Home on the Range Pizza Pie (mostly)

From Brigid, with a few small modifications of my own.  Cooking it on the stove-top crisps the bottom of the crust before the baking turns it golden brown and chewy.

Crust (my mom's deep dish pizza crust)

1 1/4 c warm water (140º or so)
1 package dry yeast
2 T shortening
2 t salt
2 T sugar
1 1/2 c flour

Mix ingredients. Beat for two minutes. I use the Kitchen Aid mixer on high.

1 1/2 c more flour.

Add the second 1 1/2 c flour. Mix, cover, and let rise for one hour.

Pizza Sauce (from Brigid mostly)

1/2 to 3/4  of a 15 ounce can tomato sauce (depends on how saucy you like it)
3 to 4 Tablespoons of tomato paste
3 Tablespoons of  grated Parmesan
2 teaspoons assorted dried Italian herbs (I used basil and oregano)
1/8 teaspoon ,or to taste, crushed red pepper
1 clove garlic, smashed and minced

Toppings

Whatever  you like, plus mozarella cheese. Pictured is sauteed mushrooms and pepperoni.

Cooking (from Brigid)

Preheat oven to 475 degrees.  Assemble the pizza in a cast iron skillet.  I used a 13" skillet, my largest.  Press the dough into the bottom, pressing it up the sides partway to keep the filling from spilling over.

Add pizza sauce, toppings, and mozzarella cheese.

Cook on Medium High heat uncovered on stove-top for three to four minutes. (It helps to have a gas range. I don't know  how long you'd have to do this, or if it would even work, on electric).

Bake uncovered for 14 to 18 minutes, until crust is golden brown.

Chicken Pot Pie in a Jar

Just picked up a book called Handheld Pies and it's got some great ideas.  One of them is pie in a jar.  I'm not going to post the recipe up here as you can pick up the book, but this is chicken pot pie and it is excellent.

Cranberry Port Stuffed Porkchops

Been a while since I cooked anything new but got a little experimental the other day and thought I'd share it.

Ingredients (per person):
1 large porkchop
2 tbsp raisins
2 tbsp cranberries
1/2 tsp thyme
1/3 cup currants
1/3 cup cranberries
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp corn starch




Dried Cranberry and Raisin Stuffed Porkchops

Mix a couple tablespoons dried cranberries (not Craisins which are sweetened) and raisins.  Stuff into the pocket of a thick cut porkchop.

Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes or until done to your liking.

Cranberry Currant Port Relish

The recipe below is roughly for one good sized pork chop and therefore one person.  Multiply by the number of people you are serving

• Heat about 1/3 cup of good quality port.  (I am a firm believer that if if it's too cheap to drink it's too cheap to put in your food).  Do not let it boil, just heat.

• Pour over 1/3 cup currants, add 1/2 tsp thyme. mix and set aside.
• Mix 1/3 cup whole cranberries with 2 tablespoons brown sugar and 1 tsp cornstarch
• Bake in 350 degree oven for 25 minutes (this will prevent the cranberries from bursting and becoming cranberry sauce)
• Remove from oven and add to currant/port mixture

Spoon generous serving of relish onto plate and top with a porkchop.

Get plates that aren't a clashing red to take a picture.

Enjoy.