Grilled pizza

This recipe comes from Cook's.  It's a little involved, but fun and a nice picnic food!

Dough
3 cups (16.5 oz) bread flour
1 Tbsp sugar
1/4 tsp instant or rapid-rise yeast
1.25 cups plus 2 Tbsp ice water (11 oz)
1 Tbsp vegetable oil, plus extra for counter
1.5 tsp salt

Sauce
1 (14 oz) can whole peeled tomatoes, drained with juice reserved.
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 tsp minced fresh oregano
1/2 tsp sugar, plus extra for seasoning
Salt
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

Pizza
1/2 cup plus 1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
3 oz Parmesan cheese, grated (1.5 cups)
8 oz fresh whole-milk mozzerella cheese, torn into bite-size pieces (2 cups)
3 Tbsp shredded fresh basil
Coarse sea salt

Instructions
For the dough:
1.  Process flour, sugar, and yeast in food processor until combined, about 2 seconds.  With processor running, slowly add ice water; process until dough is just combined and no dry flour remains, about 10 seconds.  Let dough stand for 10 minutes.

2.  Add oil and salt to dough and process until dough forms satiny, sticky ball that clears sides of the bowl, 30 to 60 seconds.  Transfer dough to lightly oiled counter and knead until smooth, about 1 minute.  Divide dough into 3 equal pieces (about 9 1/3 oz each).  Shape each piece into tight ball, transfer to well-oiled baking sheet (alternatively, place dough balls in individual well-oiled bowls), and coat top of each ball lightly with oil.  Cover tightly with plastic wrap (taking are not to compress dough) and refrigerate for at least 24 hours or up to 3 days.

For the sauce:
3.  Pulse tomatoes in food processor until finely chopped, 12 to 15 pulses.  Transfer to medium bowl and stir in reserved juice, oil, oregano, sugar, 1/2 tsp salt, and pepper flakes.  Season with extra sugar and salt to taste, cove, ad refrigerate until ready to use.

4.  One hour before cooking pizza, remove dough from refrigerator and let stand at room temperature.

For a gas grill:
5.  Turn all burners to high, cover, and heat grill until hot, about 15 minutes.  Leave all burners on high.

6.  While grill is heating, transfer sauce to small saucepan and bring to simmer over medium heat.  Cover and keep warm.

For the Pizza:
7.  Clean and oil cooking grate.  Pour 1/4 cup oil onto center of rimmed baking sheet.  Transfer 1 dough round to sheet and coat and palms, gently press and stretch dough towards edges of sheet to form rough 16 by 12- inch oval of even thickness.  Using both your hands, lift dough and carefully transfer to grill.  (When transferring dough from sheet to grill, it will droop slightly to form half-moon or snowshoe shape.)  Cook covered until grill marks form, 2 to 3 minutes.  Using tongs and spatula, carefully peel dough from grate, then rate dough 90 degrees and continue to cook (covered if using gas) until second set of grill marks appears, 2 to 3 minutes longer.  Flip dough and cook (covered if using gas) until second side of dough is lightly charred in spots, 2 to 3 minutes.  Using tongs or pizza peel, transfer crust to cutting board, inverting so side that was grilled first is facing down. Repeat with remaining 2 dough rounds, adding 1 Tbsp oil to sheet for each round and keeping grill cover closed when not in use to retain heat.

8.  Drizzle top of 1 crust with 1 Tbsp oil.  Sprinkle one-third of Parmesan evenly over surface.  Arrange one-third of mozzarella pieces, evenly spaced, on surface of pizza.  Dollop one-third of sauce in evenly spaced 1-Tbsp mounds over surface of pizza.  Using pizza peel or overturned rimmed baking sheet, transfer pizza to grill; cover and cook until bottom is well browned and mozzarella is melted, 3 to 5 minutes, checking bottom and turning frequently to prevent burning.  Transfer pizza to cutting board, sprinkle with 1 Tbsp basil, drizzle lightly with extra oil, and season with salt to taste.  Cut into wedges and serve.  Repeat with remaining 2 crusts.

Thai Chicken Tacos

This was a promising one!  Great flavor; a little too saucy, and we think the carrot slaw could be replaced with something more imaginative, but generally quite good!  (and pretty fast to come together).

