How to make pizza dough from scratch

This recipe is a 2 day process. The first thing you're going to make is the sponge for the dough and then the dough itself. You can use this dough recipe to make pizzas [duh, lol], strombolis, and you can use it for the Broccoli and Ricotta Calzone recipe. Let's get started.

Day 1:
[Sponge]

• 1 c lukewarm water
• 1/4 oz active dry yeast
• 1 c all-purpose flour

Put water in mixer bowl, sprinkle half of the yeast [reserve the rest for the dough] and 1/4 tsp flour over water. Let stand until yeast dissolved and look spongy, about 4 minutes.

1. Add remaining flour, whisk until smooth, scrape down bowl. Cover with a plastic wrap. Rest at room temperature overnight, about 12 hours.

Day 2:

[Dough]

• 1 1/2 c lukewarm water
• 2 tsp ground sea salt
• reserved yeast 
• 6 c all-purpose flour

1. Add water, salt, reserved yeast, flour [1 cup at a time], in mixer, beating with a dough hook to blend [If you don't have a mixer with a dough hook, a food processor should work].
2. Beat until the dough is smooth and comes cleanly away from the bowl, about 15 minutes. If dough is too sticky, beat in more flour [about 1/4 cup] at a time. Scrape onto a floured surface. Knead into a smooth ball.
3. Brush inside large bowl with oil. Add dough ball, turning over to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and chill [1 hour]. Remove plastic and punch down the dough.
4. Cut into 8 equal pieces. Knead into smooth balls. Arrange 4 balls on flour dusted table, cover loosely with kitchen towel, let rise until almost doubled [1 hour].
5. Preheat oven to 500F. Work 1 ball at a time. Dust dough with flour as you stretch it. Shape dough ball into 5 inch round, then gently stretch and roll it out into a 9 inch round.
6. Sprinkle large baking sheet with cornmeal. Put dough on top, brush lightly with oil. Top as desired and slide into oven.
7. Bake until crush is crisp brown and check underside [about 14 minutes].

Broccoli and Ricotta Calzone

You can serve these calzones with a side of marinara sauce..Yum yum. This recipe serves 4.

Ingredients

• 1/2 lbs broccoli florets, blanched and shocked
• 20 oz pizza dough [4 balls - 5 oz each]
• 8 1/8 oz ricotta cheese
• 3/4 oz parmesan cheese, shredded
• 1/16 tsp black pepper
• 1/16 tsp garlic powder
• 1/16 oz whole egg
• 1/8 oz water
• 1/4 tbsp Italian herbs
• 1/4 qt marinara
• 1/16 lbs or 1 oz shredded parmesan for garnish

Directions

1. Flatten dough balls into rounds.
2. Blend cheese and spices together. Portion 2 oz [with a #16 scooper] of cheese mix onto one-half of flattened dough ball. Smooth filling slightly, leaving 1/2 inch border.
3. Distribute 1/2 c or 1 3/4 oz of broccoli over cheese. Brush edges of dough with water. Fold over filling, crimp edges to seal tightly.
4. Mix eggs and water. Brush over top of calzones. sprinkle with herbs. Bake at 350F for 18-25 minutes or until the therometer reads 185F.
5. Serve with 2 oz of warm marinara sauce topped on the calzones and garnished with parmesan cheese.

Mixed Greens Salad with Pears, Walnut, and Bleu Cheese

Ingredients

• 3/4 # or 12 oz mixed greens, washed and dried
• 3 oz port wine vinaigrette
• 9 oz pears, quartered
• 7/8 oz walnuts, whole and toasted
• 7/8 oz crumbled bleu cheese

Directions

1. Toss 2 oz lettuce with 1 tbsp vinaigrette and place on a chilled plate. Top with 1 1/2 oz pear, 1 tbsp of walnuts, and bleu cheese.

Baked Halibut, Rosemary Roasted Veggies, and Cheddar Cauliflower

I didn't include the recipe for the cheddar cauliflower because I felt that it would be very simple to make, but I'll probably post the recipe up later anyhow.

