Proud Patty’s Thai Chicken Salad

Like a lingering, loving hug that’s long overdue, an out of the blue homemade meal can touch a person in a deep way. That may seem overly emotional to someone who has homemade meals cooked for them every day, but for people who are ALWAYS doing the cooking for others…au contraire!

Case in point: Several weeks ago I was pet sitting for my Aunt Patty. While perusing Patty’s cookbooks I decided to surprise her the day she arrived back home with an early dinner, by preparing one of the recipes from her “Home Cooking with Trisha Yearwood” cookbook.

I called Patty several hours before her arrival time to make sure she did not have others plans scheduled for the day. She didn’t. When I told her I wanted to fix dinner for her I could hear in her voice that she was thrilled with the idea. And I could hear in her voice that side of her that is incredibly proud—that proud side that comes from being the ever-gracious matriarch who is always doing everything for everyone else.

“Oh, Jett, you really don’t have to fix me dinner.”

“I know, but I want to.”

“Are you sure? You have so many things to do.”

“Of course I’m sure. I found a recipe from your Trisha Yearwood cookbook that looks reeeaaallly gooooood. It reminds me of the Grilled Chicken Salad we get when we go to Houston’s, which we haven’t had in a long time.”

“Ooooooh. That is a great salad. And you’re sure it’s not too much trouble?”

“Yup.”

“GUUURRRLLL! I’D LOVE TO HAVE YOU COOK FOR ME!” *insert a happy squeal here*

Proud Patty needs to be delicately approached when it comes to being pampered. Once she’s certain someone is not having to go out of their way to do something nice for her she’s all game and all excited.

By the time Patty made it home I was chopping vegetables. Patty rolled her suitcase in the kitchen, stopped, and said, pointing and waving her index finger, “I am going to put some comfy clothes on and then pour us some wine!!!”

While I finished putting the salad together, Patty sat at the kitchen island and watched and asked questions about the recipe and filled me in on family happenings. I could tell she was completely content, happy to have the company, and glad she didn’t have to think about dinner for herself that night. It was the perfect surprise for her after her long week of traveling, and I am so glad it worked out that I was able to fix dinner for her and we were able to share a meal. And it reminded me that I need to cook for others more often.

Since the recipe came from Trisha Yearwood’s cookbook I cued up a couple of her songs. One of them, “How Do I Live,” follows the recipe. Patty did not know that Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood have a home in Oklahoma, not too far from where Patty and I were born and raised in Kansas. Patty said she loved her cookbook that much more from learning that little tidbit about Trisha and Garth. I love how associations affect how we feel about certain things.

Here’s the recipe—Ty’s Thai Salad—from the cookbook “Home Cooking with Trisha Yearwood: Stories and Recipes to Share with Family and Friends.” Click on photos to enlarge.

From now on whenever I make this salad I’ll refer to it as Proud Patty’s Thai Chicken Salad. That woman’s a gem, and I love her so much.

Ty’s Thai Salad

1 head Napa cabbage, shredded

1 head red cabbage, shredded

1 large cucumber, julienned

4 green onions, finely diced

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked, chilled, and thinly sliced | Note: I bought 1 rotisserie chicken and then shredded the meat

1 (10-ounce) bag shelled edamame, cooked

2 carrots, peeled and grated

Sweet Lime Cilantro dressing | Note: I purchased an Asian Sesame Ginger dressing

1 avocado, pitted, peeled and sliced

Sweet Lime-Cilantro Dressing

2 cups olive oil

Juice of 2 limes

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 ½ cups finely chopped fresh cilantro

1 cup sugar

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon pepper

How to prepare:

Ingredients

In a large serving bowl or on a large platter, combine the napa cabbage, red cabbage, cucumber, green onions…

Shredded Rotisserie Chicken

…chicken…

Edamame

…edamame…

Shredded Carrot

…and carrots. Top salad with some of the Sweet Lime Cilantro Dressing and then avocado slices. Just before eating, top with…

Crispy Wontons

…crispy wontons. To make crispy wontons: cut some wonton wrappers into strips, and fry strips, in batches, in hot vegetable oil (375 degrees) until lightly browned. Drain on paper towels.

Thai Salad

This Thai Chicken Salad brings together complementary flavors and offers great textures. The crispy wontons are a must!

