requies

I'm siiiiiiiiiiiick. Pity me! Thanks, that makes me feel better. It hasn't been so bad. I've been watching Buffy (the Vampire Slayer, for those who don't know) non-stop and knitting, so really it's a pretty normal weekend!

I made Mexican Pizza this week; it was very tasty and easy.

First, you make the crust. I always dread making pizza crust, but every time it's easy and delicious! I don't know what my problem is. I use this recipe except I substitute about half of the flour for whole wheat flour. I love this recipe because it's so easy. You just put it all in a food processor fitted with  a dough blade, like so.

Then you process until it forms a ball, like so.

Then you need to let the dough rise for about an hour. So while you wait, start prepping your pizza toppings! First we need to make the black bean sauce. Wash your food processor bowl because we're going to use it again. Rinse and drain a can of black beans and put into the processor bowl. Add cumin, paprika and cayenne pepper, then blend. Add some water and blend some more until it looks saucy.

Give it a taste and add some more spices if you like. Now brown a 1/2 lb of ground beef seasoned with salt, pepper and cumin. Chop up 1 jalapeno, dice about 1/3 of a tomato, 1/3 of a red onion, gather 1/3 cup corn (fresh or frozen) and about a handful of cilantro. Your dough should be ready pretty soon. Voila! Look how big it got!

If your fancy you can try throwing it in the air to make it pizza sized, but I just use a rolling pin. This much dough will make a just thick enough 14 inch pizza.

Spread the bean sauce over the pizza. You probably won't use all of it, but the rest will be perfect for nachos!

Now top it with the ground beef. Again, you might not use all of it but it will definitely enhance the nachos you'll make with the leftover bean sauce. Then top with shredded cheese, the mexican blend you can find at stores is perfect.

Next evenly distribute the rest of the toppings all over the pizza.

Put it in a 500 degree oven and bake for 10-12 minutes and serve!

Mexican Pizza
Adapted from Annie's Eats.

For the dough:
1 package active yeast
1 cup warm water (I microwaved it for 30 seconds)
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil


For the pizza:
1 can black beans
cumin, paprika and cayenne pepper, salt and pepper to taste
3 tbsps water
1/2 lb ground beef
1 cup Mexican Blend shredded cheese
1 jalapeno diced, seeded if you don't want your pizza to be that spicy
1/4 cup red onion
1/3 cup tomato diced
1/3 cup corn
handful of cilantro


Form dough into a 14 inch pizza crust. Preheat oven to 500 degrees.
Brown ground beef seasoned with cumin, salt and pepper.
Rinse and drain black beans and put in the food processor. Add cumin, paprika and cayenne pepper to taste and blend. Add water and blend some more until it has a sauce consistency. 
Spread sauce on pizza dough. Top with ground beef. Cover with cheese, and sprinkle the rest of the toppings on the pizza. Bake for 10-12 minutes and serve.

Dear readers, I am so sorry I haven't posted in two weeks! I have plenty of excuses, but I won't dare make light of my neglect. I am sure I have lost all my faithful readers. But, if any of you remain, I shall reward your steadfastness with the following recipe for THE BEST apple pie I have ever had. 

Oh, the lattice crust! The crispy, buttery, cinnamony, nutmegy, brown sugary lattice crust! But it gets better (or at least, comparable), beneath the crust lies a rich, almost custardy, apple filling.

You're ready for the recipe aren't you? Well you're going to have to wait. First come the progress pictures!

Pro-tip: If you have a food processor with a slicing blade, use it to slice peeled, cored apples for apple pie! It works perfectly, and is a lot quicker than cutting each apple into thin slices by hand.

Once you slice the apples, put them directly into your pie crust (I used a store-bought crust, as usual). You heard me right! Put the apples straight into the pie crust! No seasoning or anything! Then you top it with a lattice crust, like so.

I used this tutorial, very helpful! Then, in a saucepan you melt butter and add some flour,  white sugar and brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. Bring the mixture to a boil and then simmer. Next, pour the mixture on top of the crust slowly so it drips through the spaces onto the apples. 

Put the pie in a 350 degree oven for 35 to 45 minutes, and serve!

Best Apple Pie Ever!
adapted from Grandma Ople's Apple Pie recipe.

1 double crust pie pastry
1/2 cup unsalted butter
3 tablespoons flour
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
5+ Granny Smith Apples

Preheat oven. Peel, core and slice the apples and place in a prepared pie crust. Melt butter in a saucepan. Stir in flour to make a paste. Mix in white sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Pour over the lattice crust slowly. Bake for 35-45 minutes.