Creamy Tomato Tortellini Soup

Ingredients

3 Cloves Of Garlic Minced

4 Tbs. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 10 3/4 oz Cans of Condensed Tomato Soup
2 Tbs. Tomato Paste

1 28oz Can Diced Tomatoes
3 cups Half-and-half
2 cups Chicken Stock

1/3 C. Dried Onions or 1 Onion chopped
1 Tbs. Dried Parsley

1 Tbs. Dried Basil

2 tsp. Dried Oregano
2 Cubes Chicken Bouillon
1/2 tsp Pepper

Salt to Taste
1 9 Oz Package Of Cheese Filled Tortellini
1/2 C. (+ more) Shredded Parmesan Cheese

Directions

In a big pot, Saute Garlic and onions in olive oil.  Add the Tomato Soup, Diced Tomatoes, half and half, chicken stock, dried herbs, chicken bouillon, pepper, and Parmesan cheese.  Let simmer for 45 minutes. Taste to see if it needs more salt.  If it does, add it 1/4tsp. at a time.

Add the cheese Tortellini, and let simmer for 45 minutes.  Serve with Parmesan Cheese sprinkled on top, and some yummy garlic bread.  Enjoy!

Creamy Mac and Cheese with Bacon

I love to experiment with comfort foods, and mac and cheese is one of the ultimate comfort foods in America.  Tonight's dinner experiment turned out great and that's why you are all going to get it on the blog.  It's Mac and Cheese with Turkey Bacon (that's my little "healthy" tip). That being said, nothing about this recipe is healthy, but it's 100% delicious!!

 Ingredients

2 Tbs. Butter

1 pkg. Elbow Pasta, cooked according to package directions

2 Tbs. Flour

1/2 C. Half and Half

1 lb. Turkey Bacon, cooked

3 1/2 C. Sharp Cheddar Cheese, shredded

16 oz. Full Fat Sour Cream

Pepper

Directions

Grill up your bacon, let cool, and cut into pieces. (I cook mine in the wok because I like to use to bacon fat but that's optional.) Set aside.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a wok combine your butter and flour, whisk to make your roux. Then when your butter is completely melted, add your half and half, then your cheddar and stir until melted. Add a sprinkle of pepper. Add the sour cream and turn on low, stirring occasionally (you just want everything combined).

Cook your pasta according to package instructions. Drain, (but reserve 1/4 C. pasta water) and dump pasta with the pasta water, into your cheese mixture. Add the chopped up bacon, and stir until everything is well combined.

Pour your mixture into a 9x13 baking dish and sprinkle with some sharp cheddar cheese.  Place in the oven for 15 minutes or until the top is just lightly brown and crusty.  Take out and let sit for 10 min. before serving.  Enjoy!!

Easy Pizza Pockets

With Cheese on Top

So I have seen these pizza pockets all over "Pinterest" but there has been 1 major thing bugging me about them.  They never have any sauce in the recipes.  They are only meat and cheese.  This morning I came up with my own little twist on the average pizza pocket, and I have to admit that it turned out amazing.  Definitely a Hubby's top favorite recipe, and a recipe that will now be a staple at our house.  Anything easy, and delicious, is something I will make over and over and over!!  I made 2 different batches so I'll give you some pictures of both.  I hope you enjoy this one!

Ingredients

18-24 Rhodes Rolls, thawed

1 Package Pepperoni (regular size)

1 lb. Shredded Mozzarella Cheese

1 8oz. can Tomato Sauce

1 tsp. Minced Garlic (I used the kind that comes in a squeeze bottle)

a Handful of dried Onions

1 Tbs. Dried Parsley

1 Tbs. Dried Oregano

1 Tbs. Dried Basil

Pinch of Salt

Pinch of Pepper

Directions
In a bowl combine tomato sauce, garlic, onions, dried seasonings, and salt and pepper.  Whisk until well combined.  Set aside.

Without Cheese on Top

On your counter put a handful of flour down and dip each thawed roll in flour. Then take your rolling pin and roll it into a small disk (about the size of an individual pizza).

Place on one side of the disc 4-5 Pepperoni slices, a sprinkle of Mozzarella Cheese, and then in the middle of the disk pour 2 1/2 tsp. full of sauce.

You're then going to fold the dough over to create a little pocket.  Fold over all the stuffing and pinch all the sides close. Then place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.

Once you have done this with each roll, take a sharp knife and cut a little hole in the top of each pizza pocket. Sprinkle on a little cheese, and cover with a paper towel for about 25 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and bake for 15-20 minutes until the edges are browned and the tops are very lightly browned.

Removed from oven and place on a cooling rack for about 10 minutes before eating.  Serve with ranch dressing, or anything you like for dipping, or just eat plain like we did in our house.  I promise you are going to love these, and the possibilities are endless.  We just used Pepperoni, but you could add olives, mushrooms, peppers, anything your little heart desires.  Enjoy your own pizza pocket for everyone in the family.  There's enough for everyone to have 2nd's and even 3rd's.  Great dinner!!

