{EwE} Stuffed!

Peggy picked our theme for Eating with Ellie this week – STUFFED!!  That meant we could make anything that was filled or stuffed with something else.  Ellie has quite a few recipes that fit this category but I have had one in mind for quite a while.

These are Ellie’s Turkey Sausage-Stuffed Pizza Pockets

and they are tasty.  The filling is turkey Italian sausage browned and mixed with spinach or arugula, marinara sauce, and mozzarella cheese.  The filling was so good I easily could have eaten it with a spoon.

I couldn’t find Italian turkey sausage so I used regular and added some Italian seasoning. That worked well.  I also made my own Whole Wheat Pizza dough because I couldn’t find that either.  Ellie said we could use any marinara sauce so I used some that I had made last summer.  

I liked these and plan to freeze the ones that are left.  They are from Ellie’s latest book – You Have it Made. {page 223}  Most of the recipes in the book are made for freezing and doing ahead.  Good plan for these.  

We all stuffed something this week.  Check out what the others made -> Stuff It!

We’d love to have you join in with Eating with Ellie.  We don’t include the recipes.  We’d rather you bought Ellie’s books.  There are some recipes on line.  This pizza pocket one is there on Ellie’s website.

The theme for this week’s I Heart Cooking Clubs is also STUFFED!!  so I am going to kill two meals with one plate!!

 

{EwE} It’s Pizza Night!

When I chose this week’s theme for Eating with Ellie I was thinking cheese, tomato sauce, sausage, mushrooms, cheese (yeah, more), and just about every other ingredient except what I ended up with.

Cheese, yes.  But no sauce?  Topped with spinach and an egg?  No, that never entered my mind.

Let’s see, on the other hand – a pizza I can eat for breakfast {Other than left over cold which I do love}?  Yeah, I can go with that.  On a whole wheat crust. Healthy AND fun!

Loved this one.  A nice runny (Sorry, Kayte) on top of some lovely prosciutto with lots of Parmesan.  Yes, Please!

The only change – instead of using a store bought pizza crust I made my own.  You could use any of the whole wheat flour crust recipes you have.  And while the ones you buy are pre-baked.  You can bake yours as you make the pizza – one step!  (Which I did NOT do and my crust was WAY too crispy.)

Recipe is online – Egg, Ham, and Spinach Pizza

It looks like most of the Ellie Eaters picked an ‘out of the box’ (no pun intended) pizza. Check them out at Eating with Ellie.

 

{SRC} Visiting with Heather!

The other day I visited with Heather.  It was her fault that I just sat down because she did just invite me to “Join us, Pull up a Chair“. And since she was my ‘assignment’ for SRC I knew she wouldn’t mind a long visit.  Because it was.  It took a while to find the recipes I wanted to make.  Not because I couldn’t find anything but because I found lots of things to chose from.  But I had to narrow it down – a lot – from the 15 recipes I Pinned.

But I did!

I started with dessert.  I mean, why not?

Oatmeal Cream Pies.

With a maple cream filling.  No need to make any changes here.  Except when I went to pull out my treasured jug of REAL GOOD Maple syrup, it wasn’t there!  Bother!  So I added some coconut to the cream filling.   Still tasty!  The Man ate all of them.

After enjoying a sweet treat we moved on to a tasty supper.

I do love pizza.  With lots of cheese.  The more melty the better.  I don’t love crust, not because I don’t love bread, but I don’t need the carbs.  So when I saw Heather’s LOW CARB PIZZA CASSEROLE I knew I had to try it.  All the joys of pizza WITHOUT the crust.  Altho’ I did kinda miss the crust to sop up the juicy goodness in the bottom.  What we have here is mushrooms, Italian seasoning, Mozzarella, and sausage baked in a lovely tomato sauce.  The only change I made was to leave off the turkey pepperoni.  Not a fan.  Definitely a repeat for lunch!

I have two MAJOR fave foods.  A good steak.  Anything with Shrimp. And I also like easy dishes.  This one is basically made in one skillet.  Just one.  Not lots of pots and pans to clean up with this one.  That’s a good thing with these long days and late cooking. So for dinner:

Shrimp Orzo Skillet

…which is just as good as it sounds.  I have two MAJOR fave foods.  A good steak.  Anything with Shrimp. And I also like easy dishes.  This one is basically made in one skillet.  Just one.  Not lots of pots and pans to clean up with this one.  That’s a good thing with these long days and late cooking.  The only change I made – instead of just salt and pepper mixed with the sugar to cook the shrimp I added some Creole seasoning to add some heat!  YUM!!

