Tom's 1/2 Pounder Garlic Encrusted Brie Burger

1 lb of Beef
10 large cloves of garlic
1 8-oz. wedge of Brie, sliced
Worcestershire Sauce
Salt, Seasoning Salt and Pepper to taste or optional
1 16 oz. package of mushrooms, sliced and sauteed

Patty the beef into 4 4-oz. portions. Place a few slices of Brie in the center of two patties. Top those with the other two and press the edges to seal. Press Garlic on exterior of outer patties and fry in a lightly greased skillet over medium high heat. When nearly done douse with Worcestershire sauce and the seasonings (if you like), then top with more slices of Brie. Fry to desired doneness, plate and top with Mushrooms.

How I Make Yogurt

1 small cooler
3 3-cup mason jars, with lids and rings or 2 4-cup and 1 pint mason jars
1 8 cup Pyrex glass pitcher
1 stainless steel spoon
1 oil/water thermometer
1 microwave
Hot water from the tap
1 quart of milk
1 cup of yogurt

Make sure all your accessories are clean and preferably sterilized. Fill all three jars with 110 degree water from your tap set them in the cooler and then fill the cooler to just the shoulder of the jars. The reason I only fill the water in the cooler to the shoulder of the jar is so the lids and rings don't rust from being under water for 12 hours. Use the thermometer to figure out your water temperature. I am lucky enough to have the hottest water from the tap be at 110 degrees Fahrenheit, which is what you want your water temperature for the yogurt to be. Fill the Pyrex pitcher with all of the milk. One minute at a time heat it in the microwave stirring and checking the temperature till it reaches 110 degrees Fahrenheit. Slowly stir in the cup of yogurt, this will lower the temperature slightly. Take a jar out of the cooler, pour the water into the sink, and fill the jar with the milk-yogurt mixture. Screw the ring down over the lid on the jar and place the jar back into the cooler. Do this for all three jars then close the lid of the cooler.

Since you want to keep your water temperature between 110 and 90 degrees Fahrenheit for 12 hours you will need to replace the water when or before it reaches 90 degrees. I have noted in my kitchen it is about every 2 hours and I set my kitchen timer accordingly. When you replace the water simply open the lid, remove the jars, pour the water out, run the tap to 110 degrees, place the jars back into the cooler, fill to the top of the shoulder of the jars, close the lid, and reset the timer. The refilling process takes about 2 minutes. After 12 hours, remove the jars and set them in the refrigerator for one day before enjoying your homemade yogurt. When you open the 3rd jar, make more yogurt.

The yogurt I like, and use for the initial starter, costs around $4.50 a quart. The milk I purchase for making yogurt is around $3.00 for 2 quarts. So as you can see I'm yielding just over 2 quarts of yogurt for $1.50 less than the cost of one. Also as an F.Y.I. most persons who cannot consume milk, like myself, can eat yogurt because of the beneficial bacteria which aids in digestion. And you can use yogurt to bake with. I made some delicious cornbread just the other day using yogurt instead of milk. But that's a recipe for another day.

Pizza!

Since I am Gluten-Free I don’t usually eat pizza. Kinnickinnick brand makes an outstanding gluten-free crust that even gluten eaters will love. But making your own crust is also terribly easy (see recipe below, not gluten free). And making your own pizza at home is not only healthier, and cheaper, but fun. Everyone can make their own to suit. I did want to share with you all my tricks of the homemade pizza trade.

1. No matter what crust you use always pre-cook it especially if you make your own from scratch. With Kinnickinnick I put the frozen crust in the oven while it pre-heats and that seems to be enough.

2. Don’t use pre-made spaghetti sauce or tomato sauce. Instead get a can of tomato paste. In a mixing bowl combine equal parts of paste and water, add oregano, garlic powder, and salt to taste. Stir till smooth and use liberally. Also makes a great dipping sauce for crust, cheesy bread or breadsticks.

3. Always slice watery vegetables (peppers, mushrooms) thin, and use conservatively or your pizza will be soggy. And if you want crisp pepperoni put it on the very top.

