Posts tagged cooking

Spinach & Mushroom Pizza (Vegetarian Special)

http://www.2brokecooks.com/?p=5039

Spinach & Mushroom Pizza (Vegetarian Special)

As we our quest for some more vegetarian-friendly recipes (as requested by Vildana – don’t worry we’re figuring out that delicious dish), we decided to revisit one of our favorites.  Pizza!  But not just a cheese pizza – well if you’re not *cough* Fatima *cough* – but mushroom and spinach pizza.  Fatima dislikes mushrooms, so the spinach and mushroom pizza was all for me.

Ingredients:

• Pizza dough (Homemade or store-bought)
• 1 small box of frozen chopped spinach
• Goat Cheese – garden herb flavored
• 1-2 cups of Mozzarella Cheese (per pizza)
• Mushrooms
• Truffle oil (optional – bougie $$$)

For Cheese Pizza (Additional Items):

• Pasta sauce
• Cilantro

Directions:

1. Take care of the dough (read directions for homemade or on the store bag)
2. Preheat oven to 450 degrees (F)
3. Prepare toppings (defrost spinach, chop up mushrooms, chop cilantro)
4. Roll out the dough.  Use flour to stiffen it up and to keep it from getting really sticky
5. Slap dough on the oven rack and cook for about 10 minutes or until the dough starts to turn golden brown
6. For mushroom pizza – spread goat cheese out on the cooked dough…For cheese pizza – spread out some pasta sauce
7. Add a layer of mozzarella cheese
8. Add the rest of the toppings (except truffle oil), spreading around the pizza to mix and even out
9. For mushroom pizza – drizzle some truffle oil on the top (this is an ingredient that you do not want to over do)
10. Place back in the oven for another 15-20 minutes at 350 degrees (F)
11. Take out, let cool off for a 5 minutes, cut, serve, eat, enjoy!

If you can, I would definitely try to get some truffle oil.  The first time we made pizza, about 8 months ago, my parents funded our groceries, so we got away without having to pay for the truffle oil – It’s expensive, but well worth it!

The goat cheese really gave it a different flavor.  If you’re a fan of goat cheese, I recommend trying it out on pizza.  It has a very distinctive taste, but the flavored herbs in the cheese bring out a unique experience and really help to elevate the richness of this simple pizza.

Anyone know how to make dessert pizza?

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Truffles [Take 2]

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Truffles [Take 2]

Tuesday night, I may have screwed up a damn good recipe for Pumpkin Cream Cheese Truffles, and became very angry with the dessert gods.  I needed to cool off and try at it again.  I redeemed myself last night by hashing out the recipe once more by switching some things up, and yes, reading the directions a but more carefully

Again, the same quote applies.  We’re called 2 Broke Cooks, not 2 Bougie Cooks…

I do not have a double boiler to melt chocolate.  A work around – actual chocolate!  I dislike white chocolate to begin with, and it burns so easily.  Semi-sweet milk chocolate melts so fast and tastes soooooo good.  Chocolate + pumpkin = perfection.

Ingredients:

• 2 ½ cups white semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1/4 cup canned pumpkin purée
• 1/4 cup graham cracker crumbs, plus more for garnish
• 1 tablespoon confectioners’ sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• A few dashes of pumpkin spice
• Pinch of fine salt
• 2 ounces cream cheese, softened

Directions:

1. Melt the 1/2 cup of white milk chocolate chips. Stir often to keep the chocolate from burning. Transfer to a large bowl.
2. Add pumpkin, graham cracker crumbs, sugar, cinnamon, salt and cream cheese and beat with an electric mixer until smooth. Transfer to a shallow bowl, cover and chill until just solid enough to roll into balls, about 2 hours – I never did this – bad idea –  be sure to do this I did this and highly recommend following this instruction.
3. Line a large sheet tray with parchment paper. Melt remaining 2 cups white milk chocolate and transfer to a small, deep bowl.
4. Roll 1 heaping teaspoon of the pumpkin mixture into a ball in your hands, then drop into the chocolate. Working quickly, and place on the cookie sheet and gently spoon chocolate over to coat. Using a small spoon or fork, lift the truffle out of the chocolate, shake off excess and transfer to prepared sheet tray. Dollop a bit of extra chocolate on any parts that remain exposed, then sprinkle a few graham cracker crumbs over the top.
5. Repeat process with remaining pumpkin mixture and chocolate, then chill truffles until chocolate is completely set, about 1 hour.

I scooped out additional pumpkin balls from the white chocolate nightmare of a cage and coated them with the milk chocolate.  One batch makes about 10 good-sized truffles.  If you decide to make these, let me know how they turn out!

