This is a non-recipe recipe since I used Trader Joe’s Thai Yellow Curry Sauce –it is soooo tasty (we’ve actually eaten this three times in the last three weeks)! For my meat-eating readers, don’t be afraid of tofu! Tofu is good. I used extra firm tofu and it’s texture reminds me of Paneer. Oh you haven’t had paneer before? Well then, tofu’s texture is sort of like a soft hot dog. It really picks up the flavor of whatever you are cooking it with. Branch out a little and try something new.

Tofu comes packed in water, which needs to be drained off and pressed out in order to pan fry. To press your tofu wrap a paper towel around it, then wrap a dish towel around that. Put something fairly heavy on top of your tofu to squeeze out the extra water. I put my two cast iron skillets on top of the tofu and let it set for about 15 minutes, while I was prepping the rest of my ingredients.

YELLOW CURRY WITH PAN FRIED TOFU

1 block of extra firm tofu, pressed and cubed
1 lb potatoes (I used red) peeled, cut into small cubes and boiled until tender
1 onion, chopped and sauteed
1 bottle Trader Joe’s Thai Yellow Curry (YUM!)

Heat cast iron skillet over medium-medium high heat. Lightly spray a thin coat of oil. Add the tofu and fry until each side is browned. About 10 minutes total cooking time.

In a large pot add boiled potatoes, sauteed onions, pan fried tofu, and the curry sauce. Simmer over medium heat for 5 minutes or until everything is warmed through.

Serve over basmati rice.

What is your favorite tofu dish?

Week 2 cooking challenge was Chinese food and I made chicken spring rolls to go along with a chicken stir-fry. If you don’t have a lot of time to make dinner, stir fries are the perfect solution because they cook up so fast. I used pancit canton noodles that I found at Asian Market, and they cooked up in about four minutes.

We enjoyed our stir fry and spring rolls with a Luckybuddha Beer. For a beer bottle, I think this guy takes top prize for being the cutest beer bottle I’ve seen. It was a light crisp beer, very drinkable.

Today many people across Asia (or with Asian roots) are celebrating Year of the Dragon. If you didn’t know today is the Chinese (lunar) New Year. One thing I love about other cuisines is the tradition and/or superstitions attached to certain foods. For example, don’t break up your noodles when you cook this dish because long noodles symbolize longevity, a long life. I can’t think of any symbolism attached to foods typically eaten on the standard American diet (correct me if I’m wrong).

CHICKEN STIR-FRY WITH GREEN BEANS

2 Tablespoons canned black beans
oil, for cooking
1 lb chicken breasts, cut into thin strips
3 garlic cloves, sliced thinly
4 spring onions (scallions), chopped
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 large red pepper, sliced thinly
4 ounces fresh green beans, cut into short pieces
2 Tablespoons water
1 package pancit canton noodles (found at the Asian Market)
2 Tablespoons oyster sauce
1 Tablespoon soy sauce
1 1/2 c chicken stock

Rinse black beans. Drain and roughly chop.

Heat wok until very hot, add 2 T oil, swirl around to coat sides. Stir-Fry the chicken in batches, until brown. Remove from wok and set aside.

Reheat wok until very hot, add 1 T oil and stir fry peppers and green beans for 1 minute. Add garlic, onions, black beans, and sugar cook for 1 min. Sprinkle with 2 T water, cover and steam for 2 minutes.

Gently separate the noodles and add to the wok with the chicken, oyster sauce, soy sauce, and chicken stock toss to combine everything. Cook, covered for about 3-4 minutes until the noodles soften. Stir.

Do you have a dish you eat on a special occasion that holds symbolism? 

I knew I wanted to make an egg recipe I’ve never tried before, go beyond scrambled eggs. I saw someone else in the challenge post a photo of Scotch eggs and I knew immediately this would be the perfect opportunity to try this odd egg. Are you familiar with scotch eggs? They are a (peeled) hard boiled egg covered in sausage then breaded and fried. They sounded delicious. A perfect breakfast food served hot with a steamy cup of coffee on a lazy weekend morning. Don’t you think?

Welllllll, apparently this is not the traditional way to eat these beauties. They are typically eaten cold (shudder) with a salad. Cold hard boiled eggs I can do, but cold sausage is another story. The best part of making these at home is that you can eat them hot with a steamy cup of coffee for breakfast, if you’d like (and I do like).

Since pork sausage is a little on the greasy side I opted to bake these instead of frying to save a few calories. If frying is your thing by all means fry away! I also was concerned about my hard boiled egg being too dry after baking it, so I did a soft boiled egg instead. It worked beautifully!

SCOTCH EGG
4 hard boiled for 10 minutes (or soft boiled for 6 minutes), peeled
1 lb. ground sausage (I used pork but you could use turkey if you’d like)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Divide sausage into four equal patties. Flatten patties and place egg in the center.

Wrap meat around the egg. Pressing to seal. Place sausage balls into a jumbo muffin tin.

Bake for 25 minutes. And enjoy hot or cold!

Fried version: Once the sausage is wrapped around the egg, roll the sausage ball in a beaten egg, then roll in breadcrumbs. Deep fry in hot oil for for 8-10 minutes, turning frequently.

What are your favorite egg recipes? I am a huge fan of frittatas! I usually make one frittata every weekend. 

So I just HAD to make it again, so I could snap some pictures and share the recipe with y’all. This stuff is so so so good. I could seriously pour this stuff in a glass a drink it. I won’t though, my thighs don’t need that. But if you want to I won’t judge you. Promise! This is a simple recipe. No fancy roux making required (making it gluten free!). All you need are the trinity of fats: butter, cream, and cheese. Heaven I tell you. This is one of those “make a little, make a lot” recipes. Just double the amount and mix it up in a larger sauce pan. Done and done.

There are a million uses for this sauce. Sure you can put it over pasta. You can also use it as a dipping sauce for pizza, or saturate your steamed vegetables with this stuff and they will sing, you could also put it in a coffee cup and dip a biscuit in it, just to name a few (none of which I tried). I hope you enjoy this decadent sauce as much as I do. Forget buying that fakey stuff in a jar. This takes just minutes to make, it will be done before your pasta is.

ALFREDO SAUCE

1/4 cup butter
1 cup heavy cream
1 1/2 cups shredded Parmesan cheese
garlic powder, to taste*
black pepper, to taste
pinch of nutmeg

Melt butter over medium heat in medium size sauce pan. Once butter is melted add cream heat for 3-4 minutes. Whisk in cheese. Keep stirring until the cheese is melted and the sauce becomes thick. Stir in garlic powder, black pepper, and nutmeg. Remove from heat and toss with pasta or drink straight from a cup. Your choice

*I used powdered garlic in my recipe since I am a breastfeeding mom and don’t want to wreak havoc on my baby’s digestive system. If you love garlic I recommend stirring in some roasted garlic into the sauce.  

