S'More Pizza

Here's a pizza recipe I haven't tried.  Admittedly, I have done far more savory pizzas than sweet ones so this one is going to be a nice change.  Not sure about the slivered almonds but I think Guy Fieri knows what he is doing so I'll give it a shot.

2 1lb. storebought pizza dough balls
1/4 C. slivered almonds
3 tbsp. unsalted butter
1 sleeve graham crackers, crushed
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp. fine sea salt
3 C. mini marshmallows
2 4oz. dark chocolate bars, broken into chunks

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Form the pizza dough into 12 to 14 inch rounds 1/4 inch thick.  Bake for 4 to 6 minutes or until just beginning to brown.  Leave the oven at 400 degrees.

While the pizza crust is baking,  toast the almonds in a medium dry skillet over medium high heat.  Transfer the almonds to a plate to cool.

Melt the butter in the skillet.  Add the graham cracker crumbs, chili powder, cayenne, and salt.  Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until the crumbs are will coated.  Remove from heat and set aside.

For each pizza, top the crust with half of the marshmallows and scatter half of the chocolate over the marshmallows.  Return the pizza to the oven for 3 to 5 minutes, until the marshmallows are puffed and lightly browned.  Sprinkle the pizza with half of the graham cracker mixture and top with half of the almonds.  Let rest 3 to 4 minutes, slice and serve.  Repeat to make the second pizza.

Shaved Summer Squash with Prosciutto Crisps

Hmm, this is a spin on salad I have never thought of before.  In a few weeks, I'll be able to get the squash from the farmer's market (or Caputos).  I have mint on the deck.  Feta "grows" in my fridge.  LOL  Feta is one of my favorite things on a salad.  This salad will also be worth waiting in line at the deli at the POOT.  Lord help me!

1 medium zucchini
2 medium yellow squash
1/4 tsp. salt
2 tbsp. thinly sliced fresh mint
1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp. lemon rind
1 tsp. fresh lemon juice
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
3 thin slices prosciutto, chopped
1/4 C. crumbled ricotta salata or feta cheese

Shave the zucchini and squash into thin strips using a vegetable peeler.  Discard seeds.  Place zucchini and squash in a medium bowl, and toss with salt.

Combine mint and mext 4 ingredients (through pepper) in a small bowl; stir with a whisk.  Pour over zucchini and squash and toss.

Heat a small nonstick skillet over medium heat.  Add prosciutto, saute for 2 minutes or until crisp.

Place 3/4 C. salad on each of 4 plates.  Top each serving with 1 tbsp. cheese; sprinkle evenly with prosciutto.

Cheese and bacon on this salad and only 68 calories per serving!!!

Strawberry Coconut Thumbprints

Just because the recipe turns up in a June issue of a magazine doesn't mean I can't tuck it away for my holiday list.  Then again, I may have to try them ahead of time.

1 C. butter, softened
1 3oz. pkg. cream cheese
1 C, sugar
1 egg yolk
1 tbsp. vanilla
2 1/2 C. all purpose flour
1 1/4 C. shredded coconut
1/3 C. jam

In a large mixing bowl, beat butter and cream cheese with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add sugar and beat until combined.  Add egg yolk and vanilla, beat until combined.  Beat in flour.  Wrap and chill dough 1 hour or until easy to handle.

Line cookie sheet with parchment paper; set aside.  Shape dough into 1 inch balls.  Roll balls in coconut.  Arrange 1 1/2 inches apart on prepared cookie sheet.  Use thumb to make indentation in each cookie.

Bake in a 350 degree oven about 14 minutes or until edges are light golden.  Cool on cookie sheets 1 minute.  Use thumb to reimprint cookies.  Spoon about 1/4 tsp. jam into center of each cookie.  Remove and cool completely on a wire rack.

Lemon Blueberry Crumb Bars

This will be a yummy addition to our blueberry treats this summer.  I love blueberry and lemon together and EVERYTHING is better with cheese. 

1/2 C. butter
1 pkg. (2 layer size) yellow cake mix
2 eggs, divided
2 tsp. zest and 3 tbsp. juice from 1 lemon
2 8oz. pkgs. cream cheese, softened
1/2 C. sugar
2 1/2 C. blueberries

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Line a 13X9 inch pand with foil, with ends of foil extending over sides.  Microwave butter in large bowl on high 1 1 1/2 minutes or until melted.  Add cake mix, 1 egg and 1 tbsp. lemon juice; beat with mixer until well blended.  Press 2/3 of the mixture onto the bottom of the prepared pan.

