Common Cuisine |

Here’s a fancy trick I learned recently, for dressing up a salad. Can’t wait to surprise everyone at Thanksgiving (everyone who doesn’t read about it here first, anyway!). These bowls can be made early in the day, and filled at mealtime.

Heat a 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle shredded (not grated) Parmesan cheese into skillet, creating a uniform round shape. Use less cheese around the edges so the sides of the bowl will be more delicate.

Cook until cheese is light golden underneath. Remove from skillet with spatula, and drape, golden side up, over an inverted glass or jar. Gently shape cheese to form a bowl. Allow to cool.

When I first tried this, I thought I had died and gone to heaven. It could easily serve as a main dish, but also makes a great choice for a potluck.

2 Tbsp butter
3 cups elbow macaroni
2 12 oz cans evaporated milk
1/3 cup milk
2 eggs
1/2 tsp seasoned salt
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1 lb (4 cups) shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 lb (2 cups) shredded jack cheese
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 375. In a large pot, cook macaroni to al dente (barely done). Drain, and return to pot; toss with butter.

In a medium bowl, stir together milks and eggs. Add seasoned salt, garlic powder, 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper. In another medium bowl, combine cheeses.

Layer 1/3 of the noodles in a 13″ x 9″ baking dish, cover with 1/3 of the cheese. Repeat two more times with remaining noodles and cheese. Pour milk mixture over all. Sprinkle with paprika.

Bake 35-45 minutes until top is lightly browned. Let sit 10-15 minutes before serving. Serves

In my search for less expensive food, I discovered that I can make pizzeria pizza in my very own kitchen! Not too long ago, I was shopping for an “It’s Not Delivery…” pizza in the freezer section. My family will tolerate freezer pizza only if it is a certain brand. We have our standards, after all.

It so happened that my brand was not on sale that day, and I was outraged at paying $6.89 for one when I normally buy at the sale price of 3 for $10. I thought, surely I can make a pizza from scratch for less than that!

So off I went in search of ingredients. Turns out I was right. For a net price of $5.10 (after dividing out the appropriate percentage of larger packages), I was able to get frozen dough, pizza sauce, shredded mozzarella, pepperoni and canned mushrooms.

Not only that, preparation only took 15 minutes longer than traditional frozen pizza. I just had to set out the dough far enough in advance to thaw. After that, the hardest part was getting the dough to stretch out to the perfect size and shape. I just let it rest while opening up the other ingredients, then came back for more pulling and stretching. The dough eventually came around to my way of thinking.

What I know about authentic pizza is this: the secret of good pizza is to bake it on a stone, with cornmeal to keep it from sticking, and to bake quickly at high heat. I didn’t have cornmeal so I used polenta. I thought it was a little gritty but nobody else noticed.

Despite how beautiful this pizza turned out, the real test was the taste. I had made this as a peace offering for the troops since Mommy was headed out the door for a playdate that night, and I was floored to come home and find not a scrap of it left. Two small children and two grown men with average food intake managed to polish off the entire thing. And to hear them talk about it afterward, apparently I am on to something good. I wish you could have seen the look in their eyes…

I think one could easily make this pizza without a recipe, but here is my formula:

• 1 loaf bread dough

• 1/2 jar pizza sauce
• 8 oz (2 cups) shredded mozzarella cheese
• 3 oz sliced pepperoni
• 2 oz drained canned mushrooms
• 1 Tbsp butter
• garlic salt

Preheat oven to 475. Sprinkle cornmeal on a pizza stone. Stretch out the dough using a combination of pulling, throwing, and rolling pin, until it is just larger than the stone. Tuck the edge under.

Spread pizza sauce on dough, leaving an inch clear around the edge.

Reserve 1/2 cup cheese. Sprinkle remaining cheese on sauce. Arrange toppings over cheese, then top with remainder of cheese.

Melt butter, then brush on edge of crust. Sprinkle garlic salt on buttered area, or over entire pizza if desired.

Bake 15 minutes until top is golden brown and bubbly.

Make sure you lick your fingers for every drop of deliciousness!

This dish can be as everyday as a comforting bowl of chicken noodle soup. Or switch the fillers and presentation to make it company special. Two options are presented below.

