“Whateva you got” Pizza

Absolutely necessary ingredients:
Bread (either pita bread or a sandwich wrap)
Tomato sauce
Cheese (any kind)
Random toppings

Fantasy ingredients:
Whole wheat sandwich wrap bread
Roasted Garlic Marinara Sauce
Mozzarella
Kalimata olives
Baby portabella mushrooms
Fresh basil leaves
Onions
Green peppers
Zucchini

I’m guessing an elaborate ‘how to’ explanation is unnecessary.


Now I must admit; this is not a new idea. If we were to go back and find the historical founder of ‘Whateva you got” pizza it would probably be a desperate college student stuck inside during a snow day with no hope for a pizza delivery.
Another confession: I am not even the master of ‘whateva you got’ pizza. I think that title belongs to my crafty sister, Simone, who has given me a whole new take on pita bread.


However, I have been emboldened to write about this perhaps familiar meal because I have been eating so much of it on my new student regime. I even used turkey bacon as a topping the other day - I was a little disappointed. Hopefully by mentioning it I am jogging your memories. This will have one of two effects: 1) you will be so grateful to me for having reminded you of this long-forgotten option on those nights you don’t feel like whipping up a real meal; or 2) you will be filled with relief that you are past the ‘whateva you got’ pizza phase of life and feel infinite amounts of pity for me. Either way, I’m doing you a favor.

New from Studio 33

Now that I’ve moved to Pittsburgh and am enjoying/wallowing in my sudden abundance of ‘alone time’ and ‘private space’ that do not exist in Senegal, I feel it is time to contribute to this long-neglected blog. After living rather lavishly in a rooftop paradise in Dakar, I am now in the petit Studio 33, small by comparison to my Dakar digs, but pretty lofty by New York standards. My tiny kitchen has room for one and it’s just as well, as I am cooking only for one these days. Hopefully there will be two of us here come January.

Studio 33 just so happens to be strategically placed within walking distance to Giant Eagle (local supermarket chain), Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods as well as a handful of small specialty food boutiques. All of this means more exciting meals for me and scrumptious blog posts for you.

I hope your mouths are watering in anticipation of the gastronomic goodness I am about to share.

Lemon rubbed Chicken with Mushrooms & Asparagus

Ingredients:

Chicken breasts

Fresh asparagus

Baby portabella mushrooms (sliced)

Cherry Tomatoes (sliced in half)

Teaspoon of minced garlic

Half of a juicy lemon

Salt and pepper to taste

Cut the chicken breasts and half and place in a bowl. Rub in salt, pepper, minced garlic and lemon juice. Place on greased sauce pan with sliced cherry tomatoes and mushrooms. Cover and let simmer until chicken is cooked.  Add fresh asparagus and let simmer for 3 more minutes or until asparagus is bright green. Add water as needed for steam effect. Add a salad topped with a dollop of humus and enjoy!

Salmon, Scallops and Spinach, Oh My!

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General Notes on My Recipes: Portion sizes are generally for one or two (multiply as necessary); measuring is rarely exact (taste it or eye ball it); ingredients can always be exchanged for what you prefer or what you have (be creative); don't be mad at me if it didn't turn out right (you made it, not me!).

Salmon over Sauteed Scallops and Vegetables in Balsamic Vinaigrette

Salmon:
Turn the oven on broil. Coat your piece(s) of salmon in olive oil, salt, pepper and garlic powder. Broil the fish until browned and looking good enough to eat.

Balsamic Vinaigrette:
Whisk together olive oil, balsamic vinegar and chardonnay (or other white wine). Sorry no measurements but make enough to cover your veggies and fish and use more wine than anything. :)

Scallops and Veggies:
Roughly chop up one medium red bell pepper. Slice half a medium yellow onion into rings, and then slice in half. Slice up a handful of small to medium sized portabella mushrooms.

Heat a pan up, add olive oil, keep the heat on medium. Add the bell pepper, onion, mushroom, and scallops to the pan and allow to cook through. Add two fistfuls of spinach to the pan and allow it to wilt. Take the pan off the stove and pour out excess liquid. Pour in vinaigrette and season everything with salt (not a lot) and pepper.


Spoon the scallop and vegetable mixture onto your plate. Place the salmon on top. Pour warmed vinaigrette over everything. Grate lots of Romano cheese over the dish. I also think some warm crusty bread for sopping might be appropriate with this.

Food and Friends

So last Wednesday or maybe it was Thursday, I made this excellent mac and cheese recipe. Honestly, it was out of this world. Since Ejim doesn't like mac and cheese, I was sad that I had no one to share this little taste of goodness with. Then I came up with the idea of having a blog to share yummy recipes and the stories about them.

To be happy, one needs both good friends and good food. So cheers to both and Enjoy!

Andrea's end of the summer yummiest Mac and gooey mozzarella Cheese

Ingredients
1 box of elbow pasta, cooked al dente
Handful of cheery tomatoes, halved
1 cup chopped onion
10 slices of bacon, diced
¼ cup fresh basil leaves, chopped
1 cup white wine
1 egg
1/2 cup flour
½ cup sour cream
1/2 cup Olive Oil
One bag of shredded mozzarella cheese
A large square of fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced
A bit of kosher salt and cracked pepper
Lots of dashes of Hot Sauce

Directions
Heat oven to 375 F

Sautee onion, bacon and some olive oil till the bacon is a bit crispy. Stir in white wine and flour, and let simmer for 10 minutes. Add all remaining ingredients except the cheese and pasta, stir until creamy. Add pasta and shredded mozzarella; stir until the cheese is completely melted. Transfer the dish into a round cake pan. Add layers of sliced mozzarella cheese to the top of the pasta. Sprinkle some left over basil and hot sauce on the top of the dish.Bake until the cheese is a little bit brown, about 40 minutes.