Beat cream cheese and sugar with mixer until well blended.  Add remaining egg, lemon juice and zest; mix well.  Pour over crust, top with berries.  Pinch small pieces of the remaining cake mix mixture between your fingers; press lightly into cream cheese layer.

Bake 48-50 minutes or until center is almost set.  Cool completely.  Refrigerate 1 hour.  Use foil handles to lift dessert from pan before cutting into bars.  Keep refrigerated.

Foil Pack Vegetables

Grilling seaon is upon us and I loved grilled veggies.  Tonight we made potatoes and asparagus in foil packs.  The potatoes had garlic and green onions on them.  The asparagus had butter and lemon pepper on it.  Here is a fun spin on veggie foil packets.

Combine 5 cups cut up fresh vegetables with 1/4 C. Italian dressing.

Spoon onto center of a piece of heavy duty foil.  Bring up sides then double fold top and ends, leaving room for  heat circulation.

Grill 10 minutes.  Cut slits into foil to release steam.  Sprinkle vegetables with 2 tbsp. Parmesan cheese.

The Garden is Planted

OK, you've seen some wistful posts about getting the garden going and some cranky posts about the weather, but I can say that my little tiny garden is planted for 2011.  Those who have been to my house know that I have limited space but I make good use of my deck with my veggies and herbs.  I have 3 different kinds of tomatoes; Brandywine, Roma and Jubilee which are golden orange.  I have jalepeno and ancho peppers.  And me herb garden consists of  rosemary, flat leaf parlsey, mint, regular and Greek oregano, sweet basil, sage, thyme and chives.  Everything is doing well and I am sincerely hoping I don't need to pull them all off of the plant stand ahead of some severe storms that are due later tonight.  The beagle has already evacuated to the area behind our couches.  I think it's going to be a long night.

The rest of my "garden" is flowers...and my yard looks nice if I do say so myself.

The other great thing that happened this weekend was the first farmer's market in Oak Park so tonight we are having potatoes, asparagus and green onions with dinner; some of the spoils from my trip.

I look forward to sharing some recipes using the bounty from my garden.

Light Salad Dressings

We eat salad around here like it is going out of style.  I am just starting to put tomatoes that actually taste like something on my salads these days and I checked my tomato plants this morning and they actually have tiny flower buds on them!  Anyway, I thought I would throw out some light salad dressing recipes to enjoy with some of our farmer's market faves this summer!

Light Ranch

Some people are nuts about ranch dressing.  To me it is just OK, I'd rather use it as dip than on my salad.

2/3 C. buttermilk
1/4 C. mayonnaise
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. dried onion flakes
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1 tbsp. chopped chives
1 tbsp. fresh dill
1 tbsp. fresh parsley
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Whisk the buttermilk, mayo, Worcestershire sause, onion powder, onion flakes, garlic powder, chives, dill and parsley in a bowl.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Light Italian

We use Italian as a marinade too.  It's also a great basting liquid for turkey!

1 medium tomato, halved
1 tbsp. red wine vinegar
1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
2 tsp. Dijon mustard
Pinch of sugar
2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1/2 small clove garlic, minced
1/8 tsp. dried oregano
1/8 tsp. dried basil
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.

Rub the cut sides of the tomatoe along the coarse holes of a grater into a bowl; discard the skins.

Whisk in 3/4 C. water, the vinegar, lemon juice, dijon mustard, sugar, olive oil, garlic, oregano, basil, salt and pepper.

Light Thousand Island

Whip this up and make some ruebens with it.

1/2 C. low fat plain yogurt
2 tbsp. mayonnaise
2 tbsp. nonfat milk
2 tbsp. ketchup
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
Kosher salt
1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce (optional)
3 tbsp. sweet pickle relish
3 tbsp. mince red bell pepper

Combine the yogurt, mayonnaise, milk, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, 1/4 tsp. salt and the chipotle in a blender; pulse until smooth, about 1 minute.  Transfer to a bowl, then stir in the relish and the red pepper.

