Phew! I didn’t mean to be away this long. I missed you all!

I figured I’d take MLK day off, and then a recipe failure happened. And then I had to jump on a plane to head back east to bury myself in the work that I’ve been putting off for weeks. Procrastination, I hate you.

But good news: I’m here, working diligently and it’s awesome. I’ve been in this really awful anxious mood for the past few weeks, so all this doing, writing and completing feels refreshing and wonderful. SO, I’M BACK! And I brought cheese to this productive party, my dudes and dudettes. Cheese!

This recipe is inspired by a picture in the new issue of Saveur. The picture is just a few jalapeño peppers just laying there looking cute and delicious and fried.

I might’ve stared at the picture for an hour straight. Mainly because I knew under the fried bread crumbs cheese lived, and partly because after about 20 minutes of being on any plane I’m immediately ready to get off.

I get ansty. Bratty. And I always have to go to the bathroom. Basically I’m the worst plane neighbor ever. But I will share my food magazines with you and I’ll smile a lot. So there’s that.

I started by using an espresso spoon to get out of the seeds and membranes from each of the jalapeños. If you’re a lunatic and love spicy, then by all means leave them in.

These peppers are stuffed with a softened cream cheese, Monterey Jack mixture a spice or two and some salt and pepper. After they’re filled, they take two dips in the egg and bread crumb mixture. The two dips is pretty essential since jalapeños have super smooth skin and you really want the bread crumbs to stick. In some hot oil and out they come, all golden brown and gooey inside.

Fried, cheesy, spicy….and go!

Fried Cheesy Jalapeño Poppers

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3 cups canola oil
16 jalapeños
6 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1 3/4 cup Monterey Jack, shredded finely
1/4 teaspoon cumin powder
Pinch of kosher salt
Pinch of freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 cups panko bread crumbs

1. Make a slit down the middle of each jalapeño, being sure to keep the stem end intact, and slice off the end. Using a small spoon (I used an espresso spoon), scoop out the membrane and seeds.

2. In a small bowl, mix together the cream cheese, Monterey Jack, cumin, salt and pepper.

3. Add canola oil to a medium pot (or cast iron skillet) and heat to 350F. Line a baking sheet with paper towels and set aside.

4. Meanwhile, stuff each jalapeño with a small spoonful of cheese mixture.

5. In batches, dip jalapeños in flour, egg, panko bread crumbs, and then dip once more in egg and panko bread crumbs. Transfer to hot oil and fry until golden brown, 2-3 minutes per side. Transfer to paper towels to drain and serve immediately.

Fried Cheesy Jalapeño Poppers

I arrived in Florida (where my parents live) exactly two days ago, on a red eye flight. I was sitting next to the most adorable baby in a onesie. We said hi, we smiled…we became friends.

And then she totally betrayed me. An hour into the flight, she started bawling her eyes out. And didn’t stop…for the. next. four. hours. Right then and there our friendship ended, obviously. Her poor mother…she was doing everything she could. Nothing worked.

So, instead of sleeping with my eyes closed, I tried to sleep with my eyes open. You know…where you just stare REALLY hard and try to take your brain to a newprettybetter world, like, immediately?

I thought about Christmas morning…oh Christmas morning. Does a cozier more lovely place even exist? I think not…

This year I have nothing to do with Christmas dinner. I bowed out since I cooked all of Thanksgiving dinner.

Instead, I’m on the sidelines mixing cocktails, making playlists, drinking cocktails…

I did, however, agree to get down on Christmas morning.

Last year I made this eggs benedict, PW’s cinnamon rolls and some spice hot chocolate.

In a couple days, I’m gonna make Joy’s pull apart bread (have you made this?!?!), some more spice hot chocolate, an apple cheese danish…and this quiche.

This quiche is so dreamy.

Sure there’s a bit of flour and butter mixing, and water mixing, and rolling out.

BUT you can do all of that the night before. Yes, that’s right. The pie crust can be made the day before, rolled out, put into its pie crust or tart shell..so it’s all ready for the next day. You can even mix up the filling if you like.

This way all you have to do is wake up, shuffle into the kitchen in your pjs, do a little pre-heat action and stick the thing in the oven.

An hour later, you’ll be met with this beautiful cheese, ham and spinach filled quiche.

I can’t think of a better breakfast to share with a bunch of people on Christmas morning.

I’m wishing you all a beautiful peace-filled Christmas.

