Calzones

I have been on a diet for a few weeks now. I have been meticulously watching what goes into my food and what I choose to shove in my mouth. Let's ignore the alcohol I still consume for the purposes of this blog. I allow myself a cheat day and a few weeks ago my cheat day came on the First Friday of the month which also coincides with the First Friday festival held in Downtown Las Vegas. Now First Friday always has AMAZING food trucks and I always go to the Pocket Pie Truck.. I'm going to tell you I bit into the Pepperoni Pocket Pie and it was like heaven burst in my mouth. Take that as you will. The dough was so amazing and the cheese was so ooey-gooey that I about fell out of my folding chair. The fact that I have been living off of Salad, Yogurt, Coffee and Granola bars may have contributed to my mental state, might have added to the experience and taste of this God of foods, but it got me thinking.. How can I make this for myself without hating my life and waist line later on.. This recipe is one I found that I am OBSESSED with.  Biting into this was definitely a GGA (Good God Almighty) moment for me... Now these are low fat/ low calorie Calzones.

I use whole-wheat flour, for obvious reasons or you can always purchase whole-wheat pizza dough as a time saver.

 As for the filling this recipe uses turkey, spinach, mushrooms and roasted red peppers. The recipes for this vary but you can use a reduced-fat ricotta, a small amount of a stronger-flavored feta cheese for flavor. But I like reduced fat Mozzerella. I think cheese is a preference thing.

Ingredients:
Dough: 1 1/2 cups warm water
1 tablespoon honey
2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 1/4 cups whole-wheat flour
Filling:
8 ounces lean turkey breast
8 ounces white button mushrooms, sliced
2 cups roasted red peppers, sliced
1 pound fresh spinach, steamed and drained, or 10-ounce package frozen spinach, thawed and drained
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
3/4 cup Cheese
2 cups marinara sauce (serve on the side for dipping)


Instructions:
1. In a large bowl, combine water, honey and yeast. Stir until dissolved then set aside for about five minutes to let the yeast mature.
2. Stir in the salt and oil. Then add flour one cup at a time, mixing in between additions. You may need to use your hands by the fourth cup.
3. On a floured surface, knead the dough by hand for five to 10 minutes until it develops elasticity.
4. Return to the bowl and cover with a clean, damp tea towel. Place in a warm location until the dough doubles in size (about 45 minutes).
5. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
6. Punch down the dough and divide into four balls. Roll each ball separately until dough is about one-eighth of an inch thick.
7. Layer turkey, mushrooms, roasted red peppers, cheese, spinach and basil on half of one side.
8. Wet the outer edges of the circle and fold over half the dough to form a half crescent. Press the edges to seal. Slit the top once or twice to let out steam.
9. Bake for 30 minutes.
10. Serve with marinara sauce for dipping.
Serves: 8

Stuffed Mushrooms from Heaven

My cousin makes these stuffed Mushrooms for every family get together and I am OBSESSED.

They are so amazing, you can never just eat 10. It is super easy to make these and they are a hit at every party I have taken them to. I just eye ball everything, so I am just going to include what you will need without specific measurements.. You can change things around depending on your own personal tastes!

YUMMMMM-

White Button Mushrooms

Green Chilies

Jimmy Dean Sausage

Cream Cheese

Cheddar, Mozzarella shredded Cheeses.

•  Put Sausage in large skillet and cook on medium.  (I usually use EVOO so meat doesn't stick to the bottom)
• While the Sausage is cooking mix the Cream Cheese, Chilies ( minced) , and Mozzarella together in a small bowl. ( I use fresh Green Chilies that I mince myself!)
• Set your oven to 400 degrees.
• Pull out all the steams of mushrooms and clean the insides out.
• When the Sausage is brown and crumbling, remove from heat and drain off the excess grease.
• While the Sausage cools down a bit, Set the caps into a large pan with sides.
• Mix the Sausage in with Cream Cheese mix.. Place spoonfuls in the Mushrooms.
• Sprinkle the Cheddar Cheese on top and cook till the  Mushrooms are soft!
• - I usually cook for 15 to 20 minutes because I like my mushrooms not terrible soft, you can cook to your liking!
• Scoop them out of the pan with a (slotted) spoon as they will lose water while in the oven and arrange them on a plate.
• Serve warm. They reheat well, so you can make them ahead of time.
• *VARIATION : Use one 8oz. box of cream cheese to two 8oz. pkgs of sausage. It makes for a larger batch that is less rich and tastes just as good.

