Roasted Red Skin Potatoes

I love potatoes, almost any way that you make them.  One of my favorite actually, I can remember back to when I was little and my mom would always make roasted seasoned potatoes; I love to make them now for my family with steak or chicken dishes.  Give them a try some time and feel free to adjust the seasonings or use others that you prefer more.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit

Ingredients

- 7 to 8 medium red skinned potatoes

- 1 tbsp of seasoned salt

- 1 tsp of rosemary

- 1 tsp of garlic powder

- 1/2 tsp of ground pepper

- 1 tbsp of olive oil

1) Wash and blot dry the potatoes.  Cut into cubes and place in a medium mixing bowl.

2) Add the olive oil and all the seasoning to the mixing bowl; toss to coat.

3) Pour the seasoned potatoes onto a large baking sheet, trying to make sure that they are in a single layer.  Place in your preheated oven and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, making sure to flip at least once while cooking.

4) Once the potatoes are finished remove them from the oven, allow to cool slightly and plate and serve.

There you have it.  I really enjoy these potatoes and do change up the seasonings that I put on them once in awhile.  I love that you can experiment with different seasonings and find out what you like best, and the potatoes turn out so tasty every time.  Give them a try some time.

Enjoy!!

Oven Baked Chicken Drumsticks

I love chicken drumsticks, but I obviously know it is not good for me to consume fried chicken all to often. So, I did some searching about a year ago for a basic oven baked drumstick recipe the will give me nice flavor and a crispy skin.  I can't remember exactly where I found this recipe, but I love it, how basic it is and how you can adjust it with any seasonings of your choice.  Give it a try some time.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit

Ingredients

- 4 lbs of chicken drumsticks (about 12 to 13 drumsticks)

- 2 tsp of olive oil

- 1/2 tsp of salt

- 1/2 of pepper

1) Rinse your drumsticks with cool water and pat dry with paper towels, then place in a large bowl.  (The rinsing and drying will help the skin come out crispier after baking)

2) Add the olive oil, salt and pepper over the drumsticks and toss to coat.  Place them in a large glass baking dish, alternating which side of the dish you put them on.  Place in your preheated oven and bake for 35 minutes or until the internal temperature reads 185 degrees Fahrenheit.

3)  Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly, plate and serve.

There you have it, very basic baked chicken drumsticks.  I love this recipe because the chicken always comes out juicy and the basic flavoring of salt and pepper give it a nice taste.  Give it a try and let me know what you think; and also what other seasoning you decided to try out.

Enjoy!!

Ham and Cheese Stromboli with a Buttery Garlic Crust

Tonight was one of those nights that I was going through the cabinets, unsure of what to make for dinner and the idea for this recipe came to mind.  We love Stromboli here in our house, but the cost gets pretty high ordering out for it; with this recipe I will never have to order out for it again.  Give it a try.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit

Ingredients

- Fresh pizza dough (the recipe I shared on the BBQ chicken pizza blog, this will be enough for 2 medium Strombolis)

- 10 oz of freshly grated whole milk mozzarella (Divided into 2 portions)

- 16 slices of deli ham (I used Market Pantry black forest ham, 8 per Stromboli)

- 1/4 tsp of oregano (per Stromboli)

- 1/4 tsp of garlic powder (per Stromboli)

- 1 1/2 tsp of grated Parmesan cheese (per Stromboli)

- 1 tbsp of butter, melted (per Stromboli)

1) Divide your fresh pizza dough into two equal portions.  On a floured surface roll out your dough, making sure it is flat and even.

2) Sprinkle corn meal on a pizza stone and place your rolled out dough on the pizza stone.  Layer 4 slices of ham one side of the dough, then spread mozzarella cheese on top of the ham, then sprinkle with with oregano, then 4 more slices of ham and lastly mozzarella cheese.

3) Flip the other side of the dough over top of the ham and cheese and seal tightly by rolling the edges over each other.

4) Melt a tbsp of butter and brush the top of the Stromboli with it.  Sprinkle the garlic powder and Parmesan cheese over the top.  Place in your preheated oven and bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until golden brown.

5) Remove from oven, allow to cool slightly, then slice and serve with a side of pizza sauce.

There you have it, easy Stromboli right at home.  So save a few bucks and try this recipe for your self.  Let me know what you think and also let me know of any other awesome fillings for the Stromboli that you may have come up with your self.

