Pizza!

The NFL playoffs are upon us (Steelers!!) so I keep seeing all of these pizza commercials.  But, really, there's no need to order pizza when you have this awesome homemade recipe.  If you already have the pizza dough, it only takes about 30 minutes to make the sauce, assemble the pizza, & bake it.  David & I highly recommend some Lagunitas Brown Shugga' beer to go with this pizza or to drink while watching football or to enjoy anytime really.

Homemade Pizza
Adapted from the April 2010 issue of Bon Appetit magazine


~1 pound of pizza dough
2 tablespoons olive oil
12 ounce bag of cherry tomatoes, stemmed
1 garlic clove, chopped 
1/2 teaspoon crushed fennel seeds
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
8 ounces mozzarella, shredded
bunch of basil leaves, ripped into small pieces
salt & pepper, to taste




1.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Lightly coat baking sheet with olive oil.  Roll out dough to fit baking sheet, & shape crust.  Lightly coat dough with olive oil.

2.  Heat olive oil over medium high heat in skillet.  When hot, add tomatoes whole.  Cook until tomatoes start to char & break down.  

3.  Combine cooked tomatoes, fennel seeds, red pepper flakes, garlic, salt, & pepper in bowl.  Stir to combine, & crush tomatoes into coarse chunks.

4.  Sprinkle mozzarella & basil pieces over pizza dough.  Drop spoonfuls of sauce on top of cheese, leaving some cheese uncovered.

5.  Bake for 15-20 minutes.

Serves at least two people (possibly more if you're not as hungry as we were). 

Three Bean Chili

Friday night, I needed a quick entree to bring to a potluck surprise party.  As usual, smittenkitchen.com was one of my first stops to look for a good recipe.  And, also as usual, Deb at Smitten Kitchen never lets me down.  Maybe one day I can be an awesome food blogger like her.

This three bean chili only takes 30 minutes to make & will definitely be added to my list of meals to make when I don't really feel like cooking. 

Three Bean Chili
You can find the original & other awesome recipes at smittenkitchen.com

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 large onion, diced
1 15 ounce can of pinto beans, drained & rinsed
1 15 ounce can of black beans, drained & rinsed
1 15 ounce can of kidney beans, drained & rinsed
1 28 ounce can plus one 15 ounce can diced tomatoes
1 cup water
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa

1/2 teaspoon cayenne
salt and pepper, to taste

1.  Heat vegetable oil in a large pot; add diced onion & saute until browned. 

2.  Add beans, tomatoes, water & spices (including cocoa), & simmer for about 30 minutes or until you're ready to eat, stirring occasionally.

Serves 6-8.