Black Bean Pizza

I've been trying to make quick, easy & portable meals to take to the soccer games. I made this last night and really liked it. The only difference I would do is to add a little bit of flare--either sour cream & taco seasoning mixed or salsa over the top. I'm guessing this recipe will be right up Denise's alley. :)

Ingredients

1 15-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed (I used pinto beans and it was yummy!)
1 cup thawed frozen corn kernels
4 plum tomatoes, chopped into 1/4-inch pieces
1/2 cup chopped scallions
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 avocado, diced into 1/4-inch pieces
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
16 ounces pizza dough, regular or whole-wheat
1 cup finely shredded reduced-fat sharp cheddar

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. and place an empty baking sheet on the middle rack.

2. In a medium bowl, combine the blackbeans, corn, tomatoes, scallions, cumin, chili powder, avocado, salt and black pepper; set aside.

3. Working on a lightly floured surface, roll the pizza dough into a 13-inch circle. Transfer to warmed baking sheet and crimp the edges slightly to form a lip at the edge of the crust. Top with black bean mixture, sprinkle with the cheese and bake 20 minutes or until crust is golden brown. Cut into 8 slices and serve

Chicken Club Pizza

I got my new Kraft magazine in the mail the other day. I love this little magazine. I loved it better when it was free and now they charge for it. So I was flipping through it and folding down corners on pages, marking the recipes I definitely wanted to try soon. One of them that I came across was for Chicken Club Pizza. It looked soooo good. Bacon? check. Chicken? check. Ranch dressing? check. Mmm... So I decided to make it for dinner last night because I had most of the ingredients on hand anyway. My kids really liked this pizza, and Adam literally ate half of it. The leftovers are good too, and you can preheat it like suggested a few posts below, in a dry pan on the stove so it stays crisp and not soggy like the microwave.


Photo courtesy Kraftrecipes.com

Chicken Club Pizza

1 can (13.8 oz.) refrigerated pizza crust (you can make your own, but I bought the can since I wasn't sure how big to really make the crust. If you make your own, make it to be the size of a jelly roll pan)

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1/2 cup KRAFT Ranch Dressing, divided

1-1/2 cups KRAFT cheddar cheese

1-1/2 cups finely chopped cooked chicken (I cooked mine with salt, pepper, and garlic powder)

8 slices OSCAR MAYER Bacon, cooked, crumbled

1-1/2 cups finely shredded lettuce

1 tomato, finely chopped

Preheat oven to 400ºF. Unroll pizza dough on baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray; press into 15x10-inch rectangle. Bake 10 min.

Mix mayo and 1/3 cup dressing; spread onto crust. Top with half the cheese, chicken, remaining cheese and bacon.

Bake 5 min. or until crust is deep golden brown and cheese is melted. Top with lettuce and tomatoes; drizzle with remaining dressing.

Sweet and Sour Chicken

I used to buy Costco’s Orange chicken in the freezer section for Chinese night. Then I tried this recipe. Josh (the hubby) thinks it tastes way better than the Costco version and costs a ton less! Win-win! It is a family favorite, even the baby “yums” while eating it.  It is a little time consuming but worth it…in my hubby’s opinion! This is one of my go to recipes for when we have guests over for dinner. I always get compliments on how great it taste and the tenderness of the chicken. Enjoy!

Sweet and Sour Chicken
Courtesy Mel's Kitchen Cafe

Chicken:

3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts ( I always use thighs because that's what we have!)
Salt and pepper
1 cup cornstarch
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup canola oil

Cut boneless chicken breasts into chunks. Season with salt and pepper. Dip chicken in cornstarch and then in egg. Fry in a little oil until brown but not cooked through. Place in a single layer in a glass baking dish. Mix sauce ingredients (below) together and pour over chicken.

Sauce:
¾ cup sugar
4 tablespoons ketchup
½ cup vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon garlic salt

*Note: if you like extra sauce, double the sauce ingredients – pour half over the chicken and follow the baking directions in the recipe and pour the other half in a small saucepan. Cook the sauce on the stove top at a simmer for 8-10 minutes until it reduces and thickens. Serve it on the side of the chicken

Bake for one hour at 325 degrees in a glass pan. Turn chicken every 15 minutes so it is evenly coated with the sauce. Serve over rice or with Celeste’s easy fried rice! When cut in smaller pieces, bite sized, bake for 30-40 minutes!

