White Whole Wheat Pizza Dough

Makes six, 12-inch pizza crusts.

From 101 Cookbooks.

4 ½ cups King Arthur White Whole Wheat Flour

1 ¾ teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon instant yeast

¼ cup olive oil

1 ¾ cups water, ice cold

Semolina flour or cornmeal for dusting

Stir together the flour, salt, and instant yeast in the bowl of an electric mixer. By hand stir in the oil and the cold water until the flour is all absorbed. Switch to the dough hook and mix on medium speed for 5 to 7 minutes, or as long as it takes to create a smooth, sticky dough. The dough should clear the sides of the bowl but stick to the bottom of the bowl. If needed, add a touch of water or flour to reach the desired effect. The finished dough will be springy, elastic, and sticky, not just tacky.

Transfer the dough to a floured countertop. Cut the dough into 6 equal pieces and mold each into a ball. Rub each ball with olive oil and slip into plastic sandwich bags. Refrigerator overnight. Dough can be left in fridge for up to 4 days.

When you are ready to make pizza, remove the desired number of dough balls from the refrigerator at least 1 hour before making the pizza. Keep them covered so they don't dry out.

At the same time place a baking stone on a rack in the lower third of the oven. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. If you do not have a baking stone, you can use the back of a sheet pan, but do not preheat the pan.

Uncover or unwrap the dough balls and dust them with flour. Working one at a time, gently roll out dough into a circle about 12-inches in diameter. If the dough is being fussy and keeps springing back, let it rest for 15-20 minutes. Dust the baking stone or back of a baking sheet with cornmeal or semolina flour. Place the rolled-out dough on the prepared sheet pan.

Add your toppings and slide the topped pizza onto the baking stone. Bake until the crust is crisp and nicely colored, about 15 minutes. Remove from the oven.

*Dough freezes nicely. Freeze after dividing up dough and putting in Ziploc bags. Thaw in refrigerator overnight. Then continue to form and cook as indicated above.  

Asparagus Tart with Walnuts and Parmesan

Serves 4-6.

From Not Without Salt.

1 bunch fresh asparagus

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 sheet puff pastry (½ of a 17-oz package)

¼ cup Mascarpone cheese

¼ cup heavy cream or half and half

1 large clove garlic, minced

½ cup walnuts, toasted and roughly chopped

Freshly shaved Parmesan

Salt and pepper to taste

Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment.

Roll the puff out slightly to form a rectangle about 8X12 inches. Transfer onto baking sheet and chill in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes while you prepare the remaining ingredients.

In a small bowl, combine the Mascarpone, cream, garlic, salt, and pepper.

Remove woody parts of asparagus by snapping off ends. Toss asparagus with olive oil.

Remove puff pastry from fridge and top with Mascarpone mixture, leaving about a 1-inch border around the entire tart.  Lay the asparagus single file, side-by-side, on top of the Mascarpone. Sprinkle with a fine sea salt and put in the oven. After about 15-20 minutes, check on the tart, rotate, and turn down the temperature to 350 degrees. Continue baking for another 15-25 minutes, until cooked through and golden brown on edges. Top with toasted walnuts and fresh shaved Parmesan. Serve warm or at room temperature.  

Caffe Niche's Quinoa Salad

1 cup quinoa, rinsed well

2 cups water

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 clove garlic, minced

½ cup roasted tomatoes, roughly chopped

2/3 cup caramelized onions, roughly chopped

2 cups very loosely packed arugula

2 Tablespoons lemon juice

1 Tablespoon sugar

Salt and pepper to taste

Add quinoa and water to a pot and bring to a boil over high heat. Lower temperate, cover, and simmer until water is absorbed and quinoa is tender, about 20 minutes. Uncover, fluff with a fork, and set aside.

Heat olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium to medium high heat. Once hot, add garlic, and cook for 1-2 minutes until tender. Add tomatoes and onions, and cook for about 3 minutes, until warmed through. Add in cooked quinoa, stir to incorporate, and cook for another 2 minutes. Add in arugula, and cook, stirring, until just wilted. Remove from heat. Season with lemon juice, sugar, salt and pepper. Serve warm. 

Perfect Cheesecake

Makes 1 large, 16 serving cheesecake.

From Dorrie Greenspan, Baking: From My Home to Yours.

Crust:

2 cups of Graham cracker crumbs

2 Tbsp sugar

Pinch salt

5 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted

Filling:

2 pounds cream cheese, room temperature

1 1/3 cup granulated sugar

Pinch of salt

2 teaspoons vanilla

4 large eggs

2/3 cup sour cream

2/3 cup heavy whipping cream

Sour Cream Topping:

1 cup sour cream

¼ cup powdered sugar

½  teaspoon vanilla

Special Equipment Needed:

9-inch, 2 3/4-inch high springform pan

Heavy-duty, 18-inch wide aluminum foil

A large, high-sided roasting pan

Crust:

Prepare the springform pan so that no water leaks into it while cooking. Place a large 18-inch by 18-inch square of aluminum foil on a flat surface. Place the springform pan in the middle of the foil. Gently fold up the sides of the foil around the pan. Make sure to do this gently so that you don't create any holes in the foil. If there are any holes, water could get into the pan and ruin the crust. Press the foil around the edges of the pan. Place a second large square of foil underneath the pan, and repeat, gently folding up the sides of the foil around the pan and pressing the foil against the pan. Gently crimp the top of the foil sheets around the top edge of the pan.