Note: To make Sweet Lime-Cilantro Dressing: Place all ingredients in a blender, and blend until smooth.

As of Tomorrow…

…My poor neglected blog (http://brigettebrugada.wordpress.com/) will be resurrected and hopefully switched over to its new name (http://dancewithdelicious.wordpress.com/). I am currently experiencing WordPress issues and unable to contact the Happiness Engineers as they are off on a retreat. We’ll see what happens tomorrow when they return.

I am also switching the theme of my blog from a mostly food blog to a food + music blog. If you’ve followed me on Twitter for awhile you know that food and music are two of my passions. It makes perfect sense to bring them together here. I’ll now be including a song or two (from any given genre) to accompany recipe posts. I know many of you agree with me on the thought that pairing food and music can be as important as pairing food and wine, so this new blog theme is going to be a fun adventure with some surprises thrown in here and there.

If you have any recipe or song requests, just let me know. I’ll be happy to write a post for you.

Food is music to the body, music is food to the heart. ~Gregory David Roberts

Not Pretty, but Pretty Good: Corn-Tortilla and Egg Scramble

I don’t think there’s any way to make a scrambled egg dish look pretty . . . But, now that I think about it, if you add dainty leaves of parsley, for garnish, that would definitely spruce up a scrambled egg dish. Parsley aesthetically enhances any food dish! I bet if I put a sprig of parsley in my hair it would make ME look better.

I contemplated whether or not to even do a blog post on this dish because it’s so simple, but it’s easy to prepare and tasty. When crunched for time and unable to sit and truly enjoy my food, I’d much rather make a good and quick dish at home than get fast food at a drive thru. I know many people who feel the same way; people who get frustrated with the amount of time it can take to prepare a home-cooked meal. This dish takes 20 minutes to prepare. Plus it only requires nine ingredients, most of which should be in every kitchen that is stocked with basics. I had to buy corn tortillas, a poblano chile and a tomato. I found this recipe last night while perusing the September 2010 issue of Everyday Food, a Martha Stewart magazine. Here’s the recipe broken down in steps with pictures.

Note: I cut the ingredients down since I was cooking for myself, but the measurements below are from the actual recipe, which serves 4.

If you want to get a better picture, click open the photos.

Ingredients

Corn-Tortilla and Egg Scramble

Heat 3 tablespoons vegetable oil in a large nonstick skillet that is set over medium-high heat. Add 6 corn tortillas, torn into small pieces (I just cut mine into triangles), and cook, stirring and turning frequently, until golden and crisp, about 6 minutes.

Tortillas Frying

With a slotted spoon, transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Discard all but 2 teapoons oil from skillet.

Fried Tortillas

Add 1/2 white onion, diced small (1 cup), and 1 large poblano chile, seeded and diced small (1 cup); cook until onion is soft, about 5 minutes. Note: The smell of the poblano chile cooking is intoxicating, and it will perk you right up.

Onion and Pepper

Add 1 medium tomato, diced small (1 cup); cook until it begins to break down, 2 to 3 minutes. Season with coarse salt and ground black pepper.

Onion, Pepper and Tomato

Add 8 large eggs (lightly beaten), fried tortillas, and 1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese (2 ounces); cook, stirring constantly, until eggs are set, about 3 minutes. Serve with salsa or hot sauce if desired.

Corn-Tortilla and Egg Scramble

That’s it. A CLAP-CLAP-CLAP, blink-and-it’s-done dish. That Martha; gotta love her.

If you like tortilla chips and salsa make your own chips by cutting and frying corn tortillas, like in this recipe. After you remove the fried tortillas from the skillet and place them on a paper towel-lined plate sprinkle them with salt while they’re still warm. They’re the best.

Enjoy!

You Little Devil: The Egg

Deviled Eggs

I know. I know. Eggs may not seem like the most exciting thing to read about, especially with the recent egg recall, but I feel they deserve some respect. If you really think about it you may agree with me that eggs are wondrous.

Besides the age-old question of “What came first, the chicken or the egg?” the egg has been held in high regard for many centuries. It has been seen, by many, as a symbol of fertility and new life. Eggs are props for a variety of traditional games, from Germany’s Egg Dance to England’s Egg Tapping. And there is the famous and opulent Fabergé egg—many actually—that were made by the House of Fabergé.

