Tasty Thursday: BBQ chicken pizza

It is another Pizza Palooza day which means it was time for another crazy pizza creation. Eve keeps asking me where I come up with these ideas. In all honesty I just look on Pinterest then make up my own recipe.

So this week we thought we would try something crazy with BBQ sauce and chicken.

Here's what you need:
Pizza crust, again I went with the Bobby Flay crust, so easy and so yummy.
BBQ sauce, enough to cover the bottom of the pizza and to cook down the chicken and veggies in so about a bottle or so
Red pepper, diced
half onion, diced
Mozzarella cheese

So I made my pizza dough and actually stuffed the crust with cheese, this was a good idea in theory but it will take a few more tries to get it right. It tasted delicious but the cheese broke through the crust and a lot of it ended up on the bottom of my oven.

Anyway I cooked the crust for about ten minutes then pulled it out and mixed in my toppings.

While that is cooking, Add your BBQ sauce, chicken, and veggies to a sauce pan and cook down the sauce. I didn't do this and it lead to a very messy, runny pizza.

Top your crust with the sauce mixture and then sprinkle some cheese on top. Cook until the cheese is golden brown.

Let this pizza sit for five to ten minutes too to help the sauce congeal a bit more.

This pizza was good not our favorite. Still a tasty treat and the kids are already looking forward to next week.

Cookies!

It has been baking central here the past few days and cookies have been on the plate. This time I wanted to try something different and stumbled across a cookie site that I am excited about- Sally's Baking Addiction. I feel that Sally and I could be kindred spirits, she has so many great ideas and her cookies sound delicious. 

The first thing I tried was the Golden Oreo Truffles. 

This was a very simple recipe:
1 8 oz package of cream cheese, softened
1 package of Golden Oreos, crushed
White chocolate for dipping (I just used white chocolate buttons)
Sprinkles

After crushing the Oreos ( I did mine with our mini food processor) combine them with the cream cheese and mix until you have a batter.  Then roll into one inch balls, you should get about 48. Then put them in the freezer for at least a half an hour. This was one of the moments I wish I had a bigger freezer than I do...and I have two freezers. However I made it work and the got nice a frozen.

While they are freezing follow the directions to melt the chocolate. Usually it is melt it in the microwave for a minute. Stir, microwave for 30 seconds, stir, repeat until the chocolate is melted.

Then take the balls out of the freezer and dip, I struggled with dipping it and couldn't find the right way to actually do it, but hey it worked. When you are finished put them back in the fridge for at least 20 minutes.

These things were so rich and so good. The recipe is also rather versatile and has me thinking of other ideas. Like oreos with mint chocolate or mint oreos with just chocolate or strawberry oreos with chocolate...oh the possibilities are endless.

Now growing up my favorite ice cream was Rocky Road, the problem was my dad is allergic to tree nuts and my mom is allergic to chocolate. With those two allergies it wasn't that often that I got rocky road ice cream and I changed my preference to strawberry instead.  When I stumbled across the recipe for rocky road cookies, I had to try them.

Again a very simple recipe-

3 cup powdered sugar
2/3 cup cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 extra large egg whites
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 cups chocolate chips
2.5 ounces of slivered almonds (you can toast them if you want but I didn't)
1 cup mini marshmallows

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Combine powdered sugar, cocoa powder, and salt. Add egg whites and vanilla and mix until batter is smooth.  Stir in chocolate chips and almonds. Using a medium cookie scoop place 12 cookies on the sheet and place 4-5 marshmallows on each cookie. Then place the cookie tray in the fridge for 10-15 minutes.   After bake them 12-13 minutes .

They are super chocolaty and oh so good.

Recipes: Presidential cookies

Because I am one of those old boring moms I read old boring magazines while I work out. My new favorite is Family Circle. Remember old and boring. So anyway I ran across the presidential cookie recipes and decided we would have a family taste test and help determine the election (the magazine claims that the bake-off has determined every election since it's start in 1992 except one).

So I put on my apron and decided that we would dive into the the world of cookie politics.

