Easy Pizza

Sunday nights at our house is usually a light dinner that is fast and easy.  This has become one of our favorites, thanks Nancy Bittle!  You can use whatever you have on hand.  I'll usually use leftover grilled chicken or rotitsserie chicken.



1 large flour tortilla, burrito size

2 T pesto, homemade or commercial

5 slices provolone cheese
mozarella cheese
Parmesean cheese

grilled chicken strips or rotisserie chicken
pepperoni

broccoli, red or green peppers, onion, garlic, artichoke hearts, or anything you have in fridge

Place baking stone in 400 oven while preheating.  Place tortilla on stone and brush with pesto. Let this bake for about 5 minutes.  Cover with provolone cheese and bake until cheese melts, about 3 minutes.  Saute vegetables in a little olive oil. When vegetables are lightly sauteed, spread them and chicken or meats over tortilla that has melted cheese.  Top with mozarella and parmesean and put back in oven until cheese melts.

You can use any kind of cheese that you like and the amounts don't really matter. Just make it to suit your taste.

Fiesta Black Beans

When we made these at the Invisible Chef, people always asked for the recipe.  It's hard to write, since it's just a little of this and that, but I'll give it a try.

1/2 cup diced onion
1/2 cup each diced green and red pepper
1 small jalapeno, seeded and diced
1 t. olive oil
1 can black beans, drained
2 t. cumin
Salt and pepper to taste
juice of 1/2 lime

Saute onion and peppers for about 2-3 minutes in olive oil.  Add beans, cumin and lime juice and heat till warmed.

My Grandmother's Cornbread

Another recipe I have been making since I was about 4 years old.  I remember sitting on the cabinet watching my grandmother make cornbread. Mixing gradually, making a well and heating the bacon drippings in a black iron skillet is the key.

1 cup cornmeal
1/4 cup flour
2 t. baking powder
1 1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. baking soda
1 egg
1 cup buttermilk
4 T bacon drippings (vegetable oil will do, but the flavor is not as good)

Sift cornmeal, flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda into bowl.  Make a well in the middle of the conmeal and add egg.  Slowly add buttermilk; stirring until combined.  Mix in the hot bacon drippings and pour into a small black iron skillet.  Bake at 400 for 20 minutes.

Pumpkin Swirl

I can't begin to tell how many of these I made over the years, but I can say that I hardly remember very few that didn't crack, but they still taste delicious.  A fall favorite!

Ingredients:
3/4 cup Bisquick
2/3 cup canned pumpkin
3 eggs
1 cup sugar
1/4 t. ground cloves
1/2 t. nutmeg
1/2 t. ginger


Filling:
1 cup powdered sugar
6 T butter
8 ounce softened cream cheese
1 t. vanilla
1 cup finely chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 375.  Grease a 10x15x1 jelly roll pan.  Line pan with waxed paper and spray with Pam.  Beat eggs and sugar until fluffy.  Beat in remaining ingredients, except nuts.  Pour into prepared pan.  Bake 13-15 minutes. Invert onto a linen kitchen towel, dusted generously with powdered sugar. Peel off paper and roll up with towel.  Cool seam side down.  Unroll and spread with filling when completely cool.  Sprinkle with pecans and reroll. Refrigerate

Chicken Cheddar Pasta Salad

This has always been popular go to recipe for a large group and remains a favorite.

1 (8 ounce) package grilled chicken strips
6 ounces fettucine
4 ounce Cheddar-Monterey Jack, shredded
1 medium green, yellow or red pepper, diced (if doubling or tripling I use all three)
2 ounces pepperoni, cut into strips
1  8 ounce bottle Italian Dressing (I really like Olive Garden's found at Sams)
Fresh cracked pepper

Cook pasta and rinse with cold water.  Toss with the remaining ingredients and refrigerate.  This can be served just like it is or the original recipe called for 5 cups spring mix or torn lettuce and 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved to be added just before serving.
 Serves 8-10

