Category Archives: Recipes

Mexican Crockpot Chicken Quesadillas

Chicken, Healthy, Main, Recipes, Weeknight, ,

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You know those days you just don’t have time to make dinner?  Or those days when you don’t feel like cooking?  Or are you one of my friends that hates to cook?  Then people this is the recipe for you!  It tastes fantastic, is so easy it shouldn’t even count as “cooking”, it’s healthy and your house will smell fabulous all day.  I made it yesterday for Dinner and when Brian walked in the house he asked if we were having tacos for dinner.  You can use the mexican mixture a lot of different ways.  Last night Bill had it on rice, I had it as a soft taco on a tortilla and Brian had it on a hard taco shell.  Today, I made a quick-lunch for Bill and I using the leftover chicken mixture as a base for some fantastic quesadillas.  Looking at this photo now, I could have another.  Look at that melted cheese…..yummy!   Enjoy 🙂  Continue reading Mexican Crockpot Chicken Quesadillas →

Sausage and Beans One Dish Dinner

Healthy, Main, Recipes, Weeknight, , ,

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This is a great weeknight one dish dinner.  The recipe is very forgiving.  Don’t have wine?  Double the stock.  Like beans a lot?  Add 2 cans.  I usually make 1/2 chicken sausage and 1/2 pork as Bill hates the chicken sausage.  I like to serve it with a salad and a spoon to make sure to get all the sauce!   Continue reading Sausage and Beans One Dish Dinner →

Sunnycrest Apple Crisp

Desserts, Recipes,

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Sunnycrest is a local farm in my home town.  They open in June with Strawberry season and I shop there all summer long for the tomatoes, blueberries, corn, zucchini, amazing lettuce, the list goes on.  Then in the fall, I get their delicious apple cider and my favorite Gala apples.  They close the day before Thanksgiving, so I had to go Saturday to get another supply of apples.  You can also bake these in individual ramekins for a cute presentation.  Must be enjoyed with a large scoop of vanilla ice cream!  Continue reading Sunnycrest Apple Crisp →

Lasagne Bolognese

Main, Pasta, Recipes, Sunday Dinner, ,

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This is the best lasagne recipe I have ever had.  It’s from one of my favorite cookbooks, Molto Italiano by my cooking idol, Mario Batali.  I <3 Mario!!!!  The Bolognese is amazing.  I always make a double batch of the Bolognese, serve it with Papperdelle noodles and then freeze the rest for Lasagne.  Must have a great glass of Chianti with it!  Continue reading Lasagne Bolognese →

Steak Diane

Beef, Date Night, Main, Recipes, , ,

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This dish was the first thing that Bill ever cooked for me, it was his signature dish (and yes, I was sold!).  It has become the “go to” dish for us for celebrating our Anniversary, Valentine’s Day or any special occasion.  I have doubled the sauce because it is all about the sauce here.  The fries and steak are just a vehicle for the amazing sauce!

Don’t be afraid to light the brandy, but make sure you step back when you do it!  Must be enjoyed with a really  nice cabernet.  Continue reading Steak Diane →

Best Thin Crust Pizza EVAH!

Main, Recipes, ,

I am begging you to never buy pre-made pizza dough again.  When you look at the list of ingredients on the pre-made it will scare you!  This homemade dough is super easy to make and doesn’t have any weird chemicals in it that you can’t pronounce.  Typically this dough would be cut into 2 but I stretch it into 4 which allows the thin crust.  I have also found that pre-cooking the dough for a few minutes allows it to stay crispy.  There is nothing worse than a soggy piece of pizza.

I had this last Saturday carbo loading for my half marathon and had a great race………recommended for runners!  LOL

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Best Thin Crust Pizza EVAH!
Author: 
Recipe type: Main
Cuisine: Italian
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 6
 
Thin crust baby!
Ingredients
  • 1 package active dry yeast
  • 1 cup warm water (105 degrees F.)
  • 2½ to 3 cups flour, plus more if necessary
  • 1½ teaspoons salt
  • 1 28 oz can whole tomatoes, crushed in the food processor
  • ⅓ cup olive oil, plus 1 Tbsp olive oil
  • 4 garlic cloves sliced
  • 1 Tbsp Dried Oregano
  • 1 tsp crushed red pepper (more if you like heat or don't use if you don't like heat)
  • 1 pound buffalo mozzarella cheese, sliced thin
  • Grated Romano or Parmesan Cheese if desired
  • Pepperoni Slices if Desired
Instructions
  1. Place the yeast and water in a bowl and allow it to sit for 5 minutes.
  2. Place the yeast mix in the food processor and add 1½ cups of the flour, the 1 Tbsp olive oil and salt and mix.
  3. Add the rest of the flour and mix, dough will feel a little sticky.
  4. Dust the work surface with flour and kneed the dough for 3-5 minutes. Add more flour if it is sticky.
  5. Place the dough in an oiled bowl and cover with a damp cloth for 1 hour.
  6. Cut the dough into 4 pieces, form into 4 balls and place on an oiled cookie sheet for 15 minutes.
  7. Preheat oven to 500 degrees
  8. Meanwhile, heat a pan and add the remaining olive oil, oregano, crushed red pepper and salt and pepper to taste. As soon as you can smell the garlic and it gets a little color, add the tomatoes. Taste and season again if necessary. Allow the sauce to simmer for 15 minutes.
  9. Roll the dough out the shape and size of a sheet pan. Place the dough on an oiled sheet pan. Put the dough in the oven for 5 minutes just until you see a little color on it. This will crisp the dough so that you don't have a soggy mess.
  10. Add ¼ of the sauce to the pizza, sprinkle with parmesan/romano (I like both), place the mozzarella on the pizza and tnen place the pepperoni slices if using.
  11. Bake for 10-15 minutes until the cheese is bubbly and starts to turn a little golden (the time will really depend on your oven). Slice and enjoy!