What is your favorite pasta sauce/topping? I love the combination of marinara and Alfredo together.

Summer has flown by, tomorrow is September and I didn’t go to the pool once! Maybe that was because 1) I was very very pregnant and I didn’t really have a swimsuit that properly covered everything and 2) that it was very very hot for most of the summer, which doesn’t mix very well with very very pregnant. Even though I didn’t get to make daily trips to the swimming pool this summer I did have a very busy summer.

My summer in quick review:
Summer got kick started by attending our friends’ beautiful wedding at Arbor Day Farm
We attended a party for my father-in-law who retired after working for the same company for 35+ years!
We went on a lovely family vacation back to Arbor Day Farm (because it was so beautiful) then headed to Kansas City (a first for me)
I baked tons and tons of cupcakes for my dad’s 50th birthday party!

The girls took their first swimming lessons.
The month of July I went to see the midwife every single week, anxiously waiting for the baby to arrive.
I didn’t cook enough and we went out to eat WAY too much (but I was hot, tired and super pregnant so that’s my excuse)
Finally on August 3 (10 days late) I delivered a healthy happy baby boy, Kasper!

Some more friends got married in a beautiful outdoor ceremony.
My oldest daughter Sasha started kindergarten (you can follow our cold lunch journey).
And we’ve been busy adjusting to our new life.

So there you go. There was the quick update of my summer and what has been keeping me so busy. Since Kasper has been born I’ve cooked more than I have all summer. It must have something to do with not wanting to drag an infant and two little girls to a restaurant or maybe it is I am too tired to actually go to a restaurant myself.

I didn’t plant much of a garden this summer -herbs only, basil and cilantro to be specific. I have high hopes for a larger garden next year. Not getting to enjoy a surplus of fresh garden tomatoes has been a real bummer (translation: not getting to enjoy a surplus of BLTs this summer has been a real bummer). Next year there will be tomatoes and BLTs! We’ve picked some tomatoes up at the farmers markets in town but it just isn’t the same. This weekend I bought a few “local” tomatoes at the grocery store. They were just OK tasting so I decided to jazz them up with pesto using up the basil in my “garden”.

Then the idea struck me basil + tomatoes + fresh mozzarella = delicious AND tomatoes + bacon + lettuce = delicious SOOOOO why not combine the two?! Make a basil + tomato + mozzarella + bacon sandwich. Oh. My. I would say this was the best sandwich I’ve ever had. Ever. Go make it NOW while you can still enjoy fresh tomatoes.

GRILLED CHEESE PESTO BLT or The GCPBLT Sandwich minus the L

2 slices of your favorite fresh bread, I used sourdough
2-4 slices of tomato
3 pieces of crisp cooked bacon
fresh mozzerella
fresh pesto
butter

Heat skillet over medium heat.

Lightly butter each side of bread then assemble as follows:

butter side
bread
thin layer pesto
thinly sliced mozzarella cheese
tomato
bacon
thinly sliced mozzarella
thin layer pesto
bread
butter side

Put into pan butter side down. Cook for about 3 minutes or until you received your desired toastiness. Flip sandwich over and cook for another 3-4 minutes.

This would be a perfect sandwich to cook in a panini press if you’re fancy like that!

What is the best sandwich you’ve ever eaten?

It has been a long time since I’ve even thought about Spaghetti-O’s. My daughters may have only had them a couple times in their short little lives. I’m pretty much a perimeter shopper at the grocery store and unless they are on an endcap I really don’t think about them. Well that changed three or four months ago when Isa from ThePPK made Vegan Spaghetti-O’s that peaked my interest. I never thought about making spaghettio’s at home before. In fact I’ve never even seen the little O-shaped pasta at the grocery store. Fast forward to last month I found a box Creamette large rings at the grocery store. Instantly I thought about the possibility of making Spaghettio’s at home for the girls, so I picked up a box. After a month of procrastinating I finally made them. The girls loved them and I thought they tasted pretty authentic. The biggest surprise to me was how easy it was to whip up a batch, especially since I like my spaghetti-o’s plain with NO meatballs or franks (ICK!).

This recipe makes enough for a small army so invite some friends over and enjoy a food from your childhood.

Homemade Spaghetti-O’s

1/2 box of Large Rings
1/2 T Olive Oil
1/2 T butter
1/2 medium onion, grated
1 large clove garlic, grated
1 28 oz can tomato puree
8 sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (I recommend shredding it yourself so it melts better)
1/2 c milk
3 T sugar
1/2 – 1 tsp paprika depending on flavor

Boil pasta in salted water according to instructions on the box, drain and set aside. In a large sauce pan over medium heat melt butter and olive oil together. Add grated onion and garlic, sautee for about 5 minutes. Pour in tomato puree stirring to mix in the onion/garlic mixture. Heat through about 3-5 minutes. Stir in the shredded cheddar cheese in batches until the cheese is melted. Stir in sugar, milk, and paprika until well combined.  Add in the pasta stirring to coat.

*I read the ingredients on the back of a can of Annie’s Organic Bernie-O’s to figure out what I needed to do to make them at home

Recently I posted a recipe about pesto I made using basil from my garden. If you are a frequent reader then you already know I love all things pesto. Even though pesto and pasta make a terrific meal I wanted to add something more substantial to the dish. My first thought was to add some garlicky chicken, but alas, all our chicken was frozen. The next best thing was garlicky shrimp, especially since shrimp defrost very quickly under cool running water and cook in a flash. For me it was the perfect last minute solution.

This recipe cooks up in minutes and has minimal ingredients. If you really want to impress your friends with a dish that is delicious but requires very little work shrimp scampi is your winning ticket. Once cooked you could toss with your favorite pasta or serve as is with a nice crust bread to soak up any left over buttery garlic sauce. Your choice! I added it on top of the pesto pasta and my family thought it was perfect.

SHRIMP SCAMPI
1 lb large shrimp, peeled and deveined
4-6 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped (I like the garlic bigger, feel free to mince if you prefer it smaller)
2T butter
1 T olive oil
salt & pepper to taste
juice of 1/2 a lemon

Over medium heat melt the butter in a saute pan. Add garlic cook for 1 minute making sure not to burn. Add shrimp. Turn the shrimp over once they turn pink. Cook until other side turns pink. Season with salt and pepper. Squeeze in the juice of half a lemon. Give everything a good stir then serve.

