Monthly Archives: September 2012

Deep Dish Pizza with Brussels Sprouts & Bacon

September 30, 2012 Posted by Lauren Keating under Breads, Fall, Indulge, Italian, One Pan, Quick Weeknight Meals, Shawn's Favorites
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I’ve been waiting for months to make this pizza.

There’s a restaurant around the corner from our house that serves a pizza topped with brussels sprouts, pancetta, and brie. I excitedly gave it a try over the summer but was pretty disappointed. It just wasn’t right – the flavors were too flowery, the crust was too delicate, and the brussels sprouts were too small. Plus, who eats brussels sprouts in August anyway?

I promised myself that as soon as the weather was a little more appropriate, I’d make my own version of the pizza at home. It was hard to wait, but I didn’t want to start eating all of my favorite all foods too early because I was afraid that I’d get burned out on them before the cool weather even started to set in. Finally, I decided that it was sufficiently Fall enough. This version is everything that I had hoped the restaurant’s would be: the dough is thick, chewy and charred; the meat is smokey; and the brussels sprouts are slightly caramelized and abundant.

I had originally planned to leave the pizza sauceless, but at the last second I grabbed a jar of apple butter. It was the right move. The subtle sweetness and warm spices of the apple butter were the perfect compliment to the more bitter sprouts. A pinch of crushed red pepper tied it all together.

I also tried a new technique that I had read about where the pizza starts to cook on the stovetop. It cuts down on the cooking time of a deep dish pizza, but also results in a super crispy bottom crust that I loved. A cast iron pan will give you the best char, but any oven safe pan will do. I don’t know if I’ll ever go back to a standard pizza stone or baking sheet again.

Enjoy with your favorite pumpkin or Octoberfest beer. Welcome, fall!

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Deep Dish Pizza with Brussels Sprouts & Bacon

Yields 6 slices
Prep Time: 5 minutes; Total Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

  • 4 slices Bacon
  • 1 (16 ounce) refrigerated Pizza Dough, at room temperature
  • 2 Tablespoons Apple Butter
  • 1/2 cup shredded Fontina
  • 1/2 cup shredded Part-Skim Mozzarella
  • 1 cup quartered Brussels Sprouts (about 10)
  • 1 teaspoon Balsamic Vinegar
  • Crushed Red Pepper Flakes

Preparation

  1. Heat oven to 500*F.
  2. In a 10-inch cast-iron skillet set over medium heat, cook bacon until crisp. Remove bacon from pan and crumble it. Set aside.
  3. Remove pan from heat and our out all but 1 teaspoon of bacon grease. Press dough into the skillet, spreading it to the edge. Spray with cooking oil, then spread with a thin layer of apple butter, leaving a 1-inch border. Top with cheeses. Toss brussels sprouts with vinegar; scatter over the cheeses. Top with bacon and season with red pepper flakes.
  4. Cook over medium heat until the bottom of the crust if crisp, about 5 minutes. Transfer to the oven and bake until the edges of the brussels sprouts begin to char and the dough is cooked through, about 10 minutes.
  5. Remove from oven and cut into 6 pieces.

Savory Oat Pilaf

September 26, 2012 Posted by Lauren Keating under Cooking For One, Fall, Grains, Light, One Pan, Quick Weeknight Meals, Risotto, Vegetarian or Vegan, Winter
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I was scrolling through my photo archives the other day and came across these photos of savory oat pilaf. I can’t believe I have’t posted about it yet!

I know savory oats may sound a little weird but trust me on this one, ok? Because this is some seriously good comfort food. And I promise they don’t taste like breakfast oats at all. I wasn’t sure myself how this experiment would turn out, but I’m completely hooked!

Just imagine it: nutty steel cut oats cooked in broth with sautéed onion, garlic, and shredded carrot, then seasoned with a pinch of cayenne pepper and some grated lemon peel. It has the perfect balance of earthy and bright flavors, a risotto-like texture, and all the health benefits of oats! Top it off with a fried egg – a slightly running yolk makes a great “sauce” for the pilaf – for what is my new go-to quick winter dinner.

Go check out my full RECIPE FOR SAVORY OAT PILAF on Live Better America.

Shawn’s Split Pea Soup

September 24, 2012 Posted by Lauren Keating under One Pan, Shawn's Favorites, Soups and Stews, Winter
1 Comment


I didn’t plan to post two soup recipes back-to-back, but that’s just the way things go sometimes. I always get so excited when it’s finally cool enough out to make soup!