Cheesy Egg Squares

You can add anything you like to these. They are great for appetizer or use for brunch.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup diced green pepper
1/2 cup diced red pepper
1 10 ounce package spinach, thawed and well squeezed
10 eggs
1/2 cup flour
1 t. baking powder
1 t. salt
1/2 lb. shredded pepper jack cheese
1/2 lb. shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:
Melt butter in 9x13 baking dish.  Beat eggs lightly. Add flour, baking powder and salt to eggs; then add melted butter, peppers, spinach and cheeses.  Blend with spoon. Pour into buttered baking dish.  Bake 35-40 minutes until set and lightly browned.  These may be made in advance and then rewarm by covering with foil and warming for 10-15 minutes in 300 degree oven.
 I recommend cutting them when cool; then reheat.

Grilled Mahi Mahi with Pinapple Avocado Salsa

Ingredients
4 (4-6 oz.) Mahi Mahi fillets
Kosher salt
Fresh ground pepper
3 T Olive oil, divided
4 T fresh lime juice, divided
1 medium ripe avocado
1/2 cup fresh chopped pineapple (I have used mango)
1 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered
3 T chopped cilantro
4 lime wedges
Preparation
Prepare grill to medium high heat.  Drizzle fillets with 2 T olive oil and 2 T lime juice and salt and pepper.  Let marinate for 10 minutes, turning occasionally.
Gently combine avocado, pineapple, tomatoes, cilantro, 1T olive oil and 2T lime juice. Season with salt and pepper and set aside while grilled fish.
Brush grill rack with oil. Grill fish until just opaque in center, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer to plates. Spoon salsa over fish. Squeeze a lime wedge over each and serve.
Great with grilled vegetables.

Skillet Fajitas

I know it's been several months since I posted any recipes and it's not because I haven't been cooking. I found this recipe a couple of years ago in the paper and it's become one of my favorites. Along with the fajitas, we had Festive Black Beans (just a can of black beans with some diced onion, diced green or red pepper, cilantro, jalapeno, cumin, garlic powder added) guacamole and cheese dip.  This serves two.
Skillet Chicken Fajitas
1/2-3/4 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast
Salt and pepper
1-2 T vegetable oil
1/2 red or green pepper, sliced into thin strips
1/2 small onion, thinly sliced
1 heaping teaspoon chili powder or taco seasoning
1/2 t cumin
Juice from 1 lime
2 T water
Fresh cilantro leaves
6 white corn tortillas
Lightly pound chicken breasts to an even thickness.  Season with salt and pepper on both sides.
Heat 1 T oil in a iron skillet over medium high heat. Add chicken and cook 6-8 minutes or until browned, then flip, reduce heat to medium and continue cooking until chicken reaches 160 degree, about 8 more minutes. Transfer to cutting board and tent with foil; set aside.
Add the remaining oil to skillet, then add pepper and onion and cook 5-8 minutes or until onion begins to soften.
In a small bowl, whisk together the chili powder, cumin, lime juice and water.  Pour over chicken and vegetables and continue cooking just until heated through sprinkle with cilantro leaves. Serve immediately in warmed tortillas.  I warm my tortillas in a skillet, then quickly place them in foil.
Guacamole
1 avocado
1T finely chopped onion
1T chopped cilantro
1/2 small tomato
1/2 of a small jalapeño diced
1/2 lime juiced
1/2 t garlic powder
Salt to taste added just before serving. Salt makes the avocado turn dark!

Santa Fe Breakfast Bake

Great  make ahead brunch recipe and not as "eggy" as most breakfast casseroles.

Ingredients:
1 pound sausage, Jimmy Dean or your favorite
1 cup salsa
1 cup black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup frozen corn kernels
8 flour tortillas, cut into 1 inch strips
2 cup shredded pepper jack cheese
1 cup sour cream
1 cup milk
2 eggs beaten
2 egg white beaten
1/2 t. salt
1/4 cup green onions, sliced
1 avocado diced

Directions:
Brown sausage and drain, discarding grease.  Combine salsa, sausage, beans, corn; set aside.  Place 1/3 tortillas strips in a greased 11x7 baking dish.  Top with 1/3 cup cheese and 1 cup of the salsa sausage mixture. Repeat layering with 1/3 tortilla strips, 1/3 cheese and remaining salsa sausage mixture, ending with remaining tortilla strips.  Whisk together sour cream, milk, eggs, egg whites and salt. Pour egg mixture over tortilla mixture.  Sprinkle with remaining cheese.  Cover with foil and chill overnight.
Remove dish from refrigerator for at least 10 minutes. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Keep loosely covered and bake 20 minutes.  Remove foil and continuing baking 15 minutes or until lightly browned.  Top with green onions and diced acocado and extra salsa and sour cream.

