Recipes
Basic Pizza Dough

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups warm water (about 110°F to 115°F)
1/4 ounce active dry yeast
1 teaspoon sugar
3 1/2 cups all–purpose flour
1/2 cup semolina flour or fine ground yellow corn meal
1/3 cup olive oil, and extra for coating the bowl
1 teaspoon salt

Combine yeast, water and sugar in a mixing bowl and stir. Let sit until foamy on top. Add 1/2 cup flour, the semolina, and 1/3 cup olive oil with the salt. Mix and continue working in the flour a 1/4 cup at a time until completed. Put the dough on a lightly-floured work surface and knead until smooth and tacky. Prepare a large mixing bowl coated in olive oil and place the dough in it. Cover the bowl with wax paper or wet towel. Place in a warm area and let double in size; usually takes over an hour. Knead the dough a little and separate into two equal portions. At this point, store in airtight bags; it’s ready to use as directed in recipes.

Note: You can freeze and store this dough up to four months. Make sure before using to thaw for several hours at room temperature or in the refrigerator.
Basic Pizza Sauce

Ingredients:
2, 28-ounce cans peeled plum tomatoes with juice
4 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped finely
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 cup red wine
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons tomato paste

Add all ingredients to a large saucepot. Bring to a boil for about 5 minutes. Make sure to smash the tomatoes with the spoon while mixing. After boiling for 5 minutes, reduce to a simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. This sauce can be kept in the refrigerator for up to five days. If you want to freeze it, store in airtight containers for up to three months.
Cedar Planked Salmon

Ingredients:
8–ounce to 10–ounce salmon fillet, skinned and pinned
1 tablespoon olive oil, rubbed over top of salmon fillet
Coarse kosher salt, to taste
6 wedges of pre-roasted Yukon potatoes
5 asparagus spears, fresh tossed in olive oil and searing seasonings
1 lemon or lime wedge per salmon fillet

Preheat your CBO oven as instructed in the "User’s Manual." When cooking, the temperature should be about 500°F.

Rinse and then soak (untreated) cedar shake for 15 minutes in tap water. Place oiled and seasoned salmon with thickest part of salmon on thinnest part of cedar shake. Place shake in oven and cook until 3/4 of the way done. As the salmon nears the 3/4–done mark, arrange the fresh asparagus and pre-roasted Yukon potatoes. Remove when salmon is done and/or asparagus begins to toast; approximately 7-9 minutes total time.

ATTENTION! What to do if the plank explodes into flames. This seems to happen three or four times out of a hundred. We suggest having lemon wedges handy. Douse the fire with lemon juice then put the plank back in front of the flame until the fillet is done (approximately 7-9 minutes depending on how done and the size of fillet).
Recipe compliments of Chicago Brick Oven
Recipe compliments of Chicago Brick Oven
Recipe compliments of Chicago Brick Oven
CARMELIZED ONION PIZZA

Heat 2 t. olive oil over medium heat.
Add 2 thinly sliced onions (white or red)
Add 1 t sugar and cook slowly – about 5 minutes
Stir in 1 t. rosemary, ½ t. salt, ¼ t. pepper
Cook 10 – 15 more minutes

Brush dough edges with olive oil
Spread with mozzarella cheese
Layer with onions
Spread with crumpled gorgonzola or feta cheese
Top with 2 T chopped walnuts

Bake 500 – 550 degrees in wood fired oven until golden brown and cheese melts

Top with arugula and chopped rosemary

EASY PIZZA RECIPE

Spread a thin layer of red sauce over the dough
Put on torn mozzarella balls
Pinch of salt
Sprinkle with parmesan
Drizzle with olive oil
Basil – chiffonade
Top with thinly sliced fresh tomato slices


Bake 500 degrees until golden brown and cheese melts.
PIZZA CRUST RECIPE

1 pkg active dry yeast
3 ½ c. all purpose unbleached flour
1 c. semolina flour
1 ¾ c. water (105-115 degrees)
2 T olive oil
2 t. sea salt

Heat water to 105-115 degrees, add yeast and wait until it has foamed.  Add ½ c. unbleached flour, the semolina and olive oil with the salt.  Mix and continue working in the remaining flour.  Put dough on a lightly floured work surface and knead until smooth and tacky.  Coat a bowl with olive oil and place dough in it.  Cover the bowl with wax paper or wet towel.  Place in a warm place and let double in size; 1 ½ to 2 hours.  Punch down and re-shape into a ball and let rise again.  Or you can refrigerate this overnight and bring out 2 hours before you are going to bake your pizza.

After the second rising, punch down and shape into 4 equal portions.  Roll each into a ball.  Working on a floured surface stretch or roll into a circle.  

ROASTED VEGETABLES

Suggestions for vegetable choices to roast:
1 small butternut squash – cubed
1 red bell pepper
1 yellow bell pepper
Peeled and cubed eggplant
Zucchini – 1/3” thick rounds
Garlic
Carrots – sliced
Sweet potato – cubed
3-4 Yukon gold potatoes – cubed or quartered
1 red onion, quartered
(You can vary types and amounts of vegetables)

Mix ¼ olive oil, 1 T chopped fresh thyme, 2 T chopped rosemary, 2 T balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper
(Optional – can add finely chopped basil)

Put your choice of vegetables in a bowl and pour the olive oil mixture over the veggies. Stir to coat.

Spread evenly in a large roasting pan.

Roast in your wood fired oven until done, approximately 35 – 40 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes.

Oven temperature approximately 475 degrees.

HOW TO LAYER YOUR PIZZA

Sauce or oil
Cheese
Topping
Cheese
(Option oil)
Garnish
Stuffed Mushrooms

25 Whole fresh mushrooms
1 TBSP vegetable oil
1 TBSP minced galric
1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup grated parmesan or romano cheese (I use romano)
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp ground cayenne pepper

Clean mushrooms with a damp towel. Carefully break off stems. Chop stems extremely fine, discarding tough ends of stems.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and chopped mushroom stems to the skillet. Fry until any moisture has disappeared, taking care not to burn the garlic. Set aside to cool.

When garlic and mushroom mixture is no longer hot, stir in cream cheese, parmesan or romano cheese, black pepper, onion powder, and cayenne pepper. Mixture should be very thick. Using a little spoon, fill each mushroom cap with a generous amount of stuffing. Arrange the mushroom caps on an aluminum cookie sheet or cook directly on the hearth.

Bake for 5-10 minutes in the pre-heated oven, or until the mushrooms are piping hot and liquid starts to form under the caps.

Bon Appetite!!

Note: To make the mushrooms a little heartier, I also add hot or mild Italian sausage. Fry the Italian sausage in a pan, drain the grease and let cool. Add sausage to the cream cheese mixture, then fill the mushrooms.


Marinade for Flank Steak

1 large bottle of soy sauce (I prefer Kikkoman)
1 bottle of honey
1/2 tsp Mrs. Dash
1/2 tsp garlic powder

Pour soy sauce in large container. Add the honey and mix until it dissolves. Sprinkle in Mrs. Dash and garlic powder.

Marinate flank steaks overnight.  If you are in a pinch, it still works after marinating for approximately 2 hours.

Cook on a cast iron griddle in one of the Chicago Brick Ovens. You'll never use any other appliance again!!

ENJOY!!