Shawn must have been in a soup mood too, because he’s been bugging me to make pea soup for a few weeks already. I guess I took too long, because he took matters into his own hands and made it himself on his day off. (He pretends that he can’t cook, but he’s actually really good at it! He also makes awesome stroganoff.)

Anyway, he made this on Friday and when I came home from work the entire house smelled sooo good. We dug in, and found that it tasted every bit as good as it smelled. Honestly, it’s one of the best split pea soups that I’ve ever had – I just had to post it right away. Smoked ham hocks and pancetta give it a smokey, porky flavor and whole black peppercorns soften up as they cook and provide a little bit of spice. Use a combination of green and yellow peas, which hold their shape a little more, to give the thick soup texture.
We ate it with crusty bread and olive tapenade, and it was perfect. (It was also perfect for this week’s assignment in the photography class that I’m taking, which was to shoot something difficult! As delicious as it is, pea soup isn’t exactly going to win any awards in the beauty department.)
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Shawn’s Split Pea Soup

Serves 8
Prep Time: 5 minutes; Total Time: 6 hours

Ingredients

  • 8 cups unsalted Chicken Stock
  • 1 medium Onion, chopped
  • 1 1/2 cups matchstick cut Carrots
  • 1 1/2 cups chopped Celery (including green tops)
  • 3 Smoked Ham Hocks
  • 2 ounces Pancetta, diced
  • 1 cup Water
  • 12 ounces Green Split Peas
  • 12 ounces Yellow Spit Peas
  • 2 Tablespoons whole Black Peppercorns

Preparation

  1. Combine all ingredients in a slow cooker. Cook on high for 6 hours.
  2. Remove and discard ham hocks before serving.
Approx. 370 calores, 12 grams fat, 33 grams carbohydrates, 12.5 grams fiber, 34 grams protein, 9 Points+

Carrot & Red Lentil Soup

September 16, 2012 Posted by Lauren Keating under Fall, Fish and Seafood, Light, Quick Weeknight Meals, Soups and Stews, Winter
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I’ve had an old pickle jar full of red lentils sitting on top of my fridge and doing nothing other than looking pretty for far too long. (Don’t judge – those barrel-shaped jars are great for storing things like lentils and dry beans. Yay recycling!)

I’ve also wanted to make carrot soup for, oh, about two years. Shawn wan’t thrilled with the idea though, so I never got around to it.

Now that the says are a tad cooler, it seemed like the perfect time to bring the two ideas together. I made a big pot of this soup one Sunday and ate it for lunch all week. Shawn didn’t want any part of it – too bad, because he doesn’t know what he was missing out on.

This soup is perfect for nippy fall days, and it makes me look forward to pulling on wool socks and curling up with a book in front of the fireplace.  It’s rich, warm, and incredibly comforting but won’t leave you feeling weighed down.

Leeks and carrots give this soup a subtle sweetness and red lentils, which cook down to a very thick paste, thicken the soup and give it an earthy, nutty flavor. With base ingredients like these, it’s so easy to immediately reach for the curry powder or cumin. I didn’t want to do that, and did everything I could think of to avoid reaching for those jars. Instead, I used lots of freshly grated ginger and lime juice to keep the flavor bright. Coconut milk ties everything together and makes the final soup rich and luxurious. Top it off with a few spice encrusted shrimp for a real treat or just eat the soup plain – either way, it’s delicious.

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Carrot & Red Lentil Soup with Spice Encrusted Shrimp

Serves 4

Prep Time: 10 minutes; Total Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients

For the soup: 

  • 2 teaspoons Olive Oil
  • 1 Onion,  thinly sliced
  • 1 Leek, white and light green parts only, sliced
  • 2 Garlic Cloves, minced
  • 1 tablespoon Freshly Grated Ginger
  • 1 tablespoon Tomato Paste
  • 5 Carrots, peeled and sliced
  • 1 cup Red Lentils, rinsed
  • 6 cups Water
  • 1 Bay Leaf
  • 1 Lime, juiced
  • 1/2 cup Light Coconut Milk 

For the Shrimp:

  • 8 Large Shrimp (about 1/2 pound)
  • 1 teaspoon Olive Oil
  • 1 tablespoon Water
  • 1/2 teaspoon Coriander
  • 1/4 teaspoon Ground Ginger
  • 1/4 teaspoon Paprika
  • Pinch Cayenne (optional)
  • Fresh Cilantro, for serving