Pasta Primavera

Quick and easy, especially if your veggies are chopped or sliced.  And you can substitute the ham or prosciutto with shrimp or leave it out for a vegetarian dish.

Seasoning Mix
2 1/2 t. dried basil
1 1/2 t. salt
1 t. dried thyme leaves
1/4 t. white pepper
1/2 t. garlic powder
1/2 t. onion powder

2 T olive oil
1 cup thin strips prosciutto or ham
2 cups cauliflower or broccoli or mix of both
2 cups sliced mushrooms
1/2 cup sliced carrots
2 cups sliced zucchini
6 T butter
1 t. fresh minced garlic
1 cup asgaragus tips or snow peas
1 cup chopped green onions
2 cups heavy cream
9 ounces favorite pasta, cooked

Combine seasoning mix in small bowl and set aside. 
Heat the olive oil in a 12 inch skillet over high heat.  When the oil is hot, add the next 5 ingredients.  Add the butter and as it melts add the garlic and the seasoning mix.  Stir in the asparagus tips or snow peas and green onions and cook until veggies are crisp tender. Stir in the cream and bring to a boil.  Lower the heat to medium and cook until the sauce has thickened a bit, about 3 minutes.  Add the cooked pasta to the skillet and toss.  Serve with Italian bread. 

Almond Sheet Cake with Butter Pecan Frosting

I must give credit to the cookbook Full Plate, recipes from St. Paul's Episcopal Church, Fayetteville, Ar for this delicious recipe.  If any of you are familiar with the Chocolate Sheet Cake recipe on this blog or in most cookbooks, this is an almond rendition.

Cake:
2 sticks butter
1 cup water
2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1 t. salt
1 t. baking powder
2 large eggs, beaten
1/2 cup sour cream (could use buttermilk or yogurt if necessary)
2 t. almond extract

Butter Pecan Frosting
1 stick butter
1/4 cup milk
1 t. almond extract ( I use 2)
3 cups powdered sugar
1 cup pecans, toasted and chopped

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350.  Grease and flour a 10x15 inch jelly roll pan. 
Whisk flour, sugar and baking powder in bowl and set aside.
Mix beaten eggs with sour cream and almond extract.  Set aside
Place butter and water in a large sauce pan.  Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally.
Remove from heat and stir in flour mixture, then add egg mixture, stirring until well combined.  Pour batter into prepared pan.
Bake 350 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.

Prepare butter pecan frosting when cake is almost done.  Place butter and milk in saucepan.  Bring to a rolling boil over medium heat.  Remove from heat and whisk in almond extract.  Gradually add powdered sugar, whisking until smooth. 
Stir in pecans and spread frosting on warm cake as soon as cake is removed from oven.
This can be cut in small squares like brownies or large for cake.

For chocolate, substitute vanilla for almond in cake and frosting.  Add 4 T of cocoa to cake batter and frosting.

Cream of Potato Soup

Some of you locals from Camden may remember Joseph Coan.  This is his recipe that was originally in the Specialties of the House. 

1 small onion chopped            

½ stick butter                

4 cups red or white potatoes, peeled and quartered

4 cups chicken broth

1 1/2 -2 cups half and half

Salt

Pepper

Saute onion in butter for 5 minutes over medium heat in heavy saucepan.  Add potatoes coarsely chopped and chicken broth. Cover and boil until tender, about 15 minutes (depending on how large you have chopped them).  Using a hand blender or place in food processor, process until smooth. Return to pan and add half and half.  Do not let boil.  Garnish with chives and grated cheese.  Serves 8