*If you’re serving this plain with pasta you could add another tablespoon of butter and oil.
*Adding red pepper flake to the shrimp would be a nice spicy addition. I left it out because it is too spicy for my little girls.

OTHER SHRIMP RECIPES:
Shrimp Pasta from My Baking Addiction
Spaghetti with Shrimp, Broccoli, and Basil from Taste Food Blog
Shrimp Scampi from Nook & Pantry
Asparagus Pesto Pasta with Blackened Shrimp from Gimme Some Oven

Last week my basil was finally big enough to harvest some leaves for my first batch of pesto. When I did my weekly grocery shopping trip I planned to get Parmesan cheese and pine nuts (I always have garlic on hand) for the pesto. Much to my surprise pine nuts were $29.99 per pound at Whole Foods. Eek! I knew they were a costly little seed but I was surprised at the actual price tag. Not wanting to spend that much I was just going to buy walnuts since I’ve used them before when making pesto. As I was reaching for the walnuts I saw the sunflower seeds and recalled I still have a small stash of them at home. So the walnuts went back on the shelf. The sunflower seeds I had were salted and roasted so I skipped adding any extra salt to my pesto. The pesto was quickly made in my food processor and tossed with some fettuccine.  To make the meal a little more substantial I made some shrimp scampi (recipe here) to toss on top.

I think the sunflower seeds worked wonderfully in pesto. They are a really nutty tasting seed and combined with the Parmesan cheese and garlic I thought it was delicious. Have fun with your pesto and switch around which type or nuts or seeds you use. Give the sunflower seed pesto a try, I think you will like it. Do you have a favorite nut or seed you use in your pesto? Let me know in the comments.

BASIL & SUNFLOWER SEED PESTO
2-3 c Basil leaves
2-3 cloves garlic
1/3 c Parmesan cheese, grated
1/3 c roasted sunflower seeds (without the shell)
squeeze of 1/2 lemon
2-3 T olive oil, enough to loosen the mixture

Place everything besides the olive oil in the food processor or blender. Pulse until smooth. Turn food processor or blender on so it will continuously blend. Slowly stream in olive oil -just until the mixture is loose. Toss with cooked hot pasta. Enjoy!

*I like to reserve 1/4 c or so of the pasta cooking liquid to add to the pesto. This allows for it to coat the pasta easier without adding more oil.

OTHER DISHES WITH PESTO:
Deconstructed Pesto with Beet Greens & Garlic Scapes
Baby Bok Choy Pesto
Sausage and Spinach Lasagna Rolls with Pesto Tomato Sauce
Pesto Couscous
Tuna and Pesto Sandwich
Spaghetti and Meatballs

The temperature here in Omaha has been several degrees below zero for what seems like the past month, with last week finally giving us a must needed reprieve with temperatures near the freezing mark. With all this cold weather I figured no time like the present to try to make this dish. After shoveling snow (and giving myself a fat lip with the shovel handle) I knew that homemade noodles with chicken would be the perfect meal to warm me up.

I am warning you that this isn’t an impulse dish. After the noodles are rolled and cut, they need to dry for two hours, so plan accordingly. I have made homemade egg noodles in the past, using my Great Grandma Dorothy’s recipe. When making the noodles this time I had forgot all about her recipe and used one from an old cookbook (which I will post about later since after googling it I learned it is worth more than the $4 I paid for it at the antique store).

My mother-in-law makes her homemade noodles with chicken using chicken broth to add moisture. I used boneless/skinless chicken breasts, which I thought were slightly dry. I thought the noodles and chicken needed something a little more substantial than broth to bring it together; so I mixed up a little chicken gravy and added it to the dish. It brought it together nicely. This dish was very warm and comforting on cold Nebraska night.

HOMEMADE NOODLES WITH CHICKEN
noodle recipe from Mary Margaret McBride’s Encyclopedia of Cooking

2 c sifted enriched flour
1/2 tsp salt
2 eggs
2 or 3 teaspoons cold water (I had to add a little more water)

Sift flour with salt into mixing bowl or onto a board (I mixed it together on my counter top). Make a “well” in the center.

Drop in eggs and combine with a fork, adding spoonfuls of water as necessary to form a ball of dough that is compact but not hard.

Knead dough until as smooth and elastic as possible, about 5 minutes.

Roll out on a lightly floured board (I just floured my counter top). Use the rolling pin from the outer edges toward the center, turning the board as necessary for easier rolling.

When the dough is rolled evenly thin, let stand 20 minutes in order to dry so that it will not stick together when rolled up.

Roll up lightly and use a very sharp knife to slice 1/8 inch thick, or 1/4 inch thick for broader noodles.

Toss the noddles lightly to separate them and spread on lightly floured surface. Let dry thoroughly at room temperature, about 2 hours, then store in covered jars. (I used  my noodles immediately)

TO COOK THE NOODLES:
Drop by handfuls into boiling soup or boiling, salted water (I used chicken stock) for 10 minutes. Strain, reserving 2 c chicken stock.

FOR THE CHICKEN:
I used three boneless/skinless chicken breasts which I poached* for about 10 minutes. Using two forks I shredded the chicken.

* Put chicken into pot, add enough water to cover chicken. Bring chicken up to boil. Once boiling put lid on pot, take off heat. Let sit 7-10 minutes before removing the chicken.

FOR THE GRAVY:
2 T butter
2 T flour
2 c chicken stock

Melt butter in pan over medium-high heat. Stir in flour and cook for a couple minutes. Slowly whisk in the chicken stock. Simmer until gravy thickens.

Combine shredded chicken and noodles. Pour a little gravy over and toss to combine. You want just enough gravy to coat the noodles and chicken.  Serve as is or with boiled potatoes. (I used boiled purple potatoes) Season with salt & pepper.

One thing that I love about this house is that it is double the space of our previous apartment. Which means we actually have space to entertain, and I love entertaining. A couple weeks ago we had our first of hopefully many cocktail parties. Alex mixed up drinks popular in the 1960s and I made a bunch (too many) appetizers for our guests to enjoy.

One of the appetizers I made was Swedish Meatballs. These particular kind of meatballs are typically served in a creamy brown sauce. You could eat Swedish meatballs as a main course served with mashed potatoes, but they make the perfect appetizer served on a toothpick.

SWEDISH MEATBALLS
from Alton Brown, Good Eats with my own method
2 slices fresh white bread
1/4 cup milk
3 tablespoons clarified butter, divided
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
A pinch plus 1 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 pound ground chuck (I used 1 pound)
3/4 pound ground pork (I used 1 pound)
2 large egg yolks
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3 cups beef broth
1/4 cup heavy cream

My method: Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Alton’s method (which I followed here): Tear the bread into pieces and place in a small mixing bowl along with the milk. Set aside.

