May 17, 2012
Pizza Night at Monica's

I do love dessert first...
(I used the larger box size brownie and made it in a 10" rather than 9" pan.

Chocolate Mousse Torte

1

pouch (10.25 oz) Betty Crocker® fudge brownie mix

1/4

cup vegetable oil

1/4

cup water

1

egg

2

bags (11.5 oz each) semisweet chocolate chunks (3 1/2 cups)

1/2

cup chopped pecans

1/4

cup toffee bits

1

package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened

1/2

cup powdered sugar

1

teaspoon vanilla

1

pint (2 cups) whipping cream

Additional powdered sugar, if desired

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease bottom only of 9-inch springform pan with shortening or cooking spray. In medium bowl, stir brownie mix, oil, water and egg until smooth. Stir in 1 bag of the chocolate chunks. Pour batter into pan; spread evenly. Sprinkle pecans and toffee bits over batter; press in lightly.
2. Bake 27 to 32 minutes or until center is set. Cool completely on wire rack, about 1 hour 30 minutes. Run sharp knife around side of pan to loosen brownie layer.
3. In small microwavable bowl, microwave 1 cup of the remaining chocolate chunks uncovered on High 1 minute; stir until smooth. In medium bowl, beat cream cheese, 1/2 cup powdered sugar and the vanilla with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Beat melted chocolate into cream cheese mixture.
4. Reserve 1/4 cup of the whipping cream. In chilled large bowl, beat remaining whipping cream on high speed until stiff peaks form. Fold chocolate-cream cheese mixture into whipped cream until no white streaks remain. Spoon mousse over brownie layer, smoothing top. Refrigerate about 2 hours or until mousse is set.
5. In small microwavable bowl, microwave remaining 1/2 cup chocolate chunks uncovered on High 1 minute; stir until smooth. Stir in reserved 1/4 cup whipping cream until smooth. Run thin, flexible spatula around side of pan to loosen torte; remove side of pan. Spoon warm chocolate mixture over top of mousse, allowing some to drizzle down sides. Smooth top of torte with thin, flexible spatula. Refrigerate 30 minutes or until serving.
6. Just before serving, gently place 4-inch snowflake stencil on torte. Using fine wire-mesh strainer, sift additional powdered sugar over stencil. Carefully lift stencil from torte; repeat for additional snowflakes.

Makes 16 servings

Appetizers:

stuffed baby peppers

ingredients

Prep Onions and Pancetta Vegetable oil cooking spray 2 tablespoons olive oil 3 ounces thinly sliced pancetta, chopped into ¼-inch pieces ½ medium onion, finely chopped ¾ cup ricotta cheese ⅓ cup grated Parmesan cheese ½ cup frozen petite peas, thawed Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 24 (2 to 3-inch long) sweet baby peppers

instructions

Prep Onions and Pancetta Place an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a baking sheet with vegetable oil cooking spray. Set aside.  In a medium skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the pancetta and cook, stirring frequently, until brown and crispy, about 5 to 7 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove the pancetta and drain on paper towels. Add the onion to the pan and cook until translucent and soft, about 5 minutes. Set aside to cool for 10 minutes.

Finish Stuffed Baby Peppers In a medium bowl, combine the onion, pancetta, cheeses, and peas. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.  Using a paring knife, cut 1/2-inch from the stem-end of the peppers. Remove the seeds and veins. Using a small dessert spoon, fill each pepper with the ricotta mixture. Place the filled peppers on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 15 to 18 minutes until the peppers begin to soften. Cool for 10 minutes.  Arrange the peppers on a platter and serve.

Tuscan-Style™ Cantaloupe with Prosciutto
Yields 24 pieces

Ingredients:
1 Dulcinea® Extra Sweet Tuscan-Style™ Cantaloupe, peeled, seeded, and cut into thin wedges/spears
12 Thin slices prosciutto, cut in halves into lengthwise strips
Herb and Olive Oil Vinaigrette:
1⁄2 cup Extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons Balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon Grated lemon zest
2 tablespoons Fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon Dried Italian herb blend
1/8 teaspoon Cracked black pepper
1/8 teaspoon Salt

Directions:Wrap each melon spear in the center with a strip of prosciutto. The prosciutto should stick to itself enough that you don’t need to secure it with a toothpick. Keep covered and refrigerated until ready to serve.
Whisk the vinaigrette ingredients together in a small bowl, and chill until ready to serve. Drizzle the prosciutto wrapped melon with the vinaigrette before serving.
Cut melon spears in half crosswise and wrap with a 1⁄4 of a prosciutto slice for a more petite finger food.
Serve a couple of spears of the wrapped melon over a bed of baby greens or arrugala and drizzle with vinaigrette as a salad or nice first course.

