Stromboli Roll

For some reason this Stromboli reminds me of the creatures from Tremors...Anyways...I love a good stromboli and this meets the criteria. They are really simple and you can fill them with practically anything your heart desires or have in the fridge. There are two forms  of strombolis. Typically the way I do is I roll out the pizza crust into the standard circle , layer all the goods on half of it, fold the other half over and crimp the edges. I felt like changing it up this time and I rolled the pizza dough out into a rectangle and rolled it up. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• Pizza dough, recipe here (or you can use store bough)
• Olive Oil
• Garlic Powder
• Mozzarella cubes
• Assorted Meats (I used pepperoni and sausage)
• Assorted Veggies (I used red pepper and mushrooms)
• Marinara Sauce
• 1 egg, for egg wash

Directions 

Preheat the oven to 400℉. Using a baking sheet, roll the dough out flat in the shape of a large rectangle. Brush with a thin layer of olive oil and lightly sprinkle the garlic powder. You want to keep the ingredients separate and layer them in columns, from left to right, starting with the mozzarella; this helps prevent the cheese from spewing out in the middle of baking (the mozzarella will be the center of the roll).Then order the rest of your ingredients however you like, I ended with pepperoni since that made for a nice top. Gently roll the dough up and tuck in each side underneath itself. Brush the Stromboli roll with egg wash, season with some salt & pepper, then cut a few slits in the top to help the roll breath through the baking process. 

If you are using sausage & peppers, sauté them up together in a sauté pan to cook the sausage and soften the peppers. Let them cool slightly before adding them to the roll. 

CAN YOU FLY SUCKER?!

Take me out the the ball game!

October is one of my favorite times of the year. Not only is it fall, the leaves are changing, wonderful flavors and smells, Halloween, football, usually hockey. But, it's also in the thick of baseball playoffs. So, I figured that this week I would post a recipe in honor of the upcoming World Series. Nothing is more stereotypical and American than baseball and hot dogs. Anytime I ever go to a game, I have to get a hot dog. There is nothing special about them, but for some reason I just need one. I figured just a normal hot dog wouldn't be much fun, since most like you don't need to read up on how to make a hot dog. So, I figured I would post my favorite topping (besides ketchup and mustard) Coney Island Sauce. I'll even throw in a recipe for oven fries. Enjoy!

Coney Island Sauce Ingredients

• 1 ½ pounds ground beef
• 1 pound ground hot dogs
• 4 small onions
• 1 Tablespoon Paprika
• 1 ½ Tablespoon Chile Powder
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• 3 Cups water

Coney Island Sauce Directions

Chop onions fine and sauté in butter then add ground hot dogs and cook until brown. Add hamburger, paprika, Chile powder, and salt and brown. Then add water and cook for 3 hours on low heat.

**Note** This recipe makes a pretty big batch of sauce. It does freeze and heat up quite well. You can either make the whole batch for a large party or size down the recipe. 

Oven Fries Ingredients

• 2.5 lbs baking potatoes
• 1 tsp vegetable oil
• 1 tsp Salt
• 1 tsp Pepper
• 1 tsp Garlic Powder

Oven Fries Directions

Preheat the oven to 400℉. Line a baking sheet with tin foil. Thoroughly scrub potatoes and cut into 1/2 inch thick fries. 

In a bowl toss the cut potatoes in oil, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Place seasoned potatoes on a baking sheet and bake for 30 min until potatoes are tender. Turn the oven on high broil and broil fries until brown and crispy. Flip the fries brown the other side. 

Braided Brioche

I figured since I posted two Chowder recipes, it was time for a bread post. One of my favorite meals in the fall is some homemade soup and a fresh loaf of warm bread. Brioche, over the years, has become one of my favorites. It's just so delicious, buttery, flakey and hearty. It's also very versatile, you can eat it plain or you can use it for sandwiches & french toast (just to name a few). This recipe, as much as I want to call it my own, came from one of my favorite cook books The French Laundry (It's on my store page ⬆). And actually the recipe isn't even Thomas Keller's (Owner of The French Laundry), he got it from Jean-Louis Palladin. Like many recipes in The French Laundry, this recipe takes some time to make. So, if you are making it for a specific event, you will have to start it ahead of time. Also, you don't have to make this braided, I just wanted to do it cause it seemed like fun. You can just toss the loaf in a butter loaf pan, which is what the actual recipe calls for. Enjoy!

