Have Chicken, Bacon & Ranch. Will Make Pizza!

In my house pizza is always a winner for dinner any night. However, I am always up for trying something new and different. Pizza can be a great way of getting creative and cleaning out the fridge at the same time!

photo credit: Feisty Fork

   The other day I was perusing the perusing the internet looking for new ideas to add to my list of must try's when I came upon a post over at The Feisty Fork. It immediately caught my eye as a yummy and easy dinner choice for a weeknight meal. Because, it was a Monday I cheated with the Top This! Pizza Crusts instead of a making my own dough or using frozen. However, it did cut the prep time down significantly!

Makes 2 Pizza's

 1 Package of Whole Wheat or White Top This! Pizza Crusts
 8 oz of your favorite ranch dressing
 1 package of Supreme Shredded Cheddar Cheese
 2 Maine Backyard Tomatoes diced
 1 red onion chopped
 1 cup of corn kernels
 1/2 lb of cooked Plumrose Bacon crumbled
 3 grilled chicken breasts chopped

Preheat the oven to 500*f or the grill to 600*f. If you are using a  pizza stone make sure to preheat the stone in the oven or on the grill.

  Using a spoon or spatula evenly spread the ranch dressing down on the base of the pizza as you would the sauce. Next layer on the rest of the toppings to evenly cove the crust of the pizza. Make sure to not gather too many toppings in the center of the crust as it will weight it down and get soggy. Finish the pizza with the cheese.

 Bake in the oven for 10 to 12 minutes or until the edges of the crust are golden brown and the cheese is melted. Let the pizza sit for 2 to 4 minutes before slicing so you do not pull the topping when cutting.
 Slice and enjoy with a yummy summer salad or fresh garden veggies on the side!

Fresh Lemon Garlic Grilled Shrimp Caesar Salad

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

photo credit: The Salon

  I had found an amazing looking salad over at the Salon Kitchen Challenge. It was the winning entry by Lucy Mercer for a Loaded Caesar Salad with lemon, garlic shrimp and avocado. It had immediately caught my eye and stomach. The salad itself is so versatile, in being that you can add more fresh veggies, change the shrimp for salmon, chicken or steak of just leave it as is (which is excellent!)

I have made a few adaptions from Lucy's Original Recipe work with what is available from the Cowtruck and to also adapt to what I already had in my fridge too ;)

Caesar Dressing:

 2 lg egg yolks
 1 tbsp  of fresh lemon juice
 1 tbsp of white wine vinegar
 1/2 tsp of  Worcestershire sauce
 1 tbsp of Dijon mustard
 1/4 tsp of anchovy paste*
 1/4 cup of olive oil**

 In a blender combine all of the ingredients, except for the oil, and blend until full combined (you can whisk if a blender is not available.) Slowly add the oil the other ingredients until it is emulsified. Refrigerate the dressing until ready to serve. Can be made ahead by 4 hours.

* I keep a tube of anchovy paste in my refrigerator at all times. It is easier and more economical than dealing with cans of anchovies.
** Note that the recipe calls for olive oil not extra virgin olive oil. The EVOO flavor will be too strong for the dressing and over power the rest of the ingredients.

For the Salad:
 
 2 heads of romaine lettuce chopped into 1 inch bite sized pieces
 1/4 cup of grated Atwell's Gold Cheese from Narragansett Creamery
 1/2 red onion diced
 1 avocado diced
 
 Just before serving toss the lettuce in the dressing. Equally the divide the lettuce onto four salad plates. Top each bowl with avocado and red onion and a sprinkling of Atwell's Gold Cheese.  Lay 2 skewers of cooked over each bowl of salad

Lemon Garlic Shrimp

 32 peeled shrimp 
 3 cloves of garlic, minced
 2 tbsp of olive oil
 3 tbsp of fresh lemon juice
 sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
 soak 8 -  4" skewers in water

 In a large bowl combine all of the ingredients and whisk together.  Toss the shrimp in the marinade until it is fully dressed. Cover the bowl and let it rest in the refrigerator for at least one hour.
 Skewer the marinaded shrimp five to six shrimp to a skewer.
On a preheated grill (medium to 400*f) lay the skewers on the grill grates and brush with the remaining marinade. After about 4 minutes flip the shrimp and cook until they are pink (about 1 to 2 minutes.)

 In place of the croutons I had made bread sticks using frozen pizza dough.