Pizza

The recipe I used came from this book:

 

Basic Dough:

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

1 cup warm (110-115 F) water

1 envelope active dry yeast

3 cups flour

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

In a mixer, Gently stir together sugar, water, and yeast.  Allow to stand for about 5 minutes until a this layer of foam covers the surface.

Add flour, salt, and oil to yeast mixture.  Attach bread hook and mix until all ingredients are combined.  Continue to knead for 5 minutes until dough is smooth and elastic.  If more flour is needed, gradually add until the dough is no longer sticky.  

Remove dough from mixer and place in a greased bowl, turning once.  Cover with plastic and allow to rise for about 90 minutes.  

Margherita Pizza

Basic Dough

Extra-Virgin Olive oil

2 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella

4 cups chopped, seeded and drained tomatoes

1 tsp dried oregano

salt

1/2 cup grated parmesan

fresh basil

Roll out dough and place on large baking stone. Brush dough all over with olive oil, then evenly cover with the mozzarella cheese, leaving 1/2" border around the the edges.  Cover the cheese with the tomatoes, then sprinkle with oregano, salt to taste, and about half the Parmesan cheese.  Drizzle with olive oil.

Transfer pizza to the very lowest rack in your oven and bake until the crust is golden brown and puffy (about 8 minutes in my gas oven).  Remove from oven, brush crust with olive oil, sprinkle with remaining Parmesan and basil.  Serve immediately.

Sauce:

1 box POMI Italian tomatoes (chopped)

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 or 2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed

1 tsp dried basil

salt 

freshly ground black pepper

Pour tomatoes into large pan and slightly crush with a fork over medium heat.  Stir in tomato past, garlic, basil and salt and pepper to taste.  Bring the mixture just to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer the sauce, stirring occasionally, until thick and flavorful, 30 minutes to 1 hour.  Remove from heat.

New York Style Pizza

olive oil

3 cups mozzarella cheese

toppings of choice

11/2 tsp basil or oregano

1/3 cup Parmesan cheese

Prepare crust as above. Roll out, brush with olive oil, add mozzarella, then cover with the tomato sauce.  Add one or more toppings, then sprinkle with basil and Parmesan.  Bake about 8 minutes.

Stuffed Pork Chops - Hollie Andrus

Red Onion Salad Dressing

¼ - ½ c. chopped red onion

½ c. red wine vinegar

1 tsp. salt

1 c. sugar

1 c. oil

Liquify red onion and red wine vinegar in food processor.  Add salt and sugar and blend well.  Slowly add oil and blend well.  

Poppy Seed Dressing

½ c. sugar

1/3 c. lemon juice

2 tsp. chopped green onion

½ tsp. salt

1 T. poppy seeds

1 tsp. dry mustard

2/3 c. vegetable oil

Mix dry ingredients well.  Add lemon juice and blend well.  Slowly add vegetable oil.  Blend well.

Salad

1 head Romaine

1 c. Swiss Cheese, cubed

1 c. cashews/cashew pieces

¼ c. craisins

1 apple, chopped

Stuffed Pork Chops

1 ½ c. diced butternut squash

1 c. diced celery

1 c. diced Granny Smith apple

6 T. olive oil

Kosher Salt & fresh ground pepper, to taste

1 Large Shallot, finely diced

1 ½ tsp. minced garlic

2 tsp. chopped fresh thyme

1 ¼ c. toasted bread crumbs

4 double-cut bone-in pork loin chops (I substituted the boneless chops from Costco—the only important thing is thickness—about 1 ½ inches thick)

In large bowl, stir together butternut squash, celery, apple, 2 T. oil, salt and pepper.  In large braising pan/skillet over medium-high heat, warm 2 T. oil.  Ad shallot; cook, stirring until softened, about 1 minute.  Add garlic and thyme; cook, stirring frequently, about 10 seconds.  Add squash mixture; cook until just softened, about 7 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper.  Let cool.  Stir in bread crumbs.

Season pork chops with salt and pepper.  Insert sharp knife into side of chop, making long slit along curve all the way to the bone.  Wiggle knife to form large pocket.  Pack stuffing into each chop.  Brown chops on grill at medium-high heat for 3-4 minutes per side.  Place chops in roasting pan (coated with oil) and roast in oven 20 minutes.