The first recipe I made was the Michelle Obama cookie called- Mama Kaye's White and Dark Chocolate Chip Cookies, named after the Obama girl's godmother. 

*full disclosure, we did not put the walnuts in the recipe as I do not believe in nuts in cookies unless they are macadamia nuts.

Now here are things that I liked about this recipe:

1- It made 8 dozen cookies. When I mentioned to a friend that one of recipes made 8 dozen cookies they were sure that was the Ann Romney "Mormon" recipe. 

2- It has mint chips which gives the cookies a nice mint after taste. 

3- They are the most buttery and melty "ist" cookie I have ever eaten. 

4- My brother did not believe that these were the Obama cookies because they were not healthy. 

That same day I made Ann Romney's cookie called simply-M&M's cookies. 

Things I liked about this recipe:

1- This is a good hearty cookie. In fact Christian broke it up and ate it in a bowl with milk the next morning for breakfast. 

2- Double dose of chocolate and then added peanut butter

3-There is no flour, not that I am anti-flour I just thought it was cool. 

So yeah they were super awesome. Now to read how the "election turned out head on over to our family blog to read the results. 

Oh and here are the recipes:

The Obama Cookie

Ingredients

• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 stick Crisco butter-flavored solid vegetable shortening
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup each white chocolate chips, milk chocolate chips and mint chocolate chips (or Andes mint pieces)
• 2 cups chopped walnuts

Directions

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees F. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and salt. In a large bowl with an electric mixer, cream butter, vegetable shortening, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract.

2. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. On low speed, beat in flour mixture. By hand, stir in white and milk chocolate chips, mint chips and walnuts.

3. Drop rounded tablespoons of dough onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 375 degrees F for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

The Romney Cookie

Ingredients

• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups crunchy peanut butter
• 1 tablespoon light corn syrup (such as Karo)
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 4 1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 6 ounces chocolate chips
• 2/3 cup M&M's candies

Directions

1. Heat oven to 325 degrees F. In a large bowl, cream sugars, butter, peanut butter and corn syrup on high speed until well combined. Beat in eggs 1 at a time. Beat in vanilla extract.

2. In a separate bowl, mix together oats and baking soda. Stir into peanut butter mixture until combined. Mix in chocolate chips and M&M's.

3. Using a standard-size ice cream scoop, drop dough onto baking sheets (about 9 per sheet). Bake at 325 degrees F for 18 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool 2 minutes, then transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

Recipe- Snikerdoodle Cupcakes

So I am one that has to watch tv or read a magazine while I am working out, I just don't enjoy working out enough to just do simply work out. So last week I was thumbing through the June addition of Family Circle and I came across a recipe for snikerdoodle cupcakes. Now I like snikerdoodles and I like cupcakes so this seemed like a good idea. And as luck would have it we were having my parents over for Sunday dinner so I had a good excuse to make these babies. First I have to say it was a simple recipe-

1 box of white cake mix
1 cup of milk
1 stick melted butter
3 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsps cinnamon

Heat the oven to 350 and line 2 cupcake pans.   In a large mixing bowl combine all ingredients and mix on low for a minute. Scrap sides then mix again for two minutes on a higher speed.

Then here is my newly discovered tip- scoop the batter out of the bowl with an ICE CREAM SCOOP. Now I am probably late to the party on that tip but wow! It made the most perfect sized cupcakes and very little mess.

Bake the cupcakes for 15-20 our until they spring back when pressed.

Remove and then cool.

Matty and I sampled one at this stage and I have to admit though the batter did not taste like snikerdoodles the baked cupcakes did.

Then came the time to make frosting.

I made a simple butter cream frosting-

3 3/4 cup of powdered sugar
1 stick of softened butter
3 TBSP milk
1 tsp vanilla

then I added 3 tsps of ground cinnamon.  

When Matty sampled that cupcake there was a "mmmm" sound that left his mouth and the kids each ate three.

These cupcakes were super moist and just perfect. I know we will be making them again soon.