In the culinary sense, the versatile egg is a must have ingredient in a multitude of dishes. Eggs take the spotlight in classic dishes like croque madame, eggs Benedict, egg in the basket, and the Scotch egg. In dishes like French toast and Caesar salad, and too-many-to-count cakes and cookies, the humble egg is happy to lay low.

When I think about how often I eat eggs I realize that it’s just about every day, in some way, shape or form. Today I was craving deviled eggs. They’re easy to make and tasty and completely addictive, thus, “You Little Devil.” The recipe is below, but first, I have to share one of my favorite egg rituals. Whenever I cook with eggs I cannot help but sing the intro song to Green Eggs and Ham (Dr. Seuss). If you’ve seen the animated television classic you will completely understand why I do this. It’s fun! I tried finding a YouTube video but no luck.

Green Eggs and Ham (intro song)

Ohhhhh, I frequently think every now and then,

of the glorious fruit of the noble hen,

EGGS! EGGS! E double-G, S-eggs.

My knowledge of eggs is tremendously wide,

I’ve eaten them boiled, I’ve eaten them fried,

poached and shirred and deviled and scrambled,

hummeled and shmummeled, cuddled, and frammeled.

I’ve eaten them beaten and swizzled and swuzzled,

frizzled, cadizzled, bamboozled, and fuzzled.

I know every way that an egg can be guzzled,

and thinking of eggs . . .

reminds me of Sam . . .

whose favorite dish . . .

is . . .

green eggs and ham.

Super Simple Deviled Eggs

Ingredients

•  6 hard-cooked eggs
• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
• ½ to 1 teaspoon prepared mustard
• 1 teaspoon white vinegar
• ½ teaspoon sugar
• ½ teaspoon salt
• Paprika

Preparation

Slice hard-cooked eggs in half, lengthwise, then remove yolks. Place yolks in a bowl then mash with a fork. Add mayonnaise, mustard, vinegar, sugar and salt to bowl with yolks; mash and mix until combined. Spoon yolk mixture into egg white hollows. Sprinkle with paprika. SERVES 2-3

In Love, with Lentils

Lentils

Considering I’ve only consumed lentils a handful of times in my life, saying that I am in love with lentils is a pretty big statement, but it’s true.

The first time I ever laid eyes on lentils, many years ago, I was with a particular group of friends who were—and I assume still are—über natural food eaters. We were a hodgepodge group that enjoyed the art of song and dance: a couple of people were full-blown dumpster-diving hippies, some people were business professionals making a lot of money by day and moonlighting as hippies by night, and some people, like me, were happy-go-lucky gals and guys finding and feeling their way in the world.

Anyway, after one of our outings we decide to stop off for a bite to eat and ended up at an organic restaurant. Someone ordered a lentil dish then offered me a bite. Looking at the brown mushy discs on the plate I immediately responded along the lines of, “Sure, whatever . . . Uh huh, yeah . . . Right . . . NO THANKS!” Several years would pass before I had my first bite of the obscure legume known as the lentil.

It was at Pita Jungle. Again, I was with someone who ordered a lentil dish then offered me a bite. The dish he ordered was Lentil Fetoosh Salad, which is still on the menu today: lentils and rice cooked with caramelized onions, over mixed greens, tomatoes, cucumbers, red onions, pita chips and lemon vinaigrette. That day, my taste buds made some new friends.

Since then I’ve found a savory-licious lentil and sausage soup recipe from The Dutch Oven Cookbook: Recipes for the Best Pot in Your Kitchen by Sharon Kramis and Julie Kramis-Hearne. I’ve adapted the recipe to my liking, and it has become my go-to lentil dish. It never lets me down. Every time I eat it I ask myself—head cocked like a dog—“Why do I not eat more lentils?”

Lentils absorb and complement a variety of other foods and seasonings and are filling. They’re also rich in dietary fiber and a good source of iron.

Here’s the recipe, with photos following. Serve with Italian bread, which is great for mopping your bowl. Lentil and sausage soup will warm your belly on a chilly night; I promise.