Enjoy!!

Crispy Baked Chicken with a Cracker Crust

I wanted to make a nice baked chicken tonight, but ever recipe I looked up I was missing one or two of the ingredients and was running out of time to head to the store.  So, I made up my own recipe with the ingredients that I had on hand; let me just say it turned out amazing, my husband and I both loved it.  Please do give this one a try some time; it's rather simple and so full of flavor.

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit

Ingredients

- 2 lbs of chicken breast 

- 15 to 20 Ritz crackers, crushed

- 1/2 tsp of garlic powder

- 2 tsp of grated Parmesan cheese

- Salt, to taste

- Pepper, to taste

- 1/4 of a medium red onion, diced

- 1/2 of a large red bell pepper, diced

- 1/2 cup of butter, melted (I used salted)

1) Prep your chicken first by trimming any extra fat and cutting into long strips (similar to chicken tenders), set aside.  Dice your red onion and red bell pepper, set aside. Then, take your crackers and place them in a Ziploc bag and crush; add the garlic powder, Parmesan cheese, and salt and pepper to the bag; shake well.  Empty your cracker mixture into a medium bowl. 

2) Melt your butter. Then, roll the chicken in the butter and then the cracker mixture; and place in a 9 x 13 glass baking dish.  Pour the rest of the melted butter in between the chicken in your dish.  Top your chicken with your diced red onion and red bell pepper.

3) Place in your preheated oven and bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until golden brown and the juices run clear from your chicken.

4)  Remove from oven when finished and plate, then serve.  (I served ours with wild brown rice New Orleans style)

There you have it, the chicken was super juicy with awesome flavor.  This is definitely some thing that I will be making again and again, my daughter even loved it.  Give it a try and let me know what you think.

Enjoy!!

Quick and Simple Homemade Pasta

I always love the taste of homemade pasta, but have always been slightly intimidated by the process of making pasta.  Well, it is a lot easierr then I had originally thought and slightly relaxing to make it (if that's even possible).  This recipe is super simple with just two basic ingredients.  When you are comfortable with making your own pasta you can venture out into experimenting with adding different ingredients to give your pasta a special flair.  I hope you get a chance to try this recipe and make some homemade pasta for your family and friends.

Ingredients

- 1 3/4 cups of all-purpose flour (you could all use 7/8 cup of coarse semolina and 7/8 cup of all-purpose flour, instead of just flour)

- 4 large eggs, at room temperature

1) Add your flour to the bowl of a stand mixer and then add the eggs.  Using a paddle or dough hook mix your ingredients together.  It may take some time for the ingredients to work themselves together; you can use a spatula to help draw the ingredients together.  After about 3 minutes of mixing I rolled my dough out onto a floured board, kneading it together a little more.  Do this until the dough is smooth and not sticky (when you pull your hand away it should be clean of dough).

2) After kneading your ingredients together wrap your dough and allow to sit at room temperature for 1 hour.

3) After the hour is up start a pot of water on the stove (so that it is up to a boil by the time you are done rolling and cutting your dough, if you plan to cook it right away.  Also I added a touch of salt to my water). Then cut your dough ball into six pieces.  Work one piece at a time, (I don't have a pasta machine so I did it by hand).  On a floured surface roll one piece of your dough out, until it is your desired thickness.  Then cut into strips, once again your desired thickness (I used a pizza cutter to cut my strips).  Set your cut strips aside in single layers on a floured baking sheet or draped over the top of a clean stand mixer.

4)  Add your cut dough to your boiling water several strands at a time.  Boil for 1-3 minutes depending on how well done you prefer your pasta.  I noticed that once the pasta floated to the top it was a perfect al dente.

5) Add to your desired sauce, (I used tomato sauce this time, alfredo is also always a great choice).

6) Stir and serve with garlic bread and some freshly grated cheese.

There you have it, simple homemade pasta that it delicious and filling.  My 11 month old could not get enough of it at dinner tonight.  Give it a try and let me know what you think.  Also, send me a comment with the different ways you tweaked the recipe or sauces you used.

Enjoy!!

Simple Chocolate Chip Muffins

I was looking for some thing to make today that would be quick and easy for tomorrow morning; some thing nice and quick to grab for breakfast on a Monday morning.  So, I decided to make one of my favorite muffins, chocolate chip, (my hubby prefers blueberry, but we will save those for another time).  If you get a chance to make them some time, please do.  I found a quick and easy recipe (on allrecipes.com) that are super tasty.

