Brie and Portobello Pizza

Always a favorite of mine, is pizza!  The general store in Rosemont, used to sell locally made, gourmet pizzas, that you could take home and cook, but alas, no more!  So now and again, I've been trying to re-create the brie and portobello pizza I loved so much!

 Part 1: The Dough

Feel free to skip this step and buy dough at the store!  Definitely a time saver, but from scratch is always fun if you have the time!
This dough mixes up great in a breadmaker!  But, I don't have one here at my sister's house, so the old fashioned way it is!

What you need:

1 cup flat beer (yes, beer, the secret ingredient!)
2 tablespoons of butter or olive oil (I used 1 of each)
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour or whole wheat flour
2 1/4 teaspoons yeast

What to do:

1.  First, I mixed the beer on low for a few minutes, to release the carbonation from the beer.

 

2.   Add the rest of the ingredients to the bowl.  Mix with dough hook, or by hand, for a couple minutes. 

3.   Knead the dough by hand for a few minutes.  Put dough into a oiled bowl, and cover with a wet towel, and place in a warm spot (for example, and over that has been warmed and turned off) to rise for a couple hours.

4.  After a couple hours, punch down dough, and its ready to form your crust.

Part 2 : The White Sauce

What you need:

2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup of milk
1/4 tsp salt
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tsp dried oregano, or 2 tablespoons fresh herbs
1/2 cup grated parmigiano cheese

What to do:


1.   Heat butter in a small saucepan. Add flour and stir until thoroughly mixed.

2.   Add milk, and stir on medium heat. Add the salt, garlic, and herbs.

3. Stir a couple minutes, until thickened.  Remove from heat, and stir in cheese.

Part 3 : Pour some wine (optional)

Something new from the LCBO to enjoy while I finish making the pizza...

Step 4 : Roast mushrooms

I decided to roast the mushrooms in the oven first, with a bit of olive oil and salt and pepper.



Step 5 : Assemble the pizza!

Shape your dough, and spread with a generous amount of white sauce.  Add spinach and slices of brie cheese.

Add the roasted portobellos (YUM!)

Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese.  Bake in oven at 425 celcius for 15-20 minutes until crust is golden.

Enjoy and bon appetit!

Welcome and Chai Tea Latte

So, yes, I have decided that blogging about my kitchen adventures could be a good way to fill some free time, since I've already been cooking and posting photos anyways!  I plan to get out the Canon in the future for taking the photos, but for the time being the iPhone will do just fine!

Lately, I've been been craving the low fat Chai Tea Latte from Starbucks, but since I'm not generally going by any Starbucks between Shelburne and Wasaga Beach, I was excited to come across a recipe that might satisfy my craving! (And as I sit here drinking it, I think its doing the trick!)

Chai Tea Latte at Home

What you'll need:

1/2 cup 2% evaporated milk
1 1/2 cups of water
4 tsps sugar or sweetener
2 individual chai tea bags (next time I make it, I may try three)
1/2 to 1 tsp honey or to taste

What to do:

1.   In a small pot, whisk together the evaporated milk, water, and sugar, over medium heat until it comes to a low simmer.

2.   Add the tea bags and simmer on low for 3-4 minutes.

3.   Remove from heat and remove tea bags.  Stir in honey.  Serve immediately and enjoy!