Tomato Basil and 3 Cheese Baked Pasta

 I have been having a hard time eating meat lately due to a lot of medical issues I have with my stomach.  I still want a hearty dish to fill me up just like everyone else, so yesterday I decided to make a vegetarian pasta dish, and make it just as hearty as any meat pasta dish.  What I ended up with was a delicious, and filling.  My husband loved it just as much, and didn't even mind that there wasn't any meat.  I hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

Ingredients

1 lb. Rigatoni (or any similar pasta)

28oz. Diced tomatoes with sauce

14oz. Tomato Sauce

8oz. Tomato Paste

2 1/2 tsp. Dried Basil

2 1/2 tsp. Dried Oregano

2 1/2 tsp. Dried Basil

1 small can of Mushrooms, drained

1/4 tsp. Pepper

1/8 tsp. Salt

1 Tbs. Olive Oil

1/2 Onion, diced

2 cloves Garlic, minced

1 cup Ricotta Cheese (or cottage cheese)

1 cup shredded Parmesan

1 cup shredded Mozzarella

Directions

In a big pot pour in your oil and cook your onion and garlic until fragrant.  Pour in your Tomatoes, tomato sauce, 2 tsp. of each seasoning, mushrooms, and salt and pepper.  Slowly work in your tomato paste until smooth.  Once everything is combined and it is hot, turn to simmer and let sit while you cook your pasta.

Cook your pasta according to package directions.  When you put your water on the stove, turn your oven to 350 degrees F. Reserve 1/2 cup of your starchy pasta water when you drain your cooked pasta.

While your water is heating mix all 3 cheeses, and the remaining 1/2 tsp. of each of your dried seasoning together.  Mix until combined and then sit aside.

Once you have cooked and drained your pasta, put back into the hot pot, and mix with cheeses and pasta water until the pasta is well coated with cheese.  

Dump your pasta into a greased 9x13 baking dish, and dump the tomato sauce on top.  Sprinkle with a little cheese if desired and toss in your oven for 15 minutes.  Remove from oven, let sit for about 10 minutes and then serve with my garlic bread recipe.  Enjoy!

American Alfredo Sauce

I was looking at recipes for Alfredo sauce online tonight, and just wasn't finding anything that spoke to me.  Doing what I do, I decided to come up with my own and see if it works. The response was awesome! 

"The Best Alfredo Sauce I have EVER had!" 

"I'll eat these leftovers any day of the week!"

I was pretty excited to say the least.  What was my secret?  Well, that is where we get the "American" title from.  I used Sharp Cheddar cheese, along with a lot of other stuff, but that was my surprising ingredient.  Here's the recipe, and we'll see if your family likes it as much as mine, and my cute 18 year old neighbor girls next door.  Enjoy!

Ingredients

1 Pint Heavy Cream

1/4 cup Half and Half

1 Tbs. Butter

1 tsp. Minced Garlic

1 tsp. Dried Parsley

1 tsp. Dried Oregano

1/4 tsp. Pepper

1/8 tsp. Salt

2 Tbs. Flour

1/2 lb. Grated Parmesan

5-1 inch cubes of Sharp Cheddar Cheese

Directions

In a pot melt butter with flour and garlic. Heat just until melted.

Add your cream and half and half. Stir until steaming. Add your seasonings, and then slowly mix in your cheese until completely melted. 

Turn onto simmer and continue to stir occasionally for 30 minutes. 

When you drop your pasta, turn your heat on your sauce completely off and just let sit so it thickens up without heat.

I served mine with grilled chicken breast tenders. I cooked the pasta, and then added the chicken to the pasta once I drained the pasta and then drizzled the sauce over all of it and mixed until it got to the consistency that I wanted.  Enjoy!

Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana Knock Off

Hey everybody!  It has been awhile since I've posted and I'm SOOOO sorry about that.  I have been moving this past month into a new home and haven't been doing much cooking lately.  I finally got things settled this week and was able to make my first homemade meal in my new house, and I think I came up with a pretty good soup you are all going to love!

If you have ever had the soup, salad, and bread sticks, at Olive Garden, I'm sure you have tried their Zuppa Toscana soup.  It is by far my favorite, and for years I have wanted to try to make it.  Being that a lot of my pans were packed up and I only had my soup pot, I thought it was a great time to try.  This soup is their creamy, sausage and potato soup.  It's the perfect winter soup, but considering I love soup all the time; I could eat this on a 90 degree day.  Anyway, here is my version of the Olive Garden's amazing soup.  I hope you all like it!

