calzones

these have been a favorite in our house, and they are so easy. Thought I would share how we do ours. I welcome any feedback on how you prep your calzones.

ingredients:

pizza dough (i buy the trader joes pizza dough, in the refrigerated section)

marinara sauce

fresh mozzarella (and please, don't do the pre-grated, yes it makes a difference)

pizza toppings of choice (I through in whatever I have on hand. pineapple/pepperoni, sausage/tomato/peppers)

olive oil

parmesan cheese

pizza/italian seasonings

let dough rise about 20 minutes. roll out dough and cut into sections. Chop toppings and cube mozzarella cheese. Add a few spoonfuls of marinara, toppings and cheese. Fold over dough and pinch it closed. Brush or spritz top with olive oil. Tope with parmesan cheese, and pizza or italian seasonings. Sometimes I also add a little garlic salt. Bake at 425 degrees for 10-12 minutes, or until dough is starting to brown. I serve with extra marinara on side for dipping.

sausage linguine

(with dollop of ricotta cheese prior to stirring it in)

so kelly - have you abandoned our cooking blog or do you not cook anymore?

this recipe was a hit with my whole family. I got it from my friend Anneli. I loved it because it called for all FRESH ingredients.

Ingredients:
Salt
1 pound linguini orwhole wheat linguini (I used a basil linguini)
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
1 pound Italian sausage, sweet or hot

1 red chili pepper, very thinly sliced (I used a red bell pepper because I had it, tasted great)
3 large cloves garlic, very thinly sliced
1 pint cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes
2 bundles arugula or1/3 pound baby arugula
Salt and pepper, to taste
1/2 cup cream (optional) (I substituted with less than a half cup of whole milk, which I had)
1 cup mascarpone or ricotta cheese (optional)

PREPARATION

Bring a large pot of water to a boil for the pasta. Salt the water and cook the pasta to al dente, reserving about 1/2 cup of the starchy cooking water just before draining.

Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat with EVOO, one turn of the pan. To the hot pan, add the sausage and brown and crumble it for 5 minutes. Add the chili pepper and garlic and toss for 1-2 minutes.

Add the cherry tomatoes and cover the pan with a tight-fitting lid to burst the tomatoes, 8-10 minutes. Shake the pan occasionally to move the tomatoes around a bit. When the skins start to burst, crack the softened tomatoes open with a cooking utensil.

Drain the pasta (remember to reserve 1/2 cup of the starchy cooking water) and toss it with the sausage, arugula and most of the starchy water, then season with salt and pepper, to taste. If you are using cream, toss the pasta for an additional minute to heat the cream through. If the sauce gets too tight, loosen it up with any remaining starchy water.If you are serving the pasta with mascarpone or ricotta, place a dollop on top of each serving for mixing in.

I used ricotta cheese because I thought since when is cheese optional? It did taste great with the cheese, but it tasted great without it too. So if you don't want the extra calories - or don't want to buy a tub of ricotta cheese (any ideas of what i can make with my extra ricotta?) this dish has plenty of flavor without it.

mexican salad

picture and recipe courtesy of shade clothing blog

I made this last week and it was delicious.

salad ingredients:

tortillas

romaine lettuce, chopped

3-4 green onions, chopped

½ bunch cilantro

1 (15 oz.) can black beans

¼ c. pitted black olives, chopped

sweet pork

shreddedCheddar cheese, grated

1 lg. tomato, diced

1-2 avocados, diced

spanish rice

Arrange as many oven-safe bowls that will comfortably fit on a cookie sheet. (My ceramic cereal worked perfect) Place one tortilla in each bowl, pressing down the bottom and forming the shell up the sides of the bowl. I sprayed mine with a little bit of olive oil. Bake at 425 degrees for 8-10 minutes until shells are brown around the edges.

sweet pork:

1 lb pork roast (I used a pork tenderloin)

1 cup salsa

1 cup brown sugar

place pork in crock pot. mix salsa with brown sugar and pour over pork. cook on low 6-8 hours. shred and return to crock pot to soak up sauce.

Creamy Tomatillo Dressing

I intended on making this dressing, but when i got to the store I saw a cilantro dressing that looked really good, so I bought that. next time I want to try to make the dressing.

1 ½ c. prepared buttermilk Ranch dressing

2 tomatillos, peeled, seeded and cut in half

4 Serrano chili peppers, seeded

10 sprigs cilantro

1 lime, juiced
Combine ranch dressing, tomatillos, peppers, cilantro and limejuice in a blender or food processor and processing until smooth and creamy. Refrigerate dressing in airtight container up to two weeks. Liquid may separate, but simply stir dressing until well mixed.

