Plantain Wraps

I first tasted these when my sister-in-law made them as a gluten-free option on taco night.  Yum!  Recently, I've been grabbing a few green plantains at Aldi every time I stop by (so cheap!), and these wraps have become a regular snack in our house.  Click this link to see a photo of the finished product.  I follow the recipe exactly and always get perfect plantain wraps that are versatile for taco fillings, sandwich meat and cheese, avocado and bacon, or pretty much whatever you like to put into a wrap!  The flavor isn't too strong as long as you choose green plantains, otherwise your wraps will have a hint of banana flavor in them!


3 green plantains, peeled and chopped (I usually have to "peel" the plantains with a knife)
1 cup water
1/3 cup olive oil
1 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 375.

Put all ingredients in an industrial blender (like a Vitamix).  Blend everything until you have a smooth batter.

Line a 17x13 baking sheet with parchment paper.  This is important, otherwise the wraps will stick!  Pour batter on the parchment-line pan and spread evenly with a spatula.  Bake 30-35 minutes.  It will puff up a little and should start to look a bit golden in spots.

Use a pizza cutter to divide in six even rectangle wraps.  Fill and enjoy!

week of February 27

Beef and Barley Garden Stew - one of my favorite use-whatever-random-veggies-I-can-find recipes.  Start with sautéing ground beef and chopped onions, add some garlic, throw in a bunch of chopped tomatoes or a couple cans of undrained diced tomatoes, then finish with some broth and whatever chopped veggies sound good to you.  Season to taste.  I also like to add about 1/2 cup of barley to make the finished product thick and more stew-like.  This pot included potatoes, turnip, carrot, parsnip, cabbage, and celeriac.

Roasted Sweet Potato and Beet, Feta, and Arugula Salad with homemade vinaigrette - my contribution to our community group dinner.

Greek Pasta Chicken Salad - I use some of this dressing to marinate the chicken.  I mix the cooked chicken with cooked penne pasta, chunked cucumbers and tomatoes, sliced kalamata olives, crumbled feta cheese, and toss it with more of the dressing.  My family devours this!  And my son was thrilled when he realized that the entire meal, which I serve in one large bowl, has something included from every food group!

Pizza and salad

Date-night in: Swiss Chard Tacos with spiced black beans while kids ate leftover pasta salad

Acorn Squash with Rice Pilaf (again!)



Blueberry Oatmeal Breakfast Bars - a new breakfast that we all enjoyed in the morning, and as a snack the next few days.  I made several changes from the original recipe that are reflected below:

BASE LAYER
2 ripe bananas
1/3 cup maple syrup
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
2 Tbsp coconut oil (not melted)
2 tsp vanilla extract
4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1 heaping scoop plant-based protein powder
2 tsp cinnamon
3/4 tsp salt

TOPPING
1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
6 Tbsp chia seeds
1/2 tsp cinnamon
4 Tbsp maple syrup
juice of one lemon
2 cups blueberries (fresh or frozen)
1/2 cup sliced almonds (or any kind of chopped nut)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a 8x11 baking pan with parchment paper and lightly grease.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the banana, maple syrup, oils and vanilla.  Using electric or hand mixer, mix until smooth.  Add in the oats, protein powder, cinnamon and salt and mix until well combined.  Mixture will be wet.  Transfer the mixture to the pan.  Smooth it out with a spatula and press it down evenly.  Bake for 10 minutes.

While bottom layer is baking, in the same mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients for the topping layer until well combined.

After first layer is done baking, remove pan from oven.  Pour topping layer over and spread it out evenly, pressing it down into the base layer.  Bake for an additional 15 minutes.  Allow the bars to cool and set for 15-20 minutes before slicing into square servings.  Store in refrigerator.

week of February 6

*Oven Fajitas - super easy . . . my family ate the entire pan!

*Pizza Sandwich Melts - another delicious meal with no leftovers.  See below for recipe.

Honey Garlic Chicken with edamames and shared with friends

Vegetable and Cheese Frittata from SNED by Heidi Swanson with sourdough whole wheat bread - I used cauliflower and topped it with mozzarella cheese

Green Lentil Soup to share with a refugee family

Vanishing Oatmeal Raisin Cookies for community group dinner




Pizza Sandwich Melts, from One-Pan Recipes by Better Homes and Gardens:

Use ciabatta rolls.  Cut rolls in half.

