My Favorite Pizza and A $50 Novica Giveaway! (Giveaway Closed)

Today we are talking pizza. I love pizza of all kinds, thin crust, thick crust, chewy crust, deep dish, minimal toppings, loaded with toppings, meat and cheese, veggies, frozen pizzas, gourmet pizzas, hot and cold. I do not discriminate against pizza, but please hold the onions! I've been making this pizza crust for the last 5  years and it is delicious. It's crispy, yet soft and chewy and flavorful. And you can top it with whatever you want. 

My favorite pizza lately is BBQ chicken pizza with bacon and pineapple. Hayden can be picky sometimes about meals but he's always a fan of this when I make it. I use BBQ sauce instead of marinara, then top with cooked and cubed, chicken breasts, crumbled bacon, fresh pineapple, garlic and cheese. Mr. H never used to like sweet and savory together in a pizza but he really likes this one. I also made a cheese and tomato pizza with dried oregano and garlic. 

I've been making pizza for awhile but never had a pizza board to put it on until now. Novica asked if I'd like to host a giveaway on my blog and since I love their products and what they're all about I said yes! I chose this beautiful handcrafted teak wood pizza board titled "Chef's Delight". Novica is unique in that they offer handmade, hand crafted artisan goods from all over the world in one place. When you chose an item, you get to learn about the person who made it and where they are from. Novica not only brings all these artists together and gives them the opportunity to share their products with the world, but they make the buying experience more personal. My pizza board was made by Teo Hernandez in Guatemala and came wrapped in printed craft paper with a note and gift card as well as a ribbon and a miniature doll at no additional charge. And the shipping rates are so reasonable and fast! 

It's nice to know that you can shop online for a unique gift that isn't manufactured in bulk and sold at box stores everywhere. By purchasing from Novica, you're giving these artists across the globe a chance to support their families while expanding their business. Also because everything is hand made, each is a little bit different and special in it's own way. Novica doesn't just have teak cutting boards, they also have beautiful onyx earrings, silver bands, gifts for men, furniture, gorgeous embroidered shawls, and tons colorful glassware. I could easily spend hours on Novica making my wish list. 

Rosemary Pizza Crust

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• 1 envelope active dry yeast
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 cups bread flour, plus more for pressing the dough out
• 3/4 cup warm water
• 2 teaspoons chopped rosemary
• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• olive or vegetable oil, for oiling the bowl

In a large bowl, whisk the yeast and sugar with 1/4 cup of the flour. Stir in 1/4 cup of the warm water and let stand until slightly foamy, about 5 minutes. Add the rosemary, salt, pepper and the remaining 1 3/4 cups of flour and 1/2 cup of water; stir until a dough forms.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead until smooth, about 5 minutes. Transfer the dough to an oiled bowl, cover and let rise in a draft-free spot (the microwave) until billowy and doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 450°. Place a pizza stone or pan in the bottom of the oven, and preheat for at least 30 minutes.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Press and stretch the dough into a 13-inch round then transfer to the preheated pizza pan. Be careful not to touch the pan because it will be HOT.

Place your sauce and desired toppings on the dough then transfer the pizza into the oven until the crust is golden brown and the cheese melts; about 15-18 minutes.

NOTE: Pizza stones will heat faster and will create a crispier crust while metal pans may take longer to brown and the crust will be slightly softer.

Now for the $50 gift voucher giveaway from Novica!

Novica provided me a $50 credit to purchase and review whatever I wanted and an additional $50 credit to giveaway to one of Lick The Bowl Good's loyal readers. 

You have 3 chances to enter this giveaway: 

1. Visit Novica's website and come back here and tell me what is on your wishlist. (mandatory entry)

2. Follow Novica on Facebook

3. Follow Lick The Bowl Good on Facebook. 

Please leave a separate comment for each entry.

Giveaway closes Friday, September 6th at 11:59pm. A winner will be announced on Saturday, September 7, 2013.

Good luck and happy shopping!

