Pizza Dough

Whenever someone asks me, "Is there anything else I can help you with?"  I have been known to respond with, "World peace. A paid off mortgage. A good recipe for pizza crust." I am not sure why that last one has been as elusive as the first two in the list but behold!  I am now on the hunt for a new third thing to need help.

For my 63 birthday, I received a Piezano pizza oven from my wife. The device sits on the countertop and heats itself to 800° F. It should also be stated that most kitchen ovens max out at 500° F. 

With such a hot oven, I suspected a dough needed to be fairly loose ("wet").  I was happy to see the oven also came with a small recipe book.  I was greeted with "Basic Pizza Dough Recipe".  Despite the modest name, it created a crust that was crisp on the outside and tender on the inside. This is a wet dough and therefore feels like a sticky mischievous mess. I found I needed to dust with flour more excessively than I would for say a bread dough recipe.  Enjoy!

Beef Stew

Kathy searched the web for a recipe for beef stew that was intended for the Instant Pot.  Here is the one she settled on from The Salty Marshmallow .  The recipe makes 6good portions, so I had 3 meals of beef stew.  

I like it so much that less than a week later, when we were considering what we could serve for dinner when my parents came over for my mother's birthday, I suggested the beef stew recipe again.  So, for the fourth time in less than a week, I ate beef stew.  Mom and Dad gave their strong approval, which meant this recipe was now destined for the Rumppe Roast Family Recipe Blog.  Even after serving my folks this time, we still have another meal of beef stew...wanna guess what is for dinner tonight?

From cutting board to table it takes about 2 hours.  

Ingredients

• 1 ½ Pounds Beef Stew Meat
• 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
• 1 Teaspoon Salt
• 1 Teaspoon Pepper
• 1 Teaspoon Italian Seasoning
• 2 Tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
• 3 Cloves Garlic, Minced
• 1 Large Onion, Chopped
• 1 16 Ounce Bag Baby Carrots, Cut Into Slices
• 1 Pound Potatoes, Cubed
• 2 ½ Cups Beef Broth
• 1 10 Ounce Can Tomato Sauce
• 2 Tablespoons Wondra Flour
• ½ Cup Water

Rolled Rib Roast with Horseradish and Garlic

Mom would often make this when we had company over.  She found this recipe in a barbecue cookbook and transformed it into a meal prepared in the oven.  We live in Minnesota after all.  The grill is inaccessible for half the the year.  Mom would serve this with baked potatoes, salad and whatever vegetable she happened to find nearby.

If you use too small of a roast, it will likely over-cook.

Ingredients

• ⅓-½ cup prepared horseradish-Mom recently used Reece's Prepared Horseradish
• 1 ½ - 2 Tsp minced garlic
  
• 5-6 lb Rolled Rib Roast

Directions

• Preheat oven to 375° degrees
• Mix the horseradish and garlic together.
• Insert half of the mixture into the cracks and crevices as you are able.  You may also need to insert a blade into the ends to form pockets.
• Spread the remaining mixture on the outside of the roast.
• Insert a meat thermometer into the center of the roast.
• place in a uncovered roasting pan
• Bake until the temperature reads to desired doneness.
• 140° for rare
• 160° medum
• 170° well done.
• Let roast stand 15 minutes before carving.
• Approximately 3-servings per pound.

 

Beef Pot Roast and Gravy ala Instant Pot

I just got an Instant Pot recently, and have found it to be a great tool for making beef pot roast.  There is one noticeable difference between roasting the beef in the oven and browning and cooking it in the Instant Pot, namely, the amount of liquids that remain when cooked in an instant pot is remarkable.  Therefore, a great recipe for beef roast needs to have a great recipe for gravy.  (See below.)

