Caramelized onion, sausage and basil pizza

Again, I can't take full (or any) credit for this recipe since it is actually one of Giada de Laurentiis' recipes, but it was delicious and easy and worth sharing :) We used way more cheese than the recipe calls for, but we're also big fans of blue cheese. If there's a Whole Foods near you, they make excellent, ready-made pizza dough if you don't feel like going to the work of making homemade pizza dough, although they sell it in 22 oz packages, so either split it and save the rest for later in the week or make two pizzas if you have lots of mouths to feed!

Ingredients

Cornmeal, for dusting
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling (I didn't think this was necessary as the sausage had enough residual fat).
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 onions (about 1 1/2 pounds), thinly sliced
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 pound spicy turkey or pork sausage, casings removed, crumbled
All-purpose flour, for dusting
1 (13 to 16-ounce) ball pizza dough
3/4 cup (3 ounces) crumbled Gorgonzola or blue cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves

Directions

Put an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 475 degrees F. Sprinkle a heavy baking sheet with cornmeal and set aside.

In a large skillet, melt 3 tablespoons of olive oil and the butter over medium-low heat. Add the onions, salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until golden and caramelized, about 20 minutes. Increase the heat to medium-high and add the sausage. Using a wooden spoon, break up the sausage and cook, stirring constantly, until cooked through, about 8 minutes. Set aside to cool slightly.

On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the dough into a 13-inch diameter circle, about 1/4-inch thick. Transfer the dough to the prepared baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Spread the onion mixture evenly over the dough, leaving a 1-inch border. Sprinkle the cheese on top. Bake until the crust is golden and the cheese has melted, about 15 to 17 minutes. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with chopped basil. Cut the pizza into wedges and serve.

Beer Bread

Generally, making bread is a concept that frightens me slightly.  I can do quick breads with little anxiety, but a real, add-the-yeast-knead-the-dough bread seems difficult.  Thus, imagine my delight when at a church picnic last summer, one of our friends introduced us to beer bread.  It's stupid easy, but lighter and more bread-like than most quick breads (which to me are more muffin-like).  Regardless, these are still more of a breakfast bread than a sandwich bread (though, I imagine it depends on the beer, too).

As a bonus, it's easy to change up the flavors by using a different beer.  Boom - instant seasonal bread.  Our friend makes hers with Miller Light, but because we're beer snobs, I rejected that option.  In the fall, I made ours with Dogfish Head's Punkin Ale (delicious, nutmeggy tones), and in the winter, I used New Holland's The Poet Oatmeal Stout (a rich, hearty flavor).  I'm about to see what Bell's Oberon will do, and will keep you posted.

3 cups self-rising flour, sifted
1/2 cup sugar
12 ounces beer (your choice)

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Butter a loaf pan and set aside. 

In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, and beer, and mix well (don't over do it, though).  Pour into the loaf pan and bake for one hour, or until tester comes out clean.  Cool and enjoy.

Strawberry and Rhubarb Crumble

This is the taste of late spring. My parents had a rhubarb plant at my childhood home, and each year there was a bountiful harvest. Other family members sometimes complained about having rhubarb-everything, but I loved it (even the orange-rhubarb jam that never quite jammed). Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. (From Bon Appetit.)

3/4 cup all purpose flour
2/3 cup plus 1/2 cup sugar
large pinch of salt
6 Tbs. (3/4 of a stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
1/2 cup old-fashioned oats (can be made with quick oats)
1/2 cup husked hazelnuts, toasted and coarsely chopped (can sub walnuts)
1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
1 lb. strawberries, hulled and halved (4 cups)
12 oz. rhubarb (bright red), ends trimmed, stalks cut crosswise into 1/2-inch thick pieces

Combine flour, 2/3 cup sugar, and salt in medium bowl; whisk to blend. Add butter. Rub in with fingertips until mixture sticks together in clumps. Mix in oats and nuts. Cover and chill.

Preheat oven to 375°F. Butter 11x7x2-inch glass baking dish.

Place 1/2 cup sugar in large bowl. Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean; whisk to blend well. Add strawberries and rhubarb to sugar in bowl; toss to coat well. Scrape fruit filling into prepared baking dish. Sprinkle oat topping evenly over filling.

Bake crumble until filling bubbles thickly and topping is crisp, about 45 minutes. Let cool 15 minutes. Spoon warm crumble into bowls. Serve with ice cream.