Now I usually cut bigger holes in the mushrooms to fit more mix in and I usually buy 2-3 packages of Mushrooms since the Sausage packs and Cream Cheese makes a lot of mix!

- I use Jimmy Dean Sausage and Philadelphia Fat Free Cream Cheese and low fat cheeses..

Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo Deliciousness

This is a recipe I have scribbled on a piece of paper in a box of recipes from my college days. This is always delicious and  comforting! We all know how I love my comfort foods!

What you'll need while simultaneously drinking a glass of Red an being appreciative of Italians..

1/4 cup Butter
1/4 cup Olive Oil
1 lb. Chicken Breasts (cut into 3/4 inch cubes)
1/2 cup Green Onions
2 cloves Garlic (minced)
1 cup Whipping Cream
1 pkg. McCormick Pasta Prima Alfredo sauce
12 oz. Fresh Mushrooms (chopped)
3 Roma tomatoes diced
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/4 cup chopped Parsley
2. tpsb dried basil
1 lb. Fettuccine Noodles
1/2 cup Parmesan

1. Heat Butter and Olive Oil in a skillet on medium heat.

2. Add Chicken, Green Onion, Garlic, and  sautee until Chicken is lightly browned.

3.Stir in Cream, Sauce mix, Mushrooms, Tomatoes, Salt and Pepper.

4.Bring to a boil on high.

5.Reduce heat to medium and let simmer for 3 to 5 minutes until Sauce is thickened.

6. Stir in Parsley and Basil.

7. Remove and toss with pasta, top with Parm Cheese.

Grilled Cajun Chicken

Being a single girl with a George Foreman Grill, I love simple Chicken recipes. If I can just defrost it, toss some herbs and lemon juice in a bag, let it marinate for 20 minutes, then throw it on the grill-- Well that is just perfection!

But one of my favorite recipes for grilled chicken that is simple and delicious is Cajun Grilled Chicken..

It is just one of those basic things that I like to make when I don't want to take forever making dinner...

What you'll need:

1/2 teaspoon Salt

2 teaspoons Cajun Seasoning

1/4 teaspoon Pepper

1/4 teaspoon dried Oregeno

1/4 teaspoon Celery Salt

1 teaspoon Olive Oil

4 skinless boneless Chicken Breasts

Now I just toss this on my George and grill till there is no pink left, very scientific..

But for those of you who prefer the outdoor, manly type grill, those instructions are as follows...

You will need to prep the grill  at 300 to 350 degrees- Or Medium, for those of you like me who don't care to learn how to make temperatures.

In a small bowl combine Salt, Cajun Seasoning, Pepper, Oregano, and Celery Salt

--Mix well

Brush Olive Oil  on your chicken and sprinkle with Seasoning mix

Grill Chicken over direct heat, uncovered 10-12 minutes or until Chicken is no longer pink turning once through grilling process...

I'm going to be honest, I include measurements, but I never measure unless it's flour or something that will make whatever it is I am cooking or baking taste horrible if I over use... So for this I just eye ball everything... Still tastes perfect! I love to top this with whatever salsa I have in the fridge, but then again, I top every type of grilled chicken I make with whatever salsa I have in the fridge... That doesn't mean it is a good idea for anyone else.

Texas Sheet Cake

Growing up, one of my favorite desserts was my mom's Texas Sheet Cake... It is one of the most delicious things I have ever tasted and it is always a hit at parties, receptions, etc. Growing up I used to camp out in front of this until I had stuffed myself silly and was ready for a nap.. So I thought I would include this amazing, heaven sent dessert on my blog... From my recipe book to your kitchen, Enjoy!

2 sticks Margarine

1 cup water

4 Tablespoons Cocoa

Bring to boil and remove from heat.

While still hot add:

2 cups Flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups Sugar

Mix well and beat in 2 whole eggs,1/2 cup sour cream and 1 teaspoon baking soda.

Pour into greased and floured sheet pan

-17x11 inch

Bake at 375 for 20 minutes.

 - Set aside to cool.

ICING-

Boil 1 stick Margarine

4 Tablespoons cocoa and 6 Tablespoons milk

Remove from heat and add while hot

1 cup chopped Pecans

1 box powdered Sugar

1 teaspoon Vanilla

Mix and spread on cake while icing is hot.

