Giada's Pizza Pot Pie

A couple of weeks ago, my kids helped me make a variation of these Mini Chicken Pot Pies.
I don't think they have ever really had chicken pot pie or any kind of pot pie that they could remember, so it got them interested in the whole idea of a pot pie.

When I was asking my family members for suggestions for the weekly menu, someone of course wanted pizza, so I found this recipe and thought it would be a fun twist. The sauce starts out with some pancetta and fresh rosemary and the filling contains cubes of mozzarella cheese, chicken, and broccoli. It was fun for us to eat these for dinner because everyone had their own individual little ramekin to enjoy. The one pictured above was the one that we made for Dad, so it was bigger than the others.




Here is the recipe for Pizza Pot Pies

Roasted Eggplant, Zucchini, and Chickpea Wraps

This was an exciting dinner because I was able to use the first 2 eggplants that I harvested from my garden. My dad planted a Ichiban eggplant plant for me and I was a little worried about it producing any eggplant because the bugs were really enjoying eating the leaves. I was so excited when I saw a few eggplants growing and I was able to pick them after a few days.

The roasted veggies in this wrap are something that I could eat at every meal. Simply roasted, with fresh herbs- nothing compares to roasted vegetables in my opinion. The fresh mozzarella was really delicious (although you can't really see it on my wraps- it is there, beneath all the yummy veggies).

I made double the amount of the roasted veggies because I really enjoy having them with eggs for breakfast or to top a salad for lunch.

Here is the recipe for Roasted Eggplant, Zucchini, and Chickpea Wraps
* I used zucchini, summer squash, eggplant, and green peppers
* I used less oil than called for

Breakfast Crostini

Here we are on our 3rd snow day. I think this will probably be the last one though, because the sun is actually shining and that might just be enough to melt some of the snow and ice that has been causing such trouble for everyone around here.

This also happens to be the 3rd recipe that I tried from Rachael Ray's Look and Cook, although I should add that this recipe for Breakfast Crostini, and the recipe I shared yesterday- Fennel and Pepper Salad, were both in the "extra" recipe section of the book that didn't have any pictures at all. So, no looking-and-cooking for me on this one. But that wasn't a problem, because this recipe was really easy. This recipe can also be found on multiple places on the web.

All you do for this one is combine fresh mozzarella, prosciutto (I used Canadian bacon), scallions, basil, Italian parsley, tomatoes, and a little bit of olive oil. Then you toast some bread- I used Italian 5-grain (my daughter calls it seed bread) and top the toasted bread with the delicious salad.

Super easy. Super delicious and really the type of breakfast I would love to have any day. It is basically like having a yummy salad on top of toast.


Recipe for Breakfast Crostini
* I used about 1/2 the olive oil called for
* I used Canadian bacon instead of prosciutto
* I used 5-grain Italian bread instead of peasant bread

Recipes from Gale Gand's Brunch

Have you seen this book, Brunch by Gale Gand? Well, it is a really good one, full of delicious pictures and great recipes.

It has been sitting on my book shelf for quite a while and I decided it was time to give some of the recipes a try.

The other day we had Backwards Day at our house. We ate brownies for breakfast, read our bedtime story after that, went to the library in our pajamas, etc. and we finished off the day by eating brunch instead of dinner.
I chose 4 recipes from this book for our menu- Pineapple-Blueberry Smoothie, Roasted Pears & Rhubarb w/ orange, Bacon Waffles, and a variation of the cover recipe- Egg Cups.
I don't like cooking with bacon and usually don't, but my kids love it when they get the chance to have some and I figured this was a fun way to use it.
We spent the afternoon swimming, so when I started making all these recipes, everyone was starving. I was almost out of eggs, so I used egg substitute in the waffles. (not by choice, I couldn't run to the store at that point)
The batter was light and airy, which made delicious waffles.

The smoothie was one of the best I have ever had. I don't know if it was simply because we had been out in the hot sun for hours and I was overly thirsty or just the wonderful combination (I am leaning towards this explanation) but it was great. The frozen pineapple and mint just added a delicious zing to the smoothie. My girls always like having their smoothies in "fancy" cups.

The egg cups were delicious. I didn't really use her recipe, but it was the same idea. I added some spinach to get some sort of vegetable in there.