Ingredients

1 lb. ground Mild Italian Sausage

3 Russet Potatoes, scrubbed and cubed

1 Onion, chopped

1/2 lb. Bacon, cooked, drained, and chopped

3 cloves Garlic, minced

2-3 cups Swiss Chard, chopped

28 oz. Chicken Broth

1 quart Water

1 cup Heavy Whipping Cream

1 tsp. Chicken Boullion

1 tsp. Oregano

1 tsp. Basil

1 tsp. Parsley

1/4 tsp. Pepper

Directions

In a skillet cook your sausage. Remove sausage and in the drippings cook your garlic and onion until translucent, drain and set aside.

In a pot combine your chicken broth, water, chicken boullion, spices, potatoes, and cream.  Let cook for about 20 minutes on medium heat.  Add in remaining ingredients, except swiss chard.  Simmer on medium to low heat until potatoes are soft. About 30-45 minutes 

Once the potatoes are soft, add the swiss chard and let simmer for 30 minutes. Taste, and add more salt and pepper if needed.

Serve with some thick, crusty bread, and your set.  Enjoy!

Spaghetti Dinner under $10

Hi friends!  I'm so sorry it's been awhile since I have posted.  This month has been a crazy month, so please forgive me.  I promise I'll get back on track.

Well you all know my goal with this blog is to make fast, cheap, and delicious meals.  Last night I was looking through my pantry deciding what to make for dinner.  Now you have to realize that it was already 6pm and I hadn't planned anything, so it had to be fast.  Instantly I knew I was going to make pasta because it's fast, and I knew I had all the ingredients.  I decided on spaghetti because we haven't had that in my house for awhile.  Now, I want to convince all of you that making your own spaghetti sauce is so much cheaper, and much more delicious then buying a jar.  The great thing about making your own is that you can make a bunch and then freeze some so you always have it on hand.  

This sauce that I made last night cost a total of $6.50  Then all I had to do was cook the spaghetti noodles which you can find for under a dollar most of the time.  I guess this is one reason why I love pasta so much.  It feeds an army for such a little amount of money.  Okay, on to the sauce.

Ingredients

2 tsp. dried Basil

3 Tbs. Fresh chopped parsley or 2 tsp. dried

1 tsp. Italian seasoning

2 tsp. dried Oregano

A heaping spoonful of cream cheese (optional.  I use this if I have it on hand)

1 onion chopped

3 cloves of garlic minced

1 lb. Mild Italian sausage browned, and drained

2 cans diced Tomatoes with juices

4 oz. Tomato paste

1 12 oz can Tomato sauce

1 tsp. chicken bouillon crystals

1 can mushrooms, drained (optional)

salt and pepper

 1 package spaghetti

Directions

In a pot heat up some olive oil and toss in your onion and garlic.  You are going to cook this on medium heat until fragrant and the onions are translucent.  Dump in all of your tomato cans.  The diced, sauce, and paste.  Sprinkle in all of your herbs and then stir.  Cover and let simmer while you brown your meat.

In a saute pan brown your sausage and drain.  Add the meat to your sauce.  Next you are going to add the cram cheese, mushrooms, chicken bouillon, and the salt and pepper.  Cover and let simmer for about 15-20 min.  You want all of the flavors to really cook into the sauce and get the sauce thick.  (If for some reason your sauce isn't thick enough just stir in some more tomato paste.)

Next cook your spaghetti according to the package instructions.  Make sure to salt your water and keep about 1/4 cup of the pasta water when you drain your pasta.

After the pasta is cooked and your sauce has simmered for 20 min.  Add a few heaping ladles of sauce to your spaghetti and toss.  (This sauce recipe makes enough for a family of 4.  Since I have 2 people in my fam I freeze the remaining.)  Serve in a big pasta dish and sprinkle with Parmesan reggiano.  Enjoy!

Fresh Lemon Curd

Lemon Curd

Ingredients

1 Tablespoon grated lemon zest

1/2 cup fresh lemon juice

1 Tablespoon cornstarch

6 Tablespoons unsalted butter

3/4 cup white sugar

4 egg yolks

Directions

In a medium sauce pan, mix together lemon zest, lemon juice, and cornstarch until smooth. Mix in butter and sugar, and bring mixture to a boil over medium heat. Boil for one minute stirring constantly. In small bowl, with a wire whisk, beat egg yolks until smooth. Whisk in a small amount of the hot lemon mixture. Pour the egg mixture into the sauce pan beating the hot lemon mixture rapidly. Reduce heat to low, cook, stirring constantly 5 minutes or until thickened. Pour mixture into medium bowl, place plastic wrap on surface to keep skin from forming as it cools. Cool at room temperature. Put in refrigerator for 3 hours to cool (or freezer for 30 mins-1 hr).