Preheat the oven to 400 F

Ingredients

- 2 cups of all-purpose flour

- 1/2 cup of sugar

- 1 tbsp of baking powder

- 1/2 tsp of salt

- 3/4 cup of milk (I ended up using whole milk)

- 1/3 cup of vegetable oil

- 1 large egg

- 3/4 cups of semi-sweet chocolate chips (I used Ghirardelli 60% cocoa chocolate chips, I prefer dark chocolate any way)

(topping)

- 3 tbsp of sugar

- 2 tbsp brown sugar

1) In a large bowl add flour, 1/2 cup of sugar, baking powder, salt, and chocolate chips, and mix well.  Add the milk, vegetable oil, and egg to a separate bowl and mix well.  Then mix the dry and wet ingredients together until the dry ingredients are moistened, the batter will be lumpy.  (I used a stand mixer to combine my ingredients together)

2) In a small bowl combine the 3 tbsp of sugar and 2 tbsp of brown sugar, set aside. Fill your baking cups or greased muffin pan 2/3 of the way full with batter, then sprinkle with sugar/brown sugar topping.  Place in your preheated oven for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.  

3) Once baked remove from oven and allow to remain in pan for 1 minute, then remove from pan and serve.

The recipe yields 12 muffins.  One suggestion that I would make is that if you like a sweeter muffin use semi-sweet chocolate chips and maybe add a touch more sugar.  I really enjoy them though and I am sure my kids will love them as well when they wake in the morning.  Give them a try and let me know what you think.

Enjoy!!

BBQ Chicken Pizza

I started making most of our pizzas homemade last year, and once I started I couldn't go back to frozen or put the money out for delivery.  The BBQ chicken pizza has become one of my favorites; but with this pizza dough recipe you can make whatever kind you want.  We have made any where from the normal cheese pizza to a taco pizza (pizza dough, ground beef seasoned with taco seasoning and queso; it is AMAZING).  I hope you give this a try some time, you won't be disappointed.

Ingredients

(Pizza Dough)

- 3 1/2 to 4 cups of bread flour (Bread flour gives it a better taste and it won't turn out chewy like some all-purpose flours can)

- 1 tsp of sugar

- 2 1/4 tsp of active dry yeast

- 2 tsp of salt

- 1 1/2 cups of hot water (110 degrees Fahrenheit)

- 2 tbsp of olive oil

(Toppings for BBQ Chicken Pizza)

- 1 lb of chicken breast (cubed, cooked through, and tossed in BBQ sauce)

- 1/4 of a red onion, diced (per pizza or per your taste)

- BBQ sauce 

- Shredded Mozzarella cheese (I use a block of whole milk mozzarella and shred it myself, it is creamier then pre-shredded cheese)

- Corn meal for pizza stone

1) Add the flour, sugar, yeast, and salt in the mixer bowl of a stand mixer and combine.  With the mixer running add the water and oil until a firm dough ball has formed. (If the dough is to dry add a tsp of water at a time and if it is to wet add a tsp of flour at a time)

2) Remove dough from the mixer bowl and knead into a ball, then place in a large greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap and/or clean cloth.  Allow to rise for 1 hr.

3) After the hour preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit, (also, if using a pizza stone place it in the oven now too).  Punch the dough down and remove from bowl; gently knead the dough on a floured surface for a minute and then separate into two even dough balls (each one will make a 12" pizza). Roll the dough out with a floured rolling pin until desired thickness and in the shape of a pizza (note: not all the pizzas will be perfectly round, but they still taste just as good)

4) Remove your pizza stone from the oven and sprinkle with corn meal, it helps the pizza from sticking.  Take you rolled out pizza dough and place it on the pizza stone; add BBQ sauce in a thin layer and spread around; add the prepped BBQ chicken and red onion; then lastly add the shredded mozzarella.  Place in preheated oven for 10-12 minutes or until the edges are golden brown.

5) Remove from oven and transfer to a platter, allow to cool slightly before cutting, then serve.

There you have it, simple and delicious homemade pizza.  One thing that I do want to emphasize is to make sure that you don't cut it as soon as it comes out of the oven, it tends to stay crisper if you wait a minute or two.  Please do try this some time, I know it has become a regular on our menu and I hope that it can at your house too.