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup very warm water (110 degrees to 115 degrees F)
• One 1/4-ounce package active dry yeast (not quick-rising)
• 2 1/3 cups (10 1/2 ounces) cake flour
• 2 cups (10 ounces) all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 2 1/2 teaspoons fine sea salt
• 6 large eggs, at room temperature
• 20 tablespoons (10 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into 1-inch cubes, plus butter for the pans

Directions (In Loaf Pans)

Combine the water and yeast in a small bowl. Let set for 10 minutes, then stir until the yeast is completely dissolved. Set aside.

Sift together the flours, sugar, and salt into the bowl of a mixer fitted with the dough hook. Add the eggs and beat for 1 minute at low speed, scraping down the sides with a rubber spatula as needed. Slowly add the dissolved yeast and continue beating at low speed for 5 minutes. Stop the machine, scrape any dough off the dough hook, and beat for another 5 minutes. Add the butter cubes, about one quarter of them at a time, beating for about 1 minute after each addition. Once all the butter has been added, beat for 10 minutes more, until the dough is smooth and silky.

Transfer the dough (it will be very wet and soft) in a large floured mixing bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Set aside in a warm place until doubled in size, about 3 hours.

Turn the dough out onto a generously floured work surface and gently work the air bubbles out by folding the dough several times while lightly pressing down on it. Return the dough to the bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight.

Generously butter two 8 1/2-by-4 1/2-by-3-inch loaf pans. Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface. With floured hands, divide the dough in half and shape it into two rectangles to fit the loaf pans. Place the dough in the pans and let the dough rise uncovered in a warm place until it is about 1/2 inch above the top of the pans, about 3 hours.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Bake the brioche until it is well browned on top and sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom, 35 to 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and immediately turn the brioche out onto a wire rack.

If using immediately, let the breads cool for 10 minutes, then slice. If serving within a few hours or up to 2 days, promptly wrap the hot bread in aluminum foil and set aside at room temperature until ready to use. To freeze, wrap the hot bread in foil and promptly freeze; when ready to use, reheat (without thawing, and still wrapped in foil) in a 250 degree F oven until heated through, 20 to 25 minutes. The bread can be kept frozen for up to 2 months.

If using the brioche for croutons or bread pudding, let the loaf sit at room temperature, uncovered, to dry for a day.

If you want to do the braided loaf, watch this video . Preheat your oven to 350 and place the braided loaf on a baking sheet and place in oven or preheat a baking stone and just cook the loaf right on the stone. You'll notice in the video, they place the braided loaf into a buttered loaf pan, you can do this as well. Do whatever makes YOU happy :)

Shrimp Chowder

I love a good chowder, this time of year is just perfect for the hearty soup. Not only are they pretty simple to make, but the recipes typically make a lot and feed a lot of people. This recipe would be perfect for a tailgate or just on a cold lazy Sunday. This recipe is essentially a New England Clam Chowder recipe, but I substituted Shrimp. Feel free to experiment with the seafood. If you want a classic chowder, add clams...But, shrimp is fantastic in this, as well as cod. 

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lbs. shrimp, minced
• 2-3 cups bottled clam juice
• 2 bacon slices, minced
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 tsp thyme leaves, chopped
• 1 lb. potatoes, peeled & diced
• 3 cups heavy cream
• 6 tbsp dry sherry
• Salt, to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• Tabasco sauce, to taste
• Worcestershire sauce, to taste

Directions

Cook the bacon slowly in a soup pot over medium heat until lightly crisp, about 8 minutes. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent, about 5-7 minutes. Add the flour and cook over low heat, stirring with a wooden spoon, for 2-3 minutes. 

Whisk in the clam juice, bring to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. The liquid should be the consistency of heavy cream. If it is too thick, add more clam juice to adjust the consistency. Add the bay leaf and fresh thyme. Add the potatoes and simmer until tender, about 15 minutes. 

Meanwhile, place the shrimp and cream in a saucepan and simmer together until the shrimp are cooked, about 5-8 minutes. When the potatoes are tender, add the shrimp and cream to the soup. Simmer for 1-2 minutes. Remove bay leaves and stir in the sherry. Season to taste with salt, pepper, Tabasco, and Worcestershire sauce. Serve in bowls with crackers on the side. Enjoy!