1lb of defrosted whole wheat pizza dough defrosted.
2 tbsp of melted unsalted butter
3 cloves of crushed garlic
sea salt & pepper to taste
sprinkling of chopped parsley

 Defrost the dough and work it into 8 equal sized balls. Roll the ball into tubes about 1/2 - 3/4 in thick and about 3 to 4" long.
 On a lined baking sheet or warm pizza stone place the bread sticks into a preheated 450*f degree oven for 12 to 14 minutes or until golden brown.
Pull the rack with bread stick out of the oven and brush the tops of the bread sticks with the melted butter and sprinkle with the salt, pepper, garlic and parsley. Return the rack to it's place and bake for another 2 to 3 minutes.
Serve the bread sticks warm with the salad.

DIY Deviled Egg Bar

  Bring it Back Old School with a Deviled Egg Bar!

Photo Credit: Maddycakes Muse

  Deviled Eggs were a staple of my youth. You could expect to find them at every family gathering, holiday and garden party. My mother even had a plate that was in the shape of the chicken with small grooves in place to hold the eggs so they would not slide around.
 Over the past few years I have seen deviled eggs appear as a retro option on an appetizer menu with different twists on the classic like: pulled pork, raisins and curry, and always bacon. It was recently when I was out with some girlfriends that I heard of the Deviled Egg Bar that was recently featured as the main appetizer at a hen party. It sounded so cool and fun! Immediately my attention was focused and now obsessed with having one myself.

Photo Credit: Maddycakes Muse

 There are several things that are pretty amazing about having a Deviled Egg Bar:

1.   You can let your guest get creative and have fun with their food
2. It is a relatively simple set up and you are not having to worry about making 5 different apps for the party. (A cheese board or veggie tray is the only addition you may need!)
3. Much of the prep can be done ahead of time allowing for less stress!!!
4. Everyone will walk away amazed at your ingeniousness and what a great host/ hostess you are! 

Martie Knows Parties

The Toppings selection is where you have all the fun! 

Keeping all the offering chopped into small bits so they can be sprinkled onto the yolk mixture and stick is very important. If the pieces are too big they will slide off and end up on the plate not the egg.

Here is a list of some of my favorites:  Apple wood Smoked Bacon, Blue Cheese, Crab, Capers, Curry Powder, Olives, raisins, Sun Dried Tomatoes, Pimentos, Roasted Red Pepper, Smoked Salmon, Ham or Prosciutto, Shrimp, Crab, Lemon Zest, Lobster bits, Feta Cheese Crumbles, Caviar, Sour Cream and assorted Fresh Herbs (basil, cilantro, chives, dill, parsley.)

Cauliflower and Potato Salad

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photo Credit: Eating Well Living Well

   It is no secret that for years I have been adding cauliflower to mashed potatoes, soups and other such things in order to cut down on the amount of starch and add some extra vegetable to a dish. Often times I will not announce this until after the meal has been devoured and the accolades given. It is the surprise of the diner's face that gets me every time, when they realize they have just eaten cauliflower (something they often attest to being a vegetable they do not usually like!)

 Now masking cauliflower in potato salad is little bit harder, nonetheless; over at the Guilty Kitchen I have found a delicious and mouthwatering recipe for a Cauliflower and Potato Salad that children of all ages and of the finickiest palates will enjoy! 

Cauliflower and Potato Salad: adapted from: Guilty Kitchen

Yield: 6 healthy servings

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cooking Time: 15 minutes

Can be made one day ahead of serving

1 head of Cauliflower, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

1 lb of Narragansett White Potatoes, cut into 1/2 inch cubes

1 1/2 cups of peas

2 tbsp of olive oil 

2 large Christoper Ranch Shallots, sliced*

2 cloves of garlic, minced*

2 tbsp of white wine vinegar

3 tbsp of olive oil 

1 tbsp of horseradish

sea salt & fresh ground pepper to taste

2/3 cups of Narragansett Creamery Sea Salt Feta, crumbled

1 tsp Dijon mustard

1 tbsp mayonnaise

2 tbsp of Stonyfield Plain Yogurt

 

 In a medium size pot soak your cut potatoes in cold salted water for at least 30 minutes. Strain and rinse the potatoes. Refill the pot with room temperature water and return the potatoes to the pot and boil the potatoes on the stove until they are fork tender. Once they are done remove them from the stove, strain them and allow the potatoes to cool in the colander to drain of all excess water.

 In a steamer, steam the cut cauliflower until it is al dente, has a slight crisp, about 6 to 8 minutes. Allow the cauliflower to cool to room temperature. 

 Using the same steamer cook the peas for 4 minutes. Remove from the steamer and set aside to cool.

 In a small saute pan heat the 2 tbsp of olive oil over medium heat. When the olive oil begins to swirl and dance in the pan add the garlic and shallots. Saute until the shallots are translucent, about for to five minutes. 

