Bruschetta Pizza

It's not very often I try a new recipe and like it so much that I actually make it three times before I finish typing up my post. I tried this Taste of Home recipe with fresh tomatoes and basil out for our Friday pizza night tradition three weeks ago and have made it every Friday night since then and we love it just as much the third time as the first. I imagine that with how much Glen and I enjoy it that I'll probably be making it the next several Fridays as well!

I love the savory combination of the fresh tomato, basil, and basalmic vinegar topping and Glen loves the hearty sausage and pepperoni layer. Not surprisingly the kids are sticking with their plain old sauce and cheese version, but we're loving our new fresh tasting savory *adult* pizza! (The last time I made it, Glen was out of town so I made it without the meat and really enjoyed it vegetarian style too).

Click here for Printable Recipe

The ingredients:

Click here for Printable Recipe

1/2 lb. pork sausage
1 prebaked Italian bread shell crust (14-oz.)
1 pkg. (6-oz) sliced turkey pepperoni
2 cups (8-oz.) shredded mozzarella cheese
1-1/2 cups chopped plum tomatoes
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced
1 Tbs. olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp. minced fresh thyme (or 1/8 tsp. dried thyme)
1/2 tsp. basalmic vinegar
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper

In a small skillet, cook sausage over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Place crust on an ungreased baking sheet. Top with pepperoni, sausage, and cheese. Bake at 450° for 10-12 minutes or until cheese is melted.

In a small bowl, combine the tomatoes, sliced basil, oil, garlic, thyme, vinegar, salt, and pepper. Spoon over pizza. Garnish with additional basil if desired.

Enjoy!

Spaghetti with Fresh Tomatoes

Whenever I ask my kids what they want me to make for dinner, invariably one of them always says, "spaghetti", which always makes me inwardly groan. It's not so much that I dislike spaghetti, it's just that it's always been my go-to meal for crazy days. If we're in a hurry and I can't think of what else to make, I think spaghetti, so I hate putting it on the menu because I know I'll end up making it a couple times a month anyway. Then I found this simple spaghetti recipe from Light and Tasty and I'm singing a whole new tune now! With its perfectly delectable combination of basil, mozzarella cheese, and fresh tomatoes, it's the very epitome of a perfect summer meal and I'll be adding it to the menu often!

The ingredients:

1 package (8-oz.) spaghetti noodles (the original recipe called for 16-oz., but I thought it was a little noodle heavy so I changed it)
2 lbs. fresh tomatoes, seeded and chopped
12 ounces part-skim mozzarella cheese, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
1-1/4 cups julienned fresh basil
1 can (2-1/4-oz.) sliced ripe olives, drained
4 tsp. basalmic vinegar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground pepper
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tbs. olive oil

Cook spaghetti according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large serving bowl, combine the tomatoes, cheese, basil, olives, vinegar, salt, and pepper. Drain spaghetti; add to tomato mixture and toss to combine.

In a small nonstick skillet over medium heat, cook garlic in oil until tender. Pour over spaghetti mixture; toss to coat. Makes 8 servings.

Enjoy!

Grilled Honey-Lime Chicken Sandwiches

Think flavorful, tender chicken topped with fresh lettuce, tomatoes, avocado, and onion all on a warm crusty roll sounds like your type of food? Yeah, me too! I handed this Rachael Ray recipe off to my husband to make one lazy Sunday afternoon and we all ended the day in love with it! This recipe encapsulates all that is great about summer food...fresh, grilled, juicy, and savory! This recipe is staying on the top of the keeper files to make again soon!

Click here for printable recipe.

The ingredients:

The juice of one lime
2 Tbs. honey
1 tsp. cumin
3 Tbs. cilantro, finely chopped
2 Tbs. olive oil
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (I sliced mine thinly before cooking)
1 tsp. steak seasoning blend (or salt and pepper to taste)
4 crusty rolls, split

TOPPINGS:
Lettuce
Tomato, sliced
Red onion, sliced
Avocado, sliced
1 cup salsa

Combine lime juice, honey, cumin, cilantro, and olive oil in a small bowl to make marinade. Sprinkle chicken with seasoning blend or salt and pepper. Coat chicken in marinade and set aside for 10 minutes.

