We are a busy household, and often dinner is the only time we find to sit down together and talk about what's going on in our lives. Even as it's just the three of us, we tend to have a hard time agreeing on what makes good eats. I'm outnumbered in the house as the only "fool" who likes onions, and our teenage daughter would gladly eat Fruity Pebbles 24 hours a day if we let her.
I am always looking for healthy new dishes to try out that don't take a lot of time, or that can be prepped ahead and then popped into the oven. This one only takes a few minutes to prepare and it is absolutely scrumptious!
You will need:
1 loaf frozen bread dough (you can make it fresh if you're feeling ambitious)
1 can pineapple rings
8-10 slices of Canadian Bacon
1 medium sized diced tomato (fresh, not canned)
1 Tbsp honey mustard
2 cloves fresh minced garlic
2 Cups of shredded cheese blend (I used Colby, Jack, Mozz and Cheddar blend)
1 tsp olive oil
1 1/2 Cups of Pizza Sauce
Follow the direction on your bread dough and allow it to fully rise. When the dough is ready preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Spread some flour over a smooth surface and begin to stretch your dough out. You may need a rolling pin to get everything even. Once the dough is stretched to your preferred thickness layer Canadian bacon along the bottom, allowing a one inch lip for when you're ready to seal it up. Break the pineapple rings in half and add one half to each slice of Canadian bacon. Stir the diced tomato with the honey mustard and garlic and once even coated, layer it in on top of the pineapple. Generously spread cheese over the top of the tomato and garlic mixture. Pull the top half of the dough down over the inside and tuck that bottom lip up around to seal it. Make three or four small vent slices in the top and brush the outside with olive oil.
Pop that into the oven and bake for twenty to twenty-five minutes.
About five minutes before it comes out of the oven, heat your pizza sauce. When you take it out, slice it into Candian bacon sized servings and top with a dollop of steaming pizza sauce.
The honey mustard adds a nice zing to the sweet and salty mix of the Canadian bacon and pineapple. My teenage picky-eater devoured three slices of this at dinner time tonight!!
The possibilities when it comes to stromboli are endless. My husband, who also said it was pretty darn good, was already adding ingredients like fresh mushrooms and black olives... you know, for next time.
Enjoy!
Showing posts with label Recipes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Recipes. Show all posts
16 November, 2008
13 November, 2008
Cooking With Beans: Vegetarian Bean Wraps
I am not a vegetarian, but I definitely embrace the goodness of a healthy vegetarian meal from time to time. One of our family favorites is vegetarian bean wraps. These zesty wraps have a southwestern flare you can taste, but are mild enough not to upset spice sensitive tummies.
You Will Need:
1 1/2 cups prepared black beans
1 1/2 cups prepared pinto beans
1/2 cup kidney beans
1/4 cup diced onion
1 diced green bell pepper
1 diced
1 can of diced, stewed tomatoes
1 cup corn
2 cloves minced garlic
1 tbsp olive oil
Whole wheat tortillas
Spices: fresh cilantro, 1 tsp. cumin, 1 tsp. chili powder, salt and pepper to taste
In a large skillet heat 1 tbsp of olive oil over medium heat. Add in garlic, cilantro, onions and green pepper. Saute until onions and pepper begin to soften. Add in corn and stir. Allow everything to cook together for about two minutes, then stir in your tomatoes, cumin and chili powder. Let everything simmer for about 5 minutes. If you are using canned beans, drain off all of the liquid before adding them. Slowly add in the beans and stir in salt and pepper. Cover and simmer on medium-low heat for ten to fifteen minutes.
Remove from heat and spoon into warmed tortillas. Wrap and eat!
You can garnish these with sour cream, cheese and a little picante sauces adds a some zing. This colorful, vegetarian dish is a good source of fiber and very filling. Enjoy!
You Will Need:
1 1/2 cups prepared black beans
1 1/2 cups prepared pinto beans
1/2 cup kidney beans
1/4 cup diced onion
1 diced green bell pepper
1 diced
1 can of diced, stewed tomatoes
1 cup corn
2 cloves minced garlic
1 tbsp olive oil
Whole wheat tortillas
Spices: fresh cilantro, 1 tsp. cumin, 1 tsp. chili powder, salt and pepper to taste
In a large skillet heat 1 tbsp of olive oil over medium heat. Add in garlic, cilantro, onions and green pepper. Saute until onions and pepper begin to soften. Add in corn and stir. Allow everything to cook together for about two minutes, then stir in your tomatoes, cumin and chili powder. Let everything simmer for about 5 minutes. If you are using canned beans, drain off all of the liquid before adding them. Slowly add in the beans and stir in salt and pepper. Cover and simmer on medium-low heat for ten to fifteen minutes.
