Our Version of Gino’s East Deep Dish Pizza

I found several recipes for Gino’s pizza online and decided to combine them and do some other modifications of my own to create my own version. I have never actually had a Gino’s pizza before but I have seen it on the Travel Channel. I couldn’t wait to try my hand at it to see if I could make one that tasted as good as the one on the Travel Channel looked. That being said, if any of you have actually had the actual Gino’s East pizza let me know how it compares! Jared and I LOOVVVED this pizza. Probably some of the best home-made pizza we have ever had. YUM! Try it and let me know what you think!

(**I added a little cheese to the top about 1/2 way through baking so it would look better for the picture. This is completely optional. I know it’s not the “real” way they do it, but it’s the way I did it.)

Crust:
1 c. water
1 package yeast
1/3 c. corn oil
1 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp cream of tartar
1 lbs Bread Flour

In a bowl, put water (luke warm), then yeast, oil, cream of tartar, and sugar. Mix with hand until yeast dissolves. Then, pour in Bread Flour a little at a time. Mix with your hand. Just curve your hand like a dough hook and hold the bowl and mix. Then, knead it until it gets firm. Add more flour if needed. The secret is the kneading. Knead it for about 10 minutes straight. Then, roll it into a ball, and put it in a bowl with oil brushed in the sides. Cover with plastic wrap and a kitchen towel. Let sit overnight unrefrigerated. Only let it rise once. Portion and use.

Pizza Sauce (if you don’t want to make your own sauce you can just buy a jar of your favorite pizza sauce):

one 28 ounce can of plum or roma tomatos – less ¼ c of the sauce before you mush it
1 tsp salt
a pinch of basil
a pinch of oregano
fresh ground black pepper

Take the tomatoes and sauce and place into a bowl. Using a potato masher or just your hands, mash the tomatoes up so that there are no chunks bigger around than a quarter. Once this is done, add the rest of the ingredients and stir. Adjust the salt and pepper to taste. Do not use too much basil or oregano.

Toppings:
16 oz. (about 4 c.) Low-moisture part skim mozzarella (NOT low fat. It won’t turn out good if you use low fat)
Pepperoni
Italian sausage, uncooked, pinched into little pieces

Assembly:
Preheat oven to 350. After the dough has risen take your deep dish pizza pan (or a round cake pan with straight sides) and coat the inside of it with a very healthy coating of melted butter or oil. Roll the dough out to about 3 inches larger than the bottom of the pan and pinch the dough up along the sides of the pan. Now put your cheese in (right on the crust). Then add your pepperoni and sausage pieces, and finally your sauce (Don’t worry, the sausage will cook through completely in the oven). Bake in the oven until the crust is starting to brown and cheese is starting to bubble up through the sauce. The little edges of the pepperoni should also be starting to crisp and the sausage should be cooked through (about 45 minutes).

Our Version of Orange Julius

Emily and I would ALWAYS make these when we were little. I mean REALLY little. I remember having to climb up on the counter to reach the blender. Maybe mine and Emily’s love for cooking stemmed from this simple recipe. Who knows?
Anyway, these are SO easy to make and they don’t make a big ol’ mess. I actually like this version better than the REAL Orange Julius.. I don’t know why. Maybe I just don’t like how frothy and expensive real Orange Juilus’ are. This way makes it so its more of a smoothie. For an added twist, try adding fresh strawberries, raspberries, and/or pineapple!

1 can (6oz) frozen orange juice concentrate
1 c. milk
1 c. water
1/3 c. sugar
2-3 Tbsp. powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
about 9 ice cubes

In a blender, blend all ingredients except ice. Slowly add ice cubes one at a time until it reaches a “smoothie” consistency. Serve immediately.
(*If you are adding frozen fruit, add a little at a time BEFORE adding ice cubes. If using fresh fruit, add at the very beginning when you are blending everything else.)

