Buffalo Chicken Pizza

ONE WEEK! ONE WEEK! 

One week until my Hawks play in the SUPER BOWL! Here in Seattle, we're in full-on BEAST MODE. 

I'll be watching the big game at the bar where I watched our last two winning games, in our lucky booth. It's only weird if it doesn't work, right? So I'm getting my football food on leading up to the game. I have a few Super Bowl recipes for you this week, because as you know, one of the best things about football is the food! 

The first recipe I have for you is one of my favorite things ever: buffalo. chicken. pizza. 

You can't have a football game without saucy, spicy chicken wings, right? Well, this pizza has all the gooey, spicy, sweet, chickeny goodness of wings, but without the pesky bones… and with a whole lot of cheese! I like to keep it simple: dough, saucy chicken, cheese. Bake it until bubbly, then drizzle on blue cheese dressing and celery leaves. Get it in your mouth. 

Beast Mode Seahawk-Wing Pizza (AKA: Buffalo Chicken Pizza)

Makes two 12-inch thin crust pizzas

Shredded Buffalo Chicken

3 lbs chicken breasts (about 4 breasts), diced large

2 teaspoons cayenne 

salt & pepper

11 tablespoons butter

1 cup Franks Red Hot sauce

1/4 cup brown sugar

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place chicken in a large baking dish (i.e.: 13x9 pirex), and sprinkle with cayenne, and a large pinch of salt and pepper. Bake for 30 minutes.

While chicken is cooking, melt butter, and whisk together with hot sauce and brown sugar. After chicken has baked for 30 minutes, pull out dish, and pour on sauce. Put back in oven, and bake an additional 15 minutes. Remove and let cool for 10-15 minutes.

To shred, either use two forks, a food processor, or my favorite new trick (from this blog): put chicken and sauce in stand mixer with paddle attachment, and mix on low until chicken is shredded. GENIUS.

Pizzas

1 recipe pizza dough (this is the recipe I use--split the one recipe into two balls/two pizzas)

Cornmeal for pan or peel

1 recipe shredded buffalo chicken, above

3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

1/2 cup blue cheese dressing

Leaves from 2 bunches of celery, chopped

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. If using pizza stone, preheat in oven.

Turn dough ball (half of recipe) out onto a lightly floured surface and pat or roll into a round the size of your pizza stone or baking sheet (potentially rectangle, if using cookie sheet). Transfer crust to a lightly greased pizza pan or pizza peel (or flexible cutting board, which is what I use) dusted with cornmeal. 

Spread with half of chicken mixture, then top with half of cheese. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown and crispy around the edges. Cool for 5 minutes, then top with blue cheese dressing (I add to a sandwich bag, and cut the corner so I can drizzle) and celery leaves. 

Repeat with remaining ingredients for second pizza. 

Whole Wheat Hazelnut & Coconut Sticky Buns

Before I tell you about these amazing sticky buns, I have to throw in a quick little celebratory “GO HAWKS!” We’re Super Bowl bound!! So. Pumped.

You know what else I’m pumped about? THESE STICKY BUNS.

When it comes to sweet rolls, I’m a novice. I’ve only made cinnamon rolls once (actually, a friend made them, I helped), and this was my first time with sticky buns. It’s not that I’m afraid of yeast—I make my own pizza dough all the time. But for some reason, I’ve just never cared about cinnamon rolls or sticky buns. As much as I love baked goods, these have never been my go-to.

But that’s all changing now. These whole wheat sticky buns rocked my world. I mean, aside from the fact that they took an entire freaking day to make. How would you ever serve these for breakfast? I started at like 11AM, and between all the mixing, rising, rolling, rising, baking…I finally had hot baked buns at 3:30PM. All day. 

I saw this recipe in the latest Martha, and for some reason, I just had to make them. But, I’m impulsive, and didn’t check my cupboards before getting started. So I made some changes based on what I had on hand, which I think worked out for the better! Seriously: how can coconut and ground hazelnuts EVER be a bad idea?  Also, I added ground flax seeds, which are full of good-for-you Omega 3s… so this is basically health food. You might as well be eating a filet of grilled salmon, ya know? Add that to the nutty earthiness of whole wheat, and buttery, gooey, not-too-sweet filling... these are insane.

So, the next time you have a full day set aside for a baking project, here’s what you’re gonna do. 