Ingredients:

• 2lb Beef Roast
• Seasoning salt to taste  (I used Tony Chachere's Original Creole Seasoning.)
• Flour
• 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
• 3 carrots cut into three-inch lengths
• 1 stalk celery cut into 3-inch lengths
• 1 medium onion sliced
• 2 cups whole Mushrooms 
• 1/4 cup red wine
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/4 tsp dried thyme
• 2 cups beef stock

Directions:

1. Set the Instant pot to Saute.
2. season the beef on all sides with the season salt.
3. sprinkle beef with flour, (shake off excess)
4. Wait for the pan to get hot.
5. pour in 2 Tbsp oil
6. brown meat on each side, (about 5 minutes per side.) Brown the edges of the roast as best as you can too.
7. remove the roast from the pan
8. place sliced onion into the pan and 1/4 cup of red wine.  Scrap the bottom of the pan to deglaze the pan and get the little brown bits up.  (Those are flavor crystals.)
9. Add carrot, celery, bay leaf, thyme, roast, and 2 cups of beef stock.
10. Close the lid and set Instant Pot to Pressure cook (high pressure) for 60 minutes.

The vegetables are going to give their life for the meat and the broth, they will not be worth eating once the roast is done.  It would be wise to steam some more carrots and some potatoes to have with the meat.  We put the vegetables on about 15 minutes prior to the meat getting done.

When the meat is done, remove from the pan and let rest. 

Gravy:

Ingredients

• 2 cups beef broth (you can also use beef dripping from a roast)
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce (optional)
• 1/4 cup cold water + 3 tablespoons corn starch
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. In a medium sauce pan, bring beef broth to a boil over medium-high heat. Stir in garlic powder, onion powder, and Worcestershire sauce.
2. In a bowl whisk together cold water and corn starch until dissolved. Pour into boiling beef broth and reduce heat to medium-low. Stir until thickened.
3. Season with salt and pepper. Taste, add more salt and pepper if needed. Taste again to make sure it is just right. 

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Chicken and Dumplings

This is the meal I want to have on a Minnesota Snow Day.  I believe this recipe originated from the magazine Everyday Food.  Mom made this recipe for a family gathering recently.  She has made chicken and dumplings in the past for us, but this recipe had a couple of great qualities to it that surpassed the previous recipe.  For one, the dumplings have a soft texture and are less like a biscuit.  The second is the thickened broth, which carries all of the gelatin and flavors of the chicken broth but will leave you knowing you ate something of substance that will keep you sated until tomorrow's breakfast.

Serves: 6-8 (depending on the size of your ladle.)

Ingredients:

• Broth
• 2 lbs Bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (4 to 5)
• 2 tsp kosher salt
• 4 cups water
• Roux
• 4 Tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 yellow onion-diced
• 3 carrots-diced
• 1 celery stalk-diced
• 8 ounces Yukon Gold potatoes-peeled and cut into ½-inch dice.
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• ¼ cup unbleached all-purpose flour
• 3 Tbsp flat-leaf parsley-chopped
• salt and fresh ground pepper (to taste)
• Dumplings
• 1⅔ cups flour
• 1½ tsp salt
• ¾ tsp black pepper
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 3 Tbsp chopped parsley
• 4 Tbsp cold butter
• ¾ cup whole milk
• Garnish
• Parsley
• Lemon Wedges

Directions: 

Make the broth: Within a medium saucepan combine 

• 2 lbs chicken thighs
• 2 tsp kosher salt
• 4 cups water
  
• Bring to a boil, then 
• Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, partially covered until the chicken is cooked-about 20 minutes.
• Transfer chicken to a plate, let cool 10 minutes
• Strain Broth-there should be 4 cups.  If not, add more water.
• Discard skin and bones.
• Shred meat into bite-sized pieces, (there should be about 3 cups).

The Roux

• Melt 4 Tbsp butter in a large pot over medium-high heat.
• Add diced onion, carrots, celery, potatoes, thyme.
• Cook stirring, until the onion is translucent, (3 to 4 minutes). 
• Sprinkle with ¼ cup flour.
• Cook 30 seconds.
• Gradually stir in broth.
• Bring to a boil.
• Reduce heat to medium and simmer two minutes.
• Stir in chicken and 3 Tbsp chopped parsley.
• Season with salt and fresh ground pepper to taste.

The Dumplings

• Whisk together:
• 1⅔ cup flour, 
• 1½ teaspoon salt, 
• ¾ tsp ground pepper, 
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 3 Tbsp chopped parsley
• Cut in 4 Tbsp cold butter.
• Stir in ¾ cup milk until dough holds together.
• Drop 8 heaping spoonfuls of dough on top of chicken mixture.
• Cover and simmer until dumplings are cooked through, about 12 minutes.

