A pizza pizza pizza roundup
While scrolling through my blog reader today I noticed several posts on pizza, one of my favourite homemade meals. The reason I love it so much is for both its simplicity and potential complexity. You can keep your pizza simple and traditional – sauce, cheese, maybe some tomato or pepperoni – but, really, the possibilities are endless. Over the past few years, I’ve really become a fan of experimenting when cooking/baking, and pizza is far from an exception to this rule. Some of my favourite toppings to use with my classic dough recipe include: bocconcini, spinach, ricotta, sundried tomatoes, broccoli, salami, sausage, bacon, artichoke, proscuitto, pesto, goat cheese… And on, and on, and on. Here are some great recipes from many of my favourite blogs that go beyond the traditional (I had trouble choosing, so apologies for the long list).
What are your favourite toppings?
Prosciutto Kale and Butternut Squash Pizza | Blueberry Dessert Pizza
by Spoon Fork Bacon
Buffalo Mozzarella, Artichoke, and Lemon Pizza by Technicolor Kitchen
Pesto Pizza with Fresh Arugula and Parmesan by Cookie+Kate
Roasted Eggplant and Za’atar Pizza by Sprouted Kitchen
Blue Cheese Pizza with Caramelized Onions, Bacon, and Honeyed Pears
by Adventures in Cooking
Breakfast Pizza | Lemony Zucchini and Goat Cheese Pizza by Smitten Kitchen
Hundreds of perogies
Ok, not hundreds, the plural, but close enough. I first made these with my friend, Amy, a few months ago. Seriously, I was taken aback by how much easier perogies are to make then I originally thought. When I was told what ingredients I needed to pick up because we’d be making 150 perogies… well, I went a little over board. New 10kg bag of potatoes, huge block of cheese, several onions…
As you’ll see below, however, the recipe for 150 perogies is not so intimidating. I’ve changed some of the quantities from the original recipe, just to get a slightly more manageable batch and to try to get a perfect balance between dough and filling. I did, to my surprise and delight, actually reach that happy medium and didn’t have to waste any of my ingredients. This modified recipe will get you ~125 perogies.
Here’s what you’ll need:
Dough:
5 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup cold, cubed butter
1 1/2 cup cold water
1 egg
1 tsp salt
3 tbs sour cream
Filling:
4 large potatoes
~ 300 grams sharp cheddar
1 large onion
Of course, you can get creative with the filling – garlic, chives, bacon, you name it!
Here’s how it’s done:
Mix together the flour and salt. Cut in the butter – a mixer is handy for this, but not essential. Mix together the water, egg, and sour cream. Make a well in the flour, pour in the water mixture, and mix into an elastic dough. Let sit, covered with a tea towel, for about 20 minutes or while you make the filling.
Peel and boil the potatoes. While the potatoes are cooking, chop and sauté the onion. Once the potatoes are cooked, mash them, then mash in the cheese and onion. Let cool to a handling temperature.
Take a potion of the dough, about a handful, and roll it out to at least 1/4 in. Cut out rounds using a circle cookie cutter or, as in my case, a wine glass. Pick up the round and even it/flatten it out a bit more with your hands. Take a 1 tsp amount of filling, place it in the middle of the round, and fold up the perogie. I usually pinch it closed, but some people use water to make a seal.
Repeat, repeat, repeat!
Lay flat to freeze, then they can be bagged up for a delicious meal another day. Do, of course, leave some aside for tonight. To cook, place in boiling water and cook until they float. For crispy perogies and some delicious sides, fry up the perogies with some onion, kielbasa, sauerkraut, you name it!
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