1. Whip up the dough, set it aside to rise.
2. Go to the gym, crank up the CCR (oh, am I the only one who works out to Proud Mary?), and get your work-out on.
3. Roll out the dough, spread it with buttery brown sugar goodness, douse it with coconut and ground nuts, roll and slice. Set aside to rise.
4. Take a nice long shower… you even have time to shave your legs. Throw in some laundry, watch an episode of GIRLS. Preheat the oven.
5. Put the buns in the oven (literally, the buns… in the oven). Watch another episode of GIRLS.
6. Remove buns, cool, eat.

See? That was easy!

Whole Wheat Hazelnut & Coconut Sticky Buns

Adapted from Martha Stewart

Plan ahead, these take several hours and two rounds of rising. You can buy pre-ground flax seeds from Bob's Redmill (at most grocery stores), or grind them yourself. Also, I used hazelnuts, but any nut will work!

Dough

Butter for brushing bowl & cake pan
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 1/4 cups whole-wheat flour
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons ground flax seed
1 1/8 teaspoons active dry yeast
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup warm water
1 egg, beaten

Filling

1 stick unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup packed light-brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
1/3 cup ground hazelnuts (also try pecans, almonds, etc)
1/4 cup unsweetened dessicated coconut (you can also used regular shredded, which will be a bit more moist)

Lightly brush a medium bowl with butter and set aside.

Make the dough: Combine dough ingredients in bowl of stand mixer with dough hook. Mix on medium-low speed (scraping sides and bottom of bowl once) until dough is smooth, about 5 minutes. Transfer dough ball to the buttered bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm place until doubled in size (about 1 -1.5 hours, depending on how warm your house is).

Make the filling: Brush a 9-inch round or 8x8 square cake pan with butter and set aside. Stir together butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt until smooth and fluffy. Spread half of mixture evenly in the bottom of the cake pan.

Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface. Gently roll into a 10x14 inch rectangle. Spread remaining brown sugar/butter mixture on top, leaving a 1/4-inch border on sides. Sprinkle evenly with ground nuts and coconut.

Starting at a long edge, roll up dough like a jelly roll, then cut crosswise into 10 pieces. Place pieces in pan cut-side down, spaced evenly. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until buns are almost doubled in size, about 1 to 1.5 hours.

Preheat oven to 350. Bake until buns are golden brown and filling is bubbling up the sides, about 25 minutes. Let cool in pan on a wire rack for 10-15 minutes. Invert upside down onto a serving plate (hold plate against pan, and carefully flip). Scrape any leftover topping out of pan and onto buns. Serve warm.

Salted Coconut Caramel Yogurt Parfaits

Weddings. Are. Crazy.

The good news is, we've actually knocked a lot of items off the list in only 2 months! We've booked the venue, photographer, caterer, event staff, decorator/florist, and DJ! It's funny, because everyone is telling us we're super on top of things… but then in the same breath, they're saying that if I don't buy my dress yesterday, it'll be too late. Weddings are wacky, ya know? 

Up until very recently I thought I didn't really want to do the whole big wedding hoopla, but then I figured this is the only time in my life where spending a ridiculous sum of money to throw an amazing party for my friends and family is somewhat justified. So we're going for it. The whole shebang. Except, not totally traditional, because we're not. 

I've been getting in wedding shape by doing a lot of lifting. I mean…a lot of lifting a spoon full of salted coconut milk caramel to my mouth. That kind of lifting. 

This caramel sauce is the best. I've been making it for years, since Amanda first discovered the recipe. Just coconut milk, brown sugar, and sea salt, plus a little time standing and stirring. And this yogurt parfait? This is my JAM! I seriously can't get enough of the salty sweet caramel, cool tangy Greek yogurt, crunchy macadamia nuts, and toasty flaked coconut. It's simple enough for an afternoon snack, fancy enough for dessert with guests, and even healthy enough (just…let me do this) for breakfast. You can customize these however you want. Add almonds instead of macadamias. Ice cream instead of yogurt… whatevs. 

Whatever you do, just make this. I'm the bride, so you have to do what I say. That's how it works, right? Right? Crickets. 

Salted Coconut Milk Caramel

From Bon Appetit

1 14-ounce can unsweetened coconut milk, full fat

3/4 cup light brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

Add everything to a large, heavy-bottomed pot, and whisk to combine. Heat over medium until sugar dissolves. Increase heat to medium-high and heat, stirring occasionally, until mixture is reduced and thickened. It will take awhile, put to 30 minutes. Cool completely, and store in an airtight jar. Refrigerate for up to a month. Serve on yogurt parfaits, brownie sundaes, ice cream, a spoon, etc. 

