Dining In: Pizza Night

“I would never win an award for not loving pizza.” - Dwayne Johnson

Pizza is something my hubby and I really love. When G posed the idea of making our own pies from scratch, I fell in love with him all over again, LOL. Seriously, it was such a cool weekend activity for us. We created two completely different pizzas, that were both equally delicious.

Today, I’m sharing our homemade pizzas, what we chose for our toppings, and how surprisingly easy it all was!

The dough for our pizzas.

The dough is the most important part, and creates the foundation for your pizza. I suggest preparing your dough either the night before, or the morning of when you’re eating your delicious pizza.

Here is what you’ll need for the crust:

• 3 1/2 to 4 cups bread flour (plus more for rolling)

• 1 teaspoon sugar

• 1 envelope of instant dry yeast

• 2 teaspoons kosher salt

• 1 1/2 cups of hot water

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

Once you combine all of your ingredients in a mixer, oil a glass bowl, and put your dough into it. This will make your dough super easy to get out of the bowl after it rises. Then use saran wrap to cover your bowl tightly with.

With the dough recipe provided above, G and I were able to have enough dough for two personal sized pizzas - approximately 10 inches, which yielded 4 slices each. If you want to make one larger pizza pie, this recipe is perfect!

Pro Tip #1: Your dough should be sticky, and not clumpy or hard. If your mixture doesn't have a sticky texture to it, add additional hot water until it has a better consistency.

The dough and all of the ingredients we selected for our personal pizzas.

Basil pesto + fresh mozzarella

Pepperoni pizza + spicy marinara

Once the dough was ready to go, and formed into molds, we began preparing for our pizzas. We oiled our cast iron pans, and put them into the oven at 500 degrees. Next, G and I gathered our ingredients for our individual pizza, while the cast irons were getting nice and hot in the oven.

G opted for a traditional pepperoni pizza, with a new twist. He added red pepper flakes to his marinara, layered mozzarella cheese on top, and later drizzled honey along with fresh chopped basil on top.

My pizza was a bit more simple. I added fresh basil pesto onto my dough, added mozzarella cheese on top, and cracked black pepper.

Pro tip #2: Once your cast irons are super hot and ready to go, put your dough in first, then layer your preferred ingredients on top. This will give your dough a nice crunch and crust in the cast iron.

Pro tip #3: Use low moisture mozzarella cheese - this is super important! Most mozzarella is high in moisture, and that particular cheese can water log your dough.

The pizzas looking amazing in the 500 degree oven.

Spicy Pepperoni Pizza + Fresh Basil and Hot Honey

Basil Pesto Pizza + Fresh Basil, Oregano, and Black Pepper

Our pizzas turned out amazing! I always had the preconceived notion that making homemade pizza would be super complicated, but I was oh so wrong. We prepped everything well in advance, and gathered all of our ingredients ahead of time to make these delicious pies. G and I will now opt for making pizzas at home, and it’s such a fun date night activity for us - we can’t wait to do this again soon!

XO, Analise

Kitchen Confidential

“Cooking is about passion, so it may look slightly temperamental in a way that it's too assertive to the naked eye.” - Gordon Ramsay

Cooking is one of my passions, and I love sharing my recipes and experiences in the kitchen. Learning new recipes and making some of our traditional family meals are so much fun. I enjoy making dishes that my friends and family will love. Today I’m finally answering a question I get quite often, “What are the essential food items you keep in your kitchen?”

I’m sharing a few of my favorite items that I always keep on hand to make a lot of my home cooked meals.

• Olive Oil: I use olive oil almost daily. It’s great to pair as a dressing with lemon for a light arugula salad. Also, I use it in my marinades for cooking meats, like chicken or steak. I always stock up on this item, and keep it near by when I’m cooking.

• Fresh Produce: I prefer eating and using fresh produce in dishes. We stock up on apples, grapefruit, lemons, limes, tomatoes, and avocados each week. It’s great because a lot of the fruit we purchase are great for snacks or when we’re on-the-go in the morning.

• Spices & Herbs: I cook with a lot of spices and having an amazing collection of this item will be a lifesaver. Lemon Pepper, Black Peppercorn, Sea Salt, Cayenne Pepper, Red Pepper Flakes, Cinnamon, Seasoned Salt, and Paprika, are just of the few spices that I use on a daily basis. Also, having fresh herbs like cilantro and basil is super important too!

