Pasta e Fagioli

One of the best known Italian soups is Pasta e Fagioli, which translates into pasta and beans. Pasta e Fagioli is an easy to make dish with little prep time that is both delicious and healthy. 

I had some sort of flu bug, and this soup is exactly what I needed (and made in under 20 minutes)!   Definitely a must-make for soup season.
2 TBS. olive oil
1 onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 c. water
2 cans diced tomatoes (preferably Italian flavor with basil, garlic & oregano)
3 c. chicken or vegetable broth
8 oz. dry whole wheat rotini pasta
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
1 bunch fresh kale, washed, tough stems cut off, and cut into 1 inch pieces
2 cans navy beans, or 1 can navy bean, 1 can kidney bean
1 can green beans (this would be fabulous with fresh green beans, but I didn't have any)
1 large zucchini, diced
1 TBS. tomato paste
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
Grated Parmesan (optional, for topping)

Saute onions in olive oil @ med-high heat for about 5 minutes.  Add garlic.  Cook 1 min.  Stir in tomatoes, broth and water.  Bring to boil.  Add pasta and Italian seasoning.  Cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes.  Stir in kale and zucchini, cook 5 minutes more.  Reduce heat to medium.  Stir in beans, green beans, tomato paste and salt & pepper.  Heat through.  Ladle into bowls and garnish with parmesan.

Freezes beautifully in airtight container, up to 3 months.

Baked Tortellini in Marinara

So easy to throw this one together, and sooooo delicious. Serve with a simple salad and some garlic bread! Yum!

3 cups cheese tortellini
1 (24 oz) jar of marinara sauce
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese, divided
salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and grease an 11 x 7-inch baking pan.

In a pot of boiling water, cook tortellini for 3 minutes. You don’t want it fully cooked because it will cook more in the oven. Drain and place in a bowl. Toss with 1 TBS. of olive oil to prevent sticking.

Combine the the marinara, cream, and 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese. Then add to the pasta and gently toss until coated. Season with salt and pepper if desired.

Place the tortellini into the greased baking dish. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese and mozzarella. Then bake uncovered for 25 minutes at 350 degrees or until lightly browned.

Hawaiian Chopped Pizza

Darn those sisters.  They always have great recipes!  I saw this posting a while ago, and thought that I must re-create it.  And re-create it, I did.  These are so simple, and easy to prepare - and they ARE DELICIOUS.  I made them for dinner, and thought they were so good that I made them the next day for lunch!  You can use pre-made frozen dough, or for less rising time, make your own.

Dough (or use frozen roll dough - I like Rhodes Bake'N'Serve Rolls - and let rise as directed)
1 1/2 c. warm water
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. yeast
1/2 tsp. salt
3-4 1/2 c. flour

Toppings
Thinly sliced deli ham (or omit and add vegetables for vegetarian version)
Pineapple tidbits
Green onions
Mozzarella Cheese
Your favorite marinara sauce for dipping (we also loved to dip these in ranch dressing)
Prepare dough, let rise in bowl, then shape into 2" balls.  Let rise.  Take one roll and place a handful of desired toppings.  With chef's chopping knife, chop into tiny pieces until everything is combined.  Shape into a ball, and place on a well greased cookie sheet.  Repeat with other rolls.  Cover with greased wrap, let rise for 20-30 minutes.  Bake at 400 for approx. 20 minutes.  Serve with marinara and ranch dressing for dipping.

Shrimp & Avocado Pasta

This is my husband's all-time favorite dish (he requests it anytime I ask him what we need to add to our menu).  I've posted it before, but now I have a picture for it.  It is rich, has a little kick to it, and is the perfect pasta for a special occasion.  We think the flavors of parmesan, cilantro, shrimp, avocado and lime really complement each other well.

½ pound fettucini (prepared al dente as directed on package)
3 TBLS Olive Oil (you can use vegetable/canola oil if you don’t have olive, but olive is best)
1 lb. shrimp, peeled, de-veined, tails pulled off (prepared as directed - I've done with with both raw and frozen shrimp and they both work fine)
3 TBLS chopped fresh parsley (or you can use dried, but fresh is best)
3 Cloves Minced Garlic (or use the pre-minced, and follow as directed on jar)
½ of small red or green jalapeno chili pepper (seeded and minced), or if you don’t want that, use ½ TBLS of ground chili pepper spice
¼ dry white wine (or substitute with apple juice)
1 ½ C. Heavy Whipping Cream
2 ripened dark green almost black colored avocados halved, pitted, diced
2 C. fresh grated parmesan (save ½ c. of this to top the finished product)
4 TBLS. Fresh cilantro washed & chopped (you have to use this fresh, don’t buy the dry spice)
2 tsp. fresh lime juice
Salt & Pepper, added until you can taste it.

