Baked Potato Pizza

I can't believe this hasn't yet been added to the blog as it is one of the recipes that started it all! And has been enjoyed by many, if not all, club members. It has been modified from a recipe that started out as low fat... but given the club's battle cry of "More Cheeeeeeeese" it is probably not quite low fat any longer. But it is delicious and a nice change of pace from regular pizza.

• 1 large potato
• 1 loaf (1 pound) frozen pizza dough, thawed
• 3 tablespoons reduced-fat butter
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• ranch powder
• parmesan cheese
• salt & pepper
• 2 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
• 2 tablespoons minced chives
• 6 turkey bacon strips, cooked and crumbled
• Reduced-fat sour cream, optional 

1. Unroll dough onto a 14-in. pizza pan coated with cooking spray; flatten dough and build up edges slightly. In a microwave-safe bowl, melt butter with garlic; brush over dough.  Bake for 10 minutes at 350°.
2. Scrub the heck out of the potato. Bake potato for 5 minutes in the microwave.  Use a bread knife to slice up with skin still on.
3. Stir up leftover garlic butter, ranch powder, parmesan and small amount of mozzerella.  Spread evenly over pizza dough.
4. Arrange potato slices in a single layer over dough; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Top with remaining mozzarella. Bake at 400° for 20-22 minutes or until crust is golden and cheese is melted.  Add bacon with about 5 minutes of baking time left and sprinkle with a small amount of cheese
5. Sprinkle with chives. Serve with sour cream if desired.

Missing You Potato Leek Soup

I am driven to use leftovers.  This was inspired by the fact that Meredith and Eric left perfectly good milk in my refrigerator when they vacated last week.  I don't drink milk, but I hate to waste food.  So I looked for a potato leek soup.  What I saw was too boring or too fat-filled, so I cobbled together a new recipe.  It tastes delish.  For those with smalls, you could probably forego or reduce the amount of white pepper.  For big people, though, it's really good.

Ingredients:

Leeks - 1 large or 2 small, about one pound
2 Tbsp. butter
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
dash of marjoram (whenever do you get to use marjoram??)
3/4 tsp. white pepper
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 pound russet potatoes, diced (I used Yukon Gold)
4 cups broth
1 cup milk (for richest results, should be milk leftover from very small children)
1/2 cup dry white wine
deli ham, in whatever amount, also leftover from Meredith and Eric's visit.  Okay, some recipes call for varying amounts of bacon and then you use the bacon fat to cook the leeks, etc.  But this filled the bill nicely.

1.  Using a sharp knife, cut the white part of the leek lengthwise and rinse well under running water.  Slice thinly crosswise and put aside. 

2.  Melt butter and cook chopped leeks for about five minutes.

3.  Add chopped ham and warm through for about one minute.

4.  Add wine and bring to a boil.

5.  Add broth, potato and spice.  Bring to a boil and simmer for about 30 minutes.

6.  In batches, puree the soup coarsely, adding milk as you go, about a cup, in total. 

7.  Say a "Hell Yeah!" to the Nanners.  This stuff is good.

Braised Kale with Apples and Romano

Kale is a happy compromise vegetable in our house. While my husband does not like spinach, he is amenable to eating cooked kale. I also have found that kale is somewhat sturdier than spinach, less likely to wilt or disintegrate. 

Although the amount of kale called for in the recipe seems large, it will quickly reduce and tenderize down (be careful not to preemptively increase the liquid, or else you may need to drain before serving). Some grocery stores also carry large bags of already washed and chopped kale; I recommend the regular - not baby - kale for sturdiness in cooking.

 

Photo Credit: Whole Foods Market

INGREDIENTS

• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 small yellow onion, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 pound kale leaves, coarsely chopped
• 1 large Granny Smith apple, thinly sliced
• 1/3 cup apple cider
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 3 oz pecorino Romano cheese, shaved or shredded (Asiago is also in this cheese family; we have substituted it for Romano in other recipes)

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat the oil in a large skillet, pan, or Dutch Oven over medium heat (make sure you have a lid for whichever receptacle you select).
2. Add onion and garlic, stirring occasionally. Cook for ~5 min.
3. Add kale, apple, and cider. Cover and cook ~5 min.
4. Stir in salt and pepper.
5. Remove from heat and sprinkle with cheese.

Recipe via Whole Foods Market: 2013 North Atlantic Holiday Magazine