Goat Cheese Pizza with Caramelized Onions and Mushrooms

I made this pizza almost a month ago and haven't had a chance to post it until now.  Just thinking about it though is making my mouth water.  I rarely repeat recipes but this pizza features some of my favorite things....goat cheese, caramelized onions, and mushrooms! This was definitely a more time-consuming pizza to make, just in caramelizing the onions and sauteing the mushrooms.  But it is well worth it if you have the time!  My husband and I fnished this pizza off in one sitting, though I could probably have eaten the whole thing myself, or vice versa!  I always make the kids a plain cheese pizza to go with whatever specialty pizza I end up making.  My daughter eats none of the ingredients on this pizza and I snuck my son some goat cheese crumbles, since that's all he enjoys from this! 

Goat Cheese Pizza with Caramelized Onions and Mushrooms
recipe adapted from Meatless Mediterranean

Ingredients:
1 Pizza dough 2 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided

1 medium red onion, halved and thinly sliced into 1/2 rings
8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
3-4 ounces goat cheese, crumbled
salt and pepper

Directions:
Preheat pizza stone in oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.

Prepare the pizza crust to roughly form a 12-inch circle.

In a medium skillet, heat 1 1/2 tablespoons of the olive oil over medium to medium-low heat, and saute the onion for 2 or 3 minutes, until the onion begins to soften. Turn the heat down to low, season with salt and pepper, and cook for another 25-35 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion starts to caramelize. Remove the onion from the skillet set aside.

In the same skillet, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and the garlic, along with salt and pepper to taste. Saute for 4-6 minutes, until the mushrooms are cooked through and most of the liquid from the mushrooms has evaporated. Remove the mushroom mixture from the heat and set aside.

Spread the ricotta cheese in a thin layer over pizza crust. Next spread the caramelized onions evenly over the ricotta. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup of the shredded mozzarella and the grated Parmesan. Top with the mushrooms and then the goat cheese. Top it off with the remaining 1/2 cup of mozzarella.

Bake for 12-18 minutes, until golden.

Remove from oven and let sit for 5 minutes before slicing

Mommy & Daddy Rating: 2 thumbs up!

This post is shared at:
Foodtastic Friday @ Not Your Ordinary Recipes
Tasty Thursdays @ The Mandatory Mooch

Meatless Monday: Crock-Pot Huevos Rancheros Casserole

I'm always looking for slow cooker recipes. This recipe was a double plus because it was "breakfast for dinner" which the kids love so much.  I don't think I had ever made or eaten Huevos Rancheros before this, so I wasn't exactly sure what it was supposed to look or taste like.  I took the original recipe found here and adapted it to what I had and what I thought the kids would eat (the original sounded a bit spicy).  This was super easy to put together.  I had it prepared mid-afternoon and by the time we came home from tae kwon do it was ready.  I served this with yellow rice and we all enjoyed it. 

Crock-Pot Huevos Rancheros Casserole
recipe adapted from Crock-Pot Ladies

Ingredients:
8 Large Eggs
1/4 Cup milk
1 cup salsa
1 – 14.5 Ounce Can Black Beans, Rinsed and Drained
1 Teaspoon Cilantro
1/2 Teaspoon Black Ground Pepper
8 flour Tortillas, Soft Taco Size
sour cream (optional for topping)
1 avocado, diced (optional for topping)
shredded cheddar cheese (optional for topping)

Directions:
Spray non-stick spray inside of your crock-pot.

Crack eggs into medium bowl, add milk and pepper and whisk.

In another bowl, mix beans, salsa, and cilantro.

Place two tortillas at bottom of crock.

Spoon about a third of the salsa/bean mixture on top.

Pour about a fourth of the egg mixutre on top of that.

Top with two more tortillas and repeat layering 3 times so egg is your top layer.

Cover and cook on low for approximately 8 hours.

Cut and serve with desired toppings.

Family Rating: 1 1/2 thumbs up.

This recipe is shared at:
Mangia Mondays @ Delightfully Dowling
On The Menu Monday @ StoneGable
The Bulletin Board @ Mrs. Happy Homemaker

Meatless Monday: Zucchini Pizza

Another pizza recipe here for you!  I know I've mentioned numerous times that pizza is almost a weekly dinner staple in my house.  It's really quick and easy (depending on what you put on it!) and so much healthier to make it yourself than eating what you get from the local pizzeria. Just to note, I do not make my own pizza dough.  The store sells dough for less than $2 each and we like it.  I knew my kids weren't going to eat this, so they got a plain pizza.  But I love zucchini and wanted to try this recipe out.  The original recipe, linked below, called for zucchini ribbons.  I thought grating it would make for more manageable bites. My husband really enjoyed this pizza.  He liked the flavors of the dressing that the zucchini was mixed in.  I thought that this recipe wasn't bad, but not a favorite. It was definitely something different that we had never had before!