SPECIAL: Serves 8

• 1 can cream of chicken soup

• 1 can chicken broth
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
• 8 oz fresh sliced mushrooms
• 2 small fresh zucchini, diced
• 1 can water-packed artichoke hearts, drained and coarsely chopped (optional)
• 4 cups cut-up cooked chicken (about 4 breasts, or 1 whole bird)
• 1 pound whole-wheat rotini, cooked and drained
• 1 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese
• 1 small can french fried onions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a medium bowl, combine soups, pepper, and Parmesan cheese. Place cooked noodles, mushrooms, zucchini, artichokes and chicken in a large bowl. Pour soup mixture over noodle mixture, and gently stir to combine.

Portion into eight individual 2 cup ramekins or oven-proof bowls. Place on a cookie sheet, and bake for 15 minutes until bubbly. Top with shredded cheese and onions, and cook for 5 more minutes.

Serve.

SIMPLIFY: Serves at least 8

• Use any kind of cream soup you have on hand
• Use 2 cups frozen mixed vegetables, instead of mushrooms, zucchini and artichoke hearts
• Use cheddar instead of mozzarella cheese
• Stir everything together and place in 3 qt. casserole dish
• Bake at 400 for 25 minutes. Top with cheese and onions, then serve.

Whether you choose to make this special or simple, your audience will be delighted. May you be empowered to make similar variations to your own favorite recipes!

I recently discovered how much simpler it is to make bread when you make the dough in your bread machine. My machine has me place in all the dry ingredients, then the liquids, and the yeast goes in a handy little spot on the lid. Place the ingredients in the order listed for your machine, and it should still turn out okay.

This recipe takes some waiting, but not a lot of work. Five minutes to measure ingredients into the bread machine, fifteen to work the risen dough into knots, one just before baking to brush on egg wash.

• 3 ½ C bread flour
• 1 ½ tsp sea salt
• 2 tsp sugar
• 1 T olive oil
• 1 ¼ C cold water
• 1 ½ tsp active dry yeast (or 2/3 envelope)
• 1 whole head garlic
• 1 T olive oil
• pinch of sea salt
• extra flour for dusting
• 1 egg, beaten with a pinch of salt, to glaze

In bread machine, layer flour, salt, sugar, 1 Tbsp oil, water, and yeast, in the order recommended by your manufacturer. Set machine to dough mode, and set aside to do its job, about 2 ½ hours.

Meanwhile, preheat oven to 375. Peel outer layers from garlic head, leaving at least one layer around the outer cloves. Wrap entire head in foil and place in oven for about 30 minutes until cloves become soft. Allow to cool.

Pull cloves off the head of garlic, and squeeze the garlic mash into a small bowl. Stir with 1 Tbsp oil until it becomes a paste.

Prepare two baking trays by spraying the bottom of each.

When dough has doubled in size, pull it out of the machine onto a floured surface. Punch down and knead a few times. Divide into twelve pieces. Roll each piece into an 8 inch log. Flatten and spread each piece with garlic paste, then tie it into a knot and set on the baking tray.

Spray a piece of plastic wrap with cooking spray, then cover the first baking tray. Repeat with second tray. Allow to rise at normal room temperature for another 45 minutes.

Preheat oven to 425. Bake for 15 minutes until knots are golden brown and sound hollow when tapped on the bottom. Cool on a wire rack.

Makes 12.

• 1 egg, gently beaten
• ½ C sour cream
• ¼ C milk
• 2 T grated parmesan cheesecake2 tsp minced onion
• ½ tsp salt
• pepper to taste
• 8 oz monterey jack cheese, grated
• 10-oz pkg frozen spinach, cooked and well drained
• 4 oz thin spaghetti, cooked and drained

Preheat oven to 350. In large bowl, combine egg, sour cream, milk, parmesan, onion, salt and pepper. Add cheese and mix well; add spinach. Stir in cooked pasta.

Spread in ungreased 9″ x 9″ pan. Bake, covered, for 15 minutes. Remove cover and bake for 15 minutes more.

Serves 4-6.

Simple to assemble, this recipe doubles easily, and also freezes well.

• ½ pkg large shells (about 18)
• 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
• ½ jar spaghetti sauce
• 2 Tbsp Parmesan cheese

Cook shells according to package directions; drain.

Preheat oven to 350°. Fill each shell with shredded cheese, about 1 Tbsp, and place seam side down in 9″x13″ baking dish.

When dish is full, pour spaghetti sauce over top. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake for 25 minutes until bubbly.

Serves 4 to 6.