Bring separate pot of water to boil for the pasta. In a large sauce pan, add in all ingredients, except for fettucini and shrimp on medium heat (don’t boil) until ingredients are blended well and simmering (almost a boil). In your first pot of boiling water, add dried noodles and set timer. Run the frozen shrimp under cool running water as directed. Strain water from noodles when complete, drain water very well. Add shrimp to simmering sauce. Stir 1-2 minutes until blended and shrimp are warmed in sauce. Add fettucini noodles and toss in sauce. Put finished pasta dish on plates and top with freshly grated parmesan.

Portabello, Artichoke & Feta Baked Mediterranean Penne

It's no secret that I love pasta.  I mean, I have about a gazillion pasta dishes already on this blog.  I was getting sick of the old tomato and cheese flavor, so I decided to change it up with a Mediterranean twist by adding some feta, artichokes and portabello mushrooms and it really packed a punch.  Then, this darn daylight savings time gave me one less hour at dinnertime so I had to take a picture in the dark, which never makes this look not quite as appetizing as it really is.  This is a great versatile dish that is perfect for meatless nights (you could added shredded chicken if you don't want to go without!).  Enjoy!

1 lb. box whole wheat penne, cooked al dente (9 min. max)
1 small onion
1 small red pepper
2 cloves garlic
1 TBS. olive oil
1 can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
2 large portabello mushrooms, stems removed, diced into bite sized pieces
1 c. tomato sauce
2 c. your favorite pasta sauce (one with peppers and mushrooms compliments this nicely)
8 oz. feta cheese, divided in half and crumbled
1 c. parmesan cheese, shredded.

Saute onions, garlic, mushrooms and peppers in olive oil until translucent (about 4-5 minutes).  In large bowl, mix all ingredients, reserving 4 oz crumbled feta and all or parmesan.  Place pasta mixture in 9x13 pan.  Sprinkle with feta and parmesan.  Preheat oven to 350.

Bake for 30 minutes or until feta is bubbly.

Thai Chicken Pizza

If you like Thai food and peanut sauce, this pizza packs it all in.  It's savory, a little spicy, and full of flavor.  Just like the one atm California Pizza Kitchen!

4 TBS creamy peanut butter

3 TBS vegetable broth
3 TBS seasoned rice vinegar
2 TBS soy sauce
2 tsp chili oil
1.5 inch piece ginger, minced
2 tsp honey
3/4 tsp sesame oil
2 TBS sesame seeds, toasted
1 1/2 TBS green onions
1.5 C shredded chicken
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 carrot, shredded
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
handful of bean sprouts

1 recipe, pizza crust (makes 6, 6-inch personal pizzas)

Mix all ingredients from peanut butter until sesame oil in the blender.  Puree until smooth.  Pour 1/4 cup over shredded chicken.  Grill one side of pizza dough, then quickly spread with peanut sauce, cheese, chicken and green onions.  Bake 2 more minutes or until done.  Garnish with sesame seeds, carrot, cilantro and bean sprouts. 

Roasted Garden Marinara

I made this using almost all ingredients from my garden, and the flavor was incredible.  It tasted so fresh, and was really versatile.  Use this for a simple marinara on pasta topped with roasted zucchini and parmesan (pictured below), or use it as a base topping for Grilled Pizza.

6 large vine ripened tomatoes, quartered (or 30+ cherry tomatoes, whole)
2 green peppers
1 sweet onion
1 TBS. olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 TBS. fresh chopped parsley
1 tsp. lemon juice
1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. pepper

Preheat oven to 500.  Place tomatoes, peppers and onion on pan.  Drizzle with oil, and sprinkle with coarse salt and cracked pepper.  Roast for 25-30 minutes, until tomatoes burst, and skin darkens.  Remove from oven.  Bring to room temperature.  Place in blender, add garlic, parsley, lemon juice, and salt/pepper to taste.