Preheat oven to 350°F, with rack in lower third of oven. Pulse the graham crackers in a food processor or blender until finely ground. Put in a large bowl, and stir in the sugar and salt. Stir in melted butter.

Put all but about 1/4 cup of the graham cracker crumbs in the bottom of the springform pan. (Save the remaining 1/4 cup for if you happen to have any holes that need to be filled in, either while you are making the crust, or after the cake has cooked and you've unmolded it.) Gently press down on the crumbs on the bottom and up the sides of the pan, using your fingers, until the crumbs are a nice even layer

Place in the oven for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool. Reduce the oven temperature to 325°F.

Filling:

Cut the cream cheese into chunks and place in the bowl of an electric mixer, with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed for 4 minutes until smooth, soft and creamy. Add the sugar, beat for 4 minutes more. Add the salt and vanilla, beating after each addition. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating for one minute after each addition. Add the sour cream, beat until incorporated. Add the heavy cream, beat until incorporated.

Place the foil-wrapped springform pan in a large, high-sided roasting pan. Prepare 2 quarts of boiling water. Pour the cream cheese filling into the springform pan, over the graham cracker bottom layer. Smooth the top with a rubber spatula. Place the roasting pan with the springform pan in it, in the oven, on the lower rack. Carefully pour the hot water into the roasting pan, to create a water bath for the cheesecake, pouring until the water reaches halfway up the side of the springform pan, about 1 1/4 inches. Cook at 325°F for 1 1/2 hours.

Turn off the heat of the oven. Crack open the oven door 1-inch, and let the cake cool in the oven, as the oven cools, for another hour.

Cover the top of the cheesecake with foil, so that it doesn't actually touch the cheesecake. Chill in the refrigerator for a minimum of 4 hours, or overnight.

Topping:

Place sour cream in a medium sized bowl, stir in the powdered sugar and vanilla, until smooth. Chill until you are ready to serve the cake.

 Remove the cake from the refrigerator. Remove the foil from the sides of the pan, and place the cake on your cake serving dish. Open the springform latch and gently open the pan and lift up the sides. Spread the top with the sour cream mixture.

Alicyn's Dinner Rolls

2 c. warm milk

2 c. warm water            

2/3 c. sugar                       

2/3 c. canola oil

2 T. salt                       

2 Tbsp yeast

8-10 cups flour

Salted butter

Heat milk and water together until 110 degrees F.

Mix wamed milk and water, sugar, oil and salt together.  Sprinkle yeast on top.  Stir and let rest 3 minutes.

Add flour one cup at a time mixing well after each cup.  Add enough flour until dough is only slightly sticky.  Let it rise about 1 hour until double in size.

Knead lightly.  Roll out onto a greased and floured counter.  Cut into 4” square.  Roll each square into an 8” rope and tie into a knot.  Place on greased cookie sheet, cover with plastic sprayed with cooking spray and let rise 30 – 45 minutes until almost doubled.  Bake at 365 degrees for 15-20 minutes until golden brown.  Brush with salted butter.

Tortellini, Tomato, and Spinach Soup

Serves 4.

Adapted from Kathleen Daelemans, Foodtv.com.

1 tablespoon olive oil

½ cup minced onion (about ½ small onion)

1 clove garlic, minced

6 cups chicken broth

1 (14 ounce) can whole tomatoes with juices, crushed through your fingers

1 (9 ounce) package fresh tortellini

Salt and fresh ground pepper

10 ounces fresh or frozen spinach, defrosted and chopped

¼ cup or more freshly grated Parmesan

In a large pot, heat olive oil over medium high heat. Saute the onion and garlic, stirring until the onions are translucent but not browned, about 5-7 minutes. Add broth and tomatoes, season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Add the tortellini and cook according to the time indicated of the package. When the tortellini is about done, add spinach. Adjust seasoning as needed. Once spinach is wilted and warm, serve. Garnish with a sprinkling of Parmesan.

*Also really good with Parmesan crisps as a garnish

Skillet Gnocchi with Spinach, Tomatoes, and White Beans

Serves 4-6.

3 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

1 16-ounce package gnocchi

½ medium yellow onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

½ cup chicken broth or water

4-5 cups spinach leaves

1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes, regular or Italian seasoned

1 15-ounce can white beans, drained and rinsed

Salt and pepper to taste

½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese

¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add gnocchi and cook, stirring often, until plumped up and golden brown, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and keep warm.

Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil and onion to the pan and cook, stirring, over medium heat for 2 minutes. Stir in garlic, cook for another minute. Stir in broth, cover, and cook until the onions are soft, about 5-10 minutes. Add tomatoes, beans, salt, and pepper. Bring to a simmer and let cook for another 10 minutes. Add spinach, and cook, stirring, until wilted, about 1-2 minutes. Stir in the gnocchi and sprinkle with cheeses. Cover and let cook a few more minutes until gnocchi is warm, cheese is melted, and sauce is bubbling. Serve warm.