For parfaits, fill a dish with Greek yogurt, then top with caramel sauce, macadamia nuts, and toasted coconut. 

Ground Pork Ramen

Guys, 2014 has been rough! The day after Christmas I came down with the flu, and after a few days of fever and aches and pains, I was left with bronchitis for New Year's Eve. And then, lucky me, that morphed into an awesome sinus infection. 

I was finally starting to feel a bit more like a human, but then, last weekend, we flew to San Francisco for a quick weekend trip that had been booked a month or so ago, and not only did we have horrible travel luck (we had to land in San Jose because of fog, and ended up just renting a car and driving to SF, and had tons of crazy delays), but I had an insane burning in my chest and pressure in my ears, and felt like I was dying the whole time. Literally, I thought to myself "this is what dying feels like." Pro tip: if you have a respiratory infection you shouldn't fly. You will get an ear infection. In both ears. 

So: flu, bronchitis, sinus infection, double ear infection. That's been my last two weeks. Luckily the antibiotics are doing the trick and the pressure in my ears is subsiding enough for me to actually hear, but really, all I want is to stop coughing. If you have any home remedies, send 'em my way, because the cough drops, cough syrup, meds, honey, tea, water, vapor rub… it's not working. I even tried a home remedy I found online: boiled flax seeds, honey, and lemon. It pretty much turns into a snot-like consistency that's terrible and impossible to choke down. 

Needless to say, my appetite has been lousy (but, at least that counter-acts all the laying on the couch I've been doing!). I finally worked up the energy to get up and cook something, and all I could imagine eating was ramen. Traditional ramen, with it's flavorful broth, takes a lot of time to make, but I'm not opposed to quick at-home versions that you can whip up on weeknight. Or a sick night. 

I had a Thai soup recently with ground pork, and I thought that would be awesome in ramen, since I usually just see sliced pork. I ground my own pork, because that's how I do, then just added some aromatics, sesame oil, broth, ramen noodles from a Top Ramen package, bok choy, and a poached egg. Don't skip the egg! When you mix the yolk into the broth it gets all creamy and delicious. Totally worth it.

I'm hoping this soup puts me on the road to wellville, because I can't handle too much more of this crud. This soup, on the other hand…I can handle a whole lot more of this soup!

Ground Pork Ramen

Serves 4

1 lb ground pork

4 garlic cloves, minced

1.5 teaspoons fresh minced ginger

1/4 cup soy sauce

1 teaspoon vinegar

1 tablespoon sesame oil

6 cups low sodium chicken broth

Salt & pepper

2 packages of ramen noodles, seasoning packet removed (toss it)

4 eggs

2 baby bok choy, sliced

2 green onions, sliced

Sriracha or hot sauce of choice

Black sesame seeds

Put pork in a large bowl, and stir in garlic, ginger, soy sauce, and vinegar. 

In a large pot, heat sesame oil over medium, and add pork. Cook until done. Add chicken broth, and bring to a boil. Boil for a minute, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer. Taste, and add salt and pepper as needed. 

While soup is simmering, in a separate pot, cook noodles according to package, drain, and add to each serving bowl. 

Poach eggs. You can do this in a separate pot of simmering water, or you can poach them in the simmering broth (it will be a bit more difficult to scoop them out, with the pork in there, but it's easy enough. Just crack each egg into a dish, and gently lower into the broth. Let cook a couple of minutes, then remove with a slotted spoon, and put an egg in each bowl, on top of noodles. 

Divide bok choy among bowls, and then ladle on pork and broth. Top with green onions, sesame seeds, and serve with hot sauce.

Pigs 'n a Blanket with Grilled Onion Cream Cheese Dip

In Chicago you have your sport peppers, relish, and celery salt. In the south you have coleslaw. In New York, you have mustard (and you better not ask for ketchup). Here in Seattle, we have grilled onions and cream cheese. I'm talking about hot dogs, and I think our Seattle dog pretty much can't be beat. 

Every hot dog cart in Seattle serves up a variation on the Seattle dog. Some people like a polish sausage, others get a veggie dog. Sometimes you add sriracha or jalapeños. If you're smart, you add mustard. But you always, ALWAYS add cream cheese and grilled onions. 