Recipe- Waffle Tacos

Yesterday I was going through my latest issue of Family Circle when I came across the idea to use savory waffles as dinner. I was intrigued by the idea for Waffle Tacos. The picture made them look delicious and I was all set to try them. I went to the link to get the recipe only to find that  all the other waffle dinners had recipes but the waffle taco was missing. I still had the desire for the waffle tacos so I came up with my own recipe.

Now I am sure that you are thinking the same thing James was when I mentioned it, "um, no." But he was final products biggest fan.  The girls also snarfed them down. It ended up being a hit.

So here is the recipe for our new family favorite- Waffle tacos.

Recipe-


Waffle mix
2 teaspoons of chicken bullion
1 can of green chilies


Prepare waffle mix as directed on bag. Then add the 2 teaspoons of crushed chicken bullion and the can of green chilies. Cook as directed.

Top with your favorite taco toppings. We used refried beans, chicken, tomatoes, cheese, olives, salsa, and sour cream.  But you can use onions, peppers, beef, black beans, lettuce, what ever you want.

The waffles were fabulous and even better with the fun toppings.

Recipe- Fresh strawberry cake

For his birthday James asked for a strawberry cake. So I whipped up this little baby-

I know that it looks like a five year old's birthday cake but you can make it look nice by using rounds and filling it with the puree.


It was pretty simple for a "from scratch" cake and it was delicious.

Ingredients

• 24 oz  frozen  or fresh strawberries, hulled (if frozen, thawed)
• 2 tsp sugar 
• 1/4 cup milk, at room temperature
• 6 large egg whites, room temperature 
• 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
• 2 1/4 cup flour, sifted
• 1 3/4 cup sugar
• 4 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 12 Tbsp unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks), softened 

Instructions

1. Slice the strawberries and toss with 2 tsps of sugar. Let them sit for a couple hours. 
2. Puree strawberries in a food processor or blender and puree.
3. Reserve cup puree for the cake. 
4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and prepare pan.
5. In small bowl, combine puree, milk, egg, vanilla and mix with fork until well blended.
6.  In bowl of stand mixer, add sifted flour, sugar, baking powder and salt and mix to combine. Continue beating at slow speed and add butter. Mix until combined and resembling moist crumbs.
7. Add liquids and beat at medium speed for about 1 minute or until full and evenly combined. 
8. Bake for about 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean (time will vary).

I used the left over puree in the whip cream frosting and it was fabulous.  

Recipe- Pina Colada Cake

Every year since I came home from my mission my family and I have celebrated Three Kings Day. I make traditional Puertorican dishes and then the Three Kings visit and leave presents in our shoes. This year instead of making flan for dessert I went another way with a Pina Colada cake. I never had this in PR so it probably isn't Puertorican but I figured the flavors were close enough to count.

This was the best looking cake I ever made. It was sweet and decadent and everyone enjoyed it- even my 7 year old who claims she prefers only natural sugars. So here it is the recipe-

1 box yellow cake mix
1 box instant vanilla pudding & pie filling mix
1/2 can Cream of Coconut
1/2 cup pineapple juice (you can also make this a tad more adult and use Rum)
1/3 cup cup vegetable oil
4 eggs
1 can crushed pineapple, well drained

Preheat oven to 350º. In a large mixing bowl, combine cake mix, pudding mix, ½ the coconut cream, pineapple juice, oil, and eggs. Beat on medium speed for about 2 minutes. Stir in the drained pineapple. Pour into a well greased and floured 10-inch bundt pan. Bake for 50. Cool slightly.

Topping-

1/2 cup pineapple juice

1/2 can of Cream of Coconut

1 box of vanilla pudding

Mix and set aside. After flipping the cake and cooling slightly spread on the top of the cake covering all areas. Then top with maraschino cherries and pineapple slices. Chill.

Recipe- Veggie Pasta

When I remember to order we participate in a local co-op called Bountiful Baskets. For $15.00 they give you two baskets- one vegetable and one fruit. You never know what you are going to get but I think it is an adventure finding way to cook things that you don't normally use. Of course this offers a whole new way to be creative which is how the veggie pasta was born. It is a family favorite around here so here it goes:

Preheat the oven to 425.

