Category: Uncategorized

Salmon and Brie Pizza

The Peach Tree Tearoom in Fredericksburg, Tx sadly closed a couple of summers ago, if I’m remembering correctly. Broke my heart, but I’m so happy to have the precious cookbooks! Here is one of my favorite pizza recipes from The Peach Tree Family Cookbook!

  • 2 cups Tina’s Italian Pizza Sauce (recipe follows)
  • 1 recipe Pizza Dough (recipe follows)
  • 3/4 to 1 pound salmon fillet, skin off, uncooked, deboned and sliced – I usually just use 1/2 pound salmon.
  • 1/2 pound Brie with the white coating sliced off, cut into thin slices
  • 10 thin slices yellow bell pepper
  • 5 thin slices red onion

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees. Spread the pizza sauce evenly over the pizza dough. Arrange the salmon, Brie, yellow pepper slices and red onion slices over the sauce. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until the crust is golden. Garnish with a sprig or two of fresh basil.

Tina’s Italian Pizza Sauce

  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 2 (28 oz.) cans crushed tomatoes
  • 2 tsp. sugar
  • 2 tsp. salt
  • 2 tsp. dried basil
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 tsp. pepper, freshly ground

Sauté the garlic and onions in the olive oil until the onions are soft and transparent. Add the rest of the ingredients and bring the sauce to a boil. Turn down the heat and simmer for 1 hours. This makes enough sauce for two pizza’s.

Pizza Dough

  • 1 tsp. sugar
  • 1 cup warm water
  • 1 T. yeast
  • 3 cups flour
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1 T. olive oil

In a measuring cup, lightly stir together the sugar, water, and yeast. Set aside to rise. Measure the flour and salt into the bowl of a food processor and blend. Slowly pour in the yeast mixture and then the 1/4 cup of olive oil. Mix until the dough just forms a ball. Avoid overworking the dough.

Pour about a 1 T. of olive oil into a large mixing bowl. Gather the dough and form it into a ball. Turn the dough in the bowl until it is coated with the oil. Cover and let the dough rise for 1 hour and 30 minutes. If you are unable to use the pizza dough right away, you can punch it down and turn it over to ruse up to a total of four times.

To shape the pizza dough into a 12″ round, place a ball of dough on a lightly floured surface and dust the top of the dough lightly with flour. Using the heels of your hands, press the dough into a circle.

Makes 1 crust.

COOKING THE BOOKS, YA’LL!

Angel’s Delight

This fresh peach dessert is one of my favorites! Light and creamy and full of juicy ripe peaches, this recipe is sure to remind you of your favorite kind of summer! I found it in my Country Quick and Easy Gooseberry Patch cookbook. If good fresh peaches are hard to find, a 15 ounce canned sliced peaches, drained can easily be substituted, omitting the extra sugar.

1 (6 oz.) pkg. instant vanilla pudding mix

1 baked angel food cake, cubed – I used a boxed angel food cake mix here

8 fresh peaches, peeled and diced

1/8 to 1/4 tsp. almond extract

1-2 T. sugar

1 (16 oz.) whipped topping

Prepare pudding according to the package directions and refrigerate for about 10 minutes. Combine the diced peaches, sugar, and almond extract and allow to sit and mingle. Line the bottom of a 13 by 9 baking pan with the angel food cake. Spread the pudding over the cake cubes. Arrange the peaches over the top, saving a little for garnish, if you like. Finish the dessert by spreading the whipped topping over all. Cover and refrigerate for at least one hour before serving. Enjoy!!

Makes 18 to 24 servings.

English Toffee

When I think of Christmas candy, my Aunt Shirley’s English Toffee is the first thing to pop into my mind! It has the best texture and the Hershey’s chocolate and pecans really bring it all together….and speaking of that, it is super quick and easy to throw together! The perfect thing during this beautifully busy time of celebration!

2 sticks of margarine
3 T. water
1 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup chopped nuts, I use pecans
6 regular sized Hershey chocolate bars

Melt margarine; add sugar and water. Cook over high heat, stirring constantly, until the color of brown. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla and nuts. Pour onto buttered cookie sheet and spread thin. Break Hershey bars over the top. As it melts, spread all over. Cool well and break into pieces.

Grasshopper

This cocktail says to me, welcome! Glad you could come and I’m so glad to see you! Here, let me take your coat and please make yourself at home. I hear lots of laughter and see twinkling lights. It’s Christmas, ya’ll!….This drink also says to me, now that your house is straight, the presents are wrapped, your new peppermint pine needle candle is going, have a seat, grab your Mary Kay Andrew’s Christmas Bliss novel, sit down, relax, be grateful!….Whatever this cocktail says to you, listen! It is very delicious. Delicious is wise in my book.

1 ounce creme de menthe
1 ounce creme de cacao
1 ounce heavy cream

Combine all the ingredients with ice in a cocktail shaker and shake vigorously until chilled well and combined, about 15 seconds. Strain into a chilled coupe or red plastic solo cup…tricky right there. Garnish with a dusting of freshly grated nutmeg.

COOKING THE BOOKS, YA’LL!

Indian Pork Burgers with Cucumber Yogurt and Tomato Salad

My niece, Jodi, lives in Austin and my daughter Fallon and I always jump at the chance to go visit her. She introduces us to the best restaurants there and the latest in food trends. Our favorite new discovery so far, is Indian food. We are positively addicted and are fans for life, no doubt! This recipe is a recipe that I discovered from the food delivery company called Martha and Marley Spoon. It has all the right flavors for bringing our Austin Indian food addiction home.

1 large red onion
1 pint grape tomatoes
1 large cucumber or 9 oz. Persian cucumbers
a handful of fresh cilantro or 3/4 oz
1 1/2 pounds ground pork
2 tsp garam masala (a spice blend common in India )
1 lime
4 potato buns
1 individual size container of greek yogurt or about a cup
2 tsp. course salt
1 tsp. sugar
fresh ground pepper
3 T. olive oil + 1 tsp., divided

Prep your ingredients to get started. Halve, peel, and finely chop 2/3 of the red onion. Thinly slice the rest of it. Halve the tomatoes; thinly slice half of the cucumbers and fine chop the rest. Chop the cilantro stems finely and give the leaves a rough chop.

Next is the burger part. Combine the ground pork, cilantro stems, fine chopped onion, garam masala, 2 tsp. salt, 1 tsp. sugar, and several grinds of pepper in a large bowl. Gently mix with your hands and form into four (4-inch) patties. (overmixing meat for burgers can make them tough. Just sayin’.)

Time for the salad. Squeeze lime juice into a medium bowl. Add the tomatoes, sliced cucumber, sliced onion, chopped cilantro, and 3 T. olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Toss to combine the salad and then preheat your broiler to prepare for the burgers.

Broil the burgers and cook until well browned, 3-4 minutes per side. (These can totally be grilled outside or in a grill pan over medium-high. Grill until well browned and cooked through, 6-7 minutes per side. Flip them only once during the cooking process.)

Split the potato buns in half and add face down on the the grill or face up under the broiler and toast until golden, about 1 minute. Watch closely!

Now for the yogurt sauce. In a medium bowl, combine yogurt, chopped cucumber, and 1 tsp. olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serve the burgers topped with the yogurt sauce and tomato salad on the side. Yum!