Short-rib Pizzadilla

Short-Rib Pizzadilla

                                                         prep time: varies but about 3 minutes per pizzadilla

                                      bake time: about 3 minutes per pizzadilla

                                     total time: about 6 minutes per pizzadilla

Ingredients:

large burrito size tortilla shells, 1 for each person
your favourite pizza sauce, about 6 tablespoons per person
grated or shredded parmesan cheese, about 2 or 3 heaping tablespoons per pizzadilla
shredded mozzarella cheese, sufficient for the number of pizzadillas you are making
shredded left-over cooked short-rib meat, about ½ cup per person
extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling

Preparation:

Place a pizza stone (or an inverted sheet pan) in your oven.

Preheat your oven to 425° F.

build the pizzadilla:

While the oven is heating up, lay each large burrito tortilla you will be baking in front of you.

Spread the desired amount (I usually put about ¼ cup) of pizza sauce over the surface of each tortilla,
leave a very narrow margin around the edge of each tortilla clean of sauce.

Spread some of the grated parmesan cheese over the surface of each tortilla again observing the clean margin.

Spread the desired amount of mozzarella over the surface of each tortilla again observing the clean margin.

Distribute the desired amount of the shredded short-rib meat over the surface of each tortilla again observing the clean margin.

change the oven from bake to broil:

Change the setting of your oven from bake to broil, since the pizza stone is at 425° F and since the tortilla shells are so thin and already baked you are only melting and slightly browning the cheese and heating the shredded short-ribs, the broiler function does this wonderfully.

bake the pizzadilla:

For each pizzadilla:

Carefully slide the prepared pizzadilla onto your pizza peel.

Carefully transfer the pizzadilla on your peel onto the pizza stone by a quick sliding motion.

Bake the pizzadilla until the cheese is melted and slightly browned, in my oven that is about 3 minutes.  Watch them until you know how long it takes in your oven.

Repeat this process for each pizzadilla you are making, I only bake 1 pizzadilla at a time.

service:

Slice each pizzadilla in half vertically and horizontally creating 4 triangular shaped slices per pizzadilla.

Place each pizzadilla on it’s own serving plate and serve accompanied by your favourite beverage.

Sweet and Sour Spaghetti Squash

Asian Sweet and Sour Spaghetti Squash

serves 4 to 6

                                                                                  prep time: 15 minutes
                                                                                  cook time: 60 minutes
                                                                                  total time: 1 hour 15 minutes

Ingredients

1 medium to large spaghetti squash, halved and seeded

sauce: 

1 1/2 cups chicken broth
3 generous tablespoons of peanut butter
1 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon chile-garlic sauce, to taste*
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
2 inches fresh ginger, grated
1 teaspoon sesame oil
2 tablespoons honey
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
3 tablespoons cold water
1 tablespoon cornstarch

*think about your audience, you can always add more at the table but you can’t remove it then

vegetables: 

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
½ cup shitake mushrooms, stems removed and thinly sliced
2 large carrots, shredded
1 red or green bell pepper, diced
3 or 4 scallions, thinly sliced crosswise
2 limes, divided (the zest and juice of 1, the second cut into slices)
½ cup crushed peanuts
cilantro or Thai basil, chopped for garnish

Preparation

prepare the spaghetti squash:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). Place spaghetti squash, cut-side up, on a baking sheet.

Bake in the preheated oven until squash is tender, 30 to 45 minutes. Shred squash meat using a fork and discard the peel.

create the sauce:

Combine chicken broth, peanut butter, chile-garlic sauce, soy sauce, rice vinegar, oyster sauce, ginger, sesame oil, honey, chopped cilantro, and black pepper together in a saucepan; bring to a boil.

Whisk water and cornstarch together in a bowl until smooth; add to broth mixture and continue boiling until sauce thickens, 5 to 10 minutes. Reduce heat to low and simmer sauce.

prepare the vegetables:

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat; sauté the carrots, red or green pepper, scallions, cilantro, and shredded spaghetti squash until tender, about 10 minutes.

bring it all together:

Add sauce to squash mixture; cook and stir until heated through, 3 to 5 minutes.

service:

Arrange the sauced spaghetti squash on a serving dish, sprinkle the crushed peanuts over the noodles and garnish with the chopped cilantro and basil.

Serve immediately accompanied by the quartered limes.