FAM FAVORITE 1 HOUR PIZZA DOUGH

Pizza night just became a weekly staple on Fridays at our house PLUS a whole lot easier with this 1-hour pizza dough recipe. This recipe is a favorite in our house, duplicated in other houses and a WIN with my toddler, Atlas. It’s quick, simple, and fun to make together, too!

Ingredients:

• 3-⅓ cups bread flour or all-purpose flour (dipped and leveled)

• 1 packet instant (rapid-rise) dry yeast (2-½ teaspoons)

• 1 teaspoon sugar

• 2 teaspoons fine sea salt

• 1-¼ cups warm water

• Extra-virgin olive oil

Instructions:

1. Mix the Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, combine the flour, yeast, salt, and sugar. Stir until everything is mixed together.

2. Add Water: Pour in the warm water and stir until a shaggy dough forms, with just a little bit of dry flour left at the bottom of the bowl.

3. Knead the Dough: Remove any rings from your fingers. Knead the dough in the bowl with both hands until no more dry flour remains and the dough comes together into a ball. This should only take a few minutes.

4. Let It Rise: Drizzle some olive oil inside a large bowl (or clean the one you used). Place the dough ball in the greased bowl, cover tightly with a lid or plastic wrap, and let it rise in a warm place for at least 45 minutes to 2 hours.

5. Check the Dough: After 45 minutes, your dough should have grown by at least 50 percent and have little bubbles on the bottom. If you want a slightly airier dough, let it rise for another hour.

6. Divide and Rest: Dust a clean work surface with flour. Divide the dough into two equal pieces and form each piece into a ball. Place the dough balls on the floured surface and cover with an inverted bowl or plastic wrap. Let rest for 10 to 15 minutes.

7. Stretch/Roll the Dough: Take one dough ball and place it on a lightly floured surface. Flatten it a little with your hand or a rolling pin, then pick up the dough and gently stretch or roll it out until you have a 12-inch round. Repeat with the second dough ball.

8. Top and Bake: Top your stretched dough with your favorite toppings and bake according to your preferred pizza recipe. If you're only using one dough ball, you can freeze the second one or refrigerate it for up to 2 days.

My favorite way to cook is using my cast iron, On high heat brown one side of the crust. When a slight smoke rises from the pan, flip the dough. Quickly sauce + top and place in the oven on Broil. Watch it bubble and brown. Slice and Serve!

This 1-hour pizza dough is a game-changer for us. It's straightforward, quick, and yields a delicious crust that holds up to any toppings you throw on it. Whether you’re a seasoned home cook or just starting, this recipe is sure to become a family favorite, just like it has for Atlas and me. Happy pizza making!

XoXo

Britt

INGOS. YUMMY.

The best burger place is now in downtown Phoenix. This little hidden gem started as a to-go during the pandemic and recently we got a chance to dine-in and obsess over the delicious foods of this new LGO Hospitality Restaurant in the heart of downtown Phoenix.

Here are the Finding Arizona pro tips. Once you go, leave a comment and share some more with us.

Number one, park in the Fry’s parking lot get your ticket validated.

Number two, come for breakfast lunch or dinner and come hungry. We dined in for a late lunch / early dinner. We had an introductory drink, but my favorite part was the burger. The staff was very friendly especially the general manager, Gabby, she had such a passion for not only the restaurant group, but the food and the family that works there as well.

Number three, I love the decor. Jose would describe it as industrial modern. I described it as Restoration hardware commercial kitchen meets World War Two. But, back to the food that’s the most important part. 

They have three cocktails on the menu and if I had three cocktails on the menu of my house they would be these: a Greyhound, Lavender Lemonade and something with tequila that’s called a Diego Rivera. I’ll let you guess who ordered what. Next, we split their house chips but honestly we could’ve ate an order ourselves. Each comes a two sauces: one fermented chili and one cool yogurt deliciousness. Pro tip! Combo them. These warm crunchy chips have a soft inside; I could eat these all day long. They paired perfectly with our burgers. Jose got the Paris Texas Burger- a bacon barbecue saucy number and I got the Farmer’s Daughter Burger- sauerkraut Yum Yum. The buns are soft, the toppings are fresh, and I don’t mean that lettuce tomato pickle freshness, I’m talking about flavorful, real ingredients combined to perfection. And the burger, which was ordered medium well, was juuuuuuuicy from every bite. I honestly don’t wanna eat another burger again if it’s not grass fed and not from INGOs. The coffee smelt like heaven and we got Almond Bear Claws to go and then the next morning I dumped it in my coffee and I went back to food heaven.