Light Blue Cheese

Chris loves blue cheese dressing.  Wonder if I can sneak this low fat version past him??

1/2 C. low fat plain yogurt
1 tbsp. 2% milk
1/4. C. mayonnaise
1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1/4 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
Pinch of cayenne pepper
1/2 C. crumbled blue cheese
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Whisk the yogurt, milk, mayonnaise, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, and cayenne in a bowl until smooth.  Gently stir in the blue cheese.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Cover and refrigerate overnight to let flavors develop.

Salami-Mozzarella Calzone

I might have to add this to my pizza repertoire.  I found the recipe in my Food Network magazine and the photo looks so yummy.  You could probably try it with any combo of meats and cheeses you like and I guarantee you I will be going easy on the giardiniera. 

2 large eggs
1/4 C. chopped fresh parsley
1 tsp. grated lemon zest
1/4lb. shredded reduced fat mozzarella cheese
Extra virgin olive oil for brushing
1 13.8oz. tube refrigerated pizza dough
1/4lb deli sliced salami, cut into thin strips
1 1/2 C. giardiniera, drained
1/4 lb. sliced provolone cheese

Place a baking sheet upside down in the oven and preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Beat the eggs, parsley and lemon zest in a small bowl.  Pour half of the egg mixture into a medium bowl and stir in the mozzarella.  Reserve the remaining egg mixture for brushing on the crust.

Turn another baking sheet upside down; line with parchment paper and brush with olive oil.  Unroll the dough onto the parchment paper and pat into a 9 by 12 inch rectangle.  Spread the mozzarella mixture over one half of the dough, leaving a 1 inch border along the edge.  Top with the salami, followed by the giardiniera and provolone.  Fold the other half of the dough over to cover the filling.  Crimp and roll the edges to seal, then pierce the top of the dough in a few places with a knife.

Slide the calzone with the parchment paper onto the hot baking sheet; bake 15 minutes.  Remove from the oven and brush with remaining egg mixture, then continue to bake until the crust is goldn; 5 to 10 more minutes.  Let rest 5 minutes, then cut into wedges.

Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup

I may have mentioned once or twice here how much I love soup.  I often order cream of chicken soup when out at a restaurant and I can tell immediately how much sodium is in those soups.  I found this recipe and liked that it wasn't too rich and could easily be tweaked.  I look forward to making this one my own.

1/2 whole chicken, cut up (I may see if Chris will smoke a chicken for me)
2 tbsp. butter
2 ribs celery
1/2 onion, chopped
2 tbsp. all purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. freshly cracked black pepper
1 1/2 C. thin egg noodles
1/2 C. half and half

Rinse chicken and pat dry.  In a Dutch oven or large saucepan, cover chicken with water and bring to a boil.  If you're starting with a smoked chicken, skip these steps.  Reduce heat and simmer 40 minutes or until chicken is tender and cooked through.  Remove chicken, reserving the broth.  Shred chicken and remove bones.

Heat Dutch oven or large saucepan over medium heat.  Add butter, celery and onion; cook until softened.  Stir in the flour and cook until golden brown.  Whisk in reserved broth, salt and pepper.  Bring to a boil; stir in noodles and cook until tender, stirring occasionally.  Stir in reserved chicken and half and half.

Blue Cheese Chive Butter

This would be pretty good on a juicy steak, just off the grill.  I don't know that I quite have a 1/2 C. of chives to mince yet but we managed to dodge the frost last night so hopefully spring is here to stay this time.  Bon Appetit tucked this recipe on the corner of a page and I almost missed it.   So glad I didn't!

Combine 1/3 C. crumbled blue cheese in a bowl with 1/2 stick softened butter, 1/2 C. minced chives and plenty of cracked pepper.  Whisk vigorously with a fork.  Use immediately or cover and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks.  Bring to room temperature before serving.

Peanut Butter Blondies

This was another recipe I found in the Penzeys catalog.  I could see this at an upcoming summer party or picnic.