Cover large roasting pan with tin foil.  Preheat oven to 350.

Line pan with bottoms of the bread rolls.  Use the following ingredients to layer on the roll bottoms:
one 12-oz. jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1 cup thin strips green sweet pepper
3 to 4 oz. sliced pepperoni
one 2.25 oz. sliced pitted ripe olives, drained
Top with 6 oz. shredded smoked mozzarella cheese

Spread cut sides of roll tops with one 8-oz. can pizza sauce (or make your own) and place on top to make sandwiches.

Combine the following and then pour evenly over sandwiches:
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup olive oil
2 Tbsp melted butter
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 clove minced garlic
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper

Bake, covered with foil, for 25 minutes at 350.  Remove foil and bake 5 minutes more or until cheese is melted and roll tops are light brown.

Week of January 1

I love cooking.  I love trying new recipes.  I love talking with friends about food and recipes and cooking and eating.  I love sharing recipes that I've found and love with other people.  And I refer to this little blog space often to remember what I've made, what we've liked, and to share recipes with people.  So instead of trying to post individual recipes, I'm going for a weekly meal approach.  I'll star the recipes that were new and hopefully do a better job of tracking what I make for future reference.



Mexican Pile-Up - a family favorite: you pile up whatever you want!  Our staple ingredients are: rice, taco meat, chips, lettuce or spinach, black beans or refried beans, chopped tomatoes, grated cheese, cilantro, salsa.  Other taco-type toppings are welcomed when I have them.

Anniversary date night.  Kids had pizza.

*Cinnamon Chili Pork - this was absolutely delicious and everyone in the family liked it - winner!  My youngest asked for a bowl of the red pepper apple salsa for her birthday meal!

Kids were invited to the neighbors' for a last-minute dinner playdate, so we had date night leftovers.

*Roasted Sausage with Mushrooms, Squash, and Polenta - I love polenta, but hadn't tried roasting it before.  Delicious!

1 16-ounce tube refrigerated cooked polenta, cut into 1/2-inch slices and halved (I get mine at Trader Joe's)
2 cups sliced fresh cremini mushrooms
2 cups cubed, peeled butternut squash
3 Tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper
1 lb. uncooked mild Italian sausage links
1 tsp. snipped fresh rosemary

Preheat oven to 425F.  In a 15x10-inch baking pan combine polenta, mushrooms, and squash.  Drizzle with oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Prick each sausage a few times with a fork.  Place in pan with veggies.  Sprinkle with rosemary.
Roast 25-30 minutes, or until sausages are done, stirring once.  If desired, top with additional rosemary.
Recipe taken from Better Homes and Gardens' One-Pan Recipes magazine


New Breakfast recipe:
Yogurt Biscuits from Super Natural Every Day, by Heidi Swanson.  This is a new cookbook for me and I'm excited to cook my way through it this year with a friend!  It's definitely worth a look from your local library if you enjoy simple, interesting, whole food recipes that are easily adaptable for family-friendly eating.

Apple Squash Bacon Pizza

Since Jessie introduced me to spaghetti squash pizza, I have ventured off into the world of pizza toppings.  What goes well paired with bread and cheese?  A lot of things!  Of the combinations we've tried recently, this is our current favorite.  It's pretty much taking this soup, and turning it into a pizza (or two!).  The combination of apples, butternut squash, bacon, and cheddar cheese is delicious either way if you ask me!  What are your favorite pizza toppings?

5-7 strips bacon, cooked and crumbled (Have you ever used kitchen shears to cut your bacon into 

                                                               pieces before you cook it?!)

1/2 butternut squash, peeled and chopped roughly into 1-inch chunks

1 large apple, cored and thinly sliced (I didn't use my corer-peeler-slicer because I wanted super thin 

                                                   slices, but in retrospect, I think the thicker slices would have worked 

                                                    just fine and the prep would have been much easier!)

10-16 oz. sharp cheddar cheese, grated (depending on how cheesy you like your pizza!)

2 balls of pizza dough

olive oil

black pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 450.  If using a stone, make sure you preheat the stone a good thirty minutes.

Cook bacon in a large frying pan.  Remove to a paper towel and set aside, leaving the grease in the pan.

Saute squash cubes in bacon grease over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes.  You don't want to cook the squash completely.  It will finish cooking on the pizza.  But give it just enough time in the pan to start softening and take in the yummy bacon flavor.  