Merry merry!

xo

Adrianna

Ham Spinach and Gruyére Quiche

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Crust:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
8 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 stick), cold and cubed
1/4 cup cold water

Egg Filling:
1 teaspoon olive oil
3 handfuls of spinach
4 large eggs
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup cubed ham (sliced to a 1/4-inch thickness)
1/2 cup cubed Gruyére

1. In a medium bowl, mix the flour and salt together. Working quickly, and using your fingers, add the cubed butter to the flour mixture and break up until butter is in pea-size bits. Make a well in the center of the mixture, pour in 1/4 cup cold water, and incorporate it into the mixture it’s moistened and comes together forming a ball. Note: If you find it to be too dry, add a tablespoon at a time until it comes together. Wrap the disc of dough in plastic and place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the handfuls of spinach and cook until wilted. Drain in a colander (or on a handful or paper towels) and set aside.

3. Pre-heat oven to 350F. In a medium bowl beat eggs together with cream, milk, salt and pepper.

4. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out dough to a 12-inch circle (or just a bit bigger than your tart shell–mine was 9.5 inches). Fold the dough in half, place in a pie pan, and unfold to fit the pan. Gently press the inside bottom edges of the dough against the sides of the tart pan to eliminate any air bubbles. Roll the rolling pin across the top surface of the tart shell to cut off the crusts’ edges.

5. To the bottom of the tart shell, add the wilted spinach, cubed cheese and ham. Pour 3/4 of the egg mixture over top and transfer to a baking sheet. Place in oven on rack and top off with the remaining egg mixture (this way it won’t spill over!).

6. Bake for 50 minutes to an hour. The top of the quiche will be puffed and golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool slightly until serving. It’s delicious warm or at room temperature.

Recipe adapted from this Jacques Pepin video

This may be a total shocker to some of you, but in third grade I was not the cool girl.

Definitely not the cool girl. But I also wasn’t the weird girl, the girl that smelled nor the girl that was super jockey and athletic.

I was just way normal. Like really normal. Too normal for my own good. So I’m pretty sure I just kinda faded into the background…

The cool girls were the sprightly blond ones. Their hairs were always French braided. They wore a lot of pink. They were talkative and outgoing. The boys liked to punch them, in a good way (I think). And they had awesome packed lunches. (Read: Lunchables, Cheetos, Snack Packs.)

I was like, the antithesis of the situation you just read.

My dad thought it was a genius idea to buy me boys’ tennis shoes because he thought they were “designed” better. So yeah…I have him to thank for that. I was shy and quiet and observant. And my hair was frizzy and always sort of a mess. My mom, nor I, could French braid despite how many times we tried.

And my lunch…ugh…my lunch was always kind of lame. Think like, hummus, crudites and…arroz con pollo. Tell me! …how is a child supposed to be cool with yellow rice in their lunchbox?!?!

But now…I’m a totally different person. I know how to use a blow-dryer. My clothes are better. That lunch would actually make me excited. And I know how to do regular braids, French braids and fishtails. Yeah…I totally graduated to braiding pro status.

Despite who you were in third grade, everyone can braid this cheese danish. Everyone.

Let’s talk frozen puff pastry. Sure…you can make your own, if you’re up for that. But if you’re not, try and buy the good stuff.

You’ll be able to spot it because puff pastry should only have a few ingredients: flour, water, salt and BUTTER. A lot of the ones at the store have oils instead of butter.

I found my puff pastry at Whole Foods for $10 for two sheets. (I usually buy Dufour but this one was the brand Toque.)

A little pricey…but the quality was amazing. So so worth it.

You’re going to start by throwing all of the filing ingredients in a bowl and mixing them up. It’ll smell tart. And delicious.

Next up you want to slice the apples and toss them with a little lemon juice, sugar and cinnamon.

Fall in a bowl. Fall in a bowl.

Take your defrosted puff pastry and roll it out. Mine was an annoying circle, so I had to cut it into a rectangle. No biggie!

Cut off the top corners. And make triangular notches in the bottom part of the rectangle.

Then make slits down both sides. Those are gonna be the pretty braids.

Fill the center with a few tablespoons of the cream cheese mixture and smooth it out.

Lay the apple slices down the center…

Fold in the bottom and top flaps…

And then braid! Sorta. This is when it gets really easy.

Simply fold over the strips, alternating between sides.

P.S. If you need more visuals, this video really helps!

Trim away any leftover strips or dough.

And when you’re done…it’ll look like this!

Brush it with a little egg wash action, stick in the oven and bake.