Preparation

  1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan set over medium heat. Add the onion, leek, garlic, and ginger and cook 4-5 minutes to soften the onion. Stir int the tomato paste and cook 1 minute. Add the carrots, lentils, water, and bay leaf. Cover and simmer 30 minutes, or until lentils are soft. Discard bay leaf and stir in lime juice.
  2. While the soup simmers, prepare the shrimp: combine the olive oil, water, coriander, ginger, paprika, and cayenne to for a thick paste (thin with additional water if necessary). Coast the shrimp with the spice paste. Spray a grill pan with cooking spray and set over high heat. When the pan is very hot, add the shrimp. Cook 2 minutes on each side, or until cooked through. Remove from heat.
  3. Transfer the soup to a blender or food processor; puree until smooth. Return to pot an stir in coconut milk.  Divide soup between four bowls. Top with shrimp and cilantro. Id desired, drizzle additional coconut milk on top.

Approx. 350 calories, 12 grams fat, 46 grams carbohydrates, 19 grams fiber, 17 grams protein. 8 Points+.

Wilted Spinach Salad with Chevre & Pecans

September 13, 2012 Posted by Lauren Keating under Cooking For One, Light, Quick Weeknight Meals, Salads, Sides
6 Comments

wilted spinach salad with goat cheese and pecans

I’m not typically a fan of spinach salads, but this one is different – and I’m obsessed! To make it, you sautée onions and the throw the spinach into the hot pan. The heat from the pan gently wilts the spinach just enough to soften it up a little and take some of the bitter edge off it. Then it all gets tossed with toasted pecans and crumbled goat cheese. The contrast between the sweet onions, crunchy pecans, and creamy goat cheese (which melts a little from the residual heat) is amazing!

The cheese and nuts also make the salad substantial enough that it can hold it’s own as a side dish – I’ve actually started planning meals around it – and it’s become my go-to item to accompany richer entree like the burgers I posted the other day. Last night, we ate it with grilled strip steak that I topped with a sprinkle of porcini sea salt. The dinner was absolutely delicious, and we didn’t miss not having a starch at all.

And to top it all off? It only take about 5 minutes to make.

spinach salad

wilted spinach salad

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Wilted Spinach Salad with Goat Cheese & Pecans

Serves 2

Prep Time: 5 minutes; Total Time: 5 minutes

Ingredients

    • 2 teaspoons Olive Oil
    • 1 Onion,  thinly sliced
    • 1 pinch Salt
    • 1 bag (5 ounces) Baby Spinach
    • 2 tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar
    • 1/2 ounce Pecans
    • 2 ounces Goat Cheese (Chevre), crumbled
    • Cracked Black Pepper

Preparation

  1. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and a pinch of salt and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until softened.  Add the spinach and cook, tossing, for one minute or until slightly wilted. Transfer to a serving bowl and drizzle with balsamic.
  2. Add the pecans to the pan and set over high heat. Toast for one minute. Chop. Add nuts and cheese to the salad and toss to combine. Season with freshly cracked black pepper.

Approx. 212 calories, 15 grams fat, 10 grams carbohydrates, 3 grams fiber, 8 grams protein. 6 Points+.

Juicy Bison Burgers with Mushrooms & Onions

September 11, 2012 Posted by Lauren Keating under Beef, Lamb, and Pork, Quick Weeknight Meals, Sandwiches, Shawn's Favorites
1 Comment

If you have any extra mushrooms after making the lasagna I posted last week, this recipe is a great way to use them up. Loaded up with mushrooms and onions sautéed until they’re so soft they almost melt, these burgers are so flavorful that I’ll even make an exception to my “don’t you dare serve me a burger that isn’t smothered with cheese” rule.
If you haven’t tried bison yet, this is a great way to give it a try. It’s naturally leaner than ground beef, but still has tons of meaty flavor. I also find that it’s easier to find pasture raised, hormone and antibiotic free bison than it is to find beef that I can feel good about eating – and it’s cheaper too! (The USDA doesn’t permit antibiotics or growth hormones to be given to bison. Bison is also allowed to roam freely and eat hay or grass for most of their lives; however some of them are “grain finished” to fatten them up and make their fat white instead of yellow – a consumer preference – so you may want to look at the label closely if grass-fed meat is something you care about.) Of course, extra lean ground beef will also work for this recipe, just add an extra dash of Worcestershire and some finely chopped mushrooms to the mix to make up for the milder flavor of the meat.
The cooking technique, which involves starting the burgers in a super hot pan but finishing them in a cool oven, ensured that these these thick, juicy patties are charred on the outside, but still perfectly pink (but not raw!) in the middle. They take a few minutes longer to prepare than your standard grilled or pan-cooked burgers, but they’re definitely worth the extra effort. Pile on the sautéed vegetables, a thick slice of tomato, and some A1 and you won’t miss the cheese for a second.
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Juicy Bison Burgers with Mushroom & Onions