Sauce: (I didn’t do this because I couldn’t find any demi-glace)

1 yellow onion, cut into ½” dice

1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored, and cut into ½” dice

1 T. flour

2 T. chicken demi-glace

1 ½ c. water

3 tsp. chicken stock concentrate

1 T. apple cider vinegar

In small sauce pan over medium-high heat, warm 1 T. oil.  Add onion and apple; cook until softened, about 7-8 minutes.  Add flour and cook, stirring, 1-2 minutes.  Add demi-glace, water, stock concentrate; bring to a simmer.  Cook until sauce thickens, about 2-3 minutes.  Stir in vinegar.  Transfer to blender (or use immersion blender) to puree sauce.  Drizzle on pork chops.

Lion House Rolls

2 c. warm water

2/3 c. dry milk

2 T. yeast

¼ c. sugar

2 tsp. salt

2/3 c. unsalted butter, softened (about ¾ stick of butter)

1 egg

5-5 ½ c. flour, sifted

Whisk warm water and dry milk till frothy.  Add yeast and whisk some more.  Change mixer attachment from whisk to “paddle” (not the bread hook).  Add sugar, salt, butter, egg, and 2 c. flour.  Blend till smooth.  Add 1 c. flour, blend.  Add 1 c. flour, blend.  Add ½ c. flour, blend (dough should be tough for mixer to spin).  

Have remaining 1 c. flour on counter.  Dump dough from bowl to counter and continue to knead flour into dough until the dough is soft but not sticky.  Put dough in bowl coated lightly coated with vegetable oil.  Twirl dough around so it is coated with vegetable oil.  Cover in plastic and let rise till double in size (about 1 or 1 ½ hours).

To form rolls:  Roll dough on floured surface in a long, rectangular shape—not too thin, not too thick.  Once you’ve rolled it to desired length, thickness, gently lift dough so it “relaxes” (this keeps your rolls from shrinking when you shape them).  

Melt remaining butter and spread on dough with pastry brush.  Using a pizza cutter, cut off rough edges to have a clean rectangle.  Cut the rectangle in half length-wise then cut strips about 3” long.  You’ll have lots of little rectangles.  Roll up the rectangle and place on parchment paper on cookie sheet.  Once all rolls are formed, coat rolls with butter and cover in plastic.

Preheat oven to 375.  Remove plastic and bake rolls till golden brown.  About 13-15 minutes.  Coat with butter after removing from oven.  Serve.

Baked Risotto with Asparagus

3 T. olive oil

2 leeks, white and light green portions, halved, rinsed well, and thinly sliced

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp. chopped fresh thyme

Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste

1 ½ c. Arborio or Carnaroli rice

½ c. dry white wine (I used cooking wine)

4 ¼ c. chicken broth

1 ½ lb. asparagus, tough ends trimmed

½ c. grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

3 T. cold unsalted butter, cut into 6 pieces

In a 3 1/2-quart dutch oven over medium heat, warm 2 T. oil.  Add leeks and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 8 minutes.  Add garlic, thyme, and salt and cook for 1 minute.  Add rice and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly toasted, 2-3 minutes.  Add wine and cook for 1 minute.  Stir in 3 c. of broth, increase the heat to medium-high and bring to a simmer.

Cover the pot, transfer to the oven and bake, stirring once 1/2-way through, until the rice is tender and liquid is absorbed.  About 25-30 minutes.

Coat asparagus with remaining oil and season with salt and pepper.  Preheat skillet over medium-high heat.  Grill the asparagus, turning occasionally, until tender, 7-8 minutes.  Cut the asparagus on the bias into 2-inch lengths.

Stir the remaining 1 ¼ c. broth into the risotto.  Then stir in the cheese, butter, asparagus, salt and pepper.  Serve immediately.

Strawberry Truffle

1 angel food cake (I used a mix), torn into bite-size pieces

1-2 lb. strawberries, cleaned, hulled, and sliced

1 small Cool Whip

2 pkg. cream cheese, softened

1 cup sour cream

2 c. powdered sugar

1/4 tsp. almond extract

Blend well cream cheese, sour cream, powdered sugar, almond extract.  Fold in cool whip.  Alternate layers of angel food cake, strawberries, and cream-finishing with cream on top.  Keep refrigerated.