While it’s doing its thing in the oven, mix up the icing. Just powdered sugar and a tiny bit of milk. I had to play with the consistency a bit. I wanted it to be thick.

And then…pour it all over the warm apple cheese danish..

The filing in this cheese danish is just the perfect amount of tartness; it isn’t overly sweet, which makes the icing welcome…perhaps even necessary?!

And the cinnamon and sugar speckled apples practically become one with the cheese…after the 20 minute baking time. This is all such a good thing.

When I took a bite, the first thing that came to mind was how perfect this danish would be for that certain holiday where people get presents in late December. I can’t bring myself to mention it this early. I just can’t…I’d totally end up hating myself…

But for real, this thing really would be perfect for it.

Apple Cheese Danish

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Filling:
8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
3 tablespoon ricotta
1 lemon, zest and juice used
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon Kosher salt
5 tablespoons sugar, divided
2 Gala apples
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 box of frozen puff pastry (mine contained two circular sheets of puff pastry), defrosted

Icing:
3/4 cup confectioner’s sugar
1 tablespoon whole milk

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

In a medium bowl, place the cream cheese, ricotta, lemon zest, vanilla, salt, 4 tablespoons of sugar and mix until smooth, using an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Set aside.

Peel and slice your apples into 1/4-inch slices. In a small bowl toss them with 1 tablespoon of sugar, cinnamon and juice from the one lemon.

Carefully unfold 1 sheet of puff pastry and roll slightly with a floured rolling pin until it’s about 1/4-inch in thickness. Since mine was a circle, I cut it into an 11″ x 8″ rectangle. Transfer the sheet of puff pastry to a piece of parchment.

At an angle, slice off the top corners and cut two notches in the bottom. Slice 1-inch strips diagonally down both sides of the puff pastry, leaving the center uncut. Try to cut the same amount of strips on both sides. I had about 8 strips per side.

Add three tablespoons of cream cheese filling, spreading it evenly down the center of the puff pastry. Top with apple slices.

Fold in the bottom and top flaps. Braid the puff pastry, by folding the strips over the filing, alternating sides, until you’ve worked your way down the puff pastry. Using your knife, trim off any leftover strips or extra dough.

Transfer the danish (with parchment) to a baking sheet, and brush top with egg wash. Refrigerate for 15 minutes. Transfer baking sheet to oven and bake for about 20 minutes, or until puffed up and golden brown.

Repeat with the second sheet of puff pastry.

While baking, mix confectioner’s sugar with milk and mix. When the danish comes out of the oven, drizzle top with icing and serve warm.

Yields 2 Medium Danishes

I have another potato with cheese (and cheese) and butter recipe for you.

I swear I’m not trying to kill you; it’s just I like cheese.

I kinda figure it’s like math…you know, two negatives make a positive, OR depending on your life perspective, two positives make a big gigantic cheesy, calorie-filled positive. I consider myself a super optimissitc person, so I’ll go with the latter.

If you are too, then hop over to PW’s Tasty Kitchen blog where I did a guest blogging situation. You’ll find: step-by-step pictures, the recipe and me waxing poetic about cheese and butter. You know, THE USUAL!!!

LOVEYOUBYE

P.S. I’ll post a recipe of some salad soon. Or not.

I’m never the girl that’s super prepared for things.

I wash my clothes only when I start wearing mismatched socks. I wash my hair when I can’t go another day. I only buy paper towels when I start using bath towels to clean up messes.

And the list goes on…and on. And on.

I think it’s just that I’m really good at wingin’ stuff. It’s how I like livin’…

The only season I actually prepare for is Fall. I dig it so much that I can’t just can’t help it.

I buy sweaters while it’s still hot outside. My boot game starts to get good when I really should be wearing sandals. I have 30 minute conversations (in September) with my dad about turkey brining plans.

And as of right now, I have thirty-two Fall-ish recipes written down in a notebook that I can’t wait to make. Yeah, I’m way prepared.

This Cheddar Jalapeño Cornbread (with the Vegan Chili) was one of the first things to hit the list.

I was just waiting for it to be the right temperature.

But since I live in LA, it’s sort of never the right temperature.

Whatever. I’m gonna experience Fall…even if I have to force it.

Let’s talk cornbread details…

Despite no pictures of the cast iron skillet, it’s made in one, which means the edges are crispy and brown and delicious. There’s loads of cheddar in this cornbread…as well as a kick of spice from the jalapeños.

Add a pat of salted butter on top and experience what Fall tastes like.