They are delicious!  Do you see the green blanket?  That’s Fatima in a snuggie.  Notice what’s on the TV in the background?  That’s Victoria Grayson’s face.  Yes, we’re doing a re-watch binge marathon before Revenge turns on Sunday!

Spicy Start to Summer

Today was hot…rather, IS STILL HOT!  A great day to try a spicy dish…I made a cajun-spiced chicken stuffed with spinach and pepper jack cheese…yum!

Ingredients:

• Skinless chicken breasts (Took 3 breasts and cut them in half)
• Half a block of Pepper Jack Cheese
• 1 box of frozen, chopped spinach
• Vegetable oil
• 2 tbsp Cajun seasoning
• 1 tbsp breadcrumbs or oatmeal (Used oatmeal)
• Sea salt or pink sea salt to taste
• Pepper

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Cut and flatten the chicken to 1/4-inch thickness.

• In a medium bowl, combine the pepper jack cheese, spinach, salt and pepper.

• Combine the Cajun seasoning and breadcrumbs together in a small bowl. 
• Spoon about 1/4 c of the spinach mixture onto each chicken breast. Roll each chicken breast tightly and fasten with toothpicks.

• Brush each chicken breast with the vegetable oil. Sprinkle the Cajun seasoning mixture evenly over all. Sprinkle any remaining spinach and cheese on top of chicken (optional).

• Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through.
• Sides: Shrimp and Snap Peas…

Looking good…

Accompanied by some MarquisRitas…cheers!

Creamy Shrimp & Dessert

Last night’s dinner was amazing!  I take no credit except for dessert, the main course was all Fatima.

The dish: Shrimp sautéed a garlic cream sauce, resting on a bed of jasmin rice…

…accompanied by steamed string beans…

…and a slice of warmed, buttery corn bread…

…and a glass of white wine (shout out to Dara - check out her beauty blog) to wash it all down…

To top the night, I caramelized granny smith apples, and placed them on top of creamy vanilla bean ice cream.

I deem tonight was a success!

Hummingbird Cake

This weekend, I attempted to make a Hummingbird Cake…wait - what?!  Yes, a hummingbird cake, it’s a cake with hummingbird meat inside…

NO!  No hummingbird meat, I was kidding.

It has pineapple, bananas, walnuts, and lots of sugar!  I first had a taste of a hummingbird cake at work, during a birthday celebration.  It was from magnolia, and I fell in love.

Since then, I’ve wanted to try to make one.  So what better time to try, than this past weekend-mother’s day!  After making a fabulous breakfast under the sun and blue sky, I went back into the kitchen to try to make this cake before heading down to the shore for more festivities.

I only used the freshest ingredients.  The recipe called for canned pineapple, but I bought a pineapple and mashed it up myself, kind of how you make tuna.  On accident I put all the mashed bananas in before measuring, so the cake tasted more banana-eee than I would have liked, but nonetheless it tasted so good!

As for the frosting, very cream cheese-eee.  (I know I like the addition of the -eee, too).  I think I could have added a little more vanilla to counter the 8oz of cream cheese taste, but then again, with the extra banana, the cream cheese balanced out.

The cake has the texture of carrot cake, and the taste of banana bread, with a hint of pineapple, but even sweeter *cough* two cups of sugar *cough, cough*

It makes a great summer dessert-something I’ve been looking to fill my summer menu with.  I added strawberries on top, but I’m not sure if the tastes paired up.  The strawberries and the frosting (and banana flavor) worked, but the pineapple did not.  I could have done without, but they made a great presentation.  I think next time I’ll use walnuts to line the sides of the cake.  Here’s the recipe, enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups white sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups canola oil
• 3 eggs
• 1 (8 ounce) can crushed pineapple, drained, or one cup or mashed, fresh pineapple
• 2 cups mashed bananas
• 1 cup chopped walnuts
• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1 stick of butter, softened
• 1 pound confectioners’ sugar (2 or 2 1/2 cups…I guessed)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour 2 - 9 inch cake pans.
2. Mix the flour, sugar, baking soda and salt in one bowl. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, combine the oil, eggs, pineapple, bananas and nuts. Add flour mixture, and mix together by hand.
4. Pour batter into prepared pans and bake for about an 1 hour or until a toothpick comes out clean. Remove from oven and allow them to cool before removing them to the racks.
5. Prepare the frosting by blending together the cream cheese, butter, sugar and vanilla until smooth (whip it good, whip it reeeaaal good).
6. Evenly spread frosting on middle, sides and top of cake. - I found I had so much frosting left over even as I used a ton on the outer parts of the cake.  Don’t be afraid to use a lot on the inside!!!