Sunday, May 29, 2011

Taco Pizza



Ingredients

  • 1 teaspoonActive Dry Yeast
  • 1-½ cupWarm Water
  • 4 cupsAll-purpose Flour
  • 1 teaspoonKosher Salt
  • ⅓ cupsOlive Oil
  • 1 can(14 Ounce) Black Beans
  • 1 teaspoonTaco Seasoning (prepared, Or Make Your Own)
  • 4 wholeCorn Tortillas, Sliced Into Thin Strips
  • ½ cupsCanola Oil, For Frying
  • 1 cupGrated Sharp Cheddar
  • 1 cupGrated Monterey Jack Cheese
  • 1 headGreen Leaf Lettuce, Sliced/shredded Thin
  • 2 wholeRipe Tomatoes, Diced
  • ½ cupsCilantro Leaves
  • ¼ cupsSour Cream
  • 3 TablespoonsHot Sauce (more To Taste)

Preparation Instructions

Make the pizza dough: Mix yeast with warm water and set aside for 8 to 10 minutes. Mix flour, salt, and olive oil in a mixing bowl. With speed on low, drizzle in yeast/water mixture. Allow to mix until totally combined. Cover bowl with a towel and set bowl in a warm, draft-free place. Allow to rise for 1 to 2 hours.
Pour black beans into a saucepan. Add seasonings to taste and heat up beans over medium-low heat. Use a potato masher to mash the beans to desired texture. Continue cooking/heating beans over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until no longer runny (should be the texture of refried beans. Set aside.
In a small skillet, heat canola oil over medium heat. When hot enough to fry, drop in the tortilla strips in batches, frying quickly and removing from oil with a fork when crisp–about 30 to 45 seconds per batch. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate. Set aside.
Place oven rack in the bottom position in the oven. Preheat oven to 500 degrees.
Remove half the pizza dough from the bowl. Place remaining half in a large plastic bag and refrigerate, saving for another use. With hands, spread pizza dough on an oiled baking sheet, making sure it’s relatively thin. Spread layer of refried beans all over pizza crust. Sprinkle mixed grated cheeses over the top. Place pan in the oven (in the bottom half of the oven) and bake for 9 to 12 minutes. Watch it to make sure crust doesn’t burn.
Remove pizza from oven. Sprinkle on shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, and cilantro leaves.
Mix together sour cream and hot sauce, adding enough hot sauce to make the mixture pourable. With a spoon (or you can put it in a pastry bag) drizzle mixture over finished pizza.
Sprinkle with tortilla strips. Cut into squares and serve immediately with good quality salsa.

Peanut Butter Cup Trifle




Peanut Butter Cup Trifle
1 (9x13) pan of baked brownies, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 (5.1 ounce) package instant vanilla pudding
3 cups milk
½ cup creamy peanut butter
2 tsp vanilla
1 (8 ounce) container thawed Cool Whip, divided (or use homemade whipped cream)
20 peanut butter cups, crumbled (do not buy bite sized; you could get away with less...but why?)
6-8 peanut butter cups to garnish.

Combine pudding and milk. Beat for 2 minutes. Add peanut butter and vanilla, beat until smooth. Gently fold in 2 cups cool whip or homemade whipped cream.

Layer in trifle dish ½ the brownies, ½ the crumbled peanut butter cups, ½ the pudding mixture. Repeat. Top with cool whip and peanut butter cups. Chill at least 4 hours before serving.