Double Layer Southwestern Pizza

This recipe is a cross between pizza and tostadas and is kid friendly.  I used Mission Carb Balance Tortillas to cut unnecessary carbs and it turned out great. 

Double Layer Southwestern Pizza

Ingredients:
1/2 pound Ground Beef or Ground Turkey
1 medium onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 15-oz can black beans
4 9-inch flour tortillas (I used Mission Carb Balance)
1/2 cup of your favorite salsa
2 cups 3 Cheese Blend, shredded
2 green onions, chopped
2 roma tomatoes, diced

Directions:
1.)  Preheat oven to 350°F. Place meat, onion and garlic in a skillet over medium heat. Cook until beef or turkey is evenly browned. Drain off grease. Season the meat with chili powder, paprika, salt, and pepper.

2.)  Coat 2 pie plates with non-stick cooking spray. Place one tortilla in each pie plate and cover with a layer of refried beans. Spread half of the seasoned meat over each tortilla and then cover with a second tortilla.

3.)  Bake for 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Remove from the oven
and allow to cool slightly.

4.)  Spread half of the salsa over the top tortillas. Top each pizza with half
of the cheese, tomatoes, green onions, and olives.

5.)  Return the pizzas to the oven, bake until the cheese is melted, about 5 to 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly. Slice each pizza into 4 pieces and serve.

Cranberry Pear Crumble Pie

This is a recipe I adapted from Kraft Kitchens.  Their recipe calls for a refrigerated pie crust, but I opted to add a special touch by making a batch of my Maw-Maw's pie crust.  This pie is the perfect balance of sweet and tart and is especially great at Thanksgiving.

Cranberry Pear Crumble Pie

Ingredients:
Your favorite pie crust recipe or 1 ready-to-use refrigerated pie crust (1/2 of 15-oz. pkg.)
24 Vanilla Wafers, crushed (about 3/4 cup)
¼ cup packed brown sugar
¼ cup butter, melted
1 pkg. (8 oz.) Cream Cheese, softened
1 cup chopped cranberries
3 large fresh pears, sliced (firm pears work the best, I used Bartlett)
1 pkg. (3.4 oz.) Vanilla Flavor Instant Pudding
½ tsp. ground cinnamon
Whipped Cream (optional)

Directions:
1.)  Heat the oven to 450 degrees. Line 9-inch pie plate with crust. Bake 5 to 6 minutes or until lightly browned, then cool.

2.)  Meanwhile, mix wafer crumbs, sugar and butter until well blended.

3.)  Reduce oven temperature to 375ºF. Spread cream cheese carefully onto bottom of crust and sprinkle with half the wafer crumb mixture.

4.)  Combine fruit in large bowl. Add dry pudding mix and cinnamon; toss to coat. Spoon into crust; top with remaining crumb mixture.

5.)  Bake for 35 minutes or until fruit is tender and crust is golden brown. Cool completely. Serve topped with whipped cream if desired.

Butternut Squash Gratin with Bacon and Onion

Before this fall and winter, I had never cooked with butternut squash.  I was really missing out on a treat.  I experimented with several recipes at first, but once I got a good feel for the sweet and earthy flavor, this recipe was born.  Comfort food for sure.

Butternut Squash Gratin with Bacon and Onion

Ingredients:
1 butternut squash, seeded, and sliced into 1/4 inch pieces
1 onion, finely chopped
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
6 slices bacon, cut into small pieces

Directions:

1.)  After slicing the squash, let in boil in some water for about 10 minutes then drain the water off.

2.)  In the meantime, simmer the bacon and onions together until the bacon gets crisp, then drain off the grease. Turn the heat down on the bacon and mix in the cream of chicken soup and 3/4 cup of the cheese. Stir together and allow it to heat up for about 2 minutes.

3.)  In a pie plate, arrange half of the squash. Then top with half of the bacon mixture and layer once more. Top with the remaining cheese and bake in a 350 degree oven for 25 minutes.

Spaghetti Squash with Turkey Kielbasa

My husband and I are huge fans of spaghetti squash as a replacement for pasta.  We have several variations of toppings and sauce we use, but this one is our favorite.

Spaghetti Squash with Turkey Kielbasa

Ingredients:
1 spaghetti squash, cut in half lengthwise
1/2 jar of your favorite marinara, (we love Safeway Artichoke Pesto and it only has 3 carbs per serving)
1 bag fresh baby spinach
1 container turkey kielbasa, sliced thin
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1 tbsp. olive oil, divided

Directions:
1.)  Roast the spaghetti squash by cutting lengthwise, removing the seeds, and brushing with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake at 350 degrees for about 35 minutes.

