Potato-and-Cauliflower Dal with Spicy Shallots

*Found at the CL Message Boards

150 Best Slowcooker Recipes by Judith Finlayson
serves 6-8

1 cup yellow split peas (soaked, drained and rinsed — I covered with boiling water and let sit for 30 minutes)
2 tbsp clarified butter or vegetable oil
2 onions finely chopped
4 stalks celery, peeled and thinly sliced (I did not peel)
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp ginger root, minced
1 tsp curry powder (I concocted my own)
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp nutmeg
3 cups vegetable broth (I added an additional cup of water)
3 potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 small cauliflower cut into florets
1 carrot, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes (my addition)

Spicy Shallots
2 Tbsp clarified butter or vegetable oil
2 shallots thinly sliced
1/4-1/2 tsp chili pepper
1 Tbsp finely chopped cilantro
2 Tbsp basalmic vinegar or lemon juice

1. In a skillet, heat butter or oil. Add onions, celery and cook until softened. Add garlic, ginger, curry powder, salt, pepper and nutmeg and cook, stirring for 1 minute. Add vegetable broth or water, and bring to a boil. Place potatoes, cauliflower and soaked peas in slow cooker. Pour onion mixture over and stir well.

2. Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours, or on high for 4-5 hours until vegetables are tender.

3. To make spicy shallots: In a skillet heat butter or oil over medium high heat. Add shallots and cook, stirring until crisp. Remove pan from heat. Add chilies, cilantro and basalmic vinegar or lemon juice. Transfer to small boil, ladle dal into bowls and top with spicy shallots.

Thai Chicken Pizza

From FoodNetwork.com: Rachel Ray 30 Minute Meals

Ingredients
1 pizza dough, any brand
1/2 cup duck sauce or plum sauce
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 package (2 cups) shredded provolone or Monterey Jack cheese
1/2 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 rounded tablespoonful peanut butter
2 teaspoons hot sauce
2 teaspoons grill seasoning (recommended: Montreal Steak Seasoning) eyeball it
4 chicken breast cutlets, 1/2 pound
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar or cider vinegar
1/4 seedless cucumber, peeled and cut into matchsticks
4 scallions, chopped
1 cup bean spouts, a couple of handfuls
Palm full cilantro leaves, chopped
1/4 cup chopped peanuts, 2 ounces
Directions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Form pizza crust on pizza pan or cookie sheet. Top with duck or plum sauce – spread it around like you would pizza sauce. Sprinkle the pizza with some crushed red pepper flakes then top with cheese and peppers. Bake until golden and bubbly, 15 to 17 minutes.

Preheat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Combine vegetable oil, soy sauce and peanut butter with hot sauce and grill seasoning. Use the microwave to loosen up peanut butter if it is too cold to blend into sauce, 10 seconds ought to do it. Add chicken and coat evenly with mixture. Let stand 10 minutes then grill chicken cutlets 2 to 3 minutes on each side, until firm. Slice chicken into very thin strips.

While chicken cooks, mix honey and vinegar and add the cucumber. Turn to coat evenly.

Top the hot, cooked pizza with chicken, scallions, sprouts and cilantro. Drain cucumbers and scatter over the pizza. Garnish pizza with peanuts, cut into 8 wedges and serve.

Pete’s Pizza Dough

I got this recipe from my future brother-in-law’s father. After talking with Michael, we only used 1 packet of yeast.

From Pete:
This recipe is an adaptation from a pizza recipe we took from Romanogli’s Table receipe book when were at Fort Devens many years ago

I’ve tweaked it over the years to our taste

Basic receipe

1 Large Bowl – The dough will rise in here

5 cups UNBLEACHED all purpose Flour

2 Cups warm water

2 packets Yeast (Dry Yeast)

2 Teaspoon salt

EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil) about 2 Tablespoons

Directions:
In the large bowl add the EVOO

On the table place the 5 Cups of Flour and make a small well in the middle – you will be slowly adding the yeast water in here

In the WARM (not HOT) water dissolve the yeast make the water about skin temp as anything hotter will kill the yeast

slowly pour some yeast water into the well of flour and using a fork mix the water and flour, add more water mix with the fork. As you mix with the fork make the well larger. When the water is all gone into the flour you’ll have a slurry type paste and more flour left.

Roll up your sleeves, flour your hands well and mix the remainng flour into the slurry by hand. As it starts to come together add the SALTS and continue kneading the dough with the heel of your hand, pushing away from you and rolling it back on top of itself

Keep kneading the dough until the flour is all gone. It should be smooth and not sticky you should be able to push your finger in it and it will slightly rebound. If the dough is sticky add more flour and continue kneading

Once you get the right consistency plop the ball of dough in the bowl and coat it the olive oil that should already be in the bottom

Put a dish cloth on top bowl and move it to a warm (not hot) place to rise – let rise for an hour – if you did nt kill the yeast with the warm water it should double in size

Once the rising is done knock down the dough and break off a piece and work it on to your pizza plate for cooking. Turn the plate and work the dough from the center out trying to keep the thickness consistent from center to edge. I use alot of different pans but for first timers a glass pyrex works best coated with non slick or crisco

The size you tear off will determine whether the pie is thin crust or thick crust

once you get it to size on the cooking platter splash some more olive oil on the dough and use your hands to coat the dough

Put on your toppings and cook at 400- 425 turning every 5 minutes till done to your likeness