Roll out one pizza dough.  Brush lightly with olive oil.  Spread half the apple slices on dough.  Sprinkle just a little cheese over apples.  Then top with half the squash, more cheese, and finish with bacon crumbles.  Sprinkle with black pepper (if you want to) and bake for 12-15 minutes.  

I had enough toppings to make two large pizzas.

Enjoy!

Spaghetti Squash Pizza

My friend, Jessie, was here visiting last week.  She is the one who started me on this whole recipe blog idea in the first place, so it was a sure thing that we would enjoy some good food together.  This pizza is something she'd made before and suggested I try.  It was unique and so delicious!  The flavors are simple, but not boring at all.  I was skeptical about the leftovers getting soggy, but a warm-up in the oven with the broiler on low did the trick just fine.   This recipe makes two pizzas. 

1 spaghetti squash (about 4 pounds)—halved lengthwise, seeded and tough fibers removed

Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling and brushing 

Salt and freshly ground pepper 

1/2 teaspoon freshly grated or ground nutmeg 

4 tablespoons coarse cornmeal 

2 pizza dough rounds (about 1 pound each)

2 tablespoons fresh thyme, chopped, plus leaves to taste

One 15-ounce container whole-milk ricotta cheese 

1 lemon, cut into wedges (optional)

Preheat the oven to 425°. Drizzle the flesh of the squash with olive oil and season with salt, pepper and the nutmeg. Place the squash, cut side down, in a large baking pan and pierce the skin in several places with a fork. Bake for 45 minutes. Turn the squash over and bake until the spaghetti-like strands can be easily removed with a fork, about 10 minutes more. Let cool before scraping the flesh into a bowl.

Arrange 2 racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 475°. Sprinkle 2 large, heavy baking sheets with the cornmeal. Place the pizza dough rounds on top of the cornmeal and shape into 12-by-14-inch rectangles. Brush with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and the chopped thyme. Bake until golden and crisp, 15 to 20 minutes.

Spread the ricotta evenly over the pizza crusts and top with the squash. Season with thyme leaves, salt and pepper, then drizzle with olive oil. Bake until just warmed through, about 5 minutes. Cut the pizza into squares and serve with the lemon wedges

Black Bean Pizza with Whole Wheat Crust

Jessie told me a while ago I should make this pizza.  I've had the recipe saved on pinterest for a long time.  But my oldest gingersnap absolutely hates black beans, so I try to spread out when I use them.  If I had simply read the recipe, I would have known that you mash up the black beans with tasty spices to create a delicious "sauce" for this pizza and we would have enjoyed it much sooner - all of us!  This was also the first time I'd tried a completely whole wheat flour pizza dough.  It was hearty, but tasty, and worked well with the black bean mixture and toppings.  

I made three pizza crusts from the dough recipe.  I baked two pizzas for my family and put the third ball of dough in the freezer for later.  The black bean mixture ended up being enough for four pizzas, so I froze the extra "sauce" mixture as well.  The toppings really do make the pizza, so be sure to plan ahead for those.

• 
  
• Pizza Dough:
• 1 1/2 cups warm water
• 1 1/2 tablespoons instant yeast
• 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons oil
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 3-4 cups whole wheat flour
Black Bean Mixture:
• 2 (15-ounces each) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Salt to taste
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
• 1 teaspoon hot sauce
• 2 teaspoons cumin
Toppings:
• 1 medium red bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped
• 4-5 green onions, finely chopped
• 1-2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• Chopped tomatoes
• Shredded lettuce
• Sour cream or ranch for drizzling
• Salsa