Currently dreaming of the next time I’ll be visiting downtown Phoenix for a Fry’s grocery pick up and an Ingo’s food pick up. You know Tuesday is “Takeout night”, or “We or Out Wednesday” or any excuse.

XoXo Britt

You can find Ingo’s at : 4502 N 40th St, Phoenix, AZ 85018.

HOLIDAY BAKING CHAMPIONSHIP

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas; Santa brought you what you wanted and you ate all the delicious things. I’ve been holding my Christmas present for the last 9 months now so I definitely indulged this holiday on all things delicious. I wanted to share my 3 favorite eats from the season. Just because it’s not December 25th doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy them all year long too.

Caprese Wreath: I saw this recipe on the Food Network’s The Kitchen and my Italian heart melted. Deliciousness mixes with art- I knew i had to make for our Christmas Eve dinner. The ingredients were easy to source and didn’t require a trip to a fancy Italian market. The baking time was quick. But most importantly, the finish was scrumptious. You can find the recipe here. I recommend getting a baguette the day of, use Costco’s Pesto sauce and top each piece with fresh basil. Don’t fill up on these apps too much - it was hard to make sure I left room for actual dinner. In fact, I’m craving this dish right now.

Stephanie’s Sugar Cookies: Jose and I have been watching Christmas Cookie Challenge and Holiday Baking Championship like our lives depended on it. We were so inspired by the techniques and flair that we decided to have our own bake-off. One Saturday morning we woke up and watched a quick Youtube video on icing and felt most inspired by this recipe by Stephanie from the This Is Bingham Blog. Not only were her cookies perfect, but her tips on royal icing was mind blowing. After a quick trip to Hobby Lobby for Merengue Powder and food colors we spent the afternoon at Jose’s parent’s house putting our skills to work. We look forward to practicing it again and again for all the holidays: Valentine’s Day, Easter, summertime, fall events and more.

Cranberry Orange Muffins: I got a Costco size bag of cranberries for a mocktail recipe and found myself wondering what to do with the remaining 6 cups of cranberries. I didn’t use them all yet, but I did whip up a double batch of Cranberry Orange Muffins. The key to these muffins is the first 5 min you bake on a higher heat, the, the remaining 13 min you turn the temp down. Also, not mentioned the the recipe, is sprinkling them with powdered sugar on top- this help sweeten up the tartness from the cranberries and looks like it came out of a magazine. You can get the recipe for the muffins here.

If you had any recipes you tried this year and loved, please share them. I love getting in the the kitchen and trying out new things. I am so happy my third trimester was not like my first- I am craving all the delicious foods, inspired to cook everyday and I know my baby and husband are enjoying it too. I should start paying it forward and sharing my dishes more so when the baby comes I get homemade dishes right back to us for the nights we can’t find the time to even warm up a hotpocket.

XoXo

Britt

SQUEEZING OUT THE DEETS OF MY 3 DAY JUICE CLEANSE

Year three of my three day juice cleanse complete. How am I feeling? Hungry. So why do I do it? I enjoy a mental and physical challenge and as a Virgo I love controlling things. I consider it a reset and after enjoy all the great benefits and appreciations for delicious food and drinks.

I use the company Squeezed for my juice cleanse. This is my second year and I am a fan. Their delivery is next day, their juices are fresh and the cashew milk is to die for. It is reasonably priced and you can customize your experience to taste more sweet if you don’t like traditional “green juice” taste or spicy flavors to increase metabolism. The bottles are clearly numbered so its easy to follow. Directions are given about how frequent to drink and making sure to still pack in enough water.

Day 1 was the easiest this time. t was helpful to mentally be ready for the next two. I did not miss coffee as much as I thought I would and definitely happy no caffeine headache! However, I did not enjoy the final taste of the “dinner” juice to I opted to switch my lunch and dinner the next day. My energy was still up, but I was felt more bloated than I was before starting the cleanse. Looking forward to day two.