I’m definitely coming back for Heather’s Upside Down Sausage and ‘hroom Pizza, her Quinoa Mac & Cheese, and her Mad Hatter Salad when I have more than two people to feed.  And THEN after I had my choices and was writing she goes and adds  Slow Cooker Au Gratin Potatoes.  **SIGH** so add those to the list as well.  {She may have a longer visit than she anticipated. 🙂 } And…. the Baked Zucchini Fries just might be on the menu tonight!  And maybe the Apple Pie Empanadas  for dessert?

For more Secret Recipe Treats check out       !

 

{SRC} Meeting Melissa

Have you met Melissa? She is my Secret Recipe Club assignment for August. She is just up the block from me in Michigan. Well, maybe not JUST up the block since I am in Louisiana. But after reading through her blog posts and looking at ALL her recipes I feel like we have been visiting each other. She has a beautiful little girl named Summer and she loves to be in the kitchen where she cooks for her family and friends but she LOVES to bake. And I could tell from the list of cookies, cakes, etc on her blog. I did so wish I needed a sweet treat in the house…..I could have filled my freezer and my friend’s freezers with enough treats for a year!!!

You know I cannot just do ONE recipe. I like to get a better feel for my ‘assignment’ so I usually end up with at least two and usually three of their recipes. No different this time. I hope it is a good variety.

I started with her Quinoa Pilaf.

Like Melissa I was late to the Quinoa party but I am making up for lost time. I love subbing it in rice dishes and sometimes pasta so when I ran across this recipe I knew I had to make it.

Her original recipe called for celery but there was none in the house so I threw in some fresh corn and red bell pepper instead. Love all the colors. All you need to do is saute your veggies (she also has chopped carrots in hers) in some butter. Throw in about a cup of rinsed quinoa. Add enough chicken or veggie broth to cook it along with some salt, pepper, and fresh thyme. It came together very quickly and was the perfect side with our burgers the other night.

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Melissa’s Aunt-in-Law used to make small Strombolis for her Grandmother to freeze, reheat, and eat. This made me crave, like Melissa, some Strombolis for supper. I used Melissa’s dough recipe but subbed out 1/2 of the white for whole wheat flour. I filled one with typical pizza toppings – pepperoni, cheese, red sauce,

and one with ham chunks and lots of Mozzarella cheese. Both were delicious and didn’t last past one meal. I made them rather large hoping for leftovers, but it was not to be. Guess I will just have to make them again!!!

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This morning for breakfast, well, brunch, I couldn’t decide between Melissa’s Blueberry Scones, Blueberry Pancakes, or the Egg Muffins. I finally decided on the…

How can anyone turn down pancakes? These were crunchy on the outside, due to being ‘fried’ in butter, and creamy on the outside. And did I tell you they were chock full of BLUEBERRIES?? They were! Smothered in butter and Maple syrup they were the perfect plate. This doesn’t mean I won’t try the scones or muffins, just not THIS Sunday!

So these are just three of Melissa’s recipes. All three were just right and I will go back for more. I still want to make her Whole Wheat noodles, Kung Pao Chicken, Biscoff Shakes, Chocolate PB Mug Cake, and anyone of her trillion sweet treats.

I love Secret Recipe Club . Meeting new cooks/bakers every month. Trying new recipes. Some inside the box, some not. You should join us!

And check out this month’s other member’s dishes.

 

{EwE} pizza “strudel”

When I think of strudel I think fruit, sweet, crunchy, dessert.
When Ellie thinks of strudel she thinks basil, spinach, cheese, tomatoes.
Guess we don’t think alike.
But I like her thoughts.

I think it was darn delicious.

Simple whole wheat pizza dough {she listed frozen but I made my own using Bittman’s no-knead WW dough} wrapped around lots of good stuff including ricotta cheese, mozzarella cheese, tomatoes, basil, spinach, and sundried tomatoes. SO GOOD! Definitely a repeat.

I have to say, though, I would use less ricotta but then it’s not my fave. And now that i’ve made it I can see it with black olives or green olives or mushrooms.

Yes, indeed!

The recipe is on page 222 of Ellie’s Weeknight Wonders and it was my pick for this week. I hope the other Eaters liked it as well. Check on our website and see.

And if you would like to join in with our healthy eating the upcoming recipes are listed there. Just cook, blog, and leave comment. Love to have you.