Remove from heat and spoon into warmed tortillas. Wrap and eat!
You can garnish these with sour cream, cheese and a little picante sauces adds a some zing. This colorful, vegetarian dish is a good source of fiber and very filling. Enjoy!
07 November, 2008
Cooking With Beans: Chicken and Rice
As the weather starts to grow colder and the days shorter, we spend a lot more time indoors where it's cozy and warm. This also means a lot of friends dropping by, sometimes unexpected. My family and I tend to eat a lot of slow cooked, savory meals that stick to the bone this time of year, and one of our favorites is a chicken and rice recipe that I inherited from my mother. The great thing about this dish is that it makes enough to feed a small army well, and the ingredients can be easily multiplied if your kids bring in a few extra friends at dinner time.
You will need:
3 cups of chicken stock
4 Chicken leg w/thigh
2 bell peppers cut into strips
1 small onion coarsely chopped
15-20 button mushrooms, whole
2 lbs. coarsely chopped turnips
15-20 cherry or grape tomatoes
2 cups of rice
1/2 lb. of sliced bacon
Spices: Tarragon, parsley, 2 bay leaves, thyme, salt and pepper
Start by spreading the bacon strips out on the bottom of a stock pot. Begin cooking bacon on medium heat and layer the chicken on top. Add turnips, peppers, onion and turnips. Allow the bacon on the bottom to sizzle for about ten minutes so that it forms a nice layer of fat. Add chicken stock and spices, cover and simmer on medium until the chicken is fully cooked. Remove the chicken from the broth and take out the bay leaves. Drain chicken and allow to cool. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Once the chicken has cooled, pick it from the bone and toss pieces back into the broth. After all of the chicken has been added pour in the 2 cups of rice. Return the lid to the pot and pop the whole thing in the oven for about thirty minutes. Pull it out and dump in the tomatoes. Return to the oven covered for another ten minutes.
This is one of the most delicious dishes I have in my recipe box. I hope you'll try it out, and don't be afraid to experiment. No one in my family likes onions, so they are often omitted, or chopped into large enough pieces that I cook with them for flavor, then remove the evidence before deboning the chicken. I have also used turkey bacon and chicken breast when making this for a lower fat solution.
If you do make this dish, definitely let me know how it turned out. Enjoy!
You will need:
3 cups of chicken stock
4 Chicken leg w/thigh
2 bell peppers cut into strips
1 small onion coarsely chopped
15-20 button mushrooms, whole
2 lbs. coarsely chopped turnips
15-20 cherry or grape tomatoes
2 cups of rice
1/2 lb. of sliced bacon
Spices: Tarragon, parsley, 2 bay leaves, thyme, salt and pepper
Start by spreading the bacon strips out on the bottom of a stock pot. Begin cooking bacon on medium heat and layer the chicken on top. Add turnips, peppers, onion and turnips. Allow the bacon on the bottom to sizzle for about ten minutes so that it forms a nice layer of fat. Add chicken stock and spices, cover and simmer on medium until the chicken is fully cooked. Remove the chicken from the broth and take out the bay leaves. Drain chicken and allow to cool. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Once the chicken has cooled, pick it from the bone and toss pieces back into the broth. After all of the chicken has been added pour in the 2 cups of rice. Return the lid to the pot and pop the whole thing in the oven for about thirty minutes. Pull it out and dump in the tomatoes. Return to the oven covered for another ten minutes.
This is one of the most delicious dishes I have in my recipe box. I hope you'll try it out, and don't be afraid to experiment. No one in my family likes onions, so they are often omitted, or chopped into large enough pieces that I cook with them for flavor, then remove the evidence before deboning the chicken. I have also used turkey bacon and chicken breast when making this for a lower fat solution.
If you do make this dish, definitely let me know how it turned out. Enjoy!
15 October, 2008
Cooking with Beans: Scrummy Shepherd's Pie
I won't lie. I'm Scots-Irish and until Monday I had never eaten shepherd's pie. Something about it scared me for years, meat and tomatoes mixed with mashed potatoes. BLAH! Then I realized that what had typically been presented to me as shepherd's pie was not actual shepherd's pie, but the version commonly called cottage pie. The difference between a shepherd's pie and the American-style cottage pie is mostly in the meat used. Shepherd's pie is made with lamb, while cottage pie in America is often made with ground beef. Talk about a heavy drop in the belly. No thanks!