4. I've had great results with combining shredded (low moisture part skim)mozerella, olive oil, oregano, salt, and pressed garlic. It's also great to pick up and eat so hopefully there'll be some left for the pizza. Of course whole-milk mozerella is amazing as well, but Monterey Jack or Pepper Jack if you like it spicy works really well.

5. And lastly, I am revealing to you a 6 topping combination that creates the best pizza you have ever eaten. 2 friends and I came up with this combination while trying to agree on a common pizza ground when ordering delivery. I have since made this pizza at home and was told by my dad that this may have been the best pizza he’s ever eaten. *Pepperoni, Sausage, pickled Jalapeno Pepper rings, pickled Banana Pepper rings, Mushrooms, and Green Olives* Of course personal tastes vary.

This is the most recent pizza dough we've been using with great success.  The recipe comes from Mother Earth News  February/March 2012 issue.

7 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 Tablespoon yeast
1 Tablespoon salt
3 1/2 cups warm water

This is a very sticky dough.  Makes 3 large crusts or 6 small.  We often take 1/3 of the dough right to the pizza pan, grease and let it rise on the pan before spreading it out and letting it rise again.  Sometimes I spread it out right away and let it rise just the once for about 30 minutes.  The rest of the dough will keep for up to 2 weeks, and gets a wonderfully tangy flavor the longer it stays in the fridge.

To bake, preheat the oven to 400, bake the crust for about 10 minutes prior to topping, then an additional 15-20 minutes with the toppings-till the cheese gets slightly brown and bubbly.

Otherwise, for one crust:

2 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon yeast
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup of warm water

Roast Chicken and Sweet Potatoes

This is one of my most loved dinners, and my signature dish. Not only is it delicious but it’s so easy. I have also been told by many people that while they don’t like Sweet Potatoes they like my Sweet Potatoes. If you are using an organic chicken you will need to make an aluminum foil tent or bake in a Dutch oven.

1 whole, raw 6 pound chicken, remove the innards and rinse.
2 or 3 medium sized Sweet Potatoes, scrubbed and wedged
1 large Onion, halved with the grain and sliced finely
Olive Oil
Sea Salt and freshly ground Black Pepper
Dried Rosemary

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease a 13” by 9” glass baking dish. Create a single layer of the sweet potato wedges in the bottom of the glass dish. Sprinkle half of the sliced onions over the potatoes. Place the whole chicken breast side down directly on top of the potatoes. Place the remaining onions in the crevices and cavity of the chicken. Lightly oil the outside of the chicken, sprinkle the dried rosemary and salt and pepper on the skin of the chicken. Bake for 20 minutes, then reduce heat to 350 and roast for another 1 hour and forty minutes. Your kitchen will start to smell amazing almost immediately.

*The chicken is done when the thigh meat reaches an internal temperature of 180 degrees Fahrenheit and the juices run clear. Place the cooked chicken on a platter, and with a slotted spoon place the sweet potatoes and onions around the chicken to serve.

Drain the chicken drippings into a 2 cup glass measuring cup and refrigerate. The fat will rise to the top and congeal. You will be able to remove the fat from the top and use later on to cook with. It will give your dishes a delicious flavor and chicken fat is a mono-unsaturated fat-a healthier option to cook with. The fat-free drippings can also be used to give your dishes a rich chicken flavor. Once the meat has been removed from the bones, simmer the bones in 8 cups of water for 4 hours for broth to be used in other recipes. You can freeze all of the by-products listed above for future use.

Black Bean Hummus

2 cups of freshly cooked black beans, strained, but some liquid is good.
1/2 to 1 lemon, juiced with pulp
3 Tablespoons roasted Tahini
1 huge clove of garlic, peeled
1 teaspoon salt

Dump all ingredients into a food processor or blender and blitz until smooth. Transfer to a serving dish and enjoy. I like to top mine with extra virgin olive oil, cayenne pepper or paprika, and chopped fresh parsley. Great with Garden of Eatin's Red Hot Blues corn chips, sliced tart apples, and sliced cucumbers.