 

{IHCC} Potluck with Bittman’s Pizza

If I crave anything it is usually Pizza. I don’t know why. Maybe because I don’t get to have it very often. But I do love it. Usually it is full of sauce and cheese and lots and lots of calories. But then Bittman gets into the act and suddenly I can have a nice healthy pizza anytime I want.

What we have here is a No-Work Mostly Whole Wheat Pizza Dough
Chewy! Lots of healthy toppings. Chewy! I love a chewy crust and I really don’t care for lots of tomato sauce so I simply left it off. Call it the “artisan” in me but you get so much more flavor when there is no sauce.

2 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup AP or Bread Flour
1/2 tsp instant yeast
1 tsp salt
2 or 3 tsp Italian seasoning
2 Tbl olive oil, plus more for greasing.

Mix together the flours, yeast, Italian seasoning, and salt in a large bowl. Stir in l 1/2 – 1 3/4 cups water.
You will have a relatively sticky and wet dough, like biscuit batter. If it’s two dry you can add a little more water {which is why I put a range of water}.
Scrape down the sides of the bowl, cover, and put it in a warm spot for at least 6 hours but up to 12 hours. {More hours = more complex flavor.}
Heat the oven to 500C. Generously oil a baking sheet or large ovenproof skillet. Dust your hands with a little white flour and lightly fold the dough over in the bowl a few times. It will be sticky, but resist the urge to use too much flour; dust your hands again only when absolutely necessary. You can make one large pizza or divide the dough into 1/2 or quarters for smaller ones. Gently, you don’t want to tear the dough, Press the dough into an oven proof skillet or baking sheet;.
Brush or drizzle the top of the pizza or pizzas with 2 tablespoons oil, cover, and let sit while you get the toppings together, but no more than 60 minutes or so. Toppings can be just about anything you want.
Mine:

mushrooms
roasted red pepper
spinach
black olives
Mozzarella Cheese

So Colorful!!

The addition of the Italian seasoning added more flavor to the pizza since there was no sauce where the seasoning usually is. (Does that make sense?) The amount of the fillings are up to your tastes. You caould also add goat cheese or ricotta. Anchovies or Sardines. Broccoli or cauliflower. It’s your choice.

The recipe is from Bittman’s The Food Matters Cookbook on page 533.

For more Potluck dishes visit I Heart Cooking Club

 

{EwE} Asparagus and Mozzarella Pizza

For supper last night I made pizza. I have been craving pizza FOREVER. This might NOT what I had in mind when I pictured pizza but it hit the spot just fine.

Peggy chose an out of the box form of America’s favorite savory pie – one with asparagus and mozzarella. YES!! Two of my favorite things.

The cheese was bubbly and delicious. The flavor of the crust was nice. The asparagus was lovely but I think it hid too much behind the cheeses, Mozz and Parm. Definitely one I would make again, tho.

Instead of a frozen crust as Ellie listed I used a recipe from Mark Bittman for his Whole Wheat Crust.

You can find the recipe on page 215 of Weeknight Wonders.

And check with the other “Eaters” to see how they liked Peggy’s choice this week.

 

(SRC) Avid-tively delicious.

Today is Monday. The thrid Monday of the month. So you kow what that means. SECRET RECIPE CLUB REVEAL!! Always a fun day. This month I was fortunate enough to be ‘assigned’ Rachel’s Blog The Avid Appetite. According to her short self description,

A few years ago I could barely boil water.

Well, after reading through her blog and her gret collection of recipes and kitchen adventures I think she is LONG past that part of her life. So. Many. Good. Things. Way too many to try for just SRC. So after picking my way through lots and lots I ended up with Three quick tasty treats.

Starting with her Sweet Potato Pie Smoothie for Breakfast and ending with a quinoa dish for dinner. But lets not get ahead of ourselves.

BREAKFASTRachel says if you don’t like Sweet Potatoes don’t try this one. And she is rght. It is a major flavor. And very simple. But you have to think ahead because the small sweet potato has to be cooked and cooled first. Then you just mix that with 1 C milk, 1/2 frozen banana
1 packet sweetener of your choice and a 1/2 = 3/4 Tsp of Pumpkin Pie Spice. Run it all through the blender with some ice cubes. Breakfast!

I needed something really quick for LUNCH one day. bingo – Rachel to the rescue.

Skillet Tortilla Pizzas.

