Portobello Pizzas

May 11, 2013

I love finding recipes that are not only easy and delicious, but good for you! This one does not disappoint. Another bonus is that it’s a gluten-free recipe. I made a few tweaks from the original recipe, including:
- Used caramelized onions and fresh basil leaves as toppings
- Subbed turkey pepperoni (you can omit to make it a meatless dish)
- Omitted the black olives, anchovies and sausage

I served these tasty personal pizzas alongside a quinoa salad and roasted asparagus sprinkled with blue cheese.

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Quick Tip: Wrap a few garlic cloves in aluminum foil (drizzled with evoo) and roast in the oven alongside the mushroom caps.

Posted in #MeatlessMonday, Cheese, Healthy, Kid-friendly, Pizza, Vegetables | 1 Comment »
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Jalapeno Beer Cheese Soup for #SundaySupper

February 24, 2013

As a self-proclaimed foodie and ingredient junkie, I often get the questions, “What is your favorite item to cook?” or “What dish are you known for?”  I always find this a difficult question to answer because I don’t have one favorite thing I like to make. What I made every week one month (like my paella obsession) isn’t necessarily what I’m making every weekend now…more and more roasted vegetables.

But something I always circle back to is soup.  I love it. I pretty much have it with every meal. We always have a soup prepared in our fridge to have with lunch at home on the weekends or to take in the office during the week.  I enjoy cold soups in the hot Georgia summers; like Avocado or Gazpacho; or good old traditional standbys like Cream of Broccoli or French Onion.

When I think of cold, rainy, winter nights, which we have had our share of lately, I think of a spicy Beer Cheese Soup. It’s warm, comforting, laced with jalapenos and a delicious afternoon snack on rainy afternoons. Especially when you use a hot pretzel for dipping.  Yum!

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Jalapeno Beer Cheese Soup with Himalayan Pink Salt dusted Pretzels

Jalapeno Beer Cheese Soup

Printable Version

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup butter
  • 1 chopped yellow onion
  • 1/2 cup chopped celery
  • 2 cloves of garlic
  • 1 TBS all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • 1 (12-ounce) beer of choice, I used a Bud Light
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 10 ounces low-fat, extra-sharp cheddar, shredded
  • 8 oz cream cheese, I use Neuchâtel
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 2 TBS diced jalapenos + one fresh jalapeno, sliced
  • 3 splashes Worcestershire sauce
  • Frozen pretzels (bake according to instructions)
  • 1 TBS, Himalayan Pink Salt

Directions

Melt butter in a stockpot over medium heat. Add chopped onion, celery and garlic. Saute until soft. Add chicken broth, beer and bay leaf. Heat until it comes to a boil. Slowly add cheese while stirring until just boiling and smooth. Add salt, pepper, mustard, jalapenos and Worcestershire sauce. Reduce heat to low and cook until soup has thickened.

Garnish with sliced jalapeno and serve with a hot baked pretzel.

 

Be sure to check out more delicious soup recipes from the talented members of the #SundaySupper Community:

Do The Chicken Dance (chicken {or other poultry} soups)

Where’s The Beef (Beef Soups)

Pass The Pork. Please (Pork or Sausage Soups)

 Under The Sea (Seafood Soups)

Eat Your Veggies (Chock Full o’ Vegetables Soups)

Some Don’t Like It Hot (Chilled Soups)

Of course once you have seen all of the recipes for the day, you’ll not want to miss our #SundaySupper conversation on twitter each Sunday.

We tweet throughout the day and share recipes from all over the world. This week we will be sharing out special soup recipes!

Our weekly chat starts at 7:00 pm ET and you do not want to miss out on the fun.

Follow the#SundaySupper hash tag and remember to include it in your tweets to join in the chat.

Don’t forget to check out our #SundaySupper Pinterest board for more fabulous recipes and food photos.

Join us Around the Family Table this Sunday at 7pm Eastern Time and share your favorite soup, stew, chowder or bisque recipes with us!

 

Posted in #SundaySupper, burning tastebuds, Cheese, comfort food, soup | 40 Comments »
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Fiesta En Tu Boca Enchiladas #SundaySupper

September 16, 2012

For anyone that doesn’t get the Spanish translation, it’s “Party in Your Mouth” Enchiladas and they are exactly that.  These easy to prepare, rolls of flavor are so tasty you will want seconds…and thirds…and maybe even fourths.  Shhh, I won’t tell anyone.  When I brought leftovers to work, I practically had to beat my co-workers away with a stick after they tried a bite.

I like to start off this meal with a Chilled Avocado Soup (in the summertime) and serve with Spanish rice.  If you like an extra bit of heat with your meal, this Hot Habanero Relish is an amazing accompaniment!

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Que delicioso!

Chicken and White Bean Enchiladas

printable recipe

For the Chicken and White Bean Filling:

  • 1 tsp evoo
  • ½  white onion, chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 can (4.5 oz) chopped green chiles
  • 15.5 oz can Cannellini beans
  • 2 cooked shredded chicken breast (I like to boil and shred mine and save the stock to use in the rest of this recipe)
  • ½ cup chicken stock from boiling chicken breast
  • 1 tsp cumin

For the Green Chile Enchilada Sauce:

  • 1 tsp butter
  • 1/2 white onion, chopped
  • 2 tbsp flour
  • 1 cup chicken broth (from boiling chicken earlier)
  • 7 oz can chopped green chiles
  • 2 jalapeños, chopped (de-seed if you want to go light on the heat)
  • salt
  • ½ cup light Greek yogurt
  • ¾  cup reduced fat Mexican cheese
  • 8 medium whole wheat tortillas
  • chopped fresh cilantro

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375°.

For the Filling:
In a medium pan, heat olive oil on low. Add onions, garlic and saute until soft, about 2-3 minutes. Add green chiles, beans, chicken stock and cumin. Mix well and cover. Simmer on low 15 minutes. Remove cover, add chicken and cook an additional 5 minutes, or until it thickens and liquid boils down. Set aside.

Enchilada Sauce:
In a large nonstick pan, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion softens and starts to turn translucent, about 3-4 minutes. Add flour and stir well. Cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Slowly whisk in the chicken broth, until it becomes smooth. Cook over medium heat until the sauce boils and thickens, about 4-5 minutes. Add green chiles, jalapeños, and salt to taste. Cook another minute then remove from the heat. Stir in the Greek yogurt.

Spread about 1/4 cup of the enchilada sauce on the bottom of a 9×13″ baking dish. Fill each tortilla with 1/3 cup of the chicken/white bean filling. Roll the tortillas and place seam side down in the prepared baking dish. Continue filling remainder of the tortillas.

Pour the enchilada sauce over the top of the enchiladas. Top with cheese. Cover with aluminum and bake 20-30 minutes, until the enchiladas are hot and the cheese is melted. Remove from oven and top with LOTS of fresh cilantro…and the Habanero Relish, if you please.

Be sure to check out all the fabulous Mexican recipes from this week’s #SundaySupper group, listed below:

Sopas (Soups), Ensaladas (Salads), and Entremeses (Starters)

La Comida (the food)

Postres (desserts)

Bebidas (beverages)

Please be sure you join us on Twitter throughout the day (this coming Sunday, September 16) during #SundaySupper. We’ll be meeting up at 7:00 pm (Eastern) for our weekly #SundaySupper  live chat where we’ll talk about our favorite recipes for a Mexican Fiesta! All you have to do is follow the #SundaySupper hashtag, or you can follow us through TweetChat!  We’d also love to feature your Mexican Fiesta recipes on our #SundaySupper Pinterest board and share them with all of our followers!

Posted in #SundaySupper, Cheese, Chicken, Chilled Soup, comfort food, enchiladas, Healthy, Mexican, Skinny Taste | 62 Comments »
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#SundaySupper #BackToSchool Tots Your Tots Will Love!

August 26, 2012

As I’ve mentioned, I’ve started making lunch for the ladies in the office and I’m a big fan of Meatless Monday.  So, when I needed something to pair with a Cream of Tomato Soup, these were the perfect match!  I threw together a batch of these ridiculously easy zucchini tots one evening to “test” the recipe to make sure they were good…and, my husband and I devoured the entire pan before they could cool. Needless to say, they are delicious.