So, I did some shepherd's pie research after hearing Chef Gordon Ramsey talked about his family recipe on his reality television show, Kitchen Nighthmares. I figure if Gordon Ramsey will put something in his mouth and swallow, it can't be that bad.
So, after doing some research, here is the recipe I put together in the end.
You Will Need:
1 lb minced lamb
1 parsnip, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
1 cup peas
10-11 oz can of diced tomatoes
4 oz can tomato sauce
1 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 small online, chopped
1 tbsp flour
1 tsp powdered beef bullion
6 medium russet potatoes
1/2 milk
2 tbsp sour cream
4 tbsp butter
Fresh dill weed, parsley and thyme
1 cup of cheddar cheese
salt and pepper to taste
In a medium pot bring about bring about 8 cups of salted water to a boil. Chunk your potatoes and add to boiling water. While potatoes are boiling, heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in a skillet and add chopped carrot, parsnip, onion and garlic. Before they start to caramelize add minced lamb and stir so that it evenly covers the bottom of the pan. Once lamb begins to brown and appear a little crumbly you'll want to add the teaspoon of powdered bullion. Stir in tomatoes. Add the dill, parsley and thyme and stir. Allow ingredients to simmer for about ten minutes. Check your potatoes. If they are ready for mashing, remove them from the heat and strain the water. Add butter, sour cream, salt, pepper and milk and begin mashing your potatoes. Return to your lamb and tomato mixture and add the tomato sauce and peas. Allow the mixture to bubble slowly, then begin to add the flour. Stir flour thoroughly into mixture and let cook for 5 minuter or so to get rid of any starchy flavor from the flour. Turn on your oven's broiler. Remove from heat and spread the lamb and vegetable mixture in an even layer into a baking dish. Next, layer the mashed potatoes on top and smooth them out. Place the dish under the broiler for three to five minutes, or until potatoes begin to turn golden brown. Remove and add the cheddar cheese. Return to the broiler for another two-three minutes until cheese browns into a nice crispy crust. Allow the dish to sit for about five minutes, and then serve.
Lamb really is so soft and savory in this dish. The carrots and parsnips are a nice flavor contrast to the tomatoes. I'll tell you what, I will never turn my nose up at Shepherd's Pie again, and neither will my family, who incidentally were very impressed with the outcome.
I hope you enjoy.
So, I did some shepherd's pie research after hearing Chef Gordon Ramsey talked about his family recipe on his reality television show, Kitchen Nighthmares. I figure if Gordon Ramsey will put something in his mouth and swallow, it can't be that bad.
So, after doing some research, here is the recipe I put together in the end.
You Will Need:
1 lb minced lamb
1 parsnip, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
1 cup peas
10-11 oz can of diced tomatoes
4 oz can tomato sauce
1 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 small online, chopped
1 tbsp flour
1 tsp powdered beef bullion
6 medium russet potatoes
1/2 milk
2 tbsp sour cream
4 tbsp butter
Fresh dill weed, parsley and thyme
1 cup of cheddar cheese
salt and pepper to taste
In a medium pot bring about bring about 8 cups of salted water to a boil. Chunk your potatoes and add to boiling water. While potatoes are boiling, heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in a skillet and add chopped carrot, parsnip, onion and garlic. Before they start to caramelize add minced lamb and stir so that it evenly covers the bottom of the pan. Once lamb begins to brown and appear a little crumbly you'll want to add the teaspoon of powdered bullion. Stir in tomatoes. Add the dill, parsley and thyme and stir. Allow ingredients to simmer for about ten minutes. Check your potatoes. If they are ready for mashing, remove them from the heat and strain the water. Add butter, sour cream, salt, pepper and milk and begin mashing your potatoes. Return to your lamb and tomato mixture and add the tomato sauce and peas. Allow the mixture to bubble slowly, then begin to add the flour. Stir flour thoroughly into mixture and let cook for 5 minuter or so to get rid of any starchy flavor from the flour. Turn on your oven's broiler. Remove from heat and spread the lamb and vegetable mixture in an even layer into a baking dish. Next, layer the mashed potatoes on top and smooth them out. Place the dish under the broiler for three to five minutes, or until potatoes begin to turn golden brown. Remove and add the cheddar cheese. Return to the broiler for another two-three minutes until cheese browns into a nice crispy crust. Allow the dish to sit for about five minutes, and then serve.
Lamb really is so soft and savory in this dish. The carrots and parsnips are a nice flavor contrast to the tomatoes. I'll tell you what, I will never turn my nose up at Shepherd's Pie again, and neither will my family, who incidentally were very impressed with the outcome.
I hope you enjoy.