Makes 24 large servings.

London Broil

My mom's London Broil recipe is one of my favorites. I know people who make this and they add all these different ingredients.. Well I like to keep things simple and this recipe definitely keeps it easy and carefree.

What you need:

2 lbs. London Broil
1 can Cream of Mushroom Soup
1/2 oz. or 1/2 envelope Dry Onion Soup Mix

Mix soups together, pour over meat in baking dish.

Cover and bake 2.5 to 3 hours in 325 degrees.

I do not like my meat mooing at me from the oven so I leave it in close to 3 hours, if you like yours a little more, well, alive, you can take it out earlier.

I also found a recipe I would like to try sometime for Tequila Marinated London Broil...

That recipe is as follows.

3 pounds London Broil
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded
1 clove garlic
1  cup tequila
1 cup teriyaki sauce
¼ cup sesame oil (optional)
¼  cup Worcestershire sauce
¼  teaspoon kosher salt
¼  teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

In a blender, combine all ingredients except London broil.  Process until smooth.
Place London broil in a non-reactive container and pour marinade over top, turning it to coat. 
Refrigerate for at least 4-6 hours before cooking.
Preheat grill to high.  Place London broil over hot grill, and cook for 4-5 minutes on each side, flipping the steak 4 times (cooking time will vary with thickness of the steak).
Let steak rest for at least 10 minutes before thinly slicing against the grain of the meat and on a bias for wide but thin slices.  This should be cooked and served rare.

Now I am not a "rare" fan, so I will have to adjust cooking time!

Family Recipe From Heaven

I love the recipes that have made their way through the generations of Revert-Perchetti women and I couldn't be more excited that they live on in my kitchen. My favorite side dish at Holiday gatherings has always been my Great Auntie Opal's mushrooms.. I am always digging in while they are still piping hot in the skillet.. They are delish and easy to make..

What you need:

2 cups White Mushrooms
1stick- 1/2 cup Butter- Do not use substitute margarine

1/4 cup chopped Green Onions

2 cloves Garlic-pressed
1/2 cup Chardonnay- this is optional

1/4 cup Heavy Cream

Sautee Mushrooms, onions, and garlic over med/high heat until soft.

Add chardonnay and cream towards end of cooking.

Do not over cook, you can add garlic salt if you wish.

Auntie Op was straight out of Georgia and her recipes always include a " little bit of cream".. She always thought things tasted better that way. I miss that woman.

The Best Friend To Every Meal..Asparagus...

I love to pair a lot of my  meals with Asparagus.. I always search high and low for new ways to make this vegetable. Whether you boil it, grill it, wrap it in bacon, pickle it, I will always love it!

Below is a recipe of my favorite way to prepare this Jolly Green Giant of Vegetables!

Ingredients:

2 pounds Asparagus, tough ends trimmed, rinsed and patted dry

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

In a large glass baking dish, toss the asparagus with the olive oil and garlic.

Season lightly with salt and pepper, and toss.

Bake until the asparagus are tender and lightly browned, 15 to 20 minutes, depending upon the thickness of the stalks, stirring twice.

Remove from the oven and toss with the lemon juice. Adjust the seasoning, to taste.

Serve warm or at room temperature.

-- This makes me so hungry just thinking about it!

My Little Dumplin's

I went to college in Wyoming, where it is winter 10.5 months out of the year. In Wyoming you really have to eat hearty meals during the winter, because meals that stick to your bones, make you not so cold...Also shots of Whiskey make you not so cold, and Hot Schnacolate ( Peppermint Schnapps and Hot Chocolate) also helps heat you up, but this blog is about my Mother's famous Chicken and Dumplings not my alcoholic drinks of choice... Now I do Love some Cracker Barrel Chicken 'n' Dumplings but I love my mother's more. I think because my mom's has more veggies in it... And to be fair I will include both recipes in this entry..

Tasty Kitchen Chick 'n' Dumps

Now my mother's recipe is what I lived on most of my college winters.. And it was always a hit! This is what you need:

• 1 1/2 pounds chicken breasts
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 Russet Potato, peeled and diced
• 2 medium carrots, peeled and diced or thinly sliced
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 rib celery, diced
• 1 Bay Leaf, fresh or dried
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon Poultry Seasoning, 1/3 palm full
• 2 tablespoons flour, a handful
• 1 quart chicken broth or stock, canned or paper container- I like Swansons!
• 1 small box Biscuit Mix
• 1/2 cup warm water
• Handful Flat Leaf Parsley chopped
• 1 cup green peas

-Dice Chicken into bite size pieces and set aside. Wash hands.

