perfect flip- no stickage and beautiful grill marks

Usually we grill pizza for a crowd but last week Mo VBar and I got to enjoy our two creations all to ourselves.  We’ve been trying to get alot of these JP Crow dinners in while we can because by the end of the month Mo will be moving to NYC to start a new crow outpost there.

We put on some tunes from brooklynradio.net, decided on our toppings and followed our standby pizza grilling technique outlined in a previous post.  Since we all have similar tastebuds it didn’t take us long to come to a decision:

Pizza #1: garlic oil, mozz, sliced tomatoes, and artichokes topped with a sprinkling of pecorino romano and freshly chopped basil.

Pizza #2: pesto, diced chicken sausage, caramelized onions, diced red pepper and a combination of mozz and goat cheese.  This was a play off a panini that the three of us enjoyed a couple months earlier that proved to be simple and satisfying.  We washed it all down with some Sauvingnon Blanc from one of my favorite wine producers, Root:1.

We were too busy that night to take any pictures of the finished product but here is a grilled pizza i made a couple days later with the leftover half a dough.  For toppings i used fire roasted tomatoes, sliced mushrooms, diced kalamata olives, fresh mozz, pecorino romano and chopped basil.

We’re all anxious to try new and excited pizza toppings and techniques so feel free to share some interesting combos with us!

Sausage, Roasted Red Pepper and Spinach Torta Rustica

Just like a fritatta this egg dish is very versatile.  The main ingredients are baguette, eggs and cheese so its up to the cook what other tasty veggies and meats they want to throw in.  Sausage would have been ideal but instead we went the vegetarian route with spinach, onions, garlic, green pepper, and tons of fresh orgegano.  I was too famished to waste time getting a decent picture, but our potatoes also came out delicious with a few minutes under the broiler at the end and some freshly chopped parsley.

This breakfast provided the starch and carbs we all needed to throw back some mimosas and move on to some whiskey gingers!

Here is a shout out to the two well behaved pups that entertained us all weekend.

Emma Bear & Moose

Although I always prefer fresh herbs I bump up my dried use in the winter months such as thyme, oregano and rosemary.  I tend to stay away from dried basil or parsley, they don’t have any aromatics so if a recipe calls for it just use the real thing.  If you have the option of buying in bulk it’s usually cheaper and you get to use your own spice jars, but if not a brand that always treats me well is simply organic.

I got this herb saver as a present from my brother and it works like a charm. The shelf life is amazing, fresh rosemary and thyme have lasted up to three weeks and the leafier herbs such as basil and sage will last around a week and a half.  The herb saver  alleviates the guilt I often faced from throwing away a pack of herbs before I got a chance to use them all, something that brings a tear to the eyes of all crows and foodies alike.

Adding Fresh herbs to tuna is a great way to jazz up a week day sandwich.  My favorite combo is freshly chopped celery leaves and basil, and of course a generous squeeze of lemon juice.  I’m sure there’s a multitude of herbs that would taste yummy in a tuna mixture- parsley, cilantro, etc.

White Bean Dip w/ Pita Chips
Created by Giada DeLaurentis,
Introduced to the Crows by Riane Welch

Sun Dried Tomato Spread w/ Ricotta Cheese
Courtesy of Riane’s Mom Cheryl, first tasted by the Crows on a party boat on Lake Mission Viejo

Ingredients:
1 C sun dried tomatoes in oil, 2 garlic cloves-minced, 1Tb capers, 2Tb Italian seasoning or fresh chopped herbs, 1tsp salt, 5Tb Olive oil, 2Tb red wine vinegar

Combine all ingredients in food processor until smooth- check for seasonings

Serving: Spread Ricotta Cheese then Sun Dried Tomato mixture onto cracker and enjoy!

Prosciutto Wrapped Pears and Arugula

Created by Rachel Ray (i know what you’re thinking but don’t judge until you try them!)
The only change I made to this recipe was by adding honey to the vinaigrette that I dressed the pears and arugula with.

My final contribution was created by myself, but trust me it’s incredibly simple: Crudites platter with Fresh Herb Veggie Dip
Fresh Herb Veggie Dip

Combine 3 parts greek yogurt, 1 part sour cream.  Add a splash of lemon juice, one grated garlic clove and a ton of freshly chopped herbs (I used chives, oregano, thyme, basil and parsley).  To thin the dip out and add texture and color I grated a half a zucchini into the mixture- seasoned with salt and pepper and its ready to go!