Serves 4-6

My Go-To Cupcake recipe

I can't take credit for this recipe. My friend had this "doctored up" version on her blog and now it's the only way I make cupcakes. Super sweet and so yummy and moist, not dry like normal cake mixes. My only complaint is that they fall flat, which I've noticed happens more if I whip the batter too much so try to stir just until the ingredients are fully blended.

No matter, though, since I cover them in homemade cream cheese frosting and you can't see the tops anyway. And no picture, since you all know what cupcakes look like :) Maybe I'll post one later when I'm not so lazy.

Cake Mix (any brand, any flavor)
1/2 cup butter, melted
4 eggs, room temperature
1/2 cup water
1 cup sour cream
1 small box instant pudding (to match your cake mix, like vanilla for yellow or vanilla cake, or chocolate for chocolate cake. I've never made any other kind of cupcake, though, so I don't know what to do with red velvet mixes. I wonder what banada pudding would do to a cake mix though....)

Mix all together and bake according to package directions. These actually make like 25-26 cupcakes.

Spaghetti Carbonara

Kristi and I are trying to eat pasta on Friday nights since we are in the thick of training for our 3rd marathon (Salt Lake on April 16th). Our initial plan was to go to Boston since we qualified for the marathon, but it filled in 8 hours and we missed our chance. :( The Salt Lake Marathon is the same weekend, so we'll be having our own Boston here in Utah. :)

Anyway--I had Kristi's family and a mutual friend's fammily over for dinner last night. I wanted to try a different pasta dish since I've recently made Lasagna and Baked Ziti. My search brought me to Allrecipes where I found this recipe with 709 votes for a 4.5 star rating. Sounded like a lot of people liked it. I made it--it was super easy and fed a crowd easily. Next time I'll use Italian Sausage instead of the bacon, but it was still very good.

On the reviews of the recipe, someone mentioned this would be a good recipe for a brunch. And, even though the sauce is made from eggs--you can't taste them and it's very smooth. I was afraid it would be scrambled eggs and bacon in spaghetti, and it wasn't.

Spaghetti Carbonara II

Prep Time: 20 Minutes

Cook Time: 20 Minutes Ready In: 40 Minutes

Servings: 8

"Crispy bacon and sauteed onions and garlic are tossed with cooked spaghetti, beaten eggs and a generous measure of Parmesan cheese. The heat from the pan and the hot pasta will cook the eggs and melt the cheese. Garnish with parsley and extra cheese."

INGREDIENTS:
1 pound spaghetti
1 tablespoon olive oil
8 slices bacon, diced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup dry white wine (optional)
4 eggs
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 pinch salt and black pepper to taste
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook spaghetti pasta until al dente. Drain well. Toss with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, and set aside.

2. Meanwhile in a large skillet, cook chopped bacon until slightly crisp; remove and drain onto paper towels. Reserve 2 tablespoons of bacon fat; add remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil, and heat in reused large skillet. Add chopped onion, and cook over medium heat until onion is translucent. Add minced garlic, and cook 1 minute more. Add wine if desired; cook one more minute.

3. Return cooked bacon to pan; add cooked and drained spaghetti. Toss to coat and heat through, adding more olive oil if it seems dry or is sticking together. Mix cheese with beaten eggs and add to pasta. Cook, tossing constantly with tongs or large fork until eggs are barely set. Quickly add 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, and toss again. Add salt and pepper to taste (remember that bacon and Parmesan are very salty).

4. Serve immediately with chopped parsley sprinkled on top, and extra Parmesan cheese at table.

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © 2011 Allrecipes.com Printed from Allrecipes.com 3/2/2011


A review from the site said:
It's a great recipe with some modifications. An Italian friend of mine who cooks told me that the proper way to make smooth Carbonara sauce is to combine the beaten eggs with the grated parmesan, and then to pour that mixture onto the spaghetti once the spaghetti has cooled slightly (so that it's still hot, but so that the eggs don't cook and the cheese melts seamlessly into the eggs and pasta). I tried that, and the sauce was unbelievably creamy! A few other changes I made - I used less pasta, pancetta instead of bacon, and grated a brick of fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano for a sharper flavour - so that was about 3 cups of grated cheese instead of 1 cup. The final product was full of flavour and my guests wanted seconds - and no need to add salt. I didn't use wine because I didn't have any at the moment, but next time I will - it will probably add some interesting dimension. Also tips on reheating in microwave - if it's on a high setting, it will cook the egg and the pasta will solidify. I reheat mine on medium heat so the sauce stays creamy.