Homemade Alfredo out of a Jar

I was experimenting yesterday with foods that come in a jar.  I love Alfredo sauce, but if you don't make your own it's normally gross.  I think it's a great thing though for busy Mom's to save time by using jar spaghetti sauce sometimes, so I wanted to come up with a way to make it taste like homemade.  I found some Alfredo sauce in my pantry, and thought I'd test it out.  No joke, I put it on the counter and my husband said "Are you serious?  That's going to be disgusting."  Yes!  Exactly what I wanted to hear, and prove wrong.  So here is what I did...

Ingredients

1 package Rotini

1 jar Ragu Alfredo Sauce

3 skinless Chicken Breasts

1 tsp. dried Oregano

1 tsp. dried Parsley

1 tsp. dried Basil

2 Garlic cloves minced

2 Tbs. Olive Oil

1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese shredded

3 Tbs. Cream

dash of white wine (optional)

1 can mushrooms drained

salt and pepper

Directions

In a saute pan pour in the olive oil and cook the chicken thoroughly.  In a pan heat the Alfredo sauce.  Dump in the splash of white wine and heat up pretty hot for about 5 minutes.  Dump into the sauce the cheese, cream, garlic, herbs, mushrooms.  Cut up your chicken into bite size pieces, and add that to your sauce.  Season with a little salt and pepper.  Once everything is combined let your sauce simmer while you cook your pasta according to package instructions.

Once your pasta is cooked drain it, and then in a pasta bowl mix your sauce and pasta together.  Sprinkle a little bit of Parmesan over the top and serve with some crusty garlic bread.  I promise you are going to be shocked at how much this is going to taste like homemade and be delicious!  It's so easy and will save you a ton of time, and actually a little bit of money too.  If you can get the ragu sauce on sale, this dinner shouldn't cost you over $10 to feed your entire family!  I love it!

Basic Marinara Sauce

If I could suggest one cooking tip to every person on the planet it would be to learn how to cook a basic Marinara sauce.  You should memorize the recipe so you know it where ever you may be.  Knowing a few basic sauces will make your life so much easier.  You will always be able to make dinner, which is something I love.  

Because Marinara is so versatile and you can use it with so many things, this was the first sauce that I chose to experiment with and make a recipe for.  I have a few different Marinara sauces that I use, but this is the one that I can pull out of my head no matter what, and 9 times out of 10 I will always have every ingredient on hand that I need to make the sauce.

Ingredients

1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1/4 tsp. crushed red Pepper (optional)

4 Garlic cloves, minced
1/3 cup Onion, diced

1 28oz. can Tomatoes with juices

4 Tbs. Tomato paste

1 Tbs. fresh Oregano, chopped or 1 tsp. dried

1 Tbs. fresh Parsley, chopped or 1 tsp. dried

4 fresh Basil leaves ripped up or 1 tsp. dried

3/4 cup dry Red Wine

Pinch of sugar

Directions

In a big pot pour your olive oil, and heat over medium heat until it is boiling a little bit.  Dump in your minced garlic, onion, and crushed red pepper.  Let simmer in that hot olive oil until the garlic is really fragrant.  Mix in your tomato paste and break it apart and get it smooth with the olive oil.  Next you're going to pour in your wine.  Once you pour in your wine you want the alcohol to really cook out.  What I do is pour in my wine and cook it until it reduces a little bit (about 5 minutes).  Remember that all of this is done over medium to medium high heat.  

Also, if you want a creamier, and a little thicker sauce you can also add 4-5 Tbs. cream cheese.  I use this every once in awhile because it just makes the sauce a little richer, and creamy.  It's a fun little twist on the basic sauce.

Once your wine mixture sauce has reduced dump in your can of tomatoes.  Let those simmer for about 5 minutes, and then you want to mash them up.  I use my potato masher to break apart my tomatoes.  Mix in your pinch of sugar (this will bring a really Nummy flavor of your tomatoes out.  A natural sweetness that most can tomatoes don't have).  Once I break them apart a little bit I'm going to turn my stove on medium low and cover.  You're going to let it cook until your sauce is thick.  I normally let my simmer for about 30 minutes.

Once it has gotten to your desired thickness you can use it for spaghetti, over meatball subs, a dip for crusty bread, just anything you really want.  Like I said, this is a great go to sauce and you can use it for so many things.  Just learn the basic ingredients and you can impress your friends anywhere you go, or you have a quick dinner if friends pop over during the Holidays.  :)  Merry Christmas Nummy readers!

Sausage and Cottage Cheese Stuffed Shells Casserole

Who doesn't love a good pasta dish?  And what Mom doesn't love a good Casserole?  I have brought the 2 together to make an amazing dish!  Mom's love casseroles because they are easy and delicious.  And everyone loves pasta because it's so filling, yummy, and just reminds you of being home.  So here is a yummy casserole that I know your whole family will enjoy.  I promise they will even have seconds, and leftovers (if there are any!)  