"Steak BBQ On A Budget" & A $25 Walmart Gift Card Giveaway

I was contacted earlier in the month asking if I'd like to try Walmart's new USDA Choice steaks.  Mr. H is a huge meat eater, so of course I said yes! Have you seen the commercials on TV where the people are dining in a steakhouse and a guy comes along telling them they've just eaten Walmart Steaks? Well these are those steaks!

I was given two $25 Walmart gift cards. One for me to create a "Steak BBQ On A Budget" and one to give away to a lucky reader! I went to Walmart and immediately spotted the USDA Choice steaks since they are easily identified by the black tray packaging.  There were several different cuts of meat to choose from, but Mr. H is partial to filet mignon, so that's what we got. My one complaint about the filets were that they were packaged individually rather than in pairs (like the rib eye steaks) so it was difficult finding two that were similar in size. I like to pan sear my steaks rather than putting them on a grill, so while the cooking times varied because one steak was larger than the other, it did not affect the flavor one bit. 

The steaks were fresh and well trimmed and tasted like any others that I would get from the butcher counter at my local market only at a lower price point. The steaks we chose were $14.99/lb. We purchased two steaks, but ended up getting three servings out of them. In addition to the seared steaks, I made rosemary and garlic roasted potatoes and in lieu of a salad, I set out fresh veggies and dip. A fruit salad served as dessert. It was a perfect Summer meal and it was affordable. I spent just over the $25 limit because I got a little carried away with the fruit but if you think about it- a filet mignon steak dinner for three people under $25 is a great deal! It would be at least three times that at a restaurant. 

I simply seasoned the steaks with salt and pepper and seared them in a super hot pan with a tad of butter until they were medium rare. I don't have a recipe for that, but I am sharing my favorite way to make roasted potatoes. These are delicious, if I say so myself :-)

Rosemary & Garlic Oven Roasted Potatoes from Monica h

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• 2 lbs. new potatoes, rinsed and patted dry
• 3 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 sprig of fresh rosemary, finely minced
• 3-4 clove of garlic, finely minced
• 2-3 tsp. kosher salt
• black pepper

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper and set aside. If using foil, spray with non-stick cooking spray. 

Cut your potatoes into 1 1/2-inch chunks. You want them to be all about the same size (quarter the smaller potatoes, cut the larger ones into 8 pieces). Place them in a large bowl and toss with olive oil, rosemary, garlic, salt and pepper. 

Once the potatoes are well coated, place them on the prepared baking sheet in a single layer. 

Place in oven and bake for 35-40 minutes, turning them with a spatula every 10-15 minutes, until uniformly golden and tender. 

GIVEAWAY:  I have one $25 Walmart gift card for one lucky reader to purchase Walmart's USDA Choice Steaks so that you can create your own "Steak BBQ On A Budget". All you have to do is leave me a comment on this post telling me what your ideal steak dinner is. I want details- what kind of steak do you like, how do you like it cooked and what are your favorite sides? 

I'll announce a winner later in the week. Good luck!

Oink! Oink!

This recipe for pork tenderloin should definitely be on my favorite's list. The only reason it's not is because I hadn't blogged about it yet. I would make it #31, but it really deserves a spot in the top 10. It really is that good, granted you don't over cook it.

I used to think that I didn't like pork tenderloin because the only kind I ever had was the pre-marinated, overly salty stuff from the supermarket. And even then, the only time I had it it was dry and tough. My mother in law (bless her heart!) made it this way. Rather than putting the whole loin in the oven or searing it, then roasting it, she'd cut it into medallions and pan saute it with onions and apples. I think her thought was good, but the execution was not. She ruined pork tenderloin for me.

Then one day while strolling through Costco (I love Costco!) I spotted pork tenderloin. There were 2 loins in a pack and they came bundled in 2 packs, so there were a total of 4 loins for around $12-$14. Not a bad price if you ask me. I wasn't sure how I wanted to flavor it, but I read the cooking directions on the package and planned to follow them. I looked in my pantry and in the refrigerator for ideas, I whisked a bunch of stuff in a bowl, poured it over the tenderloins and 45 minutes later, I swooned.

I wrote down the "recipe" from memory and have been making it this way ever since. Make it, you won't be disappointed. And the best part is, you don't have to marinate it, so you can make this when you get home from work or marinate it over night if you wish and pop it in the oven when you get home. Just don't forget to invite me over because I never get tired of this!

