Well I promised I would post the recipe once I had made it so here it is. I used my regular pizza dough recipe which you can find in the pizza post from earlier. I kept some of the sauce from the Asian BBQ chicken I made 2 nights ago and used that as my pizza sauce. In the Asian BBQ Chicken post I said I had left overs and cut those up and put it on the pizza along with some green peppers and topped everything off with some cheese. It was that easy. It pays to work harder one night and make extra (which is not that much harder to do since you're already making some in the first place) and have a really easy night later on.
It all has to do with planning. You could even go as far as prepare the pizza the night you make the chicken and then freeze it for a later date when you just don't have time or energy to cook. You could do this any time you are preparing something that left overs would work on pizza which would be most chicken and steak dishes even some sausage and hamburger meals work.
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Spicy Green/Yellow Beans
I had the starch and the protein figured out tomight and because they are pretty much the only vegetable I have in the freezer right now green beans rounded out the meal. We had an abundance of beans this year from our garden so I kind of got a little sick of them for a while. We haven't had any for some time now but I still felt the need to change them up a bit.
Beans (as much as you need to feed your family)
1 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp mustard
1 tsp Harissa or any other spicy seasoning blend you just love
Boil the beans until they are just done. You want them to still have a bit of bite to them. Drain and place pan back on stove and add butter, mustard and seasoning. Pour beans back in pan and stir to coat.
Beans (as much as you need to feed your family)
1 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp mustard
1 tsp Harissa or any other spicy seasoning blend you just love
Boil the beans until they are just done. You want them to still have a bit of bite to them. Drain and place pan back on stove and add butter, mustard and seasoning. Pour beans back in pan and stir to coat.
Asian BBQ Chicken
After determining that I was making the sweet potato fries for dinner tonight I went into the freezer and picked chicken thighs as my protein. Then the decision of what to do with them came up. I want to use the leftovers for a pizza on thursday night so I needed some sort of sauce on the chicken to make it good for pizza. I started with an orange and worked a few more ingredients and came up with an asian bbq sauce. I think it will go really good on pizza in a few nights because it was really good on its own tonight. The sauce is similar to the sauce I used in the Asian Sausage and Pepper recipe with just a bit of tweaking.
8 chicken thighs
2 Tbsp honey
3 Tbsp Soya sauce
zest and juice of 1 orange
1 Tbsp sweet chili sauce
1 Tbsp grainy mustard (or dijon)
1/2 cup ketchup (use the cheap stuff if you have it)
2 Tbsp frozen OJ
1 tsp sesame oil
pepper
2 tsp teriyaki seasoning and/or garlic seasoning
In a large skillet (preferably one that can go in the oven) brown the chicken thighs on all sides. In a seperate bowl combine all the other ingredients and whisk until combined. Pour over browned chicken thighs and place in a 375F oven for 30 minutes. Keep an eye on them though. If the sauce reduces too much pour a little bit of water in so it does not burn.
I promise to post the pizza recipe after I make it.
8 chicken thighs
2 Tbsp honey
3 Tbsp Soya sauce
zest and juice of 1 orange
1 Tbsp sweet chili sauce
1 Tbsp grainy mustard (or dijon)
1/2 cup ketchup (use the cheap stuff if you have it)
2 Tbsp frozen OJ
1 tsp sesame oil
pepper
2 tsp teriyaki seasoning and/or garlic seasoning
In a large skillet (preferably one that can go in the oven) brown the chicken thighs on all sides. In a seperate bowl combine all the other ingredients and whisk until combined. Pour over browned chicken thighs and place in a 375F oven for 30 minutes. Keep an eye on them though. If the sauce reduces too much pour a little bit of water in so it does not burn.
I promise to post the pizza recipe after I make it.
Sweet Potato Steak Fries
As I was trying to plan what I am going to make for dinner tonight I determined that my starch was going to be sweet potatoes and I realized that I have not yet posted the recipe for these. I thought that stragne because it is one of our favorite side dishes. I still don't know what my protein will be but atleast I know anything will go with sweet potato fries. I call them steak fries because they are cut thicker and bigger than regular fries.
1 sweet potato per person (less if they are the bigger ones)
1 tbsp oil per potato
seasoning of choice
Peel and cut your sweet potatoes into wedges. Spread out on a baking sheet. Drizzle with oil and sprinkle on seasoning. Toss until all wedges are coated. Spread in an even layer. Place in a preheated 375F oven for 30-45 minutes (time depends on how thick the wedges are and how much you have on the sheet).
You can dip in ketchup just as you do regular fries or you can use your favorite dipping sauce. You can even use the BBQ Tartar sauce from my fish stick post as a dipping sauce just add a touch of the pickle juice instead of the chopped pickles so it's easier to dip in.
Sweet potatoes are rich in vitamin A & C which are powerful antioxidants. They are also rich in potassium which help people with stomach ulcers and other digestive problems. There are many benefits to eating sweet potatoes over regular white potatoes. We rarely eat white potatoes anymore.
When buying sweet potatoes make sure you get sweet potatoes and not yams. Yams do not have as many health benefits and are sweeter. I buy the orange or you could even call it pink sweet potatoes. I find they taste and cook up the best. I said in the recipe to peel the potatoe but you don't have to. There are many nutrients in the peels themselves. If you don't peel them though make sure to clean them very well.
1 sweet potato per person (less if they are the bigger ones)
1 tbsp oil per potato
seasoning of choice
Peel and cut your sweet potatoes into wedges. Spread out on a baking sheet. Drizzle with oil and sprinkle on seasoning. Toss until all wedges are coated. Spread in an even layer. Place in a preheated 375F oven for 30-45 minutes (time depends on how thick the wedges are and how much you have on the sheet).
You can dip in ketchup just as you do regular fries or you can use your favorite dipping sauce. You can even use the BBQ Tartar sauce from my fish stick post as a dipping sauce just add a touch of the pickle juice instead of the chopped pickles so it's easier to dip in.
Sweet potatoes are rich in vitamin A & C which are powerful antioxidants. They are also rich in potassium which help people with stomach ulcers and other digestive problems. There are many benefits to eating sweet potatoes over regular white potatoes. We rarely eat white potatoes anymore.
When buying sweet potatoes make sure you get sweet potatoes and not yams. Yams do not have as many health benefits and are sweeter. I buy the orange or you could even call it pink sweet potatoes. I find they taste and cook up the best. I said in the recipe to peel the potatoe but you don't have to. There are many nutrients in the peels themselves. If you don't peel them though make sure to clean them very well.
Monday, October 11, 2010
Holiday Stuffing
In honor of it being Thanksgiving I am posting my stuffing recipe. I probably should have posted it before the holiday so you could have a chance to make it yourself, but I couldn't quite remember how exactly I did it or the measurements of the ingredients I put in so I had to wait until I made it again. I measured everything out this time and am able to give it to you now. At least you can have it for the next holiday dinner you plan.
3 Tbsp butter
1/2 onion chopped
5 celery stalks chopped
2 large apples chopped
1 cup dried cranberries
1 cup chicken stock
1 cup cranberry, orange or apple juice
5 cups bread diced
3 tbsp stuffing or holiday seasoning
salt and pepper to taste
In a large skillet melt the butter. Add the onion and cook until soft. Add celery, apples, cranberries and seasoning and cook until tender. Add the chicken stock and juice and heat through. Toss in the bread cubes until they are all coated. Pour into a casserole dish and bake at 350F for 25-30 minutes.
You can mix up your juices by using two kinds or even all three. Add the zest of an orange for a fresh citrus flavor. You can also change up the taste by using all different kinds of bread. I used multi grain and rye for mine today. It is better when you use an artisan bread instead of plain white loaf. Stuffing and holiday seasoning will probably only be available around the holiday seasons or in speacialty stores.
3 Tbsp butter
1/2 onion chopped
5 celery stalks chopped
2 large apples chopped
1 cup dried cranberries
1 cup chicken stock
1 cup cranberry, orange or apple juice
5 cups bread diced
3 tbsp stuffing or holiday seasoning
salt and pepper to taste
In a large skillet melt the butter. Add the onion and cook until soft. Add celery, apples, cranberries and seasoning and cook until tender. Add the chicken stock and juice and heat through. Toss in the bread cubes until they are all coated. Pour into a casserole dish and bake at 350F for 25-30 minutes.
You can mix up your juices by using two kinds or even all three. Add the zest of an orange for a fresh citrus flavor. You can also change up the taste by using all different kinds of bread. I used multi grain and rye for mine today. It is better when you use an artisan bread instead of plain white loaf. Stuffing and holiday seasoning will probably only be available around the holiday seasons or in speacialty stores.
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Cream Peas on Toast
Now I know this sounds gross and very wierd, but it has been a family favorite of ours through my whole childhood and still remains a go to when I just don't feel like cooking or I didn't take any meat out of the freezer to thaw. It's not mushed peas on toast as some people think when I first suggest it and it might not be everyone's "cup of tea", but promise me you'll try it before you judge me insane.
4 cups frozen peas
3 Tbsp butter
3 Tbsp flour
1 Tbsp Sweet chili sauce
1 Tbsp Mustard
2 cups milk
salt and pepper to taste
Cook peas but not until done. You still want them a little crunchy because they will continue to cook in the sauce. In a medium sized pot melt the butter. Add the flour and stir together. Add the mustard and sweet chili sauce. Pour in 1/4 cup of the milk and stir continuously until it is all incorporated. Then you can slowly add the rest of the milk stirring continuously. Once the sauce is smooth and thickened slightly add the peas. Pour about 1/2 cup of the pea mixture on a piece of toast. We always top with some ketchup, but don't feel you need to.
Ways to change it up and make it your own would be adding spice mixtures (most will work well), cheese (especially flavored cheeses), or topping with hot sauce or BBQ sauce. You can also play with the breads you use for toast. We generally use plain white toast, but you can use rye, whole grains, bagels, sourdough or pumpernickle.
4 cups frozen peas
3 Tbsp butter
3 Tbsp flour
1 Tbsp Sweet chili sauce
1 Tbsp Mustard
2 cups milk
salt and pepper to taste
Cook peas but not until done. You still want them a little crunchy because they will continue to cook in the sauce. In a medium sized pot melt the butter. Add the flour and stir together. Add the mustard and sweet chili sauce. Pour in 1/4 cup of the milk and stir continuously until it is all incorporated. Then you can slowly add the rest of the milk stirring continuously. Once the sauce is smooth and thickened slightly add the peas. Pour about 1/2 cup of the pea mixture on a piece of toast. We always top with some ketchup, but don't feel you need to.
Ways to change it up and make it your own would be adding spice mixtures (most will work well), cheese (especially flavored cheeses), or topping with hot sauce or BBQ sauce. You can also play with the breads you use for toast. We generally use plain white toast, but you can use rye, whole grains, bagels, sourdough or pumpernickle.
I Need a Little Help
I don't know if it's because I've been so wrapped up in my cake business that I have come down with a case of recipe writers block. So I am looking to all of you for help. Please leave me a comment telling me some of the food you love to eat that you want recipes for. I need some inspiration. I am working on a few weekly meal plans but I would like to add a couple new recipes. I would really love to hear from you.
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