MEXICAN PIZZA & A WINNER is Announced!

More years ago than I care to remember, I took my oldest son, Christopher, to a Mother and Child cooking class that was conducted by the cooking school within Dierberg's Markets called "It's a Pizza Party".  I guess he was about nine at the time, and he was also the only boy in a class full of mothers and their giggling young daughters. Recognizing that he might feel uncomfortable about these odds, the instructor put him to work as her assistant, pouring drinks and handing out utensils (duties that he performed with an equal amount of seriousness and enthusiasm), while she demonstrated a variety of kid-friendly pizza recipes. Just the other day I came across the packet of information from that class along with the recipes. I remembered enjoying the Mexican pizza the best, so, as today's host of our monthly craft luncheon, I decided to have pizza for the main course and pizza for dessert. Both were delicious and very well received.  (Not one to leave well enough alone I added a first layer of refried beans combined with chopped onion and a teaspoon of cumin.) Here is my version:


MEXICAN PIZZA
Crust:
1-1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup cornmeal
1 package active dry yeast
2 teaspoons salt
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2/3 cup warm water (120 to 130 degrees F)


Toppings:
1 pound ground chuck
1 package taco seasoning 
1 cup water
1 can refried beans
1 small onion, diced
1 teaspoon cumin
2/3 cup taco sauce
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
1 cup grated Monterrey Jack cheese
2 cups shredded lettuce
1 cup chopped tomatoes
1/2 cup sliced black olives
1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions


To prepare crust: Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Lightly grease a 14" pizza pan; set aside.  Place flour, cornmeal, yeast and salt into the work bowl of a food processor fitted with steel knife blade; pulse to mix.  With machine running, pour oil through feed tube.  Stop machine and add 1/3 cup of warm water; process to combine.  Stop machine and gradually add more water; process to until dough forms into a ball (you may not need all of the water).  Pat dough into prepared pan, spreading to edges.  Bake for 10 minutes.


To prepare topping: In a large skillet over medium heat, cook ground chuck until browned; drain fat. Add taco seasoning and water; cook until water is absorbed.  Empty can of refried beans into a small bowl, stir in diced onion and cumin.  Spread beans over partially baked crust almost to the edge.  Place meat on top of bean mixture, covering entirely.  Spread taco sauce over meat and sprinkle with cheeses.  Bake an additional 20-25 minutes or until cheeses are melted.  Top with lettuce, tomatoes, black olives, and green onions.  Slice into wedges.
Yield: 6 to 8 servings


Come back tomorrow for the dessert recipe, it is equally as good. 

Ready for the oven.

Out of the oven, bubbling hot, it is then topped with shredded lettuce and sliced tomatoes. Ole!

AND THE WINNER IS... 

Since it was my husband's birthday I let him do the honor of selecting the winner.

Congratulations to TRACY WOOD. who won the drawing!  Please email me your address and I'll get your issue into the mail to you this week.
~~~~~~~~~~

Where Women Cook is the newest quarterly magazine from the publishers of Where Women Create and Somerset Studio. This premier issue features Ree Drummond, The Pioneer Woman; Robin Brown of Magnolia Pearl; Serena Thompson, The Farm Chicks; Mamma Agata's Cooking School on Italy's Amalfi Coast; CAKE, Celeste Shaw's newest restaurant & bakery…plus so much more! Creative storage ideas, eye-catching décor, delicious food and drink recipes, and inspirational stories will all be shared within the pages of this magazine.

If you didn't win this giveaway, don't despair, there will be more in the offing including baking equipment and blog-related DVDs.




This post is linked to Mouthwatering Mondays.

100th Post, a Recipe, and a GIVEAWAY!

Today I am celebrating two things, first, this is my 100th blog post and in honor of such I have a tasty giveaway (please see details below).  Second, and MOST importantly, it's my son's birthday, so Happy Birthday, Andrew, you handsome devil, and one of the best sons a mother could ever have!

Chef, foodie, & birthday boy

We actually celebrated a little early with a delicious dinner on Sunday.  In addition to the toothsome Brisket Braised in Porter (Brisket seemed an appropriate choice considering Andrew is a big fan of the CBS sitcom The Big Bang Theory -- other BBT fans will know why), Gruyere Potatoes, and salad, I also served green bean bundles that were a big hit.  The beauty of all of these dishes is that they are make ahead - yay!  I think a good side dish is often hard to come by, particularly where vegetables are concerned, so give this one a try and let me know what you and your guests think.

Green Bean Bundles
Yields: 12 bundles


1-1/2 pounds green beans, washed and trimmed
1 stick butter
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon packed, dark brown sugar
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
6 slices of bacon, cut in half


Fill a large saucepan with wanter and bring to a rolling boil over high heat.  Add green beans all at once and when water retruns to a boil, blanch for 3-4 minutes.  Drain the beans and immediately run under cold water.  Pat dry and place in an overproof casserole dish.


While beans are blanching, melt butter in a medium saucepan.  Add mustard, brown sugar, garlic and salt.  Pour butter mixture over beans in casserole dish.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.


Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  Make bundles of green beans using between 8 and 12 beans depending upon size desired.  Wrap a half slice of bacon around each bundle and secure with a plain wooden toothpick (do NOT use colored toothpicks, or the color will bleed onto both bacon and beans).  Arrange bundles in a single layer in the same pan used for marinating.


Bake, uncovered for 35-35 minutes until the bacon is cook and the beans are roasted.


~~~~~~ GIVEAWAY DETAILS! ~~~~~~
I was fortunate enough to get one of the first issues of this excellent publication on women and their sacred cooking spaces.  Now I want to share one with you.

Where Women Cook is the newest quarterly magazine from the publishers of Where Women Create and Somerset Studio. This premier issue features Ree Drummond, The Pioneer Woman; Robin Brown of Magnolia Pearl; Serena Thompson, The Farm Chicks; Mamma Agata's Cooking School on Italy's Amalfi Coast; CAKE, Celeste Shaw's newest restaurant & bakery…plus so much more! Creative storage ideas, eye-catching décor, delicious food and drink recipes, and inspirational stories will all be shared within the pages of this magazine.

To win this premier - certain to become a collectible - Winter 2010 issue, all you have to do is become a FOLLOWER of this blog and LEAVE A COMMENT at the end of this post.  That's it!

The winner will be selected on Sunday, January 23rd and announced in my posting on Monday the 24th.


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