Practically Perfect Pizza Dough (especially PERFECT for Grilling)

Wondering what to do for what could be your last meal on the grill (unless you're like me, and grilling season lasts all year long)?  This Labor Day, make yourself some GRILLED PIZZA!  Due to this recipe, I will no longer be able to eat pizza from the oven.  It's THAT good.  When you grill it, it tastes like it comes straight out of the brick oven from your Italian grandmother's kitchen.  It's crunchy on the outside, but soft and chewy on the inside.  The crust is the perfect complement to whatever toppings you like.  Look no further folks.  This is IT.

This pizza crust recipe is GREAT for grilling, but is just fine for oven pizzas too. Yields 6 individual crusts.

DOUGH:
1 1/2 cups very warm water
1 TBS sugar
1.5 TBS yeast
1 tsp coarse kosher salt
3 TBS olive oil
3 C. all-purpose flour
1 C. whole wheat flour

Mix yeast, sugar and warm water.  Let sit until frothy (about 10 minutes).  Add salt, oil and 1 c. whole wheat flour.  Mix well.  Let rest for 10 minutes.  Add remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, until it pulls from the side of your mixer (or if mixing by hand, until well incorporated).    Knead for 8 minutes.  Dough should become elastic. 

Place in greased bowl and cover with a warm, damp cloth.  Let rise until double in size.  Meanwhile, flour a clean countertop and prepare your pizza toppings, cheese, and sauce in separate bowls so they are ready to go.  Divide dough into 6 ball-sized portions (do not stretch out to pizza crust yet).  Let sit for 15-20 minutes on floured surface.  Preheat grill tto medium-high.  Coat dough balls with flour, and with floured hands, stretch out crust - about 6-8 inches, depending on how you think you like it.  Place it on well-oiled grill grates and grill one side for about 2 minutes.  Flip.  Add sauce, cheese and toppings (our favorites are fresh garden tomatoes, roasted zucchini, roasted peppers, roasted garlic, green onions, and chopped spinach with garden tomato marinara).  Close grill cover and cook for about 2 more minutes or until cheese is melted. 

Once you've had this pizza, you won't want to make it any other way.

Papa Murphy's Chicken Garlic Pizza

Looking for a fun weekend pizza night?  This stuff is a favorite at our house, and a lot cheaper than Papa Murphy's take-n-bake.  Try it out and let me know what you think!

PRINTABLE RECIPE HERE

*Got this one from my friend, Krista.  We modified it a bit, and made it on this thin crust pizza dough so it tasted just like Papa Murphy's!*

Yields 2 Large Pizzas
Pizza Crust
Garlic alfredo pizza sauce (recipe below)
2 cups mozzarella cheese, grated
1 cup parmesan cheese, grated
1 cup chicken, cooked and chopped
2 green onions, chopped
2 Roma tomatoes, seeded and chopped

Prepare pizza crust as directed. Spread 1/2 cup sauce on each pizza. Sprinkle with cheese, chicken, green onions, and tomatoes. Bake as directed.

Garlic Alfredo Pizza Sauce
2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp flour
1 cup half & half
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp garlic powder

Melt butter in saucepan. Stir in flour and garlic powder. Slowly add cream. Stir until thickened and bubbly. Add salt and mix well.

Food Network's Thin Crust Pizza Dough

LOVE LOVE LOVEd this recipe.  Tasted just like Papa Murphy's, and we even made a chicken garlic pizza to go on it.

1 package active dry yeast
2 teaspoons sugar
1 cup warm water (110 degrees F)
1/4 cup lard or vegetable shortening
3 to 4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons salt
Olive oil

In an electric mixing bowl, whisk the yeast, sugar, water and lard together to make a paste. Add the flour and salt and mix, using a dough hook, until the dough comes away from the sides and crawls up the dough hook. Remove the dough from the bowl. Grease the bowl with olive oil and place the dough back in the bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and divide dough in half. Roll the dough into balls, cover, and let the dough rest for 15 to 20 minutes. The dough is ready to be shaped.

Yield: dough for 2 (12-inch) pizzas

We loved this thin crust pizza dough with my friend Krista's garlic chicken pizza (found HERE) and modified to our personal taste!

Garlic alfredo pizza sauce (recipe below)

2 cups mozzarella cheese, grated
1 cup parmesan cheese, grated
1 cup chicken, cooked and chopped
2 green onions, chopped
1 tomato, seeded and chopped

Prepare pizza crust as directed. Spread 1/2 cup sauce on each pizza. Sprinkle with cheese, chicken, green onions, and tomatoes. Bake as directed.