Cut bacon and chicken breasts and cook in a skillet.

Pick three to four veggies of your choice. They need to be veggies you can bake. I have used the following: yellow squash, onions, mushrooms, asparagus, red peppers, zucchini. Basically the sky is the limit.

Chop up the veggies and place into a large bowl. Toss with 4 Tablespoons of olive oil, teaspoon of basil, teaspoon of garlic salt, 1/2 teaspoon of salt. 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper. Spread out on a cookie sheet with sides. Roast 18-20 minutes until veggies are tender.

In a small sauce pan mix a cup of cream or half and half and 1/2 cup of grated Parmesan cheese over a medium low heat until slightly thickened and cheese is melted.

When meat and veggies are done return to the bowl top with the sauce and mix together. Top with fresh tomatoes and parmesan cheese.

Recipe- Apple Cake

For her birthday last month Eve declared she wanted an apple cake. I asked her if she had an apple cake before and she said no. I scoured the internet for a recipe and found a few but nothing seemed that it would be a good birthday cake. Eventually Eve decided that she would rather have an apple pie which was easier to manage.

Then last week I attended a Relief Society dinner and the dessert was an apple cake. I was there alone with the baby and was leaning towards heading home but I stayed to try this dessert and I was so glad that I did.

I have made it twice since then. It has been a hit with everyone and I have to say I could just eat the sauce by the spoonful.

So here it is the Apple cake-

Mix together-

2 cups of sugar

2 cups of flour

1 tsp cinnamon

2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

Then add-

4 cups of peeled and grated apples ( I found this was about four medium apples)

1/2 cup oil (you can substitute applesauce for this one too)

2 eggs well beaten

2 tsp vanilla

Pour into a greased 9x13 pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 45-60 minutes.

For the sauce-

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup butter or margarine

1/2 cup half and half

1 Tbsp of flour

1tsp vanilla

Stir constantly and bring to a boil. Let cook for two minutes.

For me the longest and hardest part of this was peeling and grating the apples. That took about 40 minutes after that it took 10 minutes to put together.

Pumpkin Cheesecake

I love pumpkin. It is one of my favorite things about fall. I love the smell. I love the taste. I love the many things you can do with it. Last year I was determined to try out some new recipes and was excited when my in-laws announced that we would be having a pumpkin meal contest. There was around six different categories and all had to feature pumpkin. There was just one problem. The morning of this delicious pumpkin dinner I was walking down the hall to the kitchen where Christian was preparing some of our pumpkin delights and had to bolt into the bathroom. That's right the one smell during pregnancy I couldn't stand was pumpkin.

This year I am making up for the lack of pumpkin goodness in our home. This weekend alone I made pumpkin spice cookies, two pumpkin pies, and two pumpkin cheesecakes. It is that recipe I now share with you.


This recipe is taken from the Foodnetwork.com. I took Paula Deen's recipe and made it my own so here it is-

Nat's pumpkin cheesecake

Ingredients

Crust:

• 2 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 3 tablespoons light brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3/4 stick melted salted butter

Filling:

• 3 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1 (15-ounce) can pureed pumpkin
• 3 eggs plus 1 egg yolk
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon ginger
• 2 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

For crust:

Combine crumbs, sugar and cinnamon. Add melted butter. Press down flat into a 9-inch springform pan. Set aside.

For filling:

Beat cream cheese until smooth. Add pumpkin puree, eggs, egg yolk, sour cream, sugar and the spices. Add flour and vanilla. Beat together until well combined.

Pour into crust and bake for one hour 1 hour. Remove from the oven and let sit for 15 minutes. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 4 hours.

Here are the great things about this recipe. The brown sugar in the crust gives the pie a caramel feel. The cheesecake spices are fantastic and give it just the right kick. Oh and the cheesecake is so creamy. Really I am in love with this.

Oh and just so we are clear honey, I didn't eat that piece of cheesecake featured in the picture above. Well, maybe I had a bite but don't judge me by the dishes in the sink.