In a 12-inch straight sided saute pan over medium heat, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter. Add the onion and a pinch of salt and sweat until the onions are soft. Remove from the heat and set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the bread and milk mixture, ground chuck, pork, egg yolks, 1 teaspoon of kosher salt, black pepper, allspice, nutmeg, and onions. Beat on medium speed for 1 to 2 minutes.

My method: Scoop up about 2T of the meat mixture. Roll into a ball (should be about the size of a ping-pong ball). Place the meatballs into a 9×13 baking pan. Bake for 10 minutes, turn meatballs, bake another 10 minutes. In order to make the gravy I added some of the drippings from the baking dish into my preheated (medium heat) cast iron skillet. I followed the rest of Alton’s directions for making the gravy.

Alton’s method: Using a scale, weigh meatballs into 1-ounce portions and place on a sheet pan. Using your hands, shape the meatballs into rounds.

Heat the remaining butter in the saute pan over medium-low heat, or in an electric skillet set to 250 degrees F. Add the meatballs and saute until golden brown on all sides, about 7 to 10 minutes.

Remove the meatballs to an ovenproof dish using a slotted spoon and place in the warmed oven.

Once all of the meatballs are cooked, decrease the heat to low and add the flour to the pan or skillet. Whisk until lightly browned, approximately 1 to 2 minutes. Gradually add the beef stock and whisk until sauce begins to thicken. Add the cream and continue to cook until the gravy reaches the desired consistency. Remove the meatballs from the oven, cover with the gravy and serve.

Enjoy as a tasty dinner with mashed potatoes or rice, or as a fun appetizer!

I feel sorry for the eggplant. It either is said to taste like dirt, or it is breaded and fried and served with a red sauce. I don’t think eggplant tastes like dirt –however I will say that it does have an earthy flavor to it, and to be honest I have never had eggplant parmigiana. Maybe I should use the cute little eggplant sitting on my counter and try eggplant parmigiana a for the first time. When I bought my first eggplant I wanted to use it in a way that wasn’t breaded and fried. Shaheen from The Purple Foodie came to the rescue. She had just posted a recipe for stuffed eggplant, after reading the recipe I knew that I had to try it. I have recommended this recipe to several people. Please try it just once, it will change your opinion of eggplant.

STUFFED EGGPLANT
from The Purple Foodie

serves 2, approximately 480 calories per serving if omitting the meat

1 lg eggplant
2 T olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
½ tsp ground coriander
salt & pepper
½ tsp ground cumin
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 15 oz can diced tomatoes (drain the juice)
1 bay leaf
1 c ricotta
1/3 c finely grated Parmesan
1 T fresh cilantro
2 sausages or 2 slices ham, finely diced, or omit this if you’re vegetarian (I have left the meat out every time)
1 egg, beaten
Extra fresh cilantro, chopped (for sprinkling)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Cut eggplant in half, placing in baking dish with cut side up. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt & pepper. Bake for 20-30 minutes. You want the eggplant to be tender (so you can scoop it out). Lower oven to 375 degrees F. Leave eggplant skins in baking dish. They will be filled later.

Scoop out the tender eggplant and mash with a fork. Set aside. In a skillet heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add coriander, cumin, and garlic. Cook for 2 minutes -stirring often. Don’t let the garlic burn. Add tomato, bay leaf, and extra salt & pepper if desired. Cook for another 3-4 minutes stirring often. Add the eggplant flesh and cook for 7 minutes. Remove the bay leaf. Remove from stove.

Stir in the cheeses, cilantro, and meat. Once the mixture had cooled slightly stir in the beaten egg. Divide mixture in half, filling each eggplant, drizzle stuffed eggplants with a little olive oil. Place baking dish in 375 degree F oven, and bake for 35 minutes. During last 10 minutes of baking sprinkle on additional Parmesan.  ENJOY!

*I think it would be really good to subsitute the diced tomatoes for a can of Rotel (diced tomatoes with green chilies)

My parents planted buttercup squash in their garden this year, and they brought me a couple when they came to help move us. I wanted to use this squash in a way that was different from roasting it with butter and brown sugar. Although it is delicious that way, I felt the squash deserved something a little more savory.

Sometime I read a recipe somewhere using roasted pumpkin and turning into a creamy sauce to serve over pasta. Unfortunately I don’t recall where I read that but it stuck with me. I thought it was an interesting way to use pumpkin that wasn’t a pie, cheesecake, bars, or bread (all of which I love). Last night when I was looking at that squash and wondering how to use it for dinner I recalled the pumpkin pasta. I figured there is no harm in turning one squash into a sauce to serve with pasta. If it totally sucked I would throw out the sauce and just dump a jar of Prego on top of my pasta. Since my husband was still at work while I was cooking he would never have to know. Well, lucky for me the sauce turned out to be delicious. The girls actually asked for a second helping and thoroughly enjoyed the leftovers today for lunch. YAY! This is a real fall winner dinner.

CREAMY BUTTERCUP SQUASH PASTA
1 buttercup squash
EVOO
salt & pepper
2 T butter
2 c half & half (I used fat free)
1/2 tsp dried sage
scant 1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 c water
1/2 c grated Parmesan cheese

your favorite pasta cooked to al dente

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Cut squash in half, scooping out and disguarding seeds, cut each half in half. Drizzle EVOO over squash pieces and sprinkle with salt & pepper. Place flesh side down on jelly roll pan and roast for 40-50 minutes. When you start to smell it, check on it. The squash should be very tender. The squash skin should peel right off. Mash squash flesh and stir in water (don’t add it all) you want it to be wet but not soupy.

Over medium heat melt butter in a large skillet. Add half & half and squash puree. Stir until combined. Stir in sage and cinnamon. Heat until simmering, stirring frequently. Sprinkle in Parmesan cheese. Stir to combine. If sauce still seems thick stir in additional water or chicken stock.

Toss sauce with pasta and ENJOY!

*If you are going to reheat pasta in the microwave add a little water to it so the sauce becomes creamy again

WHAT OTHER PEOPLE ARE COOKING UP:
Recipe Girl has a delicious sounding Butternut Squash Risotto with Rosemary & Blue Cheese
The Noshery cooked up a tasty looking Roasted Butternut Squash, Pear and Onions with Blue Cheese

Mom and Dad sent me home with a few zucchini fresh from the garden the last time I visited. I chopped them up to add to my scrambled eggs, along with some sauteed onions. I thought the sugar snap peas would be a nice addition, and boy was I right. After quickly gobbling up my veggie scrambled eggs, I wished I had more peas so I could enjoy this dish again the next day for breakfast. I love summer time and all the fresh fruits and vegetables we get to enjoy here in the Midwest.