Serves 4

Prep Time: 5 minutes; Total Time: 25 minutes

Searing these burgers over high heat, gives them a deliciously charred crust. Finish them in them in the oven so they don’t get overcooked, then top them with a flavorful mixture of sautéed mushrooms and onions. I like my burgers topped with A-1 and a thick slice of tomato; Shawn prefers his with barbecue sauce, banana peppers, and pickles. 

Recipe adapted from Best Darn Food Ever. Technique adapted from Cooks Ilustrated.

Ingredients

    • 1 pound Ground Bison or Lean Ground Beef
    • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
    • Salt and Pepper
    • 1 Tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon Olive Oil
    • 1 Onion, sliced
    • 5 ounces Crimini Mushrooms, sliced
    • 4 Whole Wheat English Muffins, split and toasted
    • Lettuce,  Tomato and additional condiments of your choice (steak sauce, pickles, banana peppers, etc.)

Preparation

  1. Preheat oven to 3ooF.
  2. Mix together bison and Worcestershire. Shape into 4 patties, about 3/4-inch thick. Season both sides with salt and pepper. Heat one teaspoon of olive oil in a large skillet, preferably cast iron. When the oil begins to smoke, add the burgers. Cook without moving for 2 minutes, or until a lightly charred crust begins to form. Flip and cook for another 2 minutes.
  3. Transfer burgers to a baking sheet and bake for 4-8 minutes for medium-rare, or until they reach your desired level of doneness. Remove from oven and let rest 5 minutes.
  4. While the burgers cook, heat 1 Tablespoon oil in a second skillet set over medium-high heat. Add the onion and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and golden – about 8 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook until softened – about 5 minutes.
  5. To serve, place a lettuce leaf and a thick slice of tomato on the bottom of each English muffin. Top with a burger and 1/4 of the mushroom and onion mixture. Add any additional condiments of your choice, and top with the remaining muffin half.

Approx. 392 calories, 13.5 grams fat, 31.5 grams carbohydrates, 5 grams fiber, 37 grams protein. 10 Points+.

Juicy Bison Burgers with Mushroom & Onions

Serves 4

Prep Time: 5 minutes; Total Time: 25 minutes

Searing these burgers over high heat, gives them a deliciously charred crust. Finish them in them in the oven so they don’t get overcooked, then top them with a flavorful mixture of sautéed mushrooms and onions. I like my burgers topped with A-1 and a thick slice of tomato; Shawn prefers his with barbecue sauce, banana peppers, and pickles. 

Recipe adapted from Best Darn Food Ever. Technique adapted from Cooks Ilustrated.

Ingredients

    • 1 pound Ground Bison or Lean Ground Beef
    • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
    • Salt and Pepper
    • 1 Tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon Olive Oil
    • 1 Onion, sliced
    • 5 ounces Crimini Mushrooms, sliced
    • 4 Whole Wheat English Muffins, split and toasted
    • Lettuce,  Tomato and additional condiments of your choice (steak sauce, pickles, banana peppers, etc.)

Preparation

  1. Preheat oven to 3ooF.
  2. Mix together bison and Worcestershire. Shape into 4 patties, about 3/4-inch thick. Season both sides with salt and pepper. Heat one teaspoon of olive oil in a large skillet, preferably cast iron. When the oil begins to smoke, add the burgers. Cook without moving for 2 minutes, or until a lightly charred crust begins to form. Flip and cook for another 2 minutes.
  3. Transfer burgers to a baking sheet and bake for 4-8 minutes for medium-rare, or until they reach your desired level of doneness. Remove from oven and let rest 5 minutes.
  4. While the burgers cook, heat 1 Tablespoon oil in a second skillet set over medium-high heat. Add the onion and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and golden – about 8 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook until softened – about 5 minutes.
  5. To serve, place a lettuce leaf and a thick slice of tomato on the bottom of each English muffin. Top with a burger and 1/4 of the mushroom and onion mixture. Add any additional condiments of your choice, and top with the remaining muffin half.

Approx. 392 calories, 13.5 grams fat, 31.5 grams carbohydrates, 5 grams fiber, 37 grams protein. 10 Points+.