DIRECTIONS

1. Position an oven rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 450 degrees F (preheating a pizza stone if you have it; if not, flip a rimmed baking sheet upside down and preheat that instead). In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook (or you can definitely do this the old-fashioned way by hand in a large bowl), combine the water, yeast, sugar, oil and salt. There's no need to proof the yeast if using instant yeast. If you are using active dry yeast, let the mixture stand for 4-5 minutes until the yeast is foaming. Add the flour gradually until a soft dough forms that isn't too sticky to the touch (see the note above). Knead for 3-4 minutes. Cover and set aside while preparing the other ingredients. 
2. For the bean mixture, in a blender or food processor, combine the beans, oil, salt to taste (start with 1/4 teaspoon and add more to taste), cilantro, hot sauce and cumin. Blend until it reaches the desired consistency. I processed mine until fairly smooth. 
3. Divide the dough into 2-3 pieces, depending on how big you want your pizzas. Press the dough into a large circle or oval or square (it really doesn't matter) on a piece of greased parchment paper to about 1/4-inch thick. Of course, you can always press into a thicker crust if you'd like. It's really all about your personal preference.
4. Divide the bean mixture evenly among the pressed out pizza dough. It won't spread as easily as, say, butter, but using the back of a large spoon or an offset spatula, spread it as best you can. It doesn't have to be perfect. 
5. Top the bean mixture with a sprinkle of red bell pepper, green onions and cheese. 
6. Slide the parchment with the pizza on it onto the preheated baking stone or upside down baking sheet.
7. Bake for 8-12 minutes until the crust is golden and toppings are bubbling. Carefully remove the pizza from the oven and let it cool for 5 minutes or so before serving. Repeat with the remaining pizza(s).
8. If desired, top with tomatoes, lettuce and sour cream (or ranch) - otherwise, you can eat it without the extra toppings. Delicious either way.

My Favorites from 2013

Happy New Year!  I can still say that, right?!  We are finally settling in back home after a month of traveling to be with family for the holidays.  The trip was wonderful, but now it's back to the real life of daily responsibilities, which is why there haven't been many new recipes showing up here lately.  My family has definitely been eating, though, and I have some good things to share.  But I wanted to do a little re-cap of last year and post my top 10 recipes from 2013.  In no particular order, here is a list of things I would say you've got to try.  Happy Eating!



Pumpkin Waffles

Mango Blueberry Quinoa Salad

Sour Cream Chocolate Banana Bread

Carne Adovada

Summer Pesto Pizza

Sweet Potato Hash

BLT Salad

Butternut Squash Lasagna

Chewy Double Chocolate Cookies

Herb Cheese-stuffed Salmon

Summer Pesto Pizza {with homemade pesto}

We've had a wonderful summer, which has included lots of fresh and light meals.  This pizza, although not as light, tastes deliciously fresh and has been our summer meal of choice.  I used the last of my fresh basil and some ripe tomatoes from our ginormous plant to make it one last time in celebration of my middle gingersnap's first day of preschool.   Yum!  

Recipe from Simply in Season

For the Pesto: 

1 cup packed fresh basil leaves

1-3 cloves garlic

1/3 cup pine nutes, walnuts, or hazelnuts

3-6 Tbsp Parm cheese

1/2 tsp salt

1/3 - 1/2 cup olive oil

Finely chop together everything but olive oil in food processor or Viatmix.  Add oil gradually while food processor runs to make a thick paste.

For the Dough (I make two crusts out of this):

1 heaping Tbsp active dry yeast

1 1 /4 cups warm water

Stir together in a large bowl until yeast is dissolved.

2 cups flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 tsp salt

Add enough flour to make a soft dough.  Knead 8-10 minutes (or use the dough hook in your stand mixer) until smooth and elastic.  Place in greased bowl, turn to grease both sides, cover with a damp cloth, and let rise until doubled in bulk, about 45-55 minutes.  Generously grease pizza stone or baking sheet with olive oil.  Roll or press dough onto pan.  Bake in preheated oven at 450 for 5 minutes.

1/2 cup Pesto

3 medium tomatoes, sliced

2 cups mozzarella cheese

Spread pesto onto crust.  Top with tomatoes and cheese.  Garnish with fresh basil leaves if you want.  Bake in preheated oven at 450 until cheese is melted, 5-8 minutes. 

BBQ Cabbage & Sausage Stuffed Rolls

photo credit here

Jessie posted this recipe and we really enjoyed it.  They also made great leftovers for lunches.

1 pound sausage, either raw or smoked
1/2 head green cabbage, shredded
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 small white onion, diced (optional)
1 cup BBQ sauce
1/4 pound provolone cheese, thinly sliced (I used mozzarella)
Salt and pepper to taste
1 pound bread dough or 8 to 16 premade dough rolls, thawed
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted


Crumble the sausage into a large sauté pan and cook over medium-high heat until browned and completely cooked through. Drain the fat. Add the cabbage, garlic, and onion (if using) and cook over medium heat until wilted and soft. Add BBQ sauce and stir frequently until warm. Add the cheese to the pan and stir continuously so it doesn't stick or burn. When the cheese has just melted, remove pan from heat and set aside. Taste and add salt and pepper if necessary.