Day 2 was a sleepy day. I tried to keep up with more water today and I was so happy I made the switch for my lunch and dinner. At work we had a meeting catered by Chik-Fil-A, but I toughed it out; wearing a mask helped wean the smell. At night I did get some heartburn from my new dinner juice, but it went away after I drank tons more water. I did go to bed hungry and just started missing chewing and biting foods.

Day 3 is all mental. I wanted to stop for a coffee on the way to work or just start chewing carrots or celery to get my jaw moving, but I stayed strong. My coworker ordered Canes and it was even harder, but I feel skinny- whatever that means. No bloating, no gas, no irritable bowels. Plus, my skin is clear! This is when I start to believe what I did was good. I begin planning what my first meal is going to be: joking about donuts and pizza, but really craving a nice crisp salad or fresh grilled chicken breast.

So yes I may be “off my diet” now, but I dislike the word diet. Life is all about moderation and this yearly reset for me reminds me about how amazing food is and to appreciate all the wonderful things it does for our mind, body and soul. So yes, I will be back in the kitchen ASAP sharing a focaccia recipe and (of course) dessert recipes I have been finalizing. But this was fun and until next year, stay safe stay health, stay juicy.

XoXo Britt

If you are interested in checking out Squeezed please go online and sign up! You can also use my email address for a referral! johnsonbrittjohnson@gmail.com (its my old one, lol)

QUARANTINE COOK BOOK CLUB: HALF BAKED HARVEST

It wasn’t supposed to be like this; we aren’t supposed to still be locked up; but here we are. I remember our first cook book club where we got together IRL over an Aperol Spritz and carbs, but now our second book turned into our third. BUT, at least it is a fantastic one at that! Half Baked Harvest Cookbook by Tieghan Gerard has your new favorite recipe; I guarantee it. I’ll share a few we’ve been working on bellow.

Spinach & Artichoke Mac & Cheese Bake

Difficulty: Easy

Taste: Delicious

We made this for a family night (before the quarantine) and the in-laws. I loved that it was essentially one pot and we had all the ingredients. Sneaking in veggies maybe tricky for your picky eaters out there, but this was fool proof! I would also recommending adding chicken and or broccoli.

Chewy Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Difficulty: Medium

Taste: Game Changer

I am always testing out chocolate chip cookie recipes. It is not like there are bad ones, I am just in search for the best. Although this isn’t HOLY enough, its pretty darn close to heaven. Two words: Brown Butter. I just discovered it, but it is a simple act of almost heating your butter tp brown perfect before you use it in a recipe. This simple change amplifies the taste of the creamy sugar and egg combo that is not too sweet. Plus add a little fresh sea seal on top, yum! Mine didn’t look the same, but sure did taste good.

Broccoli Cheddar Soup & Seasoned Pretzels

Difficulty: Hard

Taste: Okay

I am a soup fanatic. I make my own copy cat Panera Bread Broccoli Cheddar soup. But after seeing Ms. Gerard has one in the book, I had to try. I prefer my soup a little more chunky vs pureed. Also it was missing that extra something. Even with the pretzels, which were delicious, just a lot of work for little flavor. I want to play around with the seasoned pretzel recipe a bit more, but still sticking with my soup.

Black Pepper Buffalo Cauliflower Bites

Difficulty: Hard

Taste: Okay

I was most excited for this one andI think that is why. graded it so hard. I try all the time to find “healthy” “vegetarian” options for my favorite snacks. This one looked good on paper, but the execution was sub par. The spicy bread crumb mix did not stick to the cauliflower and ended up just falling off in the baking process. The cauliflower steamed in stead of roasted and sogged its way into the dip. The dip was great and inspired me to make various creations including a taziki that I hope to share on the blog one day. Overall, would not recommend or remake these.

Potato & Burrata Pizza

Difficulty: Easy

Taste: Perfecto

Pizza dough from scratch- don’t be afraid- it is made with beer! That is right a can of beer and a packet of yeast gets you the perfect pizza dough. We followed her recipe for the Potato & Burrata Pizza, minus the Burrata because where can you find it at a time like this? We also made out own sausage pizza with the remaining dough and it was delicious. We will be using this pizza dough recipe for future Make Your Own Pizza Night at home #PostCorona.

