FoodFash

Adventure Begins in the Kitchen

Whooped Pants Pizza

by

There were two things that got me through tonight’s workout at H.E.A.T. Bootcamp:

1.  Meeting Andrea.  When Katie found out I was moving to Austin, she introduced me to Andrea, who had recently moved from Atlanta to Austin, via Facebook.  We’ve been chatting up a storm over the past few months and it was great to finally meet her!

2.  The pre-prepped batch of pizza dough that was waiting for me to cover it with a bunch of goodness when I got home.

I’ve been on this crushed red pepper/sriracha/spicy kick for the past few months, so I couldn’t help but purchase this gynorm jalapeno at the market over the weekend.  I was a tad nervous that fresh japs would be too intense, so I sliced them on the thin side.  It was a good move.

As far as the rest of the toppings go, I brushed the dough with olive oil, topped with sliced tomatoes, portobellos, and the thinly sliced jalapenos.  I brushed everything with olive oil again to ensure nothing turned dry or crispy and baked in a 425 degree oven for 8 minutes.

When the veggies were looking good and wilted, I added fresh mozzarella pearls and baked for another 5-ish minutes until the cheese was melted.  I am a huge fan of cooking with fresh mozzarella, but it tends to release a TON of water when it cooks.  I remedied the soggy situation with a paper towel after baking, but I’m wondering if I should squeeze some of the excess moisture out of the cheese prior to baking next time.

And even though my go-to pizza toppings for the past decade have been spinach and artichokes, I’ll happily push those aside for mushrooms and jalapenos.  Spicy umami is where it’s at!

Go Go Gadget Perfect Sandwich

by

The instant a portobello mushroom sandwich comes into sight when browsing a menu, it’s a deal.  For reasons unknown, I was so intimidated by a homemade portobello steak that I deemed them a treat.

Similar story with roasted tomatoes.  Only recently discovering that I LOVE tomatoes as soon as the tangy funk disappears, I had never tried the roasted version on my own.  Attempting to tackle two unknowns during a one hour lunch break (cut short by the slowest train ever) could have been a tad too aggressive.

I go-go-gatcheted around my kitchen like I was last minute tidying up before a guest arrived.  Adrenaline pumping, stomach growling, clock racing.

I drizzled the tomatoes with olive oil, stuffed with crushed garlic, and sprinkled with salt and pepper.  Likewise, I drizzled the portobello cap with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.  There was no time for slow roasting…  I cranked up the heat to 500 degrees, flipped on convection, and prayed they’d finish before it was time to rush back to the office.

Meanwhile, I mixed mayo, fresh basil, lemon zest, and lemon juice together to mimic this sauce I fell fast in love with during my LA visit.

I slathered one side of homemade ciabatta bread with the mayo mix and covered the other side with baby spinach.  The lemon juice thinned the mayo out quite a bit, so it’s not nearly as coronary clog-esque as it appears!

Even though the veggies had no choice – I was so so late – they were ready.  Phew!  I slapped the sides together and basked in glory.  Did I really just make the sandwich of my dreams at a record pace?

Yes, yes I did.