Preheat oven to 450°. Taking a small amount of dough (slightly larger than a clementine and smaller than a baseball) press it flat with your hands and pull gently on the sides — like you were making a mini pizza crust. Place dough in the palm of your hand or on a flat surface and spoon 1/4 cup of the mixture onto the dough. Working quickly pinch together the ends, folding them over gently to ensure they stay closed. Flip the ball over and rub gently on the counter in a small circular motion to regain its shape.


Lay each ball on a baking sheet covered in parchment paper that's been lightly floured (I just lightly sprayed my pan and they didn't stick at all). When tray is full, brush the tops with butter, sprinkle with salt and bake for 15 to 25 minutes until golden brown.


Allow to cool completely if freezing or refrigerating (otherwise the bread will get soggy) or enjoy while still warm!

No-Knead Focaccia Bread

This was so simple, and perfectly yummy for sandwiches!  We enjoyed roasted veggies with fresh basil and provolone.  I think the bread would also work great for a basic cheese pizza.  I noticed a big difference in how fresh the bread tasted at the end of the second day, but a little time in the toaster helped out.  I will definitely make this again!


1 cup whole wheat flour
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp yeast
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 cups water
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp Italian seasoning (or whatever you want, I used Penzeys pizza seasoning)
2 Tbsp corn meal


The night before, combine the flour, salt and yeast in a large pot or bowl. Stir until everything is evenly combined and then stir in the water. The result should be one cohesive, sticky, shaggy lump of dough. If there is still dry flour in the pot or everything isn't sticking together, add a little water at a time until it forms one ball. Loosely cover and let sit at room temperature until the next day (about 14 hours).

The next day the dough will be wet, fluffy and may even be bubbling from the fermentation. Using a spatula, scrape the dough from the sides of the pot or bowl and turn it in on itself a few times until it forms a ball in the center of the pot. 


Prepare a baking sheet with foil, non-stick spray and a generous sprinkle of corn meal. Dust your hands with flour and sprinkle a little on top of the dough to keep it from sticking to your hands. Transfer the dough to the baking sheet. Stretch and pat the dough out into a large rectangle. You may need to dust your hands with flour throughout this process to keep the dough from sticking. It will be very wet and sticky.

Drizzle olive oil over the surface of the dough and use a soft brush to spread it evenly over the surface. Sprinkle the Italian seasoning (or any type of herbs) over top. Let the dough rise for another hour.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Using your fingers, press dimples into the risen dough (see photos). Bake the focaccia for 20-25 minutes in the preheated oven or until the surface is golden brown. After removing from the oven, transfer the focaccia to a wire rack to cool. 

Pizza Rice Casserole

It'd been a long time since I had made a casserole, but a fellow More-With-Less user tipped me off to this recipe, so we gave it a try.  As far as casseroles go, it was good and my kids loved it!  I really liked the cottage cheese/rice combo and, although it did have hints of pizza sauce flavor, I wouldn't necessarily use the word pizza to describe.  Maybe if we added some pepperonis?!


2 cups cooked rice
1 lb. ground beef
1 onion, chopped
2 cups tomato sauce
1/4 tsp. garlic salt
1 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
pepper
1/4 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. dried parsley
1 1/2 cups cottage cheese
1/2 cup shredded cheese


In a large skillet, brown the beef with chopped onion.  Then add tomato sauce, garlic salt, sugar, salt, pepper (to taste) oregano, and parsley.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes.

In a large bowl, combine cottage cheese and cooked rice.  Put 1/3 of rice mixture in a buttered 2 qt. casserole dish.  Top with 1/3 of meat-tomato sauce.  Continue to alternate layers, ending with tomato sauce.  Sprinkle with shredded cheese.  Bake at 325 for 30 minutes, or until hot and bubbly.

Red and Green Pasta Salad

Happy St. Patty's Day!  Here's some green for you . . .

A while back, my mom brought me this fun pasta from Italy!  I've been waiting for the perfect recipe to use it, but just decided to go for it today.  I had a red pepper and lots of broccoli that were about to go bad.  All the red and greens involved mixed beautifully for a lunch that my kids and I thoroughly enjoyed.

