Quick and easy pizza

Everyone loves pizza and if you want to make a quick and simple pizza at home there are several ways to do it. First you have to decide how involved you want to get in making the crust. You can make your own if you have a few hours. If you are pressed for time then you can pick up a bag of pizza dough at the supermarket or you can buy frozen bread dough. With the frozen bread dough you need to plan ahead at least a day.

It needs to thaw and rise. If you have no time then pick up a Boboli at the store and build your own pizza from there.

A family favorite at my house is a Hawaiian pizza. It is what is commonly referred to as a white pizza. What that means is that it is constructed without a layer of tomato sauce. What you will do is pour some extra virgin olive oil on the crust. Make several circles on the crust with the olive oil, right along the edge of the crust. Use a pastry brush and spread the oil over the entire crust.

Place 10 slices of bacon on a piece of paper towel, cover with another sheet and cook according to package directions, about 5 minutes in the microwave. Open a small can of chunk pineapple and drain. Cut each slice of bacon into four pieces spread on the pizza crust. Place the pieces of pineapple around the crust. Take one package of Italian blended shredded cheese and sprinkle over the top of the pineapple and bacon.

Preheat the over to 400 degrees. Move the rack to the top position. Place your stone in the oven and allow it to get warm. Move the pizza onto the stone. Cook for 20 minutes or until the crust is golden underneath and the cheese is melted.

There is something decadent about the combination of salt and sweet that you get from a pizza covered with pineapple and bacon. If the combination sounds weird to you that's okay try it anyway, you never know, you may be the latest convert. If you don't have any bacon you can use ham, the taste is slightly different but the sweet salty components are still very evident.

Another white pizza that is a favorite at our house is BBQ chicken. You can pick up the precooked fajita chicken and that will work great with this recipe. You will also need a jar of BBQ sauce, use whatever is your favorite, I like Masterpiece.

Place the chicken into a large bowl and pour one cup of the BBQ sauce over it and mix well. Prepare the crust in the same way as you would for the Hawaiian pizza. Place the chicken on the prepared crust and then cover with 1 bag of shredded mozzarella cheese. Place on a stone in the oven on the top level of the oven and cook for 25 minutes.

This is one of the most delicious pizzas you will ever eat. Make sure that you have plenty of napkins available to wipe the BBQ sauce off of your chin. It is a little messy to eat but the mess is worth it. If you want to have the sensation of eating ribs on a pizza trying using pulled pork instead of the chicken. There is only one word to describe it, awesome.

Please forgive me for not having my own photos for this post. 

Mimi's Cafe Ocala, Florida

When we are in Ocala we eat at Mimi’s Café often. Not once a week but at least every other week. 

We love lunch there, it is not only delicious, it is a good deal and has enough variety to keep us coming back again and again.

Mimi’s Café is a chain but not one that we have at home in Connecticut and I think that is part of the attraction as well.

Breakfast is also very good at Mimi’s and they have crepes, how wonderful is that? We only went there once this year for breakfast but that was more a testament to our lack of eating breakfast than to the quality of the breakfast we ate.

For lunch what we always go for are the combos. They allow you to choose half a sandwich with either soup or salad or soup and salad combo. The combinations are almost limitless with prices varying depending on the choices made.

I love their corn chowder and Al likes the French Onion we then combine it with things like a chicken salad croissant, tuna cheddar melt, west coast Reuben or one of the delicious salads. Very combination we tried was yummy and comes with their French fries which are real and delicious.

They also offer some great comfort food including a chicken pot pie which Al tried one day. Me, I love being able to get a cappuccino with my meal, they are not easy to find in Ocala. 

What can I say? We love Mimi’s Café. It is where I suggested that I meet one of my Internet friend for lunch and we bumped into our niece and her husband as we were leaving brunch one Sunday. If you are in Ocala or anywhere there is a Mimi’s Café I suggest you give it a try. 

How to Grill Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potatoes are a nourishing and vitamin filled option to the more common white potato. Most vegetables are even more delicious when cooked on the grill. Sweet potatoes are no exception.

Grilled plain or with herbs they are an excellent source of beta carotene as well as vitamin A and at only 141 calories are a very tasty way to get your carbohydrates,

Instructions  

Step 1

Preheat the grill, if using gas you want to set the heat on medium, if using charcoal when the briquettes are half gray it is ready.

Step 2

Don't peel the sweet potatoes. You can cut them two different ways. You can cut them in spears which is cutting the potato the long way into 4 spears or you can cut the potato into disks about a half inch thick.

Step 3

Place the pieces of sweet potato on a platter or tray and using a pastry brush apply olive oil to all the parts of the potato that don't have skin on it. 

Sprinkle with salt and pepper and dried rosemary. There is no measurement for this just apply it to your taste. If you are a curry fan, this could also be added.

Step 4

Move the pieces to the grill. Close the cover and cook for four minutes and then turn the pieces. After another four minutes using a knife, test the potato for doneness. 

If it is too firm, rotate it and cook an additional two minutes. When soft to the touch remove with tongs to a platter and serve. The sweet potato should have nice grill marks on all sides.

If you cut the pieces smaller you should use a vegetable grill pan to keep the pieces from falling through. 

Things Needed:

Grill, gas or charcoal

4 sweet potatoes

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Salt

Pepper

Dried rosemary

Curry powder

Tongs

Makes 4 servings

Tips & Warnings  

Sweet potatoes are very sweet and can burn easily, be sure the fire is not too hot.

Sorry, again I don't always take pictures when cooking at home. 

French Canadian Pea Soup

Among French Canadians, pea soup is a staple. The recipes will vary slightly from family to family but the basic ingredients are pretty standard. This is a hearty soup that the immigrants to a cold and harsh land developed to feed their families in an inexpensive way. 

As the French Canadian's moved south into the United States, they brought their recipes with them. This is one of them from the region east of Quebec City and has been in my family for several generations. I learned it from my mother and she learned it from her older sister. 

Gather the ingredients: 

6 oz salt pork

1 bag yellow split peas

1 large onion

1 large stack celery with leaves

1 teaspoon summer savory

1 large carrot

Salt and pepper to taste

Before you start to prepare your French Canadian pea soup gather all your ingredients together. You may have some problem finding summer savory in your local grocery store. It is available online. If you are going for authentic flavor, you need to use the correct herb or it just won't taste the way it should. You will also need a large stock pot. 

Peal the outer skin off the onion and cut it into small pieces. Rinse the celery and then also chop into small pieces. Cut the ends off the carrot and scrape the skin off. Use a grater to grate the carrot, not too finely. Put the vegetables aside until you are ready for them.

Unwrap the salt pork and slice into quarter inch slices. Place the stock pot on the heat.  Put the heat quite low, you want to melt the pork not brown it. When you have melted enough of the fat to cover the bottom of the pan then add the vegetables. Keep the heat on low, you want to sweat the vegetables, not saute them. When they are soft remove the pan from heat.

Open the bag of peas and place the peas in a colander or strainer and rinse. Then add to the vegetables and salt pork. Add the six cups of water, the savory, salt and pepper and place back on the burner. Raise the heat until the water is boiling then cover and lower the heat to low. Cook slowly for three hours. Check frequently and stir as needed. Be careful that it doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan. Serve with crispy bread and butter for a stick to your ribs comfort meal.

This can be cooked in a slow cooker but you will need to cook the salt pork and sweat the veggies in a frying pan first. 

Warning: You must use yellow peas and summer savory for authentic look and flavor. 

I always serve this with slices of French bread and butter. It is a great comfort food for a cool day. 

Sorry, I have never taken an photos but I will add some later.