Cheddar Jalapeño Cornbread

Recipe adapted from Homesick Texan

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2 tablespoons vegetable oil (or bacon drippings)
2 cups of cornmeal (yellow or white)
½ cup sifted all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 cups buttermilk, shaken
2 jalapeños, diced
1 1/4 cup of cheddar cheese, shredded and divided

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Put the oil (or drippings) in a cast iron skillet and place it in the oven for a few minutes until it’s sizzling.

Mix together dry ingredients. Set aside. Whisk egg and buttermilk. Mix with dry ingredients. Fold in jalapeños and 1 cup of shredded cheddar.

Take cast iron skillet out of oven, and pour hot oil into batter, and mix. Pour batter into cast iron skillet and top with remaining 1/4 cup of cheddar. Bake in oven for 20 minutes. Cornbread should be brown on top and pulling away from the sides of the skillet.

Hi!

I know a few days ago I was totally publicly flirting with Fall, talking about pumpkin this and cuddle that and apple cider whatever…and here I am posting this recipe with slices of heirloom tomatoes and fresh pesto.

I’m sort of all over the place, but that’s what you get during this awkward period between seasons. My brain isn’t sure what’s appropriate. My heart knows to look for cheese for the answers…

When I went to go categorize this post, I realized I don’t really do salads on this blog very often. It isn’t that I don’t like vegetables; there’s plenty of those around.

I think it’s the whole lettuce thing.

Sure, arugula is cool as a topping on pizza, a Caesar salad is always good, and butter lettuce tastes amazing…when drenched in buttermilk ranch dressing or something.

But mainly lettuce, for me, acts as this vessel for something more awesome than itself. So why not skip it all together?!

This salad does just that. Cheese…no, correction: fried cheese, tomatoes and pesto. There’s no catalyst. No middleman!!

Can we just not live in a world where salads have ingredients that are middlemen?!

This salad is pretty straight-forward–no crazy tricks or pro-tips, really. Just some friend cheese.

Oh there is a little info on the cheese I wanted to explain. In order to get that thick crust around the cheese, I dipped the piece of mozzarella in the egg and batter two times. That’s all. No biggie. Nothing major.

And yeah, I know frying stuff kinda sucks, but there’s melty cheese on the other side of this recipe and it’s so SO worth it.

Fried Mozzarella Caprese Salad

Yields 2 servings

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Pesto:
1 cup of basil
2 garlic cloves, minced
Handful of walnuts
1/4 cup of Parmesan-Reggiano
1/4 cup of olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Fried Mozzarella:
1 tomato
1 quart of canola oil
1 five ounce ball of mozzarella (low moisture, not water packed)
2 large egg, beaten
1 1/2 cup plain bread crumbs
1/2 teaspoon of crushed red pepper
1/2 teaspoon of oregano
Salt

1. In a food processor, add the basil, garlic, pine nuts (or walnuts), Parmesan, and pulse until chopped. With the processor on low, add the olive oil in a slow and steady stream until completely combined. Taste the pesto and adjust the salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
2. Slice the tomato in 1/2 inch slices and place on paper towels. This will absorb some of the tomatoes’ moisture.
3. Prep a plate with a few layers of paper towels. Fill a 10″ cast iron pan with 4 inches of oil, about 2 quarts, and heat oil to 350F.
4. While it’s heating up, slice the mozzarella into 1/2 inch slices. Prep bowl with beaten egg. On a plate, combine bread crumbs, crushed red pepper, oregano and salt (if needed). Note: Try your mozzarella. If there’s a lot of salt, chill on the salt. Don’t add any. If the mozzarella has no salt, then add about 1/4 teaspoon to the bread crumb mixture.
5. Double-dip mozzarella by dipping in the beaten eggs, then bread crumbs and repeating the step. This will give you a thick delicious crust.
6. Gently drop the mozzarella into hot oil using a slotted spoon and fry, about 30 seconds, or until golden brown. Turn the mozzarella and allow to fry on the other side for another 30 seconds.
7. Transfer to the paper toweled plate to drain.
8. Grab a plate and stack tomatoes and mozzarella in whatever fashion you like. Top with pesto and a crack of black pepper.

Sometimes I’m attracted to food because of its motion. Let me explain.

I love pulling a slice of pizza from the pie and seeing all the cheese strings flail in the air; only to then sword the cheese with my finger, breaking it off for good. That’s rad.

I love imagining (and watching) a kernel of popcorn exploding and transforming into a buttery, movie snack. Popcorn is the butterfly of the food world. Think about it.