I tossed the chopped brocooli and red pepper with about 1 Tbsp olive oil and a lot of Penzeys' pizza seasoning (at least 1 1/2 Tbsp).  Next, I roasted the veggies at 425 for about 20 minutes, tossing once.  Meanwhile, I cooked the pasta, drained it, then tossed it with 1 Tbsp butter before adding the roasted veggies and a little salt.  Top that with Parmesan cheese and we were good to go.  I think it would be good room temp as well.  My son thought it was great that all the food "matched"!

Meatless Monday - Big Daddy's Cheese Pizza

There was a period while growing up when my awesome dad (known to my children as Big Daddy) was responsible for dinner one night of the week. We (my siblings and I) looked forward to that night because we knew we would have one of three things: Little Cesar's $5 pizza, homemade cheese enchiladas, or Dad's cheese pizza. I am my father's daughter in many ways, some that aren't as detrimental to my health as our shared love for anything doughy, only to be made better by adding cheese. And that's where we land with today's Meatless Monday meal: my dad's amazing cheese pizza. I never said Meatless Mondays had to be healthy! I guess you could add some chopped veggies, but I would always choose plain cheese pizza over anything else. Call me crazy. I'd never personally made Dad's pizza, so I emailed him asking for the recipe. My dad is one of my heroes, and not just because he makes incredible cheese pizza! To let you in on the full cheese pizza experience, I'm posting his instructions as he wrote them to me.

Dough:

In a large mixing bowl add 1 ½ cups luke warm water, 1 teaspoon sugar, 1 tablespoon salt, 2 packets (2 tablespoons) dry active yeast.

Let stand for 5 minutes.

Mix in 3 tablespoons oil, 4 cups flour (whatever kind Mom usually buys?). I mix everything with a fork until it is all a good doughy consistency but not sticky (add more flour if it is), then kneed it with my hands for a minute or two.

Cover the bowl with oil, put the dough in a ball, cover with a dish towel, put in a warm place to rise for one hour.

Cut the dough in half or thirds (depending on how thick you want your crust) to make two or three good size pizza doughs.

Fold the dough over on itself 10-12 times, then sprinkle with flour and roll out on one of those tupperware things that you roll stuff out on.

Sprinkle corn meal on the pizza board (if you have one). If you don’t you really need one or it’s hard to get the dough onto the pizza stone in the oven. I don't have a pizza board, but I used the back side of my largest cookie sheet and it worked well. After you put the rolled out dough on the sprinkled corn meal, give it a little shake before adding sauce and cheese. It helps keep the dough from sticking to the "board".

Oh, by the way, you need to preheat the pizza stone at 400 degrees for at least 30 minutes.

Sauce:

Mix together – one 8 oz. can tomato sauce, one 6 oz. can tomato paste, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1/8 teaspoon pepper, ½ teaspoon garlic salt, ½ teaspoon onion salt, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon oregano until you like the consistency.

Add whatever other toppings you want and bake the pizza at 375 degrees for 10-12 minutes, or until the crust is cooked to your liking.

For a variation try doing everything with only your left hand.

Stick leftovers in the fridge and eat cold for breakfast the next morning. (and he would)

I love you.

Dad

I love you too, Dad.

BBQ Chicken Calzone

I followed Jessie's suggestion for this recipe and used my crock pot set on low to simmer the chicken with the barbeque sauce all day, which makes this meal even more wonderful (because I am in love with my crock pot!). After shredding the chicken, I added the cooked bacon and onion. The flavor will change depending on what kind of barbeque sauce you use, but the combination of everything inside a dough pocket was very yummy!


4 slices bacon
1/2 small onion, chopped
3 cups shredded, cooked chicken breast meat
1 cup barbeque sauce
1 (10 ounce) can refrigerated pizza crust dough (I used this recipe to make my own dough. It was ok. I have a different recipe that uses whole wheat flour that I'll try next time.)
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (I wanted more cheese!)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).

Fry bacon in a large skillet over medium-high heat until crisp. Remove from the pan to drain on paper towels; crumble. Add the onion and shredded chicken to the hot bacon grease in the pan. Fry over medium heat until onion is tender. Stir in 1/3 cup of barbeque sauce, and remove from the heat. Mix in the cooked bacon.

Roll the pizza crust dough out onto a greased cookie sheet. Press out to an even thickness, and then cut in half. Divide the chicken mixture between the two pieces of dough, spreading on only half of each piece to within 1/2 inch of the edge. Drizzle the remaining sauce over the filling. Sprinkle the cheese and cilantro over the top. Fold the uncovered portion of dough over the filling, and press the edges together with a fork to seal.