Oh, and just a fun side note, you can make this dish ahead of time and freeze so you can have a dinner on hand on any given day!  I love it when I have this in my freezer!  Trust me, it's waaaaaay better than a stouffers meal.  :)

Ingredients

1 12oz package jumbo pasta shells

1 Tbsp olive oil
1 cup finely chopped yellow onion

1 pound Italian ground sausage

1 Tbsp minced garlic

1 large egg

16oz cottage cheese

10oz chopped frozen spinach, thawed, squeezed dry, chopped further (or 10 ounces chopped fresh spinach)

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 Tbsp chopped fresh basil or 1 teaspoon dried basil

1/4 cup unseasoned bread crumbs

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. ground black pepper

1 28oz can tomatoes with herbs, including the liquid, tomatoes broken up (or your favorite tomato or pasta sauce)

2 9x13 shallow baking dishes

Directions

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil (just dump in about 2 Tbsp of salt). Cook the pasta shells according to the instructions on the package. Drain, rinse in cold water, and set aside.

Heat olive oil in a large skillet on medium high heat. Add the onions and cook until translucent, but not brown, about 5 minutes. Add the sausage to the pan, breaking up the sausage into smaller bits. Cook sausage until cooked through, and no pink remains. Add the garlic and cook until you can smell it really really well (about 30 seconds is all you'll need). Remove pan from heat.

Beat the egg lightly in a large bowl. Mix in the cottage cheese, chopped spinach, 1/2 cup of the Parmesan cheese, basil, bread crumbs, salt, pepper, and sausage mixture. Fill each cooked pasta shell with some of the cottage cheese, spinach, sausage mixture.

Spread 1/2 cup chopped canned tomatoes over the bottom of each of the baking dishes. Arrange the stuffed pasta shells in the dishes. Spread the remaining tomatoes over the top of the pasta shells.

(At this point you can make ahead, to freeze (up to four months) or refrigerate before cooking. If freezing, cover with foil, then wrap with plastic wrap.)

Heat oven to 375°F. Cover the pans with foil and bake for 30 minutes, until hot and bubbling. Remove foil and sprinkle with remaining Parmesan cheese, bake uncovered for 10 more minutes until cheese is melted and a little brown on top.

This will serve about 8 people, depending on how much each person eats.

A little on the SpIcY side PLeaSE!

So dinner tonight turned out to be a HUGE success!  Not to mention, I had a blast making it!  I always love cooking though, but cooking pasta is so much fun.  Pasta and crock-pot dishes are the best because you can add anything and they come out delicious!  This little creation of mine was fun because I used different tomatoes then I normally do.  I used Fire Roasted, which turned the dish a little on the spicy side, thus the name.  :)  I had so much fun running around in the kitchen throwing everything in, and then dumping the finished product into my homemade pasta bowl that I created at Color Me Mine.  What could be more of a dinner made from love?  

After I dumped it in my pasta bowl, I sprinkled on a little freshly grated Parmesan and I dug in.  :)  I literally ate right out of the bowl because I was so hungry.  My hubby wasn't expected home from school for another 2 hours, and so I couldn't help myself.  (When I was finished gorging, I fluffed it up, sprinkled it again, put a few parsley leaves, and voila...good as new, and pretty dang cute if I do say.  He'll never know!)  So, while I'm waiting for him to get home from school I thought I would hurry and post the recipe.  I hope you like it!

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups Chicken Stock

1/2 cup Heavy Cream

1 14oz can Fire Roasted Tomatoes

3/4 cup diced Button mushrooms

1 lb. Chicken Thighs cooked and diced

1 lb. Italian ground Sausage cooked

1 lb. Penne Pasta

A handful of Fresh Parsley chopped

A handful of Fresh Basil Chopped

1/2 tsp. Oregano

Dash of Salt and Pepper

1 sweet Onion, diced

3 cloves Garlic minced

1 8oz can Tomato Paste

Directions
In a sauce pan heat up the chicken stock, tomatoes, and cream, and let them reduce while you cook everything else.

In a skillet brown your chicken, set aside.  Wipe out the skillet with a paper towel, and cook your sausage, don't drain when it's brown.  Just spoon the sausage out and keep the drippings.  In the drippings place your mushrooms, onions, garlic, parsley, basil, and oregano, and saute until the onions are translucent.  Then since your chicken has probably cooled a little, cut it into small chunks.  Dump your chicken, sausage, and onion mixture, into the tomato/stock mixture and let simmer while you cook the pasta.

Cook the Penna according to the package instructions making sure to dump a good amount of salt into the water.  It's the only chance you are going to get to season your pasta.

Once you drop your pasta, spoon your tomato paste into your sauce mixture.  Stir and let simmer. 