Zucchini Pizza
recipe very slightly adapted from A Cozy Kitchen

Ingredients:
10-ounce pizza dough (homemade or store-bought)
3 tablespoons tomato sauce
3 ounces mozzarella (low-moisture), thinly sliced
1 large zucchini, grated
1 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 shallot, minced
Salt and Pepper

Directions:
1. Make your pizza dough or grab your store-bought pizza dough.

2. Preheat pizza stone in oven to 475 F degrees. Stretch out your pizza dough into desired shape.

3. Add the tomato sauce to the center of the pizza dough, spreading it evenly. Arrange the cheese over the tomato sauce. Mozzarella melts and spreads like crazy so don’t put too much. Transfer the pizza to the preheated oven and bake for 12-15 minutes, or until the edges of the pizza are golden brown.

4. Meanwhile, grab the zucchini, cut off the ends and grate. Set aside.

5. In a medium bowl, add red wine vinegar and using a whisk, slowly add the olive oil until it emulsifies. Add the Dijon mustard, minced shallot and mix until combined. Salt and pepper to taste. Toss the zucchini with the dressing until lightly coated.

5. Open the oven and carefully place the zucchini mixture atop the pizza. Bake for an additional 1-2 minutes, until zucchini is warm.

Mommy & Daddy Rating: 1 1/2 thumbs up.

Meatless Monday: Zucchini Waffles

I love zucchini but unfortunately, the kids do not.  However, the kids do love anything breakfast - especially pancakes, waffles, french toast.....anything they can pour syrup over!  I found this waffle recipe and decided it was time to dust the waffle maker off and put it to good use.  It had been awhile since I had made homemade waffles.  I had my daughter help grate the zucchini for this recipe while my son and I got the batter ready.  As she was grating she said, "I'll grate this for you but I am NOT eating these. I don't like zucchini!"  Who ate all of her waffles?  Actually, both of the kids did.  I knew they would too!  In a recipe like this, when it is grated, there's very little zucchini flavor.  This was another great breakfast for dinner served with some breakfast sausage.  Just to note, as usual, I didn't read through the recipe before I went to make it.  I didn't have time to salt the zucchini to get out the excess water.  Instead after my daughter grated the zucchini I pressed the excess liquid out with my hands.  I guess it worked well enough, the waffle batter wasn't too watery!  Note to self....pre-read the recipe before making!

Zucchini Waffles
recipe from The Perfect Pantry

Ingredients:
2 medium zucchini, ends trimmed
1-1/2 cups all-purpose unbleached flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/3 cup sugar
1-1/2 cups skim (nonfat) milk
2 large eggs
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
Cooking spray

Directions:
Grate the zucchini on the large holes of a box grater. Place in a strainer, and sprinkle with a teaspoon or so of kosher salt. Place the strainer over a bowl, and let the zucchini drain for 30 minutes. Rinse under cold water, shake off excess liquid, and transfer the zucchini to a clean dish towel. Squeeze out as much moisture as you can from the zucchini, and set aside.


Preheat waffle maker to 400°F.

In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and sugar. Stir together.

In another large bowl, whisk together the milk, eggs, and vanilla extract. Add the dry ingredients (the flour mixture), and beat until smooth. Stir in the zucchini and mix well.

Spray the waffle maker with cooking spray (top and bottom plates). Spread half of the batter evenly over the bottom of the waffle maker, and close the top. Cook for 5 minutes, or until the waffles are as crisp as you like them. (Different waffle making equipment will cook at different rates, so please follow the instructions that come with your machine.) Repeat with remaining batter.

Serve hot, topped with maple syrup.

Family Rating: 2 thumbs up!

Meatless Monday: Pizza Margherita

I've decided that next year I think I'm going to stick to an herb garden out on the deck.  I just have trouble with my container gardening!  But the basil plant that my mother gave me thrived and I was able to use fresh basil throughout the summer.  Although we eat lots of pizza I've rarely eaten a Margherita pizza.  I don't know why.  I made this pizza which was super easy (so few ingredients!), quick, and delicious!  I made a plain pizza for the kids, as usual.  But I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this.  It's a great summer pizza when ripe tomatoes are in season and basil is thriving in herb gardens.