Gingered Thai Steak & Peppered Salad

Difficulty: Medium

Taste: Beefy

This dish was a perfect dinner steak. Hearty with the beef and balanced with the light greens and dressing. There is so much delicious spicy ginger flavor in this dish without even trying you feel like an iron chef. One thing you do have to love is rare steak. I had a harder time searing the meat because personally I like a medium to well done steak and there is no way you can do this (and it tastes good) with this meal. Overall wouldn’t make again, but would recommend.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Blondie Brownie Bars

Difficulty: Hard

Taste: Phenomenal

I have always wanted to make blondies! I was a bit surprised to find the recipe called for a box of brownie mix, but I went along with it. First, let me re-state baking is difficult.It is a science and you always have to account for other elements. Second, with that being said I think this is why I had some difficulty with this dish: Consistency. My batter wasn’t drizzling in the pan, my peanut butter after much attention didn’t melt and the pan size called for was not in my kitchen. But did they taste great? Yes. Would I make them again? Absolutely! Chocolate and peanut butter- you can’t go wrong.

As quarantine continues, and while we still have flour, we will be continues to cook up delicious treats and crafting our own. Let me know what you have been cooking up and if you have any recommendations for our next cookbook when we get out of this!

XoXo
Britt.

COOK BOOK CLUB

Cook Book Club meet up number one is in the books and I am here to dish up the deets behind it. You’ve have heard about book clubs, wine clubs, but how about a cook book club? How did the idea come about? How can you start your own? Let’s dig in!

The idea started from a conversation with Chelsea of Simple Jane. We both had been involved in book clubs before but this idea seemed intriguing. The premise is similar- one book per month, but this time instead of reading cover to cover you try out recipes that you may have never tested before, try a new method of cooking that will get you our of your comfort zone, or add spices to meals you never had in your pantry. After the month is over gather everyone and prepare potluck style from the book. It is that simple.

Our first book was: Nothing Fancy by Alison Roman. It was great pick to start because the recipes were crowd favorites and it features a variety of flavors. I opted to check out the book from the local library and save $30. I figured if I was obsessed with it by the EOM I would make the splurge. When I got home I immediately sticky noted recipes that stood out to me and found that I bookmarked mostly desserts.

We have a Facebook Group for the club where we can post photos and share stories throughout the month of dishes we tried and our thoughts on them. I made the Almost Angel Food Cake and it was so good! Honestly, that was it, I wish I would have made more, but the first time going about it I learned I didn’t have it with meal at the grocery store to shop and also didn’t consider what meals would be good for prepping lunches for the week. Needless to say, I knew it wasn’t one I was going to be purchasing.

The week of the Cook Book Club I panicked! What do I make? Some clubs suggest delegating dishes or sharing what your bringing, but we decided that just surprise us and see how it goes! Of course, I made the Chickpea Salad and so did someone else. But, what was great was trying and comparing not only the taste but how it was made. I loved the idea in the end of two of the same dishes.

Our dinner party featured mostly bites and salads and of course a delicious Aperol Spritz. The conversation was guided by the book, but the tangents allowed for a great night of getting to know some new, incredible women in the valley. We mixed together dips and salads and found that everything really completed each other perfectly. We even had left overs to take back to the husbands.

What’s in store for next month? We will be selecting our next book and trying out recipes until our scheduled meet up again, the first Thursday of the month. I will be trying out more recipes before hand and the night of I want to bring a main course that really highlights the table.

How can you start your own?

1. Find a group of friends who like food- be careful about any special diets because although cookbooks have variety you don’t want anyone to feel left out.

2. Pick a book and start digging into it. Encourage your family to get in the kitchen with you and try out a new skill.

3. Plan an evening you can get together and bring a dish to share. You can always delegate a desert or drink or main course person or just wing it because when there is food involved it is always a good time.

If you are local and interested in joining ours, shoot me a message and we would love to have you!

Cheers!

XoXo

Britt.