Lentil and Sausage Soup

Ingredients

• 1 cup dried lentils, picked through and rinsed
• 8 cups chicken broth
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
• 2 small garlic cloves, minced
• ½ medium-sized onion, chopped
• 2 large carrots, peeled, cut in half lengthwise then sliced crosswise into pieces
• 2 stalks celery, cut in half lengthwise then sliced crosswise into pieces
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 (14 ounce) package smoked sausage, halved lengthwise then cut crosswise, diagonally into ½-inch slices
• Salt and black pepper, to taste

Preparation

1. Add lentils, chicken broth, undrained tomatoes, garlic, onion, carrots, celery and bay leaf to a Dutch oven; bring to a simmer. Cook, uncovered, for 45 minutes.
2. Add sliced smoked sausage to Dutch oven, stir then cook for about 10 minutes or until sausage is heated through.
3. Remove bay leaf and discard, season soup with salt and black pepper then serve.
4. SERVES 6-8

Lentils and Such

Lentil and Sausage Soup

“Opa!” Cincinnati Chili: Five-Way

The first time I learned about Cincinnati Chili I was both visually and mentally put off. It looks like spaghetti topped with meat sauce, cheese, onions and kidney beans, and some of the ingredients include allspice, cinnamon, cloves, cocoa powder and nutmeg. That is a lot to take in when you are only used to a) basic spaghetti and meat sauce and b) chili that usually comes in a bowl with crackers on the side.

After more research, I discovered that Cincinnati Chili was created by immigrant restaurateur Tom Kiradjieff, a Macedonian immigrant who ran a hot dog stand in Cincinnati in the 1920s. While crafting a sauce to serve atop his hot dogs Tom added the flavors of Greece, by way of spices, and “Opa!” Cincinnati Chili was born.

Knowing this made it easier for me to embrace Cincinnati Chili. I appreciate foods from different cultures; I just needed to know the “Why?” behind the flavoring in this dish. While I prepared my Cincinnati Chili I listened to Ο χορός τών άστρων by Elli Paspala. I have no idea what the lyrics mean but it was a great song to cook to for inspiration.

I was skeptical about this dish from the get go. While the aroma of the married spices were wafting in the air I let out a Marge Simpson groan because I still could not imagine the flavor atop spaghetti, mingled with the other ingredients. And I proved myself wrong once again. The aroma is indeed strong but the flavor of the meat sauce is incredibly rich and balanced.

I’m not sure if the layering I used is correct, because I found several recipes that varied. Also, after looking at several Cincinnati Chili photos I obviously went light on the toppings. The Cincinnati Chili recipe I followed is from Saveur. And Cincinnati Chili is generally served with oyster crackers.

Before I started cooking my Cincinnati Chili I called my sister to tell her about the recipe—she likes to cook as well—and she said, “That does not sound very appetizing.” Now I am going to call her and describe, in detail, how delicious it is, and she’s going to say, “Oooooo, I want the recipe!”

Cincinnati Chili:

Spaghetti

Cincinnati Chili: Two Way

Cincinnati Chili: Three-Way

Cincinnati Chili: Four-Way

Cincinnati Chili: Five-Way

Getting Breakfasted

Buttermilk Biscuits and Sausage Studded Gravy

I love breakfast foods. From moist, soft scrambled eggs served with slightly crisped bacon and hash browns to flaky buttermilk biscuits coated with rich, creamy, sausage studded gravy, breakfast, for me, is an extra special meal. I generally save eating breakfast for days when I can Slow Food my way through the meal, and it’s become very apparent to me that I’ve convinced myself I don’t have time to prepare breakfast during the week.

Considering I am nocturnal and a freelance writer, it’s easy for me to stay awake until 2:00am any given night of the week but I have a weekday job that I need to physically be at bright and early. Needless to say, my morning routine has become less than accommodating for being able to enjoy the most important meal of the day. Typically—even during times when I get to bed at a decent hour—my REM sleep does not hit until around 4:00am. Just when I fall into deep sleep my alarm goes off. I hit the snooze button anywhere from five to 15 times before jumping out of bed, brushing my teeth, getting dressed and out the door and in my car and on the freeway; then driving like a bat out of Hell to get to work on time. How limited is my time in the morning? I rarely brush my hair. Thankfully bed head suits me and I don’t give a hoot about what anyone thinks I look like in the morning, especially after just four hours of sleep.

What I am about to type is nothing new. After all, how many times can one hear or read about how important it is to eat breakfast and maintain balanced meals? Obviously I need to hear and read it a lot. This post, for me, is the equivalent of writing down a goal, because I generally follow through with personal goals when I get them on paper—even if it’s virtual paper. Also, I may have some readers who are having similar breakfast issues so this post may come in handy for them.

Back to Breakfast Goals

While I know it will be impossible to prepare weekday breakfasts that require lackadaisical reading—like my Buttermilk Biscuits and Sausage Studded Gravy recipe—I certainly know, with a little planning, working simple breakfast foods back into my life is doable.

I know me so well, so there are a few strategies I need to put in place in order to up my odds of making breakfast a part of my life. Some strategies that immediately come to mind include:

• Before going to bed, put all non-refrigerated foods for the next day’s breakfast on the kitchen counter, e.g., peanut butter, English muffins, etc. (for me, out of sight is definitely out of mind at 6am).
• Before going to bed, chop any fruit needed for the next day’s breakfast.
• Before going to bed, put necessary non-food items on the counter, e.g., parchment paper for wrapping breakfast sandwiches, baggies for fruit, etc.
• Mark foods that—if I have to—I can eat in my car while driving to work. I’ll mark these foods on my menus as ‘Moveable Feast (MF),’ because I definitely need to jazz up this goal to keep the momentum going.

Here’s this week’s breakfast menu:

Monday – Toasted Multi-Grain English Muffin with Peanut Butter and Honey (MF)

Tuesday – Breakfast Smoothie: 1 chopped, frozen banana; ½ c yogurt; ¼ c skim milk; ¼ t vanilla extract (MF)

Wednesday – For now, I do not work on Wednesdays, so I’ll fix something that takes longer to prepare: Steel Cut Oatmeal with Blueberries

Thursday – Breakfast Sandwich: Toasted Multi-Grain English Muffin with Sunny Side Up Egg and Slice of Ham Steak (MF)

Friday – Breakfast Burrito: Scrambled Egg, Frozen Hash Browns or Pre-Blanched Cubed Potatoes, Cilantro, Avocado, Prepared Salsa (MF)

While re-reading my breakfast goals, strategies, and menu items I’m chuckling, because it all seems so simple but, indubitably, feeling like I do not have time to eat breakfast is no laughing matter. If this week’s breakfast plan works out for me, I may need to implement a weekly breakfast menu until I get into a groove. I also know I need to work on my sleep schedule but that’s a completely different goal and blog post. One baby step at a time.

I’m off to the grocery store. Wish me luck!

Multi-Grain McMuffin, Cantaloupe, Grapes, Coffee

MIM: A Magical Experience

The Musical Instrument Museum (MIM) has created a truly magical setting, where the amazing influence, charm, and gifts of music can be experienced through state-of-the-art sight and sound.

Anyone who follows me on Twitter knows that I am a music enthusiast, and I wholeheartedly agree with the Miles Davis quote, “Good music is good no matter what kind of music it is.” So when I learned that the MIM had opened its doors in Phoenix, Arizona I knew I had to plan a trip, alone.

While reading this post, click open the photos for a better look.

After experiencing the MIM, one thing—out of many—that stands out in my mind is its enormous size. At 190,000 square feet, this gorgeous museum is not one that you can quickly get through. I was at the MIM for 4 ½ hours, and by the time I was nearing the end of the galleries I found myself rushing through them from sheer exhaustion. I was so tired that I decided to skip the Experience Gallery, where guests can play many of the instruments that are showcased throughout the museum.

With that said, if you visit the MIM, I recommend that you wear very comfortable shoes and plan on taking a break between the upper and lower levels. I arrived at the museum after lunchtime so I did not have time to take a break. The MIM Coffee Shop and Café is the perfect place to sit down and relax for a few minutes, and you can even enjoy a glass of wine. If you’re taking children and not sure you’ll be able to get through the museum in its entirety, you may want to view the museum layout and decide which galleries you think you-all may enjoy the most and start with those.

In addition to the galleries and café, there is also the MIM Museum Store and MIM Music Theatre—an intimate 299-seat performance venue, where concerts, educational activities, family programs, films, and lectures take place throughout the year. Here is a listing of MIM Concerts through 04.30.11. The lineup is so impressive it’s dizzying.

When you purchase your ticket into the museum you’ll be  provided with a state-of-the-art wireless headset that automatically engages at each display throughout the museum. In addition to being able to hear the instruments that are on display, you’ll also be treated to videos of the instruments being played in their cultural context. From a Burkina Faso xylophone, amplified by gourds and equipped with buzzing devices made of spider egg casings, to an Algerian frame daf drum, similar to a tambourine in construction, MIM’s 10,000+ collection of instruments from around the globe is truly a treat for a musician’s or music lover’s eyes and ears.

I started on the upper level, where the Geo-Galleries and Special Displays are located. The Geo-Galleries showcase instruments from around the world, and the Special Displays showcase iconic American manufacturers, such as Fender Musical Instruments and Steinway & Sons.

I’d be lying if I said I did not dance while exploring the MIM, especially while I was in the Africa section of the Geo-Galleries. As soon as the music started playing I was immediately transported back in time. For five years I danced with a Phoenix-based dance and music performing group called Adzido, under the teaching of Cornelius Kweku Ganyo, a Ghanaian master drummer and dancer. While I was listening to the music and watching the videos showcasing the instruments from Benin, Ghana, and Togo, I could hear Uncle C. K., as he was affectionately known, sharing stories about the traditional dances, instruments, and songs from West Africa. Although Uncle C.K. is no longer living he was definitely with me at the MIM that day.

After talking to several friendly and helpful MIM employees, I learned that guests do indeed engage in dancing and singing, and I was told that some guests are not shy at all with getting their ‘groove on.’ The way I see it, if you’re a fan of music, how can you not dance?

The lower level MIM galleries include The Artist Gallery, The Experience Gallery, The Mechanical Music Gallery (instruments designed to play on their own), The Target Gallery (temporary and touring exhibitions), and The Conservation Lab (a conservation laboratory for musical instruments).

While I was exploring the Geo-Galleries and listening to incredibly beautiful music from around the world, the Olympic Games kept popping into my mind, especially the opening ceremonies when all the athletes from around the world walk into the Olympic Stadium. The MIM is like the Olympics of music, where every country is represented with unique instruments and music deeply rooted in culture and tradition.

Musical Instrument Museum (MIM)

4725 E. Mayo Boulevard

Phoenix, AZ 85050

Main: 480.478.6000

Tickets: 480.478.6001

www.themim.org

Museum Admission:

Adults (18-64) $15

Seniors (65+) $13

Youths (ages 6-17) $10

Children (under age 6) Free

Museum admission and concert tickets sold separately.

Hours:

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Saturday 9am-5pm

Thursday and Friday 9am-9pm

Sunday 10am-5pm

Last admittance: One hour before closing time.

Closed Thanksgiving and Christmas Day.

Hours are subject to change.

Pushover Pizza

12:21pm

I’m starving. I just left my Aunt Patty’s house after a quick visit, and instead of heading to a drive-thru I decided to come home and make a pizza using a tortilla. I found a recipe yesterday that reads incredibly simple. I just turned on my oven to preheat it and I am going to see how long it takes to prepare the pizza from start to finish. Here is my ingredient list: olive oil, red onion, sugar, balsamic vinegar, tortilla, Asiago cheese, ricotta cheese, mushrooms, salt, and black pepper. I’ll be back in two shakes of a lamb’s tail.

Red Onion

12:34pm

Onions are sautéing in the skillet. I could have shaved off a minute or two here but I was distracted by my parchment paper, for lining the baking sheet. I’ve always been amazed that you can put paper in a hot oven.

Assembled Pizza

12:47pm

I just put the assembled pizza in the oven. I wish I had some Italian sausage or pepperoni. I love meat. By the way, the recipe I am following is from Simply Recipes: Ultra-Thin-Crust Pizza with Onions, Mushrooms, and Ricotta. I can always count on Simply Recipes (Elise Bauer) whenever I need to cook a dish that I cannot afford to screw up, based on hunger, funds, time, etc. I’ve screwed up dishes a time or two and I am not a fun person to be around when I have to throw a dish away that I’ve attempted with concerted effort and passion. I once made three lemon meringue pies in a row; I could not get them right. I called my grandmother for advice at least 20 times during the process, and I was crying. I can be dramatic at times but I always have a valid reason when I have a fit. I take cooking seriously. I don’t think I’ve ever prepared a Simply Recipes recipe that I did not ponder in wonderment, ranging from the flavors to the ingredients to the texture. As far as this recipe goes, the only thing I switched out from the ingredient list is the tortilla. Instead of using a flour tortilla I am using a sun-dried tomato basil tortilla. I figured since there is no sauce on the pizza why not?

Sun-Dried Tomato Basil Tortilla

12:57pm

My pizza is out of the oven, just in time: any longer and the edges of the tortilla would have become too baked/burnt for my liking. Click open the photos, for a better look!

Tortilla Pizza

12:59pm

Oh. My. Gawd. Just took my first bite.

1:01pm

I just ate one piece. This pizza is too simple and scrumptious to not make again. If I had had pepperoni or sausage I would have definitely been moaning out loud; next time. I also need to reduce the temperature and time to suit my oven.

That’s it! I’m happy. I avoided the drive-thru and found a new dish to make for a quick weeknight meal. This pizza can be made in less than 30 minutes, and you can use fresh ingredients to suit your taste buds. I know that you can make a frozen pizza within this time frame but I like the idea of using a tortilla: it truly does provide an ultra-thin-crust eating experience. I am a thin crust pizza lover, through and through.

If you try this pizza you’ll understand why I’m calling it ‘pushover pizza.’ It’s an easily accomplished meal that can be assembled and cooked in mere minutes. If you make one let me know what you think.

Sweetness Defined: Schnepf Farms

Organic Peaches from Schnepf Farms

While driving to Schnepf Farms last weekend I wondered how long it had been since I’d gone peach picking. More than 30 years. I was just a girl, but I remember long drives to rural Kansas farms with my grandparents. I also remember the excitement I would experience from being able to help my grandmother pick peaches that I knew would be going into delectable desserts, and mostly I remember the incredible taste and texture of a perfectly ripe peach picked from the tree.

If you’re not in tune with and in control of yourself, the perfectly ripe peach eating experience can turn into an almost animalistic event, triggered by the intoxicating aroma and intensely sweet first bite—juices running down both sides of your mouth, your taste buds chomping at the bit, and your inner carnal hunger driving you finish off the peach as if it’s both your first and last meal. You may make a spectacle of yourself but when it comes to eating a perfect peach no apologies are necessary.

As I pulled into Schnepf Farms’ parking lot I assumed that I would just find my way to the organic orchards and start picking but there was so much more to experience and explore. I met Carrie Schnepf, co-owner of the farm, and she was gracious enough to give me a quick tour of the Country Store & Bakery, where everything from peach pies to peach preserves and pickled garlic to salad dressings can be purchased. Carrie also offered up one of Schnepf Farms’ peach cinnamon rolls. Chunks of soft, succulent peaches were hidden in the bun, taking my cinnamon roll love to a new level of taste and texture appreciation.

Spicy Pickled Garlic from Schnepf Farms

By the time I made it to the orchards, after picking flowers from the U-Pick Garden, I had already decided that I will be going back to Schnepf Farms. The orchards are easily marked, and Schnepf Farms provides you with a small produce box to take with you when picking your organic peaches. You can even pay for your peaches right at the orchard you pick from.

Flowers from Schnepf Farms' U-Pick Garden

I gave some of my peaches to family members, ate several peaches myself then made peach cobbler with what was left. It was my second time making peach cobbler. It will not be my last. Here’s the incredibly easy recipe from Epicurious.

Homemade Peach Cobbler

If you are a peach lover and have never been to Schnepf Farms now’s the time to go because the Arizona peach season is almost complete. Their perfectly ripe peaches are a great way to celebrate the arrival of summer, and they’re great for inspiring creativity in the kitchen. From cereals to salsas to smoothies, peaches sweetly enhance a variety of dishes and drinks. Schnepf Farms’ Country Store & Bakery is open through June 27, and right now, you can pick organic peaches seven days a week, from 7:00am to 5:00pm. Peaches are $1.75 per pound. It’s a great deal for these juicy gems and the Schnepf Farms experience is well worth the drive.