Our Version of "Primanti" Sandwiches

We were watching the Travel Channel the other night and they featured a restaurant called Primanti Bros in Pittsburgh. We have never even heard of this place but their sandwiches looked AWESOME. We loved the idea that they put coleslaw and fries on their sandwiches and thought we would make our own version. Since we have never been to this place and had their sandwiches, we can’t really claim that it tastes like the real thing… however… the sandwiches we made were DELICIOUS and we will be making them again FOR SURE! It might just be our new favorite thing to put coleslaw and fries on our sandwiches!

1 loaf homemade bread, sliced into 8 big slices

Mayo, to taste

1/2-3/4 lb. deli turkey

1/2-3/4 lb. deli ham

4 slices Swiss cheese

4 slices Cheddar cheese

1-2 tomatoes, sliced

Salt and pepper to taste (for tomatoes)

Cole slaw (click HERE for the recipe)

Shoestring French Fries, prepared

Separate the ham and turkey into 4 piles on a cookie sheet, place one slice of each cheese on each pile. Put the meat and cheese in the oven at about 400-degrees for 4-5 minutes or until cheese is melted. While the meat is in the oven, spread mayo onto each slice of bread. Take the meat from the oven and place each pile onto 4 of the bread slices. Add tomatoes, salt and pepper, a heap of coleslaw and a handful of fries on to each sandwich. Top off the sandwiches with the remaining pieces of bread. Serve with remaining fries and coleslaw.

PRINT RECIPE

Our Version of Old Spaghetti Factory’s Mizithra Pasta

Ok, I know I am the worst at stealing ideas from restaurants. Sorry, I will try to stop… but until then, here’s an idea I stole from Old Spaghetti Factory! This is a really rich and buttery dish, but it is oh so good.

1 pkg. spaghetti (1 lb)
2 cubes REAL butter
1/2 to 3/4 lb. Mizithra Cheese, grated

Cook pasta in a large pot of salted, boiling water until al dente. Drain. While pasta is cooking, start slowly melting butter over medium heat until golden brown. The butter will foam up and rise, but just keep stirring until it turns brown. Remove pan from heat and allow the sediment to settle at the bottom of the pan for a few minutes. Here is what it will look like when it is all settled:
Do not stir up the sediments in the pan, you want the clear butter separated from the stuff at the bottom. Pour the browned butter into a separate bowl, again, keeping the butter separated from the sediment. Toss the pasta with the butter when it is ready. Sprinkle with Mizithra cheese to taste. Serve immediately.

Our Version of Taco Time’s Crisp Bean Burritos

This is a great fingerfood that is perfect for lunch or a quick snack!
1/2 c. oil
5 soft flour tortilla shells
1 c. refried beans
1/4 c. cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Heat oil in a medium-sized skillet. Spread about 2-3 Tbsp. of refried beans on each tortilla, sprinkle with cheese, then roll up. Fry in oil for about 15 seconds on each side. Then place on baking sheet and put in the preheated oven for about 5-7 minutes. Remove from oven and serve. Dip in enchilada sauce, guacamole, sour cream, or salsa.

Our Version of Claim Jumper’s Meatloaf

This meatloaf is TASTY! I’m not even a huge fan of meatloaf, but this is GREAT! It has so much flavor! It is actually really easy to make too!

2 tsp. vegetable oil
1 green onion,minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp green bell pepper, minced
2 Tbsp. grated carrot
2 eggs, beaten
1 c. Milk
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1 1/2 Lbs. ground beef
3/4 Lbs. ground pork
1 c. breadcrumbs (italian seasoned)
1/2 c. flour
1/4 c. ketchup

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Saute onion, garlic, green pepper and carrot in oil over medium heat until they become soft. Combine eggs with milk, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder in a medium-sized bowl. In a large bowl, mix breadcrumbs and flour into the beef and pork with your hands. Add egg and milk mixture, sauteed veggies, ketchup and mix it up with your hands. Press the mixture into a meatloaf pan or a large loaf pan. Bake for 30 minutes, then spread about 1/4 c. ketchup over the top of the loaf, then bake for another hour. Let it sit for a few minutes, then slice and serve!