Serve with more parsley and a lemon wedge.

Pulled BBQ Beef

This blog is intended to represent a portion of my family's history through the food we make and serve to our friends and loved-ones. I try to be careful when I post to include recipes that have been in the family and are part of our culture.

At my daughter's college graduation party we were interested in serving some kind of a hot sandwich. Sloppy Joes were out of the question, because, well to be frank, I don't much care for them. One of Kathy's work mates suggested the following recipe for pulled beef sandwiches.  The recipe is going to make a lot of sliders so it is perfect for a big gaggle of guests.  When it got my mother-in-law's approval, I knew it would be a recipe we would be making for future family gatherings.

When Kathy told me that it had hamburger in it, I was reluctant to believe what she was told-that the hamburger will not be noticed.  It turns out to be true, you don't notice the hamburger.

INGREDIENTS:

• 6 lb Boneless Chuck Roast
• 1 ½ lb Ground Beef
• 5 oz. Heinz 57 Steak Sauce
• 1 ¾ cup Ketchup
• 18 oz. (2 cups + 2 Tbsp) Ken Davis Original BBQ Sauce.  (Save the rest for later.)

Rib Rub

Without the smoke, bacon would just be fatty, salted pork with lots of gristle.  I got a small electric smoker from my parents a couple of years ago.  Smoking meat not only implies the smell of smoke will be infused in the meat but it also implies the meat will be cooked with low heat for a long period of time and if you are a perfectionist, you are going to use a dry rub on the meat.

Dry rubs provide salt which tenderizes the meat, and some sugar which combines with the fat to produce the "bark".  Barbeque sauce will coat the meat but will not produce the bark, which is the signature of good ribs.  This recipe is based on the recipe from the family of my daughter's boyfriend, Sam.  I like it because the ingredients don't compete with each other. No one ingredient overwhelms the others.

INGREDIENTS:

• ¼ cup brown sugar
• ¼ cup white sugar
• ¼ cup seasoning salt - like Lawrys
• ¼ cup smoked paprika
• 2 Tbsp garlic salt
• 1 Tbsp onion salt
• 1 Tbsp ground black pepper
• 1½ tsp chili powder
• 1½ tsp chipotle chili powder
• 1½ tsp celery salt
• 1½ tsp rubbed sage
• 1 tsp dried mustard
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• ½ tsp ground allspice

This will make more rub than you'll probably need for a single use.  Store the remaining in a air-tight container.

1. Pat meat dry with a paper towel.
2. Remove the thin membrane from concave side of ribs.
3. Liberally sprinkle rub on all faces of the meat.
4. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit for 8-24 hours.

Thin-Crust Pizza

If you think about it, pizza seems so simple. Cover some dough with a tomato sauce, add some mozzarella cheese and a few toppings. How could you go wrong? It is hard to imagine how there can be so much variation from one pizza to the next.

When I am rating pizza, I first consider the crust. I like it thin, crisp on the outside, slight chew on the inside and it needs to support the toppings when held by the crust's edge.) After the crust I consider the sauce. I am a traditionalist and like a tomato sauce. If its too watery, it ruins the crust. Too thick, it is all a person tastes.

That said, this recipe from America's Test Kitchen hit the mark. (Go ahead and check out the 14-day trial--you will want to get the membership once the trial period is up.) The only downside to this crust recipe is the dough needs to proof in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours. The purpose of the long proofing time will be apparent when you first shape the dough. The dough will be flexible and will hold its shape.   Proofing in the refrigerator leads to a more flavorful thinner crust too. The sauce meets all of the requirements I mentioned above. There will be leftover sauce which can be refrigerated for a week or frozen for up to a month.

INGREDIENTS:
Dough

Beau Monde Chicken

When I was about 15 or 16, my Uncle Bill invited me for a winter weekend at his cabin near Outing MN.  His cabin was rustic.  He used an old wood stove for cooking, the table had chrome legs and a vinyl top and the kitchen area was so small you had to step into the living room to change your mind.  

Although the area near his cabin has modernized over the years, at the time, there wasn't much in the way of convenience. The grocery store near the cabin may have been as large as two-car garage and used four shelves to display the variety of food much of which was canned fruits and vegetables.  In other words, if you wanted a nice meal at the cabin, you brought your own food with you.