Baked Halibut: serves 2

Ingredients:

• 2 ea halibut steak [5-6 oz each]
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1/4c chopped celery leaves
• 1/4c finely chopped red onions
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a 9X13 inch dish tray with foil, allow enough extra on each end to fold and seal into a pouch. Place halibut in the foil.
2. Mix oil, juice, celery leave, onion, pepper, and salt in a small bowl, spoon evenly over the halibut. Seal the foil. Bake at 300°F in oven or heated grill for 15 minutes.

Rosemary Roasted Veggies  serves: 6

Ingredients:

• 1/2 each butternut squash, cubed
• 1 ea red bell pepper, seeded and diced
• 1/2 ea sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 1 1/2 ea yukon gold potatoes, cubed
• 1/2 ea red onion, quartered
• 1/2 tbsp chopped thyme
• 1 tbsp chopped rosemary
• 1/8 c olive oil
• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 475°F. 
2. In large bowl, mix squash, bell pepper, and both potatoes. Separate the onion quarters into pieces, then add to the mix.
3. In small bowl, mix thyme, rosemary, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper. Toss with veggies until well coated. Spread evenly on large roast pan.
4. Roast for 35-40 minutes, stir every 10 minutes or until veggies are cooked through and browned.

How to oblique a carrot

As you know, I'm a current culinary student [@ L'École Culinaire-Memphis]. This is my chef instructor, Chef Mullins, who demonstrates how to cut a carrot in oblique shapes. [Sorry for the ear piercing noise, a person from the next class was using the prep sink]!

Want to make a tasty syrup to compliment your ice cream?

 So, i was playing around in the kitchen the other day and I decided to create something so simple, and easy, but tasty. So, I decided to make a pictorial recipe and show you my outcome. Be mindful that you can try this with ANY thing. You can use soda, flavored tea [tea? I've tried it and its quite good]. So, this is what i did:

1. I used about 1/4 cup of sugar

2. I used about 1/2 cup of Cherry Dr. Pepper [ I couldn't find the can, lol, so I took a pic of my hub's Pepsi can instead]. Now after you have the two mixed in a saucepan, bring to a boil and then simmer. You don't want to let the sugar burn, so you'll have to keep a close eye on it. Let the mixture reduced. It'll start thickening up and you can do a nappe to check for your desired consistency.

3. Pick out your ice cream while the syrup is reducing.

4. This is the outcome of my syrup, which I named Cherry Dr. Pepper syrup

<<< Here's the syrup on ice cream. Its not really  sweet and it doesn't leave a funky aftertaste in your mouth. Try and let me know what you think!

Italian Wedding Soup

Ingredients

[meatballs]

• 1/2 lbs extra lean ground beef
• 1/4 lbs ground veal
• 1/4 c bread crumbs
• 1/2 tbsp parsley, finely chopped
• 1/2 tbsp oregano, finely chopped
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder

[soup]

• 1/2 oz olive oil
• 1 ea onion, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• 6 c chicken stock, low sodium
• 1 ea carrots, 1-inch julienne
• 1 tbsp oregano, chopped
•  1 1/2 c spinach, shredded
• 35 ea meatballs
• 1 c chicken, cooked and cubed
• 1/2 c acini di pepe pasta
• to taste salt and pepper
• 3/4 c grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

[meatballs]

1. Preheat oven at 350 F. Mix all the ingredients. Shape into 1 inch balls and put on baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes are 'til reads 160F, turning once. Remove and put on a towel to drain. Makes about 35.

[soup]

1. Heat oil in stockpot over medium-heat. Add onion and garlic. Saute 'til translucent. Add chicken stock, carrot and oregano. Cook for 5 minutes. Add spinach, meatballs, chicken, pasta, salt and pepper.
2. Cook until pasta is cooked and meatballs are heated through, about 10 minutes. Serve in a soup bowl topped with 2 tbsp of Parmesan.