My Favorite Pork Tenderloin from Monica H

• 1 pkg. pork tenderloins (2 tenderloins, about 2-2.5 lbs.)
• 4 garlic cloves
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 2 T. country dijon mustard (whole grain mustard)
• 4 T. honey
• 2 T. fresh orange juice
• 1 T. finely chopped fresh rosemary OR herbs de provence
• freshly ground pepper to taste
• 3 T. olive oil

Yield: 1 cup of marinade.

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Take tenderloins out of package. Rinse and pat dry. Place in a 9x13-inch Pyrex sprayed with non-stick cooking spray.

Take a paring knife and poke holes in the tenderloins (on the top side only) about an inch deep. Peel garlic cloves and quarter each clove of garlic-lengthwise. If they're really big, cut them a bit smaller- about the size of slivered almonds. Place the garlic slivers in each pocket. Set aside while making marinade.

In a measuring cup or in a medium bowl, whisk together all the ingredients except for the olive oil. Then slowly drizzle the olive oil while still whisking.

Pour the mixture over the tenderloins and put into preheated oven. Bake, uncovered, for 45 minutes, basting once halfway through the baking process.

Once removed from the oven, allow the tenderloins to rest on a cutting board for about 10 minutes before slicing. Spoon the pan sauce over the tenderloin medallions and enjoy!

Stay tuned for a recipe using the pork tenderloin leftovers!

Savory, Sweet, Crispy, Chewy, Gooey & Delicious

Looks like this week is turning into Honey Week! On Monday, I posted a recipe for Cinnamon Honey Butter, today it's this wonderful Rosemary Flatbread with honey and coming later in the week another honey recipe, so stay tuned!

I found this recipe in Food & Wine Magazine two or three months ago and I was immediately intrigued by it's components. I set out to make it and it was so good. I ate half of it by myself in one night, and the rest of the a day or so later, reheated in the toaster oven. My husband did not like this at all. He walked into the kitchen and said "It smells like funky cheese" then left. He tasted it, but that was enough for him, so I ended up making him a sandwich for dinner. His loss.

I have to tell you, the rosemary flatbread was AMAZING! It had the perfect texture, crisp on the edges, slightly chewy, substantial, but not heavy. It would make a wonderful pizza crust on it's own with a simple tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella and Italian sausage. I will definitely be making the flatbread again and again. I think my husband would like it with different toppings. I happened to like the tang of the cheese, the sweetness of the honey and the burst of the grapes, with the perfuminess of the rosemary in the background. Seriously, bookmark this recipe and make it SOON! You won't be disappointed.

Rosemary Flatbread w/ Blue Cheese, Grapes and Honey from Food & Wine

• 1 envelope active dry yeast
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 cups bread flour, plus more for rolling
• 3/4 cup warm water
• 2 teaspoons chopped rosemary
• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1/2 pound red grapes (1 1/2 cups)
• Coarse sea salt
• 3 ounces blue cheese, crumbled (1/2 cup)
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 tablespoon snipped chives, optional

In a large bowl, whisk the yeast and sugar with 1/4 cup of the flour. Stir in 1/4 cup of the warm water and let stand until slightly foamy, about 5 minutes. Add the rosemary, fine salt, pepper and the remaining 1 3/4 cups of flour and 1/2 cup of water; stir until a dough forms. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead until smooth, about 5 minutes. Transfer the dough to an oiled bowl, cover and let rise in a draft-free spot until billowy and doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 450°. Place a pizza stone in the bottom of the oven, and preheat for at least 30 minutes.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Press and stretch the dough into a 13-inch round, then transfer to a lightly floured pizza peel. Press the grapes into the dough and sprinkle with sea salt.

Slide the flatbread onto the hot stone and bake for about 12 minutes, until the crust is golden and the grapes have begun to release some of their juices. Sprinkle the blue cheese on top and bake for about 2 minutes longer, until the cheese melts. Slide the flatbread onto a work surface and drizzle with the honey and sprinkle with the chives. Cut into wedges and serve.