For the main bit I made Mo’s Sauce-y Vodka Sauce- although I had no heavy cream so I improvised with a  whole milk/cream cheese combo that did the trick less a few cream cheese lumpules. So good! I have never been able to master the thick/richness of a store bought sauce, but this one didn’t need it. It was especially good as leftovers the next day as the liquid had soaked into my al dente noodles.

I had no lettuce, but a good array of fresh salad veggies- plus an avacado to boot! Along came the inspiration for this delicious summer side salad that rounded the meal out perfectly.

Bright Summer Salad

1 cup blanced sugar snap peas

2 inches paper thin sliced English Cucumber

1 shaved carrot (done with the veggie peeler)

1 can cannellini beans rinsed, drained

1 small red gypsy pepper

paper thin sliced onion, to your liking

1 very large yellow heirloom tomato, cubed

Avacado- Cilantro Sauce

1 whole avacado

the top part of a cilantro bunch (about 1/4 cup)

1 clove garlic

juice from 1 lemon

Salt & Pepper

a few T Olive Oil

Milk- as needed

In a blender (or it fits perfectly in 1 of the cup shaped parts to the magic bullet) combine all the ingredients minus the milk. Blend until smooth. Open, taste for further seasoning. If you want a more watery sauce use milk to thin it out.  Toss with veggies and serve immediately.

Veggie Homefries
The ingredients vary depending on how many i am feeding and whats in my fridge but the staples are: unpeeled red or golden potatoes-medium diced, onions-diced, assorted colored peppers-diced, mushrooms-chopped, garlic-minced, red pepper flakes, olive oil, butter, salt, pepper, fresh thyme, oregano and parsley.
I also prefer to mix sweet potatoes with the regular but don’t always have them on hand

• Put diced potatoes in a pot of salted water and bring to a boil, drain once potatoes are al dente (they will continue cooking in the pan, if overcooked it will turn into hash-which is still yummy but not always desired)
• Heat butter and olive oil in a saute pan and add drained potatoes, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes. Saute on medium high until they start to get brown
• Once potatoes start forming an outer crust add onions, after another five minutes add peppers, mushrooms, garlic, thyme and oregano
• When all has reached your desired crispiness, remove from heat and add fresh parsley
  

It is (sadly) the end of summer. But before the colder months officially set in there is one of my favorite foodie seasons- tomato season. Tomatoes are gorgeous right now- and the crows have been snacking on big, plump, brightly colored heirlooms sliced onto fresh bread.

I found this fabulous recipe: Quinoa with Roasted Zucchini, Feta & Oregano in a Healthy Eats email and decided to give it a whirl, but of course I needed to make some adaptations to the OG Recipe.

I substituted the quinoa for barley- I had it in the pantry and like I stated before I’m a Barley Monster. My Quiona Cousin Mo would have done differently but I’m sure it’s just as tasty with either grain. Second I added tons of fresh oregano and thyme rather than the dried- It’s summer and time to take advantage of fresh herbs growing in yards or on porches! Lastly, I added some sliced grape tomatoes to the salad to get some more summer flavors in there. This salad tastes even better when consumed at the beach.

I saw Barefoot Contessa make a yummy Lemon Fusilli Salad with Arugula so I found the recipe online, tweaked it a bit and ended up with a tasty Pasta Salad that I would be proud to present at my next Picnic.

Changes in Recipe:

• I didn’t have arugula so I just added extra broccoli
• Swapped the Fusilli for some Bow Ties
• Added the lemon juice at the end, I didn’t want the taste to get bitter while simmering on the stove but I still added the zest at the beginning
• Substituted half of the cream with vegetable stock to cut back on some of the richness, but I had to simmer it a little longer to get the right consistency
• NOTES: I know this recipe calls for the broccoli florets, but I happen to really enjoy the steam. If you peel off the outer tough ends, the inside is nice and tender. Also this recipe works great cut in half

Here is my finished product, it’s fine served warm or at room temperature. I would love to hear some other Pasta Salad recipes that you Crows are cooking up!