Weekly Menu

It looks like this winter is going to be a rough one!  The past few winters have been relatively mild in Ohio... but this year, the temperatures started dropping earlier than usual... and the snow came early too.  Now we have named winter storms and we haven't officially finished autumn yet!  (Cleon and Dion... where do they get these names?  Sounds like they should have a show in Vegas.)  We got some snow, a little ice, and some freezing temperatures... but not too bad... yet.  I see a lot of soups and comfort food planned to get through a long, cold winter (there has to be a bright spot somewhere!). 

I don't know if pizza is really a comfort food, but I made one this week and I think I have finally figured out the trick!  I usually bake everything at 350 degrees (that is not hot enough).  I also like thick crust (but the middle wouldn't cook all the way through because of the sauce).  So here is the trick... while the oven preheats to 425 degrees, keep your pizza stone in the oven to get hot.  Roll out you pizza dough pretty thin (1/4" or thinner) on parchment paper (easy to transfer to your stone)...  But to get that thick crust, put a little bit of cheese all the way around the edge and fold the dough over (but don't go too crazy with the cheese, we're going for a slightly stuffed crust, not Pizza Hut).  Use half pizza sauce and half tomato paste so it's not too saucy.  And then lastly, remember to spray the crust with olive oil and sprinkle a little salt to give it a nice texture.

 

This week's menu is loaded with soups and comfort food since we're not supposed to get above freezing this week...

baked potato soup
shrimp tacos
stuffed shells and salad
chicken with creamy dijon sauce and brussel sprout gratin
fish and shrimp stew