Enjoy!!

Bertucci's Style Dinner Rolls

I absolutely love Bertucci's restaurants dinner rolls and I wanted to recreate them at home; but, of course they don't share their recipe online.  I do know that their rolls and pizza dough is made up of just four simple ingredients, so I played around with them a little and I think I have found a recipe that is pretty close to a recreation.  If you love them too, you should give this a try, so you can have them at home any time.

Ingredients

- 3 1/2 to 4 cups of bread flour (I bread flour instead of all-purpose flour gives it a better taste)

-  2 1/4 tsp of active dry yeast 

- 2 tsp of salt

- 1 1/2 to 2 cups of warm water, 110 degrees Fahrenheit

1) Add the bread flour, salt, and yeast to the mixing bowl of a stand mixer.  With the mixer running slowly add the water; allow to mix/knead until a nice firm dough ball is formed.  If it is too sticky add a tsp of flour at a time and if it is too dry add a tsp of warm water at a time.

2) Remove the dough from the stand mixer and place a in large greased bowl, making sure to flip the dough so it is coated on both sides.  Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and then a clean cloth, set aside and allow to rise for 1 hr.

3) Preheat your oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.  Punch the dough down and roll out of the bowl onto a floured surface; knead slightly, allow to sit for 5 minutes and then cut into small roll size dough balls, (I used a pizza cutter to cut my dough).  Place your rolls onto a baking sheet, (I put corn meal on the baking sheets first, to help them not stick).  Place in oven and bake for 15-17 minutes or until the tops are slightly golden.

4) Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly; then remove from the baking sheet and serve.

I think they are rather close in taste to Bertucci's rolls, they are very delicious.  Serve with butter or a nice dipping oil.  They are perfect with pasta dishes or even to use for sliders.  Give them a try and let me know what you think.

Enjoy!!

Triple Berry "Ice Cream"... A Pleasant Surprise

The other night I was making smoothies for my kids, when I was blending their frozen berries and milk before adding their other ingredients and I realized that the milk and berries made what looked like ice cream or sorbet.  So, when they went to bed I decided to see if I could make myself a good substitute for ice cream, which I crave a lot.  I loved the results, it satisfied my craving for ice cream and was so much healthier.  I hope you get a chance to try it some time.

Ingredients

- 1 cup of frozen triple berry mix (I used Market Pantry's frozen raspberry, blackberry, blueberry mix)

- 1/2 cup of whole milk

1) Place your berries and milk in a Magic Bullet or blender and blend.  Using the Magic Bullet you will have to stop blending and shake the ingredients down several times, because they tend to freeze together.  If the mixture is to thick add more milk, and if it is to thin add some more frozen berries.

2) Portion into small bowls and serve

There you have, an amazing ice cream substitute that saves a lot of calories.  This recipe will make about 3 half cup servings.  If you would like you can add 1 tsp of sugar while blending to make it a little sweeter; the triple berry mixture is a little one the tart side (which I like some times).  You can also use whatever fruit mixture you would prefer.  Please give this one a try, and let me know what you think!!

Enjoy!!

Super Simple Salsa... So Many Uses

Last year I was at the grocery store looking at different salsas in the aisle with all the other taco ingredients when I saw cans of diced chilies and diced jalapenos; and I had an idea.  I grabbed a few ingredients and came home and created this recipe.  It was an instant hit with my family and in-laws; we use it with corn chips, on chicken, in salads, and my father-in-law even uses it on his eggs.  I hope you try this, it is super simple and takes about 5 minutes to make.

Ingredients

- 1 14.5 oz can of diced tomatoes with sweet onion

- 1 15 oz can of whole kernel corn

- 1 15 oz can of black beans

- 1 4 oz can of diced chilies or jalapenos (chilies will make the salsa mild and sweeter; the jalapenos will make the salsa spicy)

1) Drain and rinse corn and black beans (I put both in the same colander, rinse and shake to mix together). Add the corn, black beans, tomatoes (do not drain), and the jalapenos (do not drain) to a bowl and mix together.

That is it, nothing else is required; no cooking or heating involved.  As the salsa sits in the refrigerator it will make its own juices and become even more flavorful.  Give this a try and feel free to add any thing else that you may prefer.  Let me know what you think.

Enjoy!!