NOTE: You need a pizza stone to make this, so plan ahead. Also I used Gorgonzola because I think it's less pungent than some other blues. I did this for my husband's sake but it didn't seem to make any difference to him. He still didn't like it.

Wonder Bread and Kitchen Towels

I found a recipe for no-knead bread in the Food section of my local paper. I clipped it and stuck it in a box that contained a thousand other clippings. Weeks passed. Months passed. I was finally ready to make the bread but I didn't read the instructions prior to deciding I wanted to make it. So I was a bit bummed when I realized it was going to take s.e.v.e.r.a.l hours before I actually had an edible loaf. I threw it back in the box.

Then a few weeks ago, while searching the Williams-Sonoma (I love them!) website I came a cross the recipe for no-knead bread again. It was a sign. I set out to make it. Only this version was scented with rosemary and lemon zest. Even better.

I prepared well in advance for this bread. I was nervous about the proofing/rising time of the dough. I didn't want it to "over proof" if that's such a thing. I allowed approximately 20-22 hours from start to finish to make this bread and let it rise overnight for a full 18 hours. Finally when the time was right, I pulled my dutch oven out from the cabinet and placed it into the 450 degree oven for well over 30 minutes. Then I went and took a short nap...

When I came back into the kitchen it smelled a little burnt. I thought it was because my oven is dirty and it was turned up pretty high. I blamed the smell on the burning grease. I went to take the pot out of the oven and I saw smoke coming out from under the lid. I pulled the top off and there was a stack of white kitchen towels in the pot that had been baking in the oven for 40 minutes! I'm surprised I didn't burn the house done. Because the lid was on the pot, they only got a little toasty. Let's just say they are no longer white-more like toasted marshmallow. You may want to skip this step :-)

My husband and in-laws loved it, especially slathered with salted butter. I wasn't sure if my hubby would though, because he doesn't like really crusty bread. But he ate most of this loaf by himself and he requested it with every meal. I sliced it all up and put it in the freezer and reheated a couple slices at a time. It's crusty and cornmeal-y on the outside but chewy and airy on the inside- much like ciabatta bread. And the lemon zest and rosemary give it a nice perfume without being overwhelming. The only alteration I would make next time would be to add a bit more salt. Other than that, it was WONDERful.

Rosemary-Lemon No-Knead Bread from Williams-Sonoma*

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 tsp. active dry yeast (1 packet)
• 1 3/4 tsp. salt
• 2 tsp. chopped fresh rosemary
• 2 tsp. chopped lemon zest
• 1 5/8 c. water, room temp
• Cornmeal as needed

In a large bowl, combine the flour, yeast, salt, rosemary and zest. Add 1 5/8 cups water and stir until blended; the dough will be shaggy and very sticky. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Let the dough rest at warm room temperature (about 70°F) until the surface is dotted with bubbles, 12 to 18 hours.

Place the dough on a lightly floured work surface. Sprinkle the dough with a little flour and fold the dough over onto itself once or twice. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest for 15 minutes.

Using just enough flour to keep the dough from sticking to the work surface or your fingers, gently and quickly shape the dough into a ball. Generously coat a cotton towel, preferably a flour sack towel (not terry cloth), with cornmeal. Put the dough, seam side down, on the towel and dust with more flour or cornmeal. Cover with another cotton towel and let rise until the dough is more than double in size and does not readily spring back when poked with a finger, about 2 hours.

At least 30 minutes before the dough is ready, put a 2 3/4-quart cast-iron pot in the oven and preheat the oven to 450°F.

Carefully remove the pot from the oven. Slide your hand under the towel and turn the dough over, seam side up, into the pot; it may look like a mess, but that is OK. Shake the pan once or twice if the dough is unevenly distributed; it will straighten out as it bakes. Cover with the lid and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and continue baking until the loaf is browned, 15 to 30 minutes more.

Transfer the pot to a wire rack and let cool for 10 minutes. Using oven mitts, turn the pot on its side and gently turn the bread; it will release easily. Makes one 1 1/2-lb. loaf.

*Adapted from Sullivan Street Bakery (New York City) and Mark Bittman, "The Secret of Great Bread: Let Time Do the Work," The New York Times.