 In a small mixing bowl add the following ingredients to make the dressing: olive oil, horseradish, salt and pepper, crumbled feta cheese, Dijon, mayo and yogurt. Stir until well combined.  Combine with the garlic and shallots. 

 Combine the potatoes, cauliflower and peas in a large mixing bowl. Add the dressing and gently toss the ingredients together making sure to coat evenly. 

 Cover the bowl and chill in the refrigerator until it is ready to be served!!

*If you do not want to use the garlic and shallots, chopped red onion can be substituted. Use 1/2 cup of fresh raw red onion (do not saute it.)

Mini French Toast!

Cinnamon Sugar French Toast Bites by: Multiply Delicious

 I love breakfast! However, from Monday to Friday I am not all that great at finding the extra few minutes in the morning to do anything more than pour myself a bowl of cereal or add some water to instant oatmeal. On a recent trip to the grocery store I had checked out a few different breakfast items in the freezer aisle that might be good items to have available. 
 After a brief perusing and label reading of the options available I had decided that it would be healthier for myself to make at home and freeze. Personally I have a thing about being able to identify and pronounce all the ingredients in the food that myself or those I care about will be consuming...

 French Toast Bites (or Sticks depending on what you prefer.) 

 As a child french toast was one of my favorite breakfasts to have, smothered in syrup, powdered sugar and butter! It can also be made ahead in bulk and frozen for reheating in the toaster oven or microwave quickly and easily too for a quick breakfast or snack.

Ingredients:
 
  8- 10 Slices of Bread* ( I prefer Cinnamon Raisin Bread)
  4 Eggs
  1 cup Milk**
  2 tablespoons of Sugar
  1 teaspoon of Vanilla Extract
  1/4 teaspoon of Ground Cinnamon
  1 tablespoon of Maple Syrup

  2 tablespoons of melted butter for brushing.

Preheat oven to 425*F

Stack the bread four to five slices high and cut into thirds lengthwise and again width wise to make small bite sizes pieces about one inch square. Set the bread aside until it is ready for dipping.

 In a large shallow bowl combine all of the ingredients (eggs, sugar, milk, vanilla, cinnamon and syrup.) Whisk together all of the ingredients until fully combined. Add about 10 pieces of the bread at a time to the mixture using a slotted spoon to toss them around the mixture to get fully coated. Use the spoon to transfer the cubes to a non-stick or greased cookie sheet brush the tops of the bites with the butter. You might need two cookie sheets.

  Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until the tops are browned. Remove the pan from the oven, turn the bites over and brush with remaining butter. Return the pan to the oven and bake for another 6 to 8 minutes, or until the the bites are browned.

  Set aside a few to eat right away and let the rest cool on a bakers racks. Once the bites are cooled transfer 9 bites to a snack back and put them in the freezer to freeze. I will add all the snack bags to one large Ziploc freezer bag for better organization in the freezer and label and date the large freezer bag. To reheat the bites either heat them in the toaster oven 3 to 5 minutes or in the microwave for 1 minute. They can be microwaved right in the bag for a really quick snack on the go.

*If you have some bread left over that is a bit stale or is on it way to getting there that is best type of bread to use for making french toast. It will hold up to the egg dip much better and won't be as mushy.

** Milk: When cooking with milk I find that either low fat or whole milk is best, skim milk has a tendency to get watery. Buttermilk can also be used for a different flavor.

Alfredo. Alfredo. Alfredo

Kitchen Daily ~ Fettuccine Alfredo with Zucchini

Happy Fettuccine Alfredo Day!!! 

   An Alfredo sauce is one of the most versatile sauces that one can learn how to make and extremely easy too. You can have it with fresh or frozen vegetables, with chicken, steak or seafood. You can even customize the recipe to add more or less cheese and butter to make it as creamy and rich as you like. 

 In effort to continue with the my resolution of trying to eat and cook healthier meals I have made a few changes to the traditional Alfredo recipe that uses lots of heavy cream and butter and made a few substitutions like low fat milk less butter (there is not real substitute for the flavor of butter in my view.)

   

Narragansett Creamery Herb & Garlic Angelito

Basic garlic and Herb Alfredo Sauce:

 1 tablespoon of Sommer Maid Unsalted Butter

 1 teaspoon of  fresh lemon zest

 2 teaspoons of all purpose flour

 1 cup of Low Fat Munroe Dairy Milk

 2 tablespoons of Narragansett Creamy Garlic & Herb Angelito Cheese

 3/4 cup of grated Narragansett Creamery Atwells Gold Cheese

 Sea Salt & Pepper to Taste

12 ounces of Fresh Fettuccine or 1 lb of Dried Fettuccine Pasta

 Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the fettuccine and cook until al dente ( having a slight snap left to the pasta.) Once the pasta is cooked strain and drizzle with olive oil to prevent clumping. Reserve a cup of the pasta water and set aside to cool. 