Once your pasta is al dente, drain and place back into your HUGE pot that you cooked it on.  Take your sauce/meat mixture that has been simmering and reducing and dump over your pasta.  Mix a little, but don't break your pasta.  The reason you want your pasta al dente when you cook it is because once you dump this hot sauce over the pasta, it's going to continue to soften the pasta. 

Once all your pasta is covered with sauce, dump your pasta into a Big Pasta Bowl.  Sprinkle with freshly grated Parmesan and place a couple parsley leaves on top.  Voila!!  You're done, and ready to eat. 

Now you can either dig in just for you, or put in bowls and serve everyone in your house.  :)  This should serve about 4-6 people.  Enjoy!  (If you want some bread with it, look up my great garlic bread recipe and just make it while your pasta is cooking.  It's delicious!)

Rhodes White Pizza

Okay all of my friends who haven't planned dinner yet today.  I have you covered, you just have to start NOW.  Go to your freezer and get those yummy Rhodes rolls out.  You need to thaw out 9 of them (serves a family of 6, or 4 really hungry adults).  Set them out and get them thawing (about 2-4 hours).  

I love Rhodes because you can make just about anything.  I have some amazing recipes that I have made using Rhodes rolls.  Nobody will know that you didn't make it from scratch and I promise they will impress anyone!  Not to mention, they are absolutely delicious.  I will make sure to post some of them later today or tomorrow.  Okay, here's your White Pizza recipe....

Ingredients
9 Rhodes White Dinner Rolls, thawed and risen
3 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 tsp. minced Garlic
1 teaspoon parsley flakes or 1 Tbs. FRESHly chopped Parsley ( I prefer Fresh)
3/4 cup Parmesan cheese
14 ounce can artichoke hearts, chopped
1 cup grated mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup grated Provolone cheese
fresh cracked black pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 

Flatten each roll into a 3-inch circle. Place one in the center of a sprayed 12-inch pizza pan. Place remaining rolls in a circle around the center one overlapping each one about 1/2-inch. 

Bake at 375 for 10 minutes.

Combine olive oil, garlic, and parsley flakes. Spread over cooled crust. Sprinkle with Parmesan and artichokes. Cover with grated cheeses and sprinkle with pepper. 

Bake at 375°F an additional 10-15 minutes or until cheese is nicely melted.

Spaghetti Carbonara with Peas

So I have been trying to use all of my fresh veggies out of my garden in my dinners lately, and this is no exception.  I love Italian/Pasta because it's so versatile and there is really nothing you can add to it to screw it up.  That is why I love creating pasta dishes because it's basically fail proof (as long as you cook the pasta correctly).

I love Carbonara because it is rich, creamy, and delicious.  Here is my newest Carbonara dish.

Pic by Caroline Wright

Ingredients

 1/2 pound pasta

4 slices bacon, cut into 1/2 inch slices 

2 egg yolks 

2 tablespoons heavy cream 

1/4 cup parmigiano reggiano (parmesan), grated 

1/2 cup peas (fresh or thawed frozen) 

salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Cook the pasta as directed on the package, but make sure to add salt to your water before cooking.

Meanwhile cook the bacon in a pan until crispy and set it aside on paper towels to drain.

Mix the egg yolks, heavy cream and parmesan in a large bowl.  Drain the cooked pasta reserving some of the water.

Pic by Caroline Wright

Mix the pasta, peas and bacon into the egg mixture adding pasta water as needed and season with pepper to taste.  Serve garnished with grated parmesan.

Simple, Easy, and Endless Dough

I know I have my incredibly intense pizza dough recipe, which is what I recommend if you are wanting to blow your company's socks off.  I also know that not all of us have the time to make a masterpiece all the time, so I want you to have a dough recipe that is delicious and VERSATILE, because we all know that's the best kind of dough.  You can use this for Garlic Knots, Calzones, Foccacia, and of course your favorite pie.

Ingredients

1 3/4 cups Warm water

1 envelope active dry yeast (2 1/4 tsp.)

2 tsp. sugar

3 Tbs. Olive Oil

4 cups Flour

2 tsp. Salt

Directions
In a clear mxing bowl, combine the warm water, yeast and sugar. Allow the yeast to dissolve and bloom, about 5 minutes. Once bloomed, add the olive oil.

In a mixer with the paddle attachment, combine the flour and salt. Stream in the water/yeast mixture and as the dough begins to come together, switch to a dough hook attachment. Allow the dough to knead, adding a bit more flour if needed, so that the dough releases from the sides of the bowl, 1 to 3 minutes. You should be able to touch the dough and not have the dough stick to your fingers. Once the dough has kneaded and has pulled away from the sides of the bowl, remove the dough from bowl to a floured work surface and, with floured hands, continue to knead it by hand for 1 to 2 minutes. Then form the dough into a round ball and place it into a large bowl sprayed with nonstick spray. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a clean dish towel and let the dough rise in a warm area of your kitchen until it doubles in size, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. After the dough has risen it is ready to be cooked however you'd like!

