lion House Pumpkin Cake Roll

3 eggs
1 c sugar
2/3 c canned or cooked pumpkin
1 tsp lemon juice
3/4 c flour
1 tsp baking powder
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp nutmeg or freshly ground
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 c. chopped nuts (optional)
powdered sugar

Filling:
2 3 oz pkgs cream cheese, softened
1/4 c soft margarine
1 c powdered sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 350F. Line a 10x15 inch jelly roll pan with wax paper and grease paper. Set aside. Beat eggs till lemon colored. Gradually add sugar. Stir in pumpkin and lemon juice. Sift flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and salt; add to egg-pumpkin mixture. Pour batter into pan; sprinkle with chopped nuts (if using.) Bake for 15 minutes. Sprinkle powdered sugar on kitchen towel. Turn cake onto towel, and remove wax paper. Roll up cake and towel lengthwise. Cool. Refrigerate or freeze.

Whip butter and cream cheese together. Beat in 1 cup powdered sugar. Add vanilla. Unroll cake and spread with filling. Roll up again. Wrap in plastic wrap until served.

Oriental Salad

Salad:

2 c cooked chicken, shredded
2 T toasted sliced almonds
1/2 head chopped cabbage or 1 bag cabbage salad
2 green onions, chopped
1 pkg ramen noodles- chicken flavor- cook 2 mins, rinse in cold water, save seasoning for dressing
2 T toasted sesame seeds

Combine everything, except seasoning packet

Dressing:

1 T sugar
1 tsp salt
1/3 c oil
3 T vinegar
1/4 tsp pepper

Mix well, pour over salad.  Sprinkle seasoning on top.  Toss & refrigeration overnight.

Mama Sylvis Potato Salad

Dressing:
1 T cornstarch
1/2 tsp dry mustard
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 c water
2 T vinegar
2 eggs slightly beaten
1 c mayo

Salad:
5 c cooked potatoes cut
5 hard cooked eggs- save 1
1/4 c shredded onions
1/4 c parsley (4 tsp dried)
1-1 1/2 tsp salt
1/4-1/2 tsp pepper
paprika on top

In a heavy saucepan combine; cornstarch, mustard, salt, water, vinegar & egg.  Cook and stir until bubbly remove from heat.  Cover with plastic and cool.  Stir ,mayo into mixture in a large bowl put in potatoes, eggs, onions and parsley, s& p.  Toss dressing gently and top egg and paprika on top.

Kristen's Chili

1 lb hamburger
1 can Nalleys chili
1 can stewed tomatoes
1 can black beans
corn
crushed pepper
salt
2 tsp chili powder
whole lime juice
1 tsp cumin
garlic

Put all in Crockpot, 30 mins before put in cornstarch with water to make a runny paste to thicken chili.

Raspberry & Pineapple Jello

1 large or 2 small pkg of raspberry Jello
1 can raspberry pie filling
1 can pineapple chunks or tidbits with juice
Cool-Whip
1 pkg cream cheese
1 c powdered sugar

Dissolve Jello in 2 c boiling water.  Add pie filling, pineapple and juice.  Mix well.  Let it set up.  Top with Cool whip, cream cheese and sugar mixed together.   Make in a 9x13 pan