FINDING ARIZONA KITCHENS: STRAWBERRY POUND CAKE

Valentine’s Day is near and since you have already broke the diet and ate girl scout cookies, you might as well mix up this treat and share it with someone you love. Did you (not want to) know they call it pound cake because you add a pound of sugar, butter and flour? That is why one slice is enough. This is a pretty, and pretty easy cake to make.

INGREDIENTS:

FOR THE CAKE

• 1 Pint Strawberries (fresh)

• 1 Cup Butter

• 3 Cups Sugar

• 5 Large Eggs

• 3 Cups Flour (Sifted)

• 1 Tsp Salt

• 1/2 Tsp Baking Soda

• 1 Cup Buttermilk

• 1 Tsp Vanilla Extract

• *OPTIONAL 1/2 Tsp Red Food Coloring 

  FOR THE GLAZE:

• 2 Tbsp Strawberry Puree 

• 2 Cups Powdered Sugar

• 1 Tsp Vanilla Extract

• 1 Tsp Lemon Juice

Directions:

1. Start by washing your strawberries and de-stemming them. Puree them and set aside 2 tablespoons for the glaze.

2. Next, add the puree to a sauce pan and reduce it for 15-20 minutes. The final product should be around 1/2 cup and thick. Cool to room temperature.

3. Pre-heat your oven to 325 and prep your bunt pan with the method of your choosing.

4. In a mixing bowl beat your room temperature butter and sugar until light and fluffy 4-6 minutes on high speed. Add your eggs 1 at a time.

5. Turn your mixer to a low speed before you add your flour. Add the flour in increments as well to avoid spilling out of your mixer. Finally add your salt and baking soda and scrape down the sides of your bowl. Be careful not to over beat your flour.

6. Buttermilk is next to add to your dough. Combine lemon juice with milk to DIY Buttermilk at home.

7. Mix in your vanilla extract and your strawberry puree. If you chose this is when you would add food color if you really want to brighten your mixture. Pour into bunt pan and bake for 60 minutes or until you can toothpick check your cake. Stick a toothpick in and if it comes our dry, its done! (One time check per pick)

8. The cake takes a while to cook and cool so I don’t recommend prepping the glaze too far in advance. When you’re ready whisk all ingredients together: lemon, powered sugar and strawberry puree. Check the consistency of the glaze by seeing how it runs down a spoon. Add more powder sugar if its too runny and more lemon juice to liquefy it.

I love making this cake and how delicious it was. It serves beautifully with fresh strawberries and with coffee or tea in the mornings for a sweet treat. Let me know your thoughts bellow; I would love to try making other seasonal fruit versions.

XoXo Britt

FINDING ARIZONA KITCHENS: ALBONDIGAS SOUP

Albondigas (Mexican Meatball) Soup is one of my top 3 favorite soups! Its full of flavor, delicious meatballs and juicy vegetables. Growing up my best friend would have it cooking in her home every Friday and the smell just brings back so many memories. I saw a close friend making it and asked for the recipe. After a few tweaks and measurements, its perfect, and I am ready to share it with your kitchen too!

Ingredients:

• 1 Stalk Celery 

• 1 Bag Baby Carrots 

• 2-3 Large Potatoes

• 1 Onion

• 6 Cloves of Garlic

• 4-6 Ears of Corn

• 2-3 Large Zucchini

• 1 Bunch Cilantro

• 3/4 Cup Uncooked Rice

• 1 Can Diced Tomatoes

• 1 Can Tomato Sauce

• 1 lb. ground beef

• 2 Eggs

• 2-3 Cubes Chicken Bouillon

Directions:

1. Dice onion and garlic. Saute in a large soup pot half of your onion and garlic in olive oil until golden- not brown. While you are watching the onion you can begin to prep your meatballs.

2. Mix in a bowl ground beef, remaining garlic and onion, cilantro, uncooked rice and pepper and salt if desired. Chill in fridge and allow flavors to blend and meat to get cold. Meatballs are easier to form the colder your mixture.

3. When your onions are golden in your pot,  add diced tomatoes and let simmer to blend flavors.

4. Add tomato sauce and water to create a 3/4 full pot. Add bouillon and bring to a rolling boil before you add in any meatballs. But, while you’re waiting you can continue to prep your meatballs.