1 1/2 C. sugar
1/2 C. peanut butter, crunchy or smooth
3 eggs
1/2 C. butter, softened
1 tsp. vanilla
1 C. flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt (reduce to 1/4 tsp. if using salted butter)
6oz. semi sweet chocolate morsels

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a large mixing bowl, cream together the sugar, peanut butter, eggs, butter and vanilla.  In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder and salt.  Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until smooth.  Stir in the chocolate morsels.  Spread into an ungreased 9X13 pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for about 35 minutes.  They will be cracking and brown around the edges when done.  Cool, cut and serve quickly...they are best when just a little bit warm.

Blueberry Spinach Summer Salad

I found this in the most recent Penzeys catalog I got.  It reminds me of the spinach salad that I made for Easter...my recipe was Spring-ish and this is Summer-ish. 

1 bag spinach, stems removed, rinsed well and dried
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
1 C. walnuts, raw or toasted (I may use pecans, I like them better)
1 C. fresh ripe blueberries
1 4oz. package crumbled feta cheese
1/3 C. regular or lemon olive oil
2-3 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1/4-1/2 tsp. kosher salt 1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper

Divide the spinach among 4 plates.  Tope evenly with onion slices, nuts, berries and feta.  Drizzle generously with oil and vinegar, season with salt and pepper.

Sweet Potato Wedges

I wonder if these will appeal to a certain little boy who can be a little finicky when it comes to food; loving something one day and not touching it with a 10 foot pole the next day.  I may have to switch out the spices as cumin is a little strong but I'll play with this and see what happens.  I do like baking sweet potato fries with a touch of cinnamon and nutmeg.

4 large sweet potatoes
1 tbsp. vegetable oile per potato
1 tsp. thyme
1/2 tsp. cracked rosemary
1/4 tsp. ground cumin
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. kosher salt

Peel and cut potatoes into wedges.  Brush with oil and sprinkle with spices.  Grill over medium heat, covered, for 25-30 minutes depending on size.  Turn every 10 minutes.

If you prefer to bake the potatoes, bake at 375 degrees for 25-30 minutes turning once halfway through baking.

Orange and Clove Scented Cake with Greek Yogurt

This was the dessert we made at our Greek cooking class.  Chris will attest that it was pretty decent even though there was no chocolate used in this recipe.

1/3 C. sugar
2 eggs
Zest of 1 orange
1/3 C. orange juice
1/3 C. extra virgin olive oil
1/3 C Greek yogurt
1/2 tsp. vanilla
2 tbsp. semolina flour
1/8 tsp. ground cloves
1/8 tsp. ground cinnamon
3/4 tsp. baking powder
4oz. phyllo dough, cut into 1/2 inch squares
3/4 C. Greek yogurt
2 tbsp. honey

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Lightly brush a small pie dish with olive oil and set aside.

To prepare the cake, place the sugar and eggs in a large bowl and beat with a handheld mixer until pale and thick.

Whisk in the orange zest, orange juice, olive oil, yogurt, and vanilla.  Gently stir in the semolina, cloves, cinnamon and baking powder and then stir in the cut phyllo.

Pour the batter into the prepared pie dish and bake until light golden brown, about 30-35 minutes.

Allow the cake to cool about 15 minutes before serving.

While the cake is cooling, stir together the Greek yogurt and honey.  Place a dollop of the sweetened yogurt on top of each piece of warm cake and serve.

Orzo, Feta, and Sun Dried Tomato Salad

I am going to post the recipe as it is written but we toasted the orzo prior to cooking it in chicken broth to give it extra flavor...kind of how you cook rice-a roni only a ton better.  You pour in the chicken broth and stir the orzo kind of like making risotto.  When the broth is absorbed and the orzo is tender, you are ready to roll! 

1 1/2 C. orzo pasta
1/4 C. sun dried tomatoes, julienned
1/2 seedless cucumber, small dice
1/2 C. feta cheese, crumbled
2 tbsp. mint, rough chopped
3 tbsp. pine nuts, toasted
Lemon juice and extra virgin olive oil to taste
Salt and pepper to taste

Bring a pot of water to a boil and add a generous pinch of salt.  Cook the orzo, stirring often until al dente.  Drain well and toss with a splash of olive oil to prevent the orzo from sticking.  Spread out on a sheet tray to cool.

Place the tomatoes, cucumber, cheese, mint and pine nuts in a bowl.  Fold in the cooked orzo and dress with lemon juice and olive oil to taste.  Season with salt and pepper and serve either chilled or at room temperature.

Grilled Lemony Greek Chicken

This was the main course in the Greek cooking class that Chris and I took back in April.  I love Greek food and can't wait until my baby herb garden is ready to support this dish!

4 chicken breasts, boneless and skinless
2 cloves garlic, minced
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
1 tsp. fresh oregano, rough chopped
1 tsp. rosemary, minced
1/8-1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/4 C. extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Lightly pound the chicken with a meat mallet between 2 sheets of parchment paper until uniform in thickness.  Place the chicken in a baking dish and set aside while preparing the marinade.

Whisk together the garlic, lemon zest, lemon juice, oregano, rosemary, cayenne pepper and olive oil.  Pour the marinade over the chicken and allow for the flavors to blend for 20 minutes or up to 2 hours.

Heat a grill pan over medium heat.

Remove the chicken from the marinade and season with salt and pepper to taste.  Grill the chicken on the first side until well marked, about 4 to 5 minutes.  Flip and repeat.  Continue to cook until the chicken reads and internal temperature of 155 degrees.

Remove the chicken from the grill and allow to rest for about 2-3 minutes.  Cut into slices on the bias and serve with Orzo, Feta, Sun Dried Tomato Salad (recipe to follow).

Shrimp Santorini

Chris and I took a Greek cooking class several weeks ago.  It was a hands on class so we made the whole meal.  Everything was outstanding.  This was the appetizer.

1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp. butter
1lb. shrimp, peeled and deveined
Salt and pepper to taste
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/8 tsp. red pepper flakes
1/4 C. dry white wine
4 plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1 1/2 tbsp. fresh dill, rough chopped
1/2 C. feta cheese, crumbled
1/4 C. panko bread crumbs mixed with 1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

Preheat broiler to high.

Heat a heavy, wide pan over medium heat and add the butter and olive oil.  Season the shrimp with sale and pepper to taste.  Saute the shrimp, stirring occasionally, until it about halfway cooked through.

Add the red pepper flakes and garlic and cook and additional 30 seconds or until aromatic.

Stir in the wine and simmer for 3-4 minutes.  When the liquid begins to thicken, stir in the chopped tomatoes and remove from the heat.  Sprinkle with dill and cheese and cover with the bread crumbs. 

Place the pan under the broiler and cook until bubbly and lightly browned.

Easter Dinner Recap

Now that it's been almost a month, it's safe to say that Easter dinner was a success.  Everyone survived; including the chefs.

We had ham and turkey.  The ham was a honey baked from Costco that I used the glaze packet on but mixed the packet with cranberry juice instead of water.  The turkey was stuffed with rosemary, lemon, orange and onion and rubbed with Italian dressing.

We had Chris' family's mashed potaoes which had smoked gouda, ricotta, sour cream and seasoned bread crumbs in it.  We also had mashed sweet potatoes, and asparagus with Parmesan; both recipes can be found on the blog.  I made a spinach salad with spinach. strawberries, toasted pecans, mandarin oranges and crumbled goat cheese.  We also had two kinds of jello, rolls and we topped off the meal with lamb cake, citrus cake and candy.  It worked out really well, including the day off from work that I took to recover!

So, Did You Miss Me?

It dawned on me earlier this week that it has been almost  a month since I posted.  Don't worry, I haven't stopped cooking!  LOL  Judging from everything that has gone on in the last few weeks, I have a lot to add to the blog.  I currently have quite a stack of recipes, cookbooks and cooking magazines to go through.  Chris and I also have a cooking class coming up in the next few weeks.

Please cut me a little slack on the typos.  My laptop is in the shop and the spare Chris is letting me use from his office has a tiny keyboard in comparison.  About 2 weeks ago, my monitor decided to go dark for no apparent reason.  I immediately turned it over to the experts (read just about anyone but me).  Seriously, Chris has looked at it, one of his co-workers has spent enough time with it to earn some of the Mexican brownies you'll find here on the blog and now it is at a computer repair shop.  Fingers crossed people.  We'll be eating ramen noodles if I have to buy a new laptop when the one in question is only 16 months old.  Not to mention the nasty letter I will have to write to Acer about their Aspire laptop...but we'll cross that bridge when we come to it.  Hopefully we won't come to it.