2.)  With a fork, flake the sides of the squash to create the spaghetti effect.

3.)  In a pan, add a little olive oil and the spinach. Allow it to wilt down then add the kielbasa. When it begins to brown, add the marinara, spaghetti squash, and cheese. Simmer for about 5 minutes and serve. It will serve 3-4 people depending on serving size

Bacon Cheddar Faux-Tato Soup

I'm all for enjoying a bowl of warm potato soup, but do not enjoy all of the carbs it contains, so using my Twice Baked Faux-Tato recipe as inspiration, I came up with Bacon Cheddar Faux-Tato Soup.  The cauliflower provides an almost identical texture to potato soup and it makes a big enough batch to feed 12.  It really fits the bill and you will not regret giving it a try.

Bacon Cheddar Faux-Tato Soup

Ingredients: 
8 slices center-cut bacon, chopped
1/2 small onion, chopped or 1 teaspoon onion powder
1 celery stalk, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
salt & pepper
1 large head shredded or grated cauliflower
2 Tablespoons water
2 cups chicken broth, divided
2 cups Half and Half
8 dashes Tabasco Sauce
2-1/2 cups (12oz) shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided (half used for garnish)
2 green onions, chopped

Directions:
1.)  Saute bacon in a large soup pot over medium heat until crisp. Using a slotted spoon, transfer bacon to a paper towel-lined plate then remove all but 1 Tablespoon drippings from the pot. Add chopped onion, celery, and garlic to the pot then season with salt and pepper and saute until vegetables are tender, about 4-5 minutes.

2.)  Add cauliflower and onion powder (if using) to the pot then stir to combine. Add water then place a lid on top and steam cauliflower until tender, stirring a couple times, about 5-7 minutes. Add remaining chicken broth and half and half then turn up heat and bring to a boil.

3.)  Turn down heat and simmer for 3-4 minutes, or until soup has thickened. Turn off heat then stir in 2 cups cheddar cheese until smooth, then stir in half the cooked bacon. Taste and adjust salt, pepper, and/or hot sauce if necessary. Serve topped with remaining shredded cheese, cooked bacon, and green onions, if desired.

*I found it much easier to chop up my vegetables in the food processor.  For the cauliflower, pulse until it is the consistency of rice.*

An Edamame Obsession

One of my favorite snacks is edamame and earlier last year I ran across a recipe in a magazine for roasting it.  I altered the recipe slightly to fit our specific tastes, but the result was nothing short of addictive.  This recipe was also featured on the KEOM Community Cookbook and our listeners provided some awesome feedback.

Parmesan Garlic Edamame

Ingredients:
1 package frozen, shelled edamame
1 tbsp. olive oil
¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
¼ tsp. garlic powder
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Cook the edamame according to the package instructions. Let the edamame cool until it gives away no steam. Mix the parmesan cheese, garlic powder, saltand pepper in a bowl. In a separate bowl, toss the edamame with olive oil. Add the parmesan mixture to the edamame and toss until evenly coated. Spread onto a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes, or until the cheese is crispy.

Truffle and Cookie Recipes from the Holidays

After a long break away from the food blog, I have a year's worth of recipes to post and comment on.  My New Year's resolution is to keep my blog up to date because looking back on a year's worth of food photos and trying to remember all of my recipes is a bit overwhelming.  This blog mainly serves as a place for me to make note of the recipes that my husband and I enjoy the most so that I have them for future reference, but if you happen to find one you want to try along the way, that is even better.

For a moment I am going to backtrack to the month of December when I stepped out of my comfort zone of cooking wholesome dinners.  I took on the task of making an abundance of truffles and cookies for neighbors, family, co-workers, and all of the employees of my husband's Home Depot.  It was a complete mess, but all of them turned out terrific and I'm making note of all my holiday recipes for these treats so that I can reference them next year when the holidays arrive.

Chocolate Pecan Turtle Cookies- These cookies received rave reviews

Ingredients:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
2/3 cup sugar
1 large egg, separated, plus 1 egg white
2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups pecans, chopped fine
14 soft caramel candies
3 tablespoons heavy cream

Directions:
1.)Combine flour, cocoa, and salt in bowl. With electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 2 minutes. Add egg yolk, milk, and vanilla and mix until incorporated. Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture until just combined. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, 1 hour

2.)Adjust oven rack to upper-middle and lower-middle positions and heat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Whisk egg whites in bowl until frothy. Place pecans in another bowl. Roll dough into 1-inch balls, dip in egg whites, then roll in pecans. Place balls 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets. Using 1/2-teaspoon measure, make indentation in center of each ball. Bake until set, about 12 minutes, switching and rotating sheets halfway through baking.