Assemble salad in tortilla bowls. I layered rice, then beans, pork, and all salad toppings.

terriyaki bow tie pasta & spinach salad

about time we update! is it only me or do you just not feel like cooking in the summer? so this is actually a recipe that Kelly made for us while she was in town. But she is on another trip, and I snapped the picture, so thought I would put it up for her. And nothing is better in summer than a good salad. And this one is delicious.

SALAD:

2 cups cooked chicken (diced)

1 - 16oz. bow tie pasta, aka farfalle (cooked)

1 1/2 bag spinach

1 - 6oz. bag craisins

1 can mandarin oranges (drained)

water chestnuts, chopped

1 bunch green onions (chopped)

1/3 cup sesame seeds

6oz honey roasted peanuts

DRESSING:

1 cup oil

2/3 cup teriyaki sauce

2/3 cup vinegar

6 Tbs sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

DIRECTIONS:Cook the pasta. Set aside.Mix the ingredients for the dressing together.Pour the dressing over cooked, drained bow tie pasta and marinate.Put the rest of the salad ingredients in bowl (except peanuts because they will go soggy).Add pasta mix. Stir until all the salad is coated with the dressing.Add peanuts last, right before serving.

source: adapted from Just Cook Already

Chicken Cordon Bleu

I made chicken cordon bleu last night for the first time. Turned out pretty dang good. I know this one does not need much explanation, but thought I would share a trick.

Since rolling them is sometimes pretty tricky (and messy), not to mention I don't have a meat pounder, I instead sliced the chicken breast in the middle to make a little pocket, then rolled up a slice of ham and swiss cheese, and stuck it in the pocket. They turned out perfect.

ingredients:

chicken

swiss cheese

butter

bread crumbs

after stuffing chicken breast, roll it in melted butter and then roll in bread crumbs. bake at 350 for about 40 minutes.

I would love to hear any other variations/ideas for cordon bleu.

Aebleskivers

Is your mouth watering? I know mine is looking at this.

I must warn you, to make these, you will need this:

But believe me, it is well worth it. Mine comes from Williams Sonoma, but I am sure they are sold in other places as well.

I grew up having aebleskivers, so I was so thrilled to get this pan for Mother's Day. And so, I made some for Matt for breakfast for Father's day. And I tried something I have never tried before with aebleskivers...filling them with Nutella and jam(we always just served with strawberry jam on the side). Let's just say these were also my lunch when I got home from church.

I know there are many variations to an aebleskiver recipe (and a recipe came with the pan), but I decided to use the one I grew up on, which was my Grandmother's. This makes 4 batches.

ingredients:

1 1/2 cup flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

2 eggs - separated

2 cups buttermilk

mix dry ingredients. Add egg yolks and buttermilk and combine. Beat egg whites until white and fluffy. fold egg whites into batter. Put batter into something you can pour (I used a measuring cup). Spray pan or add butter. If adding filling, fill half full with batter, then scoop in filling of choice (I used Nutella - which was DELICIOUS! - and strawberry jam). Top with batter. Let cook a few minutes over a medium heat, then flip (I use a wooden skewer). And cook a few minutes on the other side. You will want to poke them to make sure it is cooked in the center.

Sprinkle with powder sugar and I serve with more strawberry jam on the side. But my kids and husband ate with syrup.

sweet and sour chicken

I have not made this in forever, and I forgot how much I love it. I got this from my Mom, who has been making it forever, so who knows where its from. And it is easy. I promise.

ingredients:

1 Tablespoon olive oil

3 chicken breasts, cut in strips

1 bell pepper, cut in slices (I prefer red or orange)

1 onion, cut in slices (I prefer red onion)

sliced green onions (about 2 will do)

1 can of pineapple chunks (or obviously fresh pineapple is amazing)

1 cup pineapple juice (if I am buying the pineapple chunks, I get the kind in pineapple juice, which usually is exactly 1 cup)

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 tablespoon soy sauce

2 tablespoons corn starch

Rice (I use brown rice, it tastes great with this meal)

directions:

cook chicken in skillet with olive oil, about 10 minutes or until cooked. Add sliced green peppers & onions, cook until barely cooked, about 5 minutes.

(can I add just a tip. This may seem obvious, but I know the dinner hour is always hectic, with crying and needy kids, so when I have any time earlier in the day..say while the baby is taking an afternoon nap, I always like to start dinner. In this case, I sliced up all the veggies and the chicken ahead of time and just put back in the fridge. That way this meal was very easy to prepare when the time came)

Meanwhile, combine pineapple juice, brown sugar, soy sauce, and corn starch. Add to skillet and bring to a boil (sauce will thicken). Before serving, add pineapple chunks. Serve over rice.