1 8″ tortilla {I found these great low cholesterol tortillas at W-M by Ole Mexican Food – Sundried Tomato)
1/4 C pizza sauce (easily spread with a pastry brush)
1/4 cup cooked sausage and/or sauteed mushrooms.
1/4 C Cheese of your choice {I used Fiesta Blend}
2 tsp grated parmesean cheese
2 tsp light butter

Lightly butter both sides of the tortilla and lay in a skillet over medium heat. When bottom starts to brown, flip it over.
Spread with the pizza sauce, cheeses, and other ingredients. Top with Parmesan.

Making these little pizzas gave me a chance to use a little tool I found in My Mom-n-Laws kitchen. It made cutting up the cooked sausage so easy.

And then for DINNER I added Rachel’s

Mediterranean Quinoa

2 C low sodium chicken broth (I used Veggie broth)
1 C dry quinoa, rinsed
1/3 C kalamata olives
1 tomato, seeds removed & diced
juice of 1/2 lemon
2 handfuls baby spinach
7 Spice {Found this at a local mid-eastern market: allspice, cinnamon, cloves, cumin, corieander, caraway, nutmeg}
salt and pepper, to taste

Place the chicken broth (+ water) and quinoa in a small saucepan over high heat. Once boiling, stir, reduce heat to simmer and cover. Cook for 12 minutes.
After 12 minutes, stir in, olives, tomato, lemon, and spinach. Cover and cook 3 minutes more. Season with salt, pepper, and spice to taste. Serve warm.

The 7 Spice really added some good Mediterranean Flavor. I served it with some baked fish and it was perfect since I added a little 7 Spice to the fish coating. YUM!!

Now – about those other other recipes I have marked:

Chocolate Quesadilla for One Chocolate, PB and marshmellows.
Provolone Stuffed Chicken
Roasted Tomato and Basil Soup
Pumpkin Spice Cake ’cause Fall is JUST around the corner!!

Thanks, Rachel, for some great tastes. I’m looking forward to some more of your recipes. And I reall think you ARE a long ways past BOILING WATER!!!!

Want to know what the other Group C members made for SRC. Check out these posts!

An InLinkz Link-up

 

{WWDH} PIZZA!!

I have still not satisfied my craving for Pizza. Two weeks ago some of us made a pizza from the Smitten Kitchen Cookbook. And I was good. I went out with a friend for lunch and we have pizza. Still not enough. So I was excited when this week’s pick from Kayte for Wednesdays with Donna Hay was PIZZA! And not a pizza I would have ever, ever put together. But Donna did.

Pumpkin and Goat Cheese Pizza

Really? Pumpkin on a pizza? The goat cheese I could understand. Pizza has cheese. And this pizza had pancetta (or prosciutto) on it. But Pumpkin? Interesting!

So I made the pizza and it was good, but I really didn’t care much for the pumpkin on it. I really did like the herb and garlic goat cheese on it. And the thyme leaves.
The pizza was also different for me because it did not have the familiar tomato sauce base. But that was alright, too.

Thanks, Kayte, for broadening my horizons again. This is not a combo I would have tried on my own. The pizza came from Donna’s modern classics: Book 1 on page 78.

Did the other “Hayers” like this one? Check out their posts:
Gaye
Kayte
Chaya
Sarah

And if you want to join us on Wednesdays just leave one of us a comment. We’ll add you in the fun.

 

{BwJ} Pizza with Onion Confit

There are several not so healthy foods I really enjoy – but only occassionally. One of them is PIZZA! Yes, we are talking about the regular cheesy, tomatoey, mushroom and sausage pizza. We have a couple of GOOD places here in town but I also like to make my own. Again – not very often because I like LOTS of goodies on mine. ‘Specially cheese. When I was reading this month’s choices for Baking with Julia all I saw was one word – PIZZA! It wasn’t until I really started looking at the recipe that I realized just how different this pizza was going to be.

Pizza with Onion Confit

This was a pizza with not tomato sauce, no thick layers of cheese, no meat. Yes, it was definitely different.

I was afraid I would not like it – onions caramelized in red wine and red wine vinegar. EWWW!! But – wait – new horizons, out of the box! Different but GOOD!!!!

I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt I would be the only one in the entire household (two of us) who would even think of trying this one (and I wasn’t sure about me….) so I made the whole recipe of pizza dough (can always use THAT) and 1/3 of the Confit. I used 1/3 of the dough and made one 7″ pizza with the confit, olives, and shredded Parmesan cheese. Good choice! I liked the flavor of the whole pizza but it not something I would eat every day.

Our host this week is Paul of The Boy Can Bake and he has on his blog.