Love Thy Leftovers: Hummus Pizza

This was a supermarket epiphany, I didn't wan't to buy/make a pizza sauce that might not get used in something else, and I wasn't looking at spending a lot of extra money that night.  I already had a container of hummus in my fridge, and leftover stir-fry from a night or two before.  The rest came together pretty quickly.  I used the thin-crust Pillsbury roll out crust but feel free to use whatever type you want if you have a favorite, just note a difference in cooking times and you might have to rearrange some of the steps.

You will need:
1 can Pillsbury Thin Crust roll out pizza dough
Hummus (I used about half a container)
Toppings (I used the aforementioned stir-fry mix of slightly curried bell pepper, kohlrabi, and steak. See link)
One handful cheese of choice (I actually used a non-seasoned mexican cheese mix)
Red pepper flakes
Pepper
Garlic Powder
Parsley, chopped, for garnish is desired
Cooking spray

Start by preheating the oven to 400 degrees.  While it is heating, cover a cookie sheet with aluminum foil and spraying it with cooking spray (or a bit of olive oil).  Roll out the crust on the cookie sheet and sprinkle it with a little pepper and garlic powder.  Bake the crust for 5 minutes.  Remove from oven and spread the crust with the hummus, scatter on the toppings, add the red pepper flakes, and finally the handful of cheese.  Continue baking for 6-10 minutes or until the crust is browning and everything is heated through.  Remove and garnish with parsley, if desired.

Recipe: Kohlrabi, Bell Pepper, and Steak Stir-fry

That is a kohlrabi, and before going to the farmer's market a few weeks ago I'd never seen or heard of it. This past week I decided to give it a go.  The outer layer is peeled off with a paring knife and the light greenish white flesh can be eaten raw, stir fried, steamed, slaw-ed, or in pretty much any other way.  Flavor wise it is mildly sweet with hints of cabbage, and very crisp.  For this recipe, I used the meat that I had on hand (steaks my grandmother had sent from Omaha Steak) but any typical stir fry meat/meat substitute could be used.  I kept the seasonings very simple to let the sweetness of the kohlrabi play off the slight bitterness of the peppers and the bite of the garlic.

You will need:
4 four oz. top sirloin steaks, sliced
1 large clove garlic, finely chopped
2 bell peppers
1/2 large kohlrabi bulb, peeled
Soy Sauce
Olive oil
Salt
Pepper
Curry Powder
Cayenne or red pepper flakes

Prep work:
For the bell peppers, I started by cutting the four sides off of the core.  I then cut each section into strips length-wise and then cut those strips in half.
The kohlrabi, presents a bit of a challenge especially if it is a large bulb.  The best advice is to use a large, sharp knife and carefully slice through.  Then peel (if you haven't already) and laying the flat side on the cutting board cut into strips and then sections approximating the size of the bell peppers.

Stir-fry:
I found that two pans worked easiest for this, and started the second pan right after I added the meat to the first.  Start by tossing the meat strips in some salt and pepper, and then add to a pan heated over medium high heat.  Add a tsp of soy sauce and cook until the pink has just disappeared (if beef), or until completely cooked (if pork or chicken).

Heat the second pan (a large pot) over medium heat with a drizzle of olive oil.  When it is hot, add the chopped garlic and cook ~30 seconds or until golden.  Immediately add the kohlrabi and bell peppers and stir.  Add a dash of salt, pepper, curry powder, soy sauce, and either cayenne or red pepper flakes and stir to combine.  Cook for 3-4 minutes or until the kohlrabi begins to just brown.  Add the meat and give it a stir and a taste.

I served it over some barely, but rice would work just as well, as would the mix on its own.

Recipe: Beef and Broccoli

I wanted to try and make an asian restaurant staple and also try and keep it healthy and quick.  This turned out to a great dish.  Additional ingredients you could choose to add are onion cut into half moons and baby mushrooms or sliced button/cremini mushrooms.  I used the remaining bundle of udon noodles I had left but you could also use rice noodles or a fourth to a half box of thin spaghetti.

