Author Archives: Anna Papoutsakis

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About Anna Papoutsakis

Chef. Writer. Cater. Editor. Culinary Badass.

Cauliflower and Cornmeal Crust Pizza

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My Pinterest feed is always flooded with cauliflower crust recipes, as they are supposed to be a chewy, delicious gluten-free alternative to pizza crust. Since my recent success with the polenta fries I have wanted to up the ante and do a cauliflower-cornmeal crust.

I researched some recipes and tweaked it to suit my tastes. I could not imagine cauliflower on its own coming out crispy, and I love the crunch cornmeal adds.

Here’s what I came up with:

CAULIFLOWER-CORNMEAL PIZZA CRUST
1 bag frozen cauliflower
2/3 cup cornmeal
1 egg
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
1/4 cup shredded mexican blend cheese
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon dried basil
salt and pepper

  1. Steam the cauliflower until tender. Drain, allow to cool, and run through a food processor. Do not over process, leave some texture in the vegetable. Place cauliflower in a kitchen towel or cheesecloth and squeeze out as much liquid as possible.
  2. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a mixing bowl combine all ingredients – mix with a spoon then knead dough into a ball. If it is too dry and crumbly, add a touch more oil.
  3. Roll out into a disc shape and flatten as thin as you wold like. Mine was about 1/4 inch thick.
  4. Bake for 10 minutes until golden brown and edges are slightly more brown.
  5. Remove from oven and add your pizza toppings. Bake for another 5-7 minutes or until cheese is melted. Serve immediately.

   
  

   

Make Ahead Strawberry Lassi

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It has to be my Greek upbringing and the fact I only drank milk from birth to four years old, but I love yogurt. Fage was a household staple long before it helped launch a national Greek yogurt obsession.

Aside from straight up yogurt, I love tangy yogurt based beverages, like kefir and lassis. I have previously talked about how I also love smoothies, and a good lassi is essentially that. With summer coming near an end I have been stocking up on berries at the local farmers market. I usually freeze them but I decided to try something new with some of the fresh.

  
I prepped everything for the lassi, so I just have to dump it in the blender with some ice. Some recipes I have seen call for buttermilk, so I decided to try adding some apple cider vinegar, both for health benefits and some added tang.

In a jar, I placed about 3/4 cup of fresh halved strawberries, about 1-2 teaspoons of maple sugar, a dash of vanilla extract, 3/4 cup Greek yogurt, and about a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar. I loosely mixed it and let time do its thing, breaking down the strawberries and adding more zing to that yogurt.

  
When ready to blend I emptied out the contents of the jar into my vitamix, added about 5 large ice cubes and blended away.

  
The lassi was cool and refreshing after a gym workout. The maple sugar added a hint of sweetness and the apple cider vinegar gave the drink a nearly effervescent feel.

Hand Ground Chicken Meatballs

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So I had taken some chicken breasts out of my freezer to thaw, but left one behind, figuring I would get to it later in the week. Later in the week came and I wasn’t in the mood to grill it or make a cutlet or so whatever it is people do with a single chicken breast. I was really in the mood for meatballs to go with my polenta fries.

I realized I do not own a grinder, and a food processor would probably destroy the meat’s texture. So I decided to see what I could do with a knife. As I started to chop, I remembered I have a meat mallet for pounding cutlets. I decided to use that on the breast, combined with chopping, and I was really pleased with the results. It was then time to put the meatballs together.

CHICKEN MEATBALLS
1 chicken breast (4 – 5 ounce piece)
1 egg
1/3 cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
1/2 onion, roughly chopped
2 tablespoons fresh parsley
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
Dash of Worcestershire sauce
Dash of Hot Sauce (I used Sriracha)
Salt and Pepper

  1. “Grind” the breast by the method of your choice
  2. Mix all ingredients together, first stirred with a spoon, then knead by hand
  3. Portion out the meatballs to the size of your choice, I used an ice cream scoop to make balls slightly larger than a golf ball
  4. Chill the meatballs for about half an hour to set
  5. When ready, pour oil in the vessel of your choice (I like cast iron), heat to about 350 degrees
  6. Fry meatballs 2-3 minutes on each side. Depending on the size, you may want to finish in the oven to ensure they are thoroughly cooked
  7. Serve with marinara for dipping


  

Polenta Fries

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There’s a chain restaurant in Clifton called Spuntinos. It’s a yummy tapas restaurant and every time I go I make it a point to order their polenta fries. They have a crisp texture on the outside, some nice chew on the inside, and usually seasoned well with herbs and grated cheese.

I decided to try and replicate them at home. I played around Pinterest and most potenta fries “cheated” with tubed polenta. I prefer to make something from scratch.

In pantry project fashion, I assumed I had polenta on hand, but in fact I didn’t. I did, however, have cornmeal. It’s honestly the same thing! My only advice is if you want a smoother texture, pulse the cornmeal in a food processor a few times.

The production was pretty easy, but for best results this should be a two day event so the polenta can set and stiffen.

POLENTA FRIES
1 cup cornmeal
2 cups broth (I used chicken ut veggie works)
1/8 cup chopped parlsey
2 tablespoons dried basil
2 tablespoons dried chives
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons butter
salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste

  1. Bring broth to a boil, add cornmeal and stir constantly until full incorporated. Reduce heat, cover, and allow to cook about 10 more minutes, stirring occasionally.
  2. Remove from heat and add seasonings, cheese, and butter – mix until well incorporated.
  3. Lightly grease a cookie sheet (one with sides) or jelly roll pan, spread polenta mixture evenly in pan. Smooth top.
  4. Allow to cool about 30 minutes, transfer to refrigerator and allow to stiffen overnight.
  5. When ready to fry, heat a generous amount of vegetable oil, about 1-2 inches deep in a heavy bottom pot or skillet (I use cast iron) to 350-375 degrees.
  6. Cut the polenta to desired sized strips. If the mixture falls apart or feels too loose you can coat with a bit more cornmeal.
  7. Fry several pieces at a time (do not overcrowd), turning once, until golden brown. Place on paper towels to drain and sprinkle with some hard cheese, like Parmesan, while still warm.
  8. Serve immediately with a favorite sauce, I chose marinara but you can do a Belgian style mayo as well.

   
    
   

Kitchen Sink Fried Rice

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2015 has not been my year – new job, a painful breakup, sick family members, and just an overall blah feeling. To add to it, I crunched some numbers and financially I am not as well off as I was a year ago. 

So I’m dusting off the pantry project and seeing how I can save on my food budget, particularly bringing food to work and cooking at home as much as possible.

I love fried rice, and typically I make mine with jasmine rice, eggs, onions, mixed vegetables (the frozen ones with carrots, corn, peas, etc), chicken, sesame oil, ginger, soy sauce and once in awhile I’ll add scallions or water chestnuts.

I decided to make a batch as I had some eggs that were soon going to expire, I was super low on sesame oil, and I always have frozen veggies on hand. Or so I thought…

I raided the freezer and found some rice I had made awhile back and didn’t get around to eating it all. It was brown basmati with some saffron. Oh well, this wasn’t about to be an exact science. I hunted around for mixed veggies but alas, I had none. I did have some cauliflower.

  
So I went to work and came up with a hodgepodge of ingredients. In the end, the rice had red onion, chicken breast, diced baby carrots, scallions, eggs, ginger (that I had frozen in ice cube trays), cauliflower, liquid aminos all stir fried in toasted sesame oil. And it tasted no different than any other batch I have made haha.

  

Cake Mix Brownies…an experiment

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I’m prepping for Sunday’s dinner party. Menu is set (don’t want to share it all as it’s a surprise for my guests), groceries have been purchased, and I decided to start on the dessert tonight. I want to make ice cream cake because not only is it summer, I probably haven’t made one in about 2 years. Looking back on my own recipe, I swore it was Oreo-bottomed, but turns out it is brownie-bottomed. 

Thinking I had all the ingredients for brownies, I sought out to make it, but alas, I’m out of sugar. Since I don’t feel like bugging any of my neighbors (I don’t really know them), I figured surely I have a mix somewhere in my pantry. I was stoked when I saw a box of No Pudge!, but alas, it was open as I was making a serving at a time.

I saw a box of chocolate cake mix and looked to see if there was a recipe for brownies. Alas, there was not. So I googled….I prefer chewy brownies so I did a search and settled on a recipe that sounded super easy – just an egg, some oil, and water.

I put the mix together and the texture was super thick and gooey – almost like peanut or almond butter. It also tasted a bit off, so I added a tinge more oil, some salt, and some vanilla extract.

  
I had some trouble spreading it in my springform pan. It is baking as I write this….wish me luck! 

Update – it came out looking right, but rose more than regular brownies. I hope it shrinks down a bit because I want a thinner base. Worst case, I’ll saw some off the top.

  

Dinner Party Menu Planning

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I hit a pretty big milestone at work. Big for me, at least, and it warrants celebration. I had told my team if we reach our goal, I would make them dinner. The time has come, and I am ready to show off my culinary skills. However, I am at a loss of what I feel like making. I know for sure what I want for dessert, some version of my Ice Cream Cake.

Appetizers is also not hard – I figure Focaccia, cheese/charcuterie/crudite, maybe some Greek tyropita or spanakopita.

Where I am struggling is with my main course. My favorite things to make for a dinner party are a bit more “wintry.” Lately I have also been cooking a lot of fish, but one of my guests is not a fan of seafood, so why torture the celebration?

Some of my faves for a crowd:

Maybe I’ll revisit the Chicken Roulade with a different stuffing. Or maybe I’ll do a steak and feature my mashed potatoes. So many decisions!

Any thoughts out there?

Greek Maroulosalata

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One of my favorite salads is a simple Greek salad primarily comprised of Romaine lettuce, scallions, and dill. I love it so much more than the traditional Greek salad of cucumbers, tomatoes, and feta.

One of the keys to nailing this salad well is white wine vinegar with the dressing. The vinegar complements the flavors without overpowering, brightening the ingredients.

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It’s simple to prepare, just some cleaning and chopping. It’s a great summer salad, but can be enjoyed year round.

MAROUSALATA
Romaine Lettuce, chopped
Fresh Dill, chopped
Scallions, chopped
Olive Oil
White Wine Vinegar
Salt and Pepper
Feta Cheese, optional

Quantities for this salad is up to your personal preferences. I usually use about 1 head of lettuce, 1/2 cup of scallions, 1/4 cup dill, and a 2:1 ratio of oil to vinegar. I am not a huge dressing fan so I lightly dress the greens. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and topped with crumbled feta if so desired.

Strawberry Hand Pies

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IMG_3955Speaking of summer, another one of my loves for the summer is berries – strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, etc. They are so versatile and can be used in countless ways – salads, sauces, cocktails, crumbles, gallettes, etc.

One thing I like to make, which is a cousin to my empanada obsession, is hand pies. I find strawberries fall apart too much when you prepare them as a filling, making a really slopping and unattractive traditional pie. But for a hand pie, they are a great consistency.


I was at the grocery store yesterday and found a good deal on strawberries. I often freeze and reserve for smoothies, but I decided to go the sweet route. I also had some Dancing Deer Flaky Pie Crust mix, and as always, some butter in my freezer, so I was good to go.

Preparation is really easy, especially using a pie crust mix. You can go an extra step with laziness by using refrigerated pie crust or frozen puff pastry for turnovers. I do not suggest cheating on the strawberries – keep them fresh.

STRAWBERRY HAND PIES
Makes 8 Pies
1/2 package Dancing Deer Flaky Pie Crust Mix (7.2 ounces)
1 stick Butter, cold
2 ounces water

2 cups fresh Strawberries, cleaned and halved or quartered
1/4 cup Sugar or Maple Syrup
2 tablespoons Corn Starch, dissolved in 2 tablespoons water

Extra Butter or Coconut Oil

  1. Prepare pie crust according to package directions. Roll into a large, thick disc and cut into 8 equal pieces. Refrigerate until ready to prepare pies.
  2. In a heavy bottomed nonstick pan, add the strawberries and sugar. Boil until some of the liquid is reduced. Add the corn starch mixture and cook until well incorporated and mixture starts to thicken. Remove from heat and allow too cool. If filling is too hot, it will melt the butter in the pie crust and the crust will fall apart, or you will have soggy pies.
  3. When ready to assemble, preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  4. Roll dough out, one piece at a time, to about 1/4 inch thick. Add about 2 tablespoons of filling in the center and fold the hand pie over, sealing the edges by hand. Too much filling will spill out. Score the top of the pie to allow ventilation during baking.
  5. Line a cookie or baking sheet with parchment paper. Line the pies on the sheet, about 1 -2 inches apart. Baste the top of each pie with a bit of butter or coconut oil. Bake for 25 minutes or until crust starts to turn a light golden brown.
  6. Serve warm with ice cream, whippped cream, or all alone 🙂


  

    
    
  

Summer Corn Chowder

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My years of living in New England made me a chowda lover. In addition to the regional cuisine, I had a roommate who was obsessed with the dish, especially corn chowder.

Now that summer is here I am taking advantage of all the fresh beautiful produce out there. This afternoon I picked up corn, potatoes, and bacon for the soul purpose of transforming them to soup.


I also love any reason to use my Staub coquette.


The soup is really easy to prepare once all the chopping is complete.

SUMMER CORN CHOWDER
5 ears fresh Corn
3 Potatoes
1 sweet Onion
5 strips Bacon
1/4 cup Flour
1/2 stick Butter
2 Tablespoons Old Bay Seasoning
2 quarts Chicken Stock
1 cup Greek Yogurt
Salt and Pepper, to taste
Cheese and Scallions to garnish, optional

  1. Prep the corn, potatoes, and onions. Strip the corn from the cob, using either a knife or corn stripper. Dice the onion to a medium chop, and peel and cube the potatoes into one inch pieces.
  2. In a heavy bottom pan, render the bacon. Once browned, remove the strips, leaving the grease.
  3. Sauté the onions until soft and starting to brown. Add corn, flour, and butter. Cook, stirring constantly, about two more minutes until ingredients are well incorporated.
  4. Add chicken stock and potatoes. Bring soup to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Simmer about 25 minutes until potatoes are fork tender.
  5. Ladel out about 2-3 cups of soup, process in a blender until smooth and creamy. Mix in to the rest of the soup.
  6. Chop the bacon and add to the soup. Adjust seasoning to taste preference. Serve with cheese, scallions, and fresh ground pepper, if desired.