Category: Chef Lane

Chef Lane

Pizza Chef Lane

the outside lane

My site stats are pretty funny. Nearly 400 one day, then 32 the next. No consistency whatsoever. Hm. Must be my blog. Ha! See what I did there?

No pictures this time, but I made a very successful meal last night. I got this Calzone Mold from Williams-Sonoma (gift card!) and had to put it to use immediately. I used Pillsbury pizza dough for the pockets, and stuffed them with ricotta, mozzarella, mushrooms, onions, peppers and pepperoni. Baked them for 20 minutes in a 410 degree oven. B actually exclaimed over his. Filling recipe follows:

1/2 cup chopped onions
1/2 cup chopped peppers (red, green, and yellow)
1 small can of sliced mushrooms
3 tbs ricotta
1 cup shredded mozzarella

Sautee onions and peppers (I just sprayed my pan with cooking spray) until tender. Add mushrooms until heated through. Pour into a bowl. Mix in both cheeses. Use to fill calzone pocket, then add sauce and pepperoni to your heart’s content.

Chef Lane

Pastry Chef Lane

the outside lane

I used to be able to make really good biscuits. My grandmother loved them. I haven’t made them in a decade though, and I never really counted that as making bread. No yeast.

I finished reading Mennonite in a Little Black Dress and was inspired to try my hand at baking actual bread. I started with double buns called Zwieback, using a recipe I found on Google. It turned out beautifully and is quite good!

I had dough left over, after making 18 double buns, and I also had some bacon I had intended for meatballs, but I thought, “What could make zwieback even better?” And I got right to it. Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you Zwiebacon:

And in case you wondered, Zwiebacon is insanely good. Delicious. Wonderful. Bacon. Mmmm.

Chef Lane

Successful Chef Lane!

the outside lane

Scored a 10 on tonight’s dinner. I cooked pork chops and a kind of casserole thingy. All family members ate everything.

I started by sauteeing about half a cup of onions and half a cup of carrots in an obscene amount of butter, seasoned with salt, pepper, and thyme.

While that was working, I boiled the egg noodles for my casserole and seasoned my pork chops with salt, pepper and thyme.

When the noodles were finished, I drained them and tossed them in about a 1/2 tbs of olive oil. I poured my carrots and onions into the Le Creuset pot I used for the noodles, and added a can of diced tomatoes (with garlic and basil), 1/2 cup of sour cream, and a cup of shredded cheese. I added the noodles back in and stirred ’em up good.

That went into a 350 degree oven for 20 minutes, the last 15 of which, it shared with half a loaf of garlic bread.

While the casserole was cooking, I pan fried the pork chops in the dregs from the sautee butter, over a medium heat. I had intended to put them in the oven after searing them in the pan, but decided halfway through to just go ahead with the frying.

I’m not good at guessing when meat is finished, so I usually use the cuts that are for Thor or me, and I slice those open to see how I’m doing. I try to leave B’s as intact as possible, since he likes his meat on the rare side. Pictured below is my chop.

B said it was very good, and even ate all the casserole dished out. Thor hasn’t been eating much lately, so we had nearly a whole chop leftover. I’ll use it to make pork fried rice tomorrow. Mmm. My dad didn’t cook often, but he could cook pork fried rice like a champ!

Wait…I don’t have any soy sauce. Weather permitting my trip to the grocery store, I will be cooking pork fried rice. Otherwise, we’ll be having Swedish meatballs.

Chef Lane

Gross Chef Lane

the outside lane

This is probably the most disgusting thing I’ve ever made on purpose, but Thor had asked for and been promised pizza, and I realized I didn’t have one in the freezer. So…

I used the mouth of a glass to cut rounds out of the center of 3 pieces of whole wheat bread. I don’t have a toaster right now, so I broiled them until the top side was just toasted. I only toasted one side.

While my bread was broiling, I took half a Hebrew National, kosher, all beef wiener and sliced it very, very thin, like pepperoni. I nuked those cuts in the microwave for 15 seconds.

Once my bread was out of the oven, I flipped it over to the untoasted side and put about half a tablespoon of spaghetti sauce on each piece, then layered the hotdog slices around, and covered that with cheese. I put it back into the oven to broil for about 2 minutes, letting the cheese get nice and bubbly.

Totally gross, right? But my child liked it.

Earlier, he also enjoyed our homemade popsicles. For these, you will need an ice tray, juice and water, saran wrap, and something to use for handles. Kind of crazily, considering how sharp they are, I chose corn holders. I know. I wasn’t thinking.

I poured half water and half grape juice into my ice tray because I never give Thor whole juice–I always cut it with at least half water. Once the liquid is in, you cover the ice tray tightly with saran wrap, then poke holes through the saran wrap with toothpicks, or sticks, or…corn holders. Stick all that in the freezer until frozen, then, voila! Popsicles.

Chef Lane

Chef Lane: Cold Turkey

the outside lane

Thor was not impressed at all with the Italian Turkeyloaf recipe. I asked him for a face that summed up his feelings, and this was what he gave me.

Prior to that, when I was insisting that he at least try more than the first bite he had put in his mouth, howling before he had even bitten down, “Mama, it tastes baaaad!” I got a picture of his truly sad face. He was grossed out by the meal, as was his father.

B hates meatloaf of any kind. The texture is too weird to him. This was a turkey loaf, so it was especially repugnant. He felt sorry for me, given Thor’s extreme reaction, so he ate most of his serving, but he was obviously sad, too. He said it didn’t taste bad, but he hated the texture and the ketchup sauce on top, and the…he had no words for it, but he kind of mashed the meat around on his plate.

I ate a piece and I liked it. I thought it tasted good.

Thor ended up eating five big bites. Three were required, and then he took two more for a shot at a sugar-free lollipop. That means it didn’t taste that bad. If Thor doesn’t like something, such as the tiny burgers with peas in them, he cannot be enticed into eating it. He will say, “You know what, Mama, I’m not really hungry for ice cream. Or anything at all.”

Anyway, I put the Orange Puree (carrots and sweet potatoes) in this one. B swore he could taste the vegetables, but I’m skeptical. I couldn’t.

If I make this again, I will do it as meatballs or a burger patty. While my guys hate meatloaf, they love the other two. Makes no sense to me, but I’ll go with it.