You will need:

A one pound london broil
2 medium heads of broccoli
One bundle udon noodles
Soy sauce
A pat of butter
One cup of reserved pasta water
Salt
Pepper
Paprika
Garlic Powder

Start by coating the london broil with salt, garlic powder, paprika, and an aggressive coating of pepper.  Cook over high heat for 8 minutes on each side.  Wrap in foil and set aside. Bring a pot of water to a boil  and salt heavily.  Cut the broccoli into florets.  I left them fairly large so they could stand up to the beef and not fall apart when cooking.  Cook your pasta according to box directions.  In the last minute of cooking add the broccoli to the water.  Drain the pasta and broccoli saving one cup of pasta water.  In a large saucepan add one tablespoon of soy sauce and one pat of butter over medium heat.  As the butter starts to melt add the pasta and broccoli.  Stir to combine.  Slice the meat very thin and add to the saucepan.  Add about half the reserved pasta water, and add more soy sauce if needed, you may need one to two more teaspoons.  Serve immediately.

Serves around 4

Recipe: Spiced Beef and Potatoes

After making the Shepard's EmPIEnada's  I realized that the filling in them was so good it could also be a main dish, without the pie at all.  The spices add depth and flavor to what could easily be boring ground beef and the gravy rounds out the taste and provides a nice velvety texture.  So here is how I prepared it:


1 pound ground beef
1.5 cups frozen veggie mix (my bag had corn, green bean, carrot, and pea)
1 pouch instant garlic mashed potatoes
              Ingredients for boxed mashed potatoes: milk, butter, water
1 packet brown gravy mix
Salt
Pepper
Paprika
Chile Powder
Garlic Powder


Begin by cooking all the components (meat, potatoes, veggies).  For the meat, after thawing, I seasoned it with a hefty amount of paprika, chile powder, and garlic powder as well as a sprinkle of salt and pepper.
When finished cooking I set it aside on a paper towel covered plate to drain.

For the potatoes, cook according to the box instructions but add the same seasonings: salt, pepper, paprika, chile powder, and garlic powder to the liquid and bring to a boil.  Then stir in the packet.

 For the veggies simply boil in water for 5-6 minutes and drain.

Then in the pan you used to cook the meat wipe or pour out any large amounts of grease and prepare the gravy packet in the pan.  When the gravy begins to thicken add the veggies and the meat and stir to combine.

Recipe: Shepard's EmPIEnadas

Alright, first off, excuse the pun but I like it to much to call it anything else.  Second, this is not one of those recipes where the newfangled way is easier than the original.  Its not really that much harder but it is still easier just to throw everything into a pie shell and bake.  All that being said, I was very happy with this invention.  I had been thinking about it for a while and finally had eaten through my leftovers so I figured I'd give it a try.  If you want it to be more authentic you could try and find empanada wrappers to stuff, but I just used the frozen rolled up pie shells. The results were tasty and put a new spin on a classic dish.

You will need:

1 box of two rolled pie shells
1 pound ground beef
1.5 cups frozen veggie mix (my bag had corn, green bean, carrot, and pea)
1 pouch instant garlic mashed potatoes
              Ingredients for boxed mashed potatoes: milk, butter, water
1 packet brown gravy mix
Salt
Pepper
Paprika
Chile Powder
Garlic Powder
A bowl that can be used to cut approximately four circles from each pie crust

Begin by cooking all the components (meat, potatoes, veggies).  For the meat, after thawing, I seasoned it with a hefty amount of paprika, chile powder, and garlic powder as well as a sprinkle of salt and pepper.
When finished cooking I set it aside on a paper towel covered plate to drain.

For the potatoes, cook according to the box instructions but add the same seasonings: salt, pepper, paprika, chile powder, and garlic powder to the liquid and bring to a boil.  Then stir in the packet.

 For the veggies simply boil in water for 5-6 minutes and drain.

Then in the pan you used to cook the meat wipe or pour out any large amounts of grease and prepare the gravy packet in the pan.  When the gravy begins to thicken add the veggies and the meat and stir to combine.  Turn off heat and let sit while you prepare the empanada shells.

Unroll the pie crusts one at a time on a floured cutting board.  Use a cereal bowl or other smallish bowl to cut circles from the dough by tracing around it with a sharp knife.  After a set of four is done begin to fill.  Place around one tablespoon of mashed potatoes and around one tablespoon of the meat mixture in each empanada, making sure not to overstuff.  Trace the outside edge of the empanada with water and seal, pushing down on all outside edges.

Place onto a foil lined cookie sheet.  Repeat with the second pie shell and then roll out the scraps to make 2 more empanadas.  You should have 10 total.  Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for 30-40 minutes or until the edges are browned and the top is somewhat firm to the touch.  The filling will be very hot so let cool for a few minutes before biting in.

Makes: 10 empanadas

Would pair well with a side salad of some sort to help bulk up the plate and add a temperature contrast to the meal.