14 October, 2008
Cooking with Beans: Zesty Fiesta Chicken and Pasta
Lately we've been longing to spend less time running around and more time at home. That was why we bought a house in the first place, wasn't it? So, as part of our quest to spend more time at home I have been trying a lot of new things in the kitchen so dinners stay interesting.
I wanted to share two of my new recipes because both end results were so tasty, I can't wait for an opportunity to make them again.
My first dish was inspired by a bite from a frozen dinner I had a few years ago that was actually pretty good for frozen, prepackaged food. I wanted to recreate the dish with my own spin, so I sat down and tried to think about the flavors I remembered. Here's what I came up with.
Fiesta Chicken and Pasta in Cheese Sauce
You will need:
1 lb. Penne Pasta
2lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breast
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 small white onion, chopped
1 tsp. Cumin
1 tsps. Chili Powder
8 oz. can of green chiles (undrained)
8-10 oz low fat sour cream
10 3/4 oz can of cream of chicken soup
3 cups shredded colby-jack cheese
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 cups crushed corn chips
Salt and pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place a medium sized pot of water on a back burner on medium-high heat and add a dash of salt. While you're waiting for your water to start boiling add oil and minced garlic to a large pan. As the garlic browns, chop chicken breast into bite sized chunks and add into the oil. Once the chicken begins turning white, cut open a piece to make sure it's about 3/4 cooked. Add the chiles, cumin and chili powder. Simmer the chicken and chile mixture for about five minutes, and then add the cream of chicken soup. Stir until all ingredients are mixed well. Allow to simmer on medium heat for five minutes. Slowly stir in sour cream and simmer once more for about five minutes. About this time your pasta water should be boiling, so pour the pasta in and stir to keep them from sticking. Returning to the sauce, add two cups of colby jack cheese slowly your sauce mixture. Reduce heat to low, and allow the sauce to simmer. Stir occasionally while the pasta cooks. When the pasta is finished cooking, drain the water and pour it into a baking dish. Add the sauce mixture and thoroughly stir. Spread the remaining cup of colby jack cheese over the top and then do the same with the crushed corn chips. Bake for twenty minutes, or until sauce starts to bubble up into the chip crust.
This is so simple to make, but it's zesty and melt in your mouth cheesy. Low fat and/or organic ingredients can easily be substituted for a healthier alternative. This is a great covered dish to take to pot luck suppers! ENJOY.
Tune in next for Shepard's Pie a la Beans.
I wanted to share two of my new recipes because both end results were so tasty, I can't wait for an opportunity to make them again.
My first dish was inspired by a bite from a frozen dinner I had a few years ago that was actually pretty good for frozen, prepackaged food. I wanted to recreate the dish with my own spin, so I sat down and tried to think about the flavors I remembered. Here's what I came up with.
Fiesta Chicken and Pasta in Cheese Sauce
You will need:
1 lb. Penne Pasta
2lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breast
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 small white onion, chopped
1 tsp. Cumin
1 tsps. Chili Powder
8 oz. can of green chiles (undrained)
8-10 oz low fat sour cream
10 3/4 oz can of cream of chicken soup
3 cups shredded colby-jack cheese
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 cups crushed corn chips
Salt and pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place a medium sized pot of water on a back burner on medium-high heat and add a dash of salt. While you're waiting for your water to start boiling add oil and minced garlic to a large pan. As the garlic browns, chop chicken breast into bite sized chunks and add into the oil. Once the chicken begins turning white, cut open a piece to make sure it's about 3/4 cooked. Add the chiles, cumin and chili powder. Simmer the chicken and chile mixture for about five minutes, and then add the cream of chicken soup. Stir until all ingredients are mixed well. Allow to simmer on medium heat for five minutes. Slowly stir in sour cream and simmer once more for about five minutes. About this time your pasta water should be boiling, so pour the pasta in and stir to keep them from sticking. Returning to the sauce, add two cups of colby jack cheese slowly your sauce mixture. Reduce heat to low, and allow the sauce to simmer. Stir occasionally while the pasta cooks. When the pasta is finished cooking, drain the water and pour it into a baking dish. Add the sauce mixture and thoroughly stir. Spread the remaining cup of colby jack cheese over the top and then do the same with the crushed corn chips. Bake for twenty minutes, or until sauce starts to bubble up into the chip crust.
This is so simple to make, but it's zesty and melt in your mouth cheesy. Low fat and/or organic ingredients can easily be substituted for a healthier alternative. This is a great covered dish to take to pot luck suppers! ENJOY.
Tune in next for Shepard's Pie a la Beans.
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