For this particular night, the meal consisted of roasted chicken seasoned with Beau Monde. Never heard of it?  It is a blend of spices primarily of celery salt, onion salt and salt and is made by Spice Island, (look for glass bottles with beige labels).  He placed the chicken pieces in an old aluminum pie pan and popped it in the wood-heated oven. Bill also served steamed carrots and onions. While we waited for the food to cook, I was offered a shot of blackberry brandy and taught how to lose at cribbage.

There were a number of lessons taught to my young self that night.  

• Delicious food can be prepared very simply
• blackberry brandy is as delicious as cough syrup
• never throw a five into your opponent's crib and 
• vinyl-topped tables stick to your arms when the wood-heated stove is nearby.  

Ingredients:

Chicken (whole or pieces)
Beau Monde Seasoning

Directions:

Preheat oven to 3 oak logs, (or 350˚).
Bake chicken until the breasts register 165˚, thighs and legs can be as high as 175˚, (about 45 minutes.)

Oh My! Leftover Turkey Pot Pie

Mom found this easy recipe in the Parade insert from the local paper.  Dad said it is "a keeper", which only means it ranks above Jell-O and powdered donuts.  (Just kidding, Dad.)

Serves: 4, Prep: 30 Min, Total Time: 1 hr 10 min

INGREDIENTS

• 4 Tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 2 medium carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
• 2 medium sized potatoes, ½ cubes
• 1 rib celery, thinly sliced
• Kosher salt and pepper
• 4 Tbsp all-purpose flour
• 21⁄2 cups chicken or turkey broth, warmed
• 1⁄4 cup heavy cream
• 3⁄4 tsp dried thyme
• 11⁄2 cups cooked, shredded, skinless turkey meat
• 1⁄2 cup frozen peas
• 2 Tbsp chopped parsley
• 1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed
• 1 large egg

Chicken Tenderloins and Mushrooms with Honey Balsamic Glaze

My father will often order Chicken Marsala whenever he sees it on a restaurant's menu.  I've made it for him but have a difficult time finding  Marsala wine at my local liquor store.

Kathy recently purchased a bag of frozen chicken breast tenderloins at Trader Joes.  Never having cooked tenderloins, I recognized them as the long thin flaps that are often found on a boneless chicken breast.  A friend on Facebook posted a recipe for salmon with the glaze recipe below. Consider serving with either rice or Yukon Gold potatoes.I am looking forward to serving this recipe to Dad.  My guess is he will enjoy it.  

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds chicken breast tenderloins
• flour (for dusting)
• Salt and pepper
• Tbsp butter
• Tbsp oil
• Sliced mushrooms

Glaze:

• 3 tablespoons honey
• ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1½ teaspoons sesame seeds

Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas

Jon requested this one.  This was a recipe Kathy would make when the kids were younger and there wasn't a lot of time for cooking. She found the recipe on a packet of Hidden Valley Ranch dressing. There are a few differences between this recipe and the way Kathy prepared it.  The biggest being that she always used the packet of dressing rather than the prepared version.  She also wimps-out on the chilies.

Serves: 4
Prep Time: 25 min.
Cook Time: 20 min.

INGREDIENTS
½ cup Hidden Valley® Original Ranch® Dressing
¼ cup sour cream
1 can (19 ounce) enchilada sauce
1½ cups shredded, Mexican or cheddar cheese divided
2 cups shredded, rotisserie chicken
2 tablespoons diced green chilies rinsed, drained

4 10-inch, flour tortillas warmed

Doc's Chili - It has been doctored a bit

This recipe arrives on the blog by way of The Biggest Loser: 30-Day Jump Start.  With this the third, chili recipe, we now have as many chili recipes as we do banana bread recipes.  Each one has their strengths.  This chili is low in fat, simple to prep, quicker to cook and remarkably flavorful.  Ground turkey is the base of this recipe. If you are not a "ground turkey" person, this recipe may change your mind.  As with all chili, be certain to serve it with hot corn bread.