3.)Microwave caramels and cream in bowl, stirring occasionally, until smooth, 1 to 2 minutes. Once cookies are removed from oven, gently re-press existing indentations. Fill each with 1/2 teaspoon caramel mixture. Cool 10 minutes, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.

 White Chocolate Nutella Truffles 

Ingredients:
7 ounces dark chocolate
1 tablespoon butter
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
1/3 cup Nutella
2 cups white chocolate chips
1 tablespoon oil (I used vegetable)
chocolate sprinkles (optional)

Directions:
1.) In a double boiler (or a glass bowl set over simmering water) melt together the first four ingredients. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours. If you leave the mixture in the refrigerator for longer than 2 hours, it will likely become too firm to work with. So just allow it to soften at room temperature until you can.

2.)  Use a melon baller or spoon to form small balls. I powder my hands and spoon with cocoa, so the mixture is easier to work with and doesn't stick to everything. Once you have all the truffles formed, place in the freezer for 5-10 minutes.

3.) In the mean time, melt the white chocolate and oil in a microwave safe bowl. I will microwave on high for 30 seconds, then stir, and repeat until the chocolate is melted. Dip each truffle in the melted chocolate to coat it, then place on a sheet of wax paper.

4.) Add the chocolate sprinkles as you work, before the white chocolate has time to set. Makes 30 truffles.

 Peanut Butter Cup Truffles- These taste identical to Reese's Peanut Butter Cups


Ingredients: 
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
1 lb powdered sugar
1 cup peanut butter
10-12 graham cracker sheets
dipping chocolate, melted

Directions:
Put graham crackers in a food processor or plastic Ziploc bag and beat until they are finely crushed. Mix butter, powdered sugar, peanut butter, and graham crackers together in large bowl. Roll into 1" balls. Place rolled balls on large cookie sheet (I lined my cookie sheet with parchment paper) and stick in the freezer for about 20 minutes. In the meantime, melt dipping chocolate. Once the peanut butter balls have set up, dip in chocolate and place back on cookie sheet. Let set up before serving/sharing with neighbors (but you can pop a few in your mouth just to test them and make sure they are safe to eat- it's a chance that I am always willing to take). Makes 7 dozen truffles.

Coconut Cream Bars

Ingredients:
24oz shredded coconut (divided)
14oz sweetened condensed milk
2 cups powdered sugar
24oz chocolate (melted)

Directions:
1.)  In a large bowl stir together 20oz coconut, condensed milk, and powdered sugar. Press into a greased 9x13" pan and freeze until firm enough to cut, about 1 hour.

2.)  Slice into small squares and dip into melted chocolate. Set dipped bars onto wax paper and sprinkle immediately with remaining 4oz coconut. Store in a sealed container. Makes 40 bars.

Peanut Butter Nutella Cookies- These cookies are courtesy of my friend, Jennifer and they were to die for!

Ingredients:

1 cup butter (2 sticks) room temperature
2/3 cup peanut butter (creamy or crunchy)

1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs

2 tsp vanilla

2 2/3 cup flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt

heaping 1/3 cup Nutella

Directions:

Cream butter, peanut butter, sugar, brown sugar, eggs and vanilla together until smooth. Combine flour, baking soda and salt and add to butter mixture. Add Nutella in dollops over the top of the dough.  Use a butter knife to swirl the Nutella through the dough.  Do not over mix.  Chill the dough in fridge for 15 minutes before spooning onto cookie sheet to firm the nutella.  Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes.  Bake until slightly brown at edges.  Let cool a few minutes on cookie sheet before transferring.

S'more Cookies- This recipe came from my friend, Leah.  My co-workers loved them!

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 dash of cinnamon
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
2 cups miniature chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups mini marshmallows
2 Hershey bars, chopped

Directions:
1.)  Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2.)  In a medium bowl combine the flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking soda, salt, and dash of cinnamon. In a second larger bowl beat together the butter, sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract until creamy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Slowly beat in the flour mixture until smooth. Stir in the chocolate chips.

3.)  Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased cookie sheet.  Bake for 8 minutes, and remove from the oven. Push 3 to 4 marshmallows and a few pieces of hershey bar into each cookies. Return to the oven and bake an additional 3-4 minutes until fully cooked. Cool cookies on a wire rack.  Makes approximately 4 dozen cookies.