Sunday, July 27, 2008

Garlic Breadsticks


1 1/8 cups water (70 to 80 degrees F)
2 teaspoons yeast
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon butter or stick margarine, melted
2 tablespoons olive or canola oil
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
3/4 teaspoon minced fresh basil
3 cups bread flour

Mix the water, yeast, and sugar in a bowl. Let sit for 10 minutes.

Add everything else, except the flour. Mix well. Add flour and then let knead for about 10 minutes.

Dump dough onto counter and divide into 20 portions. Roll into 9" breadsticks and place on greased cookie sheets. Cover and let rise until double in size, about 40-60 minutes, depending on the temperature of your house. Bake at 350 for 18-22 minutes. (I actually had them burn a little bit at 18 minutes so you might check them at 16 minutes.) Take out of oven and place on cooling racks. Brush with butter when still warm.

Thursday, July 10, 2008

Chicken Caesar Salad Pizza


Use your favorite pizza crust for this recipe. It's a nice change of pace for pizza dinner.

Day 1:
Place 2 chicken breasts in a mixture of:
2 t garlic
1/2 c Caesar dressing
3 T balsamic vinegar
pinch of black pepper
Marinate chicken for 24 hours.

Day 2:
Wrap chicken in foil and bake at 400˚F for 20-30 minutes. While chicken bakes, slice 6 Roma tomatoes and season to taste with basil, salt and pepper. Place slices between layers of paper towel to draw out excess moisture. Shred baked chicken and set aside. Shred a head of Romaine lettuce and toss with Caesar dressing to taste.

Sprinkle pizza stones with cornmeal and press out prepared crusts. Cover with Caesar dressing. Top with chicken pieces and a combination of 1 lb shredded Mozzarella, 1 lb shredded Parmesan, and 1/2 c shredded Cheddar. Season with basil, minced garlic and black pepper to taste. Bake at 425˚F for 10-12 minutes. Immediately upon removing pizza from oven, place tomato slices on top. Top with dressed lettuce or serve on the side.

Yields 2 pizza pies.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie

Crust:
2 cups Chocolate Cookie Crumbs
¼ cup plus 2 tbsp Melted Butter (divided)

Peanut Butter Filling:
8 oz. Soft Cream Cheese
1 cup Sugar
1 cup Peanut Butter
1 tbsp Vanilla
1 cup Whipping Cream

1. Combine cookie crumbs and ¼ cup butter. Press into 9” pie pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes.
2. Using an electric mixer, cream together the cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Add the peanut butter, 2 tbsp butter, and vanilla and continue mixing until light and fluffy.
4. In a separate bowl whip the cream. Fold the whipped cream into the peanut butter mixture. Pour the peanut butter mixture into the cooled cookie crust. Refrigerate until set.

Topping:
4 oz Chocolate Chips
2 tbsp Butter
2 tbsp Oil
Chopped Peanuts

1. Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan on low heat until smooth. Spread the topping over the filling. Top with chopped peanuts. Refrigerate until set. If you prefer frozen desserts this pie is also good frozen.

(Pic added by erin; Becky's pie was probably much prettier.)

Wednesday, July 9, 2008

Request for Freezer Meal Recipes

Hi everyone. Now that I'm a mom-who-works-outside-of-the-home-as-well-as-inside-of-the-home (and a mom with an upright freezer), I think I'm ready to start trying freezer meals. Has anyone tried these? If so, do you have any recipes that you'd be willing to share here? Thanks!