INGREDIENTS:

• 3 cups yellow onions, chopped
• 1 lb lean ground turkey (or lean turkey sausage)
• 2 tablespoons chili powder (see alternative below)
• 1 tablespoon fresh oregano, chopped or 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground mustard
• ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon (not an ingredient from the original recipe)
• 2 tablespoons garlic, chopped
• 1½cups pinto beans, cooked or 1 (15 ounce) can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
• 1½ cups black beans, cooked or 1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 3 cups diced tomatoes or 1 (28 ounce) can roasted diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1 cup fat free chicken broth
• ¼ cup dark chocolate chips (not an ingredient from the original recipe)
• 1 small can of tomato paste (not an ingredient from the original recipe)

• ½ cup black olives (used as a garnish)
• ½ cup green onions, chopped. (also used as a garnish)

Alternative to chili powder:  

• Seed and slice 2 dried ancho chili pods
• heat the 1 cup chicken broth 
• add sliced pepper pods to hot broth
• Use an immersion blender to create a chili slurry

Shepherd's Pie

Shepherd's pie is traditionally made with lamb.  I am not sure why this recipe calls for either ground turkey or beef but I do know that not everyone is as fond of lamb as I am. Besides, "Turkey Farmer Pie" or (ahem) "Cow Pie" just don't carry the same gastronomic appeal.  I suspect its creation is the result of someone needing to clear out a bunch of leftovers.  Mom told me she adds a couple tablespoons of tomato paste when she uses ground beef.  I will consider including some fresh thyme with the beef version.

Smothered Pork Chops in Onion and Mushroom Gravy

When I was growing up this recipe was a once-a-monther   I think of this classic as a Sunday meal. Given the relatively inexpensive ingredients, the simplicity of the preparation and the heartiness of the meal, it is easy to understand why my Mom turned to this recipe so often.  I suspect my Grandma Dot made pork chops this way for her family so in that sense, it is truly a classic family recipe.  Mom typically serves the meal with steamed red potatoes, peas and apple sauce. Although it can be prepared on the stovetop or in a crockpot,  Mom and I both agree the chops come out better when it is cooked in the oven.

Jan's Spaghetti

My favorite dinner from my youth? No question, Mom's spaghetti with meat sauce.  Note:  Not counting the pets, I grew up in a family of seven.  Mom was great at making large quantities of food.  This recipe produces about 24 servings!  That's right, 24!  Better get a freezer and a number of covered plastic tubs!

Mom served this spaghetti with fresh french bread, a garden salad and a glass of either Merlot or skim milk.

INGREDIENTS

Rick's Good-As-Gold Chili

This recipe was a prize winner at the 1987 Golden Chili Pepper Awards sponsored by the American Spice Trade Association.  An article with more details on Rick Christman can be found here.  The number of spices in this recipe would make it an obvious choice for the Spice Trade Association.  That said, the flavors all blend together well and make this a delicious chili.  It pairs well with corn bread and a chilled chardonnay.

Makes 4 1/2 cups.  Cooking Time: 40 minutes-ish

Sunday Beef Pot Roast

Pot roast is peasant food. It is also comfort food.

A cheap cut of beef, some inexpensive vegetables and a Sunday seems like a perfect combination for pot roast.  My wife, Kathy recently purchased an enamel-coated, cast iron, Dutch oven.  Along with the pot came a recipe for beef pot roast which I used as inspiration for my version of pot roast.  Along with the more traditional ingredients, this recipe also uses crushed tomatoes, sherry, thyme and garlic to create a sauce that is rich with flavor.  Including the prep work and browning this recipe took about 3 hours from browning to table.  The only other thing this recipe could use is a batch of pop-overs.

SERVES 4-6

INGREDIENTS:

Swiss Cheese Chicken

I found this recipe in the newspaper. It had a tasty mix of ingredients.

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, legs or thighs
• 1 jar marinated artichokes, halved
• 1 1/2 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
• 6 slices Swiss cheese
• 1 can cream of chicken soup
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1 package herb stuffing mix
• 1 stick melted butter
• 1/8 cup fresh minced parsley

Moroccan Chicken with Couscous

Because most of this recipe is cooked in a crock pot this recipe is an all-in-one meal. You will find this recipe very rewarding for the amount of effort. It takes about 20 minutes to prepare and 4 or 8 hours to cook. It is healthy and very tasty!

INGREDIENTS: