Crispy Paprika Pork Skillet Pizza

Just love my latest creation ....  Mashed Potato Skillet Pizzas :)) 

So good, so easy , and I must say ..just a tad addictive ! 

It has gotten to the point where I'm making mashed potatoes just to make this,hahaha

Ingredients :

2 Cups Garlic Mashed Potato
1 cup Crispy Paprika Pork
1/3 Red Pepper , Sliced
4 Cremini Mushrooms, Sliced 

1/2 Yellow Onion , Sliced
1/2 Cup Aged Cheddar,  Sliced & Crumbled
1/2 Cup grated Mozzarella 

( Crispy Pork..   Sliced up Pork Loin .. caramelized in a pan with hot smoked paprika, butter and S&P .. simply pan fry it on low for an hour or so , stirring occasionally ) 

Preheat oven to 350F , pan can be preheated too if you like.  
Drizzle the pan with a bit of EVOO 
Use a fork to smush the mashed potato in the pan 
Start adding the toppings...   Crispy Pork, Peppers, Mushrooms ...

If your Mashed is cold, you will want to put the pan  (w/ mashed ) into the oven for 15 minutes or so to warm up .. before adding your toppings :) 

Add the Pork, Mushrooms, Peppers & Onions ... 

Top with your cheeses ..  and pop it into a 350F oven

Check it after 20 minutes ... if you like the looks of it, dig in ...   I usually leave mine in for about 30 minutes 

Thats it.. grab a towel , and take your skillet to your seat at the table or couch ! Enjoy :)) 

This recipe is part of my Creative Leftover series , any feedback would be greatly appreciated .

Peace , Love and Good Food !
Rich

Bangers n Mash

I love Bangers n Mash, not only was it one of my favourites growing up , but it always reminds me of home ( England ) , and is still one of my favourite meals today .  Now, mind you .. my Bangers n Mash dish , is not my Mums , which while delicious! Would be lacking in garlic and spice ... my two favourites :)  Hahaha  For those of you that have never had this , or don't even know what it  is ...     You are going to love it :)    Bangers are sausages , typically an English Banger is a short fat little sausage seasoned with herbs and spices, containing ground pork and bread .. but that can vary widely from region to region , fennel was quite popular when I was younger.  The name Banger , mostly got its name from WWII when rationing was in full effect and the sausages were likely to have a higher water content , causing them to explode if not cooked carefully :))
   Mash , well.. quite simply its Mashed Potatoes :) Either simple or spruced up with some garlic and herbs .. I much prefer the later ! I like to use Yukon or Russets , however any type will work , the ones shown here were white.

Bacon n Eggs Skillet Pizza

Happy New Year !!  Thank you all for a wonderful 2013  I appreciated all the comments , chats , likes and critiques ...    

After a late night, and more than a few ales :) I needed something hearty to start the day off , and one of my newest creations .. Mashed Potato Pizza came to mind , with a breakfast twist . 

Ingredients :

Mashed Potato
2 strips of bacon - rough chopped 
2 Cremini Mushrooms - Sliced1 Tablespoon Pepper Jelly 
Aged Cheddar - Grated
1/4 Red Pepper - Diced
1/2 Red Onion - Sliced
4 Grape Tomatoes
2 Eggs

Preheat your oven to 350F
Using a fork , create a 1" thick base of mashed potato in your skillet , lightly pressed
Drizzle the pepper jelly on top if your in the mood for a bit of sweet heat .
Arrange Bacon , Mushrooms , Onion and Red Pepper


Side note : This recipe is Gluten Free

 

Pop into the oven for about 20 minutes, the bacon should just starting to get crispy

 

Remove from oven , Sprinkle on the Cheddar
Crack your eggs on top
and return to the oven for 12 minutes

 

Remember...  cast iron gets HOT!!

 

Its that easy ...  after 12 minutes the eggs should be nice and runny
 Grab a tray or a trivet , and dig in , right from the skillet :)

Wishing you all a peaceful and prosperous 2014 !!
Rich

Mashed Potato Skillet Pizza

The Original Dish :)

Mexican Sausages from the butcher , Local Yukon Spuds & Cremini Mushrooms , Onion & Garlic from my garden , and some flash frozen peas ...  Oh can't forget the butter either !  Hahaha

I don't know about you , but i LOVE Bangers n Mash  :) Its more of a cool weather meal for me , as all that boiling water really heats up the kitchen .  So , earlier this week I made myself some ( See above )

I must say, it was delicious ! Such Simple, Good Food :)  As always tho , I made way more than I could eat in one sitting ...  Then I had a thought. On how to recreate the leftovers into something different , and tasty !