Place a large pot on stove over medium high heat. Add oil, butter, vegetables and bay leaf and cook 5 minutes, stirring frequently.

Season mixture with salt, pepper and poultry seasoning.

Add flour to the pan and cook 2 minutes. Stir broth or stock to the pot and bring to a boil. Add chicken to the broth and stir.

Place biscuit mix in a bowl. Combine with 1/2 cup warm water and parsley. Drop tablespoonfuls of prepared mix into the pot, spacing dumplings evenly.

 Cover pot tightly and reduce heat to medium low.

 Steam dumplings 8 to 10 minutes.

 Turn Dumplings over to cook other side. Let cook for 5 minutes.

Remove cover and stir chicken and dumplings to thicken sauce a bit.

Stir peas into the pan.

Remove chicken and dumplings from heat.

 Put in a bowl and enjoy the heck out of it!

Chicken Paaaarm.

This is a recipe I used to make fairly often and it is so easy and delicious.  It is from a book called 'Eat This, Not That' so it is lower in calories.. If you are like me, you like to pair it off with spaghetti... And when I do that I make sure to use the whole wheat pasta. Ok, Ok, healthy-ish until you throw the pasta in there. Being Italian I have to say I do LOVE pasta... And anything covered in Basil or Oregano.

All you need is:

Chicken Breasts
Panko Bread Crumbs
Parmesan Cheese
Italian Seasonings
2 Egg Whites

Now some of these things need measuring but I usually just eye ball this and change things around depending on taste.


1. Flatten the chicken breasts to 1/4 in.  I cut the breast in half first so it isn't so big once it is flattened

2. Mix 1 cup Panko Bread Crumbs, 2 T grated Parmesan cheese, and 1 t Italian seasonings. Put on a plate

3. Beat two egg whites or 1 egg in a dish big enough to dip the chicken breast

4. Dip the chicken in the egg then coat with the bread crumbs

5. Fry in a little olive oil, about 3 or 4 minutes on a side

6. Spoon spaghetti sauce and sprinkle mozzarella on top of the cooked chicken, broil to melt if needed.

I really love this with a glass of wine... But that goes without saying, right?

Cilantro Lime Tilapia Tacos

I am obsessed with Fish Tacos.  I also love the tastes of citrus and cilantro together so I was so excited when I found a Cilantro Lime Tilapia Taco recipe on SkinnyTaste. I love the Cajun Fish Tacos at Gordon Biersch, but theirs are topped with a homemade Remoulade Sauce.. So I figured, HEY, I'll make my own sauce and throw that on top of the tacos!

The sauce was AMAZING! That recipe is below.

1 cup mayo

2 tablespoons whole grain mustard ( I used Grey Poupon Country Style)

2 tablespoons ketchup

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce 

1/2 cup finely chopped scallion

1/4 cup finely chopped fresh flat leaf parsley

1 stalk finely chopped celery 

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon paprika

2 teaspoons hot sauce

1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

This almost tastes like a Chipotle sauce.. I LOVED IT. I wanted to send left over sauce to my mother's house so she could taste it, and so I could say HEY, I'm not completely worthless in the kitchen like my grandfather said I was shortly before I left for college.. He thought my lack of kitchen education would make me unmarry-able... He was such a sweet heart.

Now the taco ingredients and I also included the nutrition facts that are available on the SkinnyTaste website:

• 1 lb tilapia fillets, rinsed and pat dried
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, finely minced
• 2 jalapeño peppers, chopped (seeds removed for less heat)
• 2 cups diced tomatoes
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
• 3 tbsp lime juice
• salt and pepper to taste
• 8 5-inch white corn tortillas
• 1 medium haas avocado, sliced
• lime wedges and cilantro for garnish

Cilantro Lime Tilapia Tacos
Skinnytaste.com
Servings: 4 • Serving Size: 2 tacos • Old Points: 7 pts • Points+: 8 pts
Calories: 319 • Fat: 12 g • Protein: 26.5 g • Carb: 33.7 g • Fiber: 9.7 g • Sugar: 3.6 g
Sodium: 76.2 mg (without salt)

Heat olive oil in a skillet. Sauté onion until translucent, then add garlic. Mix well.
Place tilapia on the skillet and cook until the flesh starts to flake. Add jalapeño peppers, tomatoes, cilantro and lime juice. Sauté over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes, breaking up the fish with the spoon to get everything mixed well; season to taste with salt and pepper.