Garlic Alfredo Pizza Sauce
2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp flour
1 cup half & half
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp garlic powder

Melt butter in saucepan. Stir in flour and garlic powder. Slowly add cream. Stir until thickened and bubbly. Add salt and mix well.

Emeril's Linguine alla Carbonara

Tried this tonight to carbo-load for a race tomorrow.  It was quick, simple and tasty.

Ingredients


1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 yellow onion, minced

4 ounces pancetta or prosciutto, diced  (I used regular bacon)

1 pound fresh linguine

3 large egg yolks, at room temperature

1/2 cup heavy cream, at room temperature

3/4 cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, at room temperature

Freshly ground black pepper
Directions

Heat oil and butter in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add the onion and pancetta and cook until the onions are translucent and the pancetta is beginning to crisp. Remove from the heat and set aside.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the linguine according to package directions until al dente, about 2 to 3 minutes. Drain pasta in a colander (reserve a small amount of the cooking liquid in a small bowl) and return pasta to the pot. Return the pot to the heat and add the reserved pancetta and onion mixture. Stir over high heat until pasta is coated with the pancetta mixture.

In a bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and heavy cream and add to the pasta, along with the Parmesan. Remove the pot from the heat and toss the pasta until it is well-coated. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste. If needed, add a bit of the reserved pasta cooking liquid to help toss the pasta if it is dry. Serve immediately.

Aubergine My Submarine

My sister, Emily, recently returned from some years living abroad, gave me this recipe - in American English, we can call this dish - Eggplant Pasta. It was new to us, and we will make it again.

1 firm ripe egg plant (aubergine in London)
EVOO
2 cloves garlic
1 onion, diced
2 cans plum tomatoes (whole tomatoes or diced tomatoes also work fine)
1 T balsamic vinegar

1 tsp. chili powder

1 tsp. garlic salt
Sea salt and pepper to taste (sea salt makes a difference- it’s worth it to me)
Bunch of fresh basil (I used cilantro)
4 T double cream
1 lb rigatoni or penne
7 oz mozzarella (I used a fresh chunk and cut it into pieces, much better than regular mozzarella)
Block of parm to grate

Remove both ends of egg plant- slice into ½ in circles, then dice. Season generously with sea salt and let sit to draw out bitterness

Heat EVOO in saucepan, then add e.plant- as soon as they hit the pan stir them around so they are just barely coated with oil and not soaked. Cook 7 minutes on med heat. Add garlic and onion. When they have some color add the tomatoes and vinegar. Stir and season with chili powder, garlic salt, and your desired amount of s + p. Add basil stalks (leave leaves until the last minute) and simmer for 15 min. Then add cream.

When sauce is simmering, cook pasta and reserve a little of the water. Add sauce to pasta. Grate in fresh parm, tear up the mozzarella and basil leaves and add just before serving.

**We thought this was even better as a leftover, after the pasta and eggplant had time to really mix together.**

Chicken Parmesan Pitas

I know, I haven't posted many recipes. We've had a really busy summer and really I'd rather be outside! I love summer. More recipes to come soon... But while you're waiting, try this one. I've been on a pita kick lately.

can't figure out why this pic is the wrong way. sorry.

4 chicken breasts pounded to an even thickness of 1/2-inches and cut into chunks
1/2 c. vegetable oil, divided
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
2 tsp jarred minced or crushed garlic
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1/3 c Italian-seasoned bread crumbs
4 TBS grated parmesan cheese
4 lg sandwich-size pitas (top 1-inch cut off )
1/2 c marinara sauce, heated

1 vidalia sweet onion, diced and sauteed (optional)
1 c shredded mozzarella cheese
12 thin slices ham (optional)

HEAT oven to 425F. Line 9x13 pan with heavy duty aluminum foil. Rinse chicken. Pat dry. Combine 1/4 cup oil, salt, pepper, garlicand Italian seasoning. Combine bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese.
POUR remaining 1/4 cup oil into baking pan. Heat in oven 5 minutes. Combine chicken with seasoned mixture. Pat bread crumbs onto chicken strips. Remove pan from oven. Add chicken strips in single layer. Bake for 8 minutes. Remove from oven.Turn chicken with tongs. Return to oven. Bake 6 minutes, or until chicken is nolonger pink in center. Remove from pan. Drain on paper towels.
REDUCE oven temperature to 400F. Tuck chicken slices into pita pockets. Spoon sauce and mozzarella cheese over chicken. Tuck in ham slices and sauteed onions, if desired. Place filled pitas on baking sheet. Bake pitas for 6 minutes, or until cheese is melted. Serve immediately.