Ingredients :
1 Sausage ( Preferably from a butcher )
 2 Cups Garlic mashed Potatoes ( Or whatever is your fancy )
2 Cremini Mushrooms, Sliced
1/2 Red Onion , Sliced
1/2 Jalapeno , Sliced
1/2 cup Mozzarella , small cubes
2 thin slices 5 yr old cheddar , diced

You will need an oven safe pan for this , I choose my 8" cast iron skillet ...

Preheat oven to 350F , pan can be preheated too if you like. 
Drizzle the pan with a bit of EVOO
Use a fork to smush the mashed potato in the pan
Start adding the toppings, Sausage, Onion, Jalapeno , Mushrooms ...

Into the oven for 20 minutes

Side note : This recipe qualifies for Gluten Free

 

Sprinkle the cheeses over the top , return to the oven for 20 minutes



Its didnt have quite enough colour for me , so I cranked it up to 400F and popped it back  in for a few more minutes ...  

 

And this was what I was rewarded with ...  Creamy Garlicky Goodness , topped with all my favourite flavours :) Yummy !!

 

No need for plates , just grab a tray ( as the pan is HOT! ) and a fork , and enjoy !


This recipe is part of my Creative Leftover series , any feedback would be greatly appreciated .

Peace , Love and Good Food !
Rich

Eating Local,even in Winter

While working in the fields of a local organic farm last summer,  I had a lot of time to think ... One of the many bonuses to working outside with your hands :)  During harvest season life was great , fresh local veggies everyday , just picked 10 minutes before heading home :)   But what about winter ?  When I can't just simple pick something fresh, either from the field or from the grocery store.   I decided this year , I was going to challenge myself to continue to eat local thru the worst two months for fresh, local food here.  January and February ...   So i started stocking up ,  between a few farms and my own garden I managed to pack away a few hundred pounds of veggies...  lots to see me thru the two months I promised myself.    Quick numbers are 150 lbs of potatoes , 75lbs of acorn and butternut squash, 100lbs of tomatoes, jarred and frozen as a garden sauce,  50lbs of red peppers mostly all roasted and frozen , along with onion and garlic ( quick flavour adders ) ,100lbs of onions and 50 head of garlic .   I did have ambitions to put away more, but simply ran out of time and freezer space ...  It didnt help that the 20lbs of carrots went bad on me lol ..   Looks like I wont have a huge variety to choose from , but it should be fun , and best of all LOCAL :))  I'm already thinking ahead to next year ...   more frozen soups or puree's for sure , and more root vegetables carrots, parsnips, turnips etc...  More variety in canning , not just tomatoes :)

Four weeks in ,  Im really craving a nice big Caesar salad lol .... but its been fun,  Here are a few of my creations so far :)

Roasted Red Pepper n Garlic Hummus :) 

Roasted Red Pepper n Garlic Hummus, garden tomato sauce, red onions, garlic ,  ground beef , and roasted red peppers...  all local :)) Making  homemade hamburger helper :)   

Less Words, More Food 14

Wow ,  Can't tell that I like this format of posting .. this is number 14 in this series ! LOL  It is a handy way to to catch up on LOADS of of food pix I have to share with you . Please if you see something you like, just ask , and Ill write it up as a recipe for you .  On the flip side if there is something you don't like , please let me know so I can fix it or avoid it in the future.  This shots go back to April... that's how far behind I am now ... lol , well after this post Ill be caught up to May .  Enjoy :))

My version of Bangers and Mash :))) Loaded of course !  

A great Meatball Pasta bake , and soon to be a blog post ( its next ! ) 

Mmmm just gotta love roasting Beef!!  

The roasted  goodies for a nice hummus!!

Roasted Red Pepper, Onion & Garlic Hummus :)) 

Put it together for cold roast beef , and chips :)) With hummus and a fresh tomato. A Simple and Easy way to get Creative with your leftovers!!  

My new favourite way to make eggs.,, with the onions and garlic in the same pan !  Mmmm gotta love Free range eggs ! 

Another favourite of mine, Bacon ,Egg and Chips!! Mmm

Yeah!! April is done!! Hahahahaha I hope you all have enjoyed this post . As always , all feedback is welcomed.  Have a great day  :))
Happy Eating
Rich