Meanwhile, heat tortillas on a skillet a few minutes on each side to warm (no oil needed). Serve a little over 1/4 cup of fish on each warmed tortillas with a slice or 2 of avocado and enjoy!





Everything about this recipe was great except the use of Tilapia.. All the other flavors really over powered the flavor of the fish. If I make this again I will have to use a fish that will stand up better to all the flavors of the dish. I had to use so much Remoulade sauce to try and spice this up.. Even chicken would have been a better choice than Tilapia... Next time I am in an experimenting mood, I will try a different fish.

In this endeavour I found out that the Remoulade sauce would also taste delicious on Chicken tacos, and I will keep that in mind if I ever try such a thing.

 

Skinny Taste

I recently discovered a website called Skinny Taste. By the name you can gather that this website is home to recipes for people looking to eat lighter while still eating the things they love.. I found a recipe for Strawberry Swirl Cheesecake on this site and it was delicious! I have not yet perfected the Cheesecake baking ( Parts were still wet-ish and other parts were baked nicely) but my 'mediocre' attempt turned out pretty good.

The ingredients and directions are as follows:

• non stick cooking spray
• 1/2 cup crushed graham cracker crumbs
• 1 tbsp light butter, softened
• 8 oz package reduced fat cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 6 oz fat-free vanilla Greek yogurt
• 2 large egg whites
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tbsp all purpose flour
• 1/4 cup strawberry jam 

Heat oven to 350°. Coat an 8-inch square baking pan with non-stick spray.

Mix together graham cracker crumbs and butter with a fork until evenly moistened. Press evenly into bottom of prepared pan.

Gently beat cream cheese, sugar and vanilla until smooth using an electric mixer. Gradually beat in fat free yogurt, egg whites, lemon juice, and flour. Do not over beat. Pour over graham cracker crust.

Stir jam until smooth. Drop by small spoonfuls over surface of filling. Using a knife, swirl jam gently through filling to create marble effect.

Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool to room temperature. Chill a few hours in the refrigerator

Now I tweaked this a little and used Fat Free Cream Cheese, Truvia instead of Sugar,Chobani Greek Yogurt and Sugar Free jam.. It still tasted great!

I snacked on the left overs guilt free!

So Many Recipes At SkinnyTaste.com

Why Mess With The Classics?

I LOVE Margarita Pizza. I could eat it all day every day. I am obsessed with Tomatoes and Basil anyways so adding that to a pizza scheme is absolutely marvelous. I invited my boyfriend over for dinner one night and  Margarita Pizza seemed to be the perfect solution for the problem of what to make. Now Blake always tells me that he isn't used to women making him meals so that was good for me considering his standards were already low, perfect time to experiment!

I made two pizzas, left overs-yum. You know, provided they turned out alright. 

The ingredients are as follows...

1/4 cup olive oil

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

8 Roma tomatoes, sliced

2 (12 inch) pre-baked pizza crusts

8 ounces shredded Mozzarella cheese

4 ounces shredded Fontina cheese

10 fresh basil leaves, washed, dried

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

For my pizzas, I used the Pillsbury Pizza Crust Dough... It is SOOOOO good! And I also sauteed the garlic with the olive oil before hand to really bring out the flavor in the garlic.

1. Stir together olive oil, garlic, and salt; toss with tomatoes, and allow to stand for 15 minutes. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
2. Brush each pizza crust with some of the tomato marinade. Sprinkle the pizzas evenly with Mozzarella and Fontina cheeses. Arrange tomatoes overtop, then sprinkle with shredded basil, Parmesan, and feta cheese.
3. Bake in preheated oven until the cheese is bubbly and golden brown, about 10 minutes.

-I will say that this probably goes down in history as one of the most delicious things I have ever made in my life! I have made it a few times since and it never gets old.. I would go as far to say that this pizza is better than most pizzas you would buy at a restaurant..

Definitely worth a try!