5. Using your hands, roll meat mixture into meat balls all the same size and place them, softly and one by one, in boiling water 20 minutes. Cover. Meatballs will begin to float once fully cooked.

6. After 15 minutes of the meatballs boiling add vegetables chopped to your preference of a bite size and stir occasionally. Be very gently the more aggressive you are the more your meatballs break in your soup.

7. One pot will serve between 8-12 people. It is best serve garnished with fresh diced onion, cilantro, lime, and crushed red peppers. Leftovers, if you have any are good for 3 days. I also paired it with a garlic avocado sourdough toast.

This soup is perfect for the chilly weather and also goes well will all the tamales you have left over from the holidays. Thanks for getting in the kitchen with me, again. Looking forward to more recipes.

XoXo Britt

FINDING ARIZONA KITCHENS: CHINESE CHICKEN SALAD

This is one of my favorite summer dishes. As a kid I loved helping my mom making it in the kitchen. Growing up, I realized I wasn’t the only one who ate it. Jose’s mom made a similar salad as a kid too! Living in Arizona you are always looking for quick meals to make, that don’t heat the house up. So not only is this salad a great, quick and easy dinner, it also meal preps perfectly for weekly lunches!

Ingredients:

• 1  Bag Cole Slaw Mix

• 1 Chicken Breast

• 1 Green Onion

• 1 C Slivered Almonds

• 1 Pack Chicken Ramen Noodles

• 1 Tbls Olive Oil

• 2 Tbls Vinegar

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. This is just for roasting your almonds, you can also just use them straight from the bag, but the roasted flavor ads something amazing to the dish.

2. Boil your chicken breast and cook thoroughly. You can always use this broth later just store it, once it cools down, in a mason jar and the next recipe calling for chicken stock you have 100% natural, organic, sodium free, gluten free (lol) broth on hand.

3. Roast the almonds, as your oven should be preheated by now. Begin chopping the green onion and mixing the cole slaw in a large mixing bowl.

4. Thoroughly cool chicken before dicing and adding to slaw and make sure to thoroughly cool almonds before adding to slaw. You do not want your cabbage getting warm it will lose its crunch immediately.

5. Time for the sauce! If you love ramen as much as I do you probably have packets on hand as staples. One you need is 1 Chicken Ramen packet. Using the spices packet whisk oil and vinegar until dissolved. You can use your choice of vinegar, balsamic is best, but we always have apple cider on hand for our daily morning cleanse drink.

6. Mix the dressing in with the slaw, chicken and almonds. Finally, crush the uncooked noodles for a crunchy topping and serve!

7. One salad bag serves 4-6 people, but store leftovers for lunches for the week. TIP! If you plan on meal prepping layer the containers starting with the dressing then slaw, then almonds, add chicken and onions, finally top with ramen so when you are ready to eat you just pour upside down and it is the perfect freshness!

Let me know what you think, and how it turned out!

XoXo Britt

FINDING ARIZONA KITCHENS: PEANUT BUTTER PUPPY BISCUITS

When we adopted WInter 2 months ago I was shopping for dog treats and after reading the ingredients list I said to myself- I can make all this! So I went to my kitchen and started pulling ingredients. Now I’m back at it in the Finding Arizona Kitchen and sharing my recipe, but this time I’m cooking up biscuits for my biscuit. Here is a delicious treat for your dog- Peanut Butter Puppy Biscuits.

Ingredients:

• 1  C Coconut Flour

• 1/2 C Natural Peanut Butter

• 2  Lg Eggs

• 1/2 C Water  

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and begin to mix your ingredients.

2. Cream eggs, peanut butter and water together in a large mixing bowl.

3. Next add the coconut flour to make a dough.

4. Shape into balls all the same size and place them on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 20 (chewy) to 40 minutes (crispy). Depends on your dog’s preference and age on the texture of your biscuit.

5. Thoroughly cool before rewarding. Store in airtight container up to two weeks. Because this is a natural product with NO PRESERVATIVES you want to serve them fresh!

Let me know what you think, and how it turned out! Also if you are in the market for a new furry friend, remember to #AdoptDontShop. Check out the Adopt-a-Pet.com website to learn how you can sign up for alerts for certain breeds and areas to find your next best friend.

XoXo Britt