Bake for 25 minutes in the preheated oven, or until browned to your liking. Cool for a few minutes, then cut each calzone in half. Each serving is half of a calzone. These can be served with additional barbeque sauce if you like.

Pizza Bites

I was excited to include this in our menu of Super Bowl snacks. They were good, but not great. I used refrigerated dough (probably not the best choice) and half of the pepperoni package had lost its seal so I was short on the meat (boo!). Next time I will make my own dough and make sure to get enough pepperonis to put two in each bite.

½ batch (enough for 1 pizza)
4 oz. mozzarella cheese, cubed (about 20-24 pieces)
Sliced pepperoni
For topping:
Olive oil
Italian seasoning
Grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat the oven to 400˚ F. Lightly grease a 9-inch pie plate or cake pan. Divide the pizza dough into 20-24 roughly equal sized pieces. Take one of the dough pieces, top with a cube of cheese and a slice or two of pepperoni. Pull the edges of the dough around the fillings and pinch closed. Place seam-side down in the baking dish. Repeat with the remaining dough pieces.
Lightly brush the tops of the dough balls with olive oil. Sprinkle with Italian seasoning and grated Parmesan cheese. Bake for 20 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown. Serve warm, with dipping sauce as desired.

Apple Walnut Rustic Tart

We loved this and it was so simple to make!


1 Pâte Brisée (tart dough) for a 10-inch tart or 1 packaged, flat pie crust (I used the store-bought crust)
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
1/4 cup crumbled gorgonzola cheese (or blue cheese)
1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped, or 1/2 teaspoon dried
2 Tbsp maple syrup
2 large granny smith apples (or other good cooking apples such as jonagold or fuji), peeled, cored, chopped
1 teaspoon of lemon juice (optional)

Toss the walnuts, gorgonzola, thyme, chopped apples, and maple syrup together in a medium size bowl. As you are working with the apples (chopping them, mixing them in with the other ingredients), if you want, you can squeeze a little lemon juice on them to help keep them from discoloring. Cover the mixture with plastic wrap while you prepare the crust.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Roll out pastry dough to 13-inches, at an 1/8 of an inch thickness. Place pastry dough on a rimmed baking sheet. (Rimmed because the pastry will leak during the cooking process.) Mound the filling in the middle of the rolled out dough, and spread out evenly to 1 1/2 inches to 2 inches from the edge of the dough. Pleat the edges of the dough over the filling.

Bake for 45 minutes to an hour, until crust is nicely browned. If at any time it looks like the walnuts are getting a little burnt, you can lightly tent a piece of aluminum foil over the center.

Remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes before serving. A pizza wheel works great for slicing up the tart.

Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Pizza Pockets (or balls)

Apparently, I can't make pockets. I tried. I failed. So I made balls. Pizza balls. I imagine they were just as tasty had I been able to actually make a pocket. Jaime gave me this recipe and didn't mention anything about difficulty with pocket-making, so I've decided it's just me. I've never really liked pockets anyway.


1 tablespoon olive oil
8 ounces Italian turkey sausage
1 cup tightly-packed arugula (about 1 ounce)
4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1/3 cup grated Parmesan, plus 1/4 cup
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 (13.5-ounce) package of store-bought pizza crust (recommended: Pillsbury)
All-purpose flour, for rolling out pizza dough
1 egg, beaten (for egg wash)
1 1/2 cups marinara sauce, store-bought or homemade
Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in a medium-sized, heavy skillet. Add the sausage and cook until crumbled and golden, about 5 minutes. Add the arugula and cook until wilted. Turn off the heat and let cool about 10 minutes. Add the cream cheese, 1/3 cup Parmesan, salt, and pepper and stir to combine. Set aside.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Roll out the pizza dough on a lightly floured surface to a thin 20 by 12-inch rectangle. Cut the rectangle in half lengthwise. The cut each half into 8 equal rectangles.
Spoon topping onto 1 side of each of the rectangles. Using a pastry brush, brush the edges of the rectangle with egg wash. Close the rectangle of pizza dough over the topping. Use a fork to seal and crimp the edges. Place the pizza pockets onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Brush the top of each pizza pocket with egg wash. Sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan. Bake until golden, about 15 to 17 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat the marinara sauce over low heat in a medium saucepan. Serve the hot pizza pockets with the marinara sauce alongside for dipping.