Lemon Ricotta Pancakes

My new favorite pancake...a must try!!! This is a refreshing light and flavorful pancake. No need for syrup it is that good!

Lemon Ricotta Pancakes

3/4 c flour

1 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
3 T sugar
2 eggs
1/3 c milk
1/3 c canola oil
1 c ricotta cheese
juice and zest of 1 lemon

Combine dry ingredients. In a separate bowl combine the wet ingredients, and then mix with the dry ingredients. Add lemon juice and zest. Pour approximately 1/4 c batter on grill or skillet (400 degrees). Cook until golden brown. Flip once. Arrange on a plate and dust with confectioner's sugar.

Palm Springs Salad

This is not really the name of the salad, but we ate it while in California. I decided to try it at home because I thought it was so yummy.

Spinach or Lettuce
Kalamata Olives (they taste like green ones so you can substitute there since they are pricey, also they usually come with seeds)
Assorted Peppers
Roasted Red Pepper Italian Dressing
Parmesan Cheese

Prepare the peppers with enough time to chill them before serving. Slice and saute for 3-5 minutes so they are crisp tender. Refrigerate until cool. Prepare salad and toss with olives and peppers. Sprinkle Parmesan Cheese (You could even add sundried tomatoes) and croutons.Serve with dressing.

This was so good. I know it sounds a little different, but even Brent liked it!!! It's easy and gourmet. So up my alley.

Baked Creamy Chicken Taquitos

I was flipping through my parents LDS Living magazine a couple weeks ago and came across this recipe. I thought it sounded and looked soooo good, plus it is a baked-not-fried recipe which I love. I'm up for anything that is a healthier version of something I love, like taquitos! The recipe comes from a couple of Mormon girls who have a recipe blog and just won a big recipe contest on Better Homes and Gardens. Their blog is here and looks super cool! I'm looking forward to browsing through it to see what else they come up with. My kids loved these taquitos and ate a ton of them, which never happens in my house!

Photo courtesy LDS Living magazine

•1/3 cup (3 ounces) cream cheese
•¼ cup green salsa
•1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
•½ teaspoon cumin
•1 teaspoon chili powder
•½ teaspoon onion powder
•¼ teaspoon granulated garlic
•3 tablespoons chopped cilantro
•2 tablespoons chopped green onions
•2 cups cooked, shredded chicken
•1 cup grated pepper jack cheese
•6-inch corn or flour tortillas (as fresh as possible; the longer they sit, the more likely they are to crack)- I used flour tortillas, by the way
•Nonstick cooking spray OR
•2 tablespoons vegetable oil (optional)
•Kosher salt

Heat oven to 425° F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray it lightly with cooking spray.

Heat cream cheese in the microwave 20–30 seconds so it’s soft and easy to stir. Add green salsa, lime juice, cumin, chili powder, onion powder, and granulated garlic. Stir to combine and then add cilantro, green onions, chicken, and pepper jack cheese.
 
Wrap 3 to 4 tortillas at a time in damp paper towels and microwave 20–30 seconds so they are soft and pliable (I think this is only for corn tortillas, since my flour ones were already pliable). If you find your tortillas are cracking when rolled, use damper paper towels and increase the microwave time.


Place 2 to 3 tablespoons of the chicken mixture on the lower third of each tortilla, keeping it about half inch from the edges, and then roll it up.

Place seam-side down on the baking sheet in a single layer. Spray the tops lightly with cooking spray or brush with vegetable oil. Sprinkle with a pinch of kosher salt on top. Place pan in the oven and bake 15–20 minutes or until crisp and the ends start to get golden brown. Cool 5–10 minutes and then serve with sour cream, guacamole, salsa, or pico de gallo.

Make Ahead: To make dinnertime assembly a breeze, prepare filling up to 2 days ahead of time and store in the fridge in an airtight container.

Freezer Instructions: Place unbaked taquitos in a single layer of a baking sheet and place in the freezer for 2 hours or until frozen enough to hold their shape. Pack in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. To bake, follow the same instructions, extending the baking time by 10 minutes.