The roasted fruit was really good. I liked the rhubarb part better because the sweet roasting liquid really went well with the tartness of it. The pears were a little too sweet. I would reduce the sugar in that one next time. The roasted fruit would be a great topping for vanilla ice cream or filling for a crumble/cobbler.

Overall, this was a really fun brunch, even if it was for dinner and we loved it.

Bacon Waffles (* I used 1/2 cup egg white substitute and low fat buttermilk)
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 Tablespoons sugar
2 large eggs
3/4 cup buttermilk
3/4 cup whole milk
4 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
6 strips bacon, cooked and crumbled
maple syrup, for serving

Heat a waffle iron.
In a medium bowl, stir together flour and next 3 ingredients.
In another bowl, whisk together the eggs and next 3 ingredients.
Stir crumbled bacon into the wet ingredients.
Mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients all at once, just until combined.
Don't overmix- it should be lumpy.
Make waffles according to manufacturer's directions; serve with maple syrup.


Egg Cups
I kinda did my own thing here.
I combined 3 eggs, 4 egg whites and 1/3 -1/2 cup skim milk in a bowl, then seasoned it with salt and pepper.
I sprayed a jumbo muffin tin with cooking spray and press a ham slice in each of the muffin cups.
I steamed some spinach and placed that at the bottom of the ham cup.
I poured the egg mixture into the ham cups and then added cubes of mozzarella and halved cherry tomatoes to the egg mixture.
I baked them at 375 degrees F, until the egg was completely cooked, about 17-20 minutes.

Pineapple-Blueberry Smoothie * I used Apple Passion-Mango juice concentrate and Stonyfield Blueberry Low-fat Yogurt
2 cups frozen pineapple chunks
1 cup frozen blueberries
1/2 cup frozen apple juice concentrate
1/2 cup plain yogurt
2 fresh mint leaves

Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Serve immediately.

Roasted Pears & Rhubarb with Orange (I halved this recipe)
4 medium pears, ripe but firm
4 stalks rhubarb, trimmed and washed
1/4 cup orange juice
2 Tbls honey
2 Tbls red wine ( I used cranberry juice)
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1 vanilla bean, split open
2 tsp cornstarch
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

Heat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Quarter and core the pears (do not peel them). Cut the rhubarb into 1-inch pieces.
In a large bowl, combine orange juice and remaining 6 ingredients. Add the pears and rhubarb, and toss to coat.
Pour into a casserole or gratin dish and bake until tender, 35 to 40 minutes.

Sausage, Mozzarella, and Broccoli Rabe with Shells

Sometimes the cover recipe on a magazine just draws you in and you have to make it.
That is the story with this pasta dish.
It was on the cover of Everyday Food a couple of months ago.
Something about cheesy baked pasta is really appealing. Throwing in something green makes it even better.

I used turkey sausage in this recipe because I use ground turkey and turkey sausage in place of ground beef or pork always. It is a way to cut back on calories and fat, without getting rid of the flavor.

The broccoli rabe was a little much for my kids in this one. It can be bitter, although blanching/steaming it for a few minutes is supposed to help with that.
The recipe suggested subbing in regular broccoli, if preferred, but I think spinach would also be a good alternative. You could also sub another type of cheese, since fresh mozzarella can be expensive.

This turned out to be a recipe that looked better than it tasted for us. We still liked it, but I was expecting more from it, for some reason. I would like to play around with the recipe in the future and make a few changes, to see if I could get better results. It was good, but not as amazing as the photo made me think it would be.

Recipe for Sausage, Mozzarella, and Broccoli Rabe with Shells

Roasted Butternut Squash Pizza with Arugula and Spinach

Once upon a time there was the most gigantic butternut squash in the whole entire world.
I happened to find this huge squash and I bought it. It was 18 inches tall.
I was able to make this Bundt cake that had a couple cups of shredded butternut squash, these roasted veggies,
both of these stuffings/dressings, a soup (which I haven't posted yet) and I STILL had some squash left.
I roasted the rest of the squash cubes, along with a large chopped onion, in the oven with fresh oregano, fresh thyme, and fresh rosemary.
Then I remembered Maria's post about Pizza that was topped with butternut squash and I decided that sounded really good. I didn't follow her recipe, but I used her idea.