Not only are these tots easy to prepare, they can be frozen and reheated in the toaster oven for a quick breakfast or afternoon snack. An added bonus is your family will love them and it’s an tasty way to sneak some veggies into the pickiest of eaters. Feel free to play around with the vegetable and cheese combos.  I think carrots, squash or broccoli would be great substitutions as would monterey jack, swiss or muenster.

Zucchini Tots

printable recipe

Ingredients:

  • 1 zucchini, grated
  • 1 large egg
  • ½ onion, diced
  • ¼ cup shredded reduced fat cheddar cheese
  • ¼ cup seasoned breadcrumbs
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • cooking spray

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400°. Spray a mini muffin tin with cooking spray. Grate the zucchini over a paper towel. Pat the excess water out of the zucchini once grated. Combine all the ingredients and season with salt and pepper to taste. Fill the muffin tins with the mixture. Bake for 16-18 minutes, or until the tops are golden. Use a knife to help remove the muffins from the pan and enjoy!

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Mix all the ingredients in a medium-sized bowl (I was making a double batch in this pic).

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Be sure to fill the tins to the top for a perfect-sized tot.

Related articles

Check out more delicious #BackToSchool recipes from the #SundaySupper community listed below:

Please be sure you join us on Twitter throughout the day on Sunday. We’ll be meeting up at 7:00 p.m. EST for our weekly #SundaySupper live chat where we’ll talk about Back to School Meals and ways to make meal time easier!

All you have to do is follow the #SundaySupper hashtag, or you can follow us through TweetChat! We’ll be sharing great recipes and tips all afternoon, and we’ll be talking all things Back to School Meals during our chat!

We’d also love to feature your Back to School Recipes on our #SundaySupper Pinterest board and share them with all of our followers!

Posted in Appetizers, Breakfast, Cheese, disappearing act, Lunch, Meatless Monday, side dish, Vegetables | 39 Comments »
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A Side of Southern

December 20, 2011

Montgomery's Cheddar cheese

Image via Wikipedia

If you live in the South, you probably know a thing or two about Pimento Cheese. It’s a summertime staple, for one, and the secret to amazing PC is extra sharp cheddar. You can dress it up by adding dill, jalapenos or even bacon.

This gooey side-dish was a hit at Thanksgiving and has already been requested for upcoming gatherings. The cheese sauce is to-die-for and I think if you added a little chicken stock, you could turn it into a mean Pimento Cheese Soup. I’ve also thought you could layer with crispy hash browns for a great breakfast casserole — especially on Christmas morning. But back to the recipe at hand…

Pimento Cheese Gratin

Printable Recipe

ingredients

3 teaspoons salt, plus more to taste
1 1⁄2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and sliced into 1⁄4-inch thick rounds
3⁄4 cup heavy cream
3 shallots, finely diced (scant 1⁄2 cup)
1⁄4 teaspoon crushed dried red chile flakes
1⁄2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
One 9-ounce jar roasted red peppers or piquillo peppers, with their liquid
8 ounces extra-sharp cheddar cheese, coarsely grated (about 2 cups)

instructions

1. Heat the oven to 375°F, with racks positioned in the middle and the top third of the oven. In a 3- to 4-quart stockpot, bring 2 quarts water and 2 teaspoons of the salt to a boil. Add the potatoes and cook for 10 minutes. Then drain, and set them aside.

2. Combine the cream, shallots, chile flakes, remaining 1 teaspoon salt, the black pepper, and 2 tablespoons of the liquid from the jar of roasted peppers in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer and cook until the chile flakes have begun to stain the cream, about 2 minutes. Add half of the cheese and stir until it melts, about 1 minute. Remove the pan from the heat.

3. Layer roughly a third of the potatoes in a 6-cup baking dish, overlapping them slightly so that they fit in an even layer. Scatter half of the roasted peppers on top of the potatoes (cut up any peppers that have remained whole so that they lie flat), and repeat layering potatoes and peppers until all the peppers and potatoes have been used. Pour the cream mixture over the potatoes and peppers, and agitate the dish to distribute the liquid throughout. Cover with aluminum foil and bake on the middle rack for 15 minutes.

4. Uncover the dish, sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top, and place the dish on the top oven rack. Bake for 8 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbly and gently browned on top. Serve immediately.

A little hint: You can assemble this dish ahead of time and pop in the oven when you’re ready.

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Posted in Cheese, potatoes, side dish | Leave a Comment »
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