Lasagna...Thrown Together

I was interested in making a lasagna that could be frozen and used for later use...I threw in some stuff I had in the fridge for "secret ingredients" (which I am about to divulge), and it was honest-to-goodness the best lasagna we've ever had. I made 2 lasagna's out of the below ingredients, and my measurements are purely estimates, so take liberties where you see fit!

Lasagna (makes 2, 9x13 pans) - Make one for tonight, and freeze one for a friend!

about 17-18 lasagna noodles, uncooked

1 lb. lean ground beef

1 lb. pork sausage

1 15 oz. carton ricotta cheese

2 c. cottage cheese

4 oz. cream cheese, softened

3 eggs

28 oz. jar cabernet marinara (or your favorite spaghetti sauce)

2 cans diced tomatoes, partially drained

1 can stewed tomatoes

1 tsp. Italian seasoning

1/2 bag of fresh spinach leaves

1-2 cans mushrooms, drained

1 onion, finely chopped

2 tsp. fresh minced garlic

s&p to season

4 c. mozzarella - divided

2 c. fresh shredded parmesan

1 c. shredded or sliced muenster cheese

1 c. fresh shredded asiago cheese


In large sauce pan, brown sausage and ground beef with garlic and onion on medium. Meanwhile, in separate bowl, mix eggs, ricotta, s&p to taste, cottage cheese and cream cheese together until well blended, set aside. Once the meat is cooked, add spaghetti sauce, all 3 cans of tomatoes, Italian seasoning, spinach and mushrooms. Simmer for 20 minutes or so, continuing to stir until well incorporated. While that's simmering, mix all the rest of the shredded cheeses together.

In 2, 9x13 pans, pour enough sauce to thinly cover bottom of each pan. Cover that layer of sauce with the dry lasagna noodles (about 4 and a half, one will be broken to fit the short end of the pan). Pour a layer of sauce on top of this, then a layer of the wet cheese mixture, then a sprinkle of the dry cheese . To complete lasagna, place another layer of noodles, then cheese mixture, then sauce, then a whopping topping of the rest of the cheese for the top.

Set one of the fridge to get cool enough to put in freezer. Cover with foil. Freeze for later.

For the room temperature lasagna - Cover with foil, bake at 375 for 45 minutes. Remove foil, and bake an additional 15 minutes or until cheese is golden and bubbly.

For the frozen lasagna - there are 2 ways to cook it. I write both on the foil and let the recipient decide. 1) From Frozen, leave foil on and bake at 375 for 1 hour, remove cover and bake for 30 additional minutes or until the cheese is golden and bubbly. -or- 2) Thaw in fridge for 8 hours. Bake with foil for 1 hour, remove foil, bake an additional 15 minutes or until cheese is golden and bubbly.

Heather's Foccacia Bread

My friend Heather gave me this recipe, and we swear it is like the foccacia they give you at Macaroni Grill - perfect for dipping with balsamic vinegar and olive oil. Not too tough to make, either!

1 T. yeast

1 T. sugar

1 C. warm water

(mix and let sit until bubbly)

Add:

1 t. salt

2.5 C. flour

Mix well then knead for 10 minutes, or put in food processor for 15 seconds so it's nice and mixed. Place in covered oiled bowl and sit in a warm place for 1 hour or until doubled. Punch down, let dough rest for a few minutes. Divide dough into 2 flat rounded loaves, place on greased cookie sheet. Brush with 2 T. melted butter and 1 T. coarse dried salt and 1 tsp. fresh chopped rosemary (totally optional). Let rise for about 45 min. or until doubled. Preheat oven to 450. Bake 9-10 minutes or until light brown. Perfect w/ Spaghetti Bake.

Divine Deep Dish Pizza

PRINT RECIPE HERE

I stole this recipe (and the pictures, thanks Krista) from one of my favorite food blogs. It is amazing - and better than any order-out pizza you can get (my husband swears this is the Pizza Hut recipe)! Hope you enjoy it as much as I did.