Cook's Notes: This dough is wet dough, keep bench flour at the ready and make sure to flour your hands when working with the dough. Trust your gut as a chef, if the dough is to wet, add more flour, if it is too stiff, add a little water.

Sugar is used to feed the yeast which will help the dough to grow. Bread flour will give you a chewier texture because the flour has more gluten. You don't need to use a thermometer to get the water temperature, it should just feel warm to the touch.




(I will sometimes make a delicious dessert Foccacia bread with cinnamon, brown sugar, sugar, and a drizzle icing on top.  I also make my pizza dough with a lot of fresh herbs.  Oregano, Parsley, and Sweet Basil are delicious chopped up and mixed in with your dough.)

Best Pizza Dough (from scratch) Recipe EVER

I know this seems like a lot of directions and long process, but homemade dough really is the best.  If you want something easy, just refer to my rhodes rolls pizza dough recipe.  :)


Ingredients:
4 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, chilled
1 3/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. instant yeast
1/4 cup olive oil
1 3/4 cups water, ice cold (40°F)
cornmeal for dusting

Directions:
1. Stir together the flour, salt, and instant yeast in a 4-quart bowl (or in the bowl of an electric mixer). With a large metal spoon, stir in the oil and the cold water until the flour is all absorbed (or mix on low speed with the paddle attachment), If you are mixing by hand, repeatedly dip one of your hands or the metal spoon into cold water and use it, much like a dough hook, to work the dough vigorously into a smooth mass while rotating the bowl in a circular motion with the other hand. Reverse the circular motion a few times to develop the gluten further. Do this for 5 to 7 minutes, or until the dough is smooth and the ingredients are evenly distributed. The dough should clear the sides of the bowl but stick to the bottom of the bowl. If the dough is too wet and doesn't come off the sides of the bowl, sprinkle in some more flour just until it clears the sides. If it clears the bottom of the bowl, dribble in a tea- spoon or two of cold water. The finished dough will be springy, elastic, and sticky, not just tacky.


2. Sprinkle flour on the counter and transfer the dough to the counter. Prepare a sheet pan by lining it with baking parchment and misting the parchment with spray oil (or lightly oil the parchment). Using a metal dough scraper, cut the dough into 6 equal pieces (or larger if you are comfortable shaping large pizzas), You can dip the scraper into the water between cuts to keep the dough from sticking to it, Sprinkle flour over the dough. Make sure your hands are dry and then flour them. Lift each piece and gently round it into a ball. If the dough sticks to your hands, dip your hands into the flour again. Transfer the dough balls to the sheet pan, Mist the dough generously with spray oil and slip the pan into a food plastic bag.


3. Put the pan into the refrigerator overnight to rest the dough, or keep for up to 3 days. (Note: If you want to save some of the dough for future baking, you can store the dough balls in a zippered freezer bag. Dip each dough ball into a bowl that has a few tablespoons of oil in it, rolling the dough in the oil, and then put each ball into a separate bag. You can place the bags into the freezer for up to 3 months. Transfer them to the refrigerator the day before you plan to make pizza.)

4. On the day you plan to make the pizza, remove the desired number of dough balls from the refrigerator 2 hours before making the pizza. Before letting the dough rest at room temperature for 2 hours, dust the counter with flour, and then mist the counter with spray oil. Place the dough balls on top of the floured counter and sprinkle them with flour; dust your hands with flour. Gently press the dough into flat disks about 1/2 inch thick and 5 inches in diameter. Sprinkle the dough with flour, mist it again with spray oil, and cover the dough loosely with plastic wrap or a food plastic bag. Let rest for 2 hours.


5. At least 45 minutes before making the pizza, place a baking stone either on the floor of the oven (for gas ovens), or on a rack in the lower third of the oven. Heat the oven as hot as possible, most home ovens will go only to 500 to 550F, but some will go higher. If you do not have a baking stone, you can use the back of a sheet pan, but do not preheat the pan.

6. Generously dust a peel or the back of a sheet pan with cornmeal. Make the pizzas one at a time. Dip your hands, including the backs of your hands and knuckles, in flour and lift I piece of dough by getting under it with a pastry scraper. Very gently lay the dough across your fists and carefully stretch it by bouncing the dough in a circular motion on your hands, carefully giving it a little stretch with each bounce. If it begins to stick to your hands, lay it down on the floured counter and reflour your hands, then continue shaping it. Once you have a little shape to it, you can use your rolling pin and roll it out until it is about 9-12 inches in diameter.

7. When the dough is stretched out to your satisfaction, lay it on the peel or pan, making sure there is enough cornmeal to allow it to slide. Drizzle with olive oil and bake for about 4 minutes.  Take out and put on your toppings.  The American "kitchen sink" (where you put everything onto your pizza) approach is counterproductive, as it makes the crust more difficult to bake. A few, usually no more than 3 or 4 toppings, including sauce and cheese is sufficient.


8. Slide the topped pizza onto the stone (or bake directly on the sheet pan) and close the door. Wait 2 minutes, then take a peek. If it needs to be rotated 180 degrees for even baking, do so. The pizza should take about 5 to 8 minutes to bake. If the top gets done before the bottom, you will need to move the stone to a lower shelf. If the bottom crisps before the cheese caramelizes, then you will need to raise the stone.  Basically just watch your pizza and bake it to your liking.

Creamy Chicken and Orzo Skillet

Ingredients

1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into chunks

1 small zucchini chopped

1 (10oz) tub of Philidelphia cream cheese and herb cooking cream

1/2 C. chopped tomatoes

2 C. hot cooked Orzo

Directions

Cook the chicken and zucchini in a large, non-stick skillet on medium heart for 6-7 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through.

Add cooking cream and tomatoes; cook and stir 2 minutes.

Serve over hot pasta

Italian Skillet

Ingredients:

1 lb. bulk sausage

1/2 C. chopped onion

1 can (15 oz.) kidney beans

1 can (8 oz.) tomato sauce

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. Italian seasoning

1/4 C. fresh chopped parsley

1/4 C. fresh chopped basil

2 garlic cloves minced

Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:

Brown sausage, onion, and garlic, in skillet; drain excess fat.  Stir in remaining ingredients and simmer for 20 minutes.  You can eat it plain or mix it with your favorite pasta or rice.

Tomato, Mozzarella, and Basil Pizza

This is my most favorite pizza in the world.  Every year I take tomatoes from my garden and my fresh basil from my garden, and make this pizza.  It is so easy and delicious.  I make the pizza dough, then the tomato sauce (which is so easy! I'll post the recipe), and then just pile on the deliciousness!  I hope you like this pizza as much as my husband and I do.

Tomato, Basil, and Mozzarella Pizza
1 lb. Pizza Dough
6 oz. fresh mozzarella sliced or crumbled
4 Fresh tomatoes sliced
1/4 tsp. Salt
1/2 C. Fresh Basil leaves
1 Tbs. Extra Virgin Olive oil or  1/2 C. Pizza Sauce

Oil a cookie sheet.  Divide the dough into 4 separate pieces.  Press or roll the dough out until it is about 1/8 of an inch thick.  Place the 4 even pieces on the cookie sheet.

You can bake this on either the outdoor grill or the oven.  For an outdoor grill make sure you put the dough on medium heat.  In the oven bake for 2-3 minutes at 350 degrees.  On the outdoor grill, bake for about 2-5 minutes placing the oil side of the pizza down onto the grill, bake until the pizza has grill marks on one side.

Remove the dough from the heat and using tongs flip the dough over.  Quickly oil the top of your pizza with extra virgin olive oil, or use the 1/2 C. pizza sauce and smother your pizza.  Arrange the mozzarella, tomatoes, and basil, on top of the pizza and place back in the oven for another 6-10 minutes or until the pizza is evenly browned and completely cooked through.  If cooking on the grill, cover the grill and let the pizza cook for another 5-6 minutes or until the pizza is evenly browned and completely cooked through.

The Easy Pizza Sauce Recipe

1 can (15 oz.) tomato sauce

1 can (6-8oz.) tomato paste

4 Tbs. Fresh Oregano Chopped

2 Tbs. Fresh Basil Chopped

2 Tbs. Fresh Parsley Chopped

1 1/2 tsp. Minced Garlic

In a mixing bowl, combine ingredients and mix thoroughly.  Spread onto any pizza dough.

Tomatolicious Bruschetta

I love Tomatoes!  I eat them plain with salt and pepper all the time.  During the summer I use them in just about every meal I make.  They are versatile, delicious, and have so many different variaties and flavors that they make my mouth water!

A few weeks ago I told you about my Bruschetta recipes I have been working on, so here is #2....

Ingredients:

6 roma tomatoes, chopped

1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, packed in oil

3 cloves minced garlic

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1/4 cup fresh basil

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 Baguette loaf

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:
In a mixing bowl combine the tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, vinegar, basil, salt, and pepper.

Let the mixture sit and marinate for about 15-20 minutes.


Turn the Broiler on the oven on low, and place tin foil on a cookie sheet.

Cut the Baguette into 3/4 inch slices, and place a couple inches a part on the cookie sheet.

Spoon the tomato mixture evenly onto each slice, and drizzle with just a little olive oil.

Sprinkle the cheese on top of each piece.

Broil for 5 minutes or until the cheese is melted.  (Once the cheese is melted I normally turn the broiler up and "toast" the cheese so it's a little harder then regular, smooth, melted cheese, but it's totally up to you.)