Original recipe here:  https://carlsbadcravings.com/thai-chicken-tacos/

Doing it over again, I'd maybe cut the liquid marindate ingredients to 2/3rds the amount, and cut the peanut butter in half.  I'd cook the chicken without the cornstarch, and add a slurry after the peanut-butter to thicken if necessary.

Was extra good with an extra squeeze of lime while serving.

Here are a few photos!

Plum Torte

Plum Torte

A most-requested recipe from New York Times collection. It is really popular for plums because you don't have to peel them. It also is good with nectarines or peaches (you would need to peel the peaches), and with odds and ends of berries tucked in around the fruit, so it is quite a practical dessert in that way. Freezes well--serve by thawing and reheating briefly in 300 degree oven. I've also microwaved leftover, refrigerated torte.

I made it for Dave's birthday, 6-20-19, and served with whipped cream that had a touch of cinnamon, since forgot to put it in the cake.

Ingredients list
3/4 C sugar
1/2 C butter
1 C unbleached white flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
pinch salt
2 eggs
4 large nectarines, cut in quarters or smaller. (original recipe is for a dozen small plums, cut in half. WHen I've made this 6 or eight plums was plenty.)
Sprinkling of raspberries

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2.  Cream sugar and butter (I used food processor)  Add flour, baking powder, salt and eggs, and blend.

3.  Spread the batter in an 8 or 9 inch springform pan or cake pan (not as pretty when you serve it, but it works).  Sprinkle with cinnamon

4. Press nectarines, skin side up, around cake and add raspberries until top is more or less covered. Sprinkle with

5.  Bake 40 to 50 minutes. Cool to lukewarm and serve with cream.

Mediterranean Stuffed Zucchini

|Middle Eastern Stuffed Zucchini

Recipe from:

themediterraneandish.com

I had eight zucchini to use up--six of them fat enough to stuff. I liked about this recipe that it didn't require an oven---it cooks on stovetop. I substituted one stuffed tomato for the three in the recipe and spooned the rest around the sides.The first night, it lacked flavor and soupy. It really didn't form meatballs at all. around the sides of the zukes, and the meat inside, while firmer, was still too bland. I did not use fresh dill, which could  have contributed lack of flavor but I used an equal amount of fresh thyme. The meat was half turkey, half beef.  On the second night,last night, I added more meat to the sauce, and a lot more of the flavorings, plus chopped kalamata olives. I cut open the zukes, spooned over the sauce, and melted cheese (Italizn mixture)  on top in the microwave right before serving. I served it with garlic naan, TJ's, and it was much better.

I wonder if I mis-measured the rice.  I found some extra in the washing bowl. That would surely account for the soupiness. 

I'm not sure whether I'll make this again or not. If I do it again, I think I will try a half-recipe in a smaller pot. First, I want to check some other stuffed Z recipes for spices. Maybe Turkish.

Banana Blueberry Nut Bread

Banana-Blueberry--Nut Bread

The goal here was a tasty, healthy recipe for breakfast. This was less than successful, in part because it was not cooked through even though a toothpick appeared to come out clean and it appeared done to the touch.  The part I sampled didn't taste as wonderful as my good 'ole Sunset Magazine banana bread recipe that just about everyone enjoys. I attribute that to the healthy addition of light whole wheat flour for  half the flour. I used this recipe because I had a big container of yogurt, not Greek, which is what most baking recipes specify. Might well explain lack of done-ness!

I also added about a cup of large, sweet blueberries and half a cup of toasted, chopped walnuts, not called for in this recipe but I've done it often in the other one .

https://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/classic-banana-bread

I don't recommend it and won't make it again. I might make a half-recipe of banana-blueberry-nut muffins with yogurt just to see if is done and tastes better. If it isn't better than Dave's |killer bread with peanut butter and low sugar fruit spread or a drizzle of honey, there is no reason to make it!

Lemongrass chicken (we have a winner)

I finally found a recipe that works!  Here it is!

https://carlsbadcravings.com/lemongrass-chicken/

I cooked it as described, but I left used ~ 5 Tbsp chopped lemongrass instead of 3, and omitted the chili sauce (because Nadia).