Grill chicken for 6-7 minutes on each side (or pan fry over medium high heat in a large nonstick skillet, uncovered, six minutes per side.

Slice grilled chicken on an angle and pile on roll bottoms. Top with lettuce, tomato, red onion, and sliced avocado.

Spread salsa on roll tops. We used 4 big fat chicken breasts and cut them into thin, smaller slices and it made about 8 servings.

Enjoy!

Rachael Ray's Roasted Salsa with Mint and Cilantro

I think I got excited about this recipe because I saw it called for mint and cilantro, both of which happen to be in my very tiny garden right now. I made it to serve with a dinner of burritos and it was perfect on the burritos or by itself on tortilla chips. It was so quick and easy to make and so much better than the store bought varieties!

The ingredients:

4 plum tomatoes

1 jalapeno, halved and seeded

1 small onion, peeled and cut across into four thick slices

3-4 sprigs fresh mint, leaves stripped

1/2 cup cilantro leaves

Salt, to taste

Place whole tomatoes, the seeded jalapeno, and onion slices skin side down on grill or in a dry pan over high heat.

Allow them to char on all sides,

then place in a food processor.

Pulse-grind with mint and cilantro leaves. Season with coarse salt to taste. Pour salsa in a strainer, drain off liquid, and transfer to a serving dish. I did not strain ours and it was still a good consistency. Serve with tortilla chips or with your favorite Mexican dish.

Enjoy!

Hearty Chicken Pesto Pizzas

Every Friday night is pizza night at our house. Sometimes we order out, sometimes I make traditional pizzas, and other nights I'm just in the mood for something totally different. When I found this recipe I got excited. It was fun, different, easy, and looked delicious. Glen and I thoroughly enjoyed this sophisticated twist on pizza. The kids, however, were a little scared off by the non-traditional toppings so I ended up just letting them make their own pita bread pizzas however they wanted.

The ingredients:
4 whole pita breads
1 small onion, thinly sliced
1 tsp. minced garlic
1 Tbs. olive oil
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup prepared pesto
2 packages (6-oz each) ready-to use Southwestern chicken strips (I did my own)
2 medium tomatoes, coarsely chopped
1 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

Place pita breads on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 400° for 5-7 minutes or until lightly browned.

Meanwhile, in a small skillet, saute onion and garlic in oil until tender. In a small bowl, combine sour cream and pesto. Top each pita with onion mixture;
spread pesto mixture evenly over the onion layer.
Top with chicken, tomatoes, and cheese. Bake for 7-9 minutes or until cheese is melted. Serves 4.

Enjoy!

Tomato Basil Soup

I had never been a big fan of tomato soup until I branched out from the Campbell's variety and tried the delicious, creamy versions at restaurants like La Madeleine and Panera Bread. I was completely hooked, and now I'm so glad to have learned that it is SO easy to recreate at home! The version pictured here is made without cream, since I cook for one who doesn't get along well with dairy, but the soup is delicious without the cream and would probably be to die for with it!
What you'll need:

2 cans (28-ounces each) crushed tomatoes
2 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 Tbs. basil
1/2 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. garlic (or if you're not lazy like me, fresh garlic, to taste)
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup butter

(Note from admin:  I used 5-6 cloves of pressed fresh garlic.  I cut the butter in half and left in the full amount of cream....delicious!  We served it with breadsticks.  Yum!) 

Mix together tomatoes, chicken broth, basil, sugar, and garlic. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Simmer over low heat until you have to serve it. I've simmered for 10 minutes and it was delicious, and I've simmered for 1 1/2 hours and it was divine. In other words, the longer the better, but you can make it fast and it works just fine.

When you're ready to serve, remove the soup from the heat and stir in the cream (not pictured) and the butter. Stir until the butter has melted.

Then try, just try, not to eat the whole pot! Mmmmmmmmmmm... now THAT'S good!

If you really want to wow your family or your guests, serve with this easy french bread!