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This was the "Plan B" menu. Originally the broccoli and duck sausage pizza was supposed to be smokey fruit pizza. However, out of the four fruits it called for (blueberries, peaches, plums, and cherries), I only found blueberries at Cub. And, the blueberries were $3.98 for a three ounce package! Apparently, these fruits are no longer in season. That recipe will have to go on the back burner for another time. Unfortunately, I didn't have a list for the "Plan B" pizza with me at Cub, so that meant another trip.
Since I am loathe to go to Cub twice in one week, I went to Sam's. I had some things I needed to get there anyway, so I decided that I would go with the alternative option of chicken sausages. Jeff and I had purchased some there before, so I knew I would be able to find some there. I figured, if I bought chicken sausage on Monday, it could be a back-up... If I felt like doing the grocery circuit before Wednesday to see if I could find duck sausage, great, but if not, there was no pressure. The problem came when I got to Sam's. Previously, there had only been one kind of chicken sausage. When I went there Monday, there were four varieties: Habenero; Spinach Asiago; Apple; Roasted Garlic Mozzarella; and Italian. I was at a loss at which one I should get for this. After much debate, I decided on the apple. I thought that would be the most like a plain duck sausage, even though I don't believe I have ever tried a duck sausage. I guess I thought it would be the most like regular, plain, old sausage. I was afraid the extraneous flavors would confuse the recipe.
On the off chance that I was wrong about the fruit season, I checked to see if they had cherries, blueberries, peaches, and plums. They did have plums and blueberries, but there were no peaches or cherries to be found. I felt good in my decision to move to the next recipe.
On Wednesday, I started with making the dough for the crust for the calzones.
I know that I have mentioned this before, but every time I make a new batch of crust, I am really struck by the aroma of combining the yeast, water, and sugar. It is a warm, homey smell that immediately makes my mouth water. It smells like fresh baked bread, and yet, there is no bread!
After I added the remaining ingredients to the sugar, yeast, water mixture, I let the Kitchen Aide do its thing. I always go through the same anxiety while waiting for the dough to come together. I worry that it needs more water, I add a little more water, and I watch and wait. After a couple of extra tablespoons of water, it eventually comes together, but watching it, I worry.
Once I had the crust dough taken care of (I froze half and put the other half in the fridge for Thursday), I decided the next thing I should take care of was the broccoli. The recipe called for cooked broccoli, but it gave no clue as to how it should be cooked. I decided a good blanching was in order. It was the perfect excuse to use my pod. I could put the entire two cups of broccoli in there, drop the pod in the boiling water for a minute, and then shock them out of cooking any longer by dropping the pod in an ice bath. I love it when I can use my toys!
Once I had the broccoli safely packed away in a baggie, I started in on chopping the onions, measuring out the cheeses, and slicing the sausage. I decided that three cups of mozzarella was excessive, so I made an executive decision to cut it down to two cups. As I sliced the chicken sausage, I noticed that my hands (and everything else) were getting sticky. I tried a slice of the sausage. It was sweeter than I had expected. I thought that the apple would be a background flavor you wouldn't be able to put your finger on, something to keep the chicken moist during cooking. Maybe I should have picked a different flavor.
I didn't believe the notes in the avocado envelope recipe - that you could make the guacamole up to a day in advance. I have made gallons of guacamole in my life, and just putting the pit into the guacamole and covering it does NOT prevent it from browning and looking completely unappetizing. I also rejected the parsley as an ingredient and decided to use cilantro. Parsley does not belong in guacamole. The only preparing I did for this recipe was to chop the onions and tomatoes, squeeze the lime, and chop the cilantro. I put them all together in one container for the following day, so it could be easily combined with my fresh avocado.
When Jennifer and family arrived on Thursday, I set the bag of pre-measured items for the broccoli and duck calzones in front of her, and she got to working on that. I worked on finishing the guacamole. When I originally read the recipe for the Envueltos, I was thinking that I probably didn't really need three whole cups of tomato sauce. The directions didn't have me boiling it down or anything (just simmer for ten minutes), so I was worried that once we poured it over the "envelopes", they would sog up and drown. However, after sauteing the onions and adding the chili powder, I poured all three cups of tomato sauce into the pan and let it simmer while I worked on the tortillas.
They crisped up pretty quickly, and I wasn't sure that I would be able to fold them over the guacamole without cracking them, but it worked just fine. They folded easily, and we quickly filled up the pan. 10 "envelopes" just barely fit in my 10" x 15" pan. It may have taken me more than 10 minutes to fill all of the tortillas, and the sauce was simmering the entire time. By the time I had put all of the cheese over the tortillas and was ready for the sauce, it had thickened more than I thought it would, and it didn't seem like it was too much at all. It thickened up even more in the oven.
Pam's very important task during this assembly was to try and get the cat out of the bag.
Speaking of drinking, our drink of the week was called Highland Morning. The recipe suggested that we not drink it in the morning, however. It was a shot and a half of scotch (I had Johnnie Red), 3/4 shot of cointreau, and three shots of grapefruit juice. You are supposed to put this in a shaker filled with ice, and strain it into cocktail glasses. Out of habit, I started tripling the recipe. Unfortunately, by the time I got to the grapefruit juice, I wasn't able to fit 9 shots worth in. I think I was only able to fit in three. I went with it anyway. Jennifer liked it. I thought that the initial flavor was good, but it had an aftertaste that I thought resembled the taste of plastic. I think maybe if we had used a different scotch (or maybe less of it), I may not have had that issue. The initial flavor, though, was fruity and slightly sweet.
Jennifer had brought a Ballatori Chicken Alfredo pizza. I had cut it into 12 pieces so each of us could have two.
The calzone was good. It had a warm, earthy flavor, and lots of gooey cheese. The sausage was a little too sweet, I thought, and it almost had a Cinnamon flavor to it. The onions were too strong. I think that they should have been sauteed before assembly. I think next time, I would get the habenero sausages. Or maybe I would spend the extra time to find some duck sausage.
The avocado envelopes were fantastic! The sauce over the top was like thick enchilada sauce, and the guacamole stayed green. It was creamy and flavorful, and the sauce added a little heat and tartness.
We filled our plates and our bellies and started working on the menu for next week.... THANKSGIVING!
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