And what better time to get your hot dog on than the Super Bowl!? This recipe is super fun, especially if you're a Seahawks fan! I'm hoping we beat the Broncos so bad that they'll be running back to their mommies, asking for their blankies… so I made baby broncos in blankies, Seattle dog style! 

Basically, we have pigs in a mustard-brushed puff pastry blanket, with a grilled onion, jalapeño, cream cheese dip, plus a little sriracha on the side. These little piggies are also fun on their own, and the dip is great with crackers or chips. 

Just plan ahead, there's a bit of prep work, but nothing too crazy. The store-bought puff pastry has to thaw (it takes about 45 minutes), and the onions take about the same amount of time to caramelize and cool. I used all-beef lil' smokies, and Aidell's chicken and pineapple mini sausages, but you could also use full size sausages and cut them in quarters.

Pigs 'n a Blanket with Grilled Onion Cream Cheese Dip (AKA Cry Baby Broncos in a Blankie, Seattle Dog Style)

Grilled Onion Cream Cheese Dip

1.5 large sweet onions, diced small

2 tablespoons butter

salt & pepper

1 8oz package cream cheese, room temperature

1 cup sour cream

Pinch granulated garlic

1 cup finely grated parmesan cheese

1 small can chopped jalapeños (optional)

In a large, heavy bottomed skillet, heat butter over medium heat. Add onions, and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until onions start to brown. Turn heat to medium low, and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until onions are brown and caramelized, but not burnt, about 30 minutes. Add a bit of salt and pepper, to taste. Remove from stovetop and cool to room temp. 

Mix together cream cheese and sour cream, and add cooled onions. Add garlic and parmesan, and if needed, salt and pepper to taste. Add as much jalapeños as desired (or none at all, or do as I did, and split into two batches, one with peppers, one without. Chill until ready to serve. 

Broncos in a Blankie

Adapted from this recipe

1.5 packages (about 48) mini hot dogs / lil smokies

Flour, for work surface

1 box (17.5 ounce) frozen puff pastry (thawed according to package instructions)

2 tablespoons mustard (of your choice) plus water for thinning

Sriracha & Dip, for serving

Using a fork, poke a few holes in hot dogs, and set aside.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees, and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper (or cooking spray). 

On a lightly floured surface, roll one thawed, unfolded puff pastry into a 14x11 inch rectangle. Add mustard to a small dish, and whisk a splash of water in to thin it enough to brunch. Brush onto puff pastry. Cut lengthwise into six strips, then cut each strip crosswise into 4 rectangles (so, you should have 24 strips). Place a hot dog on the narrow end of each pastry strip, and roll up. The mustard should help seal the edge. Transfer to baking sheet, and repeat with remaining dogs and 2nd sheet of puff pastry. 

Bake until puffed and golden, about 15 minutes. Serve with grilled onion cream cheese dip and sriracha. 

Southwest Cashew Cream

It's 2014, and I don't know about you, but I'm ready for some fresh, healthy, whole foods. 

So, my first post of the year is something I've been thinking about for a long time, but never made until now: cashew cream sauce! Cashew cream is a perfect dairy substitute if you're vegan or trying to cut back on dairy, but it's amazing even if you have no dairy aversions. It's smooth, rich, and creamy in way that sour cream or heavy cream isn't, and damn, it's good. Be warned: cashews aren't low fat, but healthy eating for me is about good-for-you natural fats. Get on it!

This sauce is pretty simple and mega flavorful, and goes great on everything from taco salads to brown rice to roasted veggies, or even as a dip for chips or carrots and celery. Also, it's 2014, and we're going to start this new year out by trying new things and having fun in the kitchen. So cashew cream it is! 

Plan ahead, the cashews need to soak over night. And, if you don't have a high-powered blender like a Vitamix (which, side-note, I bought with a year's worth of stored up credit card points and I'm obsessed with), then just blend a bit longer, or potentially even try to strain through a fine mesh sieve (it might be a tad grainy with a lower-powered blender). 

Southwest Cashew Cream Sauce

1 cups cashews

Water

1 tablespoon nutritional yeast flakes

1.5 teaspoons ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon chili powder 

Pinch cayenne

1 garlic clove
juice from half a lime

Heavy pinch sea salt

Cover cashews in water and soak overnight. Drain and rinse.

Add cashews to blender, and add just enough fresh water to come to the top of the nuts, but not cover them. Blend until nuts break down, and then blend another minute or two until smooth and creamy. If too thick, add a tad more water. Add remaining ingredients, and blend another minute. Taste, and add more salt as needed.

Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.