I used a pre-made whole wheat crust, just because I had one that needed to be used. I also had some arugula and spinach that I thought would be great under the squash.
I drizzled my crust with a little bit of olive oil, heaped on tons of arugula and spinach and then topped the greens with my roasted butternut squash/onion mixture.
I sprinkled feta cheese and shredded mozzarella cheese on top and put it in the oven for a few minutes.
Ok, people. This was the most delicious pizza I have ever tasted. Ever. So good.
I can't tell you how great the flavors went with each other.
Unbelievable.

I know there are people out there that believe the simplier the better when it comes to pizza. I agree-sometimes.
This is a topping heavy pizza, but it is so good. And pretty too. And it just seems like it has to be good for you because of all the veggies.
That probably only applies if you don't eat the entire pizza yourself. Good luck with that.

Roasted Butternut Squash Pizza with Arugula and Spinach
pre-made whole wheat or regular pizza crust (Here is my fave quick crust)
3-4 cups butternut squash cubes
1 onion, chopped
fresh thyme
fresh oregano
fresh rosemary
salt and pepper
olive oil
spinach
arugula
feta cheese
shredded mozzarella cheese

Spread your butternut squash cubes and chopped onion on a large baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil. Toss with fresh herbs, salt and pepper.
Roast at 425 degrees for 25 minutes or until squash is tender.

Make your crust and prebake if necessary.
Drizzle crust with a little bit of olive oil.
Spread arugula and spinach over crust.
Top greens with roasted butternut squash/onion mixture.
Sprinkle cheeses over squash mixture.
Bake in oven, until cheese is melted and crust is done.

Maria's Recipe for Roasted Butternut Squash Pizza

CEiMB- Stuffed Turkey Burgers

Roasted red peppers and mozzarella cheese, stuffed inside a turkey burger (I used 93% lean), in my opinion, these couldn't be better- Peggy was the one responsible for this yummy choice; go visit her blog to see what she thought, to get the recipe (or go to the link below) and then, make one more quick stop at the CEiMB Blogroll to see what others stuffed inside their burgers and what their results turned out to be!
(Sick of the 1-sentence posts yet? or do you prefer short and sweet?)

Recipe for Stuffed Turkey Burgers

One Year Ago- Cheese-Stuffed Chicken in Phyllo and Dorie's Chocolate-Chocolate Cupcakes with Praline Buttercream and Ganache Filling

Summer Squash Stacks with Roasted Red Bell Pepper Sauce

I saw this recipe in Southern Living magazine, and thought it just sounded like a really simple summer dish. I made it on the same day that we had the Garden Sliders, so I ended up roasting a whole bunch of zucchini and summer squash in the oven and pretty much did my own thing as far as this recipe goes.

These stacks were supposed to be taller and probably wider, but I wanted to make them smaller and simpler, so we just had 1 slice of summer squash, 1 slice of mozzarella, and 1 slice of zucchini per stack. Some of them we topped off with a slice of roasted red pepper, just for fun.

The roasted red pepper sauce was really good. We used it as a spread for our sandwiches later and it held up really well.

I love summer. So many fresh vegetables and fruits that can be easily prepared to make delicious meals!



Summer Squash Stacks with Roasted Red Bell Pepper Sauce from Southern Living Magazine

• 1 medium-size yellow squash, cut diagonally into 8 (1/4-inch-thick) slices (about 3/4 lb.)
• 2 medium zucchini, cut diagonally into 16 (1/4-inch-thick) slices (about 1 lb.)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1 (8.8-oz.) package fresh mozzarella cheese
• 16 basil leaves
• Roasted Red Bell Pepper Sauce
• Garnish: freshly shaved Parmesan cheese

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Brush squash and zucchini with oil; place in a single layer in a jelly-roll pan. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake 5 minutes or until crisp-tender.

2. Cut mozzarella into 8 (1/4-inch-thick) slices. Cut each slice in half. Place half of zucchini on a serving platter. Layer with half each of mozzarella and basil. Top with yellow squash. Layer with remaining mozzarella, basil, and zucchini. Top with Roasted Red Bell Pepper Sauce. Garnish, if desired.