 In a large skillet melt the butter over medium heat, careful not to brown or burn. Add the lemon zest cook for 1 minute until you smell the scent of lemon. Add the flour and stir with a wooden spoon, cook for about one minute or until you smell a slightly nutty scent. Using a whisk introduce the milk slowly stirring the constantly to prevent scalding. Once the sauce has begun to thicken, about three minutes, add the salt & pepper, Angelito Cheese and Atwells Gold Cheese. Continue whisking until the cheese is melted and fully combined. 

 Add the pasta to the skillet using a pasta fork or kitchen tings to mix. If the needed add a bit of pasta water to the Alfredo to loosen the pasta.

  If you want to add fresh veggies like zucchini ribbons, peas, or broccoli add them in after the Angelito and Atwells Gold. 

 As for meat you can cook in the  pan before hand and setting it aside to be re introduced after the cheese has  melted. Do not clean the pan between cooking the meat and the sauce, leaving the little bits of meat for flavor to cook into the sauce. Add the meat to the sauce after the  cheese has melted and the before adding the pasta. 

Spinach, Oven Raosted Tomato and Cheese Souffle

photo credit: Mango Tango

 My Grandmother, Betsy, was a woman of very few dishes. In fact all that I can remember were three chicken curry, tandoori leg of lamb and souffle. The later of the three is one that she was most proud of. for the fact that she could always make it from memory using anything that she found in the ice box or in the cupboards and it would always rise to perfection and taste amazing.
  While last night I took my turn at making a Spinach, Roasted Tomato and Cheese Souffle. Inside her old copy of Larousse Gastronomique I had found her notes on souffle making and decided I would take them to task.


Spinach, Roasted Tomato & Cheese Souffle:

Ingredients
cooking spray 
3egg yolks 
3 egg whites at room temperature
2 tablespoons of butter
1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
1/4 cup flour 
1/2 cup 1% milk
1.5 cups of grated Atwells Gold Cheese
1 cup of sauteed spinach*
1/2 cup of oven roasted grape tomatoes*
1 shallot diced

Directions 
Preheat the oven to 350. 

 Spray a 1.5 quart souffle dish with cooking spray and dust with flour. 

 Melt the butter in a medium pan. Add flour, stir constantly till it's combined, smooth and bubbly. Add in milk and continue to cook until the mixture is smooth and thick. Add cheese, stir to melt. Add spinach, tomatoes and shallots. Combine. Remove from heat and let cool
In a separate bowl. Beat the egg yolk until they become a pale yellow and frothy. Add to the cooled spinach, cheese and tomato mixture.
 Using a hand mixer or counter top mixer beat the egg whites and cornstarch to medium/ stiff peaks (about 4-5 minutes.) Do not beat them until they are dry.
 Using a silicone spatula gently fold the egg whites into the spinach, tomato, cheese combination. Transfer the mixture to the coated souffle bowl and bake for 30 to 35 minute at 350*f or until the the souffle has expanded and the top is golden brown. 
* It is very important not to bang your spatula on the side of the mixing bowl or to drop the souffle pan on the  counter. This can cause your souffle not to rise! Also leaving the door of the oven closed during baking is equally important.

Sauteed Spinach

Ingredients
cooking spray 
1 package of Whole Spinach (rinsed)
2 cloves of garlic crushed
1 tablespoon of Olive Oil 
Salt and Pepper to Taste


 In a large saute pan over medium high heat add the olive oil and garlic. Once the olive oil is warm add the rinsed spinach. Using a pair of tongs turn the spinach in the pan to ensure that it cooks evenly and does not brown and become bitter. 
 Drain and set aside. 

photo credit: GastroPig

Oven Roasted Grape Tomatoes

Ingredients
 

1 package of Grapes Tomatoes, cut in half
1 tablespoon of Olive Oil 
1 tablespoon of Herbs d'Provence
Salt and Pepper to Taste

Preheat the oven to 250*f


 Ina  large bowl combine the toamtoes, herbs, salt, pepper and olive oil. Toss together evenly coating all of the toamtoes. 
 On a lined sheet pan spread out the tomatoes cut side up. Place in oven and roast for 40 - 45 minutes or utill the tomaotes are brown at the edges and semi dehydrated. Be carefull not burn them as they will become bitter to the taste. 
Store extra toamtoes in a ziploc bag int he freezer or in a jar with olive oil in the fridge.