Pizza Margherita
recipe slightly adapted from Cooking Light, September 2008

Ingredients:
1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 store bought pizza dough
1 tomato, sliced thin
3 ounces fresh mozzarella, sliced thin
handful of fresh basil leaves

Directions:
1. Position an oven rack in the lowest setting. Place a pizza stone on the lowest oven rack.

2. Preheat oven to 450°.

3. Gently brush 1/2 teaspoon oil over pizza dough. Pat tomato slices with a paper towel. Arrange cheese over dough, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Top with tomato slices. Slide dough onto preheated pizza stone, using a spatula as a guide.

4. Bake at 500° for 9 minutes or until crust is golden. Remove from pizza stone. Drizzle with remaining 1/2 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil. Sprinkle with basil.

Mommy & Daddy Rating: 1 1/2 thumbs up.

Meatless Monday: Baked Caramel French Toast

Here's another breakfast recipe.  Of course in our house, dishes like this are made for dinner and then any leftovers are eaten for breakfast the next day.  The kids are huge breakfast eaters and breakfast for dinner is an almost guaranteed hit with them.  The kids really like french toast but for some reason I don't make it very often.  I should because french toast casseroles like this one are made ahead of time and are supposed to be refrigerated overnight.  These make for great busy weeknight dinners since you take it out, put it in the oven to cook, and you're done.  The prep has been done the night before.  Unfortunately, this wasn't one of our favorite french toast dishes.  For some reason this had a weird texture to it which we didn't like.  The flavors were okay....the kids love bananas and they loved the sweet homemade caramel sauce.  It was maybe too mushy.....not sure but we liked it but didn't LOVE it, which we normally do with breakfast for dinner type dishes.

Baked Caramel French Toast
recipe from All You, May 2012

Ingredients:
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons dark rum, (optional - I did not use)
2 medium ripe bananas, sliced
1 loaf challah or white bread (about 20 oz.), cut or torn into 1/2-inch pieces
8 large eggs
2 cups half and half
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:
 1. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add brown sugar and rum, if desired; stir until smooth. Remove from heat and stir in bananas.

 2. Scatter half of bread in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Spoon caramel-banana mixture evenly over bread. Top with remaining bread. In a large bowl, whisk eggs until blended. Whisk in half and half, vanilla and salt. Pour over bread mixture, pressing down on bread to make sure it's all coated. Cover with foil and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight.

3. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Let baking dish stand at room temperature while the oven preheats. Remove foil and bake until puffed and golden and a thin knife inserted in center comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving.

Family Rating: 1 thumb up.

Meatless Monday: Baked Ziti and Summer Veggies

I can spend hours looking for, sorting, and organizing my recipes.  I have pages and pages of ripped out recipes from the various food and cooking magazines that I've subscribed to over the years.  I have most of them organized my dish (appetizer, dessert, main course, etc.) in labeled manila folders.  However, I recently took it one step further and organized the main dish recipes into spring/summer and fall/winter.  This is how I came upon this recipe that I tore out of Cooking Light from last July!  Summer veggies.....August.....perfect!  Unfortunately, my kids are not summer veggie eaters.  But after their mandatory try a bite, they were easily able to pick out the veggies from this dish.  My husband really enjoyed this, while I thought it was okay.  Meaning, I won't be making it again!  If you have a bounty of leftover veggies from the garden this is a good dish to use some of them in.  

Baked Ziti and Summer Veggies
recipe from Cooking Light, July 2011

Ingredients:
4 ounces uncooked ziti
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cups chopped yellow squash
1 cup chopped zucchini
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 cups chopped tomato
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano
3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/4 cup (2 ounces) part-skim ricotta cheese
1 large egg, lightly beaten
Cooking spray

Directions:
1. Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat; drain.

2. Preheat oven to 400°.

3. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil to pan. Add squash, zucchini, and onion; sauté 5 minutes. Add tomato and garlic; sauté 3 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in pasta, 1/2 cup mozzarella, herbs, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper.

4. Combine ricotta, remaining salt, and egg. Stir into pasta mixture. Spoon into an 8-inch square glass or ceramic baking dish coated with cooking spray; sprinkle with remaining mozzarella. Bake at 400° for 15 minutes or until bubbly and browned.

Family Rating: 1 thumb up.

Meatless Monday: Pasta with Creamy Roasted Pepper Sauce and Bocconcini

I'm always on the lookout for tasty pasta recipes.  I love fresh mozzarella and when I found this recipe it was an excuse for me to buy those expensive marinated mozzarella balls!  Unfortunately ,this recipe looks a lot better than it tastes.  I found it to be rather tasteless.  My son, who loves cheese, wasn't a fan of the marinated cheese and he doesn't like peppers.  Neither does my daughter. So they ended up eating pretty plain-tasting pasta.  I ended up cutting the bocconcini into quarters to get more cheese in every bite!  Overall, we didn't really enjoy this dish very much. 

Pasta with Creamy Roasted Pepper Sauce and Bocconcini
recipe from One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
4 sweet red and yellow peppers, halved, cored and seeded
1/2 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2/3 cup heavy cream
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 pound rigatoni
1/3 pound small marinated bocconcini
1/2 cup basil leaves, thinly sliced

Directions:
1) Heat broiler. Line a large broiler pan with foil and coat with nonstick cooking spray.

2) Place peppers on prepared pan, cut side down. Broil for 9 to 10 minutes, about 4 inches from heat source. Place in a paper bag or covered bowl for 5 minutes. Peel skin off peppers and discard; thinly slice peppers.

3) In a large nonstick skillet bring broth to a simmer; add garlic and simmer 2 minutes. Stir in cream, salt and pepper and simmer for an additional 2 minutes.

4) Meanwhile, cook pasta following package directions, about 10 to 14 minutes for al dente. Drain and return to pot. Add cream mixture and sliced peppers; stir to combine.

5) To serve, spoon into a large serving bowl and fold in bocconcini and basil.   Family Rating: So-so.

Meatless Monday: Ricotta Banana Pancakes

We were due for another breakfast for dinner.  Lately, my go-to has been pancakes.  They're really easy to make and the kids love them.  I had ricotta for another recipe and a frozen, really ripe banana that was perfect for this recipe.  When my daughter found out that I was making "ricotta" pancakes she was quick to tell me that she doesn't like ricotta.  I told her to wait until she tried them before she told me that she didn't like them.  After eating them her response was, "Oh, I do like these!"  I think the ricotta is used to add moistness because you really don't taste it.  This recipe was in an issue of All You Magazine that I subscribe to.  It was listed as a dessert, but if you don't add caramel sauce it definitely works as a breakfast (or in this case dinner!) dish. 

Ricotta Banana Pancakes
recipe from All You, March, 2012

Ingredients:
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup whole-milk ricotta
1 large egg
1/2 cup milk
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 small ripe banana

Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to 200ºF. Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. In a large bowl, whisk together ricotta, egg, milk, butter, vanilla and banana. Gently stir flour mixture into ricotta mixture until just blended.

2. Grease a large nonstick skillet over medium heat with cooking spray or melted butter. Drop tablespoonfuls of batter into skillet. Cook pancakes, turning once, until golden brown on both sides, about 4 minutes total. Keep pancakes warm on a plate in oven while cooking remaining pancakes.

Family Rating: 2 thumbs up.

Meatless Monday: Macaroni n Cheese Pancakes

Wednesdays in our house are pretty busy.  The kids are at two different camps and then after camp my daughter has gymnastics class.  Last Wednesday there was a special reptile show at the library that I had signed us up to go to at 7 p.m.  I knew that we'd be really crunched for time between coming home from gymnastics and getting ready for the show.  My daughter was home with me last Wednesday so I ended up making these pancakes for us for lunch and then they were already made for dinner for my son.  The kids loved these, but really, how couldn't they?  Pancakes plus mac & cheese?!!  Those are two of their favorite foods!  They ate these up and also had them for breakfast a couple of days too.  While this isn't "gourmet" food, it's nice every once in awhile knowing that I'm making a meal that I know the kids will enjoy!

Mac n Cheese Pancakes
recipe from Every Day With Rachael Ray April, 2012

Ingredients:
2 cups flour
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon coarse salt
2 1/3 cups buttermilk
2 eggs
2 tablespoons butter, melted
2 1/2 cups cooked macaroni (1 1/4 cups dried), preferably elbows, drained and cooled
1 1/2 cups grated cheddar
Maple syrup, for serving

Directions:
1.In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.

2.In a separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, eggs and butter. Add the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients and whisk until just combined (the batter will be a bit lumpy). Using a spoon, fold in the macaroni and cheddar.

3.Preheat a griddle or large nonstick skillet over medium-low heat and lightly grease. Using a 1/4-cup measure and working in batches of 4, scoop the batter onto the griddle to make pancakes. Cook until the undersides are golden-brown and bubbles start to form on the top, about 5 minutes. Flip and cook until the second side is golden-brown, 3 to 4 minutes. repeat with the remaining pancake batter. Serve with maple syrup.

Family Rating: 1 1/2 thumbs up.

Meatless Monday: Creamy Avocado Pasta

I had a leftover avocado that I wanted to do something with.  I saw this recipe and thought that it looked tasty.  My husband and I love avocados.  I had never thought to mix avocado with pasta.  Honestly, after making this recipe, I don't think that I will again!  Unfortunately, I didn't have usable cilantro.  I knew I had some in the fridge, but when I went to use it I discovered that it had gone bad.  I don't think that cilantro would have made this recipe more palatable.  It was just kind of plain and tasteless.  The avocado was creamy and coated the pasta but added little flavor.  I made this on a Saturday as a quick lunch for my husband and I, knowing the kids wouldn't eat it.  They had pasta with butter and cheese.  Overall, my husband and I weren't too impressed.

Creamy Avocado Pasta
from two peas & their pod

Ingredients:
6 ounces pasta
1 large ripe Avocado, pitted and peel removed
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:
1. Bring water to a boil in a pot. Add pasta, reduce heat to medium, and cook until Al Dente, about 8-10 minutes.

2. While the pasta is cooking, make the sauce by placing the avocado, garlic, lime juice, cilantro, salt and pepper into a food processor or blender. Process until smooth and creamy.

3. When pasta is done cooking, drain and put into a large bowl. Add the sauce to the pasta and toss until pasta is well coated. Season with additional salt and pepper, if desired. Serve immediately.

Family Rating: So-so.

Meatless Monday: Black Bean Burgers with Mango Salsa

I don't know what I was thinking when I decided to make these burgers.  The major fact being that I don't like beans!  The last dish I think I made with beans were bean burritos.  My son, the picky eater of the family ended up loving them!  In an effort to not pass on my eating dislikes to the kids, I try to make an effort to expose them to all kinds of foods....even ones that I don't like.  Since we try to eat meatless once a week I decided to make these burgers.  They were pretty easy to make and while they were cooking in the oven I was able to make the salsa.  The salsa really helped me enjoy these burgers because if I had to eat them plain, I wouldn't be fan.  The salsa was so tasty I could probably eat the whole bowl of just that! The kids, not fans of avocado, picked all of it out of the salsa (more for me!).  But they each ate the half of a burger I gave them.  This recipe made ended up making 8 burgers for me.  I could have made them a little larger, as seen in the picture below, but was happy with the size.  Since I wasn't a big fan of these, we ended up freezing three of the burgers for my husband to eat in a few weeks when me and the kids go up to my parent's beach house in Rhode Island and he stays home. 

Black Bean Burgers with Mango Salsa
slightly adapted from Cooking Light, April 2010

Ingredients:
2 (15-ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
3/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro, divided
3/4 cup (3 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1/4 cup plain bread crumbs
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
2 large egg whites
Cooking spray
1 1/4 cups chopped peeled mango (about 1 medium)
3 tablespoons chopped shallots
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 avocado, peeled and chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
6 hamburger buns

Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to 350°.

2. Place black beans in a medium bowl; mash with a fork. Stir in 1/2 cup finely chopped cilantro and the next 6 ingredients (through egg whites). Shape bean mixture into 6 (1/2-inch-thick) patties. Arrange patties on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 20 minutes, carefully turning once.

3. Combine remaining 1/4 cup cilantro, mango, and the next 4 ingredients (through minced garlic) in a medium bowl. Place a patty on bottom half of each hamburger bun; top each with 1/3 cup salsa, and top half of bun.

Family Rating: 1 thumb up.

Meatless Monday: Dutch Baby Pancake with Sauteed Peaches

Breakfast for dinner is always a hit at our house.  I hadn't made pancakes, particularly, a Dutch Baby Pancake, in awhile.  With peaches being on sale this past week, I thought this sounded like a great meal.  It was super quick and easy to make. I served it with breakfast sausage and yogurt. The kids LOVED it and would have eaten more if I let them (they already had seconds but I had to save some for daddy!). 

Dutch Baby Pancake with Sauteed Peaches
from Every Day with Rachael Ray, August 2010

Ingredients:
1/2 cup whole milk
3 eggs, at room temperature
4 tablespoons granulated sugar, divided
A pinch of salt
1/2 cup flour
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
2 large peaches – peeled, pitted and sliced
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Confectioners' sugar, for dusting

Directions:
1. Place a 9- or 10-inch cast iron skillet in the bottom third of the oven and pre-heat to 425°F.

2. In a small glass measuring cup, heat the milk in the mircowave for 30 seconds at full power. Using a blender, mix the milk, eggs, 2 tablespoons granulated sugar and the salt briefly at low speed until combined. Add the flour and blend until just incorporated.

3. Add 2 tablespoons butter to the hot skillet to melt, then pour in the batter. Return the skillet to the oven and bake until the pancake is puffed and golden, about 20 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, in a medium size skillet, combine the remaining 2 tablespoons each granulated sugar and butter, the peaches and lemon juice and cook over medium-high heat until the juices are syrupy, about 5 minutes; remove from the heat. Dust the hot pancake immediately with the confectioners' sugar, cut into four wedges and serve with the warm peaches.

Family Rating:  2 thumbs up!

Meatless Monday: Spinach and Potato Pizza

In the past I have joined a couple of different gyms.  Due to moving and/or rare use I ended up ending those memberships.  For the past couple of months I have been trying to get in shape on my own via exercise DVDs.  However, I'm really not disciplined enough and lacked motivation to really see any improvements.  This past week I ended up joining a local gym.  It's not one of the nation-wide chains and I feel like we're paying a fortune for me to go.   However, it's really close to the house, they have a pool, tennis courts, and tons of exercise classes.  They even have a women's only room with weight and exercise machines. Even with the cost, my husband has been very supportive of my decision.  I'm not going to diet on a program but I'm hoping to cook a little healthier for the family. 

Pizza is pretty much a weekly dinner menu staple in our house.  I love finding new pizza recipes.  When I saw this one in All You magazine I thought it sounded like a good vegeterian pizza.  My husband ended making this one for us.  It was quick and easy and really tasty!  I liked getting the extra veggies into my diet!  Of course we made a plain pizza for the kids. 

Spinach and Potato Pizza
recipe slightly adapted from All You , November 2011
Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 store bought pizza dough
8 ounces Yukon gold potatoes, thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 10-oz. package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
8 ounces shredded Gruyère

Preparation:
1. Preheat pizza stone in oven to 475ºF.  Spread pizza dough out to desired shape/thickness.  Toss potatoes with 1 Tbsp. oil and scatter over dough. Sprinkle with salt. Scatter spinach over potatoes. Sprinkle with cheese.

2. Bake until underside of crust is golden and cheese is bubbling, about 12-15 minutes.

Mommy & Daddy rating:  1 1/2 thumbs up.

Shared with Makin' You Crave Monday

The Weekend Chef/ Meatless Monday: Lentils and Rice with Fried Onions

 Our weekends have been pretty busy recently so my husband, The Weekend Chef, hasn't had that much of a chance to really get to cook.  A couple of Sundays ago we had been visiting our neighbors and had spent most of the afternoon outside.  By the time we got back home I was exhausted and ended up taking a nap on the couch while my kids watched a show.  I had my husband, who was responsible for cooking dinner make this.  This was one of those recipes that I had picked out awhile ago and had all the ingredients for. Although it takes a little time to cook, it was easy to make.  Although I'm trying to eat more lentils and other "good-for-me" foods, I wasn't a big fan of this dish.  The onions and yogurt really helped make it palatable for me.  The kids barely ate theirs.  But please don't let the opinion of someone who doesn't really like lentils sway you!  My husband who does like lentils enjoyed this. 

Lentils and Rice with Fried Onions
allrecipes.com - by Melissa Mueller

Yields:  4 servings
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients:
6 tablespoons olive oil
1 large white onion, sliced into rings
1 1/3 cups uncooked green lentils
3/4 cup uncooked long-grain white rice
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup plain yogurt

Directions:
1.Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Stir in the onions, and cook about 10 minutes, until browned. Remove from heat, and set aside.

2.Place lentils in a medium saucepan with enough lightly salted water to cover. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer about 15 minutes.

3.Stir rice and enough water to cover into the saucepan with the lentils. Season with salt and pepper. Cover saucepan, and continue to simmer 15 to 20 minutes, until rice and lentils are tender.

4.Mix half the onions into the lentil mixture. Top with yogurt or sour cream and remaining onions to serve.

Family Rating: 1 thumb up.

Meatless Monday: Capellini with Spicy Zucchini-Tomato Sauce

As much as I try to get my kids to like zucchini, they don't.  The same goes for mushrooms.  And unfortunately, these are two of my favorite veggies.  We end up having some type of pasta dish at least once a week because it's such a quick and easy food to make.  I can't remember the last time that I just cooked up pasta and tossed it with a jar of spaghetti sauce though (the jars are collecting dust in my basement pantry!).  This recipe seemed pretty close though to pasta with red sauce with the added benefit of some fresh veggies.  The recipe calls for the chef to crush the tomatoes with your hand in the skillet.  Can I tell you how covered in tomato juice I got when the tomatoes "exploded" all over me (luckily I've learned to cook with an apron or clothes I don't care if they get dirty).  I had tomato juice and seeds that squirted across the kitchen!  And as I'm screaming in surprise when this happened a couple of times, my two kids who were watching television in the room next door were oblivious!  Good thing I wasn't hurt or anything because they weren't coming to see what happened! I debated about omitting the red pepper flakes but in the end decided to add them.  It was such a small amount that the heat didn't overpower the dish and my kids were able to eat this.  It was definitely quick and easy to make but it was just a little plain for me, flavor-wise.  For the kids, it was just like eating spaghetti with sauce from the jar (but it wasn't jarred sauce!) and the required one bite of zucchini. 