Roasted Red Bell Pepper Sauce

• 1 (7-oz.) jar roasted red bell peppers, drained
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon sugar

1. Process all ingredients in a blender or food processor until smooth, stopping to scrape down sides as needed.

Three-Grain Risotto with Asparagus Spears

Okay- I confess. I am obsessed with risotto. You probably already know this if you ever look at my blog. I have tried it with all types of grains, vegetables, seasonings, spices and everytime I love it.
This Cooking Light recipe uses arborio rice, quinoa, and instant barley. A nice combination of grains. I love all of those grains and I was excited to see how a combination of the three would turn out.
I also really like asparagus, as do my kids and it was perfect with this risotto.
This recipe was a little bit creamier than some of the others that I have tried-I think because of the milk and cheese that is added near the end, but the extra creaminess was very delicious.
I ordered risotto at a restaurant recently and was very disappointed by the taste. It was practically soup. Does anyone have any recommendations of a good place to order risotto? Even if you do, I will probably just keep making it at home. I tend to think you can make almost anything at home that will be just as good or better than eating out. But that is just me.

Three-Grain Risotto with Asparagus Spears from Cooking Light

1/8 teaspoon saffron threads, crushed (I omitted this)

1 (14-ounce) can fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/4 cup finely chopped shallots (about 2 medium)

1/2 cup uncooked Arborio or other short-grain rice

1/2 cup uncooked quick-cooking barley

1/4 cup uncooked quinoa

1/2 cup dry white wine ( I used chicken broth)

1 cup water

1 cup (4 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

2/3 cup 1% low-fat milk

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

12 asparagus spears, steamed

1 tablespoon pine nuts, toasted

Bring saffron and broth to a simmer in a small saucepan (do not boil).

Keep warm over low heat.
Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add shallots; sauté 3 minutes. Add rice, barley, and quinoa; sauté 2 minutes.

Add wine; cook 2 minutes or until liquid is nearly absorbed. Stir in 1 cup water; cook 5 minutes or until liquid is nearly absorbed, stirring constantly.

Add broth mixture, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly until each portion of broth mixture is absorbed before adding the next (about 25 minutes total).
Remove from heat; stir in cheese and next 4 ingredients (cheese through pepper). Top with asparagus spears, and sprinkle with pine nuts.

Up Next- Craving Ellie- Salmon and Lentils and Barefoot Bloggers- Chinese Chicken Salad

Slow Cooker Vegetable Casserole

This was a really hard dish to get a good picture of. It was nicely stacked in the slow cooker, but when I dished it up, it all kinda fell apart. The pics don't do it justice. Just try to imagine beans mixed with pesto, layered with polenta, zucchini, mushrooms, cheese and then spinach and pesto on top. Oh and don't forget the tomatoes. I was pleasantly surprised at how delicious this ended up being. This was a tasty, easy dish that was full of flavor and veggies. I added a sliced zucchini because I had one and we had this on a busy weekend. If you need a side dish that is full of veggies, this is a good one. But, I am not going to lie, this is the only part of the meal that I ate.

Slow Cooker Vegetable Casserole adapted from Better Homes and Gardens Magazine
2 19-oz. cans cannellini beans
1 19-oz. can garbanzo or fava beans
1/4 cup purchased basil pesto
1 medium onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1-1/2 tsp. dried Italian seasoning, crushed
1 16-oz. pkg. refrigerated cooked plain polenta cut in 1/2-inch-thick slices

1 zucchini, sliced

1-8 oz pkg mushrooms, presliced
1 large tomato, thinly sliced
1 8-oz. pkg. finely shredded Italian cheese blend (2 cups)
2 cups fresh spinach

Directions
1. Rinse and drain beans. In large bowl combine beans, 2 tablespoons of pesto, onion, garlic, and Italian seasoning.
2. In 4- to 5-quart slow cooker layer half of bean mixture, half of polenta, zucchini, and half of cheese. Add remaining beans and polenta. Cover; cook on low heat setting 4 to 6 hours or on high heat setting 2 to 2-1/2 hours. Add tomato, remaining cheese and spinach. Combine remaining pesto and 1 tablespoon water. Drizzle pesto mixture on casserole. Let stand, uncovered, 5 minutes. Makes 8 servings.

Fresh Mozzarella, Cherry Tomato and Basil Appetizer

It doesn't get any better than this or easier. I found some fresh mozzarella on sale, there were cherry tomatoes and basil from the garden, so, I threw them together, drizzled with olive oil and seasoned with salt and pepper!