SUGAR SNAP PEA, ZUCCHINI, AND ONION SCRAMBLE
Serves 2
20 or so Sugar snap pea pods, shelled
1 small -medium zucchini, chopped into half moons
1/2 small onion, chopped
1 T Olive Oil
3 eggs, beaten with a splash of water
salt & pepper to taste
cheese, optional

Heat skillet over medium-medium high heat. Add oil, onion, and zucchini. Cook until zucchini and onion soften, about 5 minutes. Stir in peas, cook for 1-2 minutes. Pour egg mixture over the cooked vegetables. Stir to scramble. Cook until eggs are soft. ENJOY!

I wanted to use more than one of the ingredients together in a recipe. That way when you pick up your CSA box or you find them laying together at your favorite farmers market booth, you could use them up on a single recipe. My first recipe for the week I decided to use the baby chioggia beet greens and the garlic scapes together.

Baby chioggia beets are an Italian heirloom variety of beet. When sliced you can see the beautiful alternating red and white rings, because of this chioggia beets are also known as Candy Stripe beet or Bull’s Eye beet. When storing the beets I read it is best to separate the greens from the beet –the greens will draw out moisture causing the beet to shrivel. Cut the green off about 1-2 inches above the beet. You will want to use the greens up right away, as they won’t keep as long as the beets.

Garlic scape is a relativity new vegetable/herb to me. The first time I heard about it was last year when my friend Jessie put garlic scapes on her pizza. Garlic scapes are the stem and flower part of the garlic. When the scape is removed the garlic bulb can focus the energy on growing and maturing a bigger bulb.

The scape reminds me of a curly green onion that is solid like asaparagus. These are delicious! I wish you could find garlic scapes all year round.

When I hear the words “greens” and “garlic” the first thing that I think of is pesto. It is a terrible obsession of mine. I LOVE pesto. I made pesto with the last supply of produce from Black Sheep Farms, so I really didn’t want to toss the beet greens and garlic scapes into the food processor for another pesto recipe. Instead I decided to do a deconstructed pesto –all the elements of pesto but the ingredients remain separate and intact. Is that cheating?

The deconstructed pesto received three out of four stars from our family. My husband thought it tasted a little fishy –I think that was because I was out of olive oil and used canola oil instead. My little girls (ages 3 and 20 months) really like the dish, so that makes it an automatic winner for me. I served this pasta with my Parmesan chicken bites, I think that sauteed sea scallops would go wonderfully with it as well –that is if meat is your thing.

BEET GREENS & GARLIC SCAPE DECONSTRUCTED PESTO
2 c beet greens, chopped into 2 inch pieces
3 or 4 garlic scapes, chopped
1 T EVOO
salt & pepper to taste
1/2 c chopped toasted walnuts
your favorite pasta (I used angel hair)
1-15 oz can diced tomatoes (once tomatoes are in season I would use chopped Romas)
Parmesan cheese, shredded

Cook pasta according to package directions. Heat skillet over medium low heat.

Add oil, greens, garlic scapes, salt & pepper. Stir everything around. Cover for 3-5 minutes until everything is wilted. Add in chopped walnuts. Drain pasta. Toss tomatoes and greens with the pasta. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese when ready to serve. ENJOY!

Other Recipes using Black Sheep Farms produce:
Tom Thumb lettuce salad with Strawberry Vinaigrette
Two recipes with Baby Bok Choy

This weekend I prepared the baby bok choy two different ways –keeping it raw in a pesto, and softening it by grilling it. Which one do you think was successful? I saw the people over at Burp! Where Food Happens tossed baby bok choy and radishes with a little oil, and grilled it for a warm spring salad. They said the baby bok choy “grew suspiciously tender (and fabulously sweet).” I was intrigued and needed to try it immediately. While the baby bok choy was grilling, I also tossed a few of the heirloom radishes on the grill. I’ve never heard of grilled radishes before, in fact I think the only way I have ever eaten radishes is raw –with plenty of salt.

As I pulled my produce off the grill, I was growing more and more excited to try my grilled spring salad. Once inside I splashed a little Balsamic Vinaigrette over the veggies, sat down with my fork and knife in hand ready to enjoy my first grilled salad.

Half of the baby bok choy was used in my grilled salad, the other half I wanted to use in a different way. Stir-frying it was out of the question, only because that seems to be a typical way bok choy is used, I was looking for an “outside of the box” way to use this veggie. As I was cleaning the baby bok choy for the grilled salad a few leaves feel off and I tried them raw. They were very green tasting and not bitter like I was expecting them to be. The first thing I thought was PESTO! If you do not know this already, I love pesto –and actually I have been known to eat basil pesto with a spoon. After a quick survey of my cupboards I noticed I had some cashews, and thought an Italy meets Asia pesto would make a great experiment. A while back I had made a meatloaf with an Asian twist, instead of meatloaf I formed them into burgers to grill and serve with my baby bok choy pesto.

Two different recipes using baby bok choy as the main ingredient. One recipe I loved, and the other one I think I screwed up on. For me the baby bok choy pesto was the WINNER. The grilled spring salad wasn’t a complete failure.

I learned that I really liked the warm tenderness of the grilled radishes, and hope that you try them that way. The first bite of the grilled baby bok choy was incredibly bitter. The baby bok choy isn’t entirely to blame, I think a lot of the bitterness came from the prepackaged Balsamic Vinaigrette I used. I should have tried the grilled bok choy BEFORE I doused it in the vinaigrette, I would also make my own vinaigrette instead of relying on a premade mixture purchased at Target. Lesson learned. Please don’t let my mistake stop you from trying this salad. Head over to Burp! Where Food Happens to get the recipe and read about how they call this salad “heavenly”.

BABY BOK CHOY PESTO
serve with Asian pork burgers

2 c Baby bok choy, cleaned and chopped
1/2 c raw cashews
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 inch piece of ginger, minced
1/4 c Parmesan cheese, grated
1/3 c Olive Oil
small splash of Toasted Sesame Oil
pinch of salt & pepper

Add all ingredients through Parmesan cheese into blender or food processor. Pulse a few times to chop and combine ingredients. Slowly drizzle in olive oil until everything becomes one. Scrap down sides of container as needed. Add salt & pepper, and small splash of toasted sesame oil (this has a very strong flavor, so only a little is needed) and pulse until combined. Transfer to a serving dish, cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes for the flavors to combine. ENJOY!

ASIAN PORK BURGERS
serves 4
1 lb ground pork
1 8 oz can water chestnuts, minced
6 baby carrots, chopped
1/2 c bread crumbs
1 inch piece fresh ginger, minced
2 T soy sauce
1 egg beaten
small splash of toasted sesame oil

In a large bowl combine all ingredients and mix together, being careful not to over mix (you don’t want your meat to get tough). Form into four patties. Grill over medium-high heat, for about 5 minutes each side. You want an internal temp of 180 degrees. Place on bun and top with Bok Choy Pesto. ENJOY!!

Have you ever had a chimichanga before? These deep-fried burritos are pronounced CHIMI (rhymes with Jimmy) CHAN (rhymes with JOHN) GA (GAH). Please remember this pronunciation if you ever order one at a restaurant. My husband and I were eating at a restaurant in Columbia, MO when a lady across from us ordered a chimichanga, she managed to pronounced it completely wrong several times during her ordering process, while enunciating every syllable (she said CHIMI-CHANG (rhyming with Jane)-GA). I am sure her Hispanic waiter thought she was some dumb gringa. It made me laugh, and it is something I always think of when I see it on the menu.

At restaurants you can find chimichangas filled with shredded chicken, shredded or ground beef, shredded pork, or beans. At home you can fill them with any kind of meat, beans or rice that you are craving. I filled mine with shredded chicken when I made them for dinner, however, the next day I stuffed my tortilla with leftover chicken, black beans and yellow rice –it was better than the original. This recipe is just a guideline, let your creativity inspire you. Check back for my dessert chimichanga.

CHICKEN CHIMICHANGA
serves 6
2 tsp Olive Oil
1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into large chunks
1/2 large onion, chopped
3 Roma tomatoes, diced (or 1/2 c canned diced tomatoes)
2 T green chilies, diced (I found these canned)
1 T cumin
salt & pepper to taste
6 large flour tortillas
Peanut Oil or Vegetable Oil for frying

Heat enameled Dutch oven over medium heat. Add all ingredients. Give them a quick stir to combine and cover for 30 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through. Remove from heat, and transfer meat mixture to bowl until mixture has cooled. Shred chicken with two forks.

Heat a couple inches of oil to 375 degrees F. While you are waiting for your oil to heat begin assembling your chimichangas.

Warm both sides of your tortillas on a griddle or for 15 seconds in the microwave. Place about 3/4 c of the mixture in the center of your tortilla.

Fold two sides in over mixture. Fold bottom up over the middle and roll it up.

Place in oil seam side down. (I held my chimichanga down with my spatula to ensure it would not unroll on me) Fry for a couple minutes each side until a beautiful golden brown color is achieved.

Remove from oil and place on paper towels to soak up any extra oil.

Serve with cheese, sour cream, guacamole, and pico de gallo. Like I said earlier these were delicious when I added some rice and beans to the chicken before frying. Be creative. ENJOY!

Here are some of my other Mexican recipes:
Tortas
Beer & Lime Chicken Fajitas
Delicious ground beef recipe for tacos
Idiot Margaritas

What others are cooking up that you might like:
Beef fajitas on the grill from Chaos in the Kitchen
Burrito Casserole from Something’s Burning…
Yum-Yum Taco Bake from Little Calorie

Primavera is the Italian and Spanish word for Spring. When I think of Spring I think of all things fresh and green. Here in the Midwest, Spring means we can pack up the hats, gloves, and scarves and pull out the flip-flops (then the next week pull out the hats, gloves, and scarves again). In a couple weeks the farmer’s markets will be in full force and full of delicious fruits and veggies –I can’t wait!

I found this recipe in my Parents magazine and knew I had to try it. The article was Dinner Detox, how to healthify your dinners in stages. This dish is considered (by them) to be a really healthy alternative to Mac ‘n’ Cheese. I skipped the “little better” recipe and went straight for the really healthy. My kids like veggies, and they love pasta, so I wasn’t worried that they wouldn’t like it. This is a fun recipe to personalize with your family’s favorite vegetables. I added roasted chicken to our dish to give it a little extra protein, but I think shrimp would be fabulous too.

PASTA PRIMAVERA
(from Parents May 2009 –with my choice of veggies)

1 1/2 c dry multigrain or whole-grain rotini (I used penne rigate)
1 T EVOO (Olive Oil)
1 bundle of asparagus, chopped into 2 inch pieces
1 chopped yellow pepper
1 c grape tomatoes
2 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 c low-fat evaporated milk
1/2 c low-sodium chicken broth
2 T AP Flour
1/3 c finely shredded Parmesan cheese
salt & pepper

*I added 2 packages of Hormel’s Carved Chicken

Cook pasta according to package directions. Two minutes before your pasta is done, toss in asaragus. Drain pasta and return to pot. While pasta is cooking, sautee yellow pepper, garlic and tomatoes in the olive oil. Toss in chicken and heat through. Add veggie mix to pasta. Whisk milk, broth, and flour. Add to pasta, stirring until thick. Mix in cheese, add salt & pepper to taste. ENJOY!!

This is a great way to use up veggies in your crisper drawer. Some yummy selections might include broccoli, zucchini slices, fresh blanched green beans, sliced yellow squash, fresh basil, roasted cauliflower or Brussels sprouts. Be creative!

Falafel is a tasty, fried bean ball. I made mine with ground chickpeas (garbanzo beans), but they are also known to be made from ground fava beans or a combination of both. Falafel is a popular street food in the Middle East, and I believe it is the national dish of Israel. (Edit: Falafel actually originated in Egypt, and Israel likes to claim it as their national snack.) The great thing is chickpeas are high in fiber, and are a good source of iron and protein –much need nutrients in a meat-free diet. If you use canned chickpeas this meal comes together pretty fast, with down time during refrigeration. Traditionally falafel are served in a pita, with pickled vegetables or lettuce and tomato. I served mine on a piece of naan smeared in a homemade hummus, topped with shredded red cabbage, and tomato. It was truly delicious.

FALAFEL
1 can chickpeas (drained and rinsed), reserve 1/4 c liquid
1/2 yellow onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 T cumin
2 T flour
small handful of fresh parsley
salt & pepper
oil for frying

Place chickpeas in your food processor and pulse until it becomes grainy. Add rest of the ingredients, combine while slowly adding in reserved liquid until mixture is gritty and well combined. Place mixture in fridge for 30 minutes (it helps them hold together when frying). Preheat oil to 350 degrees F. Roll mixture into 6-8 balls. Fry in batches for a couple minutes until golden brown. These are delicious warm. ENJOY!

These chicken bites were a perfect partner with my roasted tomato sauce. This was my adaptation of Chicken Parmagiana. I cut my chicken breasts up into little “chicken nuggets” which were the perfect size for my daughters. Since the chicken is cut into a smaller size, they bake up in a jiffy. This is a quick and easy weeknight dinner.

Parmesan Chicken Bites
3 chicken breasts, cut into 2 inch hunks
2 eggs, beaten
splash of milk
1 c grated Parmesan cheese
3/4 c Italian bread crumbs
1 tsp granulated garlic
salt & pepper to taste
pinch of red pepper flake (optional)
1 T EVOO (Olive Oil)

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Line a jelly roll pan with foil and lightly grease. Place eggs in a shallow dish add slash of milk to slightly thin eggs. In another shallow dish at cheese, bread crumbs, garlic, salt & pepper, and red pepper flake, stir to combine. Dry off chicken pieces. Dip chicken into egg mixture, then Parmesan mixture. Place chicken pan. Drizzle olive oil over chicken pieces. Bake 10 minutes, turn chicken over to achieve equal browning, bake another 5 minutes. ENJOY!!

WHAT OTHERS ARE COOKIN’ UP
Chicken Parmesan Rigatoni Bake @ Picky Palate
Basil Chicken over Angel Hair Pasta @ Good Eats ‘n Sweet Treats
Parmesan Chicken @ Kalyn’s Kitchen
Parmesan Chicken Salad @ Closet Cooking
I must have been channeling this recipe Parmesan Chicken @ Simply Recipes

Me, my sister and my brother first day of school. Circa 1996. Obviously my brother and I were making silly faces.

When we were kids, my parents always had a bountiful garden. In that garden they grew the fullest, tallest, bushiest tomato plants I have ever seen. These tomato plants were six feet tall at least, that may be a slight exaggeration but as a kid they seemed to tower over me. Even if my parents only planted a few plants we would always have tomatoes coming out our ears. Last summer was no different. In the past my mom would can the surplus tomatoes and over the winter she would use them for chili, goulash, and Spanish rice.  For the first time she made her own tomato sauce at the end of the growing season last fall. She used an Alton Brown recipe. It was delicious. Unfortunately I did not get to take any home with me. This winter my parents purchased some land behind their house, and I was notified that it is ALL going to be turned into a garden this Spring. YEAH!!! I am glad that I only live two hours away, because I will do what it takes to take home some fresh produce grown on my old stomping ground. (I hope to document this garden as it grows. Dad said it is going to be big.)

Homemade tomato sauce is something I have never attempted before, and it is about time I gave it a try. Although in March the only “fresh” tomatoes I can find in Nebraska are the ones they sell at the grocery store. I had some Roma tomatoes sitting on the counter (I was planning to turn into more pico de gallo, but never got to it) and they were approaching over ripe really quickly. A red sauce for spaghetti was the perfect option to use all of them up in one shot.

ROASTED TOMATO SAUCE
16 Roma tomatoes, quartered
1/2 c EVOO
1/2 white onion chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
salt & pepper
2 tsp Italian seasoning
small handful basil, torn into smaller bits
1/4 c Parmesan cheese, grated
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Toss tomatoes through Italian seasonings and put into a nonreactive 9×13 pan. Put into oven and roast 30 minutes. Stir and roast another 30 minutes.

Pour roasted tomato mixture into blender, add basil and Parmesan cheese. Pulse until desired consistency. Never buy jarred sauce again ENJOY!!!

As I have said before, I have been cooking a vegan/vegetarian meal once a week.  I really have enjoyed shaking up our dinner entrees. This week’s recipe is for Snobby Joes, which are the meatless version of Sloppy Joes. As I was reading the recipe, I noticed an ingredient that made me raise my eyebrows. Maple syrup. I was extremely unsure about adding it to my joes, however, I went along with the recipe and it tasted great –in fact I did not detect any mapley flavor.  Next time I make these, I will “make them my own” by adapting the recipe for my flavor preferences, I found them to be a little too tomatoey, and I like tomatoes.

SNOBBY JOES
from: Veganomicon

1 c uncooked lentils
4 c water
1 T olive oil
1 medium-sized yellow onion, diced
1 green bell pepper, seeded and diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 T chile powder
2 t dried oregano
1 t salt
1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
1/4 c tomato paste
2-3 T maple syrup
1 T yellow mustard

In a small sauce pan over high heat, add the lentils and water. Cover and bring to boil. Once it is boiling lower the heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Once the lentils are soft, drain and set aside.

10 minutes before lentils are finished, preheat a medium-sized sauce pan over medium heat. Add oil and saute onion and pepper until soft. Add the garlic and saute for a minute (make sure not to burn your garlic!).

Add lentils, spices, tomato sauce and tomato paste *I rinsed out the sauce can with a little water and added that to the mix, the joes were not sloppy enough looking for me. Also, I would cut the tomato paste back to about 1 T. Cook for about 10 minutes. Stir in the maple syrup and mustard, turn off the heat and let the flavors blend for about 10 minutes. Serve on buns or on bread open-faced style. ENJOY!

Today’s Meatless Monday is the Valentine’s edition. This year’s Valentine’s Day meal was completely meat-free! We enjoyed these peppers so much, we didn’t even miss the meat, however, I think these would be delicious stuffed with some of that fancy chicken sausage. These peppers took center stage at our Valentine’s dinner party. This was my first time (and not the last) eating quinoa.

We had some friends over for a nice Valentine’s Day dinner party. We enjoyed a completely vegan and gluten free dinner. It was so much fun cooking for them, since I had to think outside of my “meat eating, gluten indulging” box. I served these peppers with a variety of roasted vegetables (purple potatoes, brussels sprouts and asparagus), and portobello mushroom caps. We ended our meal with a delicious heart-shaped gluten free Red Velvet cake. Unfortunately I did not think to take pictures of it. Next time, I guess. You can check out Gluten Free [Cooking School] for the recipe. Here is a photo of our entire delicious meal.

Quinoa Stuffed Peppers
2 c quinoa (uncooked)
5-6 c vegetable stock
1 jar artichoke hearts, chopped
4 c fresh baby spinach
1 15 0z can diced tomatoes
4  peppers, halved lengthwise (seeds removed) I used red, yellow and orange
salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place 2 c quinoa and 4 c stock in pan over high heat. Boil for 5 minutes, cover and remove from heat, let set for 15 minutes until soft and translucent. Stir in artichoke hearts, spinach, and tomatoes. Lightly salt the inside of the peppers. Arrange peppers in a 9×13 baking dish. Fill peppers with quinoa filling. Pour 1-2 c stock over peppers, adding the rest to the bottom of the pan. Cover with foil, and cook for 50-60 minutes. You will want your peppers to be tender when you remove them from the oven. ENJOY!

As part of my New Year’s resolutions, I wanted to cook one vegan/vegetarian meal a week. This resolution has been so much easier to keep than I thought, thanks to my friend Denise. She was so kind and gave me a copy of one of her favorite cookbooks: Veganomicon. I flipped through this book at least three times when I first got it. The more I familiarized myself with the recipes, the more excited I became. The recipes sound so good, and use real ingredients. Of course some of the recipes have tofu or seitan in them, but many do not contain either. This excited me. I have decided to share our meatless meals with all of you.  Every Monday I will post a meatless recipe. I hope you will give them a try.

The first recipe I tried was the Chickpea Cutlets. Mainly because I had all the ingredients on hand (or so I thought), and because I thought I would serve them covered in gravy (everything is better with gravy, right?) like a chicken-fried steak. For starters, the recipe calls for vital wheat gluten, I misread it and thought I needed wheat germ. I am sure the texture of my cutlets were different than what the recipe would have produced. I just doubled the breadcrumbs instead of adding wheat gluten. I will try this recipe again, once I get some vital wheat gluten. I served these with a baked potato and blanched broccoli. We did such a good job of having a vegetarian dinner until we slammed that glass of ice cold milk. OOPS!

CHICKPEA CUTLETS
from Veganomicon

1 c cooked chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
2 T Olive Oil (plus more for the pan)
1/2 c vital wheat gluten
1/2 c plain bread crumbs
1/4 c vegetable broth or water
2 T soy sauce
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp lemon zest
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp Hungarian paprika
1/4 tsp dried rubbed sage

*I thought these were a little bland, so I would increase the seasonings next time

Mash together chickpeas and olive oil, until there are no whole peas. Put in mixing bowl, add all the other ingredients and knead for 3 minutes, until strings of gluten have formed. (I don’t know what this looks like, since I did not have the vital wheat gluten.)

Preheat cast iron skillet over medium heat. Divide dough into four equal parts, knead each cutlet in your hand for a few minutes and flatten to a 6 x 4 rectangular cutlet shape. Add a thin layer of olive oil to skillet, cooking cutlets about 6 minutes on each side. Add more oil if needed when you flip them. They should have a nice golden brown color and firm to the touch.

The authors say you can bake these in a 375 degree oven for 20 minutes, turning once after 10 minutes. Make sure to lightly oil each side of the cutlet.

GRAVY:

2-3 T corn starch
2 c cold vegetable broth

Stir corn starch into the broth. Add broth to skillet, scraping up any cutlet bits stuck to the bottom of the pan (I had some). Whisk gravy until it had thickened. Serve over cutlets. ENJOY!

Football fan are not words I would use to describe myself.  However, I can never turn down an excuse to make cute food for a party; I love entertaining guests.  I do know which teams are playing in the Superbowl this year, only because my nephew Andrew is a HUGE Steelers fan (I will root for them for Andrew) and because my sister told me the Arizona Cardinals is the other team (I never knew Arizona had a NFL team).  If forced to watch football, I would rather watch college games, the two teams I root for are (of course) my alma mater, GO PANTHERS and the best team in the state of Iowa, GO HAWKS! I haven’t lived in Nebraska long enough to bleed BIG RED.

If you are going to be huddled around the TV watching the big game, you will want easy to eat food. These sliders are perfect, they require only your God-given utensils. These are also easily personalized to your personal flavor preferences.

SUPERBOWL SLIDERS
Yield 8 mini burgers

1 lb ground beef
garlic powder
onion powder
black pepper
salt
cooked bacon
sharp cheddar
8 dinner roll sized buns

Preheat grill pan or skillet over medium heat. Line a large cookie sheet (I used 11×15) with parchment paper or waxed paper. Place ground beef on paper, cover with another sheet of the paper. Using a rolling pin, roll your beef into a large, thin rectangle (about the size of the cookie sheet).  Season your rolled out ground beef with garlic powder, onion powder, pepper and salt. Add a little or a lot. Now take the long sides of the beef and fold it to the middle of the rectangle (you want your seasonings encased in the middle of the ground beef). Place paper over the folded beef and give a light roll to seal it up, you do not want to enlarge your rectangle any more. Take a pizza cutter and slice the ground beef down the middle (so you have two long skinny pieces). Divide these into quarters to equal eight small square burgers. Grill or cook over medium heat until done, turning only once.

Butter buns and toast on grill pan for a minute or so. Top buns with your burgers, bacon and cheddar. Add onion, lettuce, tomato, and any other condiments. ENJOY!

I knew there had to be a pizza dough recipe that was instant. After all, those dough packets I got at the store called for only a 5-10 minute rise time. I wish I could take credit for developing this recipe that has become my “go-to” when we get the hankering for pizza. Erin from Lee Lou  Ann had the perfect recipe I had been searching for. It takes 10 minutes of knead time and 10 minutes of rise time. This allows you 20 minutes to shred your cheese, brown your meat, mix your sauce, preheat your oven, have a beer or a glass of wine, whatever you need to do to get ready for pizza time.

Easy Pizza Dough
(from Always in Season)
4 to 4 1/2 c. flour
2 envelopes fast-rising dry yeast
1 t. sugar
2 t. olive oil
1 3/4 c. warm water (110 degrees)
1 t. salt

Put water in mixer bowl. Add yeast and sugar, stir with fork and let sit until creamy. Add oil and half flour and mix with kneader hook. Add remaining flour and salt, knead for 8-10 minutes. Let rest, covered with towel for 10 minutes. The dough may be punched down, placed in a resealable plastic bag and stored in the refrigerator for 12 hours or frozen at this point; return to room temperature before proceeding.
Divide the dough into 8 portions for 6″ crusts or 2 portions for large crusts. Top with sauce, cheese and other toppings. Bake on pizza stone or cookie sheet at 450-500 degrees for 15-20 minutes.

TIPS FOR PERFECT PIZZA:
* Roll your crust thin and dock (poke wholes) with fork. Brush lightly with olive oil.
* Crank up the temp on your oven. I preheat my oven and pizza stone to 550 degrees F.
* Par-bake your crust for 5 minutes before topping.
* Limit your toppings to no more than four. Too many toppings will make your dough soggy.
* Use sauce lightly. I like to do cheese down first, then meat and veggies, sprinkle of Parmesan and pizza spices
* Once pizza is topped bake for another 8 minutes, or until cheese is melty and bubbly.

If you follow these tips you will have a delicious crispy crust pizza. My husband thinks that this is the best pizza ever! We are looking forward to giving it a try on my in-laws BGE!