A meal my dad would love

Every time I make this meal, I think, "Dad would love this." Hubs and I love this, too.

You start with some brightly colored veggies (the onions are only for Hubs).

Add some thinly sliced marinated steak, which I broiled in the oven, but grilling would work, too. Pioneer Woman's marinated flank steak works perfectly.

Then some corn and black pepper to make the colors even brighter.

Add a tortilla and some rice and you've got steak fajitas! They are very delicious and these ones are not spicy or mexican-tasting at all.

You could use brown rice and whole wheat tortillas to be really healthy. And, you could add black beans, or guacamole [yum to both] to add some healthy aspects and to mimic Chipotle.

One of my favorite foods

Is pizza. I like the basics...pepperoni, canadian bacon. I like more advanced varieties...hawaiian, taco, barbeque. I like the specialties...pesto chicken, margherita.

I really like pizza. But, homemade pizza was just okay until recently.

I decided to try a whole wheat crust. It actually is very good. We have been having pizza on it for the past 6 months. It is a good thickness. It is pretty simple. And it is very tasty.

But last night, I made the best. Homemade. Pizza. EVER. I tried a new dough - and it was perfection. I put just the right toppings on - and it was delicious.

But lets back-up just a bit, I have been research what makes a great homemade pizza. And here are the few tips that I have learned.

#1 - Your oven must be very hot. I'd say somewhere between 400 and 500, but I personally had it on 450 last night.

#2 - Cook all ingredients first. We have chicken on our pizza a lot all the time. So, grill the chicken up ahead of time.

#3 - I baked one pizza on a stone, already heated and one on a plain, flat cookie sheet. They both turned out equally yummy.

#4 - Cook your pizza for 10-12 minutes. That is all it should take if your oven is hot enough, which it should be (see #1).

#5 - Be creative with your pizza. Put whatever you like on it. Last night, I used pesto as the sauce (which  makes an amazing pizza), added mozzarella and parmesan cheeses, topped with grilled chicken, pine nuts, parsley, and red pepper. The flavors melded together just right.

By the way, the pizza I make has a relatively thin crust. I'm sure different advice would apply if you are into thick, bread-like crusts.

So since I have found the homemade pizza recipe of the century that we will probably make every week for the rest of our lives and a recipe that I feel comfortable making for family and friends, I thought I should share it with you. Although, I can't take credit for it. I was told about it from a friend, who actually got it from a cookbook, which I went out and bought.

Here you go:
2 tsp dry yeast
1/2 cup plus 2 Tbsp lukewarm water
2 cups unbleached bread flour (I just used regular flour)
2 Tbsp EVOO
1/2 tsp salt

In a bowl, combine the years, 1/4 cup of the water, and 1/4 cup of the flour. Let it stand until it bubbles up, a minimum of 30 minutes or up to 1 hour.

Add the remaining 1/2 cup plus 2 Tbsp water, the remaining 1 3/4 cups flour, the EVOO, and the salt. Mix the dough thouroughly. Turn it out onto a floured surface and knead until smooth, elastic, and a bit tacky to the touch, 7-8 minutes.

Place the dough in an oiled bowl and turn to cover it with the oil (I just used cooking spray). Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, 1-1 1/2 hours. (Or let this dough rise in the fridge overnight. The next day bring to room temperature and proceed.)

Punch down the dough. On a floured surface, divide into 2 pieces and form into round balls. Roll into a 9-inch circle, about 1/4-inch thick. Bake in a HOT oven for 8-12 minutes.

Crock Pot Crap

As a high schooler, anytime I knew that Sunday's lunch was cooking in a crock pot, I searched for friends to go out to lunch with. I groaned when I knew I was coming home to eat a roast.

I really wasn't sure why I even registered for a crock pot when we got married. Crock pots meant no flavor. Hubs also was not a fan of roasts, so for 2 years our crock pot sat in the cupboard. Then my Hy-Vee man talked me into trying a roast. I did it; it didn't turn out well, but I was willing to try again.

Now, as a working wife of 3 1/2 years, I love finding tasty recipes made in the crock pot. And, I love my roast - Hubs likes it too! Perhaps just knowing I did not spend 45 minutes in the kitchen dirtying many pots and pans contributes to the flavor and fondness of the dish. I don't think that it tastes bland, but actually has tons of flavor - thank you lipton soup packets. It is such an incredible relief to come home on Thursday from work (Thursday is our busy night) and know that dinner is cooking and I have time to do other things. I should clarify that I only cook the meat in the crock pot, so I do still have a little bit of preparation for the veggies.

I have tried some nasty recipes in my crock pot. I have also not mastered how to cook everything in there. But, I am content with my 2 good recipes and I hope that in 20 or so years my children will not cringe when they learn supper is in the crock pot!

The Oven Homemade

One of the biggest things I miss in Lincoln, Nebraska was our favorite restaurant, The Oven. There, we were introduced to Indian cuisine and loved it.

In my quest to make new recipes, I found a recipe for my "usual" at The Oven. Excited to try it, I then searched for a recipe for our favorite Indian bread, naan. Last night, I tried both recipes.

First, the naan bread. Super, super easy to make. And delish! The only unusual ingredient that you may not have is yogurt. I added garlic powder to the bread after brushing it with butter, because we like it that way. The Oven serves this bread with a mint chutney sauce - which I also found a recipe for. I will have to make that next time. Click here for the recipe.

The main dish - Chicken Makhani (Butter Chicken). Also surprisingly easy to make. A strange combination of spices to marinate the chicken in overnight. Then, just about 30 minutes of cooking over the stove in the sauce. Click here for the recipe.

As I cooked it, I felt like I was walking into The Oven instead of my house! I got more and more anxious to taste it. Sure enough, it has the same taste as my usual dish. Hubs cleaned his plate after having seconds! It went over well.

There are a few things I might tweak to this recipe next time, but overall we were both very excited to have Indian food at home. I am happy because it is easy and CHEAP! Now that I have the spices, It should cost less than $10 for all the ingredients. Plus, it makes soooooo much food, that we have leftovers for days!

By the way, this recipe was so good, I will actually make it for guests! If you come over, it is very possible you will be eating this!