• Flour: I love to bake, and during the holiday season, I’m making a lot of desserts for our families. Also, whenever we are in the mood for some amazing comfort food, like my Mom’s delicious Fried Chicken recipe, flour is an absolute must.

• Rice: This is always great to have! You can pair it was a protein like steak, chicken, or shrimp. A favorite of mine is adding a variety of veggies to it as well. Also, if you have soy sauce on hand, you can make a yummy fried rice dish too!

• Eggs: They are perfect when baking or even preparing for brunch on the weekends! Also, I love hard boiling them for a quick snack, especially during the weekdays. This item is packed with a lot of protein, and always great to keep in the fridge.

• Fresh Vegetables: Cucumbers, carrots, arugula, onion, cabbage, mushrooms, jalapenos, and baby broccoli are among the many items we like to keep in the kitchen. They are perfect to add in salads, or a garnish to any dish. I always feel like veggies add a great balance to any meal.

• Bread: We love a great loaf of fresh ciabatta bread! This is something I don’t always have in the kitchen, but when we do, it doesn’t last long. It’s perfect for BLT sandwiches or dipping in balsamic vinegar and olive oil.

• Cheese: Good cheese is hard to come by, and this is definitely a treat we keep on hand. It is great to add into many dishes, or just by itself, with some amazing bread and wine …

• Wine: Speaking of wine! Well, of course I would add this item to the list! I love pairing a glass of wine with a delicious meal, and we are always stocked with some great bottles from our fave wineries or local wine shop!

What are some of the items you keep stocked in your kitchen? Share below!

XO, Analise

Home Cookin'

"I'm not a chef. But I'm passionate about food - the tradition of it, cooking it, and sharing it." - Zac Posen

You guys know I love to cook! So, I am sharing some of the recent, fun recipes we have been cooking up in our kitchen. Experimenting with different dishes, and making our favorites meals is something that I love to do. There is absolutely nothing better then trying something new and falling in love with it!

Do you like creating new meals in the kitchen? Share below!

Scallop Salad - pan seared scallops, garnished with crispy bacon, tomatoes, avocado, arugula, and a lemon olive oil dressing.

This scallop salad is absolutely one of our fave salads and it's super delicious. We love pairing this dish with a glass of Rose, and warm grilled naan!

Pan Fried Oysters - freshly shucked oysters, lightly floured, and fried paired with lemon pepper seasoned french fries. 

As you guys know, fried oysters are one of my favorite things! They are super easy to make too. Gently rinse off the oysters, and season the flour with preferred seasonings. Personally, I use lemon pepper and cayenne pepper. Dip the oysters in egg-wash (water and egg mixture) and dredge them in the seasoned flour. Then fry them in canola oil until they are crispy! I love dipping them in hot sauce - so so good!

Shrimp Salad - lemon pepper shrimp on a bed of arugula, cucumber, red onion, bacon, tomatoes, cilantro and lime and olive oil dressing. 

Much like the scallop salad, this shrimp dish is super light and fresh! I love how filling this is and all of the ingredients really blend well together.

Crispy Chicken Biscuit - panko breaded chicken breast, on a bed of arugula, spicy mayo, and avocado.

What happens when Chick-Fil-A is closed on Sunday? Well you make this awesome sandwich. G and I love spice, so I made a spicy mayo, and added some fresh veggies to brighten up this delicious chicken biscuit!

The Ultimate Nachos -tortilla chips, grilled chicken, bacon, melted and shredded pepper-jack cheese, jalapenos, pickles, peppers, spicy sour cream and fresh homemade guacamole. 

G is really obsessed with nachos and loves when I make them for him. You can make these to share with a bunch of people, or keep it all to yourself!

Cast Iron Steak & Veggies - cast iron steak paired with sauteed baby broccoli and white mushrooms. 

The perfect rib-eye, another of G's top picks to have at home. It's a new favorite for him, and the cast iron is perfect kitchen accessory to achieve the perfect sear on this steak! Fresh sauteed veggies are always a must - baby broccoli and white mushrooms are the perfect compliment to this dish.

What are some of your fave meals to make at home?

Enjoy!

XO, Analise