Kitchen Creativity

I ALWAYS follow a recipe. I don't know why. I just have never been a "throw this in, throw that in" kind of cook. I measure and I follow. So when I create something yummy without a recipe, I get pretty proud. I did just that two days in a row. You may look at what I think of as creativity and think, "Boring," but not to me. You will not knock me off my pedestal. I will stand proud and I will share. Watch out Food Network!

First I made mashed potatoes the other night that looked pretty boring so I started adding things. YUM! To start I made them the way I always do (I don't have to use a recipe for this, not for basic stuff) but then I threw in cream cheese and let it melt into a creamy pile of yumminess. Then I chopped up a bunch of spinach and threw that in. Then I got out my parmesan shaker and shook, shook, shook some of this into my potatoes. There must be garlic, so I sprinkled garlic powder over all of that and YUUUUMMMM! It was reminiscent of alfredo. Hubby had two huge helpings.

Then the next day I decided to make pizza for supper. I always make my own dough. It is so easy and CHEAP. My standby recipe makes a pretty thick crust and I wanted to change things up and found a crispy pizza crust recipe at Suite 101. It appears this site has to do with interior design but it is what came up when I searched for these recipes. We loved it. It was crispy and so easy! I will be using this one alot. It does say to make 5 balls out of the dough but I only made 3 and it was perfect. Also I used two of the balls and froze the third. I did not bake it and then freeze it as the recipe says to do. I will find out later if it works ok this way.

Thin Crust Pizza Dough Recipe

• ¼ ounce (7 gram) package of active dry yeast
• 1 Cup warm water
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 Tablespoons melted butter (or oil)
• 2 ½ to 3 Cups flour
• Olive Oil
• Seasonings

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, dissolve the active dry yeast into your warm water and stir. While stirring add sugar, salt and butter and begin adding the flour by half cupfuls at a time. Begin kneading by hand when necessary.
2. When all the flour is added, transfer your dough to a lightly floured surface and begin kneading until dough has a uniform and consistent appearance and feel. This will take about five minutes.
3. Divide your dough into five balls and let them rest for ten minutes. Each ball will make one 12-inch crust, and once baked they can be frozen for use at a later date. While dough is resting, turn oven on to 400-degrees.
4. Roll each ball into a very thin 12-inch crust and place on a greased cookie sheet or pizza stone. Brush the crust with olive oil and sprinkle on seasonings for the crusts you will freeze. For crusts that will be made into pizza immediately, add your toppings. A light covering of fresh garden veggies, mozzarella and a sprinkle of balsamic vinegar is recommended, but each pizza can be tailor made to your taste.
5. Bake time is between 10 and 15 minutes, add a couple minutes for loaded pizzas. Cool crusts completely and seal in a plastic bag for freezer storage.

Now for the creative part...I made one pizza with the normal sauce, cheese and pepperoni. For the second, adult version, I sauteed an onion in butter until is translucent and oozing goodness. I could just eat the onions in a bowl like that. I refrained though. After brushing some melted butter with garlic powder mixed in over my dough, I slathered on the onions. Then I sprinkled on some bleu cheese and mozzerella. DELIGHTFUL, DELECTABLE, DREAMY, DIVINE. Those are just a few of the words that came to mind when I bit into the pizza. It will be made again!

I just remembered one other creatively done thing from my kitchen. The reason I had blue cheese was for hubby's birthday dinner. I made our favorite...salmon. I sprinkled salmon seasoning on top and baked it. Once it was close to being finished, I turned on the broiler, sprinkled the blue cheese on top of the salmon and let it broil into bubbly, crunchy goodness. This was a hit for hubby...two of his favorite things together.

All this being said...I have had fun being creative and creating for my family. What creative things have happened in your kitchen lately?