Every now and then I come up with a flavor combination that just works. This pizza is one of those. We have a spot in the cafeteria at work that will do to order personal pizzas and on one of those days when I forgot lunch, I grabbed a pizza and came up with this combination. I then recreated it at home and its just as good.

Usually I make my own crust using a Rick Bayless recipe for the dough. But I was going for simple here, so Pillsbury to the rescue – instant pizza dough. The Rick Bales recipe is better, but it’s been a hectic month (yes, I know it’s still early).

Sauce is pesto. I went with a classic basil pesto with almonds, garlic, cheese and lemon for the sauce. I like the really garlic-y nature of the pesto and made it a little thinner than I usually do so it would spread easily.

Toppings are simple – spinach and sun-dried tomatoes. That’s it, nothing else. Handful of spinach leaves and some chopped sun-dried tomatoes gives you a bright, yet earthy flavor. I thought about kale for the homemade version since I have so much in the garden, but really, the spinach is best.

Cheese should always be classic – mozzarella and a little Parmesan. I did try with gruyere once, but the classic pizza cheese works best.

The best compliment I got on this pizza came from a student and a coworker who each asked for a piece and then exclaimed how good it was despite having no meat on it. For die-hard meat eaters, that was high praise indeed.

When I planned my menu the other week I really wanted to make spring rolls. I love the little packets of goodness and they make great lunches for later in the week. However, a cold kind of derailed my intentions, but I still wanted spring rolls. So … deconstructed spring rolls it was. Easy to make, still kind of pretty on the plate and they work for lunch also. No reheating required.

In this case – cut up a bunch of veggies (pepper, carrot, cucumber, scallions) and fry up some tofu with a spicy peanut sauce, make some rice and plate. It really was that simple and took maybe twenty minutes. Cutting up the vegetables was the longest part of this. The peanut dipping sauce does doubt duty as the glaze for the tofu and the sauce on top of the “rolls”. It works.

There is no specific recipe for the dipping sauce. I pretty much take:

• Peanut butter (1/3 cup)
• Soy sauce (3-5 tablespoons)
• Honey (1 tablespoon)
• Chili garlic sauce (1-3 tablespoons)
• Lime juice (1/2 lime)
• Rice vinegar (0-1 tablespoon)

and adjust the amounts as needed. I don’t measure, but I do taste along the way and it tends to work out. For a dressing, I add a little water, but if you add more than two tablespoons you will need to add more peanut butter as the flavor dilutes too much.

There is something very comforting about baking. There is something fairly stressful about baking with a dog trying to help. But Arthas is cute, so I put up with it and do my best to keep him from taste testing what I’m making.

Is there anything better on a rainy Sunday morning than fresh cinnamon rolls? There might be, but they are pretty darn good. I decided to use up the last of the buttermilk I had on hand (from waffles the week before) and make cinnamon rolls. This was the first time I used buttermilk in the dough and wasn’t certain how it would come out, but the final result … oh my good.

Recipe: (adapted from genius kitchen)

• 1/2 tablespoon yeast
• 1/4 cup warm water (I used warm tap water for this)
• 1 1/2 cup buttermilk (room temperature or slightly warmed)
• 1/2 cup oil
• 4 cups flour + more for kneading and rolling
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• melted butter (about 1/2 stick, 1/4 cup)
  • Filling (mix together)
    • 1 cup brown sugar
    • 2 tablespoons cinnamon

In a small bowl, place the water and top with yeast. Let sit at least ten minutes (up to 45 minutes) to proof. Transfer to large bowl and add buttermilk and oil. Mix. Add one cup of flour and mix. Add salt and baking soda then mix again. Add flour, 1/2 cup at a time until a soft, but not sticky dough, forms.

Flour a clean surface and dump dough onto the flour. (I like to leave a little to coat the top of the dough and my hands too.) Knead dough, adding a little flour at a time if needed to prevent sticking, for about two minutes. Return to bowl, cover and let rise for about ten to twenty minutes – dough should rise, but not double.

Divide dough in half. Using a floured silpat as a base, roll the dough to cover the silpat. Brush the dough with melted butter. Add 1/2 of sugar mixture and spread to evenly coat dough. Roll the dough starting from the long side, pulling tight through each roll. Cut into rolls, about 1.5-2 inches thick. Place in a buttered pan (I ended up using an 8×11 and an 8×8 pan, but I think a 9×13 would work). Repeat with second half of the dough. Allow to rise for 30 minutes in a draft free place (I use the oven, just not turned on).

Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Brush the tops of the risen rolls with melted butter and bake for about 20 minutes. Remove from oven and glaze while still hot with a mixture of milk and confectioners sugar or glaze of your choice.

Best served warm/hot