Wednesday, May 31, 2017

Pizzadillas!!

Pizzadillas

Pizzadillas are a super easy weeknight appetizer (or dinner if you eat a couple). Just take a large tortilla, add shredded mozzarella and your favorite pizza toppings - in my case: pepperoni, jalapenos and black olives. You can either fill half the tortilla with cheese and toppings and then fold it in half,  or cover the entire bottom of the tortilla with the pizza filling and then add some extra cheese on top, and put another tortilla on top for a larger pizzadilla. 
Meanwhile, heat a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Then simply add your pizzadilla (no oil or cooking spray needed) and let cook until the tortilla starts to brown in spots (do not burn - lower heat if needed). It should only take a couple minutes. If you have a big enough cover, put that over the skillet to help the cheese melt faster. Once one side starts to brown, flip it over with a spatula and cook the other side for a couple minutes until the brown/crispy spots start to form.
Cut them into wedges and serve with a marinara sauce for dipping. I also sprinkle some cilantro on top.
For the Marinara Sauce, I do a SUPER EASY version. Heat a small sauce pan over medium heat. Add a splash of Extra Virgin Olive Oil and then a small can of tomato sauce. Add a pinch of kosher salt, fresh ground black pepper, garlic powder (maybe 2 or 3 pinches), sugar, oregano, basil, thyme, and crushed red pepper flakes.  Stir frequently until bubbling. Taste and add more seasoning as needed. Pour into a small serving vessel and enjoy.

Wednesday, May 17, 2017

Kimchi Udon Noodles





I think I saw this recipe in a Bon Appétit magazine and had to recreate it. The main trick here is to find FRESH udon noodles. I get mine at the 99 Ranch Market, an Asian market near me. I've tried several brands of dried udon, and none of them come close to shape and bite of fresh udon. I found this brand in a packet like you would for Ramen noodles. And like Ramen, I keep the noodles and throw away the sauce packet.
Udon packageOtherwise, the recipe is fairly easy and straight forward. Kimchi (or kimchee depending on how you spell it) is getting to be a fairly common ingredient which you should be able to find in Trader Joes or any large grocery store.