I like when I pour a beer and flirt with the idea of it overflowing…and then it does. I always give a bratty smirk when that happens.

I like watching the little craters sporadically show up on the surface of a pancake.

I really dig bubbling, simmering tomato sauce. Lots of things simmer…tomato sauce, hands down, is the prettiest.

And then there’s the stream of a bright yellow yolk that gently flows out of a fried egg.

Food motion makes me hungry. Wait, does this mean I wanna eat motion? Is food motion even a thing?

Moving on…

This sandwich has two motions going on: a runny yolk and oozing cheese.

Pause…can we just take a moment and all agree that Egg-in-a-Hole is the cutest dish ever brained up.

“Yo, egg-in-a-hole, who brained you up?!”

Oh, you’re a piece of food and can’t talk back…cool.

Moving on…again…

I added a little prosciutto for some heft. I wanted dinner.

If you don’t have any or are trying to go veggie, leave it out. It’s totally delicious without it.

And please…grate yo’ cheese. It melts faster, which is important in this case.

Now, go make this for breakfast, lunch or dinner…and eat some food motion. It’s the right thing to do.

Egg-in-a-Hole Grilled Cheese

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Yields 1 Sandwich

2 slices bread of choice (I used white; I think 7-grain would be lovely.)
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, divided
2 large eggs
1/3 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
Salt
Pepper
3 slices prosciutto

Using a biscuit or cookie cutter, cut a 2-inch hole from the center of both slices of bread. Melt 1/2 tablespoon of butter in a medium nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. When it’s melted, add the two slices of bread. Let the bread lightly toast for a minute, or until lightly golden brown, and then flip the two slices over. Dab the remaining butter in the middle of the bread circles. We want to ensure the egg doesn’t stick.

Crack the eggs into the holes and season with salt and pepper. If you’re using prosciutto, chill with the salt. Just add a little.

Cover the pan for a minute, just until the egg whites are sorta set. Next, add the grated cheese to one half and cover for another minute, or until the cheese is practically melted.

Using a spatula, gently top the cheese slice with the egg slice. Cook for one more minute, or until the cheese is melted.

Crunching on things helps me think. And I’ve been thinking a lot lately. My brain is full of life thoughts, to-do lists and stuff…all resulting in me being spacier than normal.

My brain doesn’t have space to remember where I put my car keys. There’s other more important things to have room for!

But seriously, WHERE ARE MY KEYS?!

I have a million dollar idea for us. Don’t worry it’s not a weird pyramid scheme or anything.

Here it goes: I want to invent noise stickers and attach it to everything important. Like my sunglasses, wallet, credit card, car keys, laptop, etc., so every time something is missing, I’ll be able to go to  a console where I’ll be able to page those things. Each item will have a different sound assigned to it so I’ll know which buttons to press.  .

This is genius, no?!

I’m pretty sure we can make billions off of this. 

Since we’re technically inventors now, we’ll be thinking a lot, hence our need for stuff to crunch on. That’s where these cheez-its come in!

Homemade crackers are about the easiest thing ever to make. The dough comes together in five minutes–in a food processor, no less.

The tricky part comes with the rolling out the dough.  You want it super thin.  This dough is going to want to naturally puff up in the oven.

I wanted the cheez-its to be uniform so I broke out my measuring tape.  Let’s be cheez-it pros, guys.

I rolled it out and then cut it a 12 x 6 rectangle. And then using my measuring tape as a guide and using my ravioli cutter, I cut 1 x 1 inch squares.

Three words: Domino’s Pizza Tracker.

Do you know about this? If not, let me break it down: you order a pizza (via the internets) and then watch it go from “prep” to “bake” to “out the door for delivery.” First time I saw it in action my mind was blown.

I really had no idea how this could even be real. I embraced it…thinking, you know, we’re totally in the future. This is the future. But I still couldn’t figure out how this was logistically possible.  Is there low-jack technology involved? Does my pizza now have a micro-chip in it? Am I going to EAT this micro-chip? What will it taste like…? Well guess what…none. Of. It. Matters.

A friend of mine–who was equally obsessed as myself–did some serious research and found out that the entire thing is fake. Well, it’s not fake…it’s just based off of statistics in your area. Bummer-town, USA, eh? Yeah, me too.

What does this have to do with this Fancy Hawaiian Pizza? Nothing really…except I usually order a Hawaiian Pizza from Domino’s. Tomato sauce, canned pineapple, Canadian ham and cheese. Holy yum.

I thought it’d be a fun time to make a fancy version. Umm…hi!!! This was delicious!

