All posts tagged parmesan

By Jessica | February 27, 2009 | Main Courses, Recipes, Snackin, Salads and Apps | 3 Comments

Pizza is a winner. Especially in BK. Not only do we have great pizza joints but we got italian spots where if you want to make your own damn za, you can buy dough so you dont fuck it up with the rising and the yeasting and the whole tossing and flipping mess. (It’s really not that complicated – it’s just the difference between a 15 minute meal and a 60 minute meal.)

B picked up a ball of dough the other day cause he decided we would go through a pizza phase. I grabbed the red pepper flakes and shat the hell up cause I was ready to get down. We each made a pie, he going for the traditional red sauce, mozz and basil. I went for the what-the-hell-weird-shit-in-my-fridge-can-i bake-on-some-dough. Hence…

Sweet Pea Pizza with Three Cheeses

dough, store bought or homemade.
1.5 c. frozen peas, thawed and relatively dry
.5 c. bleu cheese, crumbled
.5 c. parmesan cheese, thinly sliced (use a veg peeler)
1 c. mozzarella cheese, shredded
olive oil and black pepper to taste
if you aren’t poor like me, truffle oil instead of olive oil to taste
Serves 2.

Turn your oven to 350. When your dough is in a ball, punch it into a thick disk. Then use your fingers to spead the disk out into a flat pizza. And then you do some other stuff. I can’t really explain it, nor do I want to try. Check this.

When your dough is ready, set it on a pizza stone, pizza pan (which is special because of the holes in the bottom) or if you don’t have any of these gadets, an upside down cookie sheet so that there is no rim. Distribute the cheese evenly over the dough, and then the peas. When your oven is nice and hot, slide that bitch in and let it do its thang.

The two sensitive things here are the dough – you need to make sure it is cooked, and the mozz – you need to make sure it is melted, but not brown. Burnt cheese is no good.

When it’s ready – about 10 minutes?, add fresh black pepper and a bit of olive oil. Slice. Eat. Serve with a side of Super Mario Brothers, original edition.

By Jessica | January 21, 2009 | Main Courses, Recipes | 5 Comments

I don’t like pork chops. Something about all that white meat that is far too… meaty for me. I know, I know. You’re like, wtf. This chick writes some bullshit about not liking meat on her own crap site called Go Meat Yourself!? I’m a hypocrite – what can I say? Well, I can say this: pile me up a slab of dark meat; juicy, fatty, tender dark meat (I swear to christ my mouth is watering right now) and I will go to town. But, if I’m trying to please my man in the kitchen – hold up, let me clarify. So, if I’m trying to please my man by COOKING my man what my man likes, and if what he likes is pork chops, baby gonna cook him some pork chops. Baby just gonna have to find a way to hide that shit under a whole lotta flava. So check it. I present to you Parmesan Crusted Pork Chops over a Green Salad with Goat Cheese.

Parmesan Crusted Pork Chops over a Green Salad with Goat Cheese

For the meat:
2 boneless, center-cut pork chops, about 1/2 thick
1/2 fresh large grated parmesan
2 eggs, mixed in a bowl
1 cup of plain bread crumbs
1 tbs dried rosemary
a sprinkle of dried thyme and/or oregano
salt and pepper for taste
oil of choice for frying

For the salad:
Salad greens for two, preferably mesclun
2 stalks of scallion, sliced
some goat cheese to your liking
olive oil
1 lemon, cut in 4

Salt and pepper your pork chops. Put your eggs in a bowl. Mix the bread crumbs and your herbs into a bowl. Coat the chops in the parmesan and make sure it really sticks. Dip the chops in the egg and next in the bread crumbs. Heat a heavy skillet with your fryin oil and drop each chop in when hot. You know its hot enough when you flick a bit of water and it sizzles. Cook for about 5 minutes on either side. Cut into the chop to know its not bloody still and you won’t die or horrific death of trichinosis. While the are cooking up…

Add your salad greens to each plate. Distribute the goat cheese – or if you like, bleu, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Squeeze one quarter of each lemon over each salad. Drizzle with olive oil.

When the porkies are done, place directly on top of the salad. Drizzle some of each of the remaining lemon wedge halves and let sit them sit on the plate for additional squeezing by your eater. (They like to get involved).

This goes well with beer and a side of Family Guy while you eat.

By Jessica | September 23, 2008 | Recipes, Snackin, Salads and Apps | 1 Comment

So, remember when I made the steak with the risotto and y’all got jealous? With the left over risotto, I made some banging balls, in the style of my italian brethren. Next time you’re making risotto, or fug it, rice? Do yourself a flavor and make some leftovers to concoct, what I feel, was a delish bite size side/snack/hors d’oeuvre. Guess what else? There was a special little treat in each and everyone one of them.

First, check this recipe for the leftover risotto.

Risotto Balls Stuffed With Steak

2 cups of cooked and cooled risotto
1/4 grated parmesan
a few inches of cooked and rare steak, chopped (If you aren’t bashful and finished that shiv, you can skip it)
1/4 kalamata olives, roughly chopped
1/8 cup of italian parsley, roughly chopped
pine nuts to your liking
salt and pepper
1 cup of panko flakes
fresh lemon juice for garnish
This makes 15-ish.

Mix all ingredients together except the steak, panko flakes and lemon juice, and form little balls about the size of golf balls. Grab a piece of steak and smoosh it right in the middle. Don’t be scared, this is still fancy. Throw the ball a bit between your hands to form a sweet, sweet roundness. Dredge through the panko flakes which have been salted and peppered. When evenly coated, lay on a cooking sheet lined with parchment paper. Continue to ball till there aint no mo. This should yield about 15. Bake at 300 for 20 minutes. You are looking to heat through, melt the cheese, and crisp the bread crumbs. When done, serve with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.

One other thing, you can obvi make this with any leftover risotto or rice and throw in your favorite ingredients – just make sure they are small pieces. Try asparagus, mushrooms, bacon, shreemps, etc.