Capellini with Spicy Zucchini-Tomato Sauce
recipe adapted from Foodnetwork Magazine

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 28-ounce can plum tomatoes in puree
Kosher salt
1 medium zucchini, cut into small chunks
1/2 pound spaghetti
Grated parmesan cheese, for topping

Directions:
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook until the garlic is just golden, about 1 minute. Crush the tomatoes into the skillet with your hands and add the juice. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is slightly thickened, about 15 minutes. Add the zucchini and cook until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Season with salt.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the spaghetti and cook as the label directs. Drain and add to the sauce; toss to coat. Top with parmesan.

Family Rating: 1 thumb up.

Tortilla Espanola

During Lent I was cooking my meatless meal of the week on Fridays.  I've seen a couple of different recipes for this popular Spanish dish and finally decided to make it.  With eggs and potatoes as the main ingredients, I figured it couldn't go over too badly with the kids. I have to say, after all was said and done, it was only okay.  It took a long time to make, since the potatoes and onion roast for an hour.  Luckily, I've been able to cook dishes like these since I'm home full-time now.  Obviously, not a good busy weeknight meal for most families!  It definitely lacked flavor.  I believe the hot sauce came out to help add flavor to this.  My daughter enjoyed it, minus the onions, but she loves most potato dishes.  For my husband and I, it was just okay. 

Tortilla Espanola
Cooking Light, August 2001

Tortilla Española (its relation to Mexican tortillas comes solely from it round shape) is among the most popular dishes in Spain. Although its ingredients couldn't be more basic--potatoes, eggs, onions, and oil--they're combined and cooked in a way that makes this dish irresistible and versatile. The potatoes are normally fried, but we've roasted them with excellent results. Unlike American omelets, this one's best made several hours ahead then served at room temperature.


Ingredients:
6 cups thinly sliced peeled baking potato (about 3 pounds)
2 cups thinly sliced sweet onion
Cooking spray
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
4 large eggs
Oregano sprigs (optional)

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350°.

Place the potato and onion in a roasting pan coated with cooking spray. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons oil, and sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Toss well. Bake at 350° for 1 hour or until potatoes are tender, stirring occasionally with a metal spatula to prevent sticking.

Combine eggs and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a large bowl. Stir in potato mixture; let stand 10 minutes. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in an 8-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat. Pour potato mixture into pan (pan will be very full). Cook 7 minutes or until almost set, gently shaking pan frequently.

Place a plate upside down on top of omelet; invert onto plate. Carefully slide omelet cooked side up into pan; cook 3 minutes or until set, gently shaking pan occasionally. Carefully loosen omelet with a spatula; gently slide omelet onto a plate. Cool. Cut into wedges. Garnish with oregano, if desired.

Family Rating:  1 thumb up.

Meatless Monday: Black Bean Burritos with Avocado

I am not a big bean eater.  In trying to be adventerous and showing my kids that I will try new foods and eat foods that I don't really like, I decided to make these burritos.  I like avocado and was hoping that would help!  Thinking that neither the kids or I would enjoy these very much I also made yellow rice to serve with them. I know they kids, especially my son, loves yellow rice and figured he'd eat something at dinner.  I think my mouth almost dropped when my son proceeded to finish his entire half of burrito that I gave him and proclaimed "You're the best cook!"  I wasn't as enthusiastic as he was about this meal, but I have to say, that once I added the avocado, sour cream, salsa, and cheese, the beans didn't stand out as much.  As an added plus, this was super quick to make and my son at another burrito for lunch the next day!  Finally found something that he likes (but which unfortunately, I'm not a big fan of!). 

Black Bean Burritos with Avocado
Recipe slightly adapted from Cooking Light, January 2005

Yield:  4 servings

Ingredients:
1/2 cup diced peeled avocado
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup water
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 (15-ounce) cans black beans, drained
4 (10-inch) flour tortillas
6 tablespoons fat-free sour cream
6 tablespoons bottled salsa
1 cup shredded cheddar

Preparation:
Combine avocado and lime juice, tossing to coat.

Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add garlic; sauté 1 minute. Stir in water, cumin, and beans. Reduce heat to medium; simmer 3 minutes or until thoroughly heated, stirring occasionally. Warm tortillas according to package directions. Spoon 1/4 cup bean mixture into each tortilla. Top with 1 1/2 tablespoons sour cream, 1 1/2 tablespoons salsa, and 2 tablespoons avocado; roll up.

Family Rating: 1 1/2 thumbs up.

Meatless Monday: Baked Spaghetti Squash with Tomato Sauce and Olives

Although my kids are pretty good eaters and almost always try a bite of something new, I'm trying to be more adventurous in my cooking and eating, to expose them to new foods.  For example, I realize that just because I'm not a big fan of beans doesn't mean that I shouldn't make them.  Maybe my kids will end up liking them and I won't know if I don't expose them to these new foods.  I think I tried making spaghetti squash once before, years ago and wasn't a big fan.  In my quest to try new foods I decided to make this.  Knowing my kids probably wouldn't eat it, I cooked up some regular spaghetti too.  This turned out to be a wise choice.  The recipe made plenty of sauce, which both my husband and I enjoyed.  It was very different and flavorful with the olives, wine, and capers. I ended up realizing that I'm not a big fan of spaghetti squash.  Hey, I'm a carb lover. I want the real thing!  So, the squash ended up being an appetizer to my big bowl of regular spaghetti with the sauce over it.  Also to note, this is NOT a quick weeknight dinner.  The squash was cooked for 90 minutes and after putting the sauce together, that needs to simmer for 30 minutes.

Baked Spaghetti Squash with Tomato Sauce and Olives
Cooking Light, October 2000

Yield: 6 servings (1 cup squash, 3/4 cup sauce, 1 tablespoon topping)

Ingredients:
1 spaghetti squash (about 3 1/4 pounds)
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup minced fresh onion
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
2 bay leaves
Dash of crushed red pepper
3 garlic cloves, minced and divided
1 cup dry red wine
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup coarsely chopped pitted kalamata olives
1 tablespoon capers
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes, undrained
1/4 cup (1 ounce) grated fresh Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 375°.

Pierce squash with a fork. Place squash on a baking sheet; bake at 375° for 1 1/2 hours or until tender. Cool. Cut squash in half lengthwise; discard seeds. Scrape inside of squash with a fork to remove spaghetti-like strands to measure 6 cups. Keep warm.

While squash is baking, heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion, oregano, thyme, bay leaves, and red pepper; sauté 5 minutes. Add 2 minced garlic cloves, wine, and the next 6 ingredients (wine through tomatoes); bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer until thick (about 30 minutes). Discard bay leaves. Serve sauce over squash.

Combine 1 minced garlic clove, Parmesan cheese, and parsley. Sprinkle over each serving.

Family Rating: So-so.

Meatless Mondays: Jack Quesadillas with Pear Salsa

I'm not a big pear fan.  They have a grainy texture that I don't like.  But I do like fruit salsas and quesadillas.  So, this seemed like a winning recipe.  We have a quesadilla maker that my parents gave us.  Although it rarely gets used, on busy weeknights it can make tasty quesadillas in minutes. I ended up enjoying the pear salsa.  Mixed with all of the other ingredients the pear didn't taste as grainy as eating it by itself.  My kids are big fruit lovers so they were willing to try the salsa.  They ended up eating it as a side, rather than on the quesadilla, itself, but did eat all that I had given them. If they had their choice though, they'd just eat a plain cheese quesadilla!

Jack Quesadillas with Pear Salsa
Cooking Light, January/February 2000

Pear salsa:
4 cups chopped peeled Anjou pear (2 pounds)
1/3 cup chopped red onion
2 tablespoons chopped fresh or 2 teaspoons dried mint
1 tablespoon grated lime rind
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and chopped

Quesadillas:
8 (8-inch) fat-free flour tortillas
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1/2 cup chopped green onions

Preparation:
To prepare salsa, combine first 8 ingredients in a bowl; cover and chill.

To prepare the quesadillas, place 1 tortilla in a medium nonstick skillet over medium heat, and top with 1/2 cup cheese. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons onions; top with a tortilla. Cook 3 minutes, pressing down with a spatula until cheese melts. Turn carefully, and cook until thoroughly heated (about 1 minute). Repeat procedure with the remaining tortillas, cheese, and green onions. Cut each quesadilla into sixths; serve with pear salsa.

Family Rating: 1 1/2 thumbs up.