Fresh pineapple & mozzarella, caramelized onions, prosciutto, arugula…and I broke out a new-to me, fancy pizza dough recipe by Peter Reinhart.

This is–hands down–the best pizza dough recipe I’ve had. And while the written instructions are slightly cumbersome and way too wordy for my taste, the results were heavenly.

Another thing I recommend, is getting a “cheap” pizza stone (I spoke about this last summer, too). Go to Home Depot/Lowe’s and buy a terra cotta, clay, unglazed tile for $2.

Pizza dough will release a lot of moisture and the clay will absorb it, giving you a crispy crust on the bottom. I hate when pizzas are soggy, don’t you?

I would also like to let you know that if I didn’t have this food blog and felt obligated to make this pizza, I would’ve simply wrapped prosciutto around each piece of pineapple and called it a day!

P.S. On a completely non-food related topic, I am so damn proud of Britney Spears. Aren’t you?!

Have a good week!!

xo

Adrianna

Fancy Hawaiian Pizza

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Pizza dough recipe by Peter Reinhart

Pizza idea from my brain

Recipe notes: I halved Peter’s recipe giving me 2-8 ounce pizza dough

1 medium red onion, thinly sliced

1 – 8 ounce pizza dough

1-4 ounce ball of fresh mozzarella

1/4 of a pineapple, diced (I bought mine pre-cut at WF–made my life super easy)

5-6 slices of prosciutto, halved

1 handful of arugula

Preheat oven to 500 degrees and heat up stone for 30 minutes.

In a medium fry pan–over medium heat–add a tablespoon of olive oil and add sliced onions.  At the five minute mark, add a 1/4 teaspoon of salt and keep cooking until completely caramelized.  If they dry out, simply add a little water one tablespoon at a time. Should take about 20-30 minutes to completely caramelize.

Gently pull pizza dough apart into a non-perfect circle. It looks cuter this way!!   Place on a piece of parchment. Drizzle with 1/2 teaspoon of olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Add mozzarella and diced pineapple and place on the stone (with parchment) in the oven.  Bake for 10-15 minutes, or until cheese is melted and crust is golden brown.

Remove from oven and add the prosciutto, warm caramelized onions and arugula. Yum-town, population: YOU!! 

I tried really hard to think of something to clever to write this morning, and finally had to concede that it just isn’t happening. It’s been a long week, and the week’s not even half over. Plus, the A/C is permanently stuck on “high” in my office, and it’s a balmy 50 degrees outside, so I’m more concerned with staying warm than coming up with cutsy quips.

Uggh, sorry, I wish I could do better for you. However, I do have this pizza. This pizza is delicious to make with fresh, early-summer corn. If you have access to a front porch, I suggest you eat there. If you can whip up a margarita to go with it, that wouldn’t hurt either.

I promise to do better for you next week. Seriously, I’m gonna do a little attitude adjustment and it’s going to be rainbows and sunshine. In the meantime, if you want to see photos of someone that is super-happy, you should check here. Please know I still love you. Even when I’m cold and tired, and that really says something.

Roasted Chile, Corn and Cheddar Pizza

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Adapted from Cooking Light

2 poblano chiles

2 cups fresh corn kernels (about 4 ears)

1/2 cup chopped green onion

1 garlic clove, minced

1/2 cup milk

2 large egg whites

1 large egg

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 cup  shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1  recipe pizza dough store bought or homemade

2 tablespoons fat-free sour cream

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Preheat broiler

Place poblano chiles on a foil-lined baking sheet; broil 10 minutes or until blackened and charred, turning occasionally. Place in a heavy-duty zip-top plastic bag and seal. Let stand 10 minutes to allow the skins to separate. Peel and discard skins, seeds, and stems. Chop peppers.

Lower oven temperature to 425°. In a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add corn, green onions, and garlic and sauté 2 minutes or until lightly browned. Stir in milk; cook over medium heat 2 minutes more or until liquid almost evaporates. Cool slightly.

Meanwhile, place egg whites, egg, salt, and black pepper in a bowl; stir with a whisk. Stir in poblano peppers, corn mixture, and cheese. Make sure the corn has cooled – you don’t want to scramble the eggs

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Unroll dough onto parchment paper; pat dough to form a 13 x 8-inch rectangle. Spread corn mixture over dough, leaving a 1-inch border. Fold 1 inch of dough over corn mixture. Bake at 425° for 12 minutes or until set. Serve with sour cream; sprinkle with cilantro (optional).