2 1/3 – 3 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbsp yeast
1 cup warm milk
2 tsp sugar
2 Tbsp olive oil

In your mixer combine the flour, salt, and yeast. Mix well. In a separate bowl combine warm milk, sugar and olive oil. While your mixer is on low, slowly pour the liquid mixture into the dry ingredients. Let the machine knead the dough for 5 minutes. Put in a greased bowl and let rise. After dough has doubled in size put dough on lightly floured surface and divide in half. Roll each half into a 7 inch circle. Place over your knuckles moving the dough around in a circle so that the middle is thinner than the sides. Place each dough ball into 2 separate cake pans that has 1-2 Tbsp olive oil (or vegetable, whichever flavor your prefer) in the bottom. And press out to the sides of the pan, trying to avoid getting the oil on top of the dough. I probably only used about 1-2 Tbsp. You need enough so that it will fry the bottom of the dough. Let the dough rise 10 minutes. The put on your favorite toppings.

Bake on bottom rack of oven at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes.

Lasagna Style Baked Ziti by Guest Chef Amy

½ lb.dried ziti
16 oz ricotta cheese
3 cups shredded mozzarella
3 cups spaghetti sauce
½ cup grated parmesan
Italian sausage (optional)
Sautéed vegetables (optional)

Cook ziti until tender, about 8 minutes. Mix cooked ziti with ricotta and ½ of the mozzarella cheese in a large bowl. Grease a 9 x 13 dish. Spread ½ spaghetti sauce on the bottom of the dish. Add ziti mixture and cover with remaining spaghetti sauce. Sprinkle remaining mozzarella cheese and Parmesan cheese on top. Bake @ 350 for 20-30 minutes or until it bubbles on the edges.

***Serve with Guest Chef Amy's Quick Breadsticks

Sausage and Tomato Rigatoni by Guest Chef Amy

4 cups rigatoni pasta, uncooked
1 lb. Italian bulk sausage, cut into chunks
1 medium red onion, sliced
¼ cup tomato paste
¼ cup Kraft Sun-dried tomato vinaigrette dressing
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
¼ cup grated parmesan cheese

Cook pasta as directed on package. Meanwhile, brown sausage in large nonstick skillet; drain. Stir in onions and tomato paste; cover. Cook 15 min. or until onions are tender and sausage is cooed through, stirring occasionally. Stir in dressing. Toss sausage mixture with pasta. Sprinkle with parsley and cheese.
Makes 4 two cup servings.

Chicken Tetrazzini by Guest Chef Amy

4 chicken breasts, boiled, cubed
7 oz spaghetti noodles, cooked in chicken borth
1 jar sliced mushrooms
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
¾ stick margarine
8 oz. sour cream
Combine all ingredients and top with Parmesan cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 – 45 minutes.
(Breadsticks in picture will be posted next!)

Homemade Pizza by Guest Chef Amy

Homemade Pizza
(makes 2 large thin pizzas)
1 ½ c hot tap water
2 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
½ Tbsp. baking powder
1 Tbsp. yeast
3 ½ to 3 ¾ cups flour
Pizza sauce
Mozzarella, shredded
Pizza toppings (green pepper, onion, pepperoni, sausage, ham, mushrooms, banana peppers, etc.)
Mix water, sugar, salt, baking powder and yeast. Let stand 5 minutes, then add flour. Knead for 3 minutes (adding a bit more flour if too sticky). Cut dough in half to make two dough balls. (You can put one of the dough balls in a Ziploc bag in the freezer for future use if only making one pizza.) Roll out the dough ball into a circle on a well floured surface with a greased rolling pin until about ¼ inch thick and about 12 – 14 inches wide. Place on a greased cookie sheet. (You can roll in the edge of the crust ½ inch all the way around if desired.) Poke dough randomly with a fork. You can top right away, or let rise for 45 minutes for a fluffier crust. Top as desired. Bake at 400 for 20 minutes or until cheese is golden brown.

If you are feeling really ambitious, here’s a recipe to make your own pizza sauce. I sometimes make this in large batches ahead of time and freeze in 1 cup portions until ready to use. (1 cup of sauce should cover one pizza.)

Pizza Sauce (this is supposed to be similar to Papa John’s sauce)
1 (10 ¾ oz) can tomato puree
¼ cup water
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp olive oil
¼ tsp lemon juice
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp oregano
1/8 tsp basil
1/8 tsp thyme
1/8 tsp garlic powder
Combine ingredients in small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes.