Grilled Potato Salad May 14, 2008

Instead of boiling potatoes, I grilled them along with sweet onions.  I used yukon golds which give a buttery flavor that went well with the sweetness of the onions.  The dijon and chives added a nice zing. 

2 1/2 lbs potatoes, like new or small yukon golds, about 1 1/2″ diameter in size

1 sweet onion, sliced into 1/2″ think rounds

olive oil

salt & pepper

3 tablespoons chopped chives

for dressing:

1 cup sour cream

2 tablespoons dijon mustard

2 tablespoons mayonnaise

In a bowl, drizzle potatoes with olive oil and salt and pepper, to taste.  Toss to coat.  Grill potatoes on Direct Medium heat for 20-25 minutes, turning once halfway through grilling time.  Brush onions with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.  Grill on Direct Medium heat for 10-12 minutes until golden brown and tender, turning once halfway through grilling time.  Set potatoes and onions aside until cool enough to handle.  Cut potatoes in half and quarter onion slices and put into a large bowl.  Add chives to the bowl.  In a small bowl, mix together sour cream, mustard, mayonnaise.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Add dressing to the potatoes and toss gently.

I served the salad with a steak that I simply marinated with fresh rosemary, garlic, and olive oil and grilled.

 

Mushroom & Carmelized Onion Pizza May 11, 2008

There’s nothing like delicious toppings on a bubbly crust.  Lately, I’ve been making my own at home.  I’m working to perfect my crust, which I like thin and crispy.  I started by using Giada DeLaurentis’ pizza dough recipe that I found in the March 2007 issue of Bon Appetit magazine.

Pizza Dough

3/4 cup warm water (105 – 115 degrees F)

1 envelope active dry yeast

2 cups (or more) all purpose flour

1 teaspoon sugar

3/4 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons olive oil

Pour 3/4 cup warm water into small bowl; stir in yeast.  Let stand until yeast dissolves, about 5 minutes.
Brush large bowl lightly with olive oil.  Mix 2 cups flour, sugar, and salt in processor.  Add yeast mixture and 3 tablespoons oil; process until dough forms a sticky ball.  Transfer to lightly floured surface.  Knead dough until smooth, adding more flour by tablespoonfuls if dough is very sticky, about 1 minute.  Transfer to prepared bowl; turn dough in bowl to coast with oil.  Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let dough rise in warm draft-free area until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.  Punch down dough.  DO AHEAD:  Can be made 1 day ahead.  Store in airtight container in refrigerator.  Roll out dough according to recipe instructions.  (Start in center of dough, working outward toward edges by not rolling over them.)

I’ve altered this recipe each time with different flours or amounts of sugar, salt, etc.  I used a pizza stone when baking in the oven.

I prepared the toppings in advance.  I carmelized the onions until they were a deep, rich brown color and then added sliced baby bella mushrooms.  For the cheese, I grated mozzarella and fontina.